>> “Yeah, I can do that…I don’t talk about it a lot.”[/color]

Any embarrassment that Chase was exuding was completely lost upon Penelope. The young girl, instead, was enamored by what she just learned about him, he was a mutant! He was smart mutant that wanted to be her friend! Penelope just couldn’t believe her luck. She liked Chase and she was just floored by the display of power that he had shown. It was so like her own that she wanted to hug the boy. But she couldn’t, they still needed to get away.

With the rest of the boys still distracted (and terrified by Chase), Penelope took advantage of the situation by grabbing Chase’s shirt and pulling him along into a run. Once he got the hint that they were supposed to be fleeing, she let him go and ran for the pond that they had originally agreed to meet at.

When they had arrived, Penelope grinned as she came to a stop and looked back over the playground—absolutely no sign of the bullies. Turning back to Chase, she took a breath as she nodded to him. Now that she had the proper time to take in everything she had seen him do, she watched him closely before she nudged his arm.

He looked sad, or…shy. Maybe…maybe he didn’t like being different? She rolled her eyes and smirked at little at him. Boys.

“Chase, you were amazing,” she beamed. “Why don’t you like talking about it?”

Chase had only moments to act bashful before the girl had fastened onto his shirt and began leading him away again—Chase stumbled, at first, and then began to bolt after Penny. He was tempted to bolt in the opposite direction, maybe out of the park altogether, but it would be rude to run away from his newfound best friend. They finally came to a stop at the playground, having ditched the bullies, and Chase took the opportunity to study the ground around his shoes.

Would Penny still want to be his friend, even though he was weird? A lot of kids back from Syracuse wouldn’t want to be his friend after that. Penny nudged his arm, and Chase looked up shyly. His gaze flickered to Penny’s face, hesitantly at first, then with more assuredness. She rolled her eyes, giving a faint smile. Chase’s brow stitched in confusion. Why was she smiling? Girls… were so weird.

>> “Chase, you were amazing. Why don’t you like talking about it?”

“’cos,” Chase mumbled, wedging his hands into his pockets and looking sideways, “It just isn’t something I talk about. Not a lot of people like it. At least, not out here.”

His friends at the Mansion liked it. He could talk about it there, but not at the park. Not with humans. Chase looked at Penelope closely. She had to be some kind of weird, thinking that mutations were cool and all. Chase belatedly realized that he had received a compliment, and gave a faint, “Thanks.”

He even tilted a half-smile at his crazy-girl-friend, Penelope.

Penelope stood there, curious, eyeing the boy who seemed to be acting so funny when asked about what he could do. He was obviously uncomfortable but that was not a point that Penelope got. Instead she saw what he could do as so cool, so why would he deny doing it? On top of that, he just managed to save the both of them from a bunch of bullies! He was just like a hero! Like her mom and dad used to be. So why shouldn’t he accept that about himself?

She could only shrug as she thought about it. Boys are weird.

>> “’cos, It just isn’t something I talk about. Not a lot of people like it. At least, not out here.”[/color]

“Who wouldn’t like it?” she inquired. “I like it.”

To be honest Penelope didn’t have much experience with people hating mutants. Whenever such eyes were turned upon herself, Jezebel usually stepped in and managed to handle the situation. Of course, whenever that happened, Penelope couldn’t remember the incident. So, really, she didn’t know what it was like for people to hate one another just because some had powers and some didn’t. It seemed like a rather silly thing to do.

But the look on Chase’s face made it apparent that he was bothered by what he could do. Penelope thought that maybe she should reveal that she was different too…but that meant telling him about Mrs. Tickle. That was not something she really wanted to do. Jezebel ruined everything; she always did. The last time Penelope told a new friend about Jezebel, well, she blacked out. What she did remember though was that the—well, it’s not something to talk about right now.

Instead, she refocused her attention onto Chase.

>> “Thanks.”[/color]

She beamed. At least he acknowledged that she was praising him! She smirked as she leaned over and gave him a friendly punch on the arm, smiling wide and proud.

“Don’t be shy about it. You’re powers are cool,” she said with a firm nod. “My mom and dad, well, they were different too. They were heroes, just like you!”

>> “Who wouldn’t like it? I like it.”

Chase was about to protest that people didn’t like it—that everybody didn’t like it—but his brain seemed to catch up with his ears, at that very moment. Sure, not everyone liked it—but his newfound friend did. Chase looked at the girl in disbelief, and perhaps confusion, for a moments. The child’s hesitant and baffled expression, which was tentatively appreciative, grew into a more assured grin. Penny liked his powers!

Penny slugged him in the arm, and Chase pushed at her shoulder in response, still wearing a smile as he dropped his gaze. You didn’t hit girls, but there were no rules about pushing them.

>> “Don’t be shy about it. You’re powers are cool. My mom and dad, well, they were different too. They were heroes, just like you!”

Chase laughed. What a silly thing to say!

“I’m not a hero,” Chase countered, “But I know some—“ the boy looked around and leaned in, as if to impart a great secret upon his newfound friend, “—I go to school where there are lots of ‘m.”

That being said, Chase leaned back, drawing a cross over his heart with his index finger.

Penelope was still in awe of this boy. He had such a talented power and yet he seemed so scared or disturbed by it. Why? If anything, her parents taught her to accept and love whatever powers a person had. Though…they didn’t get to live to see her own “powers” and there were many times that Penelope herself really didn’t appreciate Jezebel. Maybe it was just because she was a different case? Whatever the reason, this was not about her; it was about Chase.

She giggled when, after she punched his arm lightly, he shoved her shoulder in just as playful a manner. She was liking him more and more. Even though boys were weird, and Chase was still a boy, at least he was more interesting than the usual friends she made.

Heck…maybe…he’d even stick around whenever she finally told him about Jezebel…

>> “I’m not a hero…But I know some—I go to school where there are lots of ‘m.”[/color]

Upon hearing this, the young girl’s eyes widen like saucers. A look of pleasant surprise came across her lips as she eyed Chase, trying to momentarily assess whether or not he was lying, before finally just becoming a full on grin.

An entire SCHOOL[/b] for heroes? For people like Chase?! Penelope had never heard of such a thing and it was something that immediately grabbed her interest. Before she could help herself, she found herself grinning wide and brightly at the prospect. She didn’t have to be alone?

She beamed as she turned her full attention onto Chase again.

“That is so cool! C-Can I visit one day?” she asked, almost a little timidly. This was a major thing in her life, knowing of the existence of this school. She wanted to handle the matter as gently as possible. “Maybe my sister can take me, and, you know, you can show us around?”

Chase smiled back in his usual, mellow way, before his smile, too, turned into a lopsided grin as Penny spoke.

>> “That is so cool! C-Can I visit one day? Maybe my sister can take me, and, you know, you can show us around?”

Show a girl around the school? Chase would get teased so mercilessly for that. But, Penny was really nice. And she’d seen Chase’s power without freaking out and squealing, like some girls did. She was cool, for a girl.

“Yeah, that'd be great,” Chase replied, “My mommy works there, so… maybe she can give you an address or something. Or a business card. That way you know how to get there. Or at least can figure out, y’know?”

>> “Yeah, that'd be great…My mommy works there, so… maybe she can give you an address or something. Or a business card. That way you know how to get there. Or at least can figure out, y’know?”[/color]

Penelope beamed. She really liked this idea! And, the best part of all of it, was that she was able to make a new friend in Chase. He seemed like an absolutely blast to be around, he was sweet, he was brave, and he even had cool superpowers just like her parents! Unfortunately her experience with fellow mutants was not always a pleasant one so far. Most were either scared or liars. It was good to meet a mutant that was as honest as his face.

Well, at least that is what Penelope hoped. In all reality, she knew nothing about Chase other than whatever she learned today. At this point, all she knew was his name, he had a mommy, he was brave, fast, and he had powers.

But, something in her gut told her that she could trust him. Even though, every once in awhile, she could hear the snickering of her alter ego inside of her ear, Penelope was stalwart to ignore it; Jezebel was NOT[/b] going to ruin this friendship.

She beamed at Chase and nodded firmly.

“That would be nice!” she announced jovially. “I’d like to meet your mom.”