maskormenacelogs | Baby tell me where you wanna run, run

Max has a routine by now.

His usual twice-a-day run is in Maurtia Falls, up and down the canals and to a park before making his way home. Speedsters always have the urge to move. Max is better about being able to relax and slow down than most of them. Enjoy life at a normal speed, without feeling the need to rush. He's certainly the only one that's willing to take a run at normal speed, even though thanks to the last couple of weeks, there are certainly more speedsters out on the streets.

Often enough, though, he meditates, too. It's something that, since he learned about it (over a century ago, by the calendar's count) he does on a regular basis. Habits tend to stick.

Usually in the privacy of his bedroom, but sometimes, when the urge hits him, he'll change his mind. That's why on an early cloudy Wednesday morning Max can be found in a more secluded part of a Heropa park near the imPort housing, just beginning to slip into the deeper part of a meditative trace.

It's probably not obvious until coming up close that this isn't exactly a normal trance. Was that a flicker of electricity?

Mick is out walking his dog. It's a regular routine, but today is his day off so he's taking his time and letting Matches get all her energy out.

That's when he spots Max, looking like he's meditating. Mick approaches quietly, not really wanting to interrupt but feeling like he should say hello. It's been a while since they last spoke. That awkward moment when.

And he fully intended not to do anything weird, but Matches spots a squirrel and he isn't expecting the sudden tug on the leash and stumbles forward towards Max just as he spots another flicker of electricity.

At the same instance he stumbles forward, the flicker of electricity explodes into a writhing current around Max, jumping from his closed eyes and around his head, down his neck to both shoulders and down his arms.

Bad timing for Mick, really, because while he doesn't end up stumbling onto Max, that tug from Matches did pull him close enough that the current jumps- and like lightning, a visible bolt shoots out and strikes him.

Mick stumbles backwards, letting go of the leash. Lightning is flickering all over Mick, certainly a jolt he wasn't expecting. He gasps out a "What the hell?!" but it comes out "Whatthehell", far faster than he'd normally be able to say those words.

He doesn't notice at first, just that everything seems little bit off. As of the world was slower than it was moments ago.

"Didyoudosomething?"

Max doesn't zone out easily, even with meditating (especially when Bart has a penchant of doing things or trying to get the slip on him). Besides, it isn't like it blocks everything out, however much some media might gives the impression. It's all about focus.

So the moment he realizes something is off is when the lightning arced, and he's already unfolded, on his feet observing the last few crackles dissipating around Mick and the fact the other man is speaking much faster than he should.

Max can put the pieces together. This has to be a side effect of one of the powers he was given here.

"Mick, breathe," Max says, even as he offers him a hand up. He doesn't really know how this is going to be taken. The rogues- even reformed ones- have an interesting relationship with speedsters by default. "I think you siphoned off some superspeed when you came into my proximity."

Mick likes speedsters that don't call themselves Zoom, professor or otherwise, so he takes Max's hand without hesitating. But that being said, there is a difference between hanging with speedsters and being one.

"IsthatathinghowisthatathingcanyoumakeitstophangonIthinkIcanseethathummingbird'swingsbeating."

Anyone who likes people like either Zoom or Savitar are questionable types at best.

"Yes, the Porter, I have no idea, and probably," Max tells him, before zipping off and scooping Mick's puppy up and returning, offering the dog to her owner.

Sooner or later Mick will realize this has all taken place in the span of a few seconds.

The middle of a park is not the greatest place for this to be happening in, even at this time of day. "You live nearby?" He doubts the dog is being taken through any of the porters on a regular basis, but you never know.

Mick nods, taking the dog. Matches is not happy with the speed everything is going. That worries him.

"I'llshowyou."

And then he turned around to walk home and he doesn't mean to but suddenly he's there already. He must have walked really fast. So fast, in fact, his shoes are burning. This would be disconcerting to anyone else, but instead Mick just stands there with a panicking Matches in his arms, staring at his shoes that are currently on fire.

Edited 2016-10-08 02:16 (UTC)

Keeping tabs and pace with a new sudden-speedster isn't that difficult, thankfully, though Max can feel the difference in speed on his part. Not enough to be a significant problem right now, but if Bart decides he wants to practice something or other at full-speed today with Max, he's going to have a problem keeping up.

The neighborhood they end up in is relatively normal seeming, and the houses large and identical, the glittery pink house aside. imPort housing.

The smell of burning shoe catches his attention quickly enough. "Mick, your shoes."

Max almost waits for Mick to do something- even react- except he remembers that Heat Wave was the pyromaniac of the bunch, and that isn't exactly something that just fades. He gets down on one knee, and with a tight and controlled spin of his arm puts the small fires out with a tiny vortex of wind before before they get a chance to get any larger, standing straight up again soon enough.

"Mick?"

Mick's disappointment at the fire going out is balanced by the fact it just started to become painful. His burned healing kicked in almost immediately. But those shoes probably won't get anymore.

"You put it out."

He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind. It had at least brought him back to normal speed, just enough that he could watch the fire in real time. He doesn't have full control over it yet, just instinct. How long this will last before he speeds up again, he has no clue.

"Yes… Yes I'm fine. Sorry."

Matches is not happy, whimpering.

"Sorry, Matches."

"Not your fault," is Max's reply, because in this case, it really isn't, and he isn't planning on holding a problem like that against him. He rubs at the back of his neck for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what should be the next step. It isn't like Mick is usually a speedster in the first place, and while in theory he knows he can fix it, how to do it without somehow managing to crank it in the reverse direction is the question.

If nothing else, letting it wear off is an option, but one that probably depends on what he finds out with this next question.

"Who lives here with you?"

"The Rogues." Mick says as if it was obvious. Though he doesn't specify which Rogues, though it probably wouldn't be hard to guess.

He speeding up again a little, just a little bit fast in looking up at the house, and how rapidly he blinks.

Of course he does. Whether they ended up assigned the same place to begin with or ended up moving together, it's not a surprise either way.

"Try to concentrate. Slow down. It takes a bit of effort, but it's possible," Max advises. There's a reason speedsters have the kind of reputation they do, especially the younger ones. "If I can't figure out exactly how to fix this and it has to wear off, this is going to be a long day for you."

It was mostly the former, with a sprinkle of the latter.

Mick takes a deep breath, trying to concentrate. "Right... right. Okay. I can do this. I'll be fine. You think it'll wear off?"

"It should." Max is stating it firmly, but he can't offer a real guarantee. Things here are different. While most of the things that come with having a connection with the speed force work here, not everything does.

Largely because there's a good chance it isn't here at all in the first place, outside of the speedsters that come from their world and similar ones.

"Focusing will help until it does."

[ After his encounter with Max, Mick had temporary superspeed. And not a lot of control.

At first he tried to be productive, and you may catch him folding laundry, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning his room, cleaning up animal messes, and so on, all at speedster speed.

That took about half an hour. Then he didn't have anything to do again. So he reads his romance novels, his fingers zooming across the pages, eyes whiplashing, books discarded within a couple of minutes. The pile grows, but after he realize he did can't remember what he read he starts to re-read them.

Then, he starts letting matches, watching the flames flicker and speeding himself up so they seem to last for eternity. The pile of burnt matches grows bigger, and the fact that he seems to be doing this crosslegged on the kitchen floor probably doesn't help.

Mick was not meant for superspeed. ]

[It's the familiar sound that has him leave his room. Not the sound of Mick, the sound of speed. Sparks, whooshing, all tell-tale signs. What he doesn't expect is to walk in on Mick sitting on the kitchen floor, a growing pile of matches in front of him.]

Mick. What the hell are you doing?

[ There's a delayed reaction as Mick has to process what Len just says, since to his perspective Len said it really slowly. ]

Watchingthefirewhatdyouthinki'mdoing?

[ And he continues to do so in a mildly trancelike state, only at superspeed. ]

I think you're doing it too fast.

[How's that for an answer? Slow, he guesses. At least nothing other than the matches is burning - yet - but Len still walks over to the sink, fills a glass with water and splashes it at Mick.

Might as well cool him down. Or break his focus on the fire to dodge drops, at least.]

[ That gets him to stop, and gets water all over his matches. He splutters, getting up and wiping his face. He's slowed down -- not normal speed, but more like 2x rather than 10x speed. ]

What th'hell, Cold?

Huh.

[Mostly he's just raising his eyebrows, because he hasn't really expected that to work. He fills up the glass again, just in case, then sits down on the ground next to Mick and his mountain of soaked matches, drinking a sip.]

I didn't know you wanted us to move that fast.

[ Mick's face goes red, at twice the speed he would normally go so it looks instantaneous. ]

It's not my fault it was an accident it'll wear off eventually.

[ His words aren't slurred together anymore, but there's a certain breathlessness, missing the natural pauses. ]

I see.

[He drinks from his glass, then sets it down next to him and leans forward. His hand on Mick's shoulder and he looks right at him.]

I'm too slow for you right now, yeah?

[ If Piper had to list the things he expected to find happening on their kitchen floor, Mick playing with matches would surely make the top 5... but Mick playing with matches at superspeed? Not even top 100. It doesn't matter that Mick is more or less holding still when he's sped up, Piper would recognize that crackle of speed force in the air anywhere. ]

...Mick, what on Earth.

[ Mick looks up, his head darting up faster than the eye can track it. It helps that he was between matches at the moment. ]

IranintoMaxMercurytodaylongstory.

[ He hasn't quite gotten a hold of speaking normally yet. ]

[ Mick's lucky that Piper's spend enough time around Wally that it doesn't take him too long to parse what he's saying. ]

So, what, is the speed force contagious now?

Baby tell me where you wanna run, run

The Park | Max and Mick

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OPEN TO ROGUESHAUS AND VISITORS

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