"Yeah, your parents let my dad know. Told me to head over. Made it through the woods easily enough, right up until I saw all that." He gestured questioningly.

It had to have been a few weeks since I last saw Fil. To this day, I still wasn't sure exactly how we were such fast friends. Him a super, me a mundane. Sure we grew up together, but I always thought supers thought themselves fundamentally different than mundanes. Fil, if anything, changed my mind.

"They told you everything? Geez Fil, going through the Woods at this hour?" I was more concerned about him than the potential breach of privacy.

"All they said was that you might need a hand. Your dad said something about the Woods being potentially a little more dangerous than usual." Fil had made himself comfortable in the living room like he had done countless times before. "Besides, you know I'd be fine either way." He had a point, I conceded.

Fil was one of the most laid back people I knew, but a perk of being his best friend was thus; I knew he was one of the most driven people I'd ever, or will ever meet. The man was a machine. It was just something no one would ever guess. Messy brown hair and brown eyes, Fil was my best friend, but damn if he didn't look the picture of lazy.

"Uncle Optim was fine with it?" We weren't related by blood, but our parents always considered each other family. We were related by stronger bonds than mere blood. Besides, we didn't look the same. "I'm surprised, normally your mom's got a tighter leash on you, if Optim's not the one tugging it." I chuckled.

Fil looked at me flatly. "With the Academy's entrance exam coming up Dad's been letting me loose a little. A taste of independence and all that. He's convinced Mom too somehow. And Lud, you know he doesn't like you calling him that."

I put my hands up. "Alright, alright. But all the more reason to keep calling him it, besides your parents love me." I looked for my chocolate powder, pausing. "The Academy? Makes sense. Mr. Optim's crazy about you going isn't he?"

He sighed. "Not gonna argue on any of those accounts. Even without him pushing it, I'd be going to Price's."

There was a beat of silence before I spoke again. "So I'm guessing my parents were too busy to come themselves? Luminaire damaged that much of the city?"

Fil shrugged his shoulders and looked mock offended. "What, your best friend's not enough? You haven't seen me in weeks man. All your parents told me was you might be in trouble, and my dad seemed pretty eager to get me out here. What better excuse to finally see my hermit of a friend?" It was delivered jokingly, but I knew Fil.

I sighed, walking over and handing him some of the hot chocolate I had made.

"Thanks." He said, accepting my small token of apology.

"Sorry Fil. Truth is, I've been hunting every chance I could get trying to save up for the eventual release. You know meat from the Woods sells. It was the fastest way to save up. Time-consuming though." I hinted, looking at him intently. "Thought we could play once I got it."

Stolen story; please report.

"You didn't." He sat up, immediately on the edge of his seat.

"Oh, I did." I smiled.

"What, where? Show me, man! We could meet up online!" He said suddenly, forgetting completely of those two weeks of silence. "What the hell am I doing here? I need to get home."

"Well, that ties into why my parent's probably sent you here. And why your dad was probably eager you come by too." I replied. "The thing blew up, Fil."

"Huh?" He blinked. "That can't be right. The PrismScape is top of the line, it's built, presumably, by a super! There haven't been any complaints about it!"

I stared at him, conspicuously looking up at my lights. "Takes a super to break super, eh?" Lights which, very obviously, were surrounded by black scorch marks. The type one might assume came from electrical burns. He followed my gaze, confused and latching onto my only giving tell.

"Luminaire?" He said. "Did he fly over the Woods?" He asked himself. Then he looked thoughtful until finally, he made a face. "He flew right over your goddamn house, didn't he?"

I nodded. "He did. Blew out everything. My solar grid went out, everything electrical either overloaded or overloaded and exploded. The PrismScape was the latter, along with my entire gaming setup." I said. "I can't blame him though. Who'd think there'd even be people living in the Woods and that they'd have electricity running?"

"Fuck man, those things are expensive. That's about ten thousand spec, isn't it? Not to mention the damages to your house and your setup. Sorry Lud, that's the saddest thing I think I've ever heard." He took a moment feeling sorry for me. "I mean, if Luminaire caused the damages you could petition EPO. They'd reimburse your PrismScape easily. They've got the money for it. All the rest you could just make up and they'd be forced to pay it."

"I'd rather not have the Enhanced Protection Organization knowing where I live. With me and my parents being the only people who live out here, we'd definitely at least be on their radar. Don't entirely know what that would mean, but still. Big organization and big power, I'd rather not."

"Fair enough." Fil said. "So? None of this tells me exactly why our parents wanted me to come out. My power doesn't exactly lend itself to emotional or financial support."

"You're enough emotional support as it is. And hey, I might be able to sell you on the corner." I shrugged, catching his gaze. "But no, your power really doesn't." I said, staring at the bloodstains on the kitchen tile.

Fil was trained to notice such things, but he had seen the corpses outside, the temporary barricades and my ripped and odd clothing too. He was being the perfect angel, not letting anyone but me lead the conversation. There was, however, only so much of that patience.

"Enough jokes, Lud. What's up?" His brown eyes were piercing, taking everything in. A focus that transcended his appearance and gave a glimpse to the man below it all. "What's going on here? Why'd your parents want me out here and what were those things outside? Is a super after you?"

The combination of his genuine concern and confidence he could help was what would ultimately make him a perfect candidate for the Academy. In this particular situation, however, it silenced me and forced me to respond. I stared at him and opened my mouth, ready to explain everything, when my mouth shut. An easier way came to mind, a way to explain away everything he had seen.

There was a moment I relished, as I'm sure all other supers did. It was an enhanced's moment to announce what they were. Whether it was to anyone's surprise or simple affirmation. The words that poured out of me were perhaps the most validating of the day.

I was no longer normal, I was something else.

"I'm super, Fil." The words slipping from my heart before my mouth could even intone them. "I Originated."