Awake (Josh, open)

[Tempero]

There are no dreams to be had. Slowly, a few fingers start twitching. His head moves to one side, then to the other, and ever so slowly, groggily, his eyelids lift. Emerald eyes stare at the ceiling, which he can't recognize. He's waking up for the first time in this place.

Danny raises his head, and figures out he's in the med-lab. Was I knocked out in the museum? I know I stopped the dinosaurs... Not a small amount of pride puffs up in his chest at the thought. He'd finally done something useful!

As he moves to sit up, the realization that there are straps around his wrists and waist dawns. "Hu-OW!" as soon as his jaw opens, searing pain shoots all the way up the left side. It feels as if it has been dislocated and then popped back into place. What? he wonders as he looks down and notices two more straps around his ankles.

His back hurts too, but it is a dull, persistent kind of pain that is somewhat easier to forget about than the sudden one in his jaw. Speaking of, there is a odd taste in his mouth, very disturbing. Seconds later, Danny knows it is blood. What happened to me?

And then the memories return.

His eyes go a bit wide and he's not sure what to feel any more. Guilt? Sadness? Shame? Pain seems to be the one constant thing. He's completely banged up. And then he remembers Hector.

"Oh...God..." he starts pulling on the straps, but even though he knows it's useless the action gives him an impression of at least doing something. "Josh? Anyone?" he calls out, trying to prevent the tears from coming out.

The two watery emeralds look around in search of a living being in the room, as he keeps pulling on the straps in an attempt to get out and rush off to find Hector, to see if the boy's all right. He takes great care to avoid the little voice saying that the kid has been completely eviscerated, with bowels spilling out all over the floor.

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

> "Josh? Anyone?"

Josh looks up from the console when he hears Danny's voice in the other room. Hmm, he's finally awake. He'd been unconscious for hours - the transformation and violent battle had really taken it out of him.

He shuts off the screen at the MRI workstation and exits the room. The doors slide open, presenting him with Danny, who looks panicked.

Josh lets his eyes close slightly for a moment, but they soon snap open. Good - looks like he's finally purged Jack's mutation. Somehow, Danny had acquired Jack's transformation abilities during the fiasco at the museum, resulting in him rampaging through the medical lab. He and Jack had barely been able to knock Danny out. His mental state looked good at the moment.

"Good to see you're awake - I think that battle really took it out of you." A wry smile briefly crosses Josh's face. "I'm afraid that I let my TK get away from me - I broke your spine while Jack and I were trying to subdue you. Thanks to Jack's healing factor, things reknit pretty fast." He raises an eyebrow. "But it did seem to slow you down for a moment."


He takes in Danny's upset, flushed face, and hurries to explain. "Everyone's okay, Danny. Hector was somehow able to heal himself. Jack and Arthur are fine, and Veronica..." Veronica was sleeping off a hangover whose origin he didn't want to comtemplate. "Veronica's fine, and you can see that I didn't let you get within range of me, either."

[Tempero]

>"Good to see you're awake - I think that battle really took it out of you. I'm afraid that I let my TK get away from me - I broke your spine while Jack and I were trying to subdue you. Thanks to Jack's healing factor, things reknit pretty fast. But it did seem to slow you down for a moment."

"Broke...my spine? Mr. Russell's healing factor? But...how did I...I didn't copy him..." this new information distracts him for a moment, combined with the dawning of the fact that he'd unintentionally taken on possibly the most painful mutation available at the Institute. His jaw still hurts when he speaks, but it is not as important as the question he wants to ask, but then Josh answers it already.

> "Everyone's okay, Danny. Hector was somehow able to heal himself. Jack and Arthur are fine, and Veronica... Veronica's fine, and you can see that I didn't let you get within range of me, either."

He calms down a bit, his head dropping onto the pillow. He looks at the restraints again, and has to blink hard to avoid tears. "How did I copy him?" the question floats in the air for a few moments, and then he switches his concerns.

"Everyone must think I'm some kind of idiot...or extremely dangerous or something...Am I...gonna...er...turn again?" even the thought of it is abominable, but Danny decides he has to know. It seems, for a moment, that no matter how much he tries to do well, and to help people, he always ruins everything.

Maybe I should just leave, or never use my powers again, or something.

"I didn't copy Mr. Russell...I swear, I didn't. I wasn't even thinking of it...I just...I got rid of the mutation on the dinosaurs...and then i got knocked out. I don't remember anything until the battle. And that...that was horrid. It was like I could see and feel and hear everything, but I couldn't control myself. I was just...watching. I couldn't prevent it. I'm sorry. I really didn't want to copy Mr. Russell. Since the thing that I did to...Warren...I swore never to mess with physical mutations again..." he trails off, looking up at the ceiling. Does he really have that much bad karma?

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

> "How did I copy him?"

Josh starts undoing the straps holding Danny onto the exam table. "I can tell that you've regained control of your mind, so I think these restraints are unnecessary." After he finishes, he helps Danny into a sitting position on the exam table, and crosses his arms over his chest.

"So, the only thing that I can figure is that you somehow got blood from Jack into an open cut, and that somehow triggered your copycat ability. You say you didn't copy him, and I don't see why we should believe otherwise." Josh brushes his hands over Danny's arm, turning it to check on the healing. "Everything seems to have healed up fine. I guess absorbing Jack wasn't all bad..."

>"Everyone must think I'm some kind of idiot...or extremely dangerous or something...Am I...gonna...er...turn again?"

Josh rolls his eyes. "No one thinks you're an idiot, Danny. it was an accident. We all have mutant powers here, and we all know that sometimes things go awry." He avoids the dangerous bit. Yeah, I won't mention that I thought we were all going to die for a couple minutes there.

"Mmm. Good question, that. I've run just about every test I know of and some that I don't, and I've done quite a bit of medical imaging. You were out for hours, so it left me with plenty of time." Josh considers his words carefully. "I'm pretty sure that you don't have to worry about changing into a wolf again. Jack's mutation has run its course." He pauses.

"Something strange went on, though. I don't know if it was something with the blood, or Jack's mutation specifically, or what, but..." Josh taps a nearby monitor, bringing up one of the MRIs. "The muscular composition of your body has changed a little, and... I dunno. You look a little wilder to me." Josh tries not to grin, but there wasn't any other way to explain it. Danny always struck him as a bit of a marshmallow, a quiet and passive, unassuming kind of guy. But the transformation gave him a bit of an edge. "I'm sure the girls or boys or whatever will love it."

Josh quickly becomes serious. "I'm afraid that this is permanent. Something happened, and portions of your DNA were overwritten, somehow causing these changes in a matter of hours." He pats Danny on the shoulder. "I don't think this is going to change your life much, so I wouldn't be too upset." Josh hesitates. "I don't think you're going to ever change again, but we'll need to take some precautions at the next full moon."

[Tempero]

Sitting up turns out not to be nearly as refreshing as one might expect. The pain in his back and jaw resurfaces with new intensity. He winces, but doesn't yelp again-- it doesn't surprise him this time.

>"So, the only thing that I can figure is that you somehow got blood from Jack into an open cut, and that somehow triggered your copycat ability. You say you didn't copy him, and I don't see why we should believe otherwise. Everything seems to have healed up fine. I guess absorbing Jack wasn't all bad..."

"But...I can never copy it while unconscious. It doesn't work like that. It's sort of like telling my power what to do. I mean, Wouldn't I have copied others' powers plentiful times then?" Danny looks at Josh with more than slight confusion in mind, before raising a hand to rub his jaw lightly, "This really hurts...feels like I've tried to fornicate a train or something..."

Something suddenly twitches deep inside him, which causes him to gasp due to sheer surprise. And then the pain's gone. And again that energetic feeling. "Um...pain's gone all of a sudden. I dunno why. And I'm feeling a lot more...lively."

It shows in his speech, his words uttered slightly faster. Even his eyes seem less tired than they were a second ago. And then it passes away. "It's gone now...I mean, the liveliness. I still don't feel any more pain."

He rubs his wrists idly. The restraints bothered him.

>"No one thinks you're an idiot, Danny. it was an accident. We all have mutant powers here, and we all know that sometimes things go awry."

"But they do think I'm dangerous... he tries not to seem sad, but it is hard. He always rather enjoyed the reputation of the harmless friendly kid. Well, not always, but mostly. More than half the times, anyway. At least, he's relieved by the news of it being unlikely that he would change again. He doesn't want to go through the pain, let alone the danger for others.

>"Something strange went on, though. I don't know if it was something with the blood, or Jack's mutation specifically, or what, but...The muscular composition of your body has changed a little, and... I dunno. You look a little wilder to me."

"Huh?" he stares at the screen, as if he were able to discern what it says. Frankly, it's just a bunch of stuff when medicine is concerned. He always just did what he was told to do by the doctors.

>"I'm sure the girls or boys or whatever will love it."

"Er...thanks," at some other time, he would have blushed, but now he just considers the compliment a distraction.

>"I'm afraid that this is permanent. Something happened, and portions of your DNA were overwritten, somehow causing these changes in a matter of hours. I don't think this is going to change your life much, so I wouldn't be too upset."

"Okay...can I somehow see what it is you're talking about?" he somehow comes to doubt that there would be any major changes in his appearance, if nothing else then for the sake of being surprised.

> "I don't think you're going to ever change again, but we'll need to take some precautions at the next full moon."

And so his spirit plummets again. So he is potentially dangerous. "But...I won't turn...right? I mean...he didn't bite me...right?" the concern is there, in plain sight.

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

> "But...I can never copy it while unconscious. It doesn't work like that. It's sort of like telling my power what to do. I mean, Wouldn't I have copied others' powers plentiful times then?"

Josh shrugs. "Something out of the ordinary happened. You haven't exactly run around sampling people's blood before, either. I think that was the catalyst for this, but I can't ever be sure."

> "But they do think I'm dangerous...

Josh rolls his eyes. "You did just try to kill us. But it was an accident. Don't think you've got some kind of Logan reputation, because it just isn't gonna happen."

> "Okay...can I somehow see what it is you're talking about?"

"Yeah." Josh had been waiting for this, so he came prepared. He pulls a small mirror out of the pocket of his lab coat and hands it to Danny. "Here - like I said, it's only subtly noticeable for the rest of us. You might think differently, though, since it's your face and body." He stands back to give Danny a little space.

> "But...I won't turn...right? I mean...he didn't bite me...right?"

"I don't think you will... but let's face it, I'm not a doctor yet. I think that you kept a couple physical and possibly mental traits, but I don't think you'll be transforming, mainly because he didn't bite you." Josh chews on his lip for a moment. "Nevertheless, we'll need to lock you up and monitor you during the full moon next month. With any luck,it will be only this one time."

[Tempero]

>"Something out of the ordinary happened. You haven't exactly run around sampling people's blood before, either. I think that was the catalyst for this, but I can't ever be sure.

Danny nods slowly, trying not to let the question of how he did it be his primary concern. "I think i have a slight idea of what Warren went through that time...wow." the memory is nowhere near as painful as it used to be, and he is most definitely out of the mopey depression which overtook him after the scenario. The comment was just something he felt the need to say, without any intention of apologizing further. He has been learning not to be so obsessively nice and apologetic, and thinks has made some progress.

>"You did just try to kill us. But it was an accident. Don't think you've got some kind of Logan reputation, because it just isn't gonna happen."

"I hope I never get a rep like that..." he chuckles at the thought. People fearing him like they feared Logan turns out to be almost impossible to imagine. A happy little thought to brighten the day, anyway.

Whatever Josh says about his appearance enters one ear and goes out the other as he takes the mirror and gets a look at his new face. It's a lot more angular, narrower. What attracts his attention first are his ears, which are pointed at the upper ends, and no longer have lobes. "Well, that's a new one..." he mutters before noticing the canines, elongated and sharper than they used to be. His eyes are a bit slanted as well. All in all, it really does give him that 'wilder' thing Josh mentioned, and Danny's not too saddened by it.

"You say it looks better? To tell you the truth, I kind of like it..." he says before returning to the conversation.

>"I don't think you will... but let's face it, I'm not a doctor yet. I think that you kept a couple physical and possibly mental traits, but I don't think you'll be transforming, mainly because he didn't bite you. Nevertheless, we'll need to lock you up and monitor you during the full moon next month. With any luck,it will be only this one time."

"Wait...mental changes? Like...what?" hopefully he won't go around biting people. Regardless of whether he's infected or not, it just wouldn't be a nice thing to do. "Okay, sounds reasonable enough. I hope it's just as you say, and I'm not infected."

And then the question that's been bubbling up in the back of his head emerges. "Hey, how did Hector heal? Don't get me wrong, it's good that he did, but I'm just wondering. Does his mutation do that? How are the others? I didn't hurt anyone else, did I?" the old Danny is quite obviously back, with his usual curiosity.

"Oh, hey...a second ago my spine and jaw were hurting really badly...but now they don't. Is it supposed to go so quickly?"

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

> "You say it looks better? To tell you the truth, I kind of like it..."

Josh laughs. "You just look a little more exotic. I think that intrigues people. I mean, my husband does have wings..." Josh flashes Danny a wise-ass smirk.

> "Wait...mental changes? Like...what?"

He shrugs again, at a bit of a loss. "I really don't know - maybe you'll suddenly love rare meat? It happened to Bill Weasley in Harry Potter. I hate to conjecture, but I've never encountered this before in anyone. I might be able to tell you more after I finish comparing your altered genetics to the record we have on file, but behavioral traits are notoriously hard to disentangle genetically."

> Does his mutation do that? How are the others? I didn't hurt anyone else, did I?"

"Yeah, he does." Josh nods slowly. "Hector seems to have the ability to manipulate people's life force, including his own. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much control over it yet." He winces. "So don't touch him - I made the mistake while examining him."

> "Oh, hey...a second ago my spine and jaw were hurting really badly...but now they don't. Is it supposed to go so quickly?"

"Again... too early to tell if that's a trait you picked up or just vestiges of borrowing Jack's abilities." Josh gives Danny a hand to help him jump off the exam table. "You seem to be pretty good right now, so why don't you go upstairs and get something to eat?"

Josh shrugs out of his lab coat and hangs it over the back of his chair. "I'm exhausted, so I think I'm going up to my room to try to get some sleep. Alert Warren if anything's wrong - he'll be able to notify me telepathically."