Convergence III: Fulfillment In Becoming

Chapter One: Limited

It is early July in the year 2061, and it is the last two weeks of Nick Althorne's life.

Nick Althorne was a famous chemist and kinetic, who spent the first fourteen years of their life in a testing asylum, and then landed on Mars after the Earth exploded. Then, they saved the world at 26 years old with help from their friends. If you don't already know this, then you probably shouldn't be here.

Of course, even after adopting their daughter, their adventures were far from over. Being someone like Nick, one of the last kinetics in the universe, something always happens to tangle you back up in a problem, even if the problem is nothing but you. It's hard to stay away from magic when you are magic.

July 5th, 2061. Exactly fourteen days until the two-year anniversary of the Mars-quake. There's something different about our protagonists, a difference only two years can make. To them, it barely feels like two years. Time flies when you're having fun, and having fun comes naturally to the most powerful beings in the universe.

Nick, now 27, has started to stray away from the hair ribbons, leaving it down behind their shoulders instead. They now keep it out of their face with a fuzzy pink hat, and naturally, two strands hanging down by their ears. They wear a purple button-up shirt, light denim overalls, and their trademark white lab coat. On the right pocket of their coat, a single pin stays affixed with the nonbinary flag on it. It didn't happen much, but sometimes people were still confused. Maybe this would help.

Jackie's not changed much, except their outfit of choice is now a simple yellow summer dress. They also have a nonbinary flag pin in the same place as Nick, since they bought pins together on an outing. They still have the same glasses and the same (lack of) hairstyle, except they now wear star-shaped hoop earrings that are about half the size of their face. It had been seven months since they'd undergone a breakup, so that had healed with time. Truthfully, Annabeth had a good reason—she was moving away. Jackie understood, and that was that. Probably. Mostly.

Since meeting her father, Ella's grown past who she used to be and started taking her life upon herself. The sixteen-year-old girl has tossed out her green and brown jackets, and replaced it with a green-and-black striped shirt, and a fuzzy green beret to match. Her dark blue denim pants are slightly too big for her, and she needs a haircut. On the right side of her shirt, a pin with the lesbian flag. Identities are hard to realize for yourself, and Ella spent a while figuring out hers, until she met a girl from her class. Then she was completely sure of herself.

And Ella was right about one thing. Wilson Cross would never be able to feel the wind without thinking about her. It may not have been the reason why, but it must have been a factor. Three months after meeting Ella, Wilson put a bullet through his head. Since then, she truly was an orphan, until Nick adopted her this time in 2060. So, she supposed it was by the by. Being adopted always sounded cooler to her anyway.

And so, at a small high school in Norton City is where we begin our story.

Summer had emptied out the building, all except for a club where a handful of students met up for making arts and crafts as a fun activity before school started up again. Ella Althorne was among these, trying to stick together two popsicle sticks.

"What are you even making, girl?" A kid leaned over, watching her struggle.

Ella snorted. "I do not even know." Putting film over a circle with glue, she lifted it up and handed it to the kid. "There you go, Ozzy. It's a shockmount."

"I don't even have a microphone!" Ozzy laughed, passing it back to her.