Template:Featured Articles/23-2025
 Arthur's pen on paper traced tiny circles in the margins as he considered. "No one is positive," he said honestly, "many of the psis have been experiencing something. Sudden power growth, flares, changes, but there's nothing to suggest any ill intent. My psychometry has been off since December." The reedy man shrugged. "Considering that — you called the sudden uptick an accident. Accidental how?" "Visions triggered unintentionally at the most random of moments," the German explained, his expression thoughtful. "It can happen when I have too much kinetic energy stored but the last ones have been during low-energy days, even at rest. That means I am either losing control or there is outside interference." "So," Arthur's eyes were focused somewhere just above North's left shoulder as his mind turned, "No extra energy or an adrenaline spike? Huh. I've been leaving memories on objects for others to stumble across and reading objects without touching them, so I'm betting on interference." He tapped the pen on his notebook. "That said, I just need a timeline. Have you been away from the mansion over the last three months for more than a day?" "A couple of times, for work." "When's the earliest one you can recall?" Arthur opened his notepad wide to reveal a crisply drafted calendar that held some shorthand scribbles. The grid was mostly empty, save for a sketched stick figure in one of its corners in a leather jacket. "Don't worry, I'm not looking for anything I'm better off not knowing. When, to your best guess, and if it was around or outside the mansion." He offered the pad in case North was more comfortable writing this down himself. North declined with a shake of his head. "Nothing sensitive. Spent a week in Croatia and France and returned two days before Christmas day." "When did the upticks begin?" A phone was produced from somewhere about North's person. He scrolled through the calendar app, brow arching slightly upward when he found the answer. "The earliest I noticed was January 3rd." There was somewhat of an amused glint in his eyes as he glanced up at Arthur. "But I was intoxicated for most of the New Year's so it may have started earlier." Marked and noted. The look North got in return, however, was a lot more serious than Arthur's interview cadence. He folded the notepad and placed it into his lap. "Does that work?" There was a new, sober honesty to his tone. "Is it easier when a little drunk? Or does it stop them?" "No." The slight lift and drop of a shoulder was dismissive as North put his phone away. "With my current metabolism, it affects very little." For that, he had HYDRA to send a thank you card to. The spy had spent a copious amount of time investigating his changed powers since his last brush with death. Discovering the link between the levels of kinetic energy and the rate of unintended and uncontrolled visions had been both enlightening and more frustrating than he could care to admit to anyone else. |
