bakerstreet | POWERED & SOURCE

POWERED & SOURCE

::Powered/SOURCE

a sci-fi au meme

50 years ago, or 75 years ago,or 20 - it's hard to recall such precise numbers in the haze and hardship - the world almost ended. While the timing itself is remembered by few, the event serves as a sharp divide of before the Fall and after. The Fall, in all its terrible and explosive splendor, sent societies spinning on their heads, no matter if its intimate nature are unclear. Once again, humanity has had to claw its way out of the primordial pit, all its achievements sent to ruin in the face of a nuclear flare. What little governmental structure remain amongst the survivors is tyrannical, but astute. When those in charge noticed that offspring of those who hadn't been killed by the Fall were beginning to be born with unique abilities, they chose not to persecute this "new generation." Instead, they jumped at the chance to have a homegrown army to protect the fragile rebirth of man, learning little from the old mistakes.

These gifted individuals fall into two categories: those with psionic powers and abilities used for offense and those who have healing and rejuvenating properties. Apart, these are interesting parlor tricks, with psionics, called Powereds, being about to move items with their minds for a few inches or pick up heavier ones they shouldn't be able to or healers, called Sources, fixing up superficial wounds. The true potential lies in when a Powered and Source are brought together, however. Each Powered has a Source that is their match and vice versa, the lock to their key, right down to the very genetics. When the right pairing made, a Powered can move mountains or create energy weapons beyond compare, a Source can provide near infinite energy to their Powered or even bring living beings back from the brink of death. To belong to either of these groups is a high honor. So high, in fact, that as soon as a child shows promise, they are whisked away by higher authorities to be matched with their lifetime Powered or Sourced and begin their training, where, despite the risks, they will find better living conditions and more resources than they could have ever dreamed of out in the desolate, dying world.

This pair grows up together, becoming dependent on each other. Even if their personalities clash, the pull in their very nature evens things out; it is, after all, a psychic bond that connects Powered and Sourced. Without the presence of their Source, a Powered might find themselves enraged or worried or unsettled. On the other hand, a lonely Source may become listless or despaired. As two is where they find complete harmony, and their unity shows in the combat or espionage skills.

On record, romance between matched pairs is strictly forbidden. Off the books, though, it happens more times than not, with two people growing up together virtually since childhood who are programmed to be co-dependent, and it is highly encouraged by those higher up due to abilities being strengthened through both emotional connection and physical contact. There's no risk in it, in their eyes, only gain as they can terminate a pair quite easily. A Powered is useless without a Source, so the ultimate weapon has a kill-switch...and a useful weakness for blackmail purposes There are always whispers in barracks of someone who's doing a task because their Powered's or Source's life is at stake.

Once battle training is complete, each pair is assigned to an eight-man cell, comprised of four matched pairs like themselves. What these teams do depends upon their skill sets and training levels, with anything from peacekeeping to public relations to assassination being on the dossier. Yet the imperative is for those on front line is clear: protect your Powered or Sourced at all costs, even on the backs of the others on your team.

Without them, you are useless. Without them, there is no place for you in this world.

tl;dr sparknotes this because we want to get to the meme: Sentinels and guides had a baby with YA dystopian lit. After a near extinction level cataclysm, people began to develop abilities that fall into two categories: Powered (sentinel/warrior) and Source (guide/healer). Their true powers are only revealed when they find their one genetically compatible match. A shadow government kidnaps these individuals, puts them into lifebonds, trains them for combat, then sends them out in teams to do all the dirty work. Codependency, mind-bonding, unhealthy love, and bloody murder probably ensue.

In the subject line, place your character name, canon, preferences, and whether your character will be a Powered, Source, or either. Reply to others! What will your character be doing? Being a late bloomer and only now meeting their partner? Training? On a mission? Enjoying some rare down time? Comforting their partner? Aftercare after the battle? Getting blackmailed? Climbing to the top of the ladder and infiltrating the government? Realizing their partner's getting a little too bloodthirsty? Falling in love with someone else's Powered or Source - absolute anathema. Facing certain death? It's up to you. Thread.

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"It'll work itself out," he told him, tilting his head as he watched the other man and he didn't know if there was anything he could do to fix this. He probably shouldn't have said anything but it was important for Tony to know. "I don't mind us staying close. I just need some time to adjust to you being older than me before... well, you know."

Tony stared at Steve as if he had gone insane. He almost felt ill, his gut twisting around inside of him. "No. No, I don't need your charity--". He was embarrassed now, even if he hadn't been before. Tony looked hurt and he took a pillow from this new bed of theirs and left the apartment to sleep in the lab. This might have been the first time that Tony had ever been angry with Steve.

What Tony clearly didn't understand was that one, he was not insane and two, he shared the attraction. It was just strange to him. Was that really that hard to understand? He didn't stop Tony from leaving this time because he could tell that he was angry.

What did he want him to say? Steve didn't feel like there was a way to win that conversation. Either he rejected him and Tony was upset or do what he had done and Tony was upset.

"It's not charity," he muttered to himself and he dragged his hands over his face. See, here he was trying to help and now it was a hundred times worse. So much for getting a good night's sleep. He was pretty sure he was just going to spend all night dwelling on where that conversation went wrong.

All Steve had to do was tell Tony he felt the attraction too instead of let Tony believe he would do his duty for God and Country...or, well, Source. He retreated with a sharp pain in his chest and the hot flashes of fear traveling up and down his back. He was disgusted with himself. He knew he had been leading to this since that first night when he curled up against Steve's back.

He wanted him. It felt right to be attracted to him.

But of course he assumed now that Steve would accept that to keep him happy. And Tony could never be happy with that. He held his pillow to his chest when he climbed into the hammock. It was cold in here. And he shivered even under the blankets. He felt like.a fool, old and useful in ways that only got people killed eventually.

After tossing and turning for what was probably an hour. Steve gave up on trying to sleep completely and just stared at the ceiling instead, trying to figure out how he could convince Tony that he was actually attracted to him. It wasn't some kind of game or forced circumstance. He wasn't just saying it because he was supposed to. It was honest. The man was handsome. Sketching him had been a terrible exercise in not giving that away but apparently he should have.

Another hour and he finally shoved to his feet. This was ridiculous. This was just a misunderstanding. There was no reason this should be happening.

"Tony?" he said, stopping a short distance from the hammock. He wasn't sure if the man was awake but it didn't matter. He could go back to sleep after they talked.

"I'm sorry." It was the standard reply of a child that didn't want to be in trouble and wanted everything to go back to the way it had been before he'd messed up. He didn't lift his head and most of it was stuck under the blankets so that his breath could catch under the cloth and keep him warmer. "Whatever that was, I'm sorry."

He couldn't stress it enough.

"Can we forget it? Tomorrow can go back to normal."

"You never have to be sorry for telling the truth," Steve said first, because he didn't operate that way. He would rather have that over someone hiding something from him or outright lying about it, especially if that someone was his Source.

"And I came out here to tell you I love you," he continued and he knew that could be vague, so he wasn't finished. "You're an incredibly handsome man, Tony. I've been trying to ignore it for the past few days because I just came back and I didn't know anything about your sexuality, or how you felt about me. It didn't help that I was struggling with the fact that you were ten in my head."

Steve took a deep breath, ignoring any interruptions, "It was hard to get around, still is, but I was happy to sketch you because it gave me an excuse to ogle you."

Tony was holding his breath under the blanket. His fingers gripped the netting beneath him. He wasn't sure he could bring himself to say anything even when Steve was finally quiet. The things he said left Tony flushed.

He kept his lips wet before he carefully pulled the blankets back down to his chin.

"I've been staring at you. So it can only be fair..."

He smiled, because he didn't know that Tony was staring for that reason, but it was good to know. Steve still didn't know where this was going to go but they would figure it out.

"Come back to bed," he offered quietly.

Tony still hid his face, but he couldn't help but grin, feeling himself flush. He didn't exactly need to play hard to get when he had confessed already, however-- "Make me." He missed being carried. Maybe that wasn't going to help Steve seperate him from the child he had use to be, but then again? He was heavier now. Steve could carry him differently now.

Steve raised an eyebrow because he definitely didn't expect to be challenged in that department. Somehow, he very much doubted that adding 'Please' was going to help. So he went for the next, most obvious answer and stepped forward to the hammock to scoop Tony up, bridal style.

"Alright, I will," he said, a touch amused, because he could tell that Tony was grinning. "Watch your head when we go through the door."

This far, they had yet to spend a night apart, though Tony was experiencing quite a fair number of little spats that brought him back out here. His emotions would settle eventually. He wasn't use to dealing with his own being affected by someone else's. He wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and pressed a nose into the shell of the other's ear.

"A good idea. I'd like to keep my head," he murmured, his weight sizable but certainly not a problem for someone with super strength.

As long as he was wrapped up so close to Steve, it didn't matter. It would be plenty of space to squeeze them both through the door carefully enough that nobody gets anything smashed into the frame. It seemed almost effortless for him to carry Tony and that was definitely thanks to the fact that he was a Powered.

Once at the bed, he gently put the other man down and crawled into bed with him. "We need to try to find some more blankets when we're out."

Tony's head on the pillow, he kept his hands against the curve of the Powered's neck and gently pulled him down. "It's not cold when you're here," he replied, eyes following Steve's lips whenever he spoke. He was starting to find that he really enjoyed the way the scruff on Steve's cheeks and chin felt under his hands.

"Well maybe I'm cold," he teased lightly, though he really was pretty comfortable for now. He was just worried that when winter hit his body heat wouldn't be enough to keep them both warm.

He was content for now just to snuggle up against Tony.

Tony had lasted many years here without Steve's warmth. He was sure that they were going to be all right and he said as much as the pleasant weight of the other man pressed partially against him. His hands moved from his neck to his shoulders before he lightly pulled at the hem of his shirt.

They felt so good like this-- the addition of more skin would only make them feel better still.

He tilted his head and then shifted so he could pull his shirt off. He tossed it on the back of the chair across the room and settled back down against Tony.

It did feel wonderful. Steve couldn't argue with that and he wrapped his arms right around Tony in response.

Tony pulled the blankets up over Steve's shoulders and since his hands were there, he ran them, older and calloused but still gentle, down his spine between where the muscles of his back were tightest.

He even took a moment to nuzzle against Steve's throat. His lips followed, right to the underside of his chin. His ten year old self had never done this.

His own hands rub gently at Tony's lower back and he relaxed quite a bit into the man's touch. He could feel the man's lips brush his throat and skin. His ten year old self definitely didn't do that.

Steve took a slow steady breath and hummed lightly.

He breathed out slowly, the whole of his body aching for more than he could give it. Tonight was not for anything too deep-- He was trying to make it so at least, but Steve was responding in all the right ways.

Steve was incredibly fit and strong. His muscles rippled under the skin. It was growing warmer by the second at least.

The Powered smiled in the dark and tilted his head to lightly brush his lips across Tony's forehead. He didn't want to move too quickly either. They have plenty of time to sort things out between them. In the meantime, he explored the man's back and side with smooth, steady hands. While he might not have the muscles that Steve did, he was still remarkably fit. It made sense considering the environment he lived in.

Quietly, even though he hated to ruin the moment, he said, "We should get some sleep."

"I'm not tired," Tony murmured. And then yawned. Damn it. "Okay, I'm a little tired but I don't need to sleep right now." He could spend all night just cuddling with Steve this way. Another yawn came right after though and he groaned before he flopped over and dragged Steve's arm across his waist.

With the weather tomorrow suppose to be terrible so why not sleep in? He told JARVIS not to set the morning alarm. He wanted to dream for as long as he could.

He chuckled, because Tony's body was clearly betraying him and he was more than happy to rest an arm across the man's waist while they slept. Steve didn't know where this would lead but he thought it would be good. Great even. He was more than okay with sleeping in. The more he slept, the more energy he conserved and that was always a good thing.

"Good night," he murmured and it really wouldn't take him too long to fall asleep if Tony started keeping his hands (and mouth) to himself.

With his hands and mouth turned away from Steve, chances were good for a good night's rest. The next day was spent on the suit. And Steve's drawings if he wished. The following day was the same with the air quality still bad.

And then they could return to the government building where the library and the hospital was. As expected, they were immediately seized. He tried to warn Steve on the flight over. "They treat every visit like an invasion. Don't freak out."

Tony's warning to not freak out wasn't terribly reassuring. However, he trusted his Source and cooperated as he was grabbed. It would have been child's play for the Powered to get out of the grip but he stayed quiet. He would let Tony handle this one.

Of course, if one single thing looked off, he couldn't promise he wouldn't react.

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