In 2012 the national weather association starting naming winter storms in order to track them more easily. Some thought it silly but as the weather patterns grew more chaotic and winter storms more frequent (varying by year), it was getting difficult to refer to ‘the third winter storm of January’ or ‘the ice storm in February but not the blizzard.’ Get the picture? This one was Decima.

Tempest liked it too. Every storm felt different. The nuances that brought it together, the varying ways the storm would build, or the variable precipitation levels sometimes changing throughout the storm. Now storms came together in common ways and people studied those patterns. That’s where meteorologists came in. But no one could predict the weather like Tempest could. His weather eye – or eyes as it were – were something supernatural in ability.

He’d seen a powerful nor’easter brewing more than a few days ago. Some warnings had gone out to friends, and Sanctuary’s staff made sure they were ready as well. They had a generator! Tempest knew they had to be ready for a powerful blizzard. Sure, the news had said it would be a strong storm based on the colliding air coming down from Canada and the strong low pressure riding up the coast. There was a shifting system over the mid-west, a high pressure of warm, humid air that troubled Devon. It had all collided two days ago over where else but New York City.

It started with a few wet flakes but within an hour, the snow was relentless. Wind whipped down city streets and the snow stuck to every it touched, coating it. Icy roads and sidewalks made for dangerous travel. The taxis were barely running and the subway was deserted. Sometime before dawn the next day – yesterday, that is – the electricity went out. Plows struggled to get through as the day was now a white haze. All three fronts had merged, spinning and churning off the coast and barreling the snow over New York and southern New England.

It put Devon on edge. Not only was he concerned for Sanctuary’s residents – they had maybe another day of gas for the generator after today – but a city in such turmoil could be dangerous. There were people who wanted this territory and threatened the area. He’d have to make sure Calcifer wasn’t stuck in the cold…

A phone call later, Devon was still standing at the golden doors of Sanctuary, gazing out the windows. Every few hours they went out to shovel clear the gas exhaust area for the generator. He’d spend some concentration lessening the storm nearby, particularly when they were outside, but this was a powerful force well outside Tempest: it was Mother Nature. She was absolutely frigid.

“Mr. Hadden, the authorities called to check in. I reported we were well at this time,” Lisa said suddenly. Her heels had been replaced by warm slippers. They looked expensive though…

Devon nearly jumped out of his skin. All this power and energy riled him up. It was strength unbridled and he wanted to ride the winds, feel the storm, shout into the thunder. “Yes- Great. Thank you,” he replied slowly.

“Can I get you tea, Mr. Hadden?” Lisa stated more than asked the question.

“Thank you,” Devon laughed. “I’d appreciate that.”

“Yes, you would,” Lisa grinned and turned, heading for the kitchen.

Devon chuckled again and blew out an exasperated breath. It was getting worse and it’d already been bad too long. If he was careful, he could travel the roads and start manipulating the systems to move along. That was the smarter course than simply try to weaken them. The storm needed to move off into the Atlantic. He sat watching the storm with black eyes even as he sipped the tea Lisa brought for him.

“I’m heading out for a bit,” he finally said with a small smile.

“Of course, Mr. Hadden. I’ve informed the staff present,” Lisa smiled in return.

Devon laughed, “Thank you, Lisa.” He grabbed a scarf before pulling on the black peacoat he’d bought earlier in the season. It was trendy, not warm, but he didn’t need it to be warm. Still, it was a good contrast to the snow in case any plows came through. Hopefully they’d see him. Small black warmers slipped over his ears too. Could he still get an ear infection? Probably not from the cold anyway, but why take the risk with all the snow blowing around?

Out he went, eyes black as pitch. My, it was cold. The winds blew gently over him as he trudged along.

The blizzard was getting on Svetlana's nerves.

Not that she had not seen snow before. Or cold. Or blizzards. She was Russian, for god's sake, she had seen a lot worse, and she had had a lot less at the time to keep her warm... and yet, having transformed into a genuine new yorker in the past years, she found that the relentless winds and snow in the past two days were making her snappy. Not that she had anyone to snap at.

Svetlana had spent the past several months mostly as a recluse. She had a new apartment, tiny and often forgotten, and a new vigilante uniform, less obvious than the crimson red one had been. She still had her guns, and she still went out occasionally to help people and patrol the streets - but given recent events, not nearly as much as she used to.

And yet, she was out today, trudging along in the snow in warm, fur-lined boots, and wearing a green coat with the hood pulled over her head. She needed to get out of the apartment that felt more like a cave now, and even if it meant swallowing snowflakes and not feeling her nose, she cherished the outside. New York was uncharacteristically empty, most parked cars disappearing under heaps of snow. She hoped she might find a food place open. She was tired of microwaving frozen goods.

She noticed the figure in the black coat down the street. He seemed as lonely as she was, and yet not nearly as cold. Curiosity piqued, Svetlana veered off her intended walking path to get a closer look at the man; she was still several steps away when she noticed his all-black eyes, and the way he seemed to be... listening, or looking for something. Tucking her scarf up over her nose, Sveta walked the last few steps, genuinely curious now.

"Hello." she spoke, Russian accent barely audible, but definitely there "Are you looking for help?"

In a sea of white, a slab of green stood out. Devon loved green; it reminded him of spring. Despite not getting cold and enjoying weather in all its forms it was hard to argue with the rebirth that spring symbolized. You had chocolate rabbits, religious rebirths, plants blossoming, and new romance. Green was new beginnings.

A woman wore that green, his sight piercing the wind and snow. What was anyone doing walking around outside? She approached, hiding part of her face in her scarf. Tempest stopped though he relaxed his posture. His head canted slightly in question as she neared.

The accent was Russian. That was interesting. A random Russian young woman just happened to be walking his way in a blizzard black out?

“No, actually,” Devon replied slowly, confusion coloring his tone. “I was about to ask you the same thing?” He couldn’t see any special warmth emanating from her. The air around them was as cold as the rest of the storm, so what was she out here for. “Are you okay? I’m fine…”

An awkward smile blossomed on his face as a single chuckle left his throat, “I’m sorry, I’m just really surprised to see anyone out here in this.” He glanced down at the two feet of snow around them and the other feet blowing around sideways in the air. “You must like the snow!”

>>“No, actually. I was about to ask you the same thing?... Are you okay? I’m fine…”

The man seemed confused. It made sense, kind of - Sveta did not expect to see anyone out in the blizzard either. She guessed from the eyes that he was a mutant, so together with the coat it stood to reason that he was not freezing like normal people were. Sveta was still curious, and she could tell that he was too.

>>“I’m sorry, I’m just really surprised to see anyone out here in this. You must like the snow!”

Sveta scoffed, sinking her gloved hands into her coat pockets.

"I am used to it. I'm Russian. I came out to take a look. See if there's food." she said with a shrug, then decided to go the direct route, hoping to satisfy her curiosity before she froze in place. The weather conditions did not allow for a lot of chit-chat "You're a mutant, are you?..." she blinked, a thought occurring to her as she glanced around at his obvious nonchalance at the flying snow "... do you have snow powers or something?"

The woman seemed insulted. Hey she may have had a Russian accent but he wasn’t going to assume. Also, she was either really good at pretending or she was actually insulted. It was good to pick out those details. Of course, she might have been both…

>> "I am used to it. I'm Russian. I came out to take a look. See if there's food."

“Few places have power, but I haven’t seen anything open-”

Then she went right for it. His eyes were always a great give away, and he wasn’t about to stop his gradual influence of the storm. If he wanted to bring this blizzard down, to dismantle it, then it was going to take a lot of time and energy. There were multiple fronts to deal with, the heavy amount of moisture in the air, the winds… And it was a large storm.

Devon grinned at her guess though. “Yeah,” he nodded slowly. “What gave me away? It’s the coat isn’t it?” he winked a black eye. “I’m trying to destabilize the blizzard enough to reduce its severity. I don’t think the city can handle much more let alone the power outage. I hope someone’s figuring that out.”

“If you want to keep looking for anything open, you can walk with me. We might move into areas where the storm is bad, but it won’t take long to reduce it. Probably safer not to be out wandering alone, anyway,” he said with a concerned tone. “While you may be able to take care of yourself, there’s always a chance someone’s out to cause trouble. Or were you thinking of breaking into a closed store?” Devon grinned, humor evident in the question.

Because seriously. This attractive young woman was out alone in a blizzard in a city without power where emergency services were struggling to assist people. Maybe she could take care of herself?

>>“Yeah. What gave me away? It’s the coat isn’t it?”

Sveta laughed a little at the question. It was obviously the eyes, and he knew it; he did not seem bothered or ashamed of being labeled as a mutant, so he had to be used to people knowing. Sveta envied him for that a little. She liked to keep her powers hidden, for various reasons.

>>“I’m trying to destabilize the blizzard enough to reduce its severity. I don’t think the city can handle much more let alone the power outage. I hope someone’s figuring that out.”

"Oh." Sveta tilted her head. This man could control... the weather? That was... powerful, even for a mutant. She guessed he had something to do with snow, maybe personal heat, but not... an entire storm system. That was definitely impressive.

>>“If you want to keep looking for anything open, you can walk with me. We might move into areas where the storm is bad, but it won’t take long to reduce it. Probably safer not to be out wandering alone, anyway... While you may be able to take care of yourself, there’s always a chance someone’s out to cause trouble. Or were you thinking of breaking into a closed store?”

"Me? Never." Sveta grinned under the mask. It had been years since she had been a petty thief, and she was not about to start again now, not unless she completely ran out of supplies. She did fall into step next to the man, though, watching him as he walked and talked and at the same time made it look almost effortless to control the weather. Sveta did not notice any changes yet, but if he really was working on reducing the damage, he definitely deserved respect.

"Is it difficult?" she ventured after a few minutes "To try to stop the storm?... Can your powers do it?"

Devon was glad she got the joke. Hey, you never know, not all humor translated but her English was pretty spot on. Here we are, just two people making mutant signs jokes in a blizzard. How funny life is.

And weird.

She seemed impressed or surprised by his admittance of influencing the storm. That was good. Again, either she was an excellent actress, she was genuinely out foraging for food, or both. She took the breaking and entering joke in good humor as well. He hadn’t thought she was, but it was still odd she was taking a walk in this. Was that a common thing in Russia?

Hopefully. It couldn’t all be hacking, wiretapping, anti-GLBT, and old world communism right?

After they’d been walking a few minutes, the young woman was further curious. Not all were put off by mutants after all, but it was still a bit surprising to have someone merely accept it and move on. Trusting a weather mutant in a blizzard probably was one of those situations though. Not everyone was Jake Gyllenhaal burning books in a library and fighting off feral wolves.

>> "Is it difficult?" she ventured after a few minutes "To try to stop the storm?... Can your powers do it?"

“It can be,” Devon said first. “And I’m Devon by the way, Devon Hadden.” He smiled, turning to offer a quick hand shake. He had on simple leather gloves; they clearly did little for warmth. After the pause for her to give her name, he continued.

“I can’t stop this storm completely. It’s too large and too strong with three fronts having collided. All the moisture off the ocean, the warm air from down south, the arctic front-“ Devon stopped abruptly, grinned and bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I ramble. Yes, it is difficult. I’ve been monitoring and watching for various phenomena.” He gestured to his eyes, “I can see them.”

He raised a hand a soft breeze encircled the two, spiraling outward and catching the snow in its wake. A rolling spheroid opened up without conflicting wind or snow. “This is easy, but destabilizing a nor’easter? Hardly. I’m hoping to influence the storm in a few ways over a few areas and then hopefully target a few components to help break it down. It’s going to take some time.” He nodded with a warm grin, “I appreciate the company.”

Especially if he pushed too hard and passed out. Then he’d really appreciate the company.

>>“It can be. And I’m Devon by the way, Devon Hadden.”

"Svetlana." Sveta answered with a smile, but she did not take the handshake. She was careful about touching people, especially if they were mutants, and this guy definitely was. She did not know enough about his powers to even risk boosting them a little by touching him through gloves. She gave him a small wave, then stuffed her hands back into her pockets.

>>“I can’t stop this storm completely. It’s too large and too strong with three fronts having collided. All the moisture off the ocean, the warm air from down south, the arctic front... I’m sorry. I ramble. Yes, it is difficult. I’ve been monitoring and watching for various phenomena. I can see them.”

So, he was controlling the weather. Sveta had to admit she was fascinated. He also rambled, but she was used to that; the coffee buzz that came with her aura tended to have that effect on people. Some of them got more jittery than others, and some of them... well, just talked a lot.

>>“This is easy, but destabilizing a nor’easter? Hardly. I’m hoping to influence the storm in a few ways over a few areas and then hopefully target a few components to help break it down. It’s going to take some time. I appreciate the company.”

It took Sveta a moment to decide. On the one hand, she had just met the guy, however nice he might seem; on the other, the blizzard really needed to be over. It had already shut the whole city down, and some people might have been in danger.

"What if I could help you?" she ventured after a moment of silence as the wind twirled around them "Make your powers stronger for a little while? To help de city."

Svetlana was a lovely Russian name. It suited her and the snowy warrior woman vibe she had trapping out in the blizzard. He was interested in why she didn’t take his handshake however. There were many reasons and all of them perfectly permissible. One of his first 300 level classes had been on harassment. A person was entitled to not want even a high-five, a light punch to the shoulder, or a hand shake. Some had personal space or touch concerns. Maybe Svetlana was one of them.

All of that sort of shot out of his mind when she asked if she could help. The wind kept the snow off of them as he’d been studying the ground level currents and their higher atmosphere origins. People forgot how ground level and even some thirty feet higher things could be quite different. A moment of silenced surrounded he and the Russian woman.

>> "Make your powers stronger for a little while? To help de city."

Was she a mutant? A reverse adapted? That was truly astonishing.

“Well,” Devon blinked his dark eyes. “Yes. That would certainly help.” He was curious though and his tone showed it, “Forgive me for asking but do you know how that would work? I assume you’ve… done this before then. Do you have some sort of metapsionic mutant ability? What kind of side effects are there for you or for me? Or how long does it last?”

He chuckled, holding up a hand, “Forgive me, sorry. The ideas are racing through my head; I don’t mean to bombard you with questions.”

>>“Well. Yes. That would certainly help.”

Sveta nodded slowly. The city needed help. Power was out in many places, especially in the poorer neighborhoods, and no one was sure how long the storm was here to stay. If it meant risking that another mutant would find out about her powers... so be it. She had a gun under her coat.

>>“Forgive me for asking but do you know how that would work? I assume you’ve… done this before then. Do you have some sort of metapsionic mutant ability? What kind of side effects are there for you or for me? Or how long does it last?”

Sveta tilted her hear. Leave it to the man to be interested in the minute details of how her powers worked... she was not even sure what metapsionic meant, but she did not like the sound of it. People who took too much interest in Sveta's powers tended to get ideas about keeping her as a pet. Or stealing her blood.

>>“Forgive me, sorry. The ideas are racing through my head; I don’t mean to bombard you with questions.”

Sveta smirked under the scarf covering her face.

"It works by touch. It depends on how much stronger you need to get to do... dis." she nodded upwards, meaning the storm itself "I can double your powers if you hold my hand. As long as you hold on. Or I can... do stronger. But dat needs skin to skin contact."

Svetlana tilted her head and gave him a funny look. Man, I guess he wagging his tongue more than normal. Had he taken his medication this morning? Yes of course he had. He even remembered checking when his reminder alarm went off. It had to be the storm, all the invigorating energy it was churning up in the atmosphere and in him.

It was oddly aligned of the fates for him to stumble upon this woman now when he might certainly need that help. The blizzard needing dismantling or at least weakening. Decima was a powerful storm and Tempest was not as strong as she, but perhaps with help they had a chance.

>> "I can double your powers if you hold my hand. As long as you hold on. Or I can... do stronger. But dat needs skin to skin contact."

The woman described her ability. She had done this before. Had she come looking for him? “Okay,” Devon nodded slowly. He exhaled slowly, “The reason I ask about the side effects is that I am concerned for any sort of power-boost addiction, weakness afterward, etc. The other is for your benefit as my ability relates heavily to my emotional state; its very energy affects me and I, it. Would you experience them if you were to help me? I wouldn’t want you hurt or impacted by that sort of feedback as much as I would want to be very careful with such an ability that you have.”

Devon immediately continued, a story coming to his lips. “Did you know this storm is called Decima? They started naming storms a while ago. Decima was one of the Roman Fates. She measured out the threads of life, though there were sometimes strings attached. How fate has brought us together in this dangerous situation; I’m sure you can appreciate someone being careful with the repercussions of your ability. I work with many mutants through treatment or training – I’m a psychologist and I volunteer at Sanctuary as the current manager – so I want to be considerate of you and not merely take opportunity.”

The winds surrounding them were already swirling strong. Tempest glanced sideways, recognizing how easily they moved and stayed centered around he and Svetlana without much concentration. How much of this was the storm and how much of it was Svetlana’s presence? She did say she needed touch, correct?

>>“Okay. The reason I ask about the side effects is that I am concerned for any sort of power-boost addiction, weakness afterward, etc."

Sveta blinked. Most people were not this... particular about her powers. They either grabbed on without a question, or ran screaming; not many took the time to figure out how they worked exactly. Not to mention side effects. Sveta felt like she should be wearing a medical warning label.

"I have never been called addictive." she noted with a chuckle.

>>"The other is for your benefit as my ability relates heavily to my emotional state; its very energy affects me and I, it. Would you experience them if you were to help me? I wouldn’t want you hurt or impacted by that sort of feedback as much as I would want to be very careful with such an ability that you have.”

For a moment, Sveta though of Jude. The endless feedback loops they tended to get into that made the wildlife around them go haywire, and required an apartment away from heavily populated areas. Then again, Jude was a mimic. He reflected her own powers back to her.
Also, Jude was gone.

"It is just a boost" she shrugged "I don't feel what you feel. Unless you make a storm that blows me away, I'll be right next to you."

He told her about the storm. He seemed to know a lot about it, which made sense, with his abilities. He was still hopped up on her aura, and rambled a litte.

>>“How fate has brought us together in this dangerous situation; I’m sure you can appreciate someone being careful with the repercussions of your ability. I work with many mutants through treatment or training – I’m a psychologist and I volunteer at Sanctuary as the current manager – so I want to be considerate of you and not merely take opportunity.”

Sanctuary was not a good word. Sveta winced, her eyes narrowing, remembering the one time she had ever visited that establishment. He did say volunteer, and he said psychologist... but still, the word was a warning sign in Sveta's mind.
He did sound like he wanted to make sure she was not hurt in the process. He was... considerate. It was a puzzle, a guy who actually cared this much, and at the same time was associated with such a dangerous place.

"Touch through clothes is safe." she said finally, with more hesitation in her voice "It goes away when I let go. If I touch you skin to skin... it is stronger, and stays after I let go, for a few minutes. If I get... far enough from you, it disappears."

She was not going to tell him about what happened with the kissing. She had no intention of kissing him.

Devon noticed the surprised blink but smiled as her chuckle. He’s glad she understood the concern and took it in good stride that he would consider such. It was a fated meeting, but one Devon was going to question. How often did things work out that well?

>> "It is just a boost" she shrugged "I don't feel what you feel. Unless you make a storm that blows me away, I'll be right next to you."

That was also promising. She amplified but didn’t pick up anything, no crossing the streams, or loose connections. His abilities could be dangerous enough without the complication of a storm, let alone a blizzard. It was energy in motion and if Svetlana could empower his connection to that, it’d be a powerful boost and one to warily utilize.

It seemed she did have reservations after all. She winced and narrowed her eyes at the word Sanctuary. Devon grimaced in response. It was easy for him to only think of the good but that place had blood in the walls and the floors. They’d cleaned it up, made it a reliable home for those in need, but it wasn’t always a neutral space.

She explained how it worked and Devon nodded. Direct skin contact carried a stronger connection. It wasn’t simply an aura then but perhaps a biochemical reaction. That was really interesting; Devon had never met anyone like that. But it still concerned him for all its seeming innocence. Powers gone haywire, energy beyond what someone could handle, addiction to its empowerment all seemed like possible dangers. At least it wouldn’t last too long provided it wasn’t overused, so it seemed to Devon.

“Okay,” Devon said with a slow nod. “Thank you for explaining. I’m sorry if I upset you mentioning Sanctuary. I kind of came in after the previous, uhm, occupants?” he tried to find the right word with an upturned brow. “They’d left. New volunteers and residents we’ve sort of pulled together, cleaned things up, done some neighborhood outreach. It’s a difference place so I’ve been told but I completely understand and respect your hesitation.”

He exhaled slowly as he stopped walking. “This is a good place. This is your ability then, you decide to touch me and help as you wish. You need to step back, please do so at your desire. I can always move away too. Please be sure to let me know if you feel anything, get disoriented, or even too cold, okay?” he asked, a warm grin counter to the darkness of his eyes. “This all feels a bit surprising to meet you randomly out here. Decima indeed.”

Sveta realized that she must have given a more visible sign to her discomfort about the Sanctuary than she realized - or the man was just unusually perceptive. If he really was a psychologist, that latter option kind of made sense. She did not feel like talking about how the blonde woman stole her blood once upon a time... but at least she was willing to hear him out.

>>“Okay. Thank you for explaining. I’m sorry if I upset you mentioning Sanctuary. I kind of came in after the previous, uhm, occupants?... They’d left. New volunteers and residents we’ve sort of pulled together, cleaned things up, done some neighborhood outreach. It’s a difference place so I’ve been told but I completely understand and respect your hesitation.”

Respect. That was a rare beast these days, especially from men, especially from men who worked at the Sanctuary. Strangely, his polite words made Sveta feel better about trusting him with her powers. There was always the possibility that he was just a very good liar... but after having gone through most of her life assuming the worst about people, Sveta was ready to give this a chance. For the good of the blizzard-torn city.

>>“This is a good place. This is your ability then, you decide to touch me and help as you wish. You need to step back, please do so at your desire. I can always move away too. Please be sure to let me know if you feel anything, get disoriented, or even too cold, okay?”

Sveta nodded. He was careful. Careful with his powers, and careful with hers. He was smart enough not to brush off possibilities of feedback, side effects, or unforseen circumstances. That, in exchange, earned him Sveta's respect. Now that she knew about her aura, that she had tested with Jude and Agnes, she knew that she could cut off a power trip, even if he accidentally went on one. This was as safe as one could get by boosting a mutant in the middle of a blizzard.

>>“This all feels a bit surprising to meet you randomly out here. Decima indeed.”

"We will just have to make de best of it" Sveta noted with a small smile; she reached out and offered a gloved hand to him. "Let's start with double, then. See how it goes. Whenever you are ready."

She would hold his hand as long as he needed, to test out how his powers fared when doubled. It was a start, anyway.

She wanted to make the best of a blizzard, of the random Fates. That made Devon grin. He was rather happy she wanted to help him, especially after the whirlwind conversation. Sanctuary seemed to make everyone nervous. It was time to really push a new public awareness campaign for the place, maybe through Haven now that it was starting up. The Block Party hadn’t done enough.

>> "Let's start with double, then. See how it goes. Whenever you are ready."

And then she offered a hand.

Double sounded dangerous and powerful, but as the snow blew sideways outside the clear area he was keeping around them maybe it was necessary. Together if they could help destabilize the blizzard, weaken it enough, and someone got the power going then the city would be okay. People doubtfully could handle another day of this.

Slowly, gently, Devon’s fingers sought out her hand…

Dark eyes suddenly drank the light. Instead of rivers of moistures, currents of air, pockets of electrically charged particles weaving together Tempest saw the tapestry. In between those points of light was the darkness that held it in place. The storm was a blanket that was lain upon the city. He saw it all.

Meanwhile, the clearing winds around them surged, spreading out some forty feet in every direction. No snow fell through; no ice came down. It was clear and suddenly warmer. Tempest immediately relaxed it however. He barely needed to think about it. The area shrunk to a mere ten-foot radius, enough for the couple at the center of this pattern-breaking.

“It’s certainly a more connected feeling that you’re amplifying in me,” Tempest said, his voice deep and powerful. “I can see the storm much clearer now.”

He gazed up into the sky and raised his other hand. It took only a second for some of the clouds to visibly start thinning. There were layers to this blizzard but Tempest peeled them away. Within a minute the snow in the visible area weakened to light drifts. The wind was quieting and the temperature venturing above thirty degrees.

“You are definitely helping,” Devon said with a small catch in his throat. “I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d end up unconscious out here trying to stop this… I’m not scared of that now.”