Summary:Mera meets a fellow water worker in Rainmaker. Log Info:Storyteller: n/a |
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It's been about a week since the breakout, as Sarah thinks of it. When she and some of her friends were able to combine their abilities to bust out of the "school" they were held prison in by their own government and make a break for it. A week of staying on the move, going places they're not likely to be easily spotted by the Keepers pursing them.
The disaster area is perfect for that. Yes, there are looters, and yes, it's not exactly the most homey of locations. But people don't ask questions much, and they don't notice new transients in the area. And the group can take care of themselves from most threats, of course.
It's the first time Sarah's really had a moment to breath. So she's drifted over to one of the areas that's been a bit contaminated by gunk in the water, and is perched on the edge of a mostly crumbled concrete wall, focusing on the weak drip of water from a broken pipe as she slowly intensifies it, starting to direct it through the area to start washing away some of the mess towards the sewer. At least it'll go to a filtration plant that way, she figures. Better than it sitting here.
Mera was in the area anyway, possibly looking for Mister Joker, but when water is being played with, she always seems to know about it. And is definitely attracted. Dressed in her 'mortal' clothes of boots, white pants, white blouse, and beige coat, she makes sure to be loud as she approaches. Ironically, hoping it doesn't frighten off the woman she sees.
"Hello" the redhead greets, offering a warm smile. "Don't be alarmed" she pleads, raising her hands to show she is unarmed. "I am not here to hurt you. Quite the opposite. I could not help but notice what you were doing with the water. I am…intrigued." Mera has not seen many Native Americans in her time, so even the other woman's features and skin hue interest her. A nod towards the wall. "Do you mind if I sit?"
Sarah is wearing…well, she hasn't exactly been able to pick up a change of clothes as of yet. Tattered jeans, and a hoodie, pretty much, her long hair bound into a pair of very long braids falling over either shoulder, with cheap converse sneakers worn on her feet that looks second hand. She straightens up, blinking a bit as she's spoken too, immediately going on guard as she studies the other woman, then after a moment nods slightly. "…free disaster zone. And all that." she says, watching the other woman warily still. But not trying to move away. "…what do you mean you noticed?" she asks after a moment, curious now.
"It is nice to know that something in this city is free" Mera smirks as she settles on the wall. A nod towards the water. "That you controlled it to clean away some of this mess. Do not worry, I can do the same." A wave of her hand and the drips from the pipe coalesce into a larger and larger globe of water. Then it forms shapes; a fish, a bird, a dolphin. "My name is Mera. I know water very well. I almost feel it…and I am aware when it changes."
Sarah tenses slightly at the water forming for a moment, before she forces herself to relax slowly. "…better than I can. I don't have that level of control, or I could get the chemicals separated out in the first place." the Apache girl says softly, watching Mera. "…I'm Sarah." she says after a moment.
"Sarah. A lovely name" Mera smiles before considering the other woman's words and looking to her water construct. "So much filth" she sighs. "Even I am hard pressed to separate the contaminants." Her brow furrows a little as she extracts the pure water from the 'water', a much smaller globe now forming in the air. "Would you like a drink? Would be terrible to waste this. Are you looking for Mister Joker?"
Sarah raises a brow, a stray breeze blowing a bit of her bangs around as she gets an amused twinkle. "I think Mera is a bit more exotic, really. Sarah is pretty common as a name, by comparison." She pauses, then holds out her fingers, wiggling them as she coaxes a smaller flow out of the purified water, letting it spills into her mouth as she swallows. "Thank you. And….wait, Joker? The psycho clown guy? He's around here?" She frowns. "No, I am definitely not looking for psycho clowns."
"Sarah is very exotic where I am from" Mera laughs, before watching the other woman draw in the water to her mouth. A satisfied smile as Sarah drinks. The Atlantean's clear blue eyes watching with some interest. "He is a psycho? You mean mentally disturbed?" That would explain a few things. "But he had so many followers. So many people pleading for his help. They did not seem distressed by his…erratic…manner." Humans are so strange. "What is it you are looking for then, Sarah?"
"People are sometimes willing to fasten on to the first person who claims they can fix their problems, whether or not it's true, and regardless of the bad side of the person in question." the native girl murmurs. "People who are desperate are willing to overlook a lot of things to get what they need." She shrugs her shoulders, watching Mera thoughtfully. "…me? I wanted to get away from it all for…reasons." She tilts her head, leaning back on her hands. "And where are you from, then?"
"That is true" Mera nods to Sarah's sage words. "Need often overtakes wisdom…or morality. Would you like to tell me those reasons? Does it have something to do with…" A wave of her hand towards the water. At least the native looks to be more at ease in Mera's presence now. "I am from Atlantis" she announces proudly. "And where are you from? You are not from here. Your…coloration…" she reaches out to trace a gentle touch over Sarah's cheek before pulling back her hand. "Sorry, I should have asked first."
Sarah blinks as her cheek is touched, twitching a bit, before she gently pulls away. "Atlantis, hmm? Really?" She looks thoughtful. "Huh…you don't look that different really. I was expecting a fish tail or something." she decides after a moment, then smiles faintly. "Mm. Well, my particular people aren't from here, though if we're extending it to the people like mine who lived here, we were from here. First. Before it was colonized by Europe." She tilts her head. "I'm an Apache. Native American."
"Some of us have gills. Some of us have tails. Most of us are blue" Mera explains about her people. "My mother was human" she adds, though in a lower volume, as if there could be some shame there. "An Apache? I have not heard of these people before. Are they all as beautiful as you?" Her tone suggests an honest comment rather than a hint at flattery. "Do they all control water?" If they do, it is odd that she has never heard of them. "Ah, your lands were stolen by those who built these ugly monoliths upon them. I am sorry to hear that."
That draws a raised brow as Sarah looks amused. "You're forward." she says, then shakes her head. "Mmm, no. I'm actually half-Apache, technically. My father was Caucasian. And no, they don't normally, I'm…unique? As far as I know, anyway." she says simply. "I got these…powers from my father, not my mother. Sort of." She sighs. "…it's a really long story." She twitches her lips. "As for beautiful, thank you, but my people vary just like most others for that. I got lucky in the genetic lottery. And I work hard to keep myself in shape."
"Forward? No, honest" Mera replies with a friendly smile. And Sarah is another half-breed, no doubt she has suffered like the Atlantean has. "I have nowhere to go" she shrugs, "I am happy to listen to long stories. Maybe you would like to tell it to someone who may understand?" A pause before she adds. "I am referring to me. And whatever work you are doing to stay in shape, it is working well."
"Damn straight it is." Sarah says dryly, then sighs, scooting around a bit so she can face you more directly. "Nowhere? You seem like the sort who would have people…' she says thoughtfully. She studies the other woman, then sighs. "…why not? If you're a Keeper I'm already screwed." She ponders. "….so. The government here has been trying to artificially create metahumans for…a long time now. Since World War 2, at least. Different programs, different successes. Captain America is one, but there were plenty of others." She taps her chest. "For mine, they were trying to flip the switch on the metahuman gene, or thought he'd identified it. Mostly, they failed…and most of the test subjects didn't survive it either. Not until the 12th generation, at least."
"Nowhere I would rather be" Mera shrugs before quirking a brow. "Keepers? That sounds very interesting." A frown about the government attempting to create metahumans. That sounds like a weapon design program…and who would that be directed against? "I have met Captain America. He seems a noble person, though those who created him seem far less so. They were happy to kill their own in this quest for power?" A shake of her head at such things. "Please, go on."
Sarah holds out a hand, waggling it. "Sort of. Volunteers, mostly, who said yes for a variety of reasons. Generation 12 was a military project, and it worked. For most of them. A few couldn't control their powers and were destroyed by them or went insane. But there were about ten or so that were stable. More importantly, they could pass their stable metahuman genes on to their children. I think, though I'm not sure, that the army shut down the project after them, thinking it was too risky, but…someone else decided that they didn't need to experiment more. Not when could just grab up the children of generation 12, generation 13. Like me."
"They let these Generation 12 free? Hmm…not out of the goodness of their hearts it would seem. They wanted them to create metahumans like you. And I suppose you will be expected to create Generation 14 while in the comfort of a prison" Mera theorizes, though she is not happy about such theories. "Where are your parents now? Did they not try to help you?"
"The army did, yeah. But the government isn't all one monolithic piece. Lots of groups, lots of secrets." She shivers. "Maybe, might have wanted us to make babies. I think they wanted us as their personal kill squad too." She frowns. "…they tried to take me when I was born, actually. Told my father my mother and I died in childbirth, then spirited us away. He left, thinking it was true. Faked the bodies, everything. My mother managed to escape with me though hid out with relatives. But…" She frowns quietly. "…she died two years ago from cancer. Her, and my uncle Billy, and the Keepers….that's what they call themselves…they found me and tried to take me back. They couldn't do it by force…so they had me declared legally a ward of the government, since I didn't have any parents by blood or a guardian anymore."
"But your father is still alive, yes? I am sorry about your mother." Mera reaches out to give a consoling squeeze to Sarah's hand, removing it if it proves unwelcome. "And these government people…the Keepers…are who you are hiding from in this place? Are there other children that you know of? On the run too?" She purses her lips in thought. "I could offer you sanctuary."
Sarah sighs. "…I don't know. He just…vanished after that. They might have killed him, or take him, or he might be living somewhere happily and I just don't know where." She doesn't resist the squeezed hand, then tilts her head. "…well. They had a school. Or they said it was a school. Really more of a combined brainwashing center and lab that they could convince kids they got a special scholarship to. Me and some friends, we figured out what was going on and broke out. But we're still…moving. " She smiles a bit at the offer. "…thank you…but I have a plan already. If it works, they won't be able to find my friends afterwards. I'm the strongest of us. I just need to pull them down on me for a little bit, and they can get away while they're watching me."
"It sounds like we need to find your father." It seems Mera has decided Sarah's cause is worthy of picking up herself. "Where is this school? Can you tell me the name? The address?" She is also starting to feel a bit paranoid too, glancing around for anyone that may be watching them in this desolate ruin. "If your friends need somewhere to hide while you draw them away… The offer will always be there, Sarah. I can be quite helpful if you wish to trust me." Her hand still holding the other woman's.
Sarah frowns. "…no. I'm not going to pull you into this. If you went to start investigating this, the Keepers will know, and then they'll be looking for you too." she says firmly. "Besides, I don't have any idea where my father might be, if he's still alive. We…I don't want to draw anyone into this." She sighs out, her expression softening. "Though it's very kind of you to offer. Thank you."
"I am in no danger, I assure you" Mera promises. "These Keepers of yours are mortal? Not metahumans? Sarah, they will be no threat to me." She studies the lovely young woman and nods once. "But if you do not wish me to help, then I will not intrude. It is your life you live. You do with it what you will. If you ever decide you do need assistance, and there is no shame in that, then contact me." With her free hand she rummages around in a pocket before pulling out a device that is similar to a phone but doesn't look like any model available on the surface. "Here, take this. If you need me, then simply speak my name into it. Though I do hope we can spend a little more time talking now. I enjoy your company. Someone so noble of spirit is a pleasure to meet."
The dusky-skinned girl regards Mera solemnly. "…you weren't listening. They HAVE metahumans. Kids like me, they've turned into killers. Brainwashed, or threatened or whatever to get them to do what they say." she says softly. "We got lucky and got away. There were a lot that didn't…and plenty that vanished to 'go home' before we were able to break out of there. And I'm guessing they didn't go home." She watches with a frown, then reaches out to take the item, looking it over. She snorts. "Noble of spirit…you've barely met me; don't you think you should reserve judgement on that?" Sarah points out but tucks the communicator in a pocket.
"Then I deal with the metahumans" Mera replies; she has a lot of pride in herself. Or is that ego? "You are noble of spirit because you think of others first. You are trying to save those weaker than you from a fate worse than death. You broke out of an evil place instead of surrendering to it. You are trying to protect me, a stranger, from danger. That, to me, is noble of spirit…and action. I am certain there is more to know of you, and I would gladly learn it, though I am also certain that it will only be aspects that heighten your nobility, not lessen it."
Sarah mmphs, rubbing her neck absently as she gets a faint dark flush to her cheeks, then clears her throat, a little embarrassedly. "Oh. Well. I guess…when you put it like that, I guess so." she mumble, looking a bit thrown by the compliment. She apparently doesn't get praised for being noble usually. "Maybe you're seeing the best of me; getting to know me more doesn't mean that you won't find flaws. I am who I am, warts and all, as my mother used to say." She sighs, then glances at a cheap watch on her wrist, before she smiles weakly. "…but thank you for offering to help. It's good to know there are people out there who would want to help." She pushes herself up to her feet, dusting off her jeans absently. "I do need to get back to things, though…can't stay here for long. Have to keep moving. But…sure. If this works, and I make it out…I'll give you a call, hmm?"
"I doubt you have a single wart" Mera teases as she rises with Sarah, giving her hand another squeeze before releasing her. "I look forward to seeing you again, Sarah. And remember…" A nod to the device in her pocket. "You may summon me at any time. And there is always a place of sanctuary for you and your friends. It was a pleasure to meet you." Mera will watch the other woman leave, making sure she gets out of sight safely…and she finds her pleasurable to watch. Then she will head out towards the ocean.