What Makes Him Sing (IC)

[KnightDisciple]

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Gabriel was only mildly nervous as he flew through the skies of Freedom City. He knew Miss Americana was an upstanding member of the hero community. He knew she could be trusted. He knew the Lab was filled with similar individuals. And he knew that doctors weren't that bad. It helped, but he was still a bit restless. He had never loved going to the doctor, and after getting powers, it had become a more delicate situation than ever.

Finally, he came in for a gentle landing on the front steps of The Lab, nodding to other who were coming and going. They didn't spare him more than a glance; perhaps around here, superheroes were becoming a normal sight. He walked into the lobby and headed for the reception desk.

"Yes, hello. I have an appointment with Miss Americana. My name's Gabriel. Yes, I'll wait, by all means. Just let her know I'm here."

He took a polite step back and let the staff get to work.

[Electra]

"Of course," said the efficiently friendly young man at the desk, pressing an intercom button. "Miss Americana, your visitor has arrived." He listened to his earpiece, then nodded to Gabriel. "She's waiting for you in the biolab on 25. This visitor pass will let you get there. Just press it to the pad in the elevator and it will take you right up, then it's the second door on your left." The elevator was just off the reception desk and impossible to miss, and as promised, presenting his pass made the elevator take him right to his floor, no need for button-pushing.

The biolab looked something like a cross between a hospital room and a science fiction movie, full of equipment he vaguely recognized and plenty more he did not. He did recognize Miss America, however, wearing a spotless white labcoat over a blue pantsuit with garnet accents. She smiled at Gabriel. "It's so nice to see you again," she told him warmly. "How are you doing?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel nodded as he took the badge. He gave the receptionist a polite smile and final thanks before he walked into the elevator. Once inside, he marveled at how smooth the ride was,and then how quick it was. His interest only increased as he walked through the short connecting passageway.

All of that was blown away by the lab. His mouth opened a bit in surprise, and he turned a slow circle to take it all in, wonder alight in his eyes. He then focused on Miss Americana, giving her a broad smile.

"Real nice setup you have here. Definitely a bit shinier than the Minute Clinic down the street..."

He shook his head, trying to clear out the distraction.

"Good to see you again as well. I've been doing well. Better, even, the last week or so. I had a talk with a friend, and I've been reshuffling some things ever since. It's helped more than I thought it would. It's even kind of why I'm here; I have the time, and I think it would be helpful to understand my powrs a bit better. So. Where do we start?"

[Electra]

"We'll start with the basics," Miss A told him cordially, leading him into the center of the room. "A basic physical profile, along with a powers profile and a health history questionnaire. It's not too exciting, I'm afraid, but all of that will give me a base to work from as I decide what tests will be most edifying. If you ever have any questions or feel uncomfortable about anything, just speak up." She took out a robe that seemed at least more substantial than the typical hospital gown and pointed him to a bathroom just off the lab. "Go ahead and change into this. You can keep your underwear and socks on."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel took the robe, nodding as she gave instructions and explanation.

"No, that's fine. I'd rather you catch something early than focus on the "cool stuff" or whatnot. You're the medical professional."

He suddenly looked a bit unsure about something.

"You said underwear and socks. Can I leave my mask on, as well?"

[Electra]

Miss Americana regarded him for a moment, a patient look on her own unmasked face. "Gabriel, if you trust me, you're going to have to really trust me. I have no interest in delving into your secret identity or using anything I learn here against you. Everything you say, every reading, every recording will be kept in the very highest confidence. But if you really want to learn about the nature and origin of your powers, I am going to have to ask you questions about your history and your habits that will feel far more personal than simply baring your face. But if you're really, truly going to be uncomfortable unless your mask is on," she continued, "I will do my best to work around it."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel stood there for long moments, seemingly caught in indecision. Finally, he took a deep, fortifying breath, and nodded to Miss Americana.

"You're right. I do trust you, Miss Americana. That's why I'm here, right? Give me a minute to get changed."

With that, he walked into the connected bathroom, closing the door after himself. After less than five minutes, the door opened, and he walked out, robe wrapped around himself, and his sock-clad feet sliding slightly on the floor. His rather good-looking face glanced about with an almost embarrassed expression. Probably due to his state of dress. He gave the star-spangled heroine a lopsided grin.

"So, um. Floor's a bit cold. Good thing the AC's not on; I have a feeling it'd be a bit breezy. So, what's our first test, Miss Americana? And can I call you something shorter? "Miss Americana" seems terribly formal for someone who'll be seeing me in my skivvies."

[Electra]

"Plenty of people just call me Miss A," she told him with a smile. "Mavis, raise the temperature five degrees," she commanded, though not in Gabriel's direction. A small, boxy robot on the other side of the room lit up and tapped a console, activating the blowers in the ceiling to begin releasing warm air. "That should make you a bit more comfortable," she told her patient. "Though the floor will probably continue to be cold, at least you won't be on it." She gestured to the bed, which looked very much like an adjustable hospital bed.

"First off, I'm just going to let the computer run a bioscan on you," she explained, wheeling over a heavy and expensive-looking piece of machinery as though it weighed nothing. "This will give me the same information you'd get during a physical at a doctor's office. You can expect to feel the mechanical arm testing your pulse and blood pressure, and there will be a quick fingerstick for blood tests. Nothing strange, nothing too superscientific just yet," she assured him with a chuckle. "While it does that, can you tell me a little bit about your health generally? Do you often get sick? Any major diseases in adulthood or childhood?"

[KnightDisciple]

"Having gone through an auction of ourselves, I think I can get away with "Miss A", then. And thanks for the temperature bump."

He hoisted himself up onto the indicated table, arranging his limbs with care. In the course of this, the upper portion of his robe fell open, revealing a rather noticeable set of scars running from the bottom of his pectorals to the bottom of his abdominal area. It looked like a couple sets of huge claws had torn into his skin. Smaller scars dotted him here and there. He settled into position, barely noticing the testing arm, and not even twitching at the finger stick.

"Don't get sick often, no. Might get a mild cold now and again. Well, I do have this annoying recurring infection called "battlefield wounds", but those get taken care of pretty quick. I know a good medic or two. Childhood, not really. A few cases of strep throat, couple ear infections, had my tonsils and wisdom teeth out...Nothing major, in other words."

He seemed to be relaxing somewhat as the tests continued; clearly the less-invasive nature helped him feel more at ease.

[Electra]

"I see you have some scars there," Miss A commented easily, making notes on the fancy modified iPad she used when she was working. "Are those some of the aforementioned battlefield wounds, or did you get them somewhere else?" So far she wasn't seeing too much that was unexpected, but the physical exam was a step that had to be taken. She'd feel awfully silly if she skipped that very first step and missed something totally obvious and very important because of it. Thoroughness was a virtue.

[KnightDisciple]

He glanced down, blushing a bit as he realized how exposed he was, despite the fact he was likely getting fully scanned by all sorts of technical wizardry, or would be soon enough. He laid his head flat again and explained.

"The big nasty ones are from what I called a "super-ghoul" back in October of last year. I fought a pack of them, a bunch of skeletons, and a couple necromancers. The last ghoul gave me those, nearly ripped me apart. Freedom Angel apparently found me and dragged me to get fixed up by Fleur de Joie. All I know is one minute I'd just beaten a super-ghoul, and the next, I was waking up in a strange bed a few days later."

He shrugged, which looked odd with him laying flat.

"Most of the rest are smaller wounds from the last couple of years. A couple are older, reminders of stupid stuff I did when I was a kid. You know, the sort of stuff that starts off with someone yelling "hey guys, watch this", and ends with blood and tears. And a round of "that was awesome" from the other guys."

[Electra]

"I see," Miss A murmured, making a few more notes. "I know Fleur de Joie," she commented, "and Dark Star. You couldn't hope to meet much nicer people. Haven't made Freedom Angel's acquaintance yet." The scanner finished its run, and she pulled away the machine to let him sit up more comfortably. "Tell me about your powers," she encouraged, "anything you know about them. How you got them, what they do, how you control them. Temperature all right now?" she thought to ask. "Would you like a drink or anything?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel sat up, putting his legs over the side and unconsciously beginning to swing them back and forth just a bit.

"You're right, those two are wonderful people. As for Freedom Angel, he's been less active lately; I think he's gotten more duties from Heaven or something. He still helps out around his living place on occasion. He's a good guy. Angel. You know what I mean. And the temperature's fine. Some water might be nice."

His eyes defocused a bit as he dove into memory to answer her questions.

"My powers? Let's see. At their most basic, I have a lot of control over sound. My control's pretty instinctive, though on occasion I have to concentrate if I'm doing something less routine with them. Or if I'm training myself for a "new trick".

More specifically, I'm mostly a walking, talking, less-than-lethal weapon. I can paralyze people with sound, make them sick, or just knock them out, like hitting them upside the head with a fist. I can even make them easier to hurt. Plus, I can fly really fast when I want to, though it takes most of what I have. I can talk to...I haven't really tested the limits, but I can basically throw my voice wherever I want. Maybe even around the world.

And it makes me...more likable? Sociable? Somehow, I feel like I'm way better with people skills now with my powers. I mean, I wasn't terrible with them before, but I've definitely noticed a change."

He smirked a bit as he got around to her first question.

"As for how I got them...the Archangel Gavriel gave them to me. Though I don't think they're magical per se. It was more like...he woke up something buried really deep inside me. That's what it felt like, anyways."

[Electra]

"Can you tell me more about that?" Miss A asked when Gabriel spoke about his imbuing, looking up from her busy writing to meet his eyes. It didn't seem like she disbelieved him, but like she honestly wanted to hear more. Truthfully, Miss A found it rather hard to believe that a mythological angel would come down and give powers to a mortal, since she didn't hold much truck with religions or any other superstition, but that hardly meant that Gabriel was wrong. There were certainly powerful entities capable of enhancing human beings with superpowers, and he could've met one that told him a story designed to resonate with his psyche. There was no magic, just science that had not yet been explained, and she was intrigued to learn more about this mystery.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel closed his eyes in concentration.

"I can remember that encounter with almost perfect clarity.

It was just three nights after I turned 17. I'd had this desire for a while to change the world, help people, make a difference; at the time, I figured it'd be via teaching, helping kids who needed it. You know, Academy Award winning movie fare type thing. I was on a walk in the nearby park, enjoying the night, you know?. Suddenly, a brilliant light blinded me, made fall back. Just as I was starting to see again, I heard a voice.

"Fear not. My visit to you is one of greatest import, for you have a great destiny ahead of you. Your prayers have been heard. Now, they shall be answered, in a way more wonderful than you could have dreamed."

When I could see better, I saw there was an angel standing in front of me! Flowing robes, glowing hair and eyes, white wings, and, I promise you, a trumpet. I crossed myself and muttered a short prayer. I asked him why he'd come to me, and exactly which angel he was. Had to be sure, you know? Then I found some courage and asked him how I could be sure he wasn't a demon in disguise. Lucifer has experience looking all nice and shiny, you know?

The angel walked toward me, all slow-like, and then crouched down in front of me. Then he reached out to grasp the rosary. It didn't react at first, and it certainly didn't burn him; after a few moments, it took on a deep, unearthly glow. At that point, I knew he was for real. He started talking again.

"I applaud your courage. You will need it for the years ahead. I am indeed a true angel. An Archangel, in fact. I am Gavriel, Herald and Messenger of the Most High. I have come because you have been chosen. You have been chosen to be an agent for Good in the world. Your current dreams are worthy, yes. Such is the work of many Saints. But you shall have a task higher still. You will be endowed with a small fraction of my power. You shall craft sound into a weapon against the forces of Evil, large and small. You have great things ahead. Gabriel."

And then was just gone. I looked down, and find myself wearing my costume. Well, only the coat's still original; the rest got shredded pretty bad in October. I could feel power welling up in me. I had a grasp on at least the basics of what to do, though I could tell I needed practice. And oddly enough, I suddenly knew how to play the trumpet, as well as a few other similar instruments."

He opens his eyes, and shrugs.

"From then on, I practiced, went to school, and eventually came to the city here. After adventures...here we are."

[Electra]

"Here you are indeed," Miss A repeated with a small smile. "And we're lucky to have you. You got your powers when you were just a youngster, then. That must have been difficult, to come into such amazing abilities so early." Honestly, his story reminded her just a little of her own, where a teenager received powers out of the blue from an apparently benevolent stranger, and then was left to learn to use them. "So you'd been praying fervently for the power to make a difference and change the world, and suddenly one night when you were alone, someone appeared to you and gave it to you?" Definitely familiar when you put it that way. "Did you ever see him again?"

[KnightDisciple]

"Lucky, huh?"

He gave a wry chuckle.

"Anyhow, yeah. I've had a few years to go from "instinctive knowledge" to "practice that shaped instinct", if you see what I'm getting at. It helped that when I told my parents, they were mostly supportive. I mean, hero work is dangerous, so there was kind of the worry there.

As for seeing Gavriel again, not in the same way. I've briefly seen him in a dream or two. And on occasion, my rosary glows to give a bit of direction; that's how I came to be in Freedom City. But I'm mostly left on my own; probably to help preserve free will and all. I like to think some of it is because I'm doing a halfway-decent job."

[Electra]

"You do seem to be doing well for yourself," Miss A agreed. "I'd like to measure the range of your voice, first off, a simple mechanical test that you shouldn't need to exert yourself for." She handed him something that looked like a microphone, with a cord that led into a machine. "I've got a tuner here, and I would like you to sing along with it as low and high as you can go. Stop if you feel like you're going to start straining anything, but don't worry too much about breaking anything. I've got baffles up, and I haven't programmed the tuner to go to dangerous levels. Whenever you're ready."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel takes the microphone, holding it to one side for the moment.

"Uh, sure. Just let me warm up a bit."

With that, he goes through a series of vocal warm-ups, gradually preparing himself to stretch his voice. After about 5 minutes, he stopped to drink a glass of water, before nodding to Miss A and placing the microphone near his mouth.

"Right then, let's start."

With that, he began following the tuner, smoothly moving his voice pitch up and down as much as he could. Gabriel's vocal range was surprisingly narrow; he was a talented baritone, able to explore the upper and lower reaches, but wasn't quite able to hit tenor or bass at any point. His singing voice was deep and clear, giving a sense of passion even with the fairly simple toner follow-along. Finally, he finished, a smile on his face.

"That was pretty fun. But that's pretty much my limit; I can add another accent or two on, but I can't easily go higher or lower with singing."

[Electra]

Miss A shook herself a little when he was finished, slightly annoyed at herself for allowing her mind to wander into the beauty of the singing, rather than staying put in the science of things. He did have an amazing voice. At least the instruments had caught it all. "That's very good," she told him a bit distractedly, running through the results one more time. "Harmonics and subharmonics are all within the normal vocal range. My preliminary theory is that your voice provides a carrier wave for other power frequencies, which are what actually create the physical effects you've produced while using your powers. Are you ready to go down to the firing range and try a few tests?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel listened with enthusiastic attention, frowning once or twice when he didn't fully understand her meaning.

"So, my voice hasn't really changed, but it basically helps me do everything else? What about when I don't talk, but still fly or whatnot?"

His tone makes it clear he's just trying to understand, not challenge. He shakes his head with a rueful smile, sliding off the examination bed.

"Floor's warmer. And firing range sounds good. You'll have to lead the way, though."

[Electra]

"That's what we're here to find out," Miss A told him cheerfully. "Like I said, all I have at this point are preliminary hypotheses. I've only seen you in action a couple of times, and never with scanning equipment trained on you. Once we put you through your paces and I start seeing the mechanics of what you do, I'll be able to make a more informed conclusion. If you can just change into this, we'll go down to the range." The outfit she handed him was like a cross between a super uniform and a child's footie pajamas, a close-fitting single-piece outfit that covered him from neck to toes, including his hands, and had a snug hood as well. The fabric was shot through with silver wires and electrodes, and various parts were colored different bright primary colors, presumably to allow for better video pickup.

[KnightDisciple]

"And I definitely appreciate it, Miss A. I'm just trying to make sure I understand as much as possible. It's why I'm really here, after all. I'm fine with going through a bunch of scans and stuff."

Gabriel raised one eyebrow as he took the suit and held it out in front of him. Suddenly, he blushed a bit and looked generally towards Miss A.

"Um...Can I keep my underwear on when I put this on?"

If he can, he'll do so as he goes to change. If not, he'll blush deeper and still go change. Once he's finished, he'll walk out and give himself a once over.

"I look like a character from Tron. Which...okay, there are worse looks. Just feels weird to wear skintight clothes."

He turns back and forth, trying to get a look at all of himself, before shrugging a bit, as if trying to move the cloth around.

"Man. This thing's tight."

[Electra]

"You can wear the underwear, but it may just make you more uncomfortable," Miss A advised. "The outfit is designed to work with your bare skin." She looked him over approvingly when he emerged, touching his arm to evaluate the fit of the material. "It's snug," she agreed, "but it needs to be in order for the electrodes to maintain contact. The method I've seen used before this became available was running around in your underpants with the electrodes taped to you, so it's really quite an improvement." She gave him a quick smile of reassurance. "In any case, you aren't going to be performing in front of a big audience. I've got one tech and Mavis, my droid, down there to help take the readings, but beyond that, nobody's going to be watching. Ready?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel blushed further.

"I think one of the worst parts is that even though it's just the suit itself-"

That's right ladies, he's going commando!

"It's actually kind of comfortable. Probably because it's meant to be worn during tests like this. And yeah, it's better than electrodes taped to me while I wear my underwear and nothing else. Though it's only a couple steps above it, modesty wise."

He tries to turn his torso around to look at his back half.

"I'm amazed I don't have a wedgie. Anyways. Hope your tech's a discrete person."

At first she might think it's because of the suit, but then it might occur to her that he's still not wearing his mask.

"Let's get this show on the road. As it were."