The Crystal Hall RDF feed http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php The Crystal Hall RDF feed A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=20364&th=1139#msg_20364 "This is fan fiction for the Whateley Academy series. It may or may not match the timeline, characters, and continuity, but since it's fan fiction, who cares? To see the canon Whateley Stories, check out Sapphire's Place (http://www.sapphireplace.com/stories/whateley.html), Whateley Academy (http://www.crystalhall.org), or the Big Closet (http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/taxonomy/term/117)."

EDIT: From now on, I will post all future A stories to this thread.

This story is a continuation of A, vol. 2.5: A's Game

A's Trials

A has a hard week.

Part 1 -- Tests and Discoveries


Monday, September 11th through Sunday, September 24th
Those were a busy couple of weeks, let me tell you.

When I ran into Zack on Monday morning, we talked some about Chasm. When I gave him my thanks, he just shrugged and dismissed it. Just Zack being Zack, really. We ran that day and the rest of the two weeks, too. Every time we went out, I was a little faster, and Zack matched whatever speed I would go.

On the 11th, I got my powers tested a little more, but the doctors (and Mr. Clark) still couldn't decide whether I was a Channeler or not. They couldn't even decide if the ectomorphs around me were spirits or something else. One would say that they were something else, then the other would babble about a study, then Mr. Clark would chip something in. The worst part was that I basically just stood there while they went on about it for an hour. After that session, they said that they would have to settle on what all the data meant before we kept going, so I didn't have another appointment until the 25th. Suited me, really. It was kind of interesting learning more about what I could do, but it was real pain listening to them argue.

On the following Tuesday, I dropped my record of the ninja fight off so that they could have plenty of time to look over it and not bug me about for a while. They seemed really happy to get it, too. But I didn't get away scot-free. Oh, no. They wanted me to do some homework and brew up a new form. I started to protest about how it wasn't that easy, that I couldn't just sit down and pop something out, and . . . they'd have none of it. They told me to be back in two weeks and try my level best to come up with something new. Which I did. More on that here in a bit.

That same week, Maria, Penny, Ray, Max, and me all served detention. By cleaning out gutters. It sucked, but I guess that's the point, huh? We even found some weird stuff in the gutters, like circuitry, a head-sized glob of moving goo, and some earthworms that hummed pop music. We asked the maintenance crew about the junk, but they just shrugged and said that what we had found was pretty tame. We didn't really know how to take that, so we just went about our work. We had some passing contact with Jade from Team Kimba. She seemed like a pretty cool kid, really. She definitely had that 'cute, defenseless little girl' vibe going. On the other hand, she _is_ part of Team Kimba, and they're some of the toughest kids on campus. It made me wonder just how defenseless she was.

Anyway, our detention (well, most of us) wrapped on the 16th. It could have been worse. Now, you know where I just said "most of us" a second ago? The "most of us" would be everyone but Max. Remember how he went and told the girls that I was in trouble and kinda neglected to tell the Wild Pack that he could port them straight to where I had been taken? Carson didn't like that. At. All. Max told me that he got the worst chewing out he ever had, and even Chief Delarose was brought in for the fun.

Once he had been reamed, Max got the news: he would be serving two weeks of detention instead of one. He'd get the 'pleasure' of helping the kids in Hawthorne. I hadn't heard much about Hawthorne, but I what I had heard was dang far from pleasant. Max backed up the rumors, but he wanted to make sure to say that some of them were actually pretty cool. He also mentioned FUBAR, the one that the security guard had told me about. When I asked Max about FUBAR (or Foob, as Max called him), he just said that he lived up to the name, but he wouldn't go into any more detail than that.

While Max was in detention, I got some extra time alone in the room, which I used to my advantage. In between homework and hanging with Maria, I started on a new comic with the character I had been busy designing to help with the bullies. I called him Raptor, and he used gadget-wings and some other knick-knacks along with air control to move quite quick and stay on top of various situations. By the time the 24th rolled around, I had finished two full volumes about Raptor. I still hadn't field-tested him yet, but I planned to do it later that week, maybe starting in powers testing.

Of course, that was hardly all I was doing. I spent all my other free time with Maria. We didn't always even do things together: sometimes, we'd just sit in front of a fire and cuddle. The first time we tried it, I thought that we'd get chased out of Schuster, but then I caught some other couples (including a lesbian one) doing the exact same thing. Other times, we'd watch anime or movies and she'd sit in my lap (which was a completely natural fit). We didn't make out or . . . you know. We just hung out _a lot_ and cuddled and kissed (lightly). Why, you ask? I wanted to make sure I didn't screw anything up, so I took things pretty slow. Especially by "Max standards."

As far as classes, well . . .

My independent studies class with Dr. Woodrow was going pretty well. We were still charting out my abilities, and we had only made a little progress. I had already created a new written language, the one I had shown in powers theory back on the 7th. We already knew that, really. Dr. Woodrow also had me start in on another new written language. I could do it when I let myself space out while reading or listening to something. Well, "space out" isn't quite right. It was just a different way of processing things, sort of like a trance. With just a few practice sessions, I was able to get the hang of hitting the Zone (that's what I called it, anyway. Dr. Woodrow rolled her eyes every time I said it).

Since the 17th, we had been seeing if I could read a language that I hadn't seen before. As it turned out, I could after a bit of practice and getting familiar with the characters. She started me off on ancient Greek (which wasn't too hard; you can actually hear the basis for English words in it). On the 24th, we did some more with ancient Greek, but we also played with Aramaic a little. Oh, Aramaic? Language of the ancient Persian empire. It was the local language for a lot of the 'country' communities in the Isreal during Biblical times. It wasn't as easy to work through as Greek had been, but I could still get the hang of it after some time.

Once we finished that night, Dr. Woodrow said that she was going to be getting ahold of a friend of hers' and her come in and see me about the whole thing. I wasn't really sure what to think about that. Was I really that interesting? Would this new person mean extra work for me? Dr. Woodrow didn't really answer any of my questions, instead just saying something about "wait and see."

My Geometry, Lit, Powers Lab, History, and Flight classes were all between "above average" and "great." I had really lucked out on getting some of the teachers. Over the couple weeks, I really heard about some jerks, especially the guy who taught Survival class. Hoo, boy.

Then, there was Art. It was different. My first impression of Mrs. Hoben was that she was a complete flake, complete with the wardrobe of an aging hippie. She didn't do much to fight the image of flakiness when she started our first class with a lame joke. Poor lady did not have a sense of humor, but she was trying to get one. I felt like I would do her (and us) a favor if I told her to stop and find a better way to spend her time. I didn't want to get in trouble, though, so I gave her my best pity laugh.

Once she got past the joke and into what she expected of us, I was instantly reminded of what Dr. Woodrow had said about her: she expected you to work hard. That night, she basically just wanted to go over what she expected of us and that even though attended class was optional, it was in our best interest to come. You know, teacher speak for "show up or you're screwed." For the class after that one, she wanted us to bring in our best pieces. I looked through my portfolio and went with the inked and lettered versions of the finale of my Venger run. She gave me no small amount of praise for it, too, which was . . . a mixed blessing, maybe? It was good to have the teacher's appreciation, but it was not so good that she more or less said that she liked my work better than everyone else's.

Then, it was almost like Mrs. Hoben went out of her way to make it even worse when she asked us to give a brief run-down of our art education. Everyone in there talked about art camps and personal tutors and everything. When Mrs. Hoben got to me, I felt like a total jerkass when I said that I hadn't had any formal education. So, the guy who hadn't been on the inside of an art classroom showing up all the people whose parents had spent thousands on developing their kids' skills? Yeah, you can imagine how well that went over. If looks were needles, I would have been a pin-cushion by the time class was over that night.

Then, there were the real crappy classes.

To be fair, I guess, we'll say Powers Theory was going "as well as possible." It was dull-tastic and then some. I did get to practice my language-making while Dr. Ben Stein droned on, so that was something. I also learned "mutant-speak" as Volt called it, so I could finally (hopefully) keep up with the doctors and Mr. Clark when they started in on one of their rants.

BMA sucked. You know how I was still uncomfortable with actually making contact with people, and that meant that my hits were either way too hard or way too soft? Both sensei's picked up on it. That meant that I spent of BMA classes in base form fighting Squirrel Girl, Mechanoman, Glass; you know, the bottom tier. I would do all right most of the time, but it was embarrassing to be doing only so-so when I could use any of my forms and whoop all of those kids.

Every now and then, I would spar with Golden Girl, Britomart, or Silverwuss as Megadeus. It was a mixed bag as far as those kids go. I was stronger than Golden Girl, but she had beams and forcefields, both of which gave her a pretty nice edge over me. Britomart was a little on the slow but a lot nimbler and tougher than you think she would be. She could stay away from me pretty well, even if she couldn't really hurt me. Silverwing was not much fun at all. He could hurt me some and he moved a lot faster than I did in the air. He had a really annoying scream power that made me go all wobbly. Then, he would get all smug when he beat me by the skin of his teeth. I was really starting to hate that guy. The feeling was mutual.

Oh, and I got to fight Ayla a few times, too . . . and she kicked my ass. Badly. She just did the trick where she goes all Shadowcat and knocks people out. I didn't have any way to knock her out or anything without physical contact, and I wasn't about to use Cobalt indoors. We only sparred a few times, which was a good thing.

"But, A," you might be asking. "why don't you just quit BMA and go with Survival classes?"

Well, for one thing, I told Dr. Woodrow that I would give it a month. Then, there was the fact the Survival teacher was a real jerk. But neither of those is the real reason. The real reason was that I wanted to be ready. Ready for what? Chasm. He was still out there. Even with everything my friends and I had done to him, we were barely able to beat him. And he still got away. I didn't know if he would be back, but I wanted to be as ready as possible if he showed up.

Oh, on the subject of fighting and all (sorta), there were our team orientation sessions. Mr. Shane (our team advisor) thought that we would fit together decently, since, according to him, our abilities complemented each other pretty well. To make sure that we had someone who could take and dish out punishment, Mr. Shane (our team advisor) recommended that I stick to Megadeus form. When I mentioned the Overload problem (you know, where a form shuts off if I push really hard?), he told me that I should switch over to Cobalt. He told me that I could even add to our team's ranged firepower that way, with both me and Ray flinging spells and blasts and distant targets.

That pretty much covers everything, I think. That brings us up to the night of the 24th. We were out for our weekly game of hide-and-seek that night, and Maria was "it."

Sunday, September 24th – Night
I peaked around the side of the building. As far as I could tell, Maria wasn't around. I would have tiptoed around the building, but I didn't need to, seeing as how I was airborne. Instead, I *whooshed* as quietly as I could. I was about halfway to the tree when one of the octolegs popped up from nowhere! I barely managed to dodge it, and then another came up, and another, and another. I danced my way through the air, looking like a putz, I'm sure.

But she couldn't keep me from moving forward. I kept swerving and dodging, and I finally made it to base.

"Got it!" I said.

"Oh, come on! I know I got you!" Maria said, walking up with her octolegs still bugging out behind her.

"I am afraid not."

"Crap!"

"Way to go, bro," Max said. "One more base grab."

"Hang on a sec," I said. I settled down, closed my eyes, and reached for Juice. I let it go from my form and I went back to being A. The good news was that it only took me about 30 seconds.

"What's the ranking on scores?" I asked.

"Let's see . . ." Max said. "I'm ahead with 3, you, Maria, and Penny have 2, and Ray has 1."

"Ooh, betcha she'll catch up tonight," I said, teasing Maria.

"No, she won't! I've got a full perimeter scan going! I'll know the exact second she – "

"You can have this point," Ray said.

Maria eeped and spun to see the Chinese girl.

"How'd you do that?" she asked.

"A simple application of magical energy," Ray said. "But that is not what I wish to discuss."

She held up something in her right hand. It was a medallion made of metal with some Chinese character written on them.

"What's that?" I asked.

"I am unsure," she said. "I found it in the middle of the game. It . . . called to me? Whispered, perhaps, would be a better word."

"Whispered how?" Penny asked.

"I could not understand what it had to say, but it was saying something."

We all gathered around and took a look at it. There was sort of a collective shrug from all of us.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Maria asked.

"I think that I will show it to the heads of the Magic Department. If anyone would know what this is, I believe that they would."

"Sounds like a good plan," I said. "Well, that's one more for Maria."

"Um, yay?" Maria said. "I wanted to earn it."

"I am sure you will in the future," Ray said.

We all parted ways, needing to get back to our homework. I walked with Maria back to Dickinson. We didn't say anything, just enjoying the night air with each other. When we got to door, we kissed before she went inside. We gave each other huge, goofy smiles right before the door closed. Whenever she did that, my head went fuzzy and my insides went funny. In a good way.

On the way back to Emerson, I thought about Maria, about her hair, her smell, her smile, her laugh . . . and that train of thought kept running through my head, not leaving much room for homework, but I did it anyway. I finished my assignments and played chess with Max a couple times (he still beat me senseless) before we turned off the lights.

Just before I drifted off to sleep, my mind went back to the thing that Ray had found. What could it mean?

Monday, September 25th
That was the night the dreams started. I usually don't talk about them. They're a bit . . . much. On top of that, though? Whenever I sit down and start describing it, these words pop into my head, not like the way I normally talk. So, I don't talk about them much. But it's important for you to know how they go, so here it is.

Ruin. Everywhere. The stink of ash. The sky of smoke. The hills of blasted rock. So little left of the way things were. Death lay in all directions in those days. Every gust of wind, a wail. Every quake, a shudder of pain. And yet, it was not the end. There was still hope. Murmuring as it did like a heart's beat, deep below the surface of things. And our ears heard it. We followed that rhythm and found one another. We did meet on that hill, amidst the remnants of life.

None then knew what the next step be, so we spoke for a time and slept. Then, the dreams came.

My eyes bolted open, the dream still fresh in my mind. I sat up and took deep, ragged breaths. I walked to the bathroom and washed my face. I could still see the smoldering landscape in my mind, but I couldn't really . . . grasp it. The scene kept replaying, but it was like I was watching a movie in a foreign language. I shook my head again and decided that the best thing I could do would be to go for a run.

Then, I remembered my Juice Journal. I grumbled and wrote down that there hadn't been any changes. After that, I got changed and headed out to the statue, where I started in on my stretches. Zack was already out there doing the same.

"Rough night?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, weird dreams," I said.

I looked at Zack when I said that. Recognition, or surprise, maybe, flashed across his face for the shortest time.

"You have weird dreams, too?" I asked.

"No."

//Well, that settles that,// I thought, loading it down with sarcasm. Still, I didn't figure it was worth getting into with Zack about, so I just let it slide.

We did our run, and it was the fastest I had managed yet. Not that it mattered to Zack. Whenever I'd get a little faster, he would, too. I was beginning to wonder if maybe he had some sort of power he wasn't telling me about. We got back to the dorm and parted ways without saying anything more, which is how most of our runs ended, really. I got inside, showered, changed, and headed off to breakfast with Max. Once everyone was sitting together, I brought up my weird dream.

"Have you had any dreams like this before?" Maria asked.

I shook my head.

"No, this is a first," I said.

"I'm surprised you're handling this so well!" Penny said. "I would be freaking out."

"Um, thanks? Do you guys have any idea what these dreams might mean?"

"Um, no," Maria said.

"Sorry, bro," Max said.

"That's a 'no,'" Penny said.

"I may have an idea," Ray said.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes. It is said that every soul has seen embodiment any number of times since the beginning. Sometimes, the memories from these lifetimes can surface in their current incarnations."

"So . . . you're saying that these dreams were from a past life?"

"It is a possibility. Another is that you are demonstrating a mutant ability. Do you remember Dr. Quintain's lecture on the branches of the Esper trait?"

I nodded.

"And the 'Reincarnator' application of that trait?"

"Oh, the one where the mutant can relive the memories of his ancestors? Like that?"

"Yes, precisely. It could be that you're reliving the memories on an ancestor."

"Oh."

"You should talk to your counselor about it," Maria said. "If it is a new power, then they should probably test you for it."

I slumped back in my chair and groaned.

"What?" Maria asked.

"Oh, those guys argue over me like toddlers with a toy. It's annoying."

"Really?" Penny asked. "I only had to go twice, and they had my classification down."

"Yes, really. I'm some sort of new thing, it looks like, only they can't decide what that means."

"Bummer," Max said.

"Yeah. I go back in today, right after first period. Hopefully, they've gotten the arguing out of their systems."

We finished up breakfast after that, and I gave Maria a goodbye kiss. We smiled at each other, and my head went fuzzy again. Ray had give me a hard nudge before we took off for Geometry. It was pretty much just another class day, one that didn't drag on too long. After we let out, I waved bye to Ray and headed over to Siegel and down into the bottom floors. I walked into the atrium, and there was a bookish-looking girl with thick, black frame glasses and brown hair pulled back and held up with lacquered chopsticks. She was cute (by baseline standards), and her blouse and skirt went with her green eyes quite well.

"Um, hi?" I said. "I'm here for my appointment?"

"Oh, hello, you must be BB," she said, typing something into her laptop. I groaned inwardly.

//That's it. I'm changing that.//

"Right on time," she said.

"Are you Sarah?" I asked.

"Yes, indeedy, that's me," she said.

"Oh, the doctors mention you every now and then."

"And it's all nice, I trust?"

"Sure."

"Anyway," she said. "Head on back. They're waiting for you. Lab T today."

Oh, that meant eye-watering. Fun.

"Thanks. Good to finally meet you," I said.

"You, too."

I walked back to Lab T and immediately turned toward the alcove the second I entered the room. Both doctors were adjusting the controls and Mr. Clark was watching intently. Hilary stood off to one side with her cart.

"Hi, Hilary," I said.

"Oh, hey, BB."

Mr. Clark must have heard us, since he was actually the first one to see me, and he nudged Dr. Hewley, who then nudged Dr. Shandy. All three of them walked over to me.

"Welcome back, BB," Dr. Shandy said.

"Guess what?!" Dr. Hewley said. "We've finally decided about you! And it's PHENOMENAL! I think that there are least 3 papers in the data we've collected!"

"Oh," I said.

//Well, that means no more arguing. Hopefully.//

"Well, what's the score?"

"Actually, there's one more thing we need to you do," Dr. Shandy said. "Just a formality, really, but it would round out our hypothesis."

"OK. What is it?"

"Did you develop a new form?"

I nodded.

"Excellent. Just like last time, please stand in the center of the testing area."

"Will do."

As I walked over the doctors and Mr. Clark went back into the alcove. Hilary just stood and watched.

"All right, BB," Dr. Shandy said. "You'll feel the tingle in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . ."

And I did. Sandpaper all over again, but it passed after a few minutes. I kept my eyes closed so that I wouldn't have to wipe them over and over while I waited. Somewhere in there, I think I heard one of them say "oh." They didn't yell at me to run and Hilary didn't rush over to me, so I shrugged and waited for them to say something.

"Well, that's it! That proves it!" Dr. Hewley said.

"All right, BB, you can come back to the alcove."

I nodded, opened my eyes, and came over.

"Well," I said, "what's the score?"

"We've discussed the data we've gathered on you at great lengths," Dr. Shandy said. "We had a number of theories that we discarded as we went until we came to the one that fit everything we knew."

"As it turns out," Dr. Hewley said, "we're now sure that you MAKE your own ectomorphs! It's astounding! We weren't sure at first, but we noticed on the scans that your Imprints had qualities like those of manifestations. Now that we see have a new one, you MUST be making them!"

"Wait. Imprints?"

"Jim's referring to the ectomorphs around your body. We needed a label to apply to them, since they weren't traditional spirits, and they didn't exactly match anything else we'd seen, either."

"But you don't just MAKE them! You actually MIMIC them! What's just as amazing is that you Manifest their equipment, too, so you copy their abilities, bodies, and belongings!"

"When Jim says Mimic, BB," Dr. Shandy explained, "he means that your biology changes to duplicate the properties and powers of the ectomorph. You're not Channeling the ectomorphs, since Channeling requires you to enter into an agreement with a full, complete spirit, which the Imprints are not. Nor are you bonding with them as an Avatar might."

"OK, you said Mimic's change themselves, right? Is that a kind of Shifter?" I asked.

"Yep!" Dr. Hewley said. "Thing is that it doesn't seem you can change into anything except your Imprints! This knack you show is a FIRST!"

It was a little hard to take in. So I was MAKING spirits, er, Imprints, then changing myself to look like them? Wow.

"Wait, I heard someone say 'oh' a few minutes ago. What was that all about?"

". . . It seems like you have a limit on how many Imprints you can have," Dr. Shandy explained.

"Wait. How many? What's the limit?"

"7," Mr. Clark said. "From what we can tell, 7. Our scans show that one of the Imprints is gone, replaced with your new one."

"Oh."

"Still, you have amazing flexibility!" Dr. Hewley said. "And a one of a kind power! Certainly nothing to complain about."

"No, I guess not."

"All right, now, here comes the hard part," Dr. Shandy said. "It's time for the full Exemplar battery."

If only I had known what I was getting into with that. I got changed into some embarrassingly tight spandex-style gym clothes before they led me off to another part of the labs. I did the Xavier test, all sorts of hellish reflex tests, I did weight lifting, sprinting, played a weird computer game, played Dis-Chess (which made my head hurt) and a bunch of other stuff. By the time we were done, I was just about ready to drop from the exhaustion . . . and hunger. The testing trio came up to me after that.

"Well, you're clearly a physical Exemplar-3, just like Dynamo had said," Dr. Shandy said. "She actually got it right for once."

"As far as the mental package," Dr. Hewley said, "you're a lightning fast reader, have a typing speed of 70 WPM, and are ambidextrous. Your recall is also quite good but hardly perfect, and you don't have any danger sense."

Yeah, I still tingled where they'd gotten me with the oversize cattle prod.

"If we had half-points," Dr. Hewley continued, "then you would be a mental Exemplar-3.5, but since we don't, we'll put you at Exemplar 3 there, too."

I was about to mention my language trick when my stomach yelled at me for neglecting lunch.

"Are we, um, done for the day? I really need to eat," I said.

"Oh, right! Sorry about that!" Dr. Hewley said. "Yeah, go ahead and get changed. See you again on Thursday, 1st to 3rd period."

"K, bye!" I said, running for changing area. I think that was the quickest I had ever changed in my life. I blazed out the door, said bye to Sarah real quick, and made a bee-line for the Hall. I ripped through what must have been an entire pig (much to the amusement and shock of those around me), and I ran off for BMA so I wouldn't be late.

Of course, I probably would have skipped it if I had known what was going to happen there that day.]]> Aranis 2008-12-31T22:22:19-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=21131&th=1139#msg_21131 Part 2 -- Outbursts and Obligations

Monday, September 25th – Afternoon
I rushed into the Eastman Annex and into the dojo's locker room, changing as fast as I could manage. By some small miracle, I managed to get to the mat in seiza position just before class got started. Senseis Tolman and Ito both stepped into the room at the exact time, just like they did every day.

"Class," Sensei Tolman began. "We've seen that some of you have grown over-dependent on your mutant abilities. The fact is that there will be situations where you can't use them! There are negators, for instance, and there will be opponents who are immune to your tricks! When those times come, and they will come, you will have only your body, your mind, and your skills!

"Today, we will be fighting in one-minute bouts in pairs, but one of you will be wearing a power inhibitor bracelet. These will prevent the use of all mutant abilities except Exemplar traits! The second of the pair will have full use of his or her abilities. The powered-down individual will achieve victory just by remaining out of the capture cage for the minute, while the powered partner will attempt to get his or opponent in the capture-cage as normal. Questions?"

No one said anything. I heard more than a few gulps throughout the room. I think mine might have been the loudest.

"Now!" Sensei Ito said. "Psydoe against depowered Britomart!"

As soon as I heard the pairing, I took a breath of relief. It looked like they were using this exercise to teach the tough kids some humility and give some of the lower-tier guys a confidence boost . . . if they earned it, anyway. Britomart managed to stay ahead of Psydoe, even when Psydoe could use her TK blast. There were different pairing, some low-tier kids against low-tier kids, and mid-tier against high-tier. Golden Girl had to stay depowered against Ayla, much to her aggravation. It was pretty entertaining watching her bounce around, trying to stay out of Ayla's reach so that she couldn't do her Shadowcat-KO. In the last 10 seconds, Ayla managed to anyway and Golden Girl let out an eep before she crumpled.

I was hoping that I would get someone easy, maybe like Glass or Mechanoman.

"Silverwing against depowered BB!"

//Oh . . . oh, shit.//

Silverwing shot me a nasty smile with a predatory glean in his eyes. I gulped again. I walked over to sensei Tolman and she slid the inhibitor bracelet on me.

//At least I won't have to hit anybody . . .//

That was about the only good thing about the situation. Silverwing could outclass me (barely) as Megadeus. On top of that, he wasn't going to be friendly about like some of other kids had been. This was going to be a slaughter.

With a growing knot in my stomach, I walked to my position on the mat and Silverwing walked to his, looking extra smug. We bowed to one another.

"Hajime!" Sensei Ito yelled.

I took up a stance and Silverwing went airborne. He and I held our positions, and his smile just got wider.

Then, he divebombed at me. I figured that's what he would do, so I dodge-rolled to one side. He did a loop and came at me again, faster. I tried for another roll, but it didn't work. He dragged one of his talons across my leg. I could feel the blood flowing out.

He looped again and dove at a blur, and he ran into me at full speed. It was too fast to dodge! I felt like a wrecking ball had just buried itself in my stomach. I went airborne before I skidded along the mat.

Then, it became obvious what he was doing. He wasn't trying to win! He was toying with me!

At the thought, my blood started boiling. I started swearing under my breath, and I had to bite my tongue to stop from saying one of my code-phrases. He swung around again, going faster than I could hope to move without powers. He sliced my arm with another talon. It really hurt!

I started swearing with every bit of vulgarity I could think of. Red sparks were lighting up my vision, and it was getting hard to think. I screamed at the top of my lungs, sprinted at the son-of-a-bitch as he was coming around again. All thought shut down. All that was left was one impulse: Hurt Him.

When he came down, I spun to the right and buried a brutal fist in his side, shattering a few ribs like porcelain. He tumbled in the air and I was on him again, burying my foot in his stomach, shooting him into the wall. I fell to the ground and charged, screaming bloody murder, until Sensei Tolman appeared an inch in front of me. I could feel her breath on my face as her eyes locked onto mine. Then, everything was black.

When I woke up, I was looking at a pretty standard, white-tiled ceiling that was lit by a sinking sun. A deep breath told me that disinfectants were close, and that the room had recently been cleaned with . . . whatever it is hospitals use that give them their smell. A quick look around told me that I was in the school clinic.

//How did I . . . last thing I remember is fighting Silverwing . . . and then . . .//

My eyes widened at the memory. I had really let loose on him. Where had that come from? What was going on? I tried to get up, but I found out that I was strapped securely to the bed. I tried to pull my way out of them, but the restraints were pretty snug.

"Excuse me . . .?" I said. "Nurse? Anyone here?"

Nobody said anything in response. I looked around, hoping to find something like a nurse call button. I saw one, but it was by my head, just out of reach. I sighed and decided just to wait a while to see what was going on. Somewhere in there, I heard the door open, and I saw a friendly-looking middle-aged nurse walk in, looking cautious.

"Mr. Morris?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's me."

//Wouldn't she already know that?//

"Oh, you're awake and in your right mind," she said as she walked over to me. She shined a flashlight in my eyes, one at a time.

"I'm Ms. Sterling, the duty nurse for the evening, pleased to finally meet you."

"I'd offer my hand, but I'm a bit tied up at the moment."

"Actually, I was just getting ready to undo those. Do you think you can stay civilized?"

"Sure, I don't see why not," I said.

"OK, good."

She undid the arm restraints first and then the legs. When they were all undone, I rubbed my right wrist before I swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

I took stock. Everything was fine, as far as I could tell, well except for a little drowsiness.

"I feel a little sleepy, but otherwise fine," I said. "What . . . what happened to me? I was so angry! It was like . . . it was like my mind was on fire and nothing else mattered."

"Oh, honey, you really don't know?"

I shook my head.

"I thought that they caught this sort of thing," she said, shaking her head. "Do you know what 'going rager' is?"

"That's where, upon intense emotional stimulation," I said, quoting one of Quintain's lectures, "a mutant enters a berserker state. Right?"

Then, it clicked.

"Good to know some people are paying attention in Powers Theory. You're exactly right. Well, the fact of the matter is that you went rager today."

"No . . ."

"During Basic Martial Arts, you were sparring with another student whose codename is Silverwing. Do you remember?"

I nodded. I remembered battering him, too.

"During your match, you lost control and . . . well, you hurt Silverwing pretty badly, but he's already mostly recovered from it."

I took a slight sigh of relief.

"Ms. Tolman knocked you out and brought you here. The straps were just a precaution in case you weren't back to normal by the time you woke up."

I leaned back and exhaled a breath of equal parts frustration and dread.

". . . why didn't anyone catch this sooner?"

"My guess would be that's because yours works a little differently than some cases. Your berserker state is apparently keyed to anger, specifically. I figure that you just haven't been ticked off enough before today."

I thought back. Then, the rest clicked.

"No," I said, hanging my head. "This has happened before. Twice."

"Twice?"

"Yeah. Once, with a bully (I didn't hurt him, though), and another time at home. I wrecked our kitchen pretty bad. And, yeah, I think you're right: both times, I was really, really ticked. But I've never blacked out before. What will it be like next time . . . ?"

"I can't say, honey, but I can tell you that should definitely talk to your counselor and the testing lab doctors. They'll tell you what you should do next about this."

I nodded.

//Something else to talk about with the docs. Peachy.//

"Do I need to talk to security, or anything?"

"Nope. These sorts of situations happen all the time. It's one of the reasons you sign wavers before you can take martial arts."

That brought back the memory of the time that Phobos, the big demon-girl, had gone rager on Ayla and cut her up pretty bad. As far as I knew, though, she hadn't gotten in trouble or anything.

"Well, that pretty much wraps it up. There are some other people who want to talk to you, though."

She turned to look at the door.

"You all can come in, now."

Someone tripped and all my friends came stumbling in through the door. Well, except for Ray. She managed to trip . . . with style.

"You can leave whenever you like, honey. Remember what I said about talking to your counselor, though."

"Yes, ma'am, I will."

She got up and left. Max, Ray, Maria, and Penny all parted and let her through. Maria didn't wait too long; she ran over to me and hugged me before she gave me a quick peck, but enough to make my lips tingle. I went a little gooey between the ears at it.

"A, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"We woulda been in here sooner, bro," Max said, "but they wouldn't let us miss class, and then they wouldn't let us in your room."

"What has happened to make those necessary?" Ray asked, pointing to the restraints on the bed.

"I lost it today. I guess I should say I 'went rager,'" I explained.

"Wait. You're a _rager_?" Penny asked. "Since when?"

"Since I manifested, I think. The thing is that it looks like I have to be really, really mad before I snap. That doesn't happen so much, but it happened today."

"Yeah, this one prick," Max explained, "named Silverwing was sparring with A, here, but he was being real mean and nasty about it. I was about to jump before Tolman knocked you out, bro."

"Whoa, really? Why?"

"Dude," Max said, all the warmth dropping from his voice. "No one screws with my friends."

"Oh. I appreciate, man, I do. I'm glad that you didn't have to get involved."

"So . . ." Penny said. "What now?"

"Now, I – " then, my stomach roared.

" – need to get some food."

The five of us left the clinic for the Hall, walking mostly in silence. The evening had a crisp chill to it, a sign that Fall was definitely on the way. Maria cuddled up to me to keep warm, and I hugged her close. Having her next to me made the day feel less shocking.

I held her like that all the way to the Hall and even a few steps inside. We separated for a minute to grab some food, and I helped myself to mountain of baked steak and mashed potatoes complete with a lake of gravy. In between bites, I asked the crew about what I had missed in World History, and we talked about their individual days.

"Powers Lab was especially interesting," Ray said.

"Yeah, bro, too bad you missed it," Max said.

"Oh, yeah? What happened?"

"There was this really cool Psi-girl who goes by Inspira," Max said. "She actually charges up from people's emotions and super-charges her TK! Cool, huh?"

"So, is she like a vampire?" I asked.

"Vampire?" Ray asked.

"Oh, it's a . . ." I started.

"Sort of like a jiang shi," Penny explained.

Maria gawked and looked at her roommate.

"You can speak Chinese?" Maria asked.

"Oh, yeah. Chinese Camp for the past three summers."

"But her pronunciation could still use some work," Ray said, smiling serenely. "Irregardless, this girl is not like a jiang shi. Rather, the emotions of others drive her; she does not consume them. She is . . . inspired by them. That would explain her code-name, I think."

"Oh, wow, that's different," I said. "I haven't really heard of anything like that before. Kind of like the Phoenix Force, but instead of drawing emotional power from inside, she gets it from other people . . ."

"Phoenix Force?" Penny asked.

"Don't read X-men comics?" I asked.

"Uh, no. No time for comics."

"Oh, OK, well, there's this ancient entity that resembles the Phoenix of ancient legend. It has existed for millennia, and it represents life itself. It's a core part of our universe. Anyway, it bonded itself to Jean Gray of the X-men, their most powerful PDP. Well, it all went south when . . ."

I lost my train of thought when I locked eyes with Silverwing from across the Hall. His face was expressionless except for his eyes. Cold anger smoldered in both of them as he tilted his head back so that he could look down at me. He stuck his thumb out and moved his hand slowly across his neck.

". . . A?" Maria asked.

I looked down at her and back over where Silverwing had been standing. He was gone.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Looks like Silverwing's looking to get even for earlier," I said.

"Why?" Maria asked. "You went rager, you didn't have any control of yourself."

"Doesn't look like he sees it that way."

"Well, what should we do about it?" she asked.

"We? I appreciate it, but I don't want any of you to get roughed up. Silverwuss can really turn on the hurt when he gets serious."

"But, A, I want you to be safe," Maria said.

"Like I said, I appreciate it, but he's too much for you," I said.

Maria's eyes lit up in a split second.

//Oh, shit . . .//

"Honey, I'm – "

"Oh, so I'm worthless in a fight, is that it?!" Maria said.

"No, I – "

"You don't think I can handle myself!"

"But – "

"Fine! I won't give you my help! I don't want to, anyway!"

She threw her cup of yogurt at me and stormed off, leaving her tray.

"Uh, dude, you probably shouldn't have said . . ." Max started.

"I know, I know."

I started to go after her before I looked at my watch and realized that it was time for my appointment with Dr. Woodrow. At that moment, I decided I didn't care

"Guys, I gotta – "

"Just go," Penny said.

I ran out of the Hall and after Maria. I was still covered in yogurt, but I didn't care. As soon as I got outside, I spun and looked everywhere for Maria. I couldn't find her! I just took off toward Dickinson, hoping that I would see her along the way. I got about halfway there and I saw her along the path.

"Maria!" I called.

She spun and looked at me. Her eyes sparkled with tears in the low light, but it was easy to see that she was still very angry. I stood on the hill while we looked at each other. I got ready to apologize, but she turned her back to me and walked the rest of the way to her dorm and closed the door behind her. And I, Mr. Putz, just watched her go. I didn't know what else to do. Once she was inside, I just stood there, looking at the door into Dickinson, feeling awful.

If she hadn't given me the opportunity to apologize, she probably didn't feel like talking. What was I supposed to do in the situation? I really had no clue.

Then, a few whiffs reminded me that I still had a splatter of strawberry yogurt on my shirt. Then, a quick glance at my watch reminded me that I still had an appointment to get to. I figured that I wasn't going to get anywhere with Maria, so I decided to go back to the room, change, grab my Juice Journal, and head over to Schuster for my appointment with Dr. Woodrow.

When I got over to the counseling area, I was surprised to hear that Dr. Woodrow was talking to someone. I walked up to the door and knocked softly.

"Ah, A? You're a little late," Dr. Woodrow said.

"Sorry about that," I said, stepping inside. Then, I saw Dr. Woodrow's conversational partner. It took a me second to realize that the person standing the plum-pinstripe black pantsuit in front of me was woman. Why? Because she didn't have any hair. At all. Not even eyebrows.

"In the future, I expect you to be punctual," she said, authority clear in the controlled alto of her voice.

"Excuse me, do I . . ."

"I'm Dr. Nellens, Professor of Psycholinguistics at the University of Chicago. How do you do."

She extended her hand, and I took it. Her fingers tightening around my hand were like the teeth of a vice. I pulled away before I yelped in pain.

"Dr. Nellens is who I was talking about when I said, 'wait and see,'" Dr. Woodrow explained. "She's the best in her field."

"What's your field again, Dr. Nellens?" I asked.

"Psycholinguistic. In short, the psychology of language. It's the study of what processes in the mind and body enable humans to perceive, understand, and use language.

"Why are you . . .?"

"Well, A," Dr. Woodrow said, "I asked Barbara to come in once I got an idea what you were capable of with your linguistic knack."

"You see," Dr. Nellens said, "Rachel tells me that you have an Intuitive and Perceptive grasps of language, including both generation and understanding. We need to determine what components come naturally to you before we can proceed."

"Proceed?"

"Yes. You are one of the exceedingly rare few mutants who has manifested an Esper ability related to language. Procession, in this case, is determining how to channel your abilities so as to make the most of them in the wider world."

"So . . . to get a job later?" I asked.

"Not that simple, but, yes, essentially."

"So, uh, what do I need to do, then?"

Dr. Nellens got a gleam in her eyes like I had just handed her a blank check. She handed me a decent-sized book.

"Translate this."

I looked at it the book, unbelieving.

"What is it?"

"It's a copy of the Iliad in its original ancient Greek."

"But, I – what?"

"We need to see what you're capable of. You've already been exposed to ancient Greek, yes?"

"Yeah, but – "

"And Rachel tells me that you've already gained a grasp of it?"

"That's right, but – "

"So, we'll see if you can do this. Right now, I'm not concerned about the quality, but I do want you to work through it from beginning till end and translate the maximum amount you can."

I looked at Dr. Nellens, at the book, and then at Dr. Woodrow.

"Dr. Woodrow . . .?"

"Just try it, A," she said. "I think you might be surprised at how easily it comes to you."

"I expect your work in by next Sunday night by the time of your personal study period. Rachel will pass it on to me."

Then, it occurred to me. It was simple, really.

"What if I said 'no?'"

"Well, that _is_ your prerogative, A," Dr. Woodrow said. "But this is quite the opportunity. This will really let you see what you're capable of. Don't you want to know?"

I grumbled at that. She was right. I was a comic book nerd, after all. How could any comic book nerd leave a superpower untested?

"All right, fine. I'll try."

"Excellent," Dr. Nellens said. "I think that this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership, you two."

She checked her watch right then.

"I have another appointment here on campus, I'm afraid, so I must go. Good meeting you, A. Always a pleasure, Rachel."

With that, she left.

"What have you gotten me into?" I asked Dr. Woodrow once I was sure that Dr. Nellens was away.

"I wanted to make the most of what you have, A," she said. "I really can't do that. She can."

"Some advance warning would have been nice."

"If you had known that she was a ball-busting obsessive, would you have come tonight?"

First, I couldn't believe that Dr. Woodrow had said that. Her minor vulgarity just hung in the air for a while. Then, I thought about what you said.

"Uh, no, probably not."

"Besides, she may not have said so, but this is just a trial. If you find it to be too much work, we can go back to what we were doing before. I really do want you to try, though."

"OK, I will. I said so, after all."

"Good. Sorry to have sprung that on you."

It wasn't really OK, but I thought that I would say so anyway.

"It's OK."

She gave me a questioning look paired with an odd smile before she said anything more.

"Well, in case you hadn't figured it out yet, our hypnosis session will be postponed. Does Wednesday work for you, regular time?"

"Sure, I don't see why not."

"OK good, I . . . A? Is there something bothering you? You seem tense."

Hurricane Nellens had distracted me from the whole Silverwimp problem.

"Well, earlier today . . ."

I ran down the whole event, from start to end. She nodded sagely as I went.

"Ahh. I wonder why I didn't catch it when I read you?" she said, waving her head back and forth. "Well, in any case, I think that the matter can be addressed. It sounds like you simply need to learn to control your anger."

"Oh, uh . . . OK."

"Don't worry, I have a teacher in mind, someone who is excellent at teaching meditation, which I think is the tool that will help you the most. I'll have to check to see if he has any time available, then I'll let you know next time we get together. Also, this is something that the testing professors in Siegel need to hear about. Yes, yes, I know how terrible that is, but I don't see anyway around it.

"In the mean-time, you said that you think that this boy might try to get even with you?"

I nodded.

"I would suggest that you notify security about it. It's their job to keep students safe, after all. Also, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a friend with you most of the time. Sometimes, just another person is all it takes to diffuse those sorts of situations before they get started."

I nodded again.

"Anything else?"

I opened my mouth to say it, then stopped. Then, I decided to go ahead anyway.

"Dr. Woodrow . . . my girlfriend and I had our first fight. What should I do?"

"Oh, you did? What over? If it's something private, then – "

"No! I mean, nothing like that. We just had a fight over this Silverwing episode."

"In what way?"

"She wanted to come with me and help keep me safe, but then I kinda said that she was out of her league."

"Ahh. Have you tried to apologize yet?"

I nodded.

"Well, A, the thing I can recommend is to give it a while. People need time to cool off after they've been insulted, significant others doubly so. You need to wait until the emotions have died down in you both, then you can approach the situation reasonably.

"My advice would be to get some flowers, her favorite candy, and stop by her room tomorrow, after classes. Sound good?"

I nodded. I wasn't sure, really, but it was better than anything I had.

"OK, now," she said. "Does that take care of everything?"

"Yeah, I think it does. Thanks for the advice."

"My pleasure."

I started to leave the room when Dr. Woodrow spoke up again.

"A, aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, grinning and pointing toward the book sitting on the corner of her desk.

"Oh, right. Night."

I grabbed the ancient Greek edition of the Iliad and walked outside. The temperature had dropped a little more since I had gone, and I shivered at the cold.

//Well, at least I have some idea about what to do about Maria. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day?//]]> Aranis 2009-01-07T04:24:36-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=21802&th=1139#msg_21802 Part 3 – Difficulties and Developments

Monday, September 25th – Night
After that, I went straight back to my room, looking out for Silverwing the whole time. Once I was back, I decided not to leave since I really wasn't in a fighting mood.

I spent the next bit doing as much homework as I could so that I could have plenty of time to work on my new translation homework. I figured that I would need as much time as I could get to work through it. Matter of fact, it didn't seem like four days was enough to work out the _entire thing_, but I was going to try my hardest to meet the deadline.

Much to my surprise, I whipped through the week's homework before the night was over. I was sorta confused by it, but I definitely wasn't complaining. I just chalked it up to the assignments being easy and went on.

After that, I thought about what I would do the next day to make up with Maria. I already decided that I would stop by the campus store the next day and grab some chocolate-covered coffee beans, which were Maria's favorite candy.

On a side-note, it's really entertaining to watch her get a caffeine high.

Besides the candy, I had trouble deciding what kind of flowers to get. I thought about roses but decided against them. Why? They're kinda cliché. After I decided against roses, I realized that I didn't know what her favorite kind of flower was.

//Have to do something about that.//

I maybe put more thought into the flowers-thing than I should have. I kept worrying about the message that each flower might send. Daisies? "Here's something completely common, just like you." Um, no. Orchids? "These flowers require a lot of work to keep up; suits you." No. Tulips? "Hi, I didn't go to much trouble, so I grabbed these from a nearby flower bed." Argh! Lilies? "Here's to help with grieving our relationship." Agh, no! I might as well just ask her to break up with me.

In the end, I was basically left with roses and only roses. Once that was done with, I obsessed over whether I should get a bouquet or just one rose. And . . .

Well, you get the idea. I kept thinking and rethinking everything I would do all the way until I went to bed, and then I had more than a few dreams about it.

Tuesday, September 26th
I had the same dream that night as I had the night before. I woke up afterward, and I could still smell the smoke and the ash from the burned-out countryside. I shook my head and blew nose, and then the smell was gone.

//What the hell?//

I got to my feet and decided against changing for my run with Zack. I wanted to get to the Hall and back out before Maria got there. I didn't want her to feel like I was being pushy, you know what I mean? I took a quick shower and got my uniform on before I left for the Hall. It was a little weird going that early in the day, since there were so few people that time of morning. All the paths were pretty much abandoned. When I got to the Hall, it was pretty much abandoned too: I was one of five or six people in the whole room. It was a good thing, actually, since that meant that I didn't have to wait in line for food.

I decided to go with pile of biscuits smothered in sausage gravy. I went to our usual table, and I paused when I sat down. It was weird being there without Max and the girls, and it hurt, more than a little, that I was avoiding my girlfriend. Right then, my food lost a lot of its appeal, but I decided to munch on it anyway. I fully expected to have our table to myself, but I was surprised when a . . . well-equipped girl walked up to my table, carrying a tray with a couple cups of yogurt, some toast, and a medium-size glass of juice. Her fiery, messy red hair stuck out at all angles, and her eyes were that same burning red. She looked a little tired.

"Hey," she said. "Mind if I join you? You looked a little lonely."

"Uh, sure," I said.

"Cool."

She sat down, and her breasts gave a nice jiggle. Er, no . . . well, they did, but after that, I made a point of studying my breakfast. I didn't want to give Maria any more reason to be mad at me.

"I'm Heather, or Inspira, whichever you like," she said.

"I'm A," I said. "I don't really have a codename yet."

"Oh, yeah? Why not?"

"Just haven't come up with a good one yet."

"Oh, OK. Did you come up with any bad ones, then?"

"Yeah, a few. I was going to go with Prime?"

"Prime?"

"Yeah. Ever read Malibu Comics?" I asked. I finally looked up at her, but I made a point of keeping my eyes focused on her face. Really, her intense red eyes made that pretty easy.

"No, can't say I have."

"Well, OK. They're this one comic company that got started in the late 80's, but they didn't last very long after that. Anyway, they had this one character in their Ultraverse setting who was called Prime. He was this kid who made his own superhero form, only he could change it. Well, sorta, anyway. Prime seemed like a good name, but I would probably get sued the second I used it."

"But you said that the company didn't last very long?" she asked. "How could they sue you if they don't exist anymore?"

"Oh, well," I said. "Problem is that Marvel bought Malibu, so I would think that all their copyrights and trademarks are owned by Marvel, now."

"Oh, OK. Too bad. Prime sounds like a cool codename."

"I know. But, hey, Inspira has a nice ring to it. Oh, wait a second. Weren't you the girl who gave a demo yesterday in Powers Lab?"

"Yeah, how'd you know about that?"

"Oh, I have that class normally, but I was . . . absent yesterday."

When I said the word "absent," she cringed.

"Oh, sorry," she said "I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant stuff."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I'm a receptive Empath. You loaded some serious frustration and fear into 'absent.'"

"Oh, sorry about that."

"No fault of yours. Occupational hazard of being an Empath."

"You mean that you can't shut it off?" I asked.

"No. Well, not yet, anyway. I've already gotten better about it than when I manifested. When I was starting out, I could feel everybody's emotions. Everybody in the block."

"Ouch."

"It was pretty intense, yeah. I had to spend some time in Hawthorne until I could get a handle on it. It wasn't easy in there, either. A lot of the people in there didn't like the fact that I was, well, you know, like this," she said, waving a hand over her body.

"That's rough."

"Well . . . " she said, showing a weak smile. "It's behind me, so I try not to think about it too much."

"Good way to think about it."

"Yeah, well, obsessing doesn't really help," she said. "Well, enough about me. What about you? You said that Prime could make his own superhero form? You can do that, too?"

"Yep. Not just one, though. I can make a few different ones."

"Really? How many?"

"Right now, it looks like five."

"Five?!"

"Yeah."

"That's awesome! What are they like?"

"Well, I have a brick, an 'Iron Man' type without the flying, a speedster, a Batman ripoff, and a new guy I'm calling Raptor."

"Ooh. You're really proud of that last one, huh?"

I puffed up a little and said, "Well, I think he's pretty original."

"What does he do?"

"Well, he's an aerokinetic, you know, controls air with his mind? He has this Esper ability that lets him 'feel' anything that's going on around him, out to a pretty good distance. He has some equipment stuff, too, but it's nothing special."

"Hmm. Sounds cool. What do you plan to do with him? Sims in Powers Lab? Martial arts, maybe?"

"I don't know yet," I said.

Inspira furrowed her brow.

"Oh . . . OK," she said before looking up at the clock. "Well, I have to go do a quick bit of homework before classes get started. See you in Powers Theory and Powers Lab today?"

"Yep," I said.

"Good. By the way, I hope that whatever you're worrying about gets cleared up soon."

"Oh," I said, grinning. "Uh, thanks."

"Sure. Good meeting you," she said, getting up from the table.

//Man, that Empathy is going to take some getting used to.//

Still, just that little bit of encouragement was a help. I finished eating a good while before the crowd really picked up. I went to go over to Kane Hall before I realized that I still had a while before it was time for class. I thought through how I could spend the time, then I decided to stop by mailbox. I walked over to the main hall and Emerson, entered my combination, and swung the door open.

I was surprised to see a pretty good stack inside. I grabbed the stack, closed the door, and started looking through what I had gotten. There was one from Mom, another from Dad, one from . . . I stopped and blinked and double-checked. It was a letter from Marvel! I flipped through to the one below it, and it was from DC!

//Awesome!//

I ripped open the one from Marvel, fully expecting it to say, "Welcome to Marvel . . ." and I my eyes darted to the first paragraph . . . it wasn't what I expected. Not at all. No, the line started with "We appreciate your submission, but . . ."

I put it over on the stack with the mail from Mom and Dad and started in on the DC letter.

//It's OK! I bet DC will take me on.//

I went to first line of the letter and . . . "Your work is interesting, but . . ."

I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so sure that I was publishing quality. I went back to the Marvel letter and read the rest of the way through it. I couldn't help tears welling up in my eyes as I went. I tried to read through the DC letter, but I . . . couldn't make it.

"Dammit!" I screamed, flinging the letters at the trashcan.

Funny thing about letters: they don't go very far when you throw them.

A couple upperclassmen were nearby, and both of them looked at me.

"Sorry," I said.

They smirked and walked off. I fell onto the bench and looked at the stationery that sat on the floor. I sighed, got up, and scooped them up, staring at them for a while. I stopped when a couple tears spattered on the paper. I felt like a girly-man, but I couldn't help it. It just sucked too hard. I sighed again before I dropped both rejection letters in the trashcan. I grabbed what I had gotten from Mom and Dad, and took the letters back to my room. I had just missed Max, which was good, and I laid back on the bed and opened the letters from Mom and Dad. I didn't really pay attention to them, though, and I didn't remember what they had said after I finished reading them.

After that, I just stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about the rejection letters. I had been _so sure_, but they . . . they turned me down anyway. I lost track of time, and somewhere in there, I looked at my clock. I was time for first period. I put my watch on, grabbed my books and notebooks and walked over to Kane.

I hadn't paid attention before, but it was pretty cold again that morning. See-your-breath cold. Smell-the-frost-in-the-air cold. I shivered the whole way over to first period, almost wishing to be back home where it would have been warmer.

//All right, I need to look into getting a heavier uniform jacket.//

I was late to Geometry, but I didn't really care. Unfortunately, Mr. Arno did.

"Mr. Morris," he said, "good of you to join us. If you don't want to be joining students in detention, be here on time."

"Yes, sir. It won't happen again."

I couldn't focus on the lecture all period. Right then, I was thankful that I had done my work the night before, since there was no way I could get any done the way I felt. In the end, I did my best to _look_ like I was paying attention. It must have worked: Mr. Arno didn't say anything else to me. I was glad to be able to leave when class ended, and I had everything together in advance. Before we split up in the halls, Ray put a hand on my arm.

"A. How are you?"

"I'm . . . I'm not having a very good morning, to be honest."

"Oh?"

"I . . . it's this whole thing with Maria, and besides that, I got rejected by Marvel and DC. Both of them!"

"I see. Can you not try again?"

"Well, maybe. I just . . . can we talk about it later? I need to get to Lit."

"Yes, of course. Goodbye."

I went over to European Literature, where, again, I couldn't pay attention. I knew the answers to the questions that Mr. Ellis asked, though, so I didn't get into trouble for spacing out. After that, I went over to Powers Theory. It was good seeing Max, Ray, and Inspira, who was looking even more distracted than she was at breakfast. Even so, she gave me a little grin and a tiny wave before class got started. Unfortunately, seeing my friends wasn't any help in dealing with the lecture. You think its hard trying to pay attention to Professor Drone normally? Try it when you're down in the dumps. It's ten times worse, let me tell you.

Max and Ray hung around me after class. Before they even got the chance to, I headed them off.

"Listen, guys. I'll talk later, OK?"

Both of them gave me concerned looks and left for the Hall. I started trudging over to the store, and Inspira caught up with me.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi."

"Listen, I, uh, I don't want to meddle, but what's got you down?"

"I'm that obvious, huh?"

"Well, I could kinda feel you above everybody else in Powers Theory."

"Oh. I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Are you sure? These sorts of things can eat at you all day if you let them. It's usually a good idea to get it off your chest."

"I don't want to, all right?"

"But . . ."

I was getting ready to blurt something mean out, but she shrunk away before I said anything.

"Nevermind, sorry. I'll just go . . ." she said, starting to walk away.

"No, wait," I said. "I'm just having a crappy morning. Just, uh, let's just leave that alone for now, OK?"

"Oh, OK."

We both stood there for a second. She was looking about as down as I was. I didn't like anyone being so down, but I couldn't just out and buy her something unless I wanted more trouble with Maria.

"Wanna walk with me to the campus store?" I asked.

"Uh, sure. If you want me around."

"Yeah, that's fine. Come on."

We didn't really say anything to each other on the way over. Once we got inside, Inspira decided to break the silence.

"So, why'd you need to come to the store?" she asked as we made our way through the clothing section, heading over to groceries.

"Oh, that. Well, I'm going to get candy and flowers for my girlfriend. We, uh, we had a fight."

"Oh," she said with a nod. "That was what was bothering you at breakfast, huh?"

"Well, yeah. It just wasn't the same grabbing breakfast without her."

Inspira got a soft smile on her face as we made our way past frozen goods.

"You really care about her, don't you?" she asked.

I stopped. I guess I hadn't thought about it much. I was just enjoying her. I liked her little smile, I liked the way she smelled, the feel of her hair between my fingers, the softness of her skin, her quiet voice . . .

No, "like" wasn't the right word.

"I guess . . . I guess I love her," I said.

"Yeah, I can tell," she said, smiling a little wider. "Not just from your emotions, either. Your eyes light up and you grin a little when you think about her."

"Oh, man," I said, blushing. "That bad, huh?"

She giggled.

"No, it's good. It's really sweet. Anyway, why don't we go get your candy and flowers?"

"OK."

My choice on the chocolate-flavored coffee beans was pretty easy because there was only one brand. Inspira recommended that I get a medium-sized bag, not the smallest one and not the largest one. When we went over to flowers, I started for the roses before Inspira stopped me.

"Don't you think roses are a little cliché?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, I do, but I couldn't really think of anything better."

"Hmm. How about these? Carnations are pretty, smell good, and these dark red ones symbolize love and affection, which really suits how you feel for her."

"How do you know about flowers?" I asked.

"Oh, that. My mom was a florist. I spent a lot of time in her shop when I was little."

"Oh, cool. Same way how I learned to draw and paint."

"Neat. So, back to your flower problem, what do you think?"

"Well, the main point is 'love,' I think, and it's not a rose, so I'll go with it."

"Good, I think she'll love it."

We went through the check-out and I decided that I would go back to my room to drop off the flowers until classes were over. I stopped us at the top of a hill.

"Thanks a bunch, Inspira. For the advice and for the company."

"Sure thing. I'll head on, now. Hope everything goes all right with your girlfriend."

"Thanks. See you in Powers Lab?"

"You bet."

She gave a short wave and headed toward the caff. I grinned for a second and headed off to my room. I dropped off the flowers and candy when my stomach made the loudest roar it had yet. I sprinted for the hall, shoved my way through the line, grabbed a few burgers, wolfed them down, then ran over to the Eastman Annex. I got into the locker room, changed, and sat seiza at the mat Right on cue, senseis Tolman and Ito stepped at the time class started.

"Class!" Tolman sensei said. "Today, we're going to do something different. We'll select a number of stronger students to serve as 'supervillains,' while a group of other students will face off against them. When I call your name, come to front! Phase! Golden Girl! Phobos! Prism! Silverwing! Adamantine! Britomart! Blot!"

//Blot qualifies as a 'stronger student?!' C'mon!//

Then, the senseis had Golden Girl pump a bunch of her rays into Blot, which I _guess_ made him strong enough.

. . . and, then, it sunk in. I didn't qualify as a "stronger student," and if my luck was holding steady, then I was probably going to be in Silverwing's group. He gave me a gleaming, nasty smile. He was probably thinking the same thing. They started breaking us up into sections, and I nearly prayed that I wouldn't end up in Silverwing's. Thankfully, it didn't work out that way. I ended up in Golden Girl's group in the end, and I had to fight sticking my tongue out at Silverwang. I thought I was going to have it easy.

Just goes to show you that I can be an idiot, sometimes.

Golden Girl was a pretty mean "villain." She didn't use any forcefields, but it's not like she needed to. I had Mechano-Man and Psydoe in my group. Man had some pretty neat tricks, but GG had seen them before, so they didn't really work all that well. Psydoe wasn't much better, either, since she could only do her TK blast once. GG even let it hit her straight on, and you know how much it did? Nothing. And, of course, there was me. I mean, without my Imprints, I was just an Exemplar 3, which wasn't anywhere _near_ enough to keep up with GG's "going golden." At the end of class, I just felt worthless. I stalked off to the showers in an even worse mood than I had been, what with a fresh dose of frustration mixed into my disappointment.

//Screw them! I am so sick of sucking in base form! I . . . I gotta do something about it! But what . . .?//

I couldn't think straight, so I was mostly muttering and grumbling. I was still doing it on the way to Powers Lab, but Max interrupted it.

"Dude, what's got you pissed?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm so damn sick of those bastards in BMA! I could wipe the floor with most of the kids there, but they won't let me transform!"

"Bro, you know that's probably cuz you're still afraid to hit people, right?"

"I don't care anymore! I'm sick of it!"

". . . so, what are you gonna do about it?"

"I . . .! I don't know."

"Just try to chill out about it, man. It's just class, and I don't think that you're gonna get bad grades for losing when things are stacked against you. And, besides, you can't do anything. If the senseis say, you do, that's the way it goes."

I just kept quiet while we walked the rest of the way to Powers Lab. It was just another day, there, pretty much, but I did see Inspira again, so that was good. Max stayed away from the topic of BMA, and he and Ray talked about other things. I let them. I didn't feel like talking. When we got to History, I saw that Maria was already sitting on the side of the room we all normally did. I did my best to give her a smile, but I think it must have come off pretty bad, since she just got her books and notebooks out without doing anything back.

Have you ever had to sit in the same room as your girlfriend while you two were fighting? It sucks.

After class, I made a point of getting out as soon as possible so that Maria and I could avoid any more awkwardness. I was still stewing about the whole BMA thing on my way out to the Flight field, but I still didn't get anywhere with the problem. It was good to be able to fly, since it helped me vent a little. By the time the day was done, I still didn't really feel like I was in an "I'm sorry" mood, but I didn't want Maria to think that she didn't matter to me.

On my walk back to my room, I tried to get as good a handle on my feelings as I could, just focusing on her. It worked to an extent, and I felt a little more like doing what I had planned than I had earlier on. I kept breathing and focusing on Maria as I walked over to Dickinson, and by the time I was just outside the building, I think that I was in as a good a mood as I could be.

Then, I hit a bit of a snag.

//How am I going to get her attention?//

I could have just walked in, but I decided against it. I could knock on her window, but that might be a little weird if she didn't want to talk to me. I thought about it for a few more minutes, probably looking a little weird standing there with flowers and a bag of candy. While I was thinking, I looked down at what I was carrying, scraping for ideas. I tossed the bag of beans up and down a few times.

//I could use some pebbles, or something, but I don't have any . . . wait!// I thought as I stopped bouncing the bean-bag. //I can use these!//

Sure, it was silly. But I figured that it might just work.

I got about 20 feet outside her window, unwrapped the coffee beans, and started pelting them at Maria's window. Some other girls stopped and watched me, giggling and chattering, but at that moment that I didn't care. I was about pitch another one when the window opened. Maria looked out at me. At that moment, I realized it would have been a good idea to be a little closer.

"Uh, hi," I said, giving her the best smile I could.

"Hi," she said.

"Can I, uh, can I come closer?" I asked.

She looked around, realized that we had a small audience, and blushed.

"Yeah, that's fine," she said.

I walked up and gestured with the flowers and candy.

"These are for you," I said. She tilted her head and looked at the open coffee-bean bag and then looked at the ground.

"You were throwing the beans?" she asked, smiling.

"Uh. I didn't have any rocks. But I didn't eat any!"

Yes, I said that. Yes, it was lame. Love makes you say stupid things.

She giggled.

"Well, I'll take them, anyway," she said, before looking at the flowers. "Ooh. What are these called?"

"These are carnations. I thought about getting roses, but they're, uh, kinda unoriginal."

She bent down to the flowers and took a deep breath.

"Oh, these smell really good."

"I'm glad," I said. Then, I became _very_ aware of our audience. "Can I, uh, you know, come in?"

"Oh! Right, sure. Here."

She offered her hands down to me and I scrambled in through her window. Applause sounded from around us before Maria closed the window. After that, she put the flowers and candy down on her desk.

"Listen," I said. I figured that it was probably the best time for it. "I wanted to say . . . I'm sorry. I think that you're a very capable person."

She gave me a half-considering, half-still-mad look that I think only girls can do.

"I know that you only wanted to keep me safe, and I appreciate it, and I was hoping that you would, well . . ."

"Forgive you?" she asked.

//Maybe she's an Empath, too?//

"Well, yeah. If you would. I was an idiot, I shouldn't have said those things, and . . ."

She shut me up with a hug.

"It's OK," she said. "Apology accepted."

I started to say thank you, but I thought I knew a better way. I bent down and kissed her. I hadn't realized how much I had missed the silky feel of her lips on mine, that taste of strawberries, but I let her know how much I had.

I eventually pulled away. When I did, we were both flushed. I was about to kiss her again when my stomach grumbled, which made her giggle.

"We better go to dinner before you eat me," she said. My cheeks burned at the comment.

"What?" she asked. Then, it sank in, and she went red. It looked adorable on her. "Oh, um, not that, uh, let's go get dinner."

"Right," I agreed.

We held hands and walked to the Hall. On the way, I told her about my day, even the crappy news from DC and Marvel. She hugged me when I came out with it.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure you'll get it. Just keep trying."

"OK, I will," I said before kissing her again. We didn't say anything the rest of the way over. It was good to have her back, and it couldn't have happened any sooner.
]]> Aranis 2009-01-13T01:39:15-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=22157&th=1139#msg_22157
Part 4


Tuesday, September 26th – Night
Supper was great. Not just the food, either. It was just . . . right to be with Maria. It's like we had jumped back a couple weeks, back to when we had just gotten together, and we spent the whole time at dinner playing footsies under the table and whispering to each other. I think the other guys kept talking, but I wasn't really paying attention to them. The couple times I looked at them, they all had amused smiles on their faces . . . well, Penny didn't. She left somewhere in there, saying something about homework. I nodded, waved, and let her go.

After we finished supper, Maria and I walked for a little while, just holding hands and enjoying each other's company. Heck, we didn't even notice the cold as we went.

"A, I love spending time with you, but don't you have class tonight?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, I do! I completely forgot! I have to go!" I said before bending down and giving her quick peck. "I'll stop by after class lets out?"

"OK," she said. "See you then."

I ran for my room as fast as I could manage, scooped up my portfolio and art supplies, and ran for Stanton. I made it there just as the other kids had finished setting up their easels. I got mine out and up as quickly as possible, but I was still a good 10 minutes behind everyone else. The good news was that Mrs. Hoben was running late (as always), so she wasn't there to threaten me with detention. I got the rest of my stuff laid out where I liked it, wondering what she would me do that night.

My thinking was interrupted by the arrival of someone very . . . odd. That's the only way to put it, really. The person entered the room looking he (she?) owned the place. I say he/she because I honestly couldn't tell which sex the person was. He/she was thin and fair, and his/her shape was halfway between male and female. The facial features didn't help either, since they weren't clearly from one sex or the other, either.

The hair, though, that's what really got me. It was waist-length and shiny, no, radiant, really, purple, which was complemented by crimson eyes, ones that showed no small amount of disdain for everything they saw. The overall effect was the person had just walked out of anime, one that had those super-pretty men. I knew there was a word for them, but I couldn't really remember what it was.

Once I got over the person's appearance, I noticed that he/she was carrying art supplies like everyone else, only that they were top-shelf stuff, (that brand). Somehow, he/she (OK, I'm going to just say "he" from now on), even managed to _sit_ with disdain. I could already tell that I was going to hate him.

About then, Mrs. Hoben came in, bad joke at the ready. I'll spare you and not repeat it.

"All right, now, class," Mrs. Hoben said. "I wanted to introduce our newest student. He's a transfer student who manifested after the school year started. Everyone, please give a very warm welcome to Savant."

//Savant. Are you _serious_? Why not just call yourself Da Vinci and get it over with?//

He smiled, and his teeth were a perfect white, to the point where they practically sparkled. I caught that some of the girls exhaled and sunk into their chairs a little further. I just rolled my eyes. I was really hoping that Mrs. Hoben was going to get on with before I was forced to strangle the guy.

"Now, class, when I call your name, please go where I direct you. I have different exercises in mind for each of you that suits your needs where you are in your development."

She split us up among a few different neighboring rooms, which worked out nicely since there weren't any other classes in that part of the building right then. I got the misfortune of being in the same room with Savant. No few girls were almost tripping over themselves getting a load of him. I tried to ignore him and just get my stuff repositioned.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Hoben came in.

"All of you are interested in drawing the human form, an excellent choice among many, if I may say so. Your chosen focus is difficult in the best of circumstances, but here on Whateley's campus, you have the added complication that so many of the available subjects are beautiful."

"Mrs. Hoben?" I asked. "Why is that a 'complication?'"

"Because it can distort your vision of humanity, Mr. Morris. The vast majority of people are baselines, and baselines tend toward lower standards of beauty than we mutants do. You see, art is not only about capturing the beautiful, it is about capturing the world around us, all of it. That said, I have a model for you tonight who is more representative of baseline standards of beauty, and I want you to capture her just as she is. Do not exaggerate her features to make her more beautiful. Instead, simply record the way she is and see that something needn't be stunningly beautiful to still have appeal."

Mrs. Hoben left for a few minutes and came back in leading a girl that was cute, well, by baseline standards anyway. She was no Maria, no Ray, no Penny, and _definitely_ no Fey.

Then again, though, who is?

But anyway, Mrs. Hoben took her up to the front of the room and brought her a stool. She hopped up on it and assumed a natural pose.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce Jasmine, she'll be your model tonight."

She gave a quick wave.

"Remember my instructions," Mrs. Hoben said. "Do your best. I'll be making the rounds and watching as you go."

We all nodded and watched her leave. Once she was gone, we got to work. The assignment that Mrs. Hoben had just given us was actually really tough. I had to stop myself from exaggerating Jasmine's finer points over and over and over. I'd draw her eyes just a little further apart than they were, which was better looking, but it definitely wasn't "her." When I drew her bust, I drew her a cup-size or two bigger than she was without even thinking about it. By the time an hour had come and gone, my paper was covered with eraser shavings. I'm pretty sure Mrs. Hoben noticed, too, because she "hmm'ed" when she walked by and looked at my work over my shoulder.

By the time class was over that night, I had an eraser-covered page, plenty of smears all over, and a drawing of a girl that looked like Jasmine, only prettier, despite my best efforts.

"Well, we're finished for the night, everyone. Thank you for coming to model for us tonight, Jasmine, and I hope that you have a pleasant evening. Everyone else, please wait until I have made my evaluation of your work tonight."

My heart sunk. Jasmine got up and left, and Mrs. Hoben starting walking around, looking at each person's drawing. She made plenty of comments, mostly critical, but she did give some praise. After she finished with her evaluation, she would give the homework for that week, just like she did every class meeting.

Then, she came to mine. And I'll be danged if she didn't "hmm," again.

"You didn't really accomplish the assignment I gave you, Mr. Morris. While you did manage to capture Jasmine's demeanor, you exaggerated her beauty, which is not what I asked.

"For the coming week, I want you to find models that are attractive but not gorgeous and draw them as they are."

I gulped and nodded.

//She wants me to do this at Whateley? How am I gonna manage that?//

Then, she got to Savant's. It's like she couldn't find enough nice things to say about his work. I leaned over, trying to get a better view of what he'd drawn. When I did, my jaw-dropped. It was life-like. Photograph-like. But it was more, too. Jasmine had a pleasant personality that came across in her face and eyes, and he had gotten that, too. But do you think that was all? Oh, no. He had managed to incorporate that disposition into the whole drawing, with the way he did his shading and what pencils he used.

I looked back at mine and had to fight the urge to ball it up and throw in the nearest trash can. I looked back over to Savant's easel, and he was smirking at me! I got ready to say something, but then I decided not to. Instead, I just packed everything up and left, fuming.

//I'm good at drawing. No, I'm great at drawing! Why can't I get anywhere with it today?!//

I huffed and seethed all the way back to my room, where I found Max, laying back and reading Dracula.

"Hey, bro!" he said when I walked in. I didn't say anything back and flung my stuff on my bed.

"Whoa, bad night at Art?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But – "

"Not now, all right?!"

He looked surprised for a second.

"All right, bro, nevermind," he said, getting to his feet and popping on his shoes. "Listen, I can tell you want to be alone, so I'll split."

He walked to the door.

"Nah, dude," I said. "I didn't mean you had to leave."

"It's cool, bro," Max said. "I'll catch you later."

He walked out, closing the door behind him, and I felt like a real asshole on top of feeling crappy. Right about then was when I remembered that I had I would stop by and see Maria after class let out, but I didn't want to drag her down with my crappy mood. But, I really did want to see her. I decided that I would see her, anyway, and maybe tell her about the crappy night in Art. I walked across campus and over to Dickinson. I edged inside when a couple other girls were coming in. Both of them giggled when they saw me, but I ignored them. I went over to Penny and Maria's room and knocked on the door.

"Hell~o!" Penny said, opening the door. She was smiling, but when she saw me, her smile faded to a grin.

"Oh, A. What can I do for you?" she asked.

"I was here to see Maria. Is she in?"

"Right here!" Maria said from inside the room. Penny moved to one side and let me in.

"I'm gonna go study in the library," she said, gathering up her stuff. Before either of us had a chance to say anything, Penny was out the door.

"She didn't have to leave," Maria said.

"I know."

"Anyway, how was Art, hunky bear?"

"Oh, not so great."

We sat on her bed, against the wall, and I held her in my lap while she ran her hand along my arm. While we cuddled, I told her about my crappy night.

"Oh, wow, that sucks," she said.

"Yeah, it does. It's just . . . I'm good at drawing," I said. "Or, I thought I was, anyway."

She stopped stroking my arm right then.

"What?"

"I just realized: I haven't seen your drawings."

"Wow, you're right. How'd that happen?"

"Too busy cuddling, I guess," she said with a giggle.

"Not that I'm complaining."

"Still, why don't you show me your comics and stuff? It'll let you talk about something you like, and maybe that'll help some."

I kissed her on the cheek.

"OK, let's go," I said. We left her room and headed over to mine, and I got all my pages out and put them in piles. I didn't realize how much I had finished until I had them all out for her to see.

"If you want, I can show the you ones with inks and lettering, but those are on my laptop. Whichever you want."

"I'll look at these," she said. "If that's OK."

"Yeah, that's fine."

I sat down in my desk chair and she plopped down on my bed. As I watched her flip through the pages, my stomach started tying itself in knots. Having her see my drawings was worse in some ways than Mrs. Hoben could ever be. By the time she got to the last drawing, I thought that my stomach was never going to come undone again.

"Well?" I asked.

She tilted her head to one side.

"I like them, I really do. But, uh, well . . ."

"What?"

"Why are your villains all girls?"

"I never thought about it. I just . . . drew them that way."

"So, you're not trying to say anything about girls?" Maria asked, a little quieter than normal.

//Uh-oh.//

"It was just an accident, really! I didn't mean anything by it."

She gave me that half-considering look then nodded.

"OK, fair enough," she said. While I'm here, there's, um, there's something else."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'd like to see you draw . . . if you want to show me."

I blinked and looked at her.

"Of course! Yeah, that's fine. I've never had anyone look at me working on my comics before, it's just . . ."

"Just what?"

"It's like someone seeing me naked," I said, blushing.

"Oh!" she said, turning pink. "If you don't want to, then . . ."

"No, like I said, it's OK. If anyone gets to watch me, it should be you."

She turned a little more pink.

"OK . . . whenever you're ready."

"Right."

I set up my easel, got out a fresh sheet of paper, sharpened my pencils, kneaded my kneaded eraser, sat down, and stared at the board. I took a deep breath, smelling the pencil shavings and the lead. And then I went back to staring.

"Something wrong?" Maria asked.

"No, I'm fine," I said, shaking my head. "Just thinking."

I put the pencil up to the board, ready to start. But there was nothing.

"There is too something wrong," she said. "What is it?"

"I . . . I don't have anything."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, usually, I have an idea or two floating around my head, and when I start drawing, then I can explore those ideas."

"That . . . I think I know what the problem is."

"What?"

"It sounds like you have writer's block."

"You're right."

"I thought so. Sorry, hunky bear."

I didn't have energy left to be pissed about it. It just sucked. After that, I walked Maria back to her room and kissed her good night. I walked back and sat back down at my desk-chair, staring at the blank piece paper. Max came in sometime later.

"Bro, you all right?" he asked. "You're kinda staring a blank piece of paper."

"I know."

He stood there for a minute, not saying anything.

"Are you sure you're OK?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"OK. If you need anything . . ."

"I'll be fine," I said.

He didn't say anything more and got changed for bed. I heard him snore a bit later, but I kept staring at the blank piece of paper. Eventually, I got too frustrated to keep it up. There was no denying it. I had writer's block. I really expected myself to be a lot angrier, but after that whole day, I just felt too spent to get worked up.

I decided that some fresh air would probably be a very good thing. I skipped getting warmer clothes, since they weren't going to do me any good after transforming, anyway. I walked outside and braced myself for the chill. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that it was warmer than I had expected.

//Now that I'm out here, should I give Raptor a spin?//

I couldn't decide. I still hadn't given him a test-run yet, but I didn't want the cameras to see me, since I wanted to keep Raptor a secret. The problem was that cameras were just about everywhere, and finding a spot to transform where they wouldn't see me was next to impossible. Still, I wanted the freedom of the open skies, so that left just one option.

"To defend the defenseless," I said.

I got that rush and I was in costume and three times as muscley in the blink of an eye. I smiled as soon as I was finished transforming. I had forgotten how good it felt. I took off from the ground and went straight up at full speed. The rush of air gave me goosebumps, but not from the cold.

When I stopped, I took a deep breath. The air at that height, well, tasted different. It was hard to explain. I didn't really have a frame of reference for it. It's something that I had only noticed the past couple times out as Megadeus. It was the taste, almost like copper, but not exactly. And it was very soft, which was why it took me so long to notice it.

I looked down over campus, where I saw the security patrols. They were small from where I hovered, but they still stood out against the landscape. I looked around some more, drinking in the soft white-blue from the moonlight on the hills and the trees. When I turned to look at the road leading into campus, I saw something surprising: a small group of trucks, all the same color. I was curious about what they were, so I flew over to them to get a better look. They were pretty heavily armored and their engines sounded different from anything I had heard before.

//What's the deal?//

I followed them to their destination, and they pulled up to a parking lot behind Poe. I had to strain my eyes to see the details, but there were a group of people waiting where the trucks pulled up. One was Mrs. Carson, another was Dr. Bellows, and there was also Ms. Shugendo. There was also a girl that I recognized as an upperclassman.

//Ah, so she's in Poe.//

The vans started unloading, and then I saw the person who they'd brought in. She was a short and athletic goth girl, with whole look: leather, black eyeshadow, black lipstick, the works. I couldn't help myself from swooping in for a better look at her. She wasn't, you know, equipped like the other girls at school, but she definitely had an appeal all her own. And I didn't even like goth girls!

I watched her talk with all the people, and, after a few minutes, she walked off with the upperclassman.

Then, I nearly wet myself when Mrs. Carson turned at looked straight at me.

"Go to your room, now," she said, and I could hear her perfectly!

"Yes, ma'am!"

I split as fast as I could fly for Emerson, settled down, transformed back, and rushed inside, trying to catch my breath.

//Man, does _anything_ get past her?//

I shivered again. She was one scary lady. I shook myself and double-checked the time. It was a bit past midnight, and it was high time that I get to bed. There was still all that crap of the day, but I decided not to dig back into it. If nothing else, that bad shock got my mind off my crap, so that was something.

I stripped down to my boxers and plopped in bed. I spent my last few minutes awake trying to figure out why I had found that goth girl so attractive. I wasn't any closer to an answer by the time I drifted off.

Wednesday, September 27th
Life. Passion. We expected none of this where we were, but we felt them. That night, we saw a world of hope and vitality, one that the world was a pale imitation of, even before it had been brought low. We walked amongst hills of blue, under skies of red, under purple stars. We knew not where we were. Yet.

My eyes shot open.

//What the hell?//

I sat up, rubbing my eyes, trying to make sense of the dream that I had just had. I didn't get anywhere. I decided then that I would definitely have to tell Dr. Woodrow about it. I went to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, but the images from the dream were still fresh in my head. The purple stars were the weirdest part, to be sure. What really got me was that the dreams were so . . . familiar, would be the best word. Like I had been having them all my life. But I hadn't had them before that Monday just a couple days before.

Weird.

I got changed for my run and went out to the statue, where Zack already was.

"Missed you yesterday," he said.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that, I should have said something. Me and Maria were having problems, so I wanted to make sure to grab breakfast before she got there. You know, to avoid awkwardness."

"Makes sense. Still, did you get in a run sometime yesterday?"

"No, I didn't."

"You shouldn't let exercise go, no matter what happens."

"Uh. I guess."

I did my series of stretches pretty quickly and we took off. It was a pretty average run, with Zack and me keeping the same pace throughout. Zack said even less than usual when we finished before he went inside. I grabbed my shower and left for breakfast with Max.

"So, bro, how you doing?" he asked.

"Eh, better. I got some space last night, and that helped. Oh, that reminds me. There's a new girl in Poe, a hot goth chick."

"Oh, yeah? How do you know?"

"I watched her come in last night. There were three armored trucks that brought her in."

"Whoa," Max said. "Is she dangerous, or something?"

"I really don't know. She looked pretty harmless to me. Well, except for . . ."

"Except for . . . ?"

"Don't tell Maria, but she was _hot_. More than a little. I still can't figure out why."

"Have a thing for goth girls?" he asked, grinning and raising an eyebrow.

"No! And that's the weird thing. I still can't figure out why I think she's so sexy."

"Well, man, some people just have 'it.' It sounds like she might be one of those people."

"'It?'"

"C'mon, bro, you know, sex appeal?"

"Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah, I'd say she has it, all right."

We walked into the Hall and got in line. I decided to go with a ton of bacon that day, along with a heaping helping of grits with a half-stick of butter. Max and I sat down at our table, where the girls already were.

"Good mor~ning!" Penny said. "How are you gentleman?"

"Perfect," Max said, smiling.

"All right," I said.

I sat down next to Maria.

"Hey hunky bear," she said. I blushed a little. I thought that Penny would puke right there. Max just shook his head. Ray gave her serene smile that she always did.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to use that in public! It just slipped out!"

"Eh, don't worry about it," I said.

I decided to change subjects as quickly as possible.

"So, have you guys heard about the new girl yet?" I asked.

"New girl?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, there was a girl who came into Poe last night, and she was brought in with three armored trucks."

Maria looked a little nervous.

"Do you think she's . . . dangerous?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Is she in the caff right now?" Penny asked.

"I didn't think about looking for her, honestly. Let me check."

I leaned back, trying to get a good view of everything in the caff. I paid special attention to the groups I knew were from Poe, and I started with the nearest group and eventually worked my way through them until I got to Team Kimba's table. And there was a girl in goth outfit, with a long hood pulled up. It had to be her. That wasn't the weird part, though. She had a cage with a lab in it, sitting on the table in front of her.

"There she is," I said, pointing. "At least, I think that's her."

"Oh. What's with the hood?" Penny asked.

"I dunno."

All my friends positioned themselves to get a better look at her. The girl pulled back her hood, put away her sunglasses, and opened the cage. She reached inside and pet the dog . . . or at least, I thought she was. Then, she strangled the thing just before it turned into a cloud of blue ash that fell to the bottom of the cage.

I gagged and double over. Max went white as a sheet, and Ray actually looked disgusted. For a second. Penny turned green and Maria actually threw up. She barely missed me.

"Oh, god," she said. I grabbed some napkins and started mopping it up.

"I will go notify a janitor," Ray said, leaving.

I helped Maria back to her seat.

"That poor dog!" Penny said.

"I've heard about people like her, but . . . seeing it . . ." Maria said right before making another gurgling sound.

"You OK?" I asked, getting ready to grab a trashcan.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Max shivered before saying, "Man, Team Kimba gets all the weird ones."

"They don't seem too bad to me," I said. "Well, except the Tennyo one, anyway. That hair's pretty bizarre."

"Wait, you haven't heard?" Penny asked. "I thought everyone knew about it."

"Knew what?"

Penny looked back and forth, like she was making sure that no one would hear her. She leaned in close to me and lowered her voice.

"Ayla Goodkind is a covert operative in the war of the sexes," she said.

"What?"

"You know, she's a plum smuggler?"

"She likes fruit?"

"No. She's . . . packing."

"Packing big breasts? I didn't think – "

"She has manly bits!"

"You mean she doesn't shave her legs?"

"She has guy tackle, all right?! God!"

My jaw dropped when I finally got what she was saying. Then, I realized something . . .

"That's bull. It's gotta be."

She blinked and said, "What?"

"C'mon. She's a Goodkind. I'm sure that there's all kinds of nasty rumors that are floating around about her."

"Well, actually, there's this really juicy one – "

"Stop, all right? I'm sure she wouldn't want us to talk about her like that. And I know I'm not going to. Anyway, it's time for class. I'll see you guys later."

I helped Maria up and walked her outside, as much for her as for me. I made sure that she was OK before I suggested that she go back to her room and brush her teeth. She nodded weakly and started off. I went off to first period, and I thought about the rumor about Ayla. I couldn't help myself, but I got a really horrible mental image, and I had threw up in my mouth a little.

I shook my head, trying to clear the image out. I had more or less succeeded by the time I got to first period.
]]> Aranis 2009-01-15T01:10:26-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=22448&th=1139#msg_22448 Part 5

Wednesday, September 27th
It was good to have something else to think about, instead of the news that I had gotten about Ayla. Ugh. My morning classes were pretty average. Mr. Arno still loopy. Mr. Ellis still interesting if a little dry. Dr. Quintain less interesting than the dictionary.

At lunch, Maria was looking a lot better, and the rest of guys were pretty normal. We intentionally avoided talking about Team Kimba, instead just talking about classes and other things. About halfway through the meal, Maria and I started playing footsies, which quickly turned into cuddling, which was followed up with soft whispers. Penny didn't waste any time leaving, then, either. We weren't really done by the time lunch was over, but we needed to get to class. Max caught up with me and we walked to the Eastman Annex together.

"Bro, listen," Max said. "I know that you're really glad to have Maria back and all, but you should tone down the PDA's."

"Why? Are we bothering you, or something?"

"Nah, bro, not me. Penny."

"Penny?"

"Yeah, man. Haven't you noticed? She gets seriously unhappy when you guys are cuddling or whatever. Weren't you paying attention today? She left once you and Maria got started."

"Oh. Now that you mention it . . . yeah, I don't know why I didn't notice before. What should we do? She's my friend, I don't really want to make her mad."

"Like I said, just keep it a little more on the down-low. That should do it."

I nodded.

"All right, I will."

We got to the Annex in plenty of time, got changed, and sat at the mat seiza style, waiting for the bell. Like clockwork, both senseis stepped out the second it rang. It was pretty tame that day, which I was thankful for. We were practicing a new strike, the mune-tsuki, or chest-strike. GG still teased me some about having crappy control. She was right, I was still having trouble, but less than before.

I swear!

Really, it helped some that I couldn't really hurt her while I was in base form, even I if I really tried.

After that, Powers Lab, History, and Flight were all pretty average, too. Zack and I hit a new record for the length of our conversation during class: a whopping 2 minutes. I know, shocking.

After the school day was done, I decided to try get into my homework that was due that coming Sunday, the translation assignment that I hadn't even started on. I figured that it was gonna be really hard work, so I decided to to the library for the most peace and quiet I could get. On my way in, I saw Tennyo of Team Kimba, going between shelving books and shushing noisy people with a glare that made her look every bit as scary as Mrs. Carson.

I made an effort to be extra quiet as I found an empty corner of the third floor. I popped open my laptop, plopped the book down on the table, and got started.

I went into the Zone and started reading the text, but it was really hard. The meaning would be in mind, and I would be able to put into English, only to swim away again. Over and over. The thing was that, before, Dr. Woodrow had only had go over a phrase or a sentence, and she was there to correct me when I made a mistake. Here, I was completely on my own. And I had whole pages to go over and I really didn't have any help with avoiding mistakes.

I sighed and started looking through the books for anything that could help me with the work. I found some dictionaries and other translation guides (man, the things you can find in that library) and looked through them some. After I found what I thought I needed, I went back to my table. I started back in on the translation, using the reference texts where I thought I needed to. It was still really difficult, but it was . . . compelling? Not quite enjoyable, but there was something about doing the work that was actually very satisfying.

I even got more than I had bargained for, too. I got lost in the work, the same way I did with drawing. I got a different kind of high than I did from drawing, but it was just as intense. I worked and worked until my stomach grumbled, threatening to roar if I didn't go get something to eat right then.

I decided to follow its direction, so I shelved the books that I had been using, grabbed my copy of the Iliad, and headed over to the Hall. It looked like I had actually missed the guys, which kinda sucked. I got a mountain of pot roast and mashes potatoes covered and gravy and wolfed it down. Afterward, I ran back to my room, dropped off my book, and left for Schuster, where I was due for another hypnosis session with Dr. Woodrow.

When I got down there, she was in the middle of a DVD, a movie I didn't recognize. No matter how many times I went in her office, the smell of books and dust always got me with how intense they were.

//Does this lady _ever_ clean?// I thought, looking over the piles of everything around her office.

I tapped lightly on the doorframe.

"Oh, A, you're on time tonight, good," she said, turning off the movie.

"Please, please have a seat."

I sat down and handed her my Juice Journal. She flipped through it while I settled down into the cushions.

"Your understanding of your power flows improves a little bit every day from what I can tell you – wait, why aren't there any entries for today or yesterday?"

"Oh, that, sorry. I've been really, really stressed lately. Lots of crap going on."

"Don't worry about it this time. That reminds me, how did things go with your girlfriend?"

"Really good," I said. "We're back together, and the candy and flowers were a lot of help. Thanks."

She smiled. It looked really good on her.

"I'm glad to be of help," she said. "Now, before we get started on hypnosis, I wanted to let you know that I still haven't found a meditation teacher for you yet. The person I had in mind has an over-full schedule, and he couldn't find any place to work you in. Right now, I'm talking with him and trying to find if maybe a student mentor might work better."

"Oh, OK. Sounds good."

"Good. I'll let you know as soon as I know something. Is there anything that you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh! I had almost forgotten. You see, I've been having these dreams lately . . ."

I told her everything I knew about them. There wasn't too much to tell, really.

"Why didn't you tell me about these sooner?" she asked.

"Well, I was planning to do it on Monday, but, then there was the fight with Maria, and then Dr. Nellens was here, so . . ." I said, then shrugged.

"Fair enough. And these dreams are especially intense?"

I nodded.

"That's one weird thing," I said, "they're the most intense dreams I've ever had. They're also surprisingly familiar, like I'm seeing them for the second time, do you know what I mean?"

"Hmm," she said, waving her head back and forth. "From what I can tell, what you're describing sounds a lot like the Reincarnator ability at work. Did Dr. Hewley or Shandy mention anything about finding another ability like that?"

I shook my head.

"The only Esper ability that they've found so far is the one that gives me an Intuitive 'feel' for my abilities when I'm transformed. They haven't said anything about any other abilities."

"I see. Well, it sounds like its something that you should have tested. These dreams might be something else, something different. I can't say for certain, though, unless I read you again."

"Oh. I, uh . . . well . . ."

"I don't have to, A; I was just offering the possibility. I know that knowing the future bothers you, but I might be able to tell you about these dreams, maybe even get some insight that other people can't. It's your choice. If you like, we can just go ahead with your hypnosis."

I thought about it. The dreams were bugging me, I'll admit. What if they were a part of a new power? If they were, then I wanted to know about them. And Dr. Woodrow could probably tell me more faster, and I wouldn't have to wait for weeks to get answers out of the testing guys.

Still, she had gotten a whole lot of information from me last time she did that . . . and I didn't think I was in immediate danger.

"I think I'll pass, Dr. Woodrow. Why don't we just get on with the hypnosis?"

"OK, if that's what you want to."

She put me under with the stairs technique, and I went into that frame of mind where everything was just . . .calm.

"All right, A. Tell me, what is your Juice doing right now?"

I furrowed my brow in concentration, feeling along the lines of my Juice. The weeks of practice had me a lot more sensitive to it. Like I said before, in my body, it felt like a caffeine high buzzing along my nerves. Besides that, keeping a form up was like tensing a muscle, concentrating all that buzz into one spot. That night, I felt something that I hadn't before. Really, I was just noticing it for the first time.

"I feel . . . a some tension. It's like noticing that you've been curling your toes or clenching your fists."

"Can you tell me anything more about this tension?" she asked.

I furrowed my brow again before I shook my head.

"No. I can just . . . feel it. It's almost like there are . . . fingers?"

"Fingers?"

"I can't explain it any other way. It's like they're fingers, and I have clenched up."

"I see. Can you tell me how many of these 'fingers' you're clenching?"

I furrowed my brow in concentration.

"I'm not sure. There are more than 1 or 2, but I can't say how many, exactly."

"I see."

She didn't say anything for a while, but I did hear her scribbling something down.

"Well, it wasn't very long, but I think that's all for tonight."

Then, she brought be back up.

"So, what do you think those 'fingers' are?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. If your analogies hold true, though, whenever it feels like something is tightened, then that means that your Juice is in use. I'm not sure what you might be using it on right now, but I didn't want you to try anything with them, lest we risk complications."

"Complications?"

"Well, you might be using your power to support your body, or speed up your mind, or power your Esper ability . . . there are many possibilities."

"Oh. So, these 'fingers' aren't someone trying to get into my mind or anything?"

"No, I don't think so. If they were, then I think I could feel their mind impressing on yours, or at least get a little bit of glimmer from them."

"Wait, you're an Empath?"

"No, I'm not. I'm a Telepath, even though I do feel emotions when they're strong enough. Had I not ever told you?"

"Uh, no, don't think so."

//Another one,// I thought before sighing inwardly.

"The reason I asked was that I just met a girl who's a really strong Empath," I said.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Yeah, and she lets you know that she's feeling people."

"Ah. Yes, that happens to Psi's who are new to their abilities. Did she manifest recently?"

"I'm not sure. I think she's spent the past bit pretty much alone, though."

"Oh, you must be talking about Heather."

"You know her?"

"Sure do. She's a charming girl."

"Yeah, she is. Maybe a little awkward, but she _is_ nice. She helped me pick flowers for Maria, actually."

"That sounds like her, all right, always helpful."

"Well, unless you wanted to talk about something else," Dr. Woodrow continued, "that pretty much wraps us up for tonight. You can stop keeping your journal now, as I think it won't do you anymore good past this point. The same thing for our sessions, really, so I won't require you to come any more. The skill with your energies will simply come with practice, and it's something that meditation might help with. However, I still want to know about any changes, all right?"

"Sure. And, no, I can't think of anything else to talk about, at least for tonight."

"Right. Now, remember, I want you to talk about both your raging and your dreams with the testers on your next appointment. Speaking of which, when is it?"

"Oh, tomorrow, after lunch."

"Good. Well, we're finished. Have a good night, A."

"Thanks, you, too."

I got up from the comfortable chair, shook Dr. Woodrow's hand, and left. On my way out, I dropped my journal notebook in the first trash-can. I was glad to be rid of the annoying thing. When I got outside, I was pleasantly surprised that it was warm. Well, warm for a New England night in September, anyway. On the way back to my room, I kept thinking about the 'fingers' I had mentioned when I was under hypnosis. By the time I got back to my room, I wasn't really any closer to an answer.

"Hey, bro," Max said as I stepped into the room, looking up from his laptop. "What's up?"

"Just got done with hypnosis for the night."

"How'd it go?"

"Eh, pretty much the same as always, really. I did find out something new about my powers, sorta."

"What?"

"Oh, that I'm using my Juice somehow, all the time. I can't really figure out how, though."

"Oh, weird."

"Yeah."

"Sorry, bro, but I gotta get back to my homework. It's killer," he said, smiling.

//And still, he's smiling about hard homework. Weird.//

"All right, don't let me stop you from working."

He didn't, either. He was back to it, and I got ready to start drawing . . . before I remembered that I didn't have anything to draw. I sighed and plopped down on my bed, not really feeling like doing any homework just yet. Instead, I kept picking at the question of the 'fingers.' It finally bugged me so bad that I closed my eyes, trying to feel out what they might be.

At first, I couldn't find the feeling because it was so far in the background. It's something that I had to really strain my focus on to even notice. After a few minutes, I finally found the feeling. Just like I had told Dr. Woodrow, it was like I was clenching my fingers.

//But what to do about it?//

I started moving the 'fingers' around as best I could, flexing them like I would real fingers. It worked, sorta . . . then, I tried something else: I just let all the tension go.

All at once, instead of dancing along my nerves, my Juice CASCADED down my nerves. It was more intense than I had ever felt. I sort of blacked out, lost in an electric sea of tingles and, well, pleasure. I lost all awareness of everything but the feeling. I must have made some noise or moved somewhere in there because, when I came back to myself, Max was staring at me.

"Uh . . . dude?" he asked.

I sat up, panting.

"I'm fine," I said. "I think. I just . . . did something."

"I'll say. Listen, if you're going to do that, bro, at least wait until I'm out of the room."

I looked at him, not understanding. Then, it sank in and I felt heat fill my cheeks.

"It's not like that, I swear! No, I just did something with my Juice – er, my power source, I mean, not anything else."

"Riight."

"No, seriously."

"Fine, bro."

I took a few more steadying breaths. It sorta worked. I could still feel the Juice, stronger than ever, and it felt _good_. But I think I established that already, so I'll move on. Anyway, I got to work on my translation for a while after that. It went even more smoothly than it had earlier that day, mainly because I had managed to find a really great website to use along with good collection of electronic resources from the school's website.

Just before bed, I went to the lobby and called over to Dickinson so that I could talk to Maria.

In case you're wondering, her cell phone got fried just a little while after she gave me her number. Chalk it up to having an electromagnetic-type Energizer on your floor. She still hadn't worked out one that was totally shielded, but she said that she was close.

Anyway, we talked for a while, and I decided that I'd save the explanation of the episode in my room until breakfast. That way, I wouldn't have to repeat it. After that, we talked a few more minutes and then we hung up. I went back to my room, stripped to my boxers, and dropped into bed. I drifted off feeling the best I had all week. Too bad it didn't last very long.

Thursday, September 28th
I regretted going to sleep almost immediately. Those dream that I had earlier in the week? They came back with a vengeance. I could start picking out fine detail, and each part of the sequence stretched on longer every time it replayed. Which it did. Over and over. I was really getting tired of seeing it, not the least of which was due to that smell of ash. When I thought that I was about to repeat the string of events again, I got to a new part.

Storm. Quaking. After time interminable, they stopped. We rose from our hiding places and emerged . . . only to find the world the palest shadow of what it had been. The skies were filled with smoke. Few plants had survived the devastation, and even the very rocks bore mute witness to the terrible conflict that had occurred. We made due with what meager resources we had, but it became clear quickly that we needed to move if we were to survive.

More and more of us died in the ruined world we found ourselves in. In the end, I was the last. When I lay down on the bare rock that night, I felt a calling, deep within. I led me onward, gave me my purpose. Was there still hope?

I woke up, already sitting up. That had been the most vivid yet. I took a few deep breaths, and the scent of ash was still very thick in my nostrils. I walked to the bathroom and gargled a cupped-handful of water, then I splashed some cold water on my face. It seemed to help the smell of ash fade a little, so I kept at it for a few minutes until the stench was gone.

//I really have to find out more about these things.//

I sighed, realizing that if I wanted to get an idea about what the dreams were, I had two unpleasant options: either have the power testers figure out or have Dr. Woodrow read me again. I decided that I would give it some thought before I made a decision.

I got changed and went outside. Zack was already at the base of the statue, stretching. I joined him and we were off in a few minutes. As we went, I felt my Juice sing through my nerves, and I didn't feel like taking it easy.

"Hey, want to take all the laps at full tilt?" I asked.

"Sure."

So we did. I ran as fast as I could, and I smiled at the feeling of the misty morning air against my skin. The scent of of damp leaves and grass was thick in my nostrils as I ran. The cold air felt refreshing, not cold, sweeping over my skin.

We finished our five laps and stretched out.

"Impressive," Zack said, not even breathing hard. "We should do that more often."

"Thanks, and you're right, we should," I said, only having to take a few deep breaths before I was back to normal.

Just like every day, we parted ways without his saying much at all. I went inside and showered, still amazed at how good I was feeling. Max and I left for breakfast right after that. We got our food and sat down with the girls. I made a point of not getting too close to Maria, though. She didn't look too happy about that.

//I'll have to talk to her about that later.//

"Good morning," I said.

"Good mor~ning!" Penny sang. "How are you guys?"

"Doing excellent, actually," I said. "You?"

"Doing well, thanks much. What's got you doing excellent?"

"Last night, he – " Max said before I elbowed his ribs.

" – had a new development with my powers," I said.

"Oh, really?" Maria asked. "What kind of development?"

"Oh, I did something with my Juice, you know, my energy source? And now, there's a _lot_ more of it, and I feel fantastic!"

She tilted her head to one side.

"So, there's a lot more of it, and you're not worried?" she asked.

"No, I guess I wasn't. Should I be?"

"Any changes like that," she said as she let her head relax, "could indicate something, um, important happening."

"Like?"

"I can't really tell you. I know changes like that can happen during minor burnout episodes, sometimes."

My eyes widened.

"Really? Wow, I didn't know."

"Oh! I bet it's nothing. Still, you should probably tell Dr. Shandy and Dr. Hewley about it."

"Right. Yeah, I'll do that."

All of us talked for a few more minutes after that before we left for first period. I wanted to talk to Maria about the whole Penny situation before we split for the morning, though.

"Hey, honey bunny, we need to talk."

Her eyes widened and I could tell that she was getting ready to panic.

"No, it's not about us! We're good!"

She took a deep breath.

"God, you really scared me," she said. "Maybe you could bring it up another way next time?"

"Yeah, I will, sorry. Anyway, it's about Penny."

"Penny?"

"Have you noticed that we've . . . sorta been making her mad lately?"

Maria tilted her head to side for a moment, thinking.

"I hadn't thought about it too much, but we haven't been getting along as well lately. What's going on?"

"It's us, I think. Well, I mean, I think we're making her . . . jealous, or something."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. She gets unhappy when we're cuddling around her, and she sounded like she was gonna puke when you called me 'hunky bear' yesterday, remember?"

"Yeah, you're right. What should, uh, do about it?"

"I think that the best thing we can do for now is just to stop cuddling so much," I said, watching her look truly crestfallen.

"I mean, in public! We can still cuddle in our rooms and stuff, just not when Penny's around. OK?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, I don't really want her not liking us."

"Yeah, me either."

I bent down and give her a quick kiss.

"I gotta go, hun. See you at lunch?"

"Sure thing, hunky bear."

We waved and walked on. The first half of the day after that was pretty easy, nothing all that interesting. We had Dr. Quintain's assistant for lecture that day instead of the Good Doctor Snorefest himself, which was actually a huge improvement. The only downside was that he didn't know the answers to some of the questions that people had, but the rest of it was pretty good.

Lunch was fine that day, too, and Maria and I didn't cuddle and whisper as much as we usually did. I know it sucked for me, and I'm pretty sure it sucked for her, but Penny stayed her talkative, chipper self the whole way through, never looking mad or disgusted, so that was good. I gave her a quick peck after we finished eating, and then I left for Siegel Hall for yet another round of powers testing.

I went down the few levels and Sarah said that I needed to change into one of the testing suits and head back to lab C.

//Lab C?//

I changed (very conscious of everywhere I was bulging, yikes) and went back to lab C. It was a little weird. In the center of the room was a raised platform, made of some kind of ceramic material. Around it was a giant metal ring that crackled with electricity, burned with white fire, glowed green, and filled the entire room with a hum that made me want to gnash my teeth. The doctors were doing their usual fiddling with the controls while Mr. Clark looked on. Hilary stood to one side, a big, goofy smile on her face, kinda like the one that Maria got whenever I gave her a compliment.

//Wonder what's got her in a good mood?//

I was going to say "hi" to Hilary, but I was aware that all my muscles were out for her to see. My voice caught in my throat as my face went a little warmer.

"Hi BB," she said on my way to the alcove.

"Uh, hi."

"Oh, BB! Hi!" Dr. Hewley said. "Good news!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yep! This should be the last test before we peg your classification!"

I would have smiled except that I knew that I still had more news to deliver that would mean that it would take them a good while longer to figure out everything I could do.

"Oh. Why are we here, then? What does this room test?"

"This is the Energizer lab," Dr. Shandy said. "While we don't think that Dynamo made a mistake, well, with that, anyway, we want to be certain."

"Makes sense. What do you need me to do?"

"First, let me ask," Dr. Shandy said. "do you have any conscious control over your energy flows?"

"Sorta. I have to really concentrate to feel what's going on. Even then, I can't really do much."

I thought about what had happened the night before, but I decided to wait. I really wanted to know my classification.

"I see. Well, we'll be able to monitor your energy levels from here, and we'll test a wide range of energy types to make sure that we're not missing anything.

"All you need to do is step on the platform and to not resist any of the feelings that you get. If you're feeling charged up, just let it happen, and we'll know what's going on, too. If something is hurting you, though, say so, and we'll stop, OK?"

"OK."

Dr. Shandy adjusted some controls and lowered the platform down to floor level. I stepped up onto and it raised me into the air, in the middle of the ring.

They started with electricity, which tingled, but it didn't really do anything else. They tried sound after that, and all that did was make my ribs feel weird. They tried heat and cold and wind and motion, and all that did was make me hot, chilly, irritated, and shaken. After cycling through a few other energy types, they finally got to mine: sunlight.

They had to open up a section of the ceiling to get the sunlight in, but the second it hit me, there was no mistaking it. My Juice fired up and buzzed along my nerves even more intensely than it had been.

After that, the test was over. They lowered the platform down and motioned me to come over to the alcove.

"GREAT! BB, that was the last piece of information we needed. We got your classification."

"OK, great. Go ahead."

"Well, from the top," Dr. Shandy said. "This test has clearly showed you to be an Energizer-3, sunlight variant. You didn't respond to any other types of energy, so you're strictly Sunlight-type. You're an Exemplar 3, both physically and mentally, like we said on Monday. You're an Esper-1 by the old scale, which indicates that you have no conscious control over that ability. By the new scale, the one that ranks potency, you're an Esper 3 since the ability gives you an Intuitive understanding of your Imprints' power, but not a perfect understanding.

"You're a Manifestor-1:b, at least with the physical components of your Imprints forms. We can't really say how sturdy your Imprints are in the astral plane, so we can't rate your Manifestor ability in combination with them – "

"It's still FANTASTIC, in any case!" Dr. Hewley interrupted.

"You're a Warper-1:li," Dr. Shandy continued, "which accounts for the disappearance and reappearance of your clothes when you shift forms. And, then there's your Shifter ability. Rich?"

"It's the one that positively fascinating! We've never seen anything like it! You're a Shifter-5:t:f:c:w:e."

"Whoa, hang on, I don't think we've covered all those in class yet. What does all that mean?"

"You toggle between forms, each form is complete unto itself, you shift your form completely, you control your transformation, and your mass varies within a fixed range without outside assistance."

"Oh, OK."

"You're like a Power/Form Mimic, but only for your Imprints. It's AMAZING!"

"In the end, then," Dr. Shandy said. "You're an EN3/EX3/ESP1/MAN2/SH5/WA1."

//Might as well get it over with, I guess.//

"Actually, guys, there might be more to it than that."

Both of them raised their eyebrows.

"Oh?" Dr. Shandy asked.

"Yeah. You see . . ."

I explained about my language trick, about my raging problem, and about the dreams. They scribbled furiously, which didn't bode well.

"Wow! You're just full of surprises, BB!" Dr. Hewley said.

"In any case, we can't test any of that today. We wanted to figure out more about your Imprints' abilities, so we're going over to Lab H, our testing lab for those who demonstrate high levels of strength and durability."

"Oh, you mean Bricks?" I asked.

"Well, yes, but that's hardly a descriptive term. Sean, when is our next opening for another appointment?"

Mr. Clark flipped through the pages on his clipboard.

"Looks like next week, Monday afternoon, after classes."

"Pencil in BB for that, if you would," Dr. Shandy said. Mr. Clark nodded in response and wrote something in his notebook.

"OK, let's get over to Lab H," Dr. Hewley said. "I'm interested to see what the limits on your Megadeus form really are."

Honestly, I was interested to see, too. I had a good idea of how strong I was, but Dynamo hadn't let me test my durability. I figured that I was pretty tough, considering that I had gone head-to-head with Chasm, and he hadn't really hurt too much. I shivered at the thought of him.

Anyway, we went on over to Lab H. In one part of it, there was a super-sized adjustable weight machine, sort of like the one that Dynamo had had back in Pittsburgh, and there was a battering ram thing, just like the one in Pittsburgh, too. I have to admit, it was pretty darn exciting to find out what my limits were. Hopefully, that meant that they wouldn't be arguing.

I stepped up to the weight machine and the doctors gave me the OK to get started.

"To defend the defenseless," I said.

And nothing happened. Nothing. I could feel my Juice, more than ever, so I figured that it must have been a fluke.

"To defend the defenseless," I said, a second time.

Nothing.

//Oh, no.//]]> Aranis 2009-01-17T01:39:41-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=23198&th=1139#msg_23198 Part 6

Thursday, September 28th – Evening
//I can't transform. I can't transform. I can't transform . . .//

I was looping it over and over in my head, like a mantra. I told the doctors what was going on, and they said something about how my Juice was sustaining the ectomorphs I had been using, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that they were gone. All gone.

I remember some indistinct explanations and more talk, then I left for my room. All the shadows were thicker than they should have been. Every creaking branch was a shriek. Every rustling bush was an ambush about to spring. I eventually gave up restraint and ran full speed back to my room. I hopped on my bed and huddled in the corner. I wrapped my arms around my legs and rocked back and forth, tears leaking from my eyes.

I couldn't even think about what to do. I would get a plan halfway formed, then it would slip from my head. All I could do was shake and pray and hope that Chasm didn't come back and Silverwing didn't try to kill me. I don't know how long that went on. I just remember the fear drowning everything else out.

Somewhere in there, Max came in and stopped at the foot of my bed.

"Hey . . . ! Whoa, bro. What's got you so worried?"

"Can't . . . Imprints . . . gone . . ."

He walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Bro, I'm gonna call Maria, all right? We'll get this straightened out."

I nodded weakly. Some . . . minutes later, there was a knock at our door. Maria stepped in right after that and saw me shivering in a ball on my bed.

"Oh, hunky bear!" she said running over to me and sitting down on my bed. She wrapped her arms around me and held me there. I hugged her back. Being in her arms helped me think slightly straighter. She let go before I was really ready for her to

"Slow, deep breaths," she whispered, stroking my face. "C'mon. You can tell me."

"I'm . . . my Imprints are gone, Maria! I can't transform anymore! If Chasm jumps me . . .! Or if Silverwing decides to get even . . .?! I'm fucked!"

"Shhh," she said, wrapping me in another hug that thinned the panic out a bit more.

"So, you can't transform right now. Who knows about this?" Max said quietly.

"Um. The power testers, and . . . you guys. That's all, I think."

"OK, you're fine, then."

I looked at him, not understanding.

"I think I see what Max is saying," Maria said, sitting back up but keeping her hand on my leg. "Silverwing wouldn't know that you can't transform, right?"

I shook my head.

"And there's no way Chasm would know either," Max said.

"Uh, no, I guess he wouldn't," I said.

"So, here's what I think we should do," Max said. "You should go to supper, and everything, like nothing's wrong. We don't want to give this Silverjerk any ideas about what you can or can't do."

"And, with me and Max with you on the way," Maria added, grinning, "he wouldn't get away with anything. And with all of us with at supper, we could beat anybody! Well, except the Kimbas, maybe."

"Right. And besides, bro," Max continued, "you'll go nuts if you stay in here and worry. Besides, if the shit hits the fan, I can portal you back here to the room. What do you say?"

I was still out of my head, so I still couldn't formulate a half-decent idea. I just nodded. Really, it was the best choice I could have made. The three of us left together, me vice-gripping Maria's hand. I felt bad about it later, but she never said anything about it. The walk to the Hall on that chilly night was a lot longer than it should have been. The thicker shadows that came from the setting sun didn't help my nerves at all, but having Maria and Max helped stay calm . . . enough.

Just when I thought that I would bolt for my room again, we made it to the Hall, and Maria even moved with me through the line. Not that the trip took very long for me. I could hardly think about eating. Maria had me sit down with the girls and Max before she got her own food.

"Good eve~ning!" Penny sang. "How are you gentleman tonight . . .?"

She trailed off when she looked at me.

"Oh, a little worse for wear, I see. Anyway, I have news! Or, no news, really. I've tried to find out about Ayla, to see if the rumor was true or not."

"Oh, not this again," I said, rolling my eyes.

"No, really! I wanted to find out for sure. The thing is . . . I, uh, couldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've this psi friend (who shall remain nameless), and I wanted her to dig a little to get to the bottom of it. She said she hit some roadblocks when she tried to get into the minds of Ayla or TK. She said that Tennyo was especially hard, almost like she wasn't all the way there."

"Oh," I said. "Weird."

"I know! So, anyway, it looks like we can't know for sure. I'll keep my ears . . ."

"Just stop, OK? I'm just gonna assume that she's a real girl and that everything else is bull. Could you do that, too? How would you feel if someone went around saying that you've got pork?"

She leaned at me.

"Have you heard something about me?" she whispered, low and flat.

"Whoa," Max said. "Nothing. I think he was just saying in general. Right, A?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, OK. Just checking."

"Why pay so close attention to other students, in any regard?" Ray asked. "Why not allow them to live their lives and you live yours?"

"Yeah, totally agreed," Max said.

"Yeah, don't you know that gossip is, well, really mean?" Maria added, sitting down.

"Fine," Penny said, looking haughty and taking a fork-full of salad. "We'll see how you feel about it when you need dirt."

We chit-chatted about some other things, and it was nice to get a distraction from the worrying. It was still there, though, like a bad smell in a room that doesn't go away. I had to force myself not to think about because I could feel that fog wrapping around my mind whenever I did. We were interrupted a few minutes later by a pleasant surprise: Inspira came up to our table.

"Hi, A," she said, smiling weakly. "I didn't have anybody to sit with, and I was wondering if I could sit with you and your friends?"

"Uh, sure, let me introduce you to everyone. Everyone, this is Inspira."

Inspira gave a little wave.

"Now, for everyone else. The girl with the purple eyes is Penny . . ."

"He~llo!" she sang.

". . . this is my roomie, Max . . ."

". . . or Tesser," he said, smiling broadly.

". . . this is Ray . . ."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," she said.

When I swiveled my view to Maria, she was looking just a little mad about something. I could tell since she finds something to fidget with and gets this tiny crease in her brow when she's ticked. I went with my instincts, hoping that I was right about what was bothering her.

". . . and this is my girlfriend Maria," I finished.

"Hi," she said, looking like she was back to normal. I took a breath at that.

"It's good to meet you guys," Inspira said. She pulled out a chair and took a seat.

"So," Penny said. "What's your powerset like?"

"Oh, well. I think Max and Ray already know about it, from the demo the other day."

"Go ahead and tell me anyway! I'd like to hear it."

"OK. I'm an EX2/PDP2/WIZ3. I'm an Exemplar, both physically and mentally. I'm the equivalent of a Esper-2, which means that I can feel people's emotions. Besides that, I should be as good as a Telepath-2, but I'm more like a Telepath-1 for now. I only get snippets most of the time. My TK isn't the best around, but I can charge it with my magic, so I can actually go up to Telekinetic-4 equivalent, and . . ." she trailed off and looked at me with pity in her eyes and a frown tugged at the edges of her lips.

"'And?'" Penny asked.

"Oh, right, sorry," she said, her expression returning to normal. "I'm still learning the basics of magic, so I'm not too good there, yet, either."

"Wow! You've got a pretty good spread, there, you know it?"

"Yeah, maybe. I hadn't thought about it too much, I guess . . ."

I caught pieces of what the people around me were saying, but I wasn't really paying attention. I barely picked at my food, which I think got my friends' attention more than my eating half a cow.

"So, everyone, I was thinking . . . " Inspira said. "Why don't we start a study group? We could all do our homework together. We could get to know each other and it would make things a little less boring."

"Uh, I guess," Maria said.

"Where could we study, though?" Penny said. "I've checked out the study rooms in Dickinson, and they're *always* tied up!"

"Oh, well, about that . . . we could use my room," Inspira suggested.

"I think that Dickinson's rooms are not large enough for 6 people," Ray said. "And what of your room-mate?"

"Oh, well, about that. I have a sorta special room, and I don't have a room-mate. I think that it will be big enough for all of us."

"Sure!" Penny said. "I'd love the company!"

"I do not see why not," Ray said.

"Sounds wicked," Max said, then nudged me. "C'mon, man, it'll be fun!"

"Oh, uh . . . sure," I said.

"Great," Inspira said, grinning. "We can get started right after dinner?"

"Why not?" Penny said. "I just need to go back to my room to get my stuff."

"And A will go with you ladies back to Dickinson," Max announced. "I'll grab our stuff and meet you guys. Where do we need to be, 'Spira?"

"Oh. How about the main hall of Dickinson?"

"Sweet. I'll meet you guys there in a minute."

Max looked up to check that it was still a green flag for the day and then bamfed.

"Oh, cool, he's a teleporter," Inspira said.

We threw all our stuff away and left the Hall afterward. I realized that I hadn't seen Silverwing all during supper, which was definitely a good thing. On our way to Dickinson, I just let the girls chat some. I didn't really track the conversation. I just kept my grip on Maria's hand, but it wasn't as tight as before. My nerves were the best they had been since I had found out about my transformations up and leaving. I guess it was hard to worry about getting hurt when you had a PDP, Gadgeteer, Manifester, and Wizard all around you. You would have to have been either stupid or awesome to think that you would stand a chance against the girls.

I walked with Maria and Penny back to their room while they got their books together. By the time we got back to the main hall, Max was already there.

"Where's my stuff?" I asked.

"Oh, private storage," he said, grinning.

"Private stor – ? Oh, right."

"Private storage?" Inspira asked.

"Oh, yeah. Check this."

Max snapped his fingers and instantly had his books in hand.

"That is so cool! I wish I could do that!"

"Yah, it's handy. Where to?"

"Oh, right. Follow me."

Inspira led us down the stairs into the basement area of the cottage. It smelled like dust and old, blower-pushed air down there. It didn't look like Dickinson had a large hall like Emerson did, but the hallways were still pretty spacious, if a little on the dirty side.

"Here we are," Inspira said, shoving her key in the knob of a door that looked better-kept than everything else in the hallway.

She stepped inside and flipped on the light. The room was gigantic! OK, not really gigantic, but definitely the biggest room I had seen on campus so far. It had more than enough room for all 6 of us. If I had to guess, you could fit two or three study groups in it. When I stepped in and took a breath, I found out that the air was heavy with the perfume of multiple flowers. That's when I saw that Inspira had a good-sized collection of them, including plenty that I hadn't ever seen before. There was a decent collection of simple furniture inside, too.

"Oh, wow!" Penny said. "How did you get this room, all by yourself?"

"Oh, I can keep away from other people's emotions and stuff down here," Inspira explained.

"And these flowers are beautiful," Ray commented, settling her stuff down. She blinked and widened her eyes for a split-second (Ray's equivalent of looking surprised) and walked over to a small, ornate tub, that had a number of pink-purple flowers floating in them.

"Lotuses? Where did you find these?"

"Oh, there was this really nice girl named Fran who's been growing them here on campus. I got them from her."

"This place is awesome!" he said, grinning.

Inspira blushed a little.

"Thanks," she said.

After that, we all got our stuff out and did our work. Or attempted to, anyway. I couldn't really focus, and we talked a lot. We found out that Inspira was from a small town in Florida called West Melbourne, a couple hours south of Daytona. Inspira had lived with her single Mom who supported both of them with her florist business.

Inspira said that when she first manifested, she started picking up the feelings of everyone close. She said that it wasn't pretty, especially when she manifested her TK right after that. After a couple pretty bad episodes, the local superheroes, the Solar Squad, got her in touch with Whateley and sponsored her. She had actually been on campus since June, or so, since Hawthorne was one of the best places for someone in her situation. They put her in a room that was insulated against all psi phenomena, and that it was a real relief to get away from everybody else' emotions.

After that, she practiced reining in her senses, and she got gradually better at after a while. By the time the school year actually got started, she had been able to control herself enough that she could go out in public, even if it did still bother her some. That was about the same time that they lined her up for her basement room in Dickinson. She said that they had done because her control wasn't the greatest while she was asleep. She said that, even a floor down from everybody else, she could still pick up emotions from really bad nightmares or really intense . . . "other dreams."

Picking up other people's feelings from sexy dreams? Yikes.

Over the night, that fog of panic thinned more and more until I could hardly notice it anymore. By the time we were done for the evening, I was (mostly) back to normal.

"Hey, uh, girls," Maria said when we were getting ready to wind up. "Why don't we walk the guys back?"

None of them really had any objections, so we all rounded up our stuff (or teleported it), and headed outside. I expected to jump at everything and feel the panic again, but it was just a normal night. No screeching trees. No ambushing bushes. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the normalness of it all.

"What is it, hunky bear?" Maria asked.

"Oh, just . . . just glad for you guys," I said.

The six of us walked back to Emerson.

"Thanks, everyone," I said. "It was fun."

"Sure was!" Penny said. "We'll have to do it again. Maybe every week, just like hide-and-seek?"

"Hide-and-seek?" Inspira asked.

"Ooh. A new competitor," Penny said, smiling in a predatory way that made "competitor" seem like it should have really been "piece of meat."

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked . . ."

Penny and Inspira walked off, Penny explaining our game and Ray chipping in points here and there.

"Thanks for everything, honey bunny. If you and Max hadn't helped me out, I would've gone nuts," I said.

"Oh, hunky bear. I'm your girlfriend, it's what I do," she said. I bent down and thanked her with a long kiss.

She had a goofy smile on her face when we stopped kissing.

"Good night, honey bunny."

"Sleep good, hunky bear."

I waved as she left and so did she. Max was already inside by the time we were done. I walked to the room and got ready for bed.

"Did she like her 'thank you?'" Max asked.

"Oh, shut up!" I said, feeling a little heat in my cheeks. Max laughed a little before we both got ready for bed. As I laid down on my stiff bed, the thinnest mist of panic swam through my mind before I waved it off. I hadn't quite succeeded by the time I drifted off, but it obviously wasn't enough to keep me from sleeping.

Friday, September 29th
The dreams that morning were new . . . but they were a confused jumble. I got the idea that there was a lot of stuff I hadn't seen before, but it was all bits and pieces. I couldn't remember anything specific. I shook my head, already getting tired of the smell of ash in my nostrils.

The sun set behind a thick blanket of clouds that morning, making the light gray and white. Not that it stopped my mutant-y sleep cycles from getting me up at dawn. I got to my feet, stretched, and yawned, trying not to start the mantra about my powers again. It hadn't gotten me anywhere the day before, and I really didn't feel like starting out a school day in panic mode.

I argued with myself about whether I should go on my run. On the one hand, getting out and moving had always helped before. On the other, I was in a lot of danger.

//Then again, who'd try something in the daylight?//

I decided to get some air, so I changed into my running clothes and went out to the statue. A thick mist had settled on the grounds all over campus, making the world even more gray than it would have been with cloud-filtered sunlight by itself. I took a deep breath while I walked, and the mist was cool and uncomfortable as it went through my nose.

"Morning," Zack said as I got close to the statue.

"Hey," I said.

I didn't really feel like talking, and, well, did Zack ever? So, we stayed quiet while I stretched. The run was just as quiet, but it was nice to get the fresh air. We got back to the statue, stretched out, and went our separate ways. Just a little while afterward, Max and I left for breakfast.

"How're things, bro?" he asked as we walked to the Hall.

"I'm surviving," I said. "I just try not to think about it too much."

"That's the way, man. Do you think you could figure out a way to get your Imprints back?"

"Not sure. Before, I got 'em after I worked on my comic books for a good while. I don't know if it would take that long or not."

"Gotcha. Well, bro, we'll stay near, K? Until you're back on your feet."

"Thanks, man. It . . . it means a lot."

"Sure thing. Let's hurry up. Don't want to keep the ladies waiting!"

We got into the Hall, filled with the familiar soft roar of conversation. We went through the line, and I got myself some cereal but a lot less than usual. When we got to the table, the girls we there, including Inspira.

"Hey, 'Spira," I said. "Coming to join us later in the morning, now?"

"Yeah," she said, her smile the most genuine I had ever seen on her. "I kept weird eating hours to avoid people. I just hadn't had a reason to change 'em until I met you guys."

"Oh, cool," I said. I sat beside Maria, and it was even harder than usual to pull her in for a tight hug. Penny eyed me when I sat down, looking to see if Maria and I would start cuddling or whatever. She looked . . . I don't know, satisfed, maybe, when she saw that we didn't.

Conversation was a little quieter than usual, and I didn't really follow it with much interest. We split up after we were done, but Maria tugged on my shirt before I had a chance to walk off.

"Are you OK, hunky bear?" she asked.

"I . . . I'm here. That's about all I can say for now. It's been a lot to deal with, you know? Everything going on this week. I still feel scared, but I just feel . . . strung out, I guess. Not enough energy to keep it all up."

"C'mere," she said. She pulled me in for a hug and held me tight for a good few minutes.

"We have to get to class, hunky bear, but one of us is close by all day, right?"

I nodded.

"You'll be fine, then."

I nodded again. I bent in and thanked her with a quick kiss.

"Thanks, honey bunny."

"Of course," she said, grinning softly. "I'll see you at lunch, OK?"

She gave me a small smile and a smile wave and left. I went with Ray over to Geometry, followed up by Lit, and going through Powers Theory, which was more-or-less the same as any other day: makes-you-want-to-cry boring. I just went into the Zone and took all the notes, and then some besides. All in all, the morning was quiet, which I certainly couldn't complain about. Lunch was pretty tame, too, and Silverwing was nowhere to be seen. Again, I wasn't complaining.

After lunch was the class that I hated going to the most, but, that day, I mostly just didn't care. I just wanted to get it over with. I was ready in plenty of time and I sat seiza beside the mat, along with everyone else. As usual, the senseis stepped into the room at the exact start of class.

"Class!" sensei Tolman said. "For the past two days, you have been practicing new strikes and combinations. We want to see your progress with these new techniques, but since we are firm believers in practical application, you will put them to use today. Students will be paired up and use ONLY their martial arts! No powers will be allowed! The match ends when a student falls twice. First, Psydoe and Mechanoman, to my left! Golden Girl and Prism to my right!"

The students followed sensei's instructions. Not that I really cared, but the matches were pretty uninteresting compared to usual flashes and booms of combat with powers. After a while, I started thinking about who they would probably pair me up with. I was pretty sure I knew who it would be.

"Silverwing and BB!"

//Yep.//

I would have normally been pissed. Or worried. I was just too drained. I walked to the place on the mat. I thought about just throwing the match until I saw that bastard's face. It was that same smug grin that he always had. It was all I had needed to really get into it. Instead of feeling blank, I got mad.

//Maybe I can vent some frustrations,// I thought and flashed him a mean smile.

"Hajime!" sensei Ito said.

As we locked eyes and circled, my anger boiled and churned, a welcome change after a day of panic and fear. I refused to give him the edge, so I waited for him to lead, and he didn't disappoint.

He came in with a chest strike, but I grabbed his wrist in a lock that he slipped out of before I got in place to throw him, countering with a knifehand aimed at my head. I wove out of the way and caught his hand before twisting it and throwing him to the mat.

"One fall for Silverwing!" sensei Ito said.

He got to his feet, eyes firey and teeth bared, going back to our circling, each of us searching the other for flaws. I broke the standoff with a quick flurry of knifehands, but Silverwing blocked each before he tried for a a few of his own, the last one snapping into my neck, really hurting. He took the opportunity to grab my arm, jam it against my back, and shove me to the floor.

"One fall for BB!" sensei Ito said.

I was mad; I had had a rotten week. I had been afraid of that jerk with the lame costume, and I was sick of everything!

I jumped at Silverwing, falling back on habits I thought I had forgotten by cocking an arm and digging into his stomach with a karate-style punch. He snarled at me and snapped a right hook across my face in a fierce blur that spackled the mat with blood before he tried for a left cross, but I grabbed his fist, dropped my legs and threw him.

He was airborne and armed with glowing claws for a split-second before he tried to charge me and got a hard kick in the ribs to show for it. He wobbled a bit in the air and he looped around, coming at me faster, going way too fast for me to keep up! He tore his talons through my side before he looped around again, ready for another go.

I got ready to really hit him that time before I realized that I had no chance of hitting him. A failed dodge gave him the opportunity to slice a swath in my side that sent me to the floor in seconds. I could feel the sticky warmth pooling beneath me, laying on the floor and staring at the ceiling as people shouted, but sounding like they were so far away.

//Maria . . .// I thought.

Then, everything was black.]]> Aranis 2009-01-23T06:06:45-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=23493&th=1139#msg_23493 Part 7

Friday, September 29th – Evening
When I woke up, it was dark. Well, no, that's not exactly right. There was a pale light, I was guessing a lamp, on somewhere nearby. I realized that I was laying on my back, though upright a little, and looking at a pitted, tiled ceiling. My guess about where I was was confirmed when I took a deep breath and got the tell-tale scents of cleaner and disinfectant.

//I'm back in the clinic, but what . . .//

I moved a bit and pain wracked my side.

//Oh, yeah.//

Right then, I remembered what had happened with Silverwing. He had used his powers on me, even when we weren't supposed to. This may sound weird, but it was a little bit of relief, in a way. There was no more guesswork about when Silverwing was going to attack me. If the pain I felt was any indication, he had probably worked his pissedness out of his system.

I got ready to call for the nurse to see how bad off I was when I became aware that there was someone else in the room with me. I looked over to my right, where I saw sensei Ito sitting in a chair against the wall.

"You're awake," he said.

"Uh, not disrespect sensei, but why are you here?"

He raised his eyebrows and peered at me.

"I am here because I have a question. Why were you injured?"

He knew exactly why I was injured! I tried to get up to hit him before my pain screamed with pain again. I seethed, but I knew that he wasn't going anywhere until I answered his stupid question.

"He clawed me!"

"Why did that happen?"

"Because he hates my guts!"

"How do you know?"

"Don't you see the look in his eyes when you pair us up?!"

"Yes. I see the look in yours, as well."

"I . . .! Well, he's . . ."

Ito said nothing, continuing to peer at me.

"OK . . . doesn't he deserve for me to be pissed at him?" I asked. "He's an arrogant jerk!"

"Is that his problem, or yours?"

"I . . .um. Mine, isn't it."

"I think you know if your problems are your own, Mr. Morris," he said, getting to his feet. "Learn the lesson of this so that you might avoid similar outcomes in the future."

He walked toward the door.

"What about Silverwing?" I asked. "He's gonna get punished, right?"

Ito turned to face me.

"Are you asking for him or for you?" he said. With that, he left.

I threw myself back onto my bed and regretted it when my side flared up again. I tried to get mad, I really did. But I couldn't. I looked up and replayed the events with Silverwing from the week. Why did I Rage in the first place? Because I was angry. Why was I angry? Because I couldn't stand Silverwing playing around with me. Why couldn't I stand it? Because of my pride? Then, I went to what had happened earlier that day. When had Silverwing turned nasty? After I slugged him. Why did I slug him? Because I had gotten angry, and . . .

As much as I hated to admit, I was definitely seeing a pattern. I thought about it even more and thought through the last few weeks. I had been so bitter about all of BMA, so frustrated. Silverwing had made me mad, it was true, but I was just as mad at looking like a loser by having to fight all the low-tier kids like Glass. And what had led me to the problems with Silverwing? My temper. Whose choice was it to act on that temper, though? The answer was clear. The blame was all on me.

It all clicked into place. The senseis had been keeping me normed just as much to learn how to hit as learning to get a handle on my frustration. Then, they had me fight Silverwing because he and I ticked each other off. Had sensei Ito not stopped the fight when he did in order to teach both of us what happens when you act in anger? That it only causes problems and gets people hurt? It certainly looked that way.

//Tricky old bastard,// I thought, smiling lopsidedly and shaking my head.

I wondered about what I would do next when my stomach growled, only a couple steps away from roaring. Looked like supper was going to be the next thing. Only problem was that I couldn't really get up so that I could walk to the Hall. I looked around and found the "Call Nurse" button and mashed it. Ms. Sterling bustled in the door in a few minutes.

"Hello there, Mr. Morris," she said. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

"I know," I said as she walked over to me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, shining a flashlight in my right eye then my left, leaving blue streaks in my vision after it was gone.

"OK, sore, but OK."

"That's wonderful, honey," she said, taking my blood pressure with that really uncomfortable plastic cuff. "I would hate to think what would've happened if Prism wasn't in your Martial Arts class."

"Prism? Why?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" she asked, moving over to my right side. "Prism is a Healer. A very good one, actually."

"Oh, that's right. He patched up Ayla Goo – er, Phase, a while back."

"That's right, he did," she said, pressing on my side. It felt like she just taken a hammer to my abs!

"Yeesh! Maybe a little softer next time?"

"Honey, I'm being as gentle as I can."

". . . um, how bad is it?" I asked.

"From what Mr. Ito and Ms. Tolman tell me," she explained, "there was significant damage to your muscles and your right kidney was injured, as well. Most of that was repaired by Prism before they brought you here. You'll be tender for a while, but you should make a complete recovery with no complications. Other than a scar, in any case. Your healing factor from being an Exemplar should take care of all the rest, though."

I was about to ask another question when my stomach did a full-out roar. It felt like it was starting to eat itself.

"Uh, yeah, could I get some supper, maybe?"

She gave me a motherly smile.

"Of course, honey. Actually, I think your friends have it covered this time. They're waiting in the lobby this time. Don't want pull a repeat performance of last time, I think."

Ms. Sterling got up and left the way she had come. A few minutes later, the whole crew walked in. Well, no, Maria ran and jumped on me, on my uninjured side, thankfully.

"Oh," she said, followed by a kiss, "A," kiss, kiss, "I was so," kiss, "worried!" kiss, kiss, kiss.

I kissed her back, even though it hurt to move at all. After I did, she cuddled up next to me. Man, did that make feel good. It made me feel gooey and fuzzy inside, but it was good.

"I'll be fine, honey bunny," I said, stroking her hair.

"How is the injury?" Ray asked.

"I'll be all right. Silverwing took some good chunks out, but Prism was there to help out, and my Exemplar healing-factor will handle what he didn't."

"Bro, why did Silverwing go all postal on you?" Max asked.

"It's . . . I hit him. I slugged him, really. But we've been at each other for a while. And, really, I'm as much to blame as he is."

"How's _that_?" Penny asked.

"He was being a jerk, it's true, but I got ticked about it. That's what really set off the whole thing, you know? I let my anger get away from me on Monday, and that got him even more ticked at me than he already was. Then, earlier today, I hit him because I was so ticked at him and everything else. He didn't lose it until I really punched him so hard."

"Makes sense to me," Inspira said quietly. "Anger is trouble."

"No doubt, I – " I started before my stomach cut me off. "Uh, sorry to cut the discussion short, guys, but I really need to get some grub. You guys got anything?"

"Sure do, bro," Max said before he snapped his fingers. When he did, there was the familiar bamf sound and a big paper sack appeared on the end of my bed. "We brought you, like, 10 subs."

I kissed Maria no the head before saying, "Honey bunny, could you move please? I'm really hungry."

She grinned and jumped up.

"I wouldn't want to get between you and food," her grin turning into a smile.

"Uh . . . this is a little embarassing, but could someone hand me the sack? It hurts pretty bad to move."

"Oh, let me get that," Inspira said, beating Max to the punch. The sack floated over to me and I snatched it out the air.

"You guys might want to grab some seats. I might be a while," I said.

I ripped in the packaging and devoured the subs in tears and gulps. It actually didn't take as long as I thought it would: the sandwiches were all gone in about 15 minutes.

"When will you be able to leave?" Ray asked as I took the last bite.

"Ms. Sterling didn't say," I explained before I swallowed the chunk of sandwich. "As bad as I'm hurting right now, I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a little while."

"You rang?" Ms. Sterling asked as she walked in again. "Well, everyone, as much as I'm sure A appreciates the visit, I'll have to ask you all to leave. A needs to rest so that his body can take care of the rest of the damage."

Before she continued, her voice gained a bit of an edge.

"I want you all gone in 5 minutes, you understand?"

Everyone nodded in response.

"Well, A, I'm so glad that you're OK!" Penny said. "But you heard the lady. C'mon, Ray."

"Of course. We will be ready to come to your aid should you need it," Ray said. "Rest well."

The two of them left.

"Here," Inspira said. She mumbled something that made my ears ring. Once she was finished, I got this tingling sensation in the middle of my forehead.

"What did you just do?" I asked.

"It's one of the few spells I know," Inspira said. "It helps feel your emotions, even at a long distance."

"And just to be double-sure," Maria said, producing a gadget about the size of her palm. It was made up of shiny chrome plates that were held together with big screws. "This will buzz me in my room with the push of button, and it'll let you talk to me, too. The best part is its shielded! Energizers can't wreck these babies!"

"And I have one, too," Inspira explained. "That way, if someone wrecks the walkie, then I can still find out if you're in trouble. Then, I'll get ahold of Maria."

"Yeah, man, and then they get ahold of me," Max said, holding up another unit. "Then, I port all of us over. We can be here in seconds if someone tries to start anything."

I just looked around at everyone. It was . . . great.

"Thanks guys, I . . . I feel safe with these around. It means a lot."

Maria leaned over and kissed me again.

"We're your friends, bro," Max said. "That's what we do."

"All right, that's everything I had," Inspira said. "Hope you get better soon."

She waved, smiled another genuine smile that made her look extremely cute (but not cuter than Maria), and stepped out.

"If you need anything, *anything,* buzz me. You got it?" Maria asked, pointing at me, trying to look stern and instead just looking adorable.

"Yes, ma'am," I said, and saluted.

She giggled and said, "OK. I'll see you later."

She stepped around Max and left.

"You need something?" I asked.

"Just wanted to let you know," Max said in voice that was all edge and no warmth, "I'll take care of Silverwing."

"Wha . . .?"

"I said it before, A: no one. Screws. With. My friends."

I didn't really know how to respond. It was so completely out of character for him. I just stared at him, completely at a loss for words.

"Good night," he said, stepping out.

I shook my head, still not believing what he had told me.

//Isn't he a 'go-along-to-get-along' type? How much do I _really_ know about my room-mate? I've only known him for a few weeks, after all . . .//

I shook my head again, wondering. That was the thought that was in my mind as my eyes suddenly got very heavy. I couldn't keep them open for long after that, so I was asleep in minutes.

Saturday, September 30th
The sleep didn't last too long, though.

I woke up sometime in the middle of the night, somewhere around 2:00AM, if I had to guess. I moved around a little, and, sure enough, my side still hurt. It was already less intense than it had been before I went to sleep, but it was still bad enough that I couldn't really get up and walk around.

I laid back again, trying to get comfortable when I realized that there was an uncomfortable papery feeling all around my body. That was when I looked down and realized that I was in one of those flimsy hospitable gowns that never fit anyone. Then, I realized that I had been in that fine suit when all of my friends came to visit me, including _4 girls_.

I felt my cheeks get very hot, very fast, and they stayed that way for a little bit while I inspected my covers, hoping that they had done an adequate job of hiding My Buddy and His Pals. I leaned one way, grunted and leaned the other, assuring myself that no one had seen anything. I took a deep breath and settled back and looked at the ceiling again. I closed my eyes, hoping to get back to sleep, but no luck.

I didn't want to, but since I didn't have anything else to do, I thought back on the week, with all the disappointments, with all the frustrations and difficulties. When I looked back on all that, was it any wonder that I couldn't sleep? WAY too much stress to sleep. Even then, stress was better than the panic I had felt just a couple days before then. I started combing through everything that had led up to it . . .

And, then, it hit me.

//Wait. When you get down to it, whose fault was it that I lost all my Imprints?//

I tried to ignore it, but the answer was just too obvious, like a pink elephant in the room. It was my fault. It was all my fault. Hell, it was even my fault that I had wound up in the hospital!

Instead of getting sad or depressed, you know what happened? I got pissed. Royally. I started cussing with every swear-word I could think of and thrashing around, the pain in my side be damned. Red started sparking in my vision, and my thinking was getting hazy. All at once, though, I came back to myself and remembered what Ito had taught me. Or tried to teach me.

I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths. At first, I was huffing with quick breaths in and out. After a few minutes, though, the anger fizzled out and I had myself under control. After the anger was gone, I just felt . . . stupid. Really stupid.

I was getting ready to get a pity-on for myself before I stopped it, deciding to think through things and try to see what I could do about the situation.

//OK. My imprints are gone. There's no doubt about that. And it's my fault. But, are they gone forever . . . ? No, they aren't. After all, how did I get them to begin with? My art, right? And what would stop me from doing it that way again?

//The only problem with that is I had been working on the Aces for a good while. It had taken me a few weeks of on-and-off work to make Raptor, but would it take that long to come back up with the Aces again? Shorter? Longer? There was really only one way to find out. I have to redraw them. All of them.

//Or do I?//

There were some Imprints that I didn't really want or need back. Like the Vengers, for instance. Both of them were pretty useless. They would be good for fights with baselines, but how often did that happen at Whateley? Another one I could stand to lose would be Cobalt. Sure, he was tough and strong, but he devoured my Juice like no one's business. He was also not maneuverable _at all_, and that could get me into trouble with a really fast opponent.

And . . .

I didn't get any further because I fell asleep again.

For a good while, my sleep was just a stretch of black. Just silence. That changed somewhere in there, though, and I had another one of those weird dreams . . .

We awoke. After a time, an epoch that cannot be described or bound by petty understandings. When at last our eyes opened, we were changed. Each of us could a feel a well of energy, of power, fill within. We took the smallest steps with our newfound gifts . . .

My eyes shot open as soon as the sunlight touched them, but that wasn't what was getting my attention. The walkie that Maria had given me the night before was buzzing and beeping. I leaned over, wincing at the pain, and pushed the button that was glowing.

"Uh, yes?" I said.

"A?" a girl's voice said. It took me a second to place it. Inspira.

"Yeah, Spira?"

"Are you . . .are you OK?" she asked, her voice sounding worried, but with hints of . . . excitement?

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's up?"

"Oh, good. I got a serious rush of emotion from you, but I didn't know what to make of it. What was that?"

"It was a dream. I've been having them lately. I don't really know what they are, yet. The power testing guys are gonna get on it soon."

"I see," she half-finished, sounding like there was still more on her mind.

"Was there something else?"

"Yeah . . . those, whatever they are, they're more potent than just dreams, A. I could feel everything, clear and strong, much stronger than I've felt anyone else while asleep. Even when they're dreaming of . . . certain things."

"Oh. So, what are you saying they are?"

She paused.

"I really don't know. They're new for me. I can tell you they're much more than dreams. Maybe even more than memories. It's complicated."

"Thanks, Spira. I'll check into it. Oh! Sorry to wake you up."

"Don't worry about it. I needed to get up in a few, anyway. I'll see you here in a bit, OK?"

"But, wait, what do you . . ." I started, but she had already signed off. I thought it could wait, and I didn't want to bother her anymore, so I just let it be.

I went back to the dream for a minute. It had been very different in tone than the rest. This one was almost . . . hopeful? They had found some sort of power, and I had felt it. It was like Juice in some ways but completely different in others. Where Juice was sort like the hum of a power line, I guess you could say, the Passion was like a mechanical cacophony of a sub-station. Sure, it was busy and ugly, but you could still feel the intense energy pulsing through.

What Spira had told me, though . . . that told me more than I had heard about the dreams so far. Was it something more than just the Reincarnator ability? I didn't know. But I did know that there was someone who could tell me, and I wouldn't have to wait for weeks.

At the thought of it, I shivered, but I really did want to know about the dreams. Just as much as they were starting to worry me, they were starting bug the living hell out of me. I really wanted to know more about them. And Dr. Woodrow could read me and find out, even if she would find out a bunch of other stuff that I didn't really want her to.

But was that so bad, exactly? I needed to vent about how rotten things had gone . . . and she was my friend, wasn't she? And she was my counselor. You're supposed to share stuff with your counselor, especially the bad stuff. Right then, I made up my mind.

//Come whatever, I'll get read and see what there is to see.//

That decided, I started in on other things.

I looked outside the window (which someone had forgotten to close), getting a good look outside. Sun was shining strong and clear with no mist and few clouds, pretty different from the solid gray of the day before. I took a deep breath in preparation for a yawn, getting another nose-full of disinfectant and cleaner.

I twisted to one side, slowly and carefully, gaging the pain. It was a dull ache rather than the sharp twist, so it was definitely an improvement.

//Let's hear it for Exemplar healing!//

I swung my feet over the side of the bed and gingerly set them down on the floor, the tile really sucking the warmth out of my feet. I got up and took a step, then another, wincing and grunting. I made it over to the chair that Ito had sat in the night before, and I sorta collapsed into it. I leaned back and took slow breaths. The pain was still intense, but already a lot better than it had been.

I had to screw up my willpower to get back to my feet, but I did, and I limped and whimpered my way back over to my bed, which I fell into. I got back into laying position, wondering what I was going to do until it was time for breakfast . . .

Then, for the first time since I had Manifested, I fell asleep. What can I say? I wasn't complaining.

A couple hours later, I heard a soft knock at the door. Ms. Sterling stepped in, a small grin on her face.

"Good morning, honey. How are you feeling?" she said, checking my blood pressure and so on again.

"Better actually. I grabbed the first nap I have in something like 6 months."

"That's wonderful, honey," she said, moving over to my injured side. "And I'll go easy, I promise."

She started pressing on the places that had been injured. This time, it like a playful bunch from a buddy instead of hammer.

"How bad does it hurt?" she asked.

"Not anywhere near as bad as before," I said.

"Excellent. You have some visitors here to see you," she said, motioning to the door.

Maria and Inspira stepped in, both wearing casual clothes instead of school uniforms. It had been the first time I had seen Inspira in civvies, but she looked _good_. Not as good as Maria, mind you, and I made an effort not to pay too much attention to my redheaded friend.

"Hey, guys," I said as they walked in and Ms. Sterling stood up.

"Oh, honey, I wanted to say. You can leave if you're up to it," she said, her voice gaining a bit of an edge again. "But you get plenty of extra rest and *absolutely* no altercations, do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Good," she said, the edge disappearing. "I'll see you girls later, and, Mr. Morris, do try to avoid meeting me like this again?"

She smiled in her motherly way and left.

"She's a little scary," Maria said when she was sure that Ms. Sterling was out of earshot.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I said. "So, what brings you ladies by this morning?"

"Oh, I brought you regular clothes!" Maria said, holding out a paper bag.

"And I'm here for some crutches," Inspira said.

"Crutches?" I asked.

She grinned and held out her right hand. Right after, I felt force nudge into my armpits.

"Oh," I said. "Cool."

"Yep," she said. "Max figured that we should make it look like you're all the way healed up so that Silverwing doesn't get any ideas."

"Wow, good thinking," I said. "Speaking of him, where is he?"

"Oh, well, he's at the Hall," Maria explained. "He said that we shouldn't have all of us around. Might make it look like we were protecting you, so he might try something when you're alone."

I blinked.

"Wow, Max has really thought this through!" I said. "Now, I see why he beat me at chess so bad."

"So, anyway, you can get changed, and then we can head over to the hall," Maria said, handing my clothes to me.

"We'll wait for you in the hall," Inspira said. With that, the girls left.

You ever tried dressing after getting seriously injured? It sucks. Big time. Every tug and pull made me grunt and wince. Still, it was a very good thing being out of that paper sack called a gown. I limped my way out, and I sorta sagged onto the handle before pulling the door open.

"Spira? Crutches?" I asked.

She nodded, flicked her wrist, and the force pressed against my armpits again. It was a little weird walking that way, but I had mostly gotten the hang of it once we were out of the hallway and on our way outside. I took a deep breath once we got outside, enjoying the smell of grass and trees again after getting plenty of whiffs of "hospital" while I was in the clinic.

Maria sneaked her hand into mine and Inspira trailed behind us. We started off toward the hall, just looking like a boyfriend and girlfriend with a tagalong. I thought about Max's plan again, and this was the way to go, all right. This wouldn't arouse any suspicions at all.

I thought we were going to have a nice, calm little walk over to the hall, but I found out how wrong I was when I heard a girl scream "LOOK OUT!"

We crested a hill, and there was Team Kimba, mixing it up with those Alpha pricks. One of the Alphas went airborne and shot lightning bolts at Jade and Fey, and, get this, one of the Alphas slapped Jade with a shield. A shield! Ayla went flying at the flying-Alpha, but she ducked out of the way of lightning bolt before she could Shadowcat the bitch. Tennyo popped in and mixed up and Chaka was as impressive as usual. Then, Tennyo blew apart the scenery and Fey did some shielding spells . . . and, then, the Wild Pack showed up.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! STOP THIS NOW!" Stormwolf screamed, running into the middle of the fight with the other Rangers behind him.

They started yelling about who started what when with whom, but I didn't care. There was something . . .

Then, it happened. An Idea.

It's hard to explain to anyone who hasn't felt it for themselves, but I'll do my best. See, you have these bits floating around in your head. They aren't really ideas yet, no, they're more like "idea building blocks." They're idea pieces. Then, you get that last piece, and they all slam together and shine like the sun. When you feel that spark, when the sun lights up, and its heat fills your head, you. Are. God.

"OH, HOLY SHIT!" I screamed. Only the girls turned to face me.

"What's wrong?" Maria said, whipping out some gadgets that I didn't even know she had on her. "Is it Silverwing?"

"Paper, I need paper. Anybody got a notebook? How about a pencil?"

"Uh, A, you all right?" Inspira asked. "You're . . . wow!"

"What?" Maria asked.

"A needs some paper!"

Inspira picked up from the ground and flew off to Dickinson. She was back in about five minutes, carrying a notebook and pencil, a big smile on her face.

"What is it?!" Maria asked, irritation clear in her voice.

"God, no wonder people like writing so much!" Inspira said, but I barely heard her.

I snatched the notebook and pencil and hobbled over to the nearest bench. I flipped open the notebook to the first blank page and started. It was tornado of motion and a storm of lines as I just let the idea bolt out of me and onto the page. When I was done, I sat back and laughed. I didn't even care about Team Kimba right then. I had more important things on my mind.

"Wow," Maria whispered.

"That's what creating something feels like?!" Inspira said. "Man, I have to learn how to do that!"

"What did you, um, make?" Maria asked.

I handed her the notebook, the page showing a team-shot of my newest creation, with Megadeus at the center and new character all around him.

"Well, I recognize him," Maria said. "But who these others?"

I smiled huge and laughed again.

"The Pride."

It had happened. My writer's block was gone. And I had the Kimbas to thank for it. I looked over and saw that they were still going at it with the Betas, everyone trying to sort out who was to blame and how much trouble they were in for it. I wanted to do something to help in thanks for the inspiration, but what could I? I didn't know anything about legal stuff . . . I filed it away for later. I owed the Kimbas a favor.

The rest of the day afterwards was quite tame. I didn't even see Silverwillie anywhere, which was just as well. All the guys were doing well and wished me a speedy recovery. Ray even mentioned that she could probably heal me up, which I was all for, until I found out that it involved the use of many needles. After that, it didn't sound very fun at all.

After that, I went back to my room with Maria in tow. I said that I wouldn't have time to hang out since I had that massive translation project that I still needed to do. She just smiled and said that was fine, anyway, she just wanted to be with me. I smiled and felt all tingly inside at that. I pulled out my school laptop, got my copy of the Iliad out and started in. Maria was reading her most recent copy mangas, including a few that I hadn't heard of before. I just let her read while I worked.

I dropped into the Zone and went at it after a few minutes of warm-up. It wasn't quite the same as getting that sun-feeling when an Idea popped up, but it was close. I lost myself in it and just translated line after line. Somewhere in there, I stopped even referring to the online Greek-English dictionary I found and just let it flow. Maria got me lunch, but I hardly paid attention, just giving her a "thank you" when she came back in.

After that, she stood at the foot of my bed, blinking.

"What is it, honey bunny?" I asked. Or thought I did.

"A, uh, I don't know how to say this, but, uh . . . you're not speaking English."

"Come again?" I asked. I heard it that time, though. I wasn't saying it in English. Maria got ready to say something more, but I held up a finger. I pointed to her manga and raised my eyebrows in question. She nodded, and I grabbed one. I went into the Zone and read the whole thing in just a few minutes.

"How's that?" I asked. In English. I think.

"Better," she said before putting a hand to her chest and taking a deep breath. "That was just so weird. Was that, you know, Greek?"

"I think so," I said. "That means . . . that means that I can do spoken language, too! How cool is that?!"

She smiled and hugged me, which made me wince, but I was glad for the hug anyway.

"Well, I'm happy you're happy!" she said.

After that, I went back to work, excited to get into a brand-new power. I'd read it out loud every now and then, getting used to the feel of the words on my tongue. It was hard to notice at first, but I was starting to really feel it by the time supper rolled around.

Speaking of which, by the time we needed to leave for the Hall, my translation assignment was done. I was really amazed! I didn't know that I could work that fast. It showed me that I had been going _much_ slower than I could've been. Suddenly, it made sense how Penny and Ray were weeks ahead in their work.

Well, Ray was sorta cheating, but anyway.

Supper was the most relaxed it had been all week. We laughed and teased and had a great little time. Inspira's mood was the best I had ever seen it. It was a good night. Once we finished up and went our separate ways, and Maria took me back to my room, I told her good night, that I needed to get some extra sleep. She nodded, and I kissed her good night. The walk back to my room was a lot longer than it should have been, but I managed by putting one on the wall and leaning a little. I didn't even bother changing out my clothes that night. I just fell into bed.

I don't even remember hitting the pillow.

Sunday, October 1st
I woke up with the sunlight, as usual. The dreams that night had been only bits and pieces, just like a couple nights ago. I didn't know whether that meant that they would assemble into something the next night or what.

That morning was a lot easier than the past one had been. I was still hurting, but it was definitely manageable, down to hints of pain if my moved certain ways, and a low-key ache most of the rest of the time. I knew that I wasn't going to do any running then, so I spent the morning working on my new idea, just fleshing out some character designs. It felt really good! I didn't realize how down I had been about my writer's block until it was gone.

Max and I met the girls at breakfast afterward, and we just shot the breeze for a while that morning since all of us were pretty much free. We kept it up through lunch and on into the afternoon, where we split up to do what little bits of homework we had. I used the time to put the finishing touches on my translation. We all went to supper later on, and then I told everyone bye and headed off to Schuster.

I got to Dr. Woodrow's office at the exact time I needed to be there.

"Oh, A, there you are," she said, flipping her TV off.

"What're you watching tonight?" I asked.

"The Fountain, with Hugh Jackman."

"Has that one even been in theaters yet?"

"Oh, no," she said, getting a twinkle in her eye. "I got a review copy for critique. It's a beautiful movie. The character suffers all the way through the tale, really causing most of his own problems. At the end, he's swept up in a revelation, and all the problems are undone . . ."

"Sounds . . . familiar."

"Anyway, how did your translation go?"

I handed her a jump drive with the paper on it.

"Done, actually. It was easy after I got the hang of it. And, now, there's another cool thing I found out about."

"Oh?"

I thought back to the passage where the Greeks took the first few steps into Troy from their horse and rattled it off. Dr. Woodrow's eyes got twice as big as I went.

"You can _speak_ the language, too?!"

"Yeah, isn't it . . ." then, I realized that I was still speaking Greek. I sighed, smiled, and pointed at a book nearby. She nodded, still looking a little awestruck. I read through some pages, going back into the Zone.

"Sorry about that," I said. "Still haven't gotten the hang of it yet."

"Still, A, that's phenomenal! I'll have to tell Dr. Nellens about this, you know?"

"I figured. Why don't you go ahead and mail it off. There's something else I want to talk about, too."

"Right," she said, typing something into her computer. "Let me give it a quick glance-over, first, though. Go ahead and have a seat."

I did, the cushions giving underneath me and whistling a little as the air escaped them. It was a few minutes before Dr. Woodrow had anything to say.

"A, this is . . . astounding. There are some professional translators who don't have the grasp of nuances in the language like you do. I think that Dr. Nellens will be very impressed."

"Cool."

"I'll go ahead and send this off," she said, typing some more into her computer. "There, that's done. What was it that you wanted to talk about?"

I looked at her and gave her a lop-sided grin.

"Can't you just, you know, read it in my head?"

"Well, yes, I could. It's something that I try not to do, though. It ruins conversation."

"Yeah, I can see how that would be. Well, it's about these dreams . . ."

She moved to the front corner of her desk and nodded every so often as I described all the dreams I had had, what Inspira had told me, and what the last dream (that I could remember) was about. I finished off with telling her what I wanted to do about it. As she thought about it, she waved back and forth.

"Are you sure, A? You know what it does. It reveals almost everything. There's very little that I won't see. Are you OK with that this time? I don't think this is endangering your life."

"Still, I want to know. I feel like it's important. Very important."

"OK. It's your call."

She walked over, pulled up another chair, and sat in front of me, palms facing the ceiling.

"You know how it goes," she said.

"Right," I replied, putting my hands on hers.

"Here we go . . ."

She closed her eyes and opened them again, now whites instead of her usual pinks. I didn't jump that time, and I wanted to wait until she finished. As I stared into those blanks, time slipped away. We eventually finished, and her color came back. She took a sharp breath like she hadn't had air for minutes.

"Dr. Woodrow?"

"I'm fine . . ." she said. She didn't convince me.

"What did you see?"

"I'm . . . not sure."

I blinked.

//Did I hear right?//

"You're not sure?" I asked.

"Whatever it is that's giving you these dreams, A, it's old. And strong. Not strong like it was, but still very powerful."

"So, what, an ancient spirit? Am I an Avatar, after all?"

"No, it's not the character it was. It's a fragment, a shadow, an echo. A pale reflection of someone who was."

"Oh . . . uh. OK."

"I wish I could tell you more, but everything I got from it was a confused jumble. I couldn't make sense of it."

"So, um. What do we do about it?"

She waved back and forth, thinking.

"I think that I'll get in touch with Circe. She might know what's going on with you."

I blinked. I recognize that name.

"What you don't mean . . ."

"I do. We have the genuine article here, A. She's not someone whose codename has a mythic bent."

"Wow."

"Most definitely. I'll set up an appointment. Be warned, though, show her the utmost respect at all times and do exactly as she asks. You do not want to make her angry."

"No kidding."

"Oh, one last thing for the night. I still haven't gotten ahold of a meditation teacher yet, but I will let you know as soon as I do."

"OK, sounds good," I said, getting to my feet.

"Oh, and A?" she said.

"Yeah?"

"Remember what Ito taught you, all right?"

"I don't know how I could forget."

"Good night, A."

"'Night, Dr. Woodrow."

I left, heading out to the main entrance of Schuster.

//So, an ancient power, an ancient witch, all after having a weird week?//

I shook my head, smiling in equal parts exasperation and amusement.

//Only at Whateley.//

]]> Aranis 2009-01-26T05:19:07-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=25832&th=1139#msg_25832 A, volume 4: A's Inheritance

The many things that have come to A.


Part 1


Sunday, October 1st – Night
It was Sunday night, which meant that it was time for our weekly game of hide-and-seek. I had already decided that I wouldn't be playing because of my side, but I did want to watch everybody else, especially since it was going to be Inspira's first night playing. I looked around for her and everybody else as I ambled over the old tree on the quad that was "base" for the game. When I didn't see anyone, I decided that I'd sit and wait, so I slid down the ground, propping my back against the tree.

While I waited, I took in the evening. The last hints of red sunlight splashed against thin, low-laying clouds. A deep breath pulled in a crisp chill into my lungs, a sure sign that Fall had come. Even so, it wasn't quite cold enough to see mist to roll out of my mouth with each breath out, but it was close. I didn't get any further than that when the characteristic bamf of Max's 'porting interrupted my thinking.

"Hey," I said, not turning.

"Hey, bro," he said, taking a seat beside me. "Sitting this one out?"

"Yeah. My side's still a little sore."

"Yeah, bro, I hear you."

When the girls didn't show up after a few more minutes, I decided to ask Max a question that I had been meaning to since a couple nights ago.

"Hey, Max?"

"Yeah, man?"

"You remember on Friday night, when you said that you'd 'take care of Silverwing?'"

As I watched, the usual warmth that danced in Max's eyes faded, replaced with a metal hardness. "Yeah, what about it?" he asked, his smile faded.

"What did you mean by that?"

He turned that cold gaze toward me. When he locked eyes with me, I shivered a little. "He won't be bothering you any more," Max said. "Let's leave it at that."

"But . . ."

"Let's. Leave. It," he said, his tone not leaving any room for argument. I shivered again.

"Nevermind, then," I said. "Forget I asked."

The next moment, he was back to normal. "It's cool, bro. Oh, awesome! Here comes 'Spira."

I couldn't just let it go, though. The way his tone had changed, the way his eyes shifted . . . it was so different from the Max I knew – or thought I knew. I was really starting to worry about what it meant. Was Max in trouble? Was he sick or something? I didn't have long to think about it, since Spira was on her way over.

"Hey, guys," she said. "Where's everybody else?"

"Not out here yet," I said.

"We just get here whenever!" Max said. "Take a load off while we wait."

"Uh, sure."

She found a root and planted herself on it. She raised one eyebrow and looked at me for a second, some sort of recognition dawning on her face. While I was trying to decide whether she was picking up on my confusion about Max, I realized something: she could help me with him.

"So, A, what's new with you?" she asked diplomatically.

"Oh, nothing really. Turned in my paper earlier tonight."

"How'd that go?"

"Not bad," I said and smiled a little. "Dr. Woodrow was really happy with it. Oh, and I can do a new trick. Besides just reading in a language, I can speak it, too. How cool is that?"

She smiled back at me and said, "Pretty cool. How many languages do you know like that?"

"Hmm . . .only a couple, really. Aramaic, maybe. Ancient Greek, definitely."

"Do you think that you could learn Chinese?" a voice asked from a few feet away. We all jumped and spun to find Ray leaning against the tree, looking down at us with glowing, blackish eyes.

"How do you _do_ that?" I asked.

"Ancient secret," she said, sitting down, her eyes going back to normal. "Back to my question. Do you think that you could learn Chinese?"

I shrugged and said, "I haven't tried, but, yeah, I probably could. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, there are still some things that I do not know how to say in English, and Penny's knowledge of Mandarin is not good enough to help every time."

"Oh, I see. I'll check into it and get back to you. How does that sound?"

She gave me her serene smile and leaned against the tree. "That sounds good," she said.

Inspira and Ray started talking about Home Ec with occasional comments from me and Max until the other two girls came up. I had to laugh when I saw Penny: she had on a full camo outfit, complete with forest-tone three-color face-paint. Maria would look at her roomie and have to stifle giggles.

Inspira looked up at Penny, looked around at us, and looked very confused. "No one told me that I would need camo!" she said.

"Chill," Max said. "That's just Penny being weird."

"I am *not* being weird," she said, slinging her head, a motion that would have sent her hair flying normally, but her hair was up in a tight bun. "I'm making sure that I have every advantage."

Max chuckled, got to his feet, and brushed himself off.

"Whatever," he said, smiling. "All right, Spira, did Penny tell you the rules?"

Inspira gulped a little before nodding.

"Awesome. It's Ray's turn to be it. Oh. And A's just a spectator tonight, K?"

Everyone nodded. Ray stood and turned against the tree.

"1, 2, 3 . . ."

Everybody took off in different directions. It looked like Maria was trying to find someplace to hide around Schuster, and Penny was going for one of the thickets. Max went off somewhere on the far side of Kane, and Inspira found some shrubs to hide in. Everyone was well-hidden by the time Ray stopped counting and leaned away from the tree.

"Good luck," I mouthed.

I smiled as I watched her stalk off. It was amazing how she managed to move with almost no noise, and she _claimed_ that she wasn't using her magic to do it.

I didn't really mean to, but while I waited, I thought about everything that had gone on in the past few days. I felt like a real putz for how bad I had bungled things.

//But what can I do about it, now?//

As I watched Ray slink into the thicket Penny was hiding in, I thought about the answer to the question I had just asked myself. It was a simple thing, really: I could change. That would mean that I could avoid the problems that had cropped up. Thing was that I didn't know exactly where to start. I started rolling around everything that needed some work, then it hit me.

//I'll start with my code-name! It needs to change anyway. God.//

I leaned back and started drumming my fingers on my knee while I rattled off some of the code-names that I had played with. None of them were really cool enough, or original enough, or fit me well enough for me to use them. I still didn't have any fresh ideas, so I just went through my list again. I could feel myself getting frustrated when someone's hands covered my eyes.

"Guess who?" Maria asked.

"Hmm," I said. "Could it be the cutest, sweetest girl on campus?"

She giggled and took her hands away. "Maybe."

She sat down and snuggled up to me.

"Grats on the base grab," I said.

"Thanks. Ray's really good at finding people, but she's sorta got a one-track mind."

"Yeah, she does."

"Whatcha thinking about, hunky bear?"

"Oh, trying to decide on a new code-name."

"Gotten anywhere?"

"Nope, 'fraid not; I'm kinda stuck. Maybe we could get my brain going, though. What's yours?"

"Oh, I really like it! It's Neuromail."

"Oh. Sounds cool."

"You take the word 'neuron' and the word 'mail' (from automail), put them together, and you've got it."

"Oh, because your stuff responds to thoughts, and all that?"

"Right!" she said, giving me a quick peck. "You're so smart."

That made me grin and blush a little.

"Uh, thanks. But I'm not smart enough to figure out _my_ code-name."

"Well, maybe I could help," she said as Penny bolted for base. We both paused and watched her go. She was _really_ going! I don't think that I had ever seen her run that fast. Ray was on her heels, and she touched the back of Penny's camo shirt when she was barely a foot from base.

"Oh!!!" Penny said. "Ray!"

Ray simply smiled and pointed in the direction of Archimedes. Penny crossed her arms and glared hard at the Asian girl for a minute before she started away. Once Penny had grumped over to the statue and threw herself to the ground, Ray stalked off on the path that Max had taken.

"Where were we?" Maria asked. "Oh! Your code-name. Do you have any ideas?"

"Eh," I said, waggling my hand. "Nothing great."

"Just tell me what you have, and we'll go from there."

"OK, I've got Batson."

"Batson?"

"You know, like Billy Batson?"

"Hmm. Not the best. Next."

"OK. Wild Card."

"I can see it, but it's not really you."

"Yeah, I know," I agreed. "I'd use Prism, but there's a guy in BMA class who took it first."

"Prism?"

"You know, because I get my power from sunlight and there are multiple sides to a prism."

"But it's taken."

"Yep."

"I think you're on the right track, though. Maybe we could go with Gem? You know, gems have multiple sides and look different depending on how the light hits them."

"Hmm. It's a start, honey bunny, but Gem sounds like a girl's codename. How about Facet?"

"Oh, the side of a gemstone. Yeah. It's still not . . . you, though."

"You're right. Got any ideas?"

"How about a synonym for Facet, like as an expression of something?" she asked as Max made his way over to the tree, dodging behind shrubs and trees.

We both thought about. Then it hit me.

"Aspect!" I said.

"Ooh," she said. "I like it. Aspect. It even starts with the same letter your name does! It really fits you."

"Wouldn't have been able to do it without you, honey bunny," I said, showing my appreciation with a long kiss.

We pulled apart and watched Max make a break for base, but Ray's hand popped out of a shrub and grabbed his ankle. He would have face-planted, but he teleported and righted himself. After that, Ray went straight for where Inspira was, but when she got close, Inspira took off into the air and flew hard to base. Streams of glittering white energy swirled from Ray's hands as she fired a few spells to try and stop her quarry, but she didn't connect, allowing Inspira to fly down and touch the top branch on the tree.

"All right!" she said before she floated down the ground. Ray came back and Max tallied the scores.

"Me and Maria have 3," Max said. "Penny, Ray and A have 2. Now, Spira's on the board with 1."

"I'll catch up," Inspira said.

"I think we should play again," Penny said. "With someone other than Ray as 'it.'"

"I really can't," Maria said. "I've got an Electronics assignment that I need to do tonight."

"I had planned to start on next month's Geometry homework," Ray said. "So I am unavailable for another game."

"Yeah, I have some Physics problems to do," Max said. "So, I guess we're done for now."

Before everyone had a chance to split, Inspira spoke up. "Hey, guys, I was thinking. Why don't we study together tonight, and from now on? Some of us have some of the same classes, so we could help each other. Besides, that sorta thing really make homework easier."

"Sounds awesome," Max said. "You're thinking your room?"

"Yep! There's more than enough space for all of us, it's quiet down in the basement, and no one will bother us down there, either."

We all looked around at each other.

"Sure, let's do it," I said.

"All right!" she said and pumped her fists into the air. "See you guys down there in a few minutes, then?"

"Yep."

The girls started off.

"Hey, honey bunny, wait for me?" I asked.

"Sure."

"K. Hey, Max, could you get my stuff for me?"

"Sure, dude. See you there?"

I nodded, then there was that puff of smoke, that smell of dust, and that clap of air, and Max was gone. From there, we all went over to Inspira's room to study, which was really easy to do in there. I didn't know if it was the smell of flowers, or the extra conversation. We got pretty loud, but no one cared, since we were down in the basement, away from everyone else.

We left just a little before curfew and went back to our rooms. I wanted to talk with Max about what he had said, but I lost the nerve after getting his attention. Instead, we talked about Inspira and her room for a minute before we said goodnight and got ready for bed.

The whole thing with Max was still worrying me, but I wasn't getting anywhere. I laid down and tried to get my mind off it by thinking about my new code-name, testing it out in whispers a few times, liking the way it felt on my tongue. Feeling a little better about things, I drifted off to sleep.

Tuesday, October 2nd
Just like other nights and mornings, the dreams were a jumble of images, sounds, and smells, not making any sense. I woke up at dawn, as always, and I rolled my eyes when I realized that the smell of ash was thick in my nostrils. I walked to the bathroom and gargled some water, which helped with the smell enough that it was tolerable.

I still wasn't any closer to figuring out what the dreams meant, and I huffed when I thought about how useless the meeting with Dr. Woodrow had been. She couldn't tell me anything except that the power was old, really old. Not exactly the most useful information, you know? I hoped that Circe would be able to tell me more. If anyone would know about something mysterious and ancient, a legendary witch would, right?

I shrugged inwardly and decided against going on my run for the morning. My side was still slightly sore, but that wasn't my main motivation. No, I needed to think about what changes I could make so that something like Silverwing wouldn't happen again. While I was thinking about it my options, I got on some warmer clothes and popped outside. The cold took my breath for a second when it hit me full force just a few steps out the door toward the statue. Zack was already there, stretching.

"Hey," I said.

"Morning. Not running today?"

I shook my head and said, "No, got too much to think about. Go ahead without me this time."

"Fine. See you in Flight class, then."

He nodded and was off.

//That's Zack, Mr. Talkative,// I thought and chuckled quietly.

I went back inside and took my shower, enjoying the heat. I had some time to soak it in and think since I was so far ahead of the other guys.

The first thing that came to me was, unsurprisingly, about Silverwing. I had really just seen him as an enemy. I hadn't bothered to connect to him, to see him as another kid, as someone with problems and goals. If I had, would things have been different? I didn't know. I figured that was the first thing I needed to change, though: I needed to start connecting with people more. I turned off the water and looked at the ceiling, brow furrowed.

//But how do I connect with people?//

I dried off, got dressed, and looked around. I realized that I didn't really know that many guys around, and the sad part was that they were people from my own dang floor. That was just sad. I had do something about that, but I was still stuck on what. I needed something to break the ice, something . . .

It hit me halfway back to my room.

//Food!//

OK, so it wasn't major, but still, what do teenagers, especially guys, like to do? Eat! If I could get some grub together, it would be an awesome excuse for me to go around and meet people, make friends, and, maybe, head off problems before they would even get started. That meant that I needed money, and probably a good chunk of it. I didn't really know how much I had in my school account, though, so I needed to find out.

I was so excited that it was hard to wait, but I wanted to let Max know that I needed to pop over to Schuster real quick to find out about my money. He nodded weakly when I told him before I left. The morning had warmed up a little, but it was still cold enough to see my breath fog up as I walked. I almost ran over to Schuster, but I restrained myself, especially after I saw Golden Girl on my way. We waved at each other as went our separate ways.

Once I was in the building, I went over to the business secretary, who was already busy at work. Her "In" box was piled high, and it looked like she had her work cut out for her. She still looked up at me when I came up to her desk.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Yep! I was wondering if I could find out what my balance in my student account is?"

"Oh, sure. Name and code-name?"

Even my lame code-name wasn't enough to get me down. "Alexander Morris; BB."

"Thank you, just a moment," she said, typing the string into her computer. "Let's see . . . there are two balances. One's at $213.88, and the other at $120, 000, even."

I shook my head, my ears refusing to believe what they were hearing.

"I think I heard you wrong. The second one was . . . ?"

"$120,000. And a decimal point, and two more zeros."

I fell back on the nearest chair, reeling. It just didn't make any sense. My parents didn't have that kind of money! Not even close! Who would give me that kind of cash?

"Uh, this will seem a little random, but can you tell me where the money for that second account came from?

"Sure, just a second," she said, typing into her computer. "Hmm, it's a donation from one of our alumni, a Shifter by the name of Nine. Do you know him?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, my face falling. "He's my . . . neighbor."

She smiled at me and said, "Wow, I wish I had neighbors like that. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Uh, no, that's it."

"OK. Have a good day."

I got to my feet and wandered off to the Hall, my stomach sinking. Mr. J had just handed me a _huge_ pile of money and not said a word about it. What could it have meant? Did he know something that I didn't? And there was only one thing that he would know that would make him give me those kinds of funds. I shook my head again, feeling the hurt from that night in the early summer welling up.

//Stop it! Feeling sorry for yourself won't help anything!//

I took a deep, steadying breath and shoved the pain down. I told myself that I still didn't know everything about what was going on, so I shouldn't jump to conclusions. It almost worked. I got in line and got a mixing-bowl-sized serving and Count Chocula.

The guys and I talked for shorter than usual since I had taken up my morning checking into my student account and getting that surprise about the money, but I didn't say anything about it.

After we finished eating and headed off toward classes, Maria stopped me.

"Hey, hunky bear?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"What's bothering you?"

//Crap. She noticed.//

"It's . . . it's long and kinda complicated. Tell you later tonight?"

"OK. I'm not gonna forget," she said, giving me a knowing look.

"K. I'll see you later. And I'll tell you, I swear."

"OK. Bye!"

We shared a quick kiss and split, Maria going toward Kane, and me leaving for Geometry with Ray, who didn't say anything on the walk to class. The morning's lectures were fine, but a little on the boring. Oh, except Powers Theory, which was its usual barrel of laughs. I used the in-class time to work out what I was going to do for my big ice-breaker.

I decided that the simplest thing would be to order a _lot_ of pizza, and get a lot of soda to go along with it. I wanted to get my mind off the whole thing with Mr. J, so I thought through what I would do once everyone had come in and gotten their food. I would gear up my best smile and just tell everyone who I was, using my new code-name. At the thought of getting around and meeting some new kids, I actually _did_ smile.

On my way to lunch after third period, a buzz like stereo feedback screeched in my ears, making me wince.

~:Hello? Am I coming through?:~ a familiar voice said. The weird thing was that the voice wasn't coming from anywhere nearby. No, it was coming from _inside my head_.

"Uh, hi?"

~:Oh, there you are. This is Dr. Woodrow, A. Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but I needed to contact you.:~

"Messages in mailboxes don't work?"

~:Not this time. This is somewhat urgent. Are you free directly after classes today?:~

"Well, I had a powers-testing appointment."

~:No problem, I'll call and reschedule for you. Is there anything else that would keep you from coming?:~

"Not that I can think of, no. What's up?"

~:Oh, I told Circe about your problem, and she had a free spot this afternoon. I figured that we might as well start getting your answers as soon as we can.:~

"Oh, cool. I'll be there."

~:Good. Just be at my office right after classes.:~

I got that feedback sound again, and then I was back to being alone in my head. I was going to get figure out what was going on with me! Awesome. I would have to deal with an ancient witch, but I figured I would be square as long as I was respectful.

I bounded over to the Hall, and I got into line, where I grabbed a whole meatloaf and a mound of mashed potatoes along with a drum of Coke. When I got closer to the table, I noticed that the guys had smiles on their faces, and Inspira laughed right as I sat down.

"What's up with you guys?"

"Oh, Ray, she, um, well . . ." Maria said.

"She didn't know how to cuss in English, so we're helping her out," Max explained.

"She's a rea~l natural," Penny said. "Go ahead, Ray, show him."

"OK. When you want to insult someone, you say . . ."

Saying she swore doesn't cover it. Saying she would have made a drill sergeant blush isn't enough. No, she took words like "donkey," "syrup," "papaya," and yes, "antiquing" and made them into something so foul, so _obscene_ , that I think she killed a litter of kittens somewhere.

The pause after that was the stuff of legend.

Penny cleared her throat and said, "Does anyone want my pudding?"

I backed away and kept quiet. After Ray's rant, I didn't want pudding. Ever. Again.

We all sorta fled from the table after that, eager to think of something other than Ray's string of . . . blasphemy.

Afternoon classes were hit-and-miss. BMA sucked (as usual), Power Lab was interesting, and World History was boring. Flight was pretty standard, just going over more regulations. Zack was feeling especially chatty, so we had about 10 lines of dialog.

After classes were done, I went over to Schuster, to Dr. Woodrow's office. I stood outside the counseling area for just a second before it hit home: I was going to be talking with a living legend. I wobbled as my nerves started acting up. I took a few deep, steadying breaths before I called to mind every bit of manners I had ever gotten and straightened my uniform. I held my breath and walked in.

She wasn't quite what I was expecting. She looked old . . . but not physically, not exactly. It was her eyes. Like they had seen the whole world many times over. And it was the way she held herself. And they way she moved. I hadn't ever been in the presence of a goddess, but I had to assume that it was pretty much like being near Circe.

I wasn't sure if I needed to bow, kneel, or what, so I went with an awkward combination of the two. Yeah, I'm smooth like that.

"Oh, that's not necessary. I didn't come here for worship," she said, getting to her feet and offering me her hand. I took it, and she pulled me up.

"Rachel tells me that you're something of a mystery to her."

I nodded and said, "Yes ma'am."

"Ah, manners. You don't see those enough anymore."

Right then was the first time I noticed that Dr. Woodrow's desk had been shoved over against the wall and the piles of books and DVD's had been moved to the far sides of the room.

"This might seem odd to you," Circe said, "but I still need to ask. Will you step into the circle?"

"Ma'am . . . circle?"

She raised her eyebrows before she swept her hand over the center of the room. After she did, a yellow ring appeared, glowing, on the floor, symbols scattered along the outside edge.

"This is what we wizards call a revelatory circle, but with a few enhancements of my own making. It's an information gathering spell, and the modifications I've made ensure that nearly everything about you there is to know will be revealed. But I can't _make_ you enter the circle: you must enter of your own free will."

I looked at her with wide eyes and squeaked, "Everything?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's right. Hidden knowledge comes at a price, Alexander. Yours is the loss of privacy. Even so, you needn't worry, as Rachel and I will keep the utmost confidence in the great deal we discover about you. I apologize for that intrusion, but this method is the best one, as the echo that Rachel has discovered could be hiding in any part of your being."

She gave me a smile and said, "Don't worry, it won't hurt. I simply want to be able to tell you about what's going on. This is the best way to find out."

It was hard to explain. The way she said everything made me . . . want to trust her. Like I _should_ trust her. I didn't know if she was using spells on me or what, so I looked over to Dr. Woodrow. She gave me a reassuring smile and nodded.

"OK," I said, gulping. "I mean, yes ma'am."

Circe smiled, which made her look pretty, and said, "Excellent. Whenever you're ready."

I took a deep breath and stepped inside the ring. I expected . . . a tingle, or that sandpaper feeling from the ectographic lattices, or something. Instead, I got nothing. Dr. Woodrow was looking intently at me, her jaw hung open in awe and her eyes misted with disbelief. I turned to Circe , who was staring and pacing around the circle. An emotion flickered across her face too fast for me to read before her lips became a hard line again.

"All right, Alexander, you can step out of the circle," Circe said, her tone unreadable.

I stepped out, still a little amazed that I didn't feel anything.

"Ma'am? What did you learn?"

She stopped her pacing and peered at me, making me feel very small.

"Just as Rachel told you, whatever it is is very, very old, but she was far short at guessing how old. The echo that has found its way to you is of the period of time called the Sundering. Yes, I know you're not familiar with that. Give me a moment to explain.

"The Sundering was the culmination of the war between the Fae and the Great Old Ones. The cataclysm put an end to war, but at dire cost to the Earth and humanity on it, taxing life beyond its breaking point.. In the time after that conflict, when life was in its sharp decline, your echo was made."

"Made?"

"Yes, made. But not by any intent or design of the Fae, the old races, or even the gods. No, what you carry was forged unintentionally in the heart of an individual, a man, through a strange confluence of a multitude of energies, including a potent infusion from the realm of dreams."

I just wasn't following at all. "Ma'am . . . what does all of that mean?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed her eyes. The creases in her face seemed to deepen and her shoulders slumped, adding years to her age. She pulled her hand away and looked at me again. "I'm not sure."]]> Aranis 2009-02-08T23:19:00-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=27748&th=1139#msg_27748 Part 2

Monday, October 2nd – Evening
Who would have thought that Circe, an ancient, powerful witch, would be caught without the right explanation for whatever was going on? She didn't even look flustered when she told that the wanted to see me outside of Schuster's main entrance right after dawn on Wednesday. I saw something in her eyes that I could only guess at, but if I had to, I'd call it excitement. It didn't fit with her stately presence, but it was there. I think.

I left just a few minutes after the whole revelatory circle bit, frustrated that I still hadn't learned much. I had found out where the echo had come from, but I still didn't know what, exactly, it did, or how it had ended up inside me. When I got back, I found out that Max wasn't in our room. I decided to take advantage of his not being there, so I got out all my art stuff, pulled up the files of finished volumes on my laptop, and turned my atmosphere-music all the way up.

After thinking about it for a while, I decided that I needed to get some of my old Imprints back before I worked on any new ones. Which sucked, in a way: I really wanted to work on The Pride. Thing about them was that I didn't know how well they'd do in real-life situations, especially the wizard character I had come up with that was an homage of Sara and Fey. I still didn't know then if I could even do magic, or if my "power knack" Esper ability would work with it. Then, there was that one uncomfortable fact: if I used almost any of the Pride Imprints, I'd be turning into a girl.

On the other hand, I already knew that Megadeus worked decently in live combat, but that left all the other slots. I had already decided that I wasn't going to use any positions for Cobalt, Venger, or Future Venger. Oh, and I was definitely going to leave off all the villains. That left FTL and Raptor. FTL was decent enough, but he was a little on the wimpy side. I had found out first hand that Speedster fighting required a lot of hit and run, and, if the opponent was tough enough, all those fast hits wouldn't do squat. Besides that, FTL was a horndog, and that had nearly sunk my chances with Maria.

//You know, on second thought, forget FTL.//

In the end, that only left me with with my Brick and . . . whatever it is you'd call Raptor. That still left me with plenty of slots, but I didn't really know what to do with them. After a few minutes thinking didn't solve the problem, I decided to worry about it later. While I waited, I started in on working with Megadeus again. I went with something new and different: a mini-series about Megadeus' origin, which was not a bit like a certain spit-curled, S-bearing Brick.

My mind made up, I sunk into my work, going deeper and deeper until my room, my school, and my campus all disappeared, leaving me on an island with my easel and pencils. I could've gone on forever, but then my stomach reminded me that it was time for supper.

I leaned back, smiling and savoring the feel of getting into the zone. It had been long enough that I had sorta forgotten what it was like. I leaned forward, bringing my pencil back up to the page, but my stomach roared at me, refusing to be ignored. I let out an amused sigh and put my pencils down. As I got my coat back on and slung my backpack over my shoulders, I looked over everything I had finished in the hour or so I had worked.

Much to my surprise, I had done a full two issues and started on a third. I blinked, sure that wasn't right. Double-checking the page count showed me that I had been spot-on: there were two complete issues penciled. In an hour. How cool is that?

//I'm getting faster. What could it mean?//

I thought it through and decided that it was just my brain, or mind, or whatever, catching up with me being an Exemplar 3. After all, the testers said that I was a mental Exemplar 3, and that meant some serious boosts in brain power over what I used to have. Even then, I still didn't really feel all that different, you know, upstairs, but looking around at all the finished pages made it pretty obvious that my attic had gotten a good bit of redecorating. And that led to another train of thought: just how much could I really do?

I went with testing myself later before my stomach could get really upset, so I left for the Hall after giving myself a once-over. The chill of the evening went straight through my jacket, and I was reminded again that I really needed to get something warmer to wear. By the time I got to the Hall, I was shivering a little, but I went back to normal pretty quickly once I got inside.

I had hit the lines at the top of rush hour, so I had to wait a pretty long, well, longer than usual, for my food. The longer line meant that I had to wait a whole 10 minutes to get my food, which, when you're a hungry Energizer, is an eternity. After I had grabbed a half-cow's worth of cheeseburgers, I ran to table, where I noticed that both Penny and Inspira weren't around. I couldn't stand to wait long enough to ask questions, so I attacked my burgers like they might run away from me the second I sat down.

"Hungry, bro?" Max asked.

"Oh, was it obvious?" I asked back, shooting out crumbs and meat-bits.

He just smiled in response.

Once I got through enough food that my stomach wasn't threatening to turn itself inside out, I started up some conversation.

"Anybody seen Penny?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah," Maria said. "I talked to her after class, and she said that she had tutoring to do, then she was gonna grab some nutrition bars, skip supper, and head over to Laird to practice her gymnastics."

"Gymnastics?" I asked, wiping my mouth after realizing that there was a coating of cheese and ketchup around it. "Do we have a gymnastics team, or something?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so. She is part of the Gymnastics Club, and she says that she has to keep in shape."

"But she's an Exemplar," Max said. "Doesn't she 'keep in shape' automatically?"

Maria shrugged and said, "I'm just repeating what she told me. She was determined to practice tonight."

"Does she do that a lot?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. At least a three times per week."

"Oh, huh," I said. "I guess I didn't know. On to other people . . . where's – oh, wait, nevermind, I see her."

Spira was on the far side of the Hall from where we were, talking with a couple other really eye-catching girls. One was big. She wasn't a giant, but I would have to guess that she was at least 6-foot-4, and she was sturdy. Her deep, dark brown hair was cut short, almost to a boyish length, and her eyes were only a couple shades lighter. Her most striking features, though (and I'm only saying this because they were very, very hard to miss) were her breasts and hips, both of which were gigantic. After all, they'd have to be to fit her body, but they were still some of the largest assets I'd seen on campus.

The other girl was equally hard to miss, but for entirely different reasons. First and foremost, her skin was golden-tinted, and it looked like it was coated with the metal from certain angles. To go with her amazing skin was her awesome hair, which was a combination of red, white, and gold-blond. But I couldn't pay much attention to her skin or hair, after I saw her eyes: they blazed orange, like the sun at noon. All of that combined with a super-model body, making one unforgettable girl.

Spira said something more, and all three of them laughed before they broke up. After a few minutes, Spira had gotten her food and joined us at the table.

"So, who was that gold girl you were talking to?" Maria asked.

"Her name's Corona. She's a kid of a couple from the Solar Squad."

"Oh," Max said. "Florida's team, right?"

"Yep! After they signed me up for Whateley, they asked Corona to keep tabs on me once she got to campus. She was one of the only people who talked to me while I was in Hawthorne," Spira said, eyes getting misty.

"Oh," I said, not really sure how to respond. When the silence stretched on for a little while longer, I decided to change subjects before things got too awkward. "Who was the big girl, then? Another Solar Squad kid?"

"Oh, no, that's Tectonic," Inspira said, her eyes clearing up a little. "She's from Russia. In case you couldn't guess, her thing's Geokinesis. She's really good at it, too."

"Geokinesis. Oh, like Terra!" I said.

Everyone looked at me.

"Nevermind."

After that bit of brilliance from yours truly, the rest of supper was pretty relaxed. We chatted about some of the most recent news around campus, but it was mostly about the fight between the Alphas and the Kimbas a couple days before. The general feel about the whole thing from the upperclassmen was that it was nothing short of miracle that someone beat the Alphas. Matter of fact, the consensus was that no one had been able to do it in recent memory at all, a fact that made the Kimbas even more badass.

We left for Inspira's room after that. Maria said that Penny expected to be out for the rest of the night, and that we should go ahead without her. I didn't want to, since it wouldn't be the same. Turns out it wasn't such a great idea: we couldn't stay focused on our work to save our lives. I didn't realize until then that it was thanks to Penny's snapping verbal whips at us that we got any work done.

During one of the no-work stretches . . .

"So, Inspira, what's your mom like?" Maria asked.

"Oh, she's . . . she's hard-working, I guess. I think I told you guys, but my dad wasn't around most of the time, so it was just me and her. She worked pretty long hours sometimes, so I had to find things to do when she wasn't around."

"Such as?" Ray asked.

"Oh, buncha different things. I'd watch TV, or play outside with neighbors, but what I really liked to do is . . ." she got quiet, like she getting ready to tell us that she kicked kittens when no one was looking. ". . . play video games."

"Wicked," Max said. "Me, too! Well, when I wasn't at the beach, anyway."

"You know, Max, I don't think I've ever heard you say," I started. "What were your parents like?"

His smile faded while he leaned back against the bed. "My mom was gone a lot," he said. "She's a big-time researcher at ARC, I think I told you guys that?"

We nodded.

"It's new to me, but, anyway," Spira said, "go on."

"So, anyway, I was left with my nanny a lot," Max said, his sunny, west-coast speech currents evaporating from his voice more with every word. "And Father was . . . present. Perhaps too much. He took my education very seriously from early on, making sure that I learned all the crucial lessons quickly and thoroughly."

None of us said anything, just letting Max go on. I couldn't believe how he sounded. With the surfer-speak gone, his words were crisp and clear, and even his word choice was different. It was like listening to another person.

"One of my earliest memories is his teaching me to fence. That first day, we went for hours upon hours until I understood the basics instinctively."

"One of your earliest memories . . ." Ray said. "How old were you, then?"

"5."

"5?" I asked.

"Yes, that's right. As I said, he wanted to make sure I learned everything early."

"I don't really see how fencing is all that important," Maria said. "How does that fit? I don't get it."

"He said that it was to teach focus and intensity. If you turn your thoughts or gaze away from your opponent, you lose."

"And your father thought that this was an appropriate lesson for a young child?" Ray asked.

"That's right."

A heavy silence fell on the room after that, me thinking about what kind of person Max's dad had to be. I figured that the girls were doing the same.

"Ah, don't worry about it, guys!" Max said, laying back into surfer-mode. "C'mon, we have to get back to work."

Everyone did get back to work, but I only went through the motions while I thought about my roommate. The revelation about Max's dad helped explain Max's shift in character the night before. That led to questions: who was the person that Max had shifted to? What would that person do? What would that person do to Silverwing? I had to fight my curiosity, not sure that I really wanted to know the answer.

I kept wondering off-and-on the rest of the night, which ended sooner than usual. I wanted to talk with Spira privately, so I babbled off something about needing to talk with her about my dreams. Everyone accepted that and headed out, including Max leaving by bamf.

"So, what's this about . . . you don't want to ask me about your dreams," she said.

I blinked and asked, "I thought that you weren't that great at telepathy?"

"I'm not. You're screaming it at the top of your mind. What's up?"

"It's this whole thing with Max. He's, uh, how to say it. He's not the person I thought he was. No, it's almost like . . . like he's two people."

Inspira closed her eyes for a second, looking thoughtful. "And you want to know if I've figured anything out," she said.

"Yeah."

"It's bending the rules a little, but . . ."

"Wait, rules?"

"Yeah, there's a whole code of ethics about what you can and can't do with powers like Empathy and Telepathy. In short, you respect people's privacy and don't snoop."

"Oh, sorry I asked, then, I'll – "

"No, I don't mind. It's not a big thing, and it's something that I wanted to talk about, anyway. I've only been around him a few times but Max has incredible emotional control."

"Emotional control? Like Ray? But he seems more, I dunno, engaged, than she does."

"Uh. I guess I'm not wording it right. OK, Ray is like . . . everything's muted, you know, distant. She's really peaceful, sure, but everything she feels is like it's coming from far away.

"Max is different. Everything he's feeling is right here, right now, but it's like he chooses which feelings to focus on. While he was talking about his dad earlier, he was feeling bitter and hateful. Those two feelings aren't new to him, though. I've caught whiffs of them before, but he fans them away before they have chance to stink up the place. Er. Figuratively speaking. He does the same sort of thing with all his emotions, really: he picks and chooses, and he suppresses anything he doesn't want. It's amazing, really."

"Amazing?"

"Oh, yeah, totally amazing. Most teenagers just let their emotions run away with them. Max isn't that way. At all. It's really refreshing when you're used to the way people usually do it.

"Oh, sorry, I'm rambling. Did that answer your question?"

"Yeah, more or less. Thanks! See you later?"

"Yep! Night."

I gathered up all my stuff and went out into the hall – only to find Maria standing there, rocking on her feet, waiting for me.

"Oh – hey honey bunny, did you need something?"

"Oh, uh. You know, you said that you would tell me what happened this morning?"

My heart sank. I had hoped that she had forgotten.

"Oh, right. I, uh, I – I guess we could talk in the commons room, or something."

"OK, I, uh. If you don't want to tell me, you know, then . . ."

"I, well – I should probably tell somebody. It's kinda crappy, though, and I wouldn't want to bring you down, or anything."

She smiled reassuringly. "I can take it. I'm tougher than I look!" she said, getting a determined look on her face and puffing up a little.

"OK. Fair warning."

"Right."

When we went up to the commons room, we didn't have any trouble finding a couch since the place was pretty much empty except for people passing through. We dropped our stuff and sat next to each other, sinking into the cushions. I really enjoyed the toasty heat from the fire, which chased away all the chills I had felt during the day. We sat there like that, sorta cuddling for a little while.

"Um, hunky bear?" Maria asked.

"Yeah?"

"About earlier?"

"Oh. I, uh, I was waiting for you to say something."

"I was waiting for you!"

"Whoops. My mistake. I guess I'll start with this summer . . ."

And I did. I told her about everything, stuff that I hadn't told anybody else. She just listened. She shivered when I got the part about Chasm, and she cuddled closer when I got to the part about everything that had gone on with Mr. J afterward. With all that out of the way, I got to the present, telling her about the massive amount of money that Mr. J had left in my account. Once I was all done, she looked at me for a second before she wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back, hard. We stayed wrapped around each other for a good bit.

"Oh, hunky bear," she said, pulling away but going back to her spot under my left arm. "Everything's been so hard for you. Why didn't you talk about this sooner?"

"I guess I didn't want to sound like a whiner. No one wants to hear about my problems."

She sat up and looked at me, a sad smile on her face.

"I want to hear everything about you, even your problems, hunky bear. If you have something on your mind, I'm hear to listen, OK?"

I grinned a little and said, "OK."

"Now, with the whole thing, just because he gave you all that money doesn't really mean anything other than he had money and he wanted to give it to you."

"But $120,000?!"

She fidgeted her hands a little before she said, "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but, um, superheroes can make a lot of money. My dad has patents out that have already provided for all my time at Whateley. Mom does advising for huge firms all the time, so she really rakes it in, too. What I'm saying is that, if Mr. J, or Nine, managed what money he made wisely, then 120,000 could be like a drop in the bucket for him."

My jaw dropped at the thought that 120,000 could ever be a "drop in the bucket."

"I guess that I just hadn't thought of it that way, honey bunny. It makes sense when you put it that way. I guess it doesn't really mean anything does it?"

"Nope!" she said, smiling. "So, try to be positive and don't jump to conclusions! It probably doesn't mean anything."

Right then, I realized how much I appreciated her, how much I loved her. I wanted to show her, and I thought I knew the perfect way.

I leaned in slowly, stopping just before our lips met. While I locked onto her sapphire eyes, I took in her scent, each breath pulling in overtones of pears with tangy hints of ammonia. After another breath of her, I pressed my lips into hers. She quivered on contact, her face and body nervously tensing. Feeling her unease, I didn't go any further, instead brushing my lips against the silkiness of hers as I pulled back the slightest bit. I avoided her eyes, not sure what to do next.

Just as I moved to pull back even more, Maria launched herself at me, her tongue shoving its way between my lips. The surprise lasted the bat of an eye before I came back with my own effort, our tongues wrestling clumsily. The next moment, I was laying on the couch, Maria's arms wrapped desperately around me, like she was afraid that I might slip away from her. I squeezed back just as tight as her tongue slipped even farther into my mouth, touching and teasing every surface inside.

Instincts took over, driving my hands to feel my bunny's body. I let my hands glide down her sides, enjoying the soft yet firm muscles that led to the swell of her hips. Maria went with her instincts too, hands playing down the ridges and lines of the muscles in my shoulders, my back . . . but she didn't get any further. She put her weight on my chest, using it to push up into a sitting position.

I followed her up, fighting tooth and nail not to push her back down and pick up where we left off. She looked ashamed and confused, but my thinking was so hazy from Buddy being in gear that I couldn't decide what to do or say. I shook my head a few times, getting my brain working again.

"Honey bunny, what's wrong?"

"I . . . I . . ." she said, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Take your time."

"I love you, and I . . . I want you, A! I want you so bad! I hoped and hoped that I would want somebody, and that he would want me, too! That's what I've wanted since 5th grade! But now, we're here, we're . . . but I'm not ready for it. I want to be ready, I want to be so bad, but I'm not."

I couldn't think of anything to say at all, so I came out with the perfect thing: "Oh."

"Don't hate me," she said, right on the verge of a full-out cry, "please, I . . .!"

I wrapped my arms around her, sure that I needed to.

"I don't hate you, Maria. At All. I love you. I love you so much that I get gooey when you're around. Your kisses make my head go all fuzzy. I want you close, and if that means that we can only, uh, go so far, then I won't complain. I want you to be happy with what with us, with what we do, so I won't rush things. We'll only go when you feel like you can."

"I feel like such an idiot," she whimpered into my chest.

"Shhh," I said, stroking her hair. I was really only going on guesses, but I figured that I needed to hold her until she stopped. She eventually did.

I got to my feet and picked up our backpacks, agonizing over what to do next. Maybe it wasn't the best idea, but I didn't want us to get . . . going again, so I was gonna take her back to her room.

"Why don't we get you back?" I asked. She nodded. I wrapped my hand tight around hers and led her there. When we got to the door, she pulled out her key and unlocked it before standing at the doorway for a second.

"You OK?" I asked, handing over her backpack.

"I'll . . . I think I'll be," she said, turning her face up at me. She looked at me with tears in her eyes, and I knew I would go through 10 Chasm's to find the one thing that would wipe those tears away. Since I didn't have that one thing, I leaned down to kiss her good night. I panicked about making things worse on the way to her lips, so I stumbled into a quick peck on her cheek instead.

"I love you, Maria, and I'm not mad. We'll move at your pace, OK?"

She puffed out her bottom lip and said, "Yeah, OK. Good night, hunky bear."

She took a few steps inside and closed the door.]]> Aranis 2009-02-20T06:37:08-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=28855&th=1139#msg_28855 Part 3
Monday, October 2nd – Night
OK, on review, that was very much not the perfect way to thank Maria. That was already clear before, but it became much, much more clear on my way back to my room. Not only did she not feel appreciated, she felt freaked out and guilty. I deserved the Boyfriend of Year Award!

I grumbled and groused the whole way back to my room, where Max was missing again. I took advantage of that by turning up my atmospheric music all the way before sitting down at my easel. It held the panels from Issues 1, 2, and part 3, the last of which I decided to finish before I went to bed.

I started in, distracting myself from my problem with Maria by drawing. After the I finished the pencils in an record-breaking 20 minutes, I leaned back with a huge smile, savoring the accomplishment. As I did, something subtle tickled my attention. I couldn't tell offhand what it was, so I started by looking around for signs that something had moved in my room. Nope. I closed my eyes and listened hard, but that didn't turn up anything. I checked all over my body, making sure that I hadn't suddenly grown an extra finger on each hand or gained a third nipple. No and no. Taking deep breaths through my nose didn't reveal any strange smells, either.

The regular senses exhausted, I decided to go with new ones. Feeling out the steady hum of my Juice, I closed my eyes to make it easier. When I they were shut and I was focusing, I noticed something: my Juice was running through something that was tensed up . . . kinda like a grasping finger.

I blasted out of my chair, hoping against hope. I took a few deep breaths, opened my eyes for a second, and closed them again.

I had never been so glad to sound like a dork as I said, "To defend the defenseless."

"Yes!" I shouted in joy, the tingling sensation coursing through my body. It concentrated in my muscles as they went half-again bigger then three times as big. My perspective on the room shifted slightly as my height gained another 6 inches, my bones vibrating with the Juice running through them as they stretched. For a split second afterward, I was naked as my regular clothes disappeared, replaced in the bat of an eye with Megadeus' one-piece, capeless costume.

When it was done, he was back. _I_ was back.

I yelped and jumped a foot in the air and stayed there, feeling the welcome sensation of the invisible but sturdy support of my TK keeping me up. I had the urge to rip the window off its frame as I flew over, but I restrained myself, only throwing it open before I rocketed out of it, pulling into a steep climb. The wind whistled in my ears, my skin breaking out in goosebumps in response to rush of cold air and my lungs burning from taking it in. After a bit, the coppery taste tingled across my tongue, showing me that I had just broken a level in the atmosphere, where I stopped, really digging into the strange, metallic taste, something that I didn't even know I had missed.

For a good bit after that, I just kept my eyes closed, listening to the wind rush around me. There was no shelter from it at that altitude, but I took in the crisp chill, giving up all resistance. The longer I held my spot in the currents of air, the wider my smile got, until I'm sure that I looked like an idiot. But that didn't matter, since there was no one up there to see me, not that I would've cared even if there was. My smile widened a little bit more as I realized how _great_ it was to have my mojo back.

But sitting still wasn't enough, not anywhere close. I went from being to still to barrel rolls and loop-da-loops and corkscrews and every other aerial trick I could think of as I bolted around the campus airspace. When I finally finished, I screamed again, just like I had back on the very first day. It felt so good to be back! It was –

– and, then, Maria's face appeared in my mind, her bottom lip puffed out and her eyes glistening. That dampened my mood a good bit, so I decided to touchdown for a minute. I found a good knoll for it at the edge of campus, just short of the forest's edge. I landed started pacing rings around the small hill, which only helped a little. That bit of extra clarity didn't really get me anywhere, though, even after more than 10 minutes.

After I saw that I wasn't getting anywhere, I got ready to take off. That was when I heard rustling in the woods.

"Who goes there?!" I called out, reflexively adopting an aikido stance and going a few inches off the ground.

I held myself at the ready, straining my eyes to see into the gloom below the branches of the trees. For all my effort, I got nothing: as far I could tell, nothing was there except plants. I made sure of that by sweeping the forest's edge again before I dropped my stance and went up a bit. From the new height, I triple-checked the shadows, just to be as sure as possible. When that didn't turn up anything, I figured that it was just my imagination. I stopped worrying about it and flew back to Emerson in a few minutes. By the time I got close, I saw that someone had closed my window, which probably meant that Max was back. I drifted down and knocked on the window, and Max popped up in front of it a second later, wearing only his pajama pants. He flashed me a wide smile and slid the window open.

"Bro! You're back!"

"I'm aware, my friend," I said, geekasming inside at my booming, heroic voice. Max stepped to one side and I flew in before settling on the floor.

"So, when did you get Megadeus back?" Max asked, sliding the window shut.

"Earlier this evening," I explained. "A moment."

I closed my eyes, careful to leave tension in the "finger" so that I would keep Megadeus, but relaxing the "muscle." As soon as I did, the reverse tingle hit me, making me feel like I was under a man-sized vacuum cleaner. The sensation cleared after a few seconds, and I was back to normal.

"Anyway, where was I?" I asked.

"Getting Megadeus back."

"Right. I was working on a new comic with him earlier tonight, and I just felt my energy change, you know? I tried MD's catch-phrase and BOOM! I was Megadeus again."

"Wicked, bro, wicked," Max said a second before he furrowed his brow in consideration. "Do you think that maybe bringing back old Imprints is faster than making new ones?"

I stopped to consider it a second before I said, "Yeah, I think it might be. I only worked on the Megadeus comic for about an hour-and-a-half, and I had him back."

"And it took you a few weeks to make a new one, right?"

"Yeah, exactly. About six, actually, at least with the Vengers."

"Hmm. So, it looks like you could get the other ones back pretty fast, too?"

"Yeah, yeah it does. Sweet. I thought that it was gonna be at least until Thanksgiving until I was up and going. But I can be all the way back in the next few days! How cool is that?"

"Pretty cool," Max said, smiling broadly.

Max went back to his bed and his current novel, one of the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (something fantasy, I think, judging by the cover), and I started stripping down for bed. While I was in the process, I remembered that Max had been missing just a few minutes earlier.

"Oh, hey, Max," I said. "I wanted to ask: what were you up to a little while ago?"

He got a weird smile on his face and waggled his eyebrows. "Oh, here and there," he said.

"Here and there?"

His smile spread a little wider and he said, "Yeah, here and there. Lyn's room . . ."

"Lyn? What about Dawn?"

"Oh, we've got a thing on Thursday."

I blinked, my brain refusing to comprehend what he was saying. "Lyn tonight?" I asked. "Dawn Thursday?"

"Oh, and Briana over the weekend."

My jaw dropped. That meant that he – with three girls, and –

"Aren't you afraid you'll . . . get caught? I mean, the rules are pretty clear."

He smiled a little broader still and said, "Bro, I'm a porter. And guess what? Boston's in my range, just barely."

"Boston?"

"Oh, yeah. My dad has a penthouse suite out on permanent reserve. And . . . let's just say that the maids're paid not to ask questions."

My jaw dropped at least another inch.

"You – three of them – Boston?"

"But not all at the same time," he said, then he got a slyly contemplative look and tilted his head back. "Well, for now, anyway."

I tried to think up something clever or insightful to say. You'll never believe what I came up with – "Wow."

He waggled his eyebrows again and all I could do was shake my head. I finished stripping down to my boxers before I turned off the lights and fell in bed.

//Three girls! Three!// was my last thought before I drifted off to sleep.

Tuesday, October 3rd
Our journeys between the worlds blurred together like dreams, which, upon reflection, was only right. With every crossing, we grew mightier still in our gifts, until we were as gods themselves, breathing life into things of the world long since passed. All the wonder of that restored vitality and our blossoming greatness was tainted by one terrible truth . . .

The use of our gifts was killing us.

Those words hung in my mind as my eyes shot open at dawn. Even as the words and dream faded, the feeling of dying stuck in my memory. While the Passions had never been stronger in . . . whoever I was, I could feel his body, my body, was more lethargic than it had been before, like it was . . . winding down. What did that mean? Did that mean that I would die from using my powers, like my ancestor had?

I didn't think so; the main reason was the fuel for his powers were the Passions, which felt like Juice, but _way_ stronger, and I think it was the Passions that were doing the damage. Just to check that my Juice was doing something like that, I did a mental once-over of my body, comparing how I felt to how I felt in the dream. There wasn't anything bad to find, though: my energy levels were still good, no, heck, great, and I felt more alive than I ever had on my best day pre-Manifestation. I didn't feel like I had in the dream. At all. That meant that I wasn't killing myself, but I was still worried. It would probably be a good idea to mention the dreams and everything to the testers, even if I was guaranteed to get a headache out of it.

A few minutes later, I was up and dressed and going to meet Zack for our run, the first one for me in a few days. When I got inside, I found out that the weather was cold, like the night before, almost bitter. I adjusted to the tempearture as I walked around to the front of the building, where I found Zack getting stretched out at the Emerson statue beneath the trees, whose leaves were almost entirely red.

"Hey," he said in his usual, elaborate way.

"Morning," I said, equally sophisticated, as I bent down to stretch out.

"Finally able to run?"

"Yep. My side's all the way healed up, now."

"Good."

As I was stretching, my thoughts went back to Maria again. That's when I got an idea.

"Hey, Zack, I'm only gonna take half the distance today."

"I thought you said you were healed up?"

"I am, but Maria and I had a fight . . . sorta, and I want to make it up to her."

"Ah. That's fine, then," he said, doing a butterfly stretch before getting to his feet. "I'm ready when you are."

"K. I'll be good to go here in a minute."

I finished up quicker than usual and gave Zack a nod. We took off at full tilt, like we had since the week before, but I stopped in front of Emerson after the second lap. Zack ran backwards for a second after that to give me a quick wave before turning around and taking off for his third lap. I went back inside, grabbed my shower stuff, and bathed as quickly as I could. I didn't have to wait at all, since I was moving even further ahead of the guys than usual.

After I left the bathrooms and got my clothes on, I grabbed the steampunk-looking walkie that Maria had made for me and pushed her button, the silver one. The walkie beeped once, which I guessed meant that I was online, or whatever.

"Uh, hello? Maria?"

I heard a girly snuffle from the other end.

"Maria?"

". . . bear?" she asked, slurring so bad it almost sounded like she was drunk.

"Yeah, it's me," I said. "You awake?"

"Am now," she said, irritation gritting in her voice. "What is it?"

"I have a surprise for you, a, uh, make-up present over the thing last night. It's completely harmless and doesn't involve, uh, you know . . . so, how fast could you be ready to come outside?"

I swear I could almost hear her rubbing her eyes when she said, "It can't wait?"

"Um, no, it really can't."

"Uh," she said, sighing. "Gimme 10 minutes?"

"Perfect. I'll see you then. Oh! I'll be at your window."

"O . . . K?"

When the walkie beeped again, I heard Max stir on the other side of the room. "Bro?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry, man. Didn't mean to wake you up."

"Nah, it's cool. What's up with you and Maria?"

"Oh, we had a . . . thing yesterday, after everybody left from Spira's. I've got a surprise planned to make up for it."

"Oh, wicked, bro. Hope it goes great."

"Thanks. Gotta go."

I ran out the door and down the hall. I checked the light above the door, and, thank God, it was green: the whole surprise would've been ruined if it hadn't been. Next up, a quick check of the time showed that I still had a few minutes to transform and get over to Dickinson. Flying there was going to be bending the rules a little, even on a green day, but it would be worth it – if the surprise did what I hoped it was going to.

"To defend the defenseless."

After the tingle washed over me and I finished changing, I went airborne, barreling to Dickinson, arriving right on time. Maria surprised me by opening the window a few seconds after I got there before peeking her head out. Her eyelids were still looking heavy, and she had a bathrobe wrapped around her normal bedclothes of a baby-t and pajama pants.

It was kinda weird seeing her that way. Her hair was really messy, and her robe was a kinda clumpy, but she was still cute. Altogether, it was like seeing a wet kitten on your front doorstep. A _hot_ kitten – or something.

"Uh, hi," she said. "Oh. Megadeus is back. I'm glad for you, but couldn't that surprise wait until breakfast?"

"That's not the surprise, darling. It's something else altogether, and for that you'll need a blanket, I believe. It's quite cold out here."

"Sure," she half-grumbled. She came back a second later wrapped in a beaten-up comforter. "OK. Now what?"

I offered her my arms, "I'll take you like this."

She tilted her head and crinkled her brow. For just a second, I thought that meant she was gonna turn me down, but she surprised me again by crawling out of the window and into my arms. Even with my gigantic muscles, she fit in my arms perfectly.

"Would you close your eyes?" I asked.

She looked seriously angry but did it. As soon as she did, I took off toward the west-most point on campus, just above a tall hill. I kept my pace slow on the way over so that Maria wouldn't freeze on the way over. Even still, she was shivering a little, so I pulled her closer. That helped her enough that she had stopped jittering by the time we stopped and turned directly east, where the horizon was brightening very fast, meaning that sunrise was close.

"All right, bunny, you can open your eyes," I said.

She did and eeped from shock.

"Shh, I've got you," I said. "I won't let you fall."

"This is it? Really?" she asked. "You wanted to show me campus? Right now? When it's freezing out here?!"

"No, just watch . . . it's starting."

Just like the few other times I'd watched, the whole valley took and held a deep breath the second before the sun peeked over the hills. Sunlight flowed onto the woods at the feet of those slopes, where I swear I could pick out every bit of yellow, orange, red, brown, and green. As the sunlight rained on the forest, the trees moved and swayed like they were signing to each other.

After passing over the trees, the sunlight lapped onto the shooting range at the far edge of campus, where the most dedicated marksmen were interrupting the otherwise silent morning with their firing, everything from simple cracks to strings of thunder to sounds that had never been heard.

Sweeping beyond guns and booths, the wave of light washed onto Kane's grounds which glinted from the pieces of some broken gadget. When the sunlight crested Kane itself, the tip of the observatory's telescope sparkled and shone like another sun as it withdrew into its protective housing. I felt Maria's chest expand as she took in a breath at the sight.

"That's not even the best part," I whispered.

The tide of sunlight picked up speed as it rolled over the fliers outside of Laird Hall, Tennyo and Angel clearly visible even from the considerable distance. Sunlight passed over them and cascaded onto the loading docks outside of the Crystal Hall, where they were unloading a pod of hippopotami.

But everything was forgotten as soon as the first bits of light trickled onto the dome itself.

First, the section at the top of the dome sparkled ruby red, the band of color tumbling down the side of the dome as the orange of tiger-lilies surfaced close behind it. In the wake of the orange, yellow sprang to life, as brilliant as the sun at noon. Another wave of color follow yellow, and another, another, each more breath-taking than the one before it, until we came to the last: the violet of a perfect autumn sunset rolled over the sphere, completing a full rainbow of beauty scattered over the Hall's surface.

I turned my attention back to Maria, whose breath had stopped.

"Do you forgive me for being a fool?" I asked.

"Oh . . . I . . ." She leaned up, and we shared a kiss as the wave of sunlight crashed over the last sections of campus.

She pulled away and looked up at me before she said, "Hunky bear, that . . . that was amazing!"

"I'm really sorry about last night dar – bunny . . ." I said, clearing the Megadeus-speech out of my head with some difficulty. "I never wanted to make you guilty or nervous. And this. This was to show that I'm not mad. At all."

"Really?" she said, her eyes sparkling in the morning sun. "You're really not?"

"No," I said, giving her my brightest smile. "I want you to be comfortable, remember? I'll wait until you're ready. And I won't be mad for it."

"Oh, I . . . thank you. OK."

She snuggled up next to me for a minute and we stayed there in the air, watching the campus stir and awaken.

"I think we'd better get you back so you can get ready for the day," I said.

"Oh! You're right! Oh, god, I won't have much time!"

"Hold on. I'll get you back fast."

She clasp her arms around my neck and I shot off, going as quickly as I could without putting Maria in any danger. The farther we went, the tighter she pulled her arms, but I hardly even noticed, even when it would've strangled anyone else. That wasn't enough to keep her calm, though, as I saw that she had closed her eyes tight before we stopped just outside her window.

"We're here," I said.

She opened one eye first and then the other before she exhaled a big breath. I unfolded my arms and let her back into her room.

"I, um, I just wanted to say: thank you so much," she said. "That was incredible. People don't know what they're missing, I think."

"You're right, they don't. See you at breakfast?"

She nodded. As our eyes locked, she grinned. I hung in the air, fixed on her, until she closed the window and gave me a little wave. We shared smiles before she released the blinds. I stared at the beige barrier for a minute or two before I flew back to Emerson, ready to get started on what was sure to be an awesome day.
]]> Aranis 2009-02-26T04:44:51-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=29325&th=1139#msg_29325 Part 4

Tuesday, October 3rd – Morning
I settled down on the concrete right next to Ralph's statue, deciding that I would downshift outside. I closed my eyes and let go of the tension, fading back into my normal self. With my watch back, I checked the time only to find that I had barely enough time to shower, check my mailbox, and get breakfast! I ran back to my room, whipped through my shower, and jogged to the mailboxes. A few spins of the combination dial later, I opened my box, which had a couple pieces of mail inside.

The first one was from Dr. Woodrow. She said that my powers testing appointment had been moved to that afternoon, after classes. The second note was from Ms. Hoben, saying that art class was canceled that evening, due to an art show where she was presenting her work. I finished the note before a terrible realization hit me: I hadn't worked on my project _at all_! If class hadn't been axed, I would've been in very deep trouble. I took a breath of relief over that dodged bullet, saying thanks to God (or whoever) for looking out for me.

I stuffed the notes in my bookbag and sprinted to the Hall, where there was hardly any breakfast food left. I had to cobble together a bunch of leftovers, including some bacon that was black. By the time I got to the table with my crappy meal, I was too hungry to really care about the quality, so I shoveled it all in and gulped it down, even the extra-carbon bacon.

"So, dude, how did it go?" Max asked, seeing that I had finished eating.

"Oh," I said, slurping down my last bit of grits, "really good, I think. Oh, wait. Has Maria not come in, yet?"

"Nope," Penny said. "You kept her out so long, Casanova, that I don't think she'll have time to get breakfast today."

"Are you serious?! Crap, gotta go! See you, guys!" I said, sweeping all my stuff together and leaving my tray for the workers to pick up. I bolted between serving bars, hoping that I could find something, anything. I lucked out when I found a cup of blueberry yogurt (Maria's favorite) on the last bar I searched. I grabbed it, a spoon, and a juicebox before I ran out of the Hall toward Dickinson.

I crested and came down the other side, running at full tilt. I passed some girls on the way, but I wasn't paying much attention, trying to get to Dickinson as quickly as possible. I was most of the way there before I realized that one of those girls who had passed had been _Maria_. I doubled back, keeping my eyes peeled for her that time, and I found her heading back toward her cottage.

"A!" she called. "What's gotten into you?!"

Give Zack his credit: after all that running, I wasn't even winded as I said, "I have breakfast for you. I didn't want you to starve, so, here you go, blueberry yogurt and an apple juicebox. Oh, and a spoon."

"Oh, thanks, hunky bear. I'll eat it on my way to class," she said before she gave me a quick kiss.

"K. I'll walk you there?" I asked.

She smiled and said, "Sure."

Before we started walking, Maria closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. A second later, there was a pair of clacks that came from her stomach.

"Uh, Maria?"

She didn't say anything, and, a second later, two things that looked sorta like arms, but spidery and chrome, popped out from unseen slits in her blazer. One arachnid hand grabbed the yogurt and the other snatched the spoon.

"Ohhh, cool, those are your auto-hands, right?" I asked as she opened the yogurt with her regular hands.

"Yep! I'm still working out the really fine dexterity. I can't really write with them yet," she said, the right auto-hand giving her a spoonful of yogurt, "but I'm getting closer."

"Awesome."

"Oh, that reminds me! I haven't shown you my new stuff in my room yet have I?"

"Uh, no."

"Remind me to do that! It's great!"

We walked and even got to hold hands for a few minutes as we went over to Kane. I dropped Maria off and I went to Geometry. Ray waved at me as I sat down, but we didn't have time to talk. After that, classes were pretty average. Of course, "average" for Powers Theory meant "claw out your eyes from boredom." I spaced out and messed around with my glyphs for a while. During a particularly dull section (which is really saying something), not even my glyphs were enough to keep me occupied, so my mind started wandering.

Since class had been canceled, I had the evening free. But what to do with it? I could . . . and, then, it hit me: I could have my pizza party that night! I had the free time and the money, so why not? I decided that I would go ahead and order the pizza and grab some soda at lunch, so that everything would be good to go that night.

Once the morning was out, everyone met at the Hall for lunch. I was able to get two whole sides of barbecued pork, with a drum of Pepsi to complement it. Everyone sat down and started eating, and even Inspira wasn't giving me looks about my eating habits anymore. Really, my messiness was tame compared to other people, anyway. Like Tennyo. Steer clear from her or pull back a stump.

Maria played with her auto-hands some more at lunch, trying to feed herself two courses back and forth between her regular hands and widgets. It, uh . . . didn't quite work. She wound up with salad dressing on her blazer and soda on her skirt after her gizmos whacked out when an Energizer walked by. I had to supress a smile while I helped her get cleaned up some. After that, we left for her cottage so that she could get a replacement uniform.

I waited in the lobby while she changed. When she came back out, she was grumbling something about fluxes in her biomemetic jointwork . . . or something.

"You OK, bunny?" I asked.

She stopped grumbling and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, her face wrinkled in a pout. "I should've known better than to take an untested prototype into the field. That was stupid."

I put one arm around her and pulled her close. "We all make mistakes, don't worry about it," I said. "Hey, you wanna come with me? I gotta stop by the bistro and the campus store."

"Oh, yeah?"

On the way back to the hall, I explained my idea about the icebreaker.

"Oh, A, that's an awesome idea! I, uh, I wouldn't even think about trying it, but I'm so glad you can!"

"Oh, why not?" I asked.

"I'm, uh," she said, blushing slightly. "When it comes to meeting people, I'm, um, not so good at it."

"Really? I never noticed."

"Well, you remember the night we met?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Remember how I was, you know, sitting by myself?"

"What does that – ohhh."

Yes, I'm dense sometimes.

"Well, I don't expect you to help out or anything," I said, "so you don't have to worry about it."

"Wait, you don't want my help . . .?"

"Of course I do!" I said, scrambling for a save. "It's just that I'd never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable! You could help me do the prep-work!"

She tilted her head to side for a second before nodding. "Sure."

//Another close one,// I thought, taking a deep breath inwardly.

We ordered the pizzas, deciding that 20 should do it. That would be a whole pizza (and then some) for every person on the freshman floor. Considering how much some of us ate, even that might not cover it. Enough or not, I asked the people at the bistro to deliver it to the Emerson commons room at 9:00, which would be long enough after supper that the guys would probably be hungry again.

After I paid for the food with my second account, we headed for the campus store.

"Hey, A?" Maria asked.

"Yeah?"

"Did you clear this with your housemother?"

I did a full-out facepalm right there. "Ah, crap!" I said. "No, I totally forgot!"

"It's fine, really. I'll get the soda, you go check with your housemother. What did you want to get, anyway?"

I told what I had in mind and we agreed that I could pay her back later. Once we'd finished the arrangements, she left for the campus store and left for Emerson to talk with Mr. Dunn. I hoped that he would be in for lunch, and, sure enough, I heard an answer from the other side of his door when I knocked on it. I walked inside was a little amazed at how much stuff he had managed to cram in it. There were a few pieces of art a good number of bookshelves, tall enough that they filled the space between the floor and the ceiling. While I looked around, I heard classical music playing over an unseen speaker system.

"Yes, Mr. Morris?" Mr. Dunn asked from a small wooden table, where a mostly eaten meal sat.

"Oh, I was wondering if I could have pizza and soda in the commons room tonight from 9:00 to 11:00, or so."

"Possibly," Mr. Dunn said before leaning back and folding his hands in his lap. "What's the occasion?"

"I just feel like I haven't had the opportunity to get to know the other freshman, is all. I feel like I've been off in my own little world and not really connecting to people. I thought that if I could have a little icebreaker to change that, and nothing gets guys together like food."

He raised eyebrows and nodded. "I'd never argue against a student becoming better acquainted his fellows, but I feel I wouldn't feel like a bunch of freshman gathering together without supervision would be a wise idea. You can have the commons room, Mr. Morris, but I'll have someone there to make sure things stay under control."

"Oh . . . OK. Who's gonna be our chaperone?"

"I'll have to see who's available, but he'll be in the commons room at 8:30 so that you two can meet."

"All right, then. Thanks for this Mr. Dunn."

"Of course."

I closed his door behind me and smiled, glad that things had fit together and I had dodged yet another bullet.

//I really need to start thinking things through more.//

After that, I left for BMA over in Laird Hall. It was good to know that I could transform if I needed to, but, as it turned out, I didn't need to for class that day. I got ready to when I saw Silverwing, but he made a point of not even getting within arm's reach of me. Heck, he didn't even _look_ at me.

//Really need to check about that . . .//

Without the two of us getting pissy at each other, class was actually more decent than usual. It would have been almost good if I hadn't been thinking about what Max did to Silver. I looked over at my roomie, but he had his usual grin and friendly eyes while he was sparring with Squirrel Girl. I tried looking closer, seeing if I could get past his mask, but I couldn't. Golden Girl took advantage of my staring and tagged me with hard atemi. I got her back a few more times before class was out, but I was still thinking about Max.

After BMA, Powers Lab came and went with more usual stuff. Mrs. Bohn said that she was going to start me on Brick assignments soon, which meant that I would have to do things like hold an egg while transformed for hours on end. Fun. Until then, she wanted to know everything about what had gone on with my losing my Imprints then regaining them. She wanted me to see if all my old Imprints could be brought back with as little effort as Megadeus had taken, and she wanted me to try it. I didn't really want to bring back the others, but then I realized that I could just let them go once my assignment was finished.

History and Flight classes were a little on the boring side, but I did get the chance to really do some neat stuff in Megadeus mode, so that was something.

After classes were done, it was time for my powers testing appointment, which I was sorta looking forward to, but not exactly. I walked over to Siegel and took the elevator down to the testing labs. When I got there, I saw Sarah waiting in the atrium, busying herself with some computer work.

She clicked her mouse a few times before she said, "Oh, BB, hi, you're right on time."

I cringed at the god-awful code-name, more than ready to change it.

"Hey, Sarah, quick question?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I get my code-name changed right here? I finally have a new one and I really, _really_ want to get rid of BB."

"Oh, sure. No trouble at all. Gimme just second . . ." she said, clicking her mouse a few more times and typing something in. "Ready. Your new code-name is – ?"

"Aspect."

"Oh, not bad at all. And . . . done! The change should be finalized by the end of the day."

"Sweet. Thanks a lot. Do I just need to head back now?"

"Yep. You'll be in Lab S today."

"K, thanks."

As I walked past her and into the corridor, I remembered that Lab S was for Psi testing. I paused for a second before I stepped inside.

//Wonder what this is for?//

I partially answered that question after I got a look around inside Lab S. Sitting in the center of the chamber was a fold-up table, where a laptop and a pile of books sat. I could only see the writing on a couple of them, but they were definitely not in English.

"BB!" Dr. Hewley said, bounding and jiggling over to me with Dr. Shandy close behind. "Welcome back!"

"What's with the table?" I asked, although I was already pretty sure I knew.

"Ah, that," Dr. Shandy said. "We'll be testing your language-based ability today. We have a number of texts here, and we want you to try to translate the first couple chapters of each."

"Oh, OK," I said, my suspicions confirmed. "Can I go ahead and get started?"

"Sure!" Dr. Hewley said. "We already have the psionic detection net up, so you're good to go."

"Right."

I walked over to the table, flipped open the laptop and turned it on. I picked up the first book off the stack, and I recognized it instantly as Greek, but it different than the Greek I had known. It was modern, maybe? Whatever it was, I got started in on it, but it took me a while to make any progress since I didn't have any access to dictionaries. Even so, after a while, something just "clicked" in my head, and I tore through the rest of the first chapter and all of the second.

That done, I went on to the second book. I didn't even recognize the flowing, multi-dotted script right then, but that didn't stop my power from working. The first few minutes with the book were just spent staring at the writing. I really had to focus to get anywhere at all, and when I finally started making headway, it was _very_ slow going. The second chapter went faster than the first, to be sure, but it was still slower than I was used to.

After the poke I had through the whatever it was, I was looking forward to trying something else. I might not have been, after all, had I known how hard the next one would be. I recognized the characters as Mandarin Chinese, which I hadn't done much work with at all. I stared at that the writing for even longer than I had at the weird, dotted one, and it was even slower going once I got started. I was bogged down in the first chapter when my stomach started complaining about needing food.

"Hey, guys? Can I give it break for today? I really need to get some supper."

I looked over at the alcove, but it didn't look like they'd heard me since they were both staring intently at their monitors and adjusting controls.

"Guys?"

"Oh! Sorry, BB!" Dr. Hewley said. "If you would, just save all your work, and we'll have our language department look it over."

"Right."

That done, I got up from the table and walked over to the alcove, where the both of them were still staring down at their screens.

"Dr. Hewley?"

"Oh, sorry," he said. "It's incredible! Another new Psi ability! And it's so flexible! It's great!"

"We'll have to compare your translations to those knowledgeable of the languages in question," Dr. Shandy said, "but it looks like you're actually coding the languages into your brain simply by looking at the script."

"Wow. Uh. That makes sense, I guess."

"Like we said, amazing!" Dr. Hewley added. "ESPer abilities like this have, so far, been limited to one language group. But as far as we can tell, you can understand _any_ language! Any!"

"What's interesting is that you take longer with certain languages," Dr. Shandy said. "We're not sure why that might be, but Livkovsky theorizes that ESPer's with powers like these have the hardest time with languages families that are most unlike their own. Arabic is only very distantly related to English, and Traditional Mandarin isn't related at all."

"Oh, wait, that second one was Arabic? It didn't give me as many problems as Chinese did."

"I would theorize," Dr. Shandy explained, "based on Livkovsky, that your difficulty came from the fact that Chinese shares so little with English, in basically every way. It's writing is ideographic, for instance."

"Oh,"I said, not really understanding.

"But we still have more to test," Dr. Hewley said, getting a child-like sparkle in his eyes. "Dr. Woodrow tells us that you can speak languages you've learned this way?"

I nodded.

"Excellent! That's what we'll test next time you're in!"

I nodded again.

//At least they're not arguing . . . yet.//

"Schedule an appointment with Sarah on the way out. See you soon!"

Even though I wasn't looking forward to coming back in, I couldn't help but smile. Dr. Hewley has that effect on people. I kept going down the hall to the atrium, where I made my next appointment, which was scheduled for the following Monday, during afternoon classes. That meant that I would get out of BMA – no complaints there.

I left from Siegel, starting off for the Hall before the cold the hit full force, making my teeth chatter. I decided then that I would swing by the campus store after supper to get a coat and some snack food. My shivering had turned to shuttering by the time I made it inside, but the welcome sensation of heat blasted me the second I opened the doors to the dome. I made my way over the shortest supper line and grabbed a couple of steaks with four baked potatoes smothered in butter before I went over to our table.

"Hey guys. Don't mind me," I said, attacking my food like it was planning a coup.

"Sooo," Penny said. "Maria tells us that you're going to have a little soiree in Emerson?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak without flinging sorta-mashed potatoes at her.

"Why didn't you mention it at lunch?" Penny asked.

"Oh," I said, gulping down a mouthful of potatoes. "I was planning on mentioning it after we were at Spira's."

"Ah. What all did you have planned?"

"You know, pizza, soda, getting to know people . . . that's about it, really."

"Are you serious?"

"I, uh . . ."

"A, if you want to make an impression," Penny said, leaning in, her eyes shining with intensity, "you have to make a splash. Something memorable."

"If you've got any ideas, I'd be glad to hear 'em. I'm drawing a blank."

"As it just so happens," Penny said, "I've got a friend who owes me a favor. And she'd be perfect for something indoors."

"Oh, OK. What does she do?"

Penny smiled and said, "I'll keep it a surprise until the party, but it'll be worth the wait, I promise. So, what are the details?"

I laid out the details for everyone.

"Good," Penny said, "that should work for my friend no problem."

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Inspira said. "I could cast a spell to make being friendly a breeze."

"You can do that?"

"Yep! No trouble at all. It'll just make it so that the party will stay nice and relaxed and make people a little chatty."

"I could also contribute," Ray said. "I could make it so that sounds from the commons room would be muffled. That way, everyone their could get loud if they wanted."

"Oooh, hey, if we don't have to worry about noise, I've got one," Maria said, a smile on her face a glitter in her eyes. "I could test out this stereo system I've been working on. It takes a few requests, then figures out what people would like to listen to!"

"Both of those sound great, guys."

"Oh, and bro," Max said, "if we run out of stuff, then I can port to the nearest Wal-mart. But till then, I'll make sure _everybody_ hears about it, no matter where on campus they are."

"Oh, cool. . . . thanks guys. This'll be a lot cooler than what I had planned."

"Naturally," Penny said. "Just remember whose idea it was to spice it up!"

Instead of going to study, we started getting everything together for my icebreaker. The first stop for me and Max was the campus store, where we picked up a bunch of snacks and a few more bottles of soda, all of which Max put in his personal storage. Maria and Penny left for Dickinson, Maria to get the soda that she had bought earlier and Penny to track down her friend. Inspira and Ray when back to their rooms, too, to get some spell components.

A few minutes later, all of us except Penny went to the commons room of Emerson with everything we needed. Maria and I got dragging some tables into place and scattering the stuff we had after Max took the stuff out of his personal storage. After he made sure we had everything we needed, he went to all the doors on the floor to let the guys know about free food, snacks, and soda. While he was doing that, Ray and Inspira started their spellwork.

Ray used a calligraphy brush and painted some symbols on the entrances to the halls, the front door, and the railings of the stairs. I paused from my prep-work to look at the characters she was using. I recognized both "water" and "silence."

"So, 'water' + 'silence' = sound barrier?" I asked her.

She blinked and widened her eyes for a whole second (she must have been really surprised!). "Essentially," she said. "I cast the spell, and these symbols form a perimeter. I need not concentrate on maintaining a certain area, you see, as the symbols do that work."

"Sounds good."

She started chanting in something that sounded a little like Chinese and a little not, but listening in made my ears feel like someone was blowing snow in them. It wasn't long before I couldn't stand it any more, so I changed focus to Inspira.

She was placing candles around the commons room, putting them in the candle racks on the walls that never had anything lit in them. I got close to one of the soft green tapers, expecting a pine smell or something, but they didn't smell like anything.

"What's with the candles?" I asked.

"Oh, they're good foci for emotional spells. You know, people use candles for a lot? Church services, weddings . . . intimate stuff, relaxation, a lot of emotional things. I'm just taking advantage of that association."

"Makes sense. Don't you have anything to light them?"

"Oh, sure!" she said before she mumbled something that my sinuses tingle. After she was done, all the candles she had put up lit up with tiny flames. "There!" she said. "Now, everyone should feel like talking and hanging out."

I could already feel the effect of the spell, too. If I hadn't known to look for it, I probably would've missed it since it was so subtle. It just nudged me, making me want to talk a little more. Not that I was very concerned about how things would go, but I felt some of my worries about the evening tone down a little, too, after a minute. How cool is that?

Once Maria had finished helping me lay everything out, she went over to the corner where she had dropped off the rest of her stuff. She picked up a sphere-looking thing, covered in her trademark silver chrome. On the top was a glowing white pad, and the sides of the sphere were had slots along them at regular intervals, going widthwise.

"What's that?" I asked as she put it on the center table.

"This," she said, her eyes twinkling. "Is that stereo I told you about. I have a library of more than 10,000 songs on here, including stuff that I can't stand. Anyway! I did some research about what music was popular and got all of that, and lots more, too."

"How does it work?" I asked, leaning over to examine the ball-shaped doodad.

"Watch," she said, getting a child-like look of excitement on her face as she put her hand on the white pad. It glowed a bit brighter when she made contact.

"The Real Folk Blues," she said. The machine beeped, and a few seconds later some blues/jazz number started playing only with Japanese lyrics.

"Next track," she said. Then, it started playing the opening theme from Outlaw Star.

"Isn't it cool?! It'll keep coming up with all the anime songs I have because that's what I requested!"

"That's great, bunny! One small thing, though."

"Oh?"

"I, uh, don't think too many people will want to listen to anime music."

"Oh, right," she said, puffing out her bottom lip in a pout. "I'll reset it. You request something, K?"

"Sure, just tell me when," I said.

She put her hand on the pad, said reset, and the thing beeped again. "Go ahead."

I walked over and put my hand the pad, the thing lighting up just like it had for her. "Move Along."

It beeped and started playing the All American Rejects.

"Man, that is cool," I said, pulling Maria close and giving her a peck on the cheek.

She blushed some and said, "I'm glad you like it."

By 8:30, we had everything set up, spells and all. Well, almost everything: we were still missing Penny and her friend. I wanted to find out what was going on with her, so I pulled my walkie out and pushed her button, the purple one. The thing beeped once, meaning that I was good to go.

"Hey, Penny, you there?"

"Yeah, A?"

"Just checking in. Where are you?"

"On my way over now, and my friend's coming, too."

"OK, good. See you in a minute."

By the time I stashed the walkie back in my pocket, the guy who I could only assume was our chaperon came down the stairs. The first I noticed about him was that he was a little more muscular than me, but not by a lot. Where we couldn't be more different, though, was in our hair: mine was black and his was so blonde it was almost white. I saw that his eyes were the same color blue that mine had been, back before my manifestation.

He walked up to me with a confident, but not cocky, stride. "You must be A?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's me, or Aspect, whichever you like. You are . . .?"

"Scott. Or Thunderbird," he said, extending his hand. I shook his hand and found out that he had a firm grip, but not a crushing one.

"Good to meet ya. What's your thing?"

"Oh, I can fly, do some things with electricity, and I can Mimic powers, but at a lower power level than the original."

"Oh, cool! You're the first power mimic I've talked to. How long do you get to keep the mojo?"

"Mojo? Oh. Usually about an hour."

"Cool!"

"So, what all do you have set up?" he asked.

I told him about the muffling spell, the chill spell, the stereo and the food.

"Nice," he said. "Sounds like you really have your bases covered."

"Yep, it was all their idea, really. I was just gonna have the guys come in and eat. Oh, yeah, there's actually one more thing to it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, well, my friend's bringing a friend of hers. They should be here any minute."

Almost like we planned it, Penny came in, along with a tall, kinda skinny girl. She was cute, and she bore a little resemblance to Catherine Zeta-Jones, which wasn't a bad thing at all. You could still she was a mutant, though, because her eyes were electric green.

"Hey Penny," I said, walking over to them with Scott close behind. "Why don't you introduce us?"

"Of course," she sang. "Mirage, Aspect; Aspect, Mirage."

"Nice to meet ya."

"And this is . . .?"

"Oh, girls, meet Thunderbird. He's here to make sure we don't get outta control."

Scott smiled and I saw Mirage turn a couple shades pinker before she gave a little wave.

"A pleasure to meet you two," he said.

"So, why don't you tell me what Mirage can do?" I asked.

"Not yet," Penny said. "It won't hurt or anything, but you won't be able to miss it."

"Oh. Uh. OK."

Mirage, Penny, and Thunderbird chatted for a few minutes while I took Maria to the door.

"Hope it goes great," she said.

"Thanks, I bet it will. I'll get your stereo back to you after we're done, K?"

She nodded and we shared a quick, and light, kiss. She gave a wave and walked off. When I walked back in, I was face to face with Max.

"Hey, bro. Everybody on our floor knows, and they should be on their way any minute."

"Awesome, thanks."

After that, it was just a matter of waiting. The guys started to trickle in, and I recognized a few of them. Uriah came in, and so did the Cloud wannabe, SOLDIER, or whatever. Then, there were a few guys who I had seen around but didn't know, and some guys that I hadn't seen at all. I think we had just about all the freshman in before the pizza arrived, just a few minutes past 9:00PM. Once I had that spread out, and it looked like we were going to get everyone we were going to, I stood up on the nearest chair, looking over the small crowd.

I smiled, genuinely happy for the opportunity, and said, "Hey everyone. You might be wondering why you all can get free food out here tonight. That's because I wanted the opportunity to meet you guys, and I figured that you'd appreciate getting some free food and soda in the process. So, eat, drink, talk, and chill, everyone! Get as much as food as you like."

I hopped down to the floor and there was a something of a stampede over to the table where we had the pizza. The guys ripped through the first 10 boxes in about 10 minutes, and I didn't get in their way for fear of losing a hand. When that feeding frenzy had finished out, people settled into groups and talked while I started making my way through the crowd, seeing who there was to see.

Or, at least I was going to. Before I got a chance, everything around us blurred and spun, the wind rushing around us, whooshing in my ears. When it all stopped, we were at the beach. I kid you not. I could even smell the waves and feel the warm breeze on my face. Even then, though, all the tables with the food and everything were still there.

"And this is thanks to Mirage, everyone!" Penny called out, pointing at her friend, whose brow was furrowed in concentration. "Enjoy the tropics!"

Everyone really liked that idea, and some of the guys even kicked off their shoes and socks, digging their toes into the sand. With the warm weather to encourage people even more, everyone got even more chatty and people started milling around.

I smiled and went into the the crowd, where I caught up with Uriah (whose code-name was Forgeworks), SOLDIER (who was still playing video games a lot), and Jeremiah (whose code-name was Night Terror. Night Terror?). I also met Forgeworks' room-mate, Eliot.

"I _prefer_ my code-name: Versatech," he explained.

"OK, Versatech, what's your thing?"

"I'm a Devisor. My specialty is reconfigurable automatons."

"Reconfigurable automa – Transformers?"

He looked at me like he wish he had laser eyes. "No, much, much better than that. Alpha!" In response, a little sorta-bug looking thing skittered over next to us. "Alpha, storage mode."

The little thing chirped and quickly transformed into a small cube, whirring and clicking in the process. Versatech picked it up with a proud look on his face.

"Oh, cool," I said. "What else can it transform into?"

He looked a little sheepish and said, "I've only configured those two modes for now. But there will be many, many more."

"Nice."

He went on about the designs of his little bugs while I pretended to listen. After I was sure that he was done, I said bye and went back out into the crowd.

"Heya," I said to the next guy who caught my eye, a sorta "Average Joe" type. "Aspect. You are?"

"Name's Harlan," he said, a bit of country twang to his voice. "Don't have a code-name yet. Thinkin' about Reach."

"Nice. What do you do?"

"Mr. Fantastic stuff," he said, extending one arm out about 10 feet for demonstration. Thing was, though, his arm drooped once it got so far. "I can't go out as far as he can, though."

"Oh, man, too bad. Still, that's awesome! Can you smash yourself into a little ball and bounce around?"

"Sure can," he said, his saying 'can' like 'cay-un.' He wrapped in on himself (something both neat and kinda gross to watch) until he was a ball about as big as an exercise ball. Then he bounced a few times, dribbling himself like a basketball.

"Sweet."

We chatted a bit more, and I found out that he was from Louisville, Kentucky, which explained the accent. He also told me that he was gonna try for rushing the Spy Kidz before too long. He gave me the lowdown on who/what they were, and they didn't really seem like my cup of tea, but he was real gung-ho about it.

I walked up to next guy, well, kid, really: he looked like he was 12 or younger. I had to practically twist his arm just to get his code-name: Timeless. And that was about all I _could_ get, too. He wasn't the talkative type. After him were two twins, both of them short, and both of them wearing the same nerdy gear. They said that they were Nate and Tommy or – and they struck a pose for this – the Stratosphere Siblings! When I asked why "Siblings" they told me that their sister was around, too, and looked a lot like them. Huh. Whateley.

After them, I ran into a guy who looked like he'd be at home in any anime you care to name. This was because of his improbably spiky brown hair and impossibly pale gray eyes. His build was skinny, but kinda corded, like you could tell there was a lot of strength, even if there wasn't much mass.

"Hey, I'm Aspect. You are?"

"Oh, hey," he said, his accent a little Brooklyn-ish. "Name's Reaver."

"Oh, good name. What's your thing?"

"These," he said, getting a wicked grin on his face. There was flash in each of his hands before swords appeared where the light had been. They were both straight swords, one black with a white hilt and highlights, the other one white with black hilt and highlights.

"Oh, that's really cool."

"That's not all, either," he said, his "either" more like "eetha." "I can copy powers with these babies. But the white one can only do defensive stuff, like Regen, and the black one can only do attack stuff, like TK."

"Oh, cool. What if you tried it on a PK-Superman?"

"You know, I don't know. I'll have to try it."

We talked a bit more after that, and he told me that he was from New York City (no surprise there), from Brooklyn, to be specific (even less of a surprise). He told me more about his swords and everything before I moved on to other people.

I won't keep going about everyone I met, but to sum up, I got to know Shadow-wolf (kid with weird kinda-shadowy powers), Negative (a darkness mage), Finn (an Avatar who had an ancient Celtic warrior's spirit), and a guy who called himself Incubus (you guess what his powers do).

All of us talked for a good while, and the music alternated mostly between rap and rock. At one point, Dancing Queen by Abba popped up on the stereo, but no one would fess up to requesting it. Probably for fear of shame and humiliation. All through the night, there wasn't a single repeat of Dancing Queen or any other song. People got a little confused about how to leave when they needed to, so Mirage just dropped the illusion. She looked glad to do it, too. It looked like keeping up that long had cost her, if the way her shoulders slumped was any indication.

As the guys left, I got plenty of compliments, especially the beach bit. That had been a favorite. Even as the crowd thinned out, the friendly atmosphere stuck around, and the hangers-on were still enjoying themselves. But they had to leave to, and by the time everyone had gone, it was almost midnight.

"That was fun, Aspect. Really great idea," Thunderbird said, finishing up his soda. "Do you need any help with clean-up?"

"No, I think we have covered. Just wanted to say, Thunderbird, thanks for coming out and watching us."

"No problem. Listen, if you need help with anything like this, or anything else, really, you let me know, all right?"

"Sure thing."

Scott waved goodbye and went back upstairs. I looked over the boxes of pizza and bags of food, all of which were empty. I smiled and got to work cleaning up the mess, glad to have finally gotten better acquainted with the guys on my floor. After that, I still needed to get to know everyone else. But that would take a LOT of pizza.

]]> Aranis 2009-03-02T05:26:29-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=30800&th=1139#msg_30800 Part 5

Tuesday, October 3rd – Night
Once Penny left with Mirage after everyone cleared out, the rest of us got down to cleaning, which was a breeze, thanks to Max bamfing stuff into trashcans, Inspira PK-sweeping the floors, and Ray and me moving furniture back where it was supposed to go. When we scooted the last table into place, you couldn't even tell that the commons room had been used at all. After we waved goodbye to the girls, Max and I went back to our room.

"Hell of an icebreaker, dude," Max said.

"I know," I said, smiling. "It was awesome! Thanks again for the help."

"No problem at all, bro."

Since we were already past our bedtime, we didn't say anything more before we stripped down and got in our beds. I fell on the mattress, my thoughts going back to the party. I smiled again, really glad that I was able to get to know everybody. I still wanted to get to know everyone else, too, but how could I do it?

I wasn't able to think up an answer, as I was out, just like that.

Wednesday, October 4th
We had breathed life into the failing world, but it had cost us. Dearly. One by one, each of us eight perished, our lives burned away by the use of our gifts. In the end, then, I was the last. Just as before.

My life will soon flicker and dim. Even so, this may not be the end. There may yet be hope. This engraving should preserve my thoughts . . .

My eyes shot open. Again. I sat up, trying to wrap my head around the dream before I realized that I was laying in a puddle of sweat. I took a deep breath, making a face at the intense body odor that burned my nostrils. I gagged, yanking the sheets off and throwing them in the hamper. That didn't get rid of the smell, though: my clothes, which were plastered to me, smelled just as bad.

I ripped off what clothes I could and headed to the bathrooms with all my shower stuff. I went through my routine fast, not only because I really wanted to get the smell off, but because I bet that it was a bad idea to keep Circe waiting. With that thought in mind, I was bathed, groomed, and dressed in something like 10 minutes, instead of 30. After I was finished getting ready, I put my new coat over my uniform jacket and went outside.

It was cold and misty for the first few minutes I walked, but it started thinning out pretty fast as the sun got closer to breaking the horizon, to the point where it was pretty much gone by the time I got to Schuster, where I found Circe waiting, her waist-length, brown-red hair flowing softly in the breeze.

"There you are, Alexander," she said.

I went with bowing that time, which probably still would've looked odd, but I felt like it was the right thing to do.

"I told you before, that's not necessary," she said, giving me a small smile. "But it's appreciated, all the same."

"Ma'am, could you f – what did you find?"

"A great many things. But before I reveal them, let us walk. There is a place nearby, an *old* place, that can confirm my suspicions and flesh out my discoveries. Come."

She turned and started walking, well, no, not walking, drifting, away from the main entrance. I ran to catch up then started keeping pace with her, even if I couldn't move like she could. We kept going like that for a while before I figured out that we were heading for the woods north of campus. I knew that students weren't supposed to go out there, but I figured that Circe had permission and everything, so I just kept quiet.

"I have arrived," Circe called out to a plain of grass in front of the woods. "As you offer me no harm, I would ask you extend that same attitude toward my guest."

I didn't really know what she was doing, but I heard wind blow through the trees and across the grass, and, I swear, it sounded like a sigh.

"Follow me," she said, walking into the grass. "You needn't concern yourself about this place, now."

I had to stop myself from looking confused before I just nodded. After we went a few feet into the reeds, the plants in front of us split apart, making a path.

"There exist beings in our world that savants dub 'genius loci,' Alexander, places possessed of life and spirit of their own," Circe explained as we walked across the field. "These woods are all controlled by such an entity, one very old, very wise – and very temperamental. It finds its borders precious, and it allows very few to enter its domain without responding in hostility."

I nodded, really trying to get it, but still feeling lost, all the same. I mean, I had accepted mutant powers, and everything. But spirits? Places that could _think_? I still hadn't really gotten it by the time we walked into the forest itself, where I noticed it was warm, like spring-time warm. I took off my coat and draped it over one arm as I looked around. Everything even _looked_ like spring, too, and I could smell flowers and . . . apples? And pears? But it was the middle of the Fall!

"Ma'am, why it so warm? And so, um, uh – fragrant?"

"Animation and consciousness are not the Grove's only gifts," she explained as we went further in, "the forest is magical. For certain, its existence would be an impossible if not for its mystical energy. That selfsame power is what allows the Grove certain latitudes with reality, such as temperature and humidity."

I nodded and tried to soak it up, still not understanding. My confusion wasn't enough to keep me from noticing things while we walked, though. For starters, the maples and pines got larger and closer together as we went. A deep breath pulled in smells of sugary sweetness of sap and fruit along with piney bitterness. Just under those smells, like a bass line in a song, were the earthy smells of wet soil, like a garden after a rainstorm. All of the aromas got stronger the longer we walked, and the air got thicker, too, close and muggy.

A breeze whispered through the trees, and I could've sworn I heard words in the rustling leaves.

#Welcome, Queen of Aeaea.#

"That was . . .?" I asked.

"The Grove," she said.

We walked a bit further until we stopped at the edge of a wide, grass-covered clearing. It was actually a small hill, and at its top was a grove of trees that made an impenetrable wall of wood, except for one narrow opening. All I could see inside was darkness.

"We have come to confer with you, O' Spirit," she said, her voice getting . . . respectful? "That your wisdom may guide us."

The air all around us stood still, and even the smells had faded away.

The grass rustled, whispering. #Enter.#

We crossed the clearing, up the knoll, toward the cluster of pines. Each step made the air smell of summer-time lawns more and more as bits of pollen swarmed the air. I looked back where we had walked, but there wasn't any trace of footprints: no smashed grass, no broken reeds. Our tracks weren't the only thing missing, as the clearing was quiet beyond belief. I hadn't noticed it so much, but before, there had been birds chirping and squirrels chattering. In the clearing, though? It was quiet and still, more peaceful than any other place I had ever been.

It took us a _lot_ longer than it should have, but we eventually got to the Grove's entrance. We walked inside, and all at once, I got a really strange feeling. You know how you get that funny feeling at the back of your head when you know someone's in the room, but you didn't hear them come in? It was like that, only ten times stronger.

The branches around us groaned and needles scattered. #Why have you come?#

"I ask about this one," Circe said, pointing to me.

I couldn't tell who she was talking to. Where was the Grove . . .?

#Why?#

"I suspect that you will recognize him."

I shivered all over as I got the feeling that I was being watched – no, inspected, making feel more exposed than being naked. Right then, I realized. I was _inside_ the Grove. But not just a cluster of trees, no. A place that was alive, like I was, but that's where we stopped being similar. As it investigated me, I felt even tinier than when Circe looked at me, like my life was nothing compared to the ages the Grove had seen.

#It is a Man-child,# it dismissed, its voice tinged with annoyance. #It is no different from any other.#

"I believed your response would be as such, Lord. A different tack, then: Alexander, transform."

". . . ma'am?"

"It is necessary, I assure you. Transform."

I gave her a confused look for a second before I said, "To defend the defenseless."

I was Megadeus in a split-second. Wind shot through the ring of trees, sounding a lot like a gasp.

#You – exist.#

"Once more?" I asked.

#You. Your kind has not been seen for a time.#

"My . . . kind?"

#Dreamwalker.#

I shivered all over again, but not from fear. Something about that word . . .

"There it is," Circe said. "We will take our leave now, o' Lord."

Wind murmured through the pine needles, breathing a sigh.

"Revert, now," she said.

I nodded and faded back to regular me in a couple minutes.

"Come," she said, walking back out. I still didn't know what was going on, but I didn't want to make the Grove angry, or anything, so I hurried after her.

"Um, ma'am? Is that, well, is that – all?"

"Certainly not. I thought it best that we depart before our host grows further annoyed."

It only took us a few minutes to walk back to the rest of the forest instead of the hours it had seemed to take to walk up to the Grove. The path out was even clearer than it was before, and there was even a breeze blowing at our backs.

Before too long, we were back in the field where we had started. We kept moving past that, even, walking at a pretty fast pace.

"Ma'am? Where are we going?"

"To my office."

"Why?"

She fixed me with an annoyed look that made me feel like I was a speck. "You will hold further questioning until we've reached our destination," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," I squeaked.

We stayed just short of jogging all the way back to Schuster, up to the second floor, through the hall, and over to the teachers' offices. She opened the door to her room and swept her hand toward the inside. I stepped in and she closed the door behind us. She walked behind her desk and sat down, turning to me with a small grin on her face.

"Tea?" she asked, reaching for a tray behind her. As she touched the pot, steam started rolling out of end.

"Um . . . sure, I mean, yes ma'am."

"Pleasant as they are, we needn't maintain such formalities, Alexander," she said, pouring herself a cup, then another. "Or shall I call you A?"

"That's fine, ma'am. Er. What would you like to be called?"

"Circe," she said, dripping some honey into her tea. "What would you like? Milk? Sugar?"

"Sugar's fine ma' – Circe."

Her grin widened a bit as she handed me a cup of tea on a saucer.

"Now, to business," she said, taking a sip before setting her cup back down. "You wondered why I brought you here?"

I nodded while taking a sip of the tea. It was _really_ good: not bitter, a little sweet, and with a smooth tang that couldn't have been from anything but tea.

"My office is secured with every anti-eavesdropping spell I know," she explained, folding her hands in front of her on her desk. "I brought us here to make sure that we would not be overheard."

I set the cup and saucer down, giving her a confused look. "It's that important?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Monumentally so."

"To understand, we have to trace history to its earliest roots.

"Long, long ago, an epoch before I came to live on the isle of Aeaea, another epoch before I even breathed my first. In this beyond-ancient age, there was a terrible war, one so great in scope that is beyond the ken of mortals. In this conflict were two sides: the unknowable Great Old Ones and the forces of the Five Courts of the Fae. The Old Ones wished to scour the earth of its life for reasons known only to them. The Fae, being god-like yet still of the Earth, opposed them."

"Great Old Ones? Fae? I'm, uh, not following."

Circe took a sip of her tea and said, "The Great Old Ones are beyond even gods in the breadth and depth of their might. Each Old One is unique unto itself, a singular monstrosity not bound by mortal, divine, or infernal limits. Their thoughts are so alien to ours as to be unknowable, and, in their minds, all of us humans are as annoying insects to be swatted.

"The Fae and their allies, though still alien, show mankind passing interest or pay them no mind, rather than treating them with hostility. While our races were united in a way, we take their side. They do not take ours."

"So . . . I think I get it. The Old Ones were worse than gods, wanted to wipe us out, but they Fae stopped them, and we survived because of the Fae."

"Essentially, yes. Shall I continue?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"This conflict raged on in a costly stalemate for millenia. Before all was lost, the Fae Queens united for a great ritual that would force the Old Ones into a deathless sleep outside of the reality in which Man dwells. Though their designs were fulfilled, the Queens were betrayed, their working forged into a double-edged blade that tore the Fae asunder. This event was later known as – "

"The Sundering?" I asked, remembering the explanation Circe had given on Monday.

She smiled and nodded. "Even if it had only succeeded in the goal for which it was designed, the spell of the Sundering was still an atrocity that sounded through heavens and the Earth. It depleted the already battered life of our world even further, pushing plant and animal alike to the breaking point and beyond. This was worst in the East, what is now called Eurasia, where the damage was so all-encompassing that none believed that life would survive at all.

"But what few savants walked the Earth in those days were proven quite wrong. While life by no means flourished, it did continue. None knew how such a thing could be possible. Yet it was so."

"OK. The Sundering shoved the Great Old Ones into . . . suspended animation . . .?"

Circe nodded.

". . . outside our reality. But the thing was the Sundering tore up the Earth really bad, and it hit living things really hard. It looked like everything was going to die in the East, but things kept going. What does all of that have to with me?"

"Every event has a cause, A, even one that seems to arise, unbidden, from nowhere. Such is the case here. Those few groups of humans who survived in the East fell quickly, whole civilizations obliterated. And, yet, there were those who persevered.

"One such group of men and women found each other in the shattered remains of the lands that they had known. They were called together for a purpose . . ."

"Wait, I know some of this! They weren't sure what it was, but they came together, eight of them, and then, they . . . went somewhere that was really weird. There were things there that shouldn't be able to exist at all. But, anyway, once they were there, they pulled, I dunno, _power_ from that place. And used it."

"Yes. I am certain that the place you speak of is Dreamspace.."

"Dreamspace?"

"A realm neighboring our physical reality. It is connected to Earth's life, especially humans and others capable of dreaming."

"So, can I . . . do I get my power from there, too?"

"No. You must understand, A, the barriers between the neighboring strata of existence had been worn by the conflict with the Old Ones, just the Earth itself. This allowed your predecessor and his allies physical entry into Dreamspace, something that is now so difficult as to be impossible. Those same barriers now prevent not only entry but also stop the Essence of Dreamspace from entering our reality except in the most mystically significant places."

"So, they got their power from Dreamspace, back when the walls were weak. I'm still not sure, though: what did they do with all that power?"

"You remember that I said that life continued on in the East?"

I nodded.

"Your predecessor and the other Dreamwalkers were responsible for that. The purpose they were called for was one of restoration. They tapped the tremendous Essence of Dreamspace, dreaming the forms of life back into existence. What they were doing was what those of modern times would call 'magic.'"

My jaw fell open. "You mean, I could _make_ living things? Anything I wanted?"

"No. In those times, A, the streams of Essence flowing over the world were broken, leaving gaps that those of proper skill and knowledge could take advantage of. The Dreamwalkers dreamt the old forms and, then, those forms settled into the recesses left behind by everything that had been ruined. If not for these special circumstances, then their dream-born creations would have faded away. Instead, they were anchored the Earth's flows. Were you to try feats similar to the Dreamwalkers, then your efforts, too, would disappear without being properly connected to the Earth's energy."

"Does that mean that what I'm doing is magic?" I asked.

"I deliberated upon the matter, concluding that the answer there is 'no.' The echo has insinuated itself gently, but wholly, into your nature, both as a human and as a mutant. The feats that you perform are, in fact, extensions of your mutation, just as the power testers believe."

"Hold on a second. You just mentioned the echo again, but I don't see how its connected to the Dreamwalkers."

"The echo is the very element that links you to the Dreamwalkers. You see, when they pulled the Essence into themselves and used it, it created in each of them a shadow of the people who they were. This fragment of power was not aware or conscious, but rather an incomplete imitation of the original Walker. These echoes survived even the passing of their 'parents.'

"They persisted on the Earth, seeking those of creative bent and blending with them. Denied their power source, however, they were unable to perform the miracles which they were meant to."

"Oh, wow . . . so my echo has been in a bunch of other people?"

"Yes, quite a number."

"Why don't I remem – wait, the dream this morning. He said 'engraving' and 'preserving my thoughts.' He was making a journal! On the echo!"

Circe smiled and said, "You continued to surprise me. Yes. I didn't understand when I saw it Monday, but there were etchings in the echo itself. Those must be the memories your predecessor left behind."

"Ahhh. OK, this is starting to make a little more sense. Now back to what you were saying, about the echo combining with my mutant powers? Did the echo make my powers the way they are?"

"In some ways. The Dreamwalkers, you see, shaped complex thoughts, desires, and patterns into constructs that they used further. Your Manifester ability mirrors that, in how you are able to weave intricacies, even whole personalities, into spirit-forms."

"Oh, wait. But it's like what the Dreamwalkers did! That's why they fade if I let them go!"

"Exactly so! As soon as you deny them their energy, they fade from existence."

"What about my Mimicking them, though? Did the echo do that?"

"I believe so, but indirectly. Had the echo not shaped you, then your Mimicking would likely have been more generalized, allowing you to duplicate others' gifts and forms, both."

"I would've have been a full-on Power and Body Mimic?"

"Yes."

"Sounds like the echo screwed me there, then."

"Not necessarily. While your capabilities are more specialized due to its influence, you are able to reach greater heights of power than others, as the Imprints arise from you, so their physical forms and Power Matrices fit well with your nature. Other Mimics do not enjoy such harmony, so their mirrored bodies and, especially, abilities are less potent then the originals.

"There are more benefits besides just those."

"How's that?"

"Normal Mimics require a metahuman in order to gain additional powers, meaning that they are limited to those present. You are free from those restrictions, needing only to have an Imprint at the ready."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that. All right, that covers my Mimicking and my Imprints. What about my Esper abilities, though? They don't really seem to fit."

"Those gave me slight pause," she said before taking another sip of tea. "Both of them mirror understandings that your predecessor had. The first arises from your instinctual understanding of the things of dream, which your Imprints and their abilities are.

"The second arises from the echo's interaction with Dreamspace. In Dreamspace, thought is the driving force behind all action. Likewise, the echo became attuned to thought itself, first, and whatever form it might take, second."

"Oh, I see. Wait. How come I'm not a Telepath or Empath, then?"

"You do not possess any Empathic gifts because you are attuned to _thought_. As for why you are denied Telepathy, in Dreamspace, while the dream has its origin in a person's mind, the dream shown in the Space is outside of that person. Likewise, your gift seems limited to those expressions of thought separate from their authors."

"I guess that makes sense. What about my power-gathering, though? My Juice? You didn't mention anything about the Dreamwalkers and sunlight, and I don't remember the dreams saying anything about them either."

"Both of those were simply due to your own thoughts and desires. Powers sometimes manifest according to a mutant's dreams and desires. In your case, you wished to emulate the character Superman and your power-gathering matched that desire. Your BIT, too, matched that of your childhood hero."

"Wait, what about my eyes?" I asked, pointing at my face. "Superman had blue ones."

"BIT's aren't always exact, A. It could be that your eyes were just an oddity, or it could be that they changed to match your character. We may never know."

"Got it. OK, that's all my powers. Is there anything more I should know about the echo?"

"Yes. Your echo may be unique even above and beyond the others like it. Your predecessor was a sagacious man, and he wrote safeguards into his echo."

"Safeguards?" I asked.

"Yes, precisely. You see, he and his allies died from over-exerting their power. He encoded measures that would prevent the same from happening to you."

My eyes went saucer-size before I said, "The safety valve!"

"Quite right," Circe said, smiling. "That, and others. For example, he made it so that the dreams would not come until you were ready for them. Perhaps his master stroke, though, was that he made his Passion far weaker in his echo than it had been in him."

"Passion? Oh, that's right! He talked about that in the dreams."

"You have encountered the term, then. What do you know of it?"

"Uh, well. Only that it's like my Juice but a _lot_ stronger."

"You're partly correct The Passion wasn't the Essence, the energy, itself, but the means by which it was used and acquired. With every channeling of Dreamspace Essence, the key Passion of each Dreamwalker grew stronger, enabling him or her to reach higher heights of ability. Would you care to guess what your predecessor's Passion was?"

I thought about it, and it came to me pretty quickly. "Rage," I whispered.

"Or Fury, depending upon your rendering."

"So, the made me into a rager?"

"Not exactly. You see, the 'rage' that students experience is often far beyond their ability to control. But yours is not. While it may be overwhelming now, in time, you could learn to regulate it."

"I mean, I'd be glad to be in control, but . . . what more would that do? Give me a power boost, or something?"

"Yes, I believe so. Just as the Fury was the key to power for your predecessor, so, too, may it be for you. Tell me: were there forms that you couldn't access? Imprints that were beyond your use?"

"Yeah. I haven't thought about them in a while, but I couldn't use any of the villains I had come up with, back when I was fighting Chasm in September."

"As I thought. While you stood within the revelatory circle just two days passed, I was able to see much about you, including your limits. I saw that you have an upper limit on the amount of power you can simulate. Your villains, their powers are much more intense than their hero opponents?"

I nodded.

"That is why you couldn't access their forms: their powers were beyond your ability to reproduce. Should you ever be enveloped by the Fury, however, that might change."

"I could . . . transform in Pyre? Or Soleil? Wait. I got rid of those Imprints. So I don't have anything to worry about. do I?"

She raised one eyebrow for a moment before taking a sip of tea. "I wish that were the case, but it isn't. While what you do now isn't magic, your power still mirrors some arcane strictures. In your case, every hero has to have his villain."

//Wait. Then . . . the Aces and Pyre. The Vengers and Soleil.//

"I'll always have a villain . . ." I whispered, the realization hitting home.

"Yes, you will, but you needn't worry. You still choose which Imprint to use, even when the Fury takes you. Or you will be able to."

"_Will_?"

"Yes, A. You will learn how to control the Fury, to make it a boon rather than a bane. But to that end, you must learn self-control, which brings us to the final issue with your history. I will fulfill the position of your meditation teacher."

I picked my jaw up off the floor before I nodded.

"You will meet with me as soon as possible after dawn in my office."

"OK. Sounds . . . good?"

She gave me an almost-reassuring smile and said, "Your case is a special one, A, and I am certain there is no other instructor who would be as qualified as I to help with your marshaling your emotions, given your background. We'll start at the first of the week next week.

"I believe that is enough for now. Carefully consider everything we have spoken of today, A. It is nothing less than your past, present, and future."]]> Aranis 2009-03-11T09:24:53-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=32054&th=1139#msg_32054 Part 6

Wednesday, October 4th – Noon
After the walk to and from the Grove and the explanation afterward, it was time for lunch when we finished up. And it couldn't have come a second sooner, either: I was _starving_ and my stomach was starting to get really vocal about me skipping breakfast. It was weird, but I hadn't really noticed it before then. Too much on my mind, I guess.

I made my way over the Hall, enjoying the cold, clear day. Well, mostly clear, anyway. There were some grayish clouds off to the south, but it wasn't enough to cover much of the deep blue of the fall sky. I got into the hall late enough that I had to wait for a while before I was able to get my food. That day, I decided to go with 10 sloppy joes, a giant pile of fries, and an industrial-sized Coke. I took my lunch over to our table, and all the guys were already there.

I sat down and ripped into the sloppy joes as Maria said, "Hey, bear. We missed you at breakfast."

"And also in Geometry," Ray added. "Is anything the matter?"

I held up my left index finger while I washed down a mouthful of beef and bun with a gulp of soda.

"No, everything's fine. I just had to do powers-related stuff."

"God, are they *still* not finished with your testing?" Penny asked.

"Well, they aren't, but that's not what this was about. No, this morning, I met with Circe, and – "

"Wait a second!" Inspira said. "Circe? THE Circe?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I don't get what the big d – "

"She is the most knowledgeable member of the Magic Department," Ray said. "And I have heard it said that she practically never works with students individually."

"Oh, wow," I said. "I really didn't know."

"There must be something extraordinary about you to make her pay attention to you."

//I guess this really _is_ serious.//

"So, what," Inspira asked enthusiastically, "you're a really powerful mage?!"

"No, Spira, I'm – "

"Oh, my god! Circe is teaching you spells?!"

"Spira – "

"You're gonna have to – !"

"Spira!"

"What?" Spira said, looking a little confused.

"Slow down, let me explain. I'm not a mage. It's complicated."

And, if Circe was paying special attention to me . . .

". . . besides," I added. "I probably shouldn't talk about it out in the open."

"Oh. Oh my god," knowledge lighting up in her widening eyes. "It really is important. OK. You _have_ to tell us everything when we all get to my room, OK?"

"Yeah, sure," I said, smiling from exasperation and amusement.

We chatted about classes some after that, but Max didn't say as much as he usually did. The few times I looked close at him, it looked like he was focused _really hard_ . . . on his spaghetti. Something wasn't adding up. I wondered about what he was bothering him for the rest of lunch. After we were finished, everyone split up, and I got his attention.

"Hey, Max," I said.

"Yeah, bro?"

"Is something wrong, man?"

"What?"

"It looked like something was bugging you at lunch."

"Oh. I'm playing chess."

I blinked. He didn't have a place to sit. He didn't have a board. He didn't even have a single chess piece.

"Playing chess?"

"Oh, yeah, bro. In my head."

I blinked again.

"Please tell me you're not going crazy," I said.

He chuckled. "Nope, still sane. Nah, I'm playing against Foob."

"Oh, wait, you mean that guy in over in Hawthorne?"

"Yeah. He's a super-powerful PDP. We keep track of everything in our heads, and we make moves every now and then, when he checks in with me."

"That's . . . cool?"

"Yeah, bro, definitely! C'mon, we gotta get to BMA."

We got over to the Eastman Annex and got changed in plenty of time. Max and I sat next to each other at the edge of the mat until the bell rang. The senseis were out the second the bell stopped, just like always. Tolman-sensei stepped the center of the mat, like always.

"Class. We have a new student joining us, transferring in from Survival 1. She has chosen to be more proactive her in her own protection, is something that I and Ito-soke are always glad to hear. One of you will be assigned her tutor to bring her up to speed, but, otherwise, treat her as you would any other student.

"Welcome Neuramail."

Maria came out of the locker rooms almost on cue, still struggling with her belt. Everyone looked at her, and she turned a bright shade of red before she gave an awkward smile and a little wave. My jaw dropped open.

"Neuramail, you are expected to be at the mat with the other students by the time the bell finishes ringing. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Maria squeaked.

"In this class, you will call me sensei, or Tolman-sensei."

"Yes, sensei."

She nodded and rushed over to the lines, sitting down. A good bit away from me. I didn't know exactly what to think, but I wanted to know what the hell _she_ was thinking.

"Class, today we will be practicing a new atemi. This one will aim for the cluster of nerves located below the shoulder. You will . . ."

And we proceeded to pair up and practice the new atemi, but my head wasn't in the game, and I didn't land it right once. And Golden Girl noticed.

"What's wrong with you today?" she asked.

"You know the new girl?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She's my girlfriend."

"So?"

"She transferred without telling me!" I said, missing the atemi again.

"And this is a problem because . . . ?" she said, hitting me with the atemi, lightly. It still really hurt.

I shook my left arm and said, "She could get hurt, here. I mean, I had my side sliced open!"

"What, you think that kids in Survival don't get hurt sometimes?"

"I guess I hadn't thought about it."

"Besides, she can learn how to actually _protect_ herself here, instead of running away."

I wasn't convinced. We kept going for the rest of the period, but I never landed the atemi. I was distracted thinking about Maria, wondering why she had transferred, and why she did it without telling me. It ate at me all the way through my shower, but I didn't get a chance to talk with Maria about it, since she was already gone by the time I finished cleaning up.

After that, I headed to Powers Lab, thinking about Maria the whole way. Mrs. Bohn interrupted my brooding when I got to Arena 77.

"Aspect, congratulations on the new code-name. It's a catchy one. When did you decide to change?"

"Oh," I said, taking a second to change gears. "I've actually been wanting a new one for a while, but I didn't figure out what it was until Sunday."

"Oh, good. Now that I have your attention, I wanted to talk with you about your Imprints. Have you done any work on them yet?"

"No, ma'am. It's been hard to find the time lately, but I had planned to get started later today."

"Good. I'd like for you to have 4 more forms back by Monday. I would like to see your Speedster, your brawling Esper, your blaster, and your aerokinetic all recalled and ready to use."

//So, FTL, Venger, Cobalt, and Raptor.//

"Yes, ma'am. I should have everything ready to go by class on Monday."

"Excellent. Until then, we'll continue treating you as a Brick, so go ahead with the exercises, like usual."

I did. But, without Mrs. Bohn to grab my attention, my thinking went back to Maria. That meant that precision control exercises, where we push two levers together and hold them at a certain point, didn't go so well. I did better with them than I did with BMA, but not by much. I just couldn't figure out what was going on, even by the time class was over. I left for World History, but I didn't have enough time to ask her about her transfer before the teacher came in. Class came and went, and I was finally able to get her attention as we were leaving.

"Hey, bunny," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral.

"Yeah, bear?" she asked, grinning.

"Could you meet me by the Archimedes statue around 5:00?"

"Yeah, I can do that," she said, her grin fading. "What's up?"

"I just want to talk."

She tilted her head and said, "What about?"

"It's nothing serious," I said, feeling a little ticked. "But I just want to talk. K?"

She nodded, her forehead creasing a little.

"I need to get to Flight class," I finished, trying to keep my anger out of my voice. "But I'll see you then?"

She nodded again, frowning a little, but I gave her a quick peck before I left to try to tell her that it things were all right – or mostly all right. Since I knew that I had done what I could about the BMA thing, flight class went better than my last three had. While I was there, I said I was sorry to Zack about missing our run that morning. He seemed mildly annoyed but shrugged anyway.

After going over more flight-regs and everything, class ended, and I went over to the Archimedes statue. It was getting colder as the sun sunk, but it was still a couple hours away from setting. I dropped my book-bag and leaned against the statue's base, waiting for Maria. She came a few minutes later.

"OK, bear, I'm here," Maria said, concern plain in her voice and on her face. "What did you want to talk about?"

Anger smoldered inside as I started, and I clenched my fist so hard it hurt. ". . . I want to know. Why did you switch to BMA?"

She tilted her head, looking even more confused. "I thought that you'd be glad that I wanted to learn to protect myself."

I clenched my other fist just as hard, trying to keep breathing. "I _am_ glad, but you could really get hurt. What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking?" Frustration edged into her voice and tears formed in her eyes. "A, I, uh, I . . ."

"Well?!"

"I . . ." she said, screwing her face up in frustration. "I wanted to keep you safe!"

"What?" I said, breathing again as my hands went limp.

"I wanted to keep you safe," she said, tears leaking from her eyes as the tones of her voice started mixing frustration with hurt. "When you lost your Imprints, and you, uh, well, had problems, and all that, I realized: I couldn't do anything to keep you safe. Sure, we had our friends, and all, but I felt so useless. If Max and everybody else hadn't been around, and it was just you and me, what could I do? What could I do . . .?"

She wiped her eyes and said, "And, then, that jerk sent you to the hospital. I saw you there, all bandaged up, and I was so glad you were OK! But, after that, I got to thinking. What if I had been around? What if I could've done something to make sure you were safe? But, no. All I knew how to do was run away.

"So, on Monday," she said, the frustration fading. "I went to my counselor and got it changed. If I had known that it would've made you mad, I would've, I would've . . ."

She didn't have a chance to say anything more before I had her wrapped in my arms.

"Listen, I was mad before, but it was because I didn't want you to get hurt," I said, feeling like a total moron. "People can get _hurt_ in martial arts class. I got cut pretty good, and this one girl got sliced just as bad if not worse. I, well, I wanted _you_ to be safe. Why didn't you tell me what you had planned, bunny?"

"I wanted to surprise you," she said, her voice choked with tears.

I pulled her in tighter.

"Sorry I screwed it all up," I said, feeling even worse. "Guess we just want to keep each other safe, right?"

She finally hugged me back and said, "Yeah."

We stood and held each other like that for a few minutes before we let go and said quiet goodbyes. It wasn't the best ending to the discussion, but it could've been much worse, like the whole yogurt episode. Thinking back to that made my stomach sink as I remembered saying, in a roundabout way, that she wouldn't be any help in a fight.

I couldn't shake the thought that I had given her the idea, which made me feel like even more of an idiot for getting upset about it. I sighed as I watched Maria walk the rest of the way back to Dickinson, and then I just stood and stared for a while, feeling like a super-putz. I decided that brooding about it wouldn't do any good, so I figured that I would distract myself with my drawing for a while. I had to do that assignment for Mrs. Bohn, anyway.

Once I was back to my room, I queued up my atmospheric music on my MP4 player, turned it up to a good volume, and sat down at my easel. After I thought about it for a while, I decided to go with bringing Raptor back first, since he should be really useful. Besides, I hadn't gotten to use him yet. I thought about him and decided to go back to work on his series. I hadn't really given it much attention because of the whole thing with Silverwing, and the idea wouldn't leave me alone. That, and, I still hadn't done much about the whole bully situation. With everything in mind, I got down to work.

I went back to the island, just me, my easel, and my music. Everything else disappeared, and I just whipped through panel after panel, page after page. My stomach rumbled with hunger, but I ignored it that time, focusing on the drawings that were flowing from my mind into my hand and onto the page. By the time I was finally done, I had three issues completely penciled, and an hour-and-a-half had passed. By then, my stomach was _very_ upset at me, and it roared twice as loud as usual to show how much.

I shook my head and smiled, getting up from my chair and grabbing my coat. I took off from my room at a jog, more than ready to make my stomach shut up. I stopped halfway there, though, when I felt something different, something subtle. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what it was, so I stopped, and started poking around at my Juice flows. And there it was. Another "finger" tensed up..

//No way!//

I looked around and ran for the nearest blindspot, which happened to be a small grove of trees. I didn't even care that I was so hungry that I could eat a herd of cows. I wanted to know if I was right. I took a deep breath, getting ready to feel like a total dork.

"The wind hears your crimes," I said, not feeling as dorky as I expected. The tingle washed over me, and a few minutes later, I looked down. I was in a completely black-with-red-highlights jumpsuit, even though it all looked green thanks to my goggles that were in nightvision spectrum. I smiled as I flexed my right wrist, and curved, talon-like blades popped out above my knuckles.

I had to stop and think about how they were activated for a second, but then I remembered that the controls were regulated by motions in my left hand. I touched the ends of my pinky and thumb to extend my wings, or I touched the ends of my ring finger and thumb for "divebomb" formation, or I touched the ends of my middle finger and thumb to make my wings fold up. I thought that they were in collapsed formation, so I put my pinky and thumb together. I heard the wings open as the memory metals gained a current. Unfolded wings were awkward on the ground – but I knew that would be a very different story in the air.

I was about to try out my aerokinesis when my stomach nearly turned inside out and roared like a suped-up Harley. I shook my head, disappointed, but I knew better than to wait any longer. I closed my eyes and downshifted before I _bolted_ for the Crystal Hall, wanting to get there before my stomach ate itself. I had to settle for about 15 pieces of mystery meat, but I was so hungry that I really didn't care. I ran to the table and ripped the meat apart and left little pieces all over. By the time I was done, I finally noticed that a new voice was saying something.

". . . eat like that?" the voice said. A girl's voice, kinda reedy.

I looked up, and there sat a girl who was a nerd. You know how, sometimes, you can just tell? In her case, she was wearing thick, plastic frame glasses, and her shoulder-length, dark brown hair sorta waved. The thing that really screamed "nerd," though, was that she was _pale_. Otherwise, she could have been cute, and her facial features even looked Exemplar-ish, but it was obvious that she didn't care of herself.

"Oh, uh, sorry," I said, wiping my mouth. "And, yeah, I do sometimes. Anyway, I'm Aspect. And this is – "

"I've already gotten acquainted with everyone else, thanks," the girl said. "I'm Chaincast."

"Chaincast, huh? What's your thing?"

"Oh, well, my forte is this little concoction," she said, producing a vial from her jacket pocket. "It simulates 'Speedster' qualities via sorcerous means."

"So, you're a . . . pseudo-Speedster?" I asked.

"Essentially," she said, putting the vial back in her pocket. "But I have an advantage that most don't in the accelerated state. I can cast long series of complex rotes, thus my codename."

"I'm . . . not following," Penny said.

"Oh, c'mon," Inspira said. "You know, in MMOs? Where your toon's able to use a spell over and over again?"

Everyone looked confused. Except Chaincast, whose eyes were wide and she had a huge smile on her face.

"Wait, you play MMO's?" she said, her voice excited.

"Oh, yeah!" Inspira said. "GEO all the way!"

"Oh-Em-Gee! Class/race?"

"Priestess of Ithilen/Sea Elf. What about you?"

"Fist of Argon/Fel Human."

"Nice. I hear their DPS is epic."

"Oh, hellz yeah," Chaincast said, her excitement growing by the moment. "What's your main's name?"

"Eventiss the Benevolent," Inspira said, looking smug for the first time since I'd known her.

"YOU'RE her player?! Oh-Em-Gee!"

And it all went downhill from there. It was all "push of Blackheart Throat-crusher" and "the opening of Morren's Tomb" and something about "the goose." I didn't know what on Earth talking about, and neither did anybody else. Ray was the first to leave, coming the closest to looking to pissed I'd ever seen her. Max left by bamf a little while after, followed by Penny. Even I gave up after a while, and Maria came with me, leaving the two to talk about "The Seven Point Alliance" or whatever.

A few minutes later, all of us had gotten our stuff together and were down at Inspira's room, but she wasn't back yet. We waited a little while longer. And a little while longer. When it got to be more than a half-hour, Ray's right eye twitched and it didn't stop twitching.

"Oh, for the sake of Heaven," she said. She walked over to Inspira's door, said something that made my teeth tingle, and opened the door.

"We can go inside, now," she said. All of us just stood there for a second before we walked into Inspira's room and unloaded our stuff.

"Well, we've waited long enough!" Penny said. "Let's wait for Inspira to get back so that A doesn't have to repeat himself. Until then, let's get to work!"

There was a collective shrug (except with Ray), and we got to it. I don't know exactly how long it was before Inspira got there, but I know it was a good while.

"Finished for now?" Ray said with . . .

//Wait. Is that _irritation_ in her voice?//

"Uh, yeah. I wasn't . . ." she said as her eyes widened. "I was gone for a really long time. And, sorry guys, I won't do that again. I promise."

"It's cool," Max said, waving her off. "Anyway, now that you're here, why don't you spill it, bro?"

"Oh, right. Spira, would you close the door? It's kinda complicated, but it kinda starts with those dreams I've been having . . ."

And, with that, I explained everything, the best I could. Starting with the history, going through when the echo was created, and how it related to my powers.

"Amazing," Ray said.

"Dude."

"That's awesome!" Inspira said.

"You're one of a kind," Penny added.

". . .wow," Maria whispered.

Instead of working, everybody bombarded me with questions. I gave them the best answers I could, but there were some questions I didn't want to answer . . .

"So, all of your mutant traits are somehow related to the echo?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"What about your rage?"

"Uh . . ." I hedged. I didn't really want to tell the truth, so, "I dunno. It might be related, it might not. All I know is that Circe is gonna help me get it under control. She thinks there's something to it."

Spira gave me a look, but, thankfully, she didn't say anything more. There were some more questions, and I knew most of the answers. People started clearing out after that, and I kissed Maria good night out in the hall. I went back in Spira's room to grab my bookbag, and I saw that Penny hadn't left yet. She and Inspira were talking about something, but I wasn't really listening. Instead, I thought back to what I had asked Inspira about a few nights ago, about Max, and I realized that I _still_ didn't know much more than I did about him.

//Well, if Inspira can't say, what about Penny?//

So I walked back out and waited for Penny to finish up. She and Inspira went on for a while, but I didn't mind.

"Oh, A," Penny said when she walked into the hall. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk you for a minute."

Some expression flashed across her face for a split-second. "What's up?" she asked, her tone normal.

"You remember that long talk we had about gossiping at lunch the other day?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I'm, uh, well, y'see . . . I need to know about Max."

"Max? But he's your room-mate. What could I find out that you don't already know?"

"Well, it's something specific. He did _something_ to Silverwing, but he won't say anything about it."

"And you want me to find out," she said, looking a little disappointed.

"Yeah, I guess so. Do you think you could?"

"Yeah, I can."

"OK, cool, I'd appreciate it."

Penny wasn't really reacting like I had expected her too. She didn't do her little sing-song thing, and she was normally all enthusiastic about something she loved doing.

"Hey, Penny?" I said as she walked away.

She turned back toward me. "Yeah?"

"Is something the matter?"

She shook her head, and it looked like tears were in her eyes.

"Oh, c'mere," I said, pulling her into a hug. "You can tell me. I'm your friend, right? That's what friends do."

She backed up and looked into my eyes, and her mouth opened, like she was getting ready to say something, then it closed again. She started to say something again, but then looked down.

"Oh, fuck it," she said, lunging at me.

Before I even knew what was going on, Penny had her arms around my neck and I stumbled as she yanked me downed into her. As I became _very_ aware of her – assets pressing against my chest, she shoved her lips onto mine, and I couldn't help but take a deep breath, smelling her scent, a strong, smooth mocha that stuck in my nostrils. Even as Buddy went into high gear, I tried to pull away, but she had moved her hands up to the back of my head and held me close, her tongue ramming past my lips, into my mouth, and dancing in the back of my throat. I flailed around and finally pushed her back.

"Penny . . ." I said, feeling guilty at my body's reaction to her. "What was that?"

"What was that?" she asked, her voice playful. "That was me kissing you!"

She walked back over to me and traced a figure 8 on my chest, licking her lips sensually. I'll be danged if my skin didn't tingle under her finger. "C'mon," she said. "I can tell you like it. Let's pick up where we left off."

I grabbed her hand and looked straight in her eyes. "Penny," I said, making my voice as firm as possible. "Maria is my girl."

"But . . ." Penny said, confusion thick in her voice as tears welled in her eyes. "You don't want me?"

"You're, you're – pretty, hot even, but you're not my girlfriend, and I don't love you, not in a romantic way. And I will _not_ cheat on Maria."

"But, but . . ."

I let go of her hand and said, "It's not gonna happen, Penny."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she ran her hands through her hair, shock and disappointment fighting on her face. Her arms went limp and she gave me one last look, her face full of hurt. My heart went out to her, and I opened my mouth to say something, but before I had a chance, she ran off. I stood there, watching her go, feeling _very_ lost.]]> Aranis 2009-03-19T04:44:24-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=33167&th=1139#msg_33167 Part 7

Wednesday, October 4th – Night & Thursday, October 5th – Early Morning
To say I was stunned would be an understatement. After Penny ran away, I just stood there for a while, not even able to think. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Inspira was right there in the next few minutes.

"A!" she said as she burst into the hall. "I felt that loud and clear! And you're . . . are you OK?"

She walked in front of me and waved her hand in front of my face. "Whateley Academy to Aspect, come in!"

"Agh! Sorry Spira. It's, uh, that was . . . well . . ."

"That?" Inspira said, looking thoughtful. "That was a pass gone horribly wrong, am I right?"

I just looked at her and nodded.

"Well, here, let me give you some information that might help," Inspira said, leaning in closer. "That tonight? That wasn't just her wanting to um, you know, do *that.* No, it's more than that."

My spit caught in my throat as I thought about my next question. "How, um, how bad is it?"

"How bad?" Spira asked. "Oh, you mean how bad she's got it for you. Well, um . . ."

I didn't like her thoughtful pause _at all_. "Oh."

"Yeah," Spira said, looking a little sheepish.

I let my head roll back as I groaned. "How long have you known?"

"As long as I've been hanging out with you guys."

We both paused for a second.

"So . . . what now?" I asked.

"Mmm. Good question," Spira said, rocking on her feet. "I'd say step lightly. Maybe talk about it tomorrow, you know, after everyone's gotten a good night's sleep."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Just when I thought life couldn't get any more stressful," I said, then sighed.

"Ooh, careful. That's not the sorta thing you should say out loud," Spira teased. "But, yeah, I know what you mean. So, heading out for now?"

"Yeah, think so. Talk to you later?"

"Sure."

I left after that, still not able to think straight. I knew that I would have to talk with Penny about it, but I _really_ wasn't looking forward to it. The dread about the situation had sorta pulled together into a knot in my stomach by the time I had gotten to my room, where Max was reading his latest novel, Crows' Feast, or something, probably fantasy. He was leafing through at his usual speed – turning the page about every 7 or 8 seconds, but he stopped and looked up when he heard the door close behind me.

"Hey, man," Max said before his eyes got wide. "Dude. What's going on?"

I really didn't want to tell Max about what was going on. For one, I didn't want to get him tangled up in the whole mess. Besides that, I still didn't know what he was really like underneath his surfer-speak.

"Ugh . . . girl problems," I said, hoping that he wouldn't ask any further.

Max smiled and said, "The good kind or the bad kind?"

I furrowed my brow and opened my mouth to speak, but it didn't work. "Bad kind," I said, finally.

"Oh. Bummer."

"No kidding."

I stripped down to my boxers and plopped in bed, hoping that I would be able to get to sleep and get some distance from my problem. No luck. I grumbled and pulled my easel into place and set up some new paper to draw with. I decided that I could use my time and work on the assignment that Mrs. Bohn had given me, so I went with Venger, picking up with his series where I had left off, careful to only draw about him and not his future self.

As always, I went off in my own little world and did my thing. By the time I finished, Max was already snoring softly, and it had been a couple hours. I closed my eyes and checked my Juice, and, sure enough, it felt like Venger was back. Smiling at another night of good work, I got back in bed, hoping to finally get to sleep, but I couldn't keep myself from making versions of the scene where Penny and I would talk, and they all ended _horribly_.

I let a sigh out as I opened my eyes again, looking at the shadowed ceiling. It was obvious that I still wasn't going to be getting any sleep, so I got up, dressed, and decided to go down to the Emerson gym. There were plenty of machines to use, and I didn't have to wait for anybody, since it was the middle of the night. I did some chest presses, assisted squats, and ran on the treadmill for a bit. Unfortunately, that knot of dread was still there by the time I finished exercising.

Even the shower afterward didn't help much, and my sleep didn't feel any closer. After I put on some civvies, I paced a bit in my room, since I didn't want to run the chance of waking Max up with my lights or music, but I knew that I couldn't sleep yet, either. After more pacing and thinking of how I could kill the time, I smiled when it came to me: I could go for a fly. I smiled even broader when I realized that I still hadn't had a chance to really go out with Raptor yet.

I tip-toed over to Max's side of the room and eased the window open before I stepped outside and closed it behind me. My smile went idiot-wide when I used the catch-phrase again.

"The wind hears your crimes," I said. I tingled all over for a few seconds, then I was Raptor, complete with black-and-red costume. As much as I wanted to take off immediately, I knew that the best thing would be to practice with my aerokinesis before I took off, since that was the way that Imprint flies.

I closed my eyes and reached inside, looking for the feeling that would tell me how to make things happen. It took me a bit, but when I found it, I got a gale force wind to shoot out of my palm, which made me smile. For a few minutes, I played around with making wind of different strengths, until I felt more-or-less comfortable with using my newest ability. I even used it to a blow a few leaves off the nearest trees.

After that, I put the tips of my pinky and thumb together, making my wings extend into full-flight mode a bit before I jumped into the air and concentrated, making a blast that buoyed me just so. I was about 15 feet off the ground, gliding back down in small, gentle circles, then I made another jet, pushing me higher up, this time about even with the fourth floor. I took a deep breath and pushed myself up above the building, and even further up, until I could see almost all the buildings on campus.

I couldn't help laughing as I got back up to my regular flying height, even though it did feel kinda weird: flying with TK was _definitely_ different than gliding. But gliding was nice in a way, since I didn't have to concentrate the entire time unless I wanted to go a specific way or gain a lot of height. During one of those coasting bits, I just about jumped out of my suit. I had to close my eyes to make sense of what it was.

After a few seconds, I realized: I could hear _everything_. The wind came to me first, whistling and sighing past the whining roar of ventilation fans; even so, there was still the chorus of chirping crickets in the sighing grass, harmonizing with the cadence of a passing patrol's boots drumming on pavement.

How cool is that?

After a long while spent listening, I opened my eyes again, and I saw something kinda weird. There was a lit place on the rooftop of Dickinson, and it looked like a little building. I leaned into a draft I made but screwed it up and ended up going the wrong direction. I had to make another draft to correct, and then a second one, jerking me into a hard right. Another draft made me wobble as I came in, just in enough time to show me that my angle and speed were wrong. I yelped and covered my eyes as I slammed into the gravel, skidding a decent stretch before I finally stopped.

//I'll have to work on that,// I thought, getting to my feet while doing a mental checkup on my body. It didn't feel like anything was broken, which was a good thing.

Just as I folded up my wings, I heard someone say, "Do not move."

I took the girl's advice and stayed as still as I could. That's when it hit me –

"Ray?" I asked.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, voice mostly neutral with a hint of suspicion.

"It's me, A!" I said, sounding just about nothing like my usual self. "Aspect, you know. This is a new Imprint. If you'll give me a minute, I'll downshift. I won't make any sudden movements, OK?"

"Do it."

Once I closed my eyes and let go of the Juice flowing into the Imprint, I was back to normal.

"It really is you," she said, walking in front of me. "My apologies."

The confusion about why she was on the roof with me kept me from saying anything.

"You may want to work on your landings," she said, observing the body-shaped rut I had left.

"Yeah, seriously. Say, Ray, why are you up here?"

She turned to me and raised her eyebrows for a second. She then pointed to the building-on-a-building I had seen from the air – and it turned out to be a decent-sized greenhouse.

"Oh, cool," I said. "I didn't even know this was up here."

"Here, come inside and warm up some," Ray said, walking over to the greenhouse before standing at the entrance and waving me inside.

I ran over and walked inside. Warm air blanketed me the second I stepped inside, and I couldn't help but take a deep breath. I pulled in heavy scents of the garden: the earthy smell of soil, a bunch of different flowers, and the leafy and light smells of a few different vegetables.

"This is place is pretty cool," I said as Ray closed the door behind us. "Did you build it?"

"I had some help, but I came up with the idea."

"I'm kinda surprised that Mrs. Carson would let you put something up like this."

"She normally would not, I think. I was approved because it was light, simple, mundane, and accessible to the entire building."

"Do a lot of people come up here, then?"

"Not so many. Fran Barnes is one, and she provides valuable assistance, motivated as she is by her love of nature."

"Cool!" I said as she lead me through the greenhouse. I stopped when I saw a plant that didn't look like it belonged on Earth. It had a red stalk, and bright purple flowers shaped like cones made of little balls.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing.

"A plant that provides an important ingredient for certain nature spells," Ray explained. "I care for many such flowers and herbs possessed of mystical properties."

"I see. Sounds like some work."

She smiled and nodded. "It is. But I need something to fill my sleepless nights."

We went into the far corner of the building, where there was a magical circle on the floor, and sitting it was littered with books, notes, and other things. The writing was in English, Mandarin, and a few other languages I didn't really recognize.

"You can use this place for studying? Aren't you worried about people bothering your stuff?"

"I only study here at night, after I've finished with the plants. This is one of the few places where I can enjoy near-total silence."

"Gotcha." I took a closer look at her study materials and picked a book with a Mandarin title before I read it out loud.

"The Principles of Harmonious Interaction between the Five Phases?" I asked in English.

She blinked and widened her eyes for a whole second (yes, she was really surprised!). "You *** know Mandarin ***?"

Holding up my index finger for a second, I asked, "Safe to read?"

She nodded, and I read through it a bit. Then, once I was in the zone, I said, "Speak little Mandarin. Please, go slow. I have hard time."

"Oh," she said, a frown tugging at her lips for a moment. "We will stay with English, then."

"Much sorry," I said, realizing that I was still in Mandarin mode. "Wait."

I had to grab an English book and read through a few pages.

"I still can't go back and forth on command, yet," I explained.

"Oh. Perhaps, eventually, then?" She said, sitting in her circle. "Please, join me." She offered me a flat, simple pillow.

"Tea?" Ray asked.

"Uh, no thanks, I'm good."

She poured herself some from a nearby cast-iron tea kettle into a tiny, white porcelain bowl, which she took it in one hand before bringing it to her lips for a sip.

"What brings you out into the night?" she asked, looking over her bowl while taking another sip.

"Oh, well, y'see . . . aw, crap, I'll just come out with it: Penny's got a thing for me."

There wasn't a bit of surprise on her calm face.

"Ray?"

"I knew."

My jaw dropped. I picked it up and asked, "How long have you known?"

"For the past few weeks."

"Am I the _only_ one who didn't know about this?"

"Yes."

". . . Ray, do you know what a rhetorical question is?"

". . . no."

"It's where you say a question out loud, but you don't really expect an answer."

"My apologies."

"It's cool."

She put her tea-cup down and looked at me. "What are your plans?"

"I, uh, I dunno. I had planned to call Penny tomorrow and talk things over."

"You don't think that Maria should be informed first?"

"Er."

"These situations fester if you do not act on them. If you wait overlong to reveal this to Maria, she may think that you were hiding it from her."

"Oh, crap!" I said, fear shoving my heart into overdrive. "She'll totally think that I'm cheating on her! I should've told her right away! Oh, god, oh – "

"A."

"– yeah?"

"Simply tell her now. Do you have your communicator?"

"But it's the middle of the night, and she really hates getting out of bed, and – "

Ray leveled her gaze at me. "Do you not think that it would be best tell her immediately?"

"Well, yeah, but – "

Ray had already gotten out her communicator and pressed Maria's silver button.

"Ray! I – !"

She held up a finger. "Maria?"

I heard her snuffle on the other end.

"Maria," Ray said again, more insistent that time.

". . . Ray?" Maria said, her voice thick with sleep and irritation. "It's . . . it's 2:30 in the morning. What is it?"

"We need to speak with you. Immediately. Can you meet us in the main hall?"

"It can't wait?" Maria asked, sounding like she was close to falling back asleep.

"No."

"All right, I'll, uh, be there in about 10 minutes."

Ray put the walkie back in the pocket of the hoodie she was wearing.

"Why'd you do that?! I wanted to wait unt – "

"She will meet us. I'll let you in the main hall from the inside," Ray said, walking to the roof access.

I seethed as I watched her go, but Maria was already up, and I really wanted to get the thing sorted out – even if I didn't like how Ray had gone about it. I grumbled and started Megadeus' catchphrase.

"To defend the defenseless."

I felt the tingle as I transformed before I flew down to ground level, landing in front of the main entrance. By the time I downshifted, Ray was holding the door open for me.

"That was fast," I said.

She just grinned and waved me in. I went inside and sat on the nearest couch, trying, and failing, to get comfortable. Ray took the chair opposite me, but she didn't squirm around like I did. After all, what did she have to be nervous about? Anyway, the two of us sat there for a few minutes, me shifting around, Ray chanting something under her breath that made my ears feel cold. Just when I was about to ask her what she was doing, I heard shuffling, and I saw Maria walk out, wrapped in her clumpy robe, her hair a wreck.

"A?" she asked, confusion in her voice as she blinked. "Ray, what's A doing here?"

Ray got to her feet and walked to Maria, putting an arm around her shoulder before ushering her to the couch beside me. Her brow furrowed in confusion, then she started frowning.

"Ray . . . ?" Maria asked, worry dispelling all the grogginess from her voice.

"Go ahead, A," Ray said, going back to her seat.

"A?" Maria asked, worry plain on her face and in her voice.

"Maria, I – Penny kissed me earlier. Just a little after we left – "

Her worry was gone in an instant, replaced by shock as she whispered, "What?" Then, comprehension dawned on her face, and she shot to her feet, her face red and her teeth grinding. "What?!"

I took a sharp breath and said, "But, she – "

Maria stormed out of the main hall, back toward her room before I could say anything more. After a little bit, Maria came back, her hand rooted in Penny's hair, dragging her stumbling room-mate into the main hall.

"Maria, what the fuck?!" Penny asked, trying to wriggle free. "You wake me up in the middle of the goddamn night, almost rip my hair out, and then you – " Maria jerked Penny's head in my direction. "Oh," Penny said, wilting.

Maria threw Penny to the floor. "What did you do to him?!"

"I . . ." Penny said, staying down.

"Spit it out!" Maria snarled.

"I tried to kiss him, but he didn't want it at all!" Penny shrieked before bursting into tears. "He didn't want it . . ."

Maria couldn't pull Penny to her feet, so she yanked her to her knees as tears leaked from her eyes. "Why would you do that?! You're my friend! He's my boyfriend! Did you just want to – !"

"I love him!" Penny wailed. Maria's grip went loose and Penny slid back down to the ground. "I love him . . . I have the whole time . . ."

Maria just looked at her room-mate with a stunned expression on her face, her fists loose at her sides. My jaw fell open as I tried to wrap my head around it.

//She loves me . . .?//

Both Maria and I were absolutely still, staring and confused. Thankfully, Ray ducked down beside Penny and she leaned into Ray's arms, sobbing quietly. Maria looked at me, and I tried to say something, but my mouth just moved noiselessly.

Maria turned back to her roomie, who kept crying in Ray's arms. She tried to say something a few times, but finally just knelt down and wrapped her in a hug with Ray. I was at a loss for what to do, so I joined in. We all just held Penny for a while, and let her cry out. I don't know how long it was, but, right then, right there, all that mattered was our friend was hurting.

Penny waved us off and wiped her eyes. "Maria, A, I'm . . . I'm so sorry!" she said, and burst into a fresh round of tears. We didn't hesitate for a second, and we all huddled in that group hug again, letting Penny cry for a while longer. She finished up sooner that time than she did the last, and she pulled away again, trying to get some space.

"Maria, I . . ." Penny said, so choked up that she was hard to understand "I feel so g – goddamn awful. I'm so sorry. I thought I . . . it doesn't matter." She turned to look at me. "And A! I didn't mean to cause you problems, I just . . . I couldn't think of any other way to let you know. And I loved you for so long and, it just . . . I'm sorry."

We all gave her a group hug again, but she shewed us off.

"Enough mushy stuff!" she said, her usual cheeriness springing up from nowhere. "Let me get up."

We all stood, and Ray offered Penny a hand, pulling her to her feet..

"A, you go back to your dorm. We're gonna talk about this, I think. Girl stuff, though! You need to get some sleep. We've already kept you up enough for one night," Penny said, shoving me to the door, which she opened.

"But, I, you, Maria, she – "

"Good night!" Penny sang, closing the door in my face.

I just stood there, looking at the door, feeling even more confused than I had when she kissed me. That's when I realized that what she had just done was sorta familiar: Max had done almost the _exact_ same thing. When we were talking the other night, and he let his guard down for a minute, his surfer-speak snapped back, like he was covering something up.

//What is she hiding?//

I stared at the door for a while, wondering. When I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere, I turned and walked back to my dorm, and, thankfully, managed not to run across any security patrols. I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I got back to my room and opened the window. As I stepped inside, I realized that I hadn't been quiet enough as a voice interrupted my thinking.

"Dude. What time is it?"

"Oh, sorry Max. It's, uh, 4:15."

"Whoa," Max said, getting up to a sitting position and turning on his desk lamp. "Why out so late, bro? Busting bullies again?"

I laughed bitterly. "God, I wish! No, there was this whole big thing with Penny."

"Oh, you mean how she's got a thing for you?"

I just let my head drop. "I really am the only one who didn't know."

Max chuckled, got to his feet, and put a hand on my shoulder. "Bro. It happens to the best of us."

"Yeah, I guess. Right now, though, I really just want to go to sleep."

Max chuckled again. "Yeah, can't blame you. See you in the morning."

I nodded weakly, collapsed onto my bed, and passed out.]]> Aranis 2009-03-26T08:26:57-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=33630&th=1139#msg_33630 Part 8

Thursday, October 5th – Morning
And I thought I had gotten used to getting up at first light. It was an entirely different story when I hadn't gotten a full night of sleep. I screwed my eyes shut and pulled my comforter over my head, hoping and praying that I could drift off again. Ten minutes later, I grumbled and swung my legs over the bed, my head drooping. I zombied my way over to my drawers and fished out some running clothes, and then I walked out to the statue, where Zack was already stretching.

He looked at for a second. "Rough night?"

"You could say that," I said, leaning down into my first stretch. "But I'd rather not talk about it. How about we just go ahead, stretch, and run?"

"Fine."

After a few minutes, we took off, the cool, misty air of the fall morning forcing me awake. By the time we were finished with our laps, I was _almost_ back to normal. We stretched back out and went our separate ways after that before I did my normal shower stuff, and the warm water helped me wake up a little better. It still felt like getting a Mountain Dew at breakfast would be a very good idea. I went back to the room, talked with Max for a minute, put on my heavier coat, and the two of us left for breakfast.

"So, bro, what was the whole big thing with Penny?"

"Oh, uh . . ." I would've said more, but I saw something that really surprised me: both Maria and Penny were standing just off the path we were on.

"I'll catch you in a few, bro," Max said, bamfing away.

Both of the girls and I just sorta stared at each other until Penny got an impatient look on her face and waved me over. Unease boiled worse in my stomach the closer I got, so bad that I felt like I might just puke right then and there. The looks on their faces were both tired and cranky, so I really couldn't figure out what to expect.

"Uh, hi," I said, weakly.

"Hi," Penny said, not a hint of singing in her voice. "Listen, Maria and I have talked, and we . . . we're cool, I guess. As cool as we can be. But I wanted to ask you something, and she's here to make sure that it goes smoothly and all."

I nodded. "OK. Shoot."

Penny's lips quivered and tears glistened in her eyes. "Will you . . . will you forgive me?"

I wanted to wrap her in a hug, but I didn't think that would be a good idea, judging by the look on Maria's face as she stared off in the distance. Instead, I put my hand on Penny's shoulder and looked her in the eyes.

"Yes."

"Oh," she said, exhaling in relief. "I'm so glad. I thought I had really fu – screwed things up. I know we can't be boyfriend/girlfriend, but I do want to keep being friends. If . . . if you want to."

I smiled and said, "Yeah, I do."

"Cool," she said, wiping her eyes. "C'mon, let's get to breakfast!"

We went to the Hall and got our food, then we walked to our table on the far side of the Hall, and everybody else was there. We sat down, and Penny piped up, interrupting the quiet conversations already going.

"Good morning, guys!" she sang. "Just so nobody gets the wrong idea from rumors, or anything, I wanted to say something. Last night, I kissed A."

She paused for a second, but no one really looked surprised, even Max. Penny huffed.

"Anyway. I've already apologized to everyone, and we're all good. Right guys?"

Maria and I both nodded. After that, our breakfast conversation still wasn't back to normal, but it wasn't anywhere near as tense as I had expected. I don't know what Penny had said with Maria last night, and I wanted to find out. We all left a little earlier than usual, but Maria and I got a chance to talk when I walked her over to Kane Hall.

"Hey, bunny, is everything OK between you and Penny?"

Maria tilted her head to one side. "I think so. We talked for a long time about a bunch of stuff. And I think she must have apologized 50 times."

"And you guys are all right? I mean, really?"

Maria looked down. "I think we will be. It still hurt my feelings, and everything. I don't think we'll really be, um, friends, I guess, for a while, but we don't hate each other."

"Well, it coulda gone worse, I guess. You think it was good thing Ray did things the way she did?"

"I dunno. It was probably good we took care of that soon but – " she opened her mouth wide and yawned. "– maybe it could've waited until this morning?"

I smiled and said, "Maybe. Oh, well, let's not worry about it." I leaned in and gave her a kiss that lasted a good few minutes. When I pulled back, she was flushed and breathing hard and I had trouble thinking straight.

"What was that for?" she asked with a smile.

"That was to show I love you. And nobody else."

She smiled wider and waved as she ran into Kane Hall. I waved and watched her go, smiling like an idiot the whole time. After a few minutes, I realized that I was standing there like a moron, and then I went on over to Geometry with Mr. Arno. The other classes after that were pretty standard, which meant that literature was pretty enjoyable and Powers Theory was less fun than removing your fingernails with pliers.

Lunch after that was quieter than usual, but those of us who were in Powers Theory talked about it while the others talked about Home Ec, much to Penny's chagrin. From the sounds of the conversation, Maria was really getting the hang of cooking, and Ray really enjoyed learning how to fix "American" food. The one time I looked at Penny during that conversation, she was just munching on her salad.

After lunch, it was time for BMA. It was still weird seeing Maria in class, but I figured that I would get used to it. I gave her a little wave just as the bell rang. She waved back before her eyes snapped to the front, watching senseis Tolman and Ito coming out the second the bell rang.

"Class," Tolman-sensei said, "today, you will be practicing a combination that ends in the atemi you learned yesterday. I'll demonstrate, then you'll practice with your partner . . ."

We watched for a while before we split into pairs, which meant that I had Golden Girl. Almost immediately, we started in, me first.

"Now, that's more like it," she said as I tagged her with the atemi. "Get all your girlfriend prolbems worked out?" she asked as she went through the combination and hit me.

"Well, sorta,"I explained, going through the combination again, but missing the last hit. "We came to an understanding about it, but I'm still really nervous about her getting hurt."

"You know," G-Girl said, landing the combo again. "Remember yesterday about how I said she could learn how to protect herself?"

"Yeah, I do," I said as I gave the time-out sign. "And you're right, but . . . ?"

"Think of it this way. If she knows how to protect herself, you have even _less_ reason to worry about her than you do if she didn't. After all, if she can only run away, and she gets into corner, then she's screwed. This way, she can put up a fight. In the long run, she'll be _way_ safer with BMA than Survival."

"Hmmm. I mean, I pretty much agreed with you before, but that makes a lot of sense."

She smiled. "Yep! Ready to get back to it?"

"Sure."

After that, I was feeling better about the whole thing. I had already accepted it, but G-Girl's reassurances helped. I thought about what she said even more as I showered and changed, and I wanted to make sure that Maria knew what I was thinking. Fortunately, I was able to catch up with her after class.

"Hey, bunny," I said. "How was your second day in BMA?"

She took a deep breath. "Exhausting. Do you guys work like that every day?"

I nodded. "Sure do. And, as much as I hate to say it, you have more work to do than the rest of us, since you have to catch up."

"Oh, I know. My tutor says the same thing. Besides that, Ito-sensei says that I'll have to take a test to see if I've caught up later on."

"Oh, wow. Didn't see that coming. Who's your tutor?"

"I don't actually know her real name, but her code-name is Britomart."

"Ohhh, cool. She has a really awesome power – well, sorta."

"What do you mean, sorta?"

"She manifests a battle skin, I guess, that makes her look like an Alien, like, from the move Aliens."

"Ew!"

"Yeah. But, anyway, she's a really nice girl. I think she'll be a good teacher, too. But that's not what I wanted to say."

"What's up?" she said, concern tugging at her lips.

I took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're in BMA. Really. And I'm sorry for flipping out yesterday."

"Really?!"

"Yep!"

She threw her arms around me and I hugged her back. I wanted to give her a kiss like I had earlier, but I had to settle for a quick peck on the cheek. As soon as I was in Powers Lab, I got Mrs. Bohn's attention. I let her know that I had Venger back, and that I planned to get the others back over the next few days. She said that was fine, and she was really looking forward to seeing Raptor on Monday.

World history after that was fine, and Flight class was pretty standard. That day, we were practicing some pretty complex aerial maneuvers, all of which Zack got on the first try. It wasn't like beginner's luck, either. He acted like he had a bunch of experience. I just figured that he was a Paragon, or maybe he had some sort of telepathic knack.

Once classes were done for the day, I dropped off all my stuff and got changed into regular clothes. I was about to buzz Maria and let her know that I wanted to hang out for a while, but I didn't want to risk getting ahold of Penny by mistake, or even seeing her when I went to their room. I grumbled a little as I pulled my easel into place, queued up my atmospheric music, and started in on bringing Cobalt back. I decided to do his origin, which involved a techno-organic virus that gradually transformed flesh into biometal, like Marvel's Cable.

I stayed at that until I had three issues completely penciled, and, just like before, I felt the tension in my Juice flows again, which meant that I had another Imprint back in my system. Right after I put my pencil down, my stomach growled. I checked my watch: I was a half-hour late for supper, and if I was any later, my stomach would invert. I got all my stuff together and head out, but as I walked by the mailroom, I decided to check my mail.

After I spun the dial and got the thing open, I flipped through the mail. There was a letter from Mom, Nana (my Dad's mom), and, then, the last one –

"Oh my god!"

In the upper left-hand corner of the envelope was "Mr. J." I ripped open the envelope and I started reading the letter inside before I even had it unfolded all the way.

"A,

I know that I said I would send you letters more than I have, and I'm sorry that I didn't keep my word. Things have been busier than I thought they would be. But that's not really an excuse, is it?

Things are good here. I decided to move back to Wisconsin, back to my home-town, even. I got in touch with my old team-mates, and we've gotten together some and reminisced. There's been some talk about getting everyone back together to do the heroing thing, but so far it's just been talk. Oh, that reminds me, keep a look-out for Primal, who I think is a sophomore. She's the daughter of my buddy Carnivorous, and she got a Shapeshifting bit kinda like his. Anyway, just say "hi" if you run into her.

Enough about me. How are you doing? I hope that your time at Whateley is treating you well. I even sent a gift along to help out with that. In case you haven't checked your student account yet, there's a pretty good amount for you to use, and it'll be yours all the way once you've graduated. Just keep in mind that you have an allowance, in that if you spend more than $500 in a month, the account gets flagged and your counselor will have a word with you about it. As for the amount itself, don't feel bad about it or anything, as it's just some money I had lying around.

That's about it on my end. I'll try to send you another letter before too long. Take care in the mean-time.

-Mr. J.-

I read the letter over again, not caring that my stomach was loudly insisting that I get some supper. The way it was written, and everything he was saying, it was just like we had used to talk, back before . . . that night. As I looked up from the letter, the doubts started gnawing at me again, and I couldn't get rid of them that time. That's when I decided that I was gonna know for certain about what the score was with me and Mr. J.

But how? I thought through everyone I had talked to, and the very first person that came to mind was so obvious that I did a facepalm. I ran to the bank of phones and looked through the counselor references. I dialed her number and tapped my fingers on a the shelf below the phone as it rang.

"Dr. Woodrow speaking," she said, her voice cheery.

"Hey, Dr. Woodrow, it's Aspect."

"Oh, hi! How are you tonight?"

"Fine, thanks. Listen, I wanted to ask you about something, but I wanna do it person. Do you have any slots available tonight?"

"Sorry, I really don't. I just wrapped with another student, and I'm getting ready to head home. How does 7:00 tomorrow night work?"

"Sounds good. Thanks."

"Of course; I'm happy to help. See you then."

I hung up, breathing a sigh. I couldn't let it keep eating at me, and Dr. Woodrow might know for sure from Circe's spell on Monday, or, if she didn't, then she might find something out by doing a viewing on me. I walked out of the phone booth and my stomach roared like a semi as it felt like it was eatting itself. I ran for the Hall and grabbed a heaping helping of spaghetti before I got a drum of Coke and ran to the table.

I was halfway through my plate before I even realized that we were one girl short. I was about to ask where she was before I realized that I had a mouthful of half-chewed noodles. I swallowed those and asked, "Where's Penny?"

"She didn't say this time," Maria explained. "She's probably in the middle of practicing her powers, or something."

"Whoa, whoa. Practice her powers?" Max asked.

"Oh, yeah. She practices with her powers every night. I'd guess for a few hours, but I don't really know, exactly."

"Like, what does she do?" Max asked.

"Well, she studies blueprints, weapons she can find, other useful things, and tries making them."

"Why does she do that?" I asked. "I thought that she could just make whatever?"

Maria's bottom lip puffed out a little. "I don't think so. The way she explained it to me, she can just make simpler stuff, but when it comes to more complex stuff, she has to study and practice."

"Interesting," Ray said. "What is her current project?"

Maria stopped eating. "Some power armor, Roosevelt class, I think."

"Oh, that's cool," I said. Then I noticed Maria's mood and decided to change the subject. "Say guys, have you studied for the history test on Friday yet?"

We chatted a bit longer after that, and I told the guys that I would be skipping study session in Spira's that night, as I had to go to the library and look into some stuff. Everyone, including Maria, took that explanation, well, except for Spira, who gave me a questioning look, but I ignored her. A little while later, we all finished eating. Maria stopped me before I got a chance to leave the Hall.

"What do you want to look into?" she asked.

//Crap.//

"Well, you remember that stuff with Mr. J earlier in the week?"

She nodded, looking a little concerned.

Sighing, I explained. "He sent me a letter, and I read it today. It . . . I couldn't help thinking that there was something he wasn't telling me. I read it a few times, and I just couldn't let the whole thing go, even with what you told me. So I'm gonna go to the library tonight and find out about him. I doubt that I'll find out if he's my dad, but I just . . . need to know about him. I only knew him when he was a regular guy, or acting like one, anyway. I never knew him when he was a superhero. And, god, I dunno. I – "

Maria wrapped her arms around me.

She pulled away and looked at me with a (supposed-to-be) stern look. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to saddle you with my problems. And, I . . ."

She gave me another hug. "Bear, you big dummy. We're boyfriend and girlfriend. We help each other."

I hugged her back. "It's just like you seem to do most of the helping."

"Well, maybe," she said, pulling back. "But you _are_ a trouble magnet."

"Yeah," I said. "Guess you're right. So . . . want to help me look around for the info, then?"

"Sure!"

We went straight from there toward the library, holding hands and staying quiet the whole way. We just enjoyed the sunset and the weather, which felt like it was warmer than it was earlier in the day. When we got to the library, we looked around for a few minutes and found an empty table.

"So, I figure we start with yearbooks, maybe?" I asked, whispering.

"Yeah, why don't you do that, and I'll see if they have anything in their digital archives."

"K."

I went over to the section of the library where they had the school yearbooks and started looking through them. It was kinda weird, really, since there were two sets, or one set of yearbooks and one set of scrap-books. The yearbooks looked pretty average, with club memberships and science projects (normal looking stuff) and people's real, legal names. The scrapbooks, though, were sorted by cottage, and then they had one main scrapbook for stuff that affected all of campus. I looked through the 93 scrapbook, and everyone had ultra-tight or super-revealing costumes and codenames like Plague, Sanguine, and Blister – Iron Age all the way.

//Let's see. Mr. J is about my mom's age, and she's 42, so then he probably would've been here in the . . . late 70's and early 80's, I think.//

I went back through until I found Timothy Johnson, senior in the '80 scrapbook. I grabbed the everything for 76-80 and went back to the table that me and Maria had picked out. I sat down and started leafing through the yearbooks first, where I found out that Mr. J hadn't always worn glasses.

//Is it just a Clark Kent thing, then?//

I shrugged my shoulders and got ready to keep looking until Maria came back with a small stack of print-outs.

"Did you know that their digital archives go all the way back to 1970?!" Maria whispered loudly, a huge smile on her face.

"That's pretty cool," I replied, smilling too. "They've had computers that long?"

"Yeah! Whateley's awesome!"

I smiled a little wider. "Yep. So, back to the search, what did you find?"

"Oh, a bunch of stuff," she said, sitting down. "For starters, I found Nine's MID from back when he was a senior"

"Do you have it handy?"

She nodded. "But it'll only help a little, since the system's changed since Nine was a teenager."

"K. I'd like to see it anyway."

She slid me a stack of papers.

CODENAME: Nine
CLASSIFICATION: Limited Polyform Shapeshifter
ABILITIES:
-Multiple animal, near-animal, and animal-humanoid forms which utilize elements from
bears, dogs, panthers, wolves, hyenas, foxes, lions, coyotes, and jackals.
-Fusions of the above elements in a wide variety of combinations.
-Super-Attributes: Strength, Speed, Durability
WEAKNESSES:
-Silver, Moonsilver, while transformed
TEAM AFFILIATIONS: None


"Limited Polyform Shapeshifter?" I asked.

"I had to look it up. It means that he could transform into a number of forms, but the number was limited."

"Ah, OK."

I read it over a second time. Something about the MID bothered me. When I was on my third read, I stopped on the weaknesses section. Silver and Moonsilver. Plus a bunch of different animal forms, and animal-humanoid?

//No way!//

Maria looked at me. "What is it?"

"He must have been some sort of were-creature!" I said. One of the librarians glared at me, and I mouthed "sorry."
"Were-creature? You don't mean . . ."

"Yeah, I do! Think about it. We've got mutants and cyborgs, psychic abilities and magic, so why not werewolves and werepanthers and everything else?"

Maria didn't look convinced. "I dunno . . ."

I pointed to the WEAKNESSES section. "How else could you explain Mr. J's weakness to silver?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you."

"I guess it'll have to wait. Oh, hang on! Maybe there's some information about that in the archives?"

"Nope," Maria said. "They didn't really say anything about more about his abilities. I didn't see anything like that in the newspapers, either."

"Oh, you found articles?"

"Yep! Here, see for yourself," Maria said as she slid over another stack of papers toward me. The headline read –

PROMETHEANS THWART DR. DIABOLIK IN MILWAUKEE

The picture that went with the article showed a number of guys in Bronze Age style costumes (some primary colors mixed with secondary, lots of domino masks around), and the caption below the picture named them off as Carnivorous (the guy's canines were HUGE), Nine ( I could still tell it was Mr. J), Inverse (a _tall_ lady, dressed all in black and white), Omni (shorter-looking guy, a cluster of snakes wriggled out of his back), and Amalgam (another lady, short and curvy).

"Oh, wow! I never knew the name of his super-team before," I said, then something clicked. "Wait, Wisconsin doesn't have a super-team."

I looked up at Maria, who was frowning slightly. She slid me another stack of paper.

DISASTER STRIKES PROMETHEANS

It had a picture of Inverse in tears, on the floor of a hospital. She was leaning against Amalgam, and Nine and Carnivorous stood in the background. The article went on to say how a supervillain had set a number of bombs throughout the city, and that each would detonate at the stroke of midnight. Four of the five Prometheans had deactivated their bombs successfully, but Omni had presumably made a mistake, as his bomb went off. Even so, collateral damage was contained, as Omni used his own body as a shield around the bomb, but the blast had hurt him very badly. He died in ICU at 3:45AM, March 3rd, 1988.

"There weren't any more articles about them after that," Maria explained. "So it looks like they broke up after Omni died, and Milwaukee hasn't ever had a super-team again."

I just looked at the picture for a while.

//I guess real life isn't like the comics. Maybe it's too hard to go on after a friend dies . . . //

". . . and I guess he had picked my home-town to get away from it all," I said. "There's not a lot of action, and it's pretty quiet."

"Sounds like a possibility."

"Did you find anything else?" I asked.

"A few other articles about saves by the Prometheans. That's about it, though."

"Oh, well," I said, leaning over to peck her on the cheek. "Thanks for all this. It didn't answer all of my questions, but I feel like I know Mr. J better now."

"Cool," she said, blushing slightly and smiling. "Does that mean we're finished?"

"You can go, bunny, but I'm gonna look through the yearbooks and scrapbooks for a bit."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I bet you have some homework to do, and this'll probably be boring anyway."

"Oh, OK. But if you need any help, give me a buzz, all right?"

I smiled. "Sure thing."

"I mean it," she said, getting that (cute) stern look on her face.

"I know. I will."

"Good."

She gathered up her stuff and headed off, giving me a small wave before she walked out of the study area. I waved back and got back into the things I had found, hoping to learn more about Mr. J.]]> Aranis 2009-03-29T05:20:24-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=34538&th=1139#msg_34538 Part 9

Thursday, October 5th – Evening
After Maria left, I got back into the yearbooks and scrapbooks. The bad news is that the yearbooks were pretty useless. All I found out from them was that Mr. J had been a pretty regular-looking kid, not really striking like some of the other students around. That and he was fairly active in martial arts, and it looked like he worked with the grounds crew for his student job.

The good news is that the scrapbooks were much more helpful. It showed that Mr. J had been in Emerson, like me. He was also a member of the Future Superheroes of America, which made me cringe. He sat around the cafeteria in a cape? Sure enough, I found him a picture of him sitting in what must have been the old cafeteria – wearing his costume, along with a bunch of other kids.

I rolled my eyes and kept reading. Just like in the yearbook, the scrapbook said that Mr. J was really involved in martial arts, only the scrapbooks said that he was one of the top guys in the brackets. It even had a few photographs of him fighting some guy who looked like a cross between a dragon and a giant. Mr. J was in battle-mode, so he was some 8 foot monstrosity of a thing, mixing panther and wolf parts in a humanoid form. He looked scary but _awesome_.

After that, I didn't really find anything more. Another trip into the archives would have to wait because the closing bell dinged after I finished reading through what I had. Once I put stuff back where I found it, I gathered up all my printouts and books and left. Chills jittered through my body the second I stepped outside, so I decided to jog back to Emerson. I was there a few minutes later.

I got inside, expecting to find Max reading on his bed, but he was nowhere to be found. For a minute, I thought about using the opportunity to work on bringing back some more Imprints, but I was just too tired for it. I yawned again, and I was ready for bed and under the covers in just a few minutes. As soon as I put my head on my pillow and closed my eyes, I was out.

Friday, October 6th
My eyes opened at first light. I blinked a few times, trying to make sense of the dream I had been having, but I couldn't remember enough details to get anywhere. I shrugged mentally and sat up before yawning. Eight hours hadn't been enough to catch me up on my lack of sleep from the Penny thing on Tuesday night, but I was feeling the better than I had the day before, so it was a start.

I got out of bed and put on my running clothes before jogging down the hall and out the door. Cold blasted my entire body once I stepped outside, but I was mostly used to it by the time I was around to the front of the building, where Zack was stretching in his usual place. We went through the warm-up routine and didn't really say much before we took off on our circuit. After that, we split up and went to take our showers.

I got back to my room, where Max looked like he had had a _rough_ night.

"Did you have trouble getting sleep last night?" I asked.

He gave me a wide smile. "You could say that."

I was about to ask what he meant by that, but then I remembered what he had scheduled for Thursday night. My cheeks flushed and I clammed up for a minute.

"Uh, why don't we go to breakfast?"

"I already ate," Max said, waggling his eyebrows.

I was about to ask, but my face went hot as I realized what he meant. Speechless, I stared at him, then down at the floor, then just turned and left the room, any plan of having breakfast gone with my appetite.

Thankfully, the rest of my day was pretty normal, with regular classes, a normal lunch, and a normal afternoon. Imagine that! A normal, peaceful day. Not that I was complaining. Not at all. I even got a few extra minutes when Flight class let out early, which meant that I had some extra time, so I gave Maria a buzz over the walkie after I dropped off all my stuff at my room.

"Oh, hey bear!" Maria said from the other end. "What's up?"

"I'd like to see the stuff in your room that you told me about, if you still want to show me."

"Yeah, I still do! I'll meet you by the main door in about 10?"

"Sure."

"Great! See you in a few."

A couple minutes later, I was by the main entrance to Dickinson, but I was earlier than Maria. After a while, I caught sight of her, and she was wearing her school uniform, but over it was a white lab-coat. To complete the nerdy outfit, she had on a set of super-techy goggles, and they looked even more complicated than the ones I'd seen her wear when she helped in the fight with Chasm. I couldn't help smiling at all her gear.

"Hey, bunny!" I called, waving.

"Hey, bear," she said.

I looked over her widgets again. "Was I interrupting something?"

"Nope! I was just in the Workshop messing with a new version of my auto-legs."

"How's that coming?"

"Good! I'm adding another pair for increased stability."

"Sounds good," I said. "So, you wanted to show me your room?"

"Right! C'mon." She took my hand and led me through the main door and pulled me down the hall to her room. She walked in and took off her goggles, putting them on her nightstand. While she fiddled with some things, I got to looking around at her and Penny's room, paying attention to everything for the first time, and I chuckled at the almost real line dividing Penny's half from Maria's half. Penny's half was perfectly neat, and all her books were arranged, and her bed was made and wrinkle free.

Maria's half was a wreck. Wires, plating, and half-finished gadgets were everywhere, and her bed was a pile of anime plushies and a tangle of comforters and sheets. I saw her beat-up robe hanging on a rack in the far corner of the room, along with a spare blazer. Right beside the rack was a full-body mirror, and there was a complicated-looking gadget on the ceiling above the mirror. When I finally looked back at Maria, she was wearing this chrome collar with a few green lights on it.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the collar.

She got a huge smile on her face. "It lets me do this!" she said, and then the lights dimmed and the temperature dropped. "With this on, I can control everything in the room!"

"You get cyberkinesis with that?"

She frowned a little. "Well, no. It only works with the stuff I've made. What the collar does is solves the problem of the body's electrical fields."

"Problem? Electrical fields?"

"Well, your body generates a small amount of electricity all the time, and all nerve and brain activity has a signature. That's what my auto-tech responds to. Normally, those electrical signatures aren't strong enough to reach across a room. With this, though," she said, pointing to the collar. "I can broadcast up to 10 meters."

"Neat. What else can you do with it?"

"Let's see . . ." she closed her eyes, and an unseen stereo came on, playing something that sounded J-poppy and vaguely familiar. She kept her eyes closed, and then the window opened and the blinds raised, lowered, and changed angles. After that, an alarm blared and even some of the half-finished parts on her desk moved around a little.

"That's so cool!" I said.

She smiled. "I'm still making the collar shielded, and everything, but I think I'm pretty close to having a final version. Eventually, I should be able to make it so that people will never have to leave their chairs and operate everything in their houses!"

"Sweet. And I saw that," I said, pointing to the gadget on the ceiling. "What's that do?"

"That's Armstrong, my auto-style!" she said.

"Armstrong? Auto-style?"

"Watch."

She walked to the full-body mirror and stood in a circle that had been taped-off on the floor. She closed her eyes for a second, and then the gadget sprung to life, a couple of spidery limbs popping out of the center. One held a comb, and the other had a scrunchy, and the third one was empty. The empty arm reached down first, taking Maria's hairtie off, letting her pony-tail down into a cascade of honey-blond hair. I stopped paying attention to the arms for a second, just staring at my bunny.

When I came back to myself, the comb-arm was already going through her hair, combing a good bit of it back. Once that was done, the scrunchie arm put the scrunchie on the freshly-made pony-tail. After that, the arms went back into their dome-thing. When Maria turned back to look at me, I gasped a little. The pony-tail was only partial, leaving a couple strips of hair to frame her face. The effect? She was very, very cute.

"Do you recognize the hair style?" she asked.

I didn't have to think long.

"Winry!" I said. "But it looks even better on you."

She blushed a little a gave me a sweet smile. "That's not all it can do, either. I have a bunch of different hair styles saved, and it can even dress me if I want it to. It still can't do make-up, though."

"It's still really cool," I said. "And I saw these," I said, walking over to her desk. "What are they all about?"

"Those are prototypes," she said, picking up one that looked like a regular arm instead of a spidery one. "I'm trying to get a fully-functional humanoid limb to work, but I haven't had much luck yet."

"Why are you trying that? Aren't your auto-hands good enough?"

"No," she said, "they're only the first stage of the design. Eventually, I want to have a full humanoid structure that you can operate by thinking it."

"Why would you want that?"

"Why _wouldn't_ you?" she said, sounding a little annoyed. "It would allow baselines and more vulnerable mutants to withstand things they couldn't normally: pollution, radiation, water pressure (once I make them airtight) . . ."

"Oh. I didn't think about that way."

"Besides that, you could have an exoskeleton that would be easy and intuitive to use, providing for a wide range of uses in construction, combat, rescue operations . . ."

"All right," I said. "I'm sold! How much?"

She giggled. "Well, it's not ready yet. I still have a lot of work to do before I'm there. Oh! I forgot. I still have one more project."

"Yeah?"

She looked around like she expected to catch someone peeping on us. "Power armor," she whispered.

"Power armor? Why's that such a big – "

"Because it will respond to what you want to happen!" she whispered, loudly. "Anyone could use it with minimal training!"

"Ohhh. Yeah, that makes sense."

"Yeah, but I'm stuck," she said, frowning.. "I just can't get an idea for the main theme. I've been working on it for the past few weeks, and I have the basic specifications and circuitry figured out, but I can't get past that. I need some . . . inspiration, I guess."

"Did you try looking through your manga and anime?"

"Yeah, sure have," she said, sighing. "Anime stuff is almost always 100% in Devisor territory."

"Hmmm. Wish I knew what to tell you."

"It's OK, it's just frustrating. I've never hit a snag before."

I lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "You'll figure it out, I know you will."

She grinned a little. "Thanks. Hey, why don't we go ahead over to the Hall? We'll be a little early, but that means better quality food."

My stomach grumbled almost on cue. "Sounds good to me!"

We held hands as we walked over to the Hall. Even though we still had a few hours of sunlight left, the afternoon air was incredibly cold and crisp, nipping at my nose and ears. Heck, it even _smelled_ cold, like the inside of a walk-in freezer. I looked up at one point to see that a stormfront was headed our way, which probably meant some really nasty rain mixed with freezing cold. Not fun.

By the time we got to the Hall, the cafeteria workers had just gotten the stuff out for supper, which meant that everything was as fresh as it could be. I smiled real big and helped myself to a couple of whole rotisserie chickens and few shovel-fulls of baked beans. Maria got a salad, a baked potato, and a small pork chop. Then, we headed over to our table, but none of the rest of the guys were there, yet.

I ripped into my meal as Maria talked more about her projects, including a new design on the communicators (walkies) that would make them more portable, something wrist-watch size, maybe. She said that the ones we had were clumsy, and that having something small and easy-to-access would be better. I just nodded and went back to eating. Maria talked a little while longer while I finished up, and then the guys came up one by one in the next few minutes.

"He~y!" Penny sang as she sat down. "Just couldn't wait for us, huh?"

"Oh, we just came here a little early after Maria showed me her stuff."

"Yeah, that sorta thing works up an appetite," Max said. Maria went three shades redder, and I punched him in the shoulder.

"You set yourself up for that one, bro," he said, chuckling.

"Set himself up for what?" Ray asked as she sat down.

"He saw Mari – "

"Not. Another. Word," I said.

Max just smiled and Ray looked confused for a split second before she shrugged. Inspira sat down soon afterward and looked around.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"Nevermind," I said.

"But – "

"Nevermind."

"OK, OK, sheesh. Forget I asked," she said before her eyes got big. She smiled knowingly before dipping into her potato soup. I gave her a look. She just smiled sweetly.

//_Psis._//

After that, Maria brought up martial arts. A few minutes later, something occurred to me.

"Hey, Ray, you've never mentioned what martial arts class you're in," I said. "Are you in BMA? AMA?"

She put her utensils down and folded her hands in her lap. "I am in neither."

"I didn't picture you being in Survival," Inspira said.

"I am not."

Penny stopped eating. "If you're not in BMA, AMA, or Survival, what do you take for self-defense?"

"Currently, I'm in a personal study course."

"Personal study?" Penny said, her voice gaining an edge. "Why are you taking personal study?"

"My schedule was especially full, due to my needing Powers Theory and Lab, as well core requirements, all in addition to Introduction to Mystical Concepts."

"Wait a sec, though," Max said. "I thought that all the MA personal studies were, like, sophomore classes."

"They are."

"And how did you qualify?" Penny asked, her voice quiet.

"I am apparently . . . very advanced, and already demonstrating the lessons of introductory martial arts courses."
"You're, like, a master, or something?" Max asked.

"I am not."

"But how did you get so good?" I asked. "Did you have training since childhood, or something?"

"No. I have only trained for the past year, but my abilities have allowed me to advance much faster than most students."

"How's that work?" Spira asked, then she got excited. "Do you have an Esper trick you haven't told us about?!"

Ray shook her head. "Nothing like that. I simply have more time than others do."

"More time?" Penny asked, quieter still.

"You are all aware that I only need to sleep once every week?"

"I wasn't, actually," Penny said.

"That means that I have 48 extra hours every week. In the end, this means that I have almost 100 more days every year to pursue whatever I want than others do."

"100 extra days?! That's awesome!" Inspira said. "So, what, you practiced in the middle of the night?"

"Yes. I would sometimes not stop for days."

I was about to ask another question before I saw Penny, her face pale and stiff, with a look in her eyes that I couldn't describe.

"Penny?" I asked. Ray stopped mid-sentence.

She glared at me. "Yes?"

I looked down at her hand. She looked down too and relaxed her grip on the fork she had just mangled.

"I have to go," she said.

I couldn't think of anything to say as she left, so I just sorta watched her go.

"What was that all about?" I asked, once she was out of earshot.

Ray looked down, not saying anything.

"Spira, any hints?"

"Uh . . ." she said. "If you wanna know, ask her."

"Um, OK."

All of us but Ray nibbled at dessert while we talked about classes. Before too long, she left without saying anything. I watched her go, feeling like I was missing something. After supper was finished, I gave Maria a quick peck before she left for her cottage.

I was about to go back to my room, too until I remembered my appointment with Dr. Woodrow. Just thinking about asking her about all the Mr. J stuff made my stomach tie in a knot. All of it came back to me right then, everything that I had felt that night I found out, and all the questions I had asked in the months since then.

I took a deep breath, trying to sort through all of it. Even as hard as it all was to face, I knew that it would be best to get it over with, so I marched for Dr. Woodrow's office. By the time I walked into Schuster, most of the overhead lights were off and some of the janitorial staff were working their way through the floor. Some low lights were on in Dr. Woodrow's office, which I walked up to before knocking twice.

"A, right on time."

I went in and settled into my usual chair before sliding it back, careful not to mash any books or DVD's..

"So, A, what brings you here tonight?" Dr. Woodrow asked.

"I, uh, well, I have a question, and I figured you might have an answer for me."

"OK. What do you want to know?"

"When Circe did the revelatory circle spell on Monday, what all did you see?"

She gave me a searching look for a second. "Are you worried about your privacy?"

I shook my head. "That isn't it. God . . . couldn't you just grab it out of my head?"

"I think you should tell me. Voicing concerns helps you deal with them."

"Oh, uh . . ." I said, then whispered what I wanted to know.

"What was that? Could you say it again, please?"

"I want to know who my dad is," I said, feeling tears pushing out of my eyes.

Dr. Woodrow walked around her desk and pulled up a chair right beside me, looking into my eyes. "A. I understand, I do. And I know the answer to your question. But this is the sort of thing that can't be unlearned. If you know the answer, it will change everything. Are you sure you want to know?"

I tried to say something, but I couldn't manage it. Instead, I just nodded.

Dr. Woodrow took one of my hands in both of hers before looking back in my eyes. ". . . Mr. J is your biological father."

Looking down, I felt tears roll down my cheeks. I couldn't stop myself that time. Dr. Woodrow had me wrapped in a hug a second later, warm and strong, just like one of Mom's. Remembering Mom threw some kinda switch, and a sob broke out, and I really started in. All that time – all that guessing, all that confusion – it all came out in one big burst. I lost track of the world after that, and there was only Dr. Woodrow, her arms wrapped around me, and me, just going and going.

Sometime later, I pulled back, sniffling. "Th – thanks. I'm . . ."

She gave me a warm smile, still holding my hand. "The shock will fade in time, A. It will be hard to deal with for a while, but it will get better."

I nodded, wiping my eyes.

"I know tomorrow is the start of the weekend, but I'd really like you to pay me a return visit in the afternoon, all right? By then, I'm certain that you'll have a better grasp on all of this." She got to her feet. "For tonight, I'd like for you to do something fun, like maybe watch a movie. After that, get a good night sleep, and we'll tackle this tomorrow after you've had some time to come to grips with everything.

"However, if, at any point, it feels like you're being overwhelmed, don't hesitate to call me." She flicked her wrist, and she pulled business card from nowhere and handed it to me.

"OK." I said, getting up and slipping the card in my pocket. "Thanks again. Really."

"Naturally. Are you ready to go for now?"

"As ready as I will be, I guess."

She gave me one more hug. "Goodnight, A."

I hugged her back. "Goodnight, Dr. Woodrow."

I let go and she gave me a smile and a wave as I left. I turned and faced her door for a minute once I was out in the hall. Then I left the building.]]> Aranis 2009-04-04T13:52:57-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=34979&th=1139#msg_34979 Part 10

Friday, October 6th – Evening
I took my time getting back to my room. It was freezing cold, but I just didn't care. Max wasn't in our room when I got there, but I didn't really care about that, either. Everything was just . . . away. I ended up on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I kept thinking about the revelation over and over, and I felt like I should talk to someone about it, or something. I couldn't call Mr. J, I _really_ couldn't call Mom or Dad, and I really didn't want to offload my problems on any of my friends.

But before I could get really down, Dr. Woodrow's advice came back to me. I didn't feel like doing something fun, but I knew, logically, that it would be a good idea, so I reached into my pocket, pulled out my walkie, and pressed Maria's silver button.

"Hey, bear!" she said.

"Hey, bunny. I was wondering, would you like to watch a movie or some anime, or something?"

"Yeah, sure. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Nah. Just bring some stuff, we'll pick something, and then we can watch it here in my room, since Max isn't here tonight."

"OK. I'll be over in about 10 minutes."

The main hall had a few guys around when I got there, and I gave waves to the ones I knew. I paced back and forth while I waited for the 10 minutes, which seemed to crawl but blur together. Then, there was a knock at the main door, and I walked to it and let Maria in. She was in civvies, and she had a thick ski jacket over a baby-doll T.

"Hey, bear!" she said, pulling me into a hug that I didn't feel up to. She stepped back with a frown on her face. "Are you OK?"

"Uh, kinda, I guess. I really just want to watch something for a bit, okay?"

"K. Lead the way."

We walked back to my room, and Maria set up her laptop on my desk, and we pulled Max's chair over to my side of the room.

"We have a few excellent choices," Maria said, fanning out a few boxsets in front of me. "We have Excel Saga which is weird and funny, Inuyasha which has demons and stuff, and Sailor Moon, about a blockhead girl who fights moon-aliens."

"Um. The funny one, I guess."

Maria's bottom lip puffed out a little. "I have some others in my room, if you don't like the ones – "

"Nah, go ahead with Excel Saga."

"If you say so."

She queued up Excel Saga and we started in. Sure enough it was really, _really_ weird. I couldn't even follow the plot, or anything, but I was kinda sure that was the point. But like Maria said, it _was_ pretty funny, even if I didn't feel like laughing. Instead, I just smiled a little in places.

"We can switch to something else, if you want to," she said during a pause between episodes.

I just shrugged.

Maria fixed a look on me, one that _actually_ looked stern. "What did I tell you yesterday?"

"'We help each other.'"

"Exactly," she said, her look softening. "So, tell me what's bothering you."

I couldn't look at her while I tried to say it. ". . . he's my dad."

"What?"

"Mr. J, bunny, he's – he's my dad, my biological father."

"Oh, A," she said, sitting down in my lap and wrapping me in a hug. "I'm so sorry you had to find out like this."

"I trusted my parents to – to love each other, to be faithful, I guess. She's only supposed to, to – with Dad. But she went to Mr. J. And he did it with her! He didn't even try to stop her, and he knew that it was wrong! And all that time he lived next to us, he knew! He was my dad and he didn't say ANYTHING for 14 years! What kind of friend is that?! He said he was my buddy, but it was all a, a . . ."

//. . . big damn lie,// I wanted to say, but I just couldn't. Not in front of Maria. It took a while for me to pick back up, but she didn't interrupt.

"I want us to be friends again. I wish I could go back and never learn about it. But I can't. We're stuck this way. It's all just . . . screwed up."

She leaned up and gave me a soft kiss for a minute. "It's okay, bear," she said, pulling back. "It's okay."

I tried to say something more, but I couldn't manage it. Maria understood, though, because she didn't ask any questions. She just smiled a little and cuddled with me and held my hand, stroking my cheek every now and then whenever a tear got out.

After a while, we moved to my bed and spread out some, her laying next to me and nestling under my left arm. It all felt right and my trouble didn't seem so bad. She just kept snuggling into me, and, after I started feeling better, I'd pull her closer and make it so that she could fit against my body a little better. We sat like that for the night, my mind drifting, neither of us saying anything, just being there together.

I eventually noticed that Maria was snoring lightly. Time had gotten away from us, and a quick check of my watch told me that it was past 11:00.

"Bunny," I whispered.

She snuffled and moved a little. I couldn't help but smile at her. I nudged her, and she cuddled down into me.

"Maria," I said, a little louder.

Finally, her eyes fluttered open. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, but it's cool. How about we get you back?"

"You sure? I could, um, stay here tonight," she offered, looking a little nervous.

I blinked. "No, you don't need to do that. I think I'll be OK."

"All right, if that's what you want to do." She stretched and yawned. "Yeah, maybe I do need to get to bed."

We gathered up all her stuff and left my room a few minutes later. I actually carried her over to Dickinson, letting her doze for a few minutes on the trip over. I was actually a little sad at having to put her down once we got there.

"We're here," I said, softly.

She opened her eyes again. "Oh, OK."

I put her down and handed over her stuff. "Good night," I said. "I love you, Maria."

She smiled dreamily. "I love you, too. Night."

She closed the door behind her, and I just stood there, rolling the words around in my mind. I love you. It made me feel all tingly inside, and it made my problems fade just a little. Before I got ready to walk back, I realized that I still had some thinking to do, and there was one place where I could get some space for that.

"To defend the defenseless," I said.

A few seconds later, I was transformed and airborne, going up in a steep climb. A little while later, that coppery feeling buzzed across my tongue, and I stopped. I looked down at campus, admiring the soft glow of the lights all over, on the buildings, along the sidewalks, and at the gates. I looked back up, and if only the clouds had been a little thinner, then I would've looked at the stars, maybe losing myself in them.

Instead, for a good while, I just hung there, enjoyed the frost-edged wind blowing against my skin, my whole body breaking out in goosebumps. I couldn't hear the wind, and everything else, as clearly as I could when I was Raptor, but flying was a lot easier as Megadeus, and the whole point right then was to just relax. Which I did. I didn't even try to think things through, either. I just drifted.

Eventually, though, everything hit me again, and I got the urge to pace. I tried flying around in small ovals for a while, but it just didn't have the same effect, so I decided to get to the ground. The little knob I had settled on the other night was nearby, so I settled on it. I paced for a few minutes, but then I realized how silly it must look for a big superhero to pace, so I downshifted and went back to walking.

I didn't get very far before I heard a rustling in the trees again, like an animal or something was moving around in the woods. I stopped and dropped into combat stance, straining my ears for any sound. That was when I felt a sharp pain across my head and everything went black.

Saturday, October 7th – Early Morning?
Sometime later, the blackness broke. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see anything through the rough material wrapped around my head. I couldn't move my arms or legs, and the bristle of worn rope grated against my skin when I tried.

//What's going on?!//

I still didn't know what was going on or where I was, so I stopped moving and listened. I heard rain pounding down on the ground, but the weird thing was that the sound echoed over and over, sounding like I was in the middle of three rainstorms instead of just one. I felt the air ripple as the heavy drops fell, making me shiver all over and forcing a deep breath that pulled in the spongy scent of moss along with the deep smell of rock.

//No use trying to figure it out, really. I'll have the blindfold off in a sec, anyway.//

I opened my mouth to say a catchphrase – only to find that my mouth was taped shut. Butterflies started fluttering through my stomach and I started sweating. There was one person that came to mind almost immediately. The butterflies doubled as his face popped into my head.

//Silverwing?//

Nothing. There weren't any sounds in the cave at all except for the steady sound of rain.

//I figure he'd let me know if it was him. He's not exactly the subtle type. But . . . who else could it be?//

My breath caught in my chest and the butterflies came back with friends.

//Chasm!//

I started really sweating just as panic started to set in, but I didn't get a chance to really lose it, 'cause someone ripped the blindfold off, and light burned my eyes, but only for a few minutes. When they adjusted, I saw that the pale light spilling out of an electric lantern on the rock floor.

But that wasn't the most important thing. No, there was a man standing next to the lantern, a TALL man, probably more than 6'5''. Most importantly, though, he wasn't Chasm, and some of my fear faded with a sigh. That still left whoever that was, though, so I got as good a look at him as I could. Even in the low light, I could tell that he was ripped, like Exemplar-level, maybe 4 or 5, and he was wearing a flannel shirt with rolled-up sleeves and some heavily beaten jeans. I looked to his face next, dominated by very prominent, rounded cheekbones. Then, I saw his eyes. They were green, but they were mirroring the light like a cat's.

"You're awake," he said, a smile spreading wide enough to show all his teeth, all white, all sharp. My heart skipped a beat, then thundered madly in my chest as he walked between me and the lantern, shadows swallowing everything but his gleaming teeth and inhuman eyes. He knelt in front of me, eyes locking onto mine and flaring his nostrils as he took a deep breath. He swallowed, hungry excitement shoving his pupils wide, and I whimpered, feeling like a rabbit who needed to run for his hole.

"Can't fly away now," he said, spit flicking onto my face. He swayed back and forth, eyes trailing along my body, and I couldn't help but struggle against the ropes as my heart thundered louder. He watched my reaction, smiling a little wider and licking his lips.

"You don't look a thing like him," the man said, getting back to his feet. "But the smell? Oh, yes, just like him . . . so close to being right that it screams how wrong you are."

//What the heck is he talking about?//

He laughed at the confusion on my face. "Not following, Freak? Looks like your father has never mentioned Luke, has he? And now it's going to cost you," he said, his words sounding like a promise. My eyes went wider and so did his smile.

"But your father never told you the story, did he? No, of course not. Too ashamed."

He got back to his feet and walked to the mouth of the cave, which looked like it was just a quick sprint away. //If I can just get free . . .//

"Your father came to us when he was practically a cub," Luke started, his words edged with bitterness. "He could do something that we had never seen: make our gifts a part of himself. But he was never one of us, he was a aberration, someone who could still be human somehow even when he was with any of his animals."

I listened enough to follow what he was saying, but my focus was really on pulling against the ropes on my hands, straining until the fibers cut my skin open and dug into my open wounds.

"I knew that he was a Freak, but none of my tribemates listened. They treated him as an honored guest. But I knew, I _knew_ that he would only bring us trouble. And I was right. One night, our cubs were kidnapped . . ." he drifted off, sadness mixing in with the bitterness. "And this freak, this 'Nine,' was so sure that he could go in and handle the situation. But our leader advised caution, that we wait while she formed a plan. But Nine was so sure that we didn't have time."

Revenge. That's what Luke was after. With that I mind, I really _pulled_ my legs, but the ropes didn't give at all, and my muscles throbbed afterward.

"He went into the enemy's lair," Luke continued, the quiet sadness giving way to anger as he raised his voice. "And do you know what happened?" He stalked back to me and crouched, leaning in till our faces almost touched. "My girl died!" he roared, and I shuddered at the smell of raw meat on his breath.

"Nine fucked it all up! And, then, when he came before the council, do you know what they decided?! EXILE! FUCKING EXILE! He deserved to die for what he did! MY DAUGHTER'S BLOOD WAS ON HIS HANDS!"

I was a trembling wreck when Luke stopped and got back to his feet. He walked back to the mouth of the cave again, drawing a huge knife from a sheath at his waist.

"But tonight," he said quietly. "Tonight, old debts are settled."

He turned back, walking very, very slowly. I looked up at him, and it was like time slowed down as my heart drummed in my ears.

//I can't transform, but if I don't do something, I'm dead! No one can help me, no one's around, he's coming this way, oh God, I'm DEAD! I can't do anything, I'm out of options, I'm . . .//

And, then, it hit me. There was something that I had only just learned about, something that I hadn't ever used on purpose. But it was all I had.

I closed my eyes, thinking of everything I possibly could that had made me mad: Silverwing, Maria transferring to BMA, Penny's kiss, and everything with Mr. J. I pulled it all together, and red sparks popped through the black behind my eyelids. I snapped my eyes open, looking out a world made of reds. I looked up at Luke and mixed in the anger of being vulnerable, and I exploded like cluster of TNT. My Juice went from a song to a trill and I screamed, loud enough to be heard even from behind the duct tape.

Luke stopped and looked at me. "What in Garand's name . . .?"

Strength and power, raw, boundless power blew through my body, coursing along my nerves, blazing through my muscles. Ropes sliced into my wrists and legs as I pulled with everything I had, finally tearing the ropes, hearing them snap like gunshots before I stood, blood running down my abused hands and legs. I ripped the tape off, the pain feeding my Fury as I locked onto Luke, and all my confusion, anger, and fear shot out of me into a warcry that made Luke flinch.

In a heartbeat, I was across the rocks and ramming my fist into Luke's head, his eyes going out of focus as his jaw snapped like a dry twig. He lost his knife as he went airborne, the weapon clattering on the rocks as he flipped onto his feet in the grass outside. I ripped out another scream, equal part Fury and joy and rushed him, but he snatched one arm and slung me through a tree branch that exploded as I hurtled through it, blunt pain shooting through my ribs. I smacked into hard earth as I landed, pain jolting through my joints.

I threw myself back to my feet, ready to charge again, but I shivered and stopped the second I laid eyes on Luke. He grew into a nine-foot, musclebound nightmare made of equal parts man and cougar, talons springing from his fingers like switch-blades. He fell to all fours and tore the night air with a monstrous cry, the wavering sound setting my teeth on edge.

I mixed the fear into the Fury and screamed as I charged, his claws ripping into my chest. The injury drove me even higher, and I slammed forehead into his nose, smiling at the blood that spattered on my skin. He screamed and impaled my stomach, the agony unreal, making me stagger back, and he swiped at me again. Something in my mind snapped, and Luke moved in slow motion, so I ducked under his swing before I clenched my fist and drilled into Luke's arm, his bones breaking, smiling at the new angle his arm made.

He roared, charging me, but he was too slow to hit me. I went to punch him again, but he caught my arm and twisted it, unbelievable pain assaulting my wrist then arm as he through me, sending me blowing through branch after branch, each one mounting the pain in my ribs. A wall of wood stopped me, and I screamed, the bruises, cuts, and battered bones flaming my Fury even higher. I threw myself to my feet just as Luke came bounding at me with explosive jumps. He flew upward, arms extended, mouth open, saliva flying, and I jumped out of the tree, punishing his ribs with every bit of force I had, them snapping under my elbow a great sound.

We both tumbled to the ground before I popped up to my feet and Luke jumped to his. All the anger parted for a just a second when I saw Luke's jaw slide back into place. The Fury came back, my mind focused on one thing: hit him a lot and hard. I tore out another battlecry, ready to feel more of his blood on my hands, and charged, and Luke did the same, running to me with another blurring swipe, but I ducked below it and dug into his guts with my hardest punch, smiling at the feel of his muscles strands buckling. He was off-balance, and I jackhammered his abs and ribs with a series of fast, hard punches, each one making him grunt and scream.

He fell to the ground, and I went to batter his face with a cross before I stopped, barely missing his freakishly long teeth as he snarled and chomped at me. I crunched into his jaw with my knee, and he cried again, but could only manage a whimper with a broken mouth. My smile spread even wider as I got into brutalizing his face with one driving cross, then a backhand, over and over, my fist a wrecking ball demolishing his face, each crunch spattering the ground with blood, each beautiful bit of blood and gore sticking to my hand.

I gave one more cry, all joy and satisfaction, ready to snap his spine, when some force wrapped around each of my arms. I screamed again at the unforgivable delay, thrashing, but I couldn't get free.

"You're safe, he's down, you don't have to fight anymore," rumbled a deep voice from behind me.

I felt someone's body behind me, and I started driving my heels into their shins. They wouldn't let me go! And Luke was right there! He was even in human form! I could finish him off! All the sudden, a lithe lady appeared from nowhere and knelt beside Luke. When she went to touch him, I lost it.

"BITCH! HE'S _MINE_!"

I _had_ to get free before she did something! I buried my heels into the legs of the person behind me, feeling bones crunch, but the guy only grunted, keeping his hold on me while talking in soothing tones. Those reached something in me, and the Fury thinned out bit by bit, until my vision was back to normal, my thinking was clear, my Juice gone back to its steady hum, and my adrenaline levels bottomed out. All my pain shrieked into my consciousness right then, and I would've fallen to the ground in tears if the person hadn't been holding me.

"Can you understand me, kid?"

"Yeah, oh, God, please don't drop me. It hurts so much."

"What hurts?"

"Wrists . . . legs . . . chest . . . stomach . . ."

"Here, let's have a look at you," the voice said. My view shifted around as the guy carried me and set me under a big, old tree. I felt the ground beneath me as he laid me down, and I yelped in pain. I gasped and would've wriggled away when I saw the face of the guy who'd been talking: it was a bear – or, really, a mix of bear and human.

"It's all right," he said, responding to my gasp. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He closed his bear eyes and the snout and the fur sucked back into his skin as his ears moved back to human spots on his head. When he was finished, he still had shaggy black hair, but it was on his face and head instead of everywhere. He went around me, gently lifting each of my limbs. My right arm was the worst, the one with the broken wrist. Once he was finished, he walked away.

He started talking with the lady, I think, but I didn't listen very close. My attention span went weird, and the pain dropped away, and all I could focus on was the rain hitting the ground. Eventually, the lady came over to me and got my attention.

"You'll be all right, kid," she said after she knelt beside me. "We've called the school, and they're sending someone out to get you right now. You'll be fine."

"Thanks," I said, barely managing. "Who . . .?"

"I'm Eloise," the lady said, her short black hair shining under a bolt of lightning. "And this is Ben. We're the leaders of the tribe here."

My tired and hurting mind couldn't follow what she was saying. It must have showed on my face.

"Don't worry about it for now," she said, kneeling down beside me and stroking my hair. "We're gonna stay here until the medical people get here. You rest."

I did. It wasn't darkness after that, but it was all blurs. Flashing lights showed up sometime later, blue and white, and a couple guys lowered a cot under me and carried me toward the lights. Everything was muffled and removed from me, like there were cotton balls on my ears and gauze over my eyes. Eloise was talking with one of the EMT's, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. I looked over to see Luke's body – but his eyes suddenly shot open.

Then, Luke blurred from his possum position and snapped, sharp pain lancing up my arm as his teeth stabbed into my hand. Eloise was there a moment too late, a sharp crack echoing around us as she snapped across his head with balled up fists. As his eyes glazed over and he collapsed Eloise grabbed the nearest EMT by the shirt and screamed, "You need to knock him out! The strongest sedative you have!"

All the sudden, my body felt like I had just walked into a sauna, but as I started to complain, a sharp pain plunged into my arm, and I fell into a deep, unending darkness.]]> Aranis 2009-04-07T21:59:03-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=35575&th=1139#msg_35575 Part 11

Tuesday, October 10th (Not that I knew it at the time)
I was BURNING ALIVE. I bolted upright in my bed, or tried, but I found out that I was strapped down again, and that the bed was even more sturdy than the one I had been belted to last time. The heat stayed on full force, and I thrashed to try to get my arms free or toss the blankets off me. It wasn't working, and my body felt like someone had lit a bonfire under my bed.

"Anyone?!" I screamed. "I'm burning up! Anybody, please!"

Some doctors in heavy-duty gear came rushing in. They spouted out some medical babble and one ran to my bedside and shoved a syringe in an IV that I saw was fed into my arm. My question stopped in my throat when I blacked out again.

Wednesday, October 11th
My eyes came open sometime later. The heat was still there, but it had been dialed down to "bake" instead of "charbroil." I closed my eyes again for a few minutes, trying to make sense of what was going on. It took me a while, but I got my memory going, looking back for the most recent things I could remember.

//The cougar-man, Luke, had knocked me out. We fought, and he screwed me up pretty bad, but I screwed him up worse. I blacked out, the EMT-people came, and then . . .//

The scene flashed by in slow motion in my head. I was on the cot. Luke was over by the trees. And then . . .

//Oh, no,// I thought, dread sinking into my stomach. //A were-cougar bit me. If the legends are right, then . . .//

More dread plunked in my gut and I closed my eyes, trying to keep myself from going into full-out panic.

//Just look down. If you've got claws, then . . .// I couldn't finish the thought. A few deep breaths later, I still wasn't ready to check over my body, so I just kept my eyes closed, trying to screw up the courage. It worked after a few minutes, and I craned my view down, having to strain my eyes and neck to compensate for the bad positioning from being buckled down.

What I saw was not comforting. All around my body, like some sort of twisted halo, was a ring of hair piled a half an inch thick. I rolled my head back, my view going to the tiled ceiling.

//No, no, no, no, no . . . //

I kept that thought up for a while before something clicked. The hair had been _out_ of my skin, not _in_ it. What did that mean? Was I a were? Was I not?

. . . but black swallowed me again, and I was out.

My eyes opened later, and I saw one of the doctors in a full-body medical suit standing beside my bed, taking notes. I looked closer at the outfit and realized that it wasn't just a medical suit – it was medical armor.

"You're awake," a female voice said from behind the mask. I could actually hear her smiling. "How do you feel?"

"Still pretty rough."

"I'm not surprised. How's the fever?"

"I still had it when I woke up this time, but it's gone now."

"Good," the doctor said, checking my IV stand.

I tried to sit up so that I could get a better look at my surroundings, but I was still strapped down nice and tight.

"Hey, doc?"

"Yes?"

"Could you let me up? I'd like to move, if I could."

"Sure thing, just a second."

She bent down and adjusted the straps. The buckles grinded and clicked as she worked them loose, maybe meaning that they had been high tension, or something. After a few minutes and a few straps, she took them all off of my bed.

"All righty, you can sit up now. You can't really get around and walk until we remove the catheter and colostomy."

"What . . .?" then, I looked down and did a check of my lower regions. As soon as I paid attention, I realized that it was more than a little uncomfortable down there. Heat flooded my face and I did my best to keep my sheet on my body.

"Don't worry about your modesty, Aspect. None of your friends have seen anything they shouldn't have."

"Friends?" I asked, my face heating even more. "My friends have been here?"

"Oh, yes. As a matter of fact, we've already threatened Neuramail with detention if she keeps showing up outside of visiting hours. Not that it helps." The doctor chuckled.

"Ma – Neuramail's been here a lot?"

"Every day, right after classes."

I couldn't help but smile. Maria, gotta love her. I was about to ask her more about the gang, but I happened to look down, and I saw the hair around me. And that brought it all back to me. I gulped and made myself ask the question.

". . . am I were, doc?"

"There it is," the doctor said, pausing thoughtfully. "No. No, you aren't."

A deep sigh of relief just whooshed out of me and I fell back. "Oh. Oh, thank God."

"I would tell you sit down and get comfortable, but I figure you're already there. As much as you can be, anyway. First, you need to know a little background about how the condition is spread."

I pressed the button on my bed, raising it to a sitting position. Sitting up was just a little too hard right then to do by myself.

"Just like the popular legends, the condition of lycanthropy is transferred through biting. What is not commonly known, however, is the reason behind this. The bite transfers a virus, but not of any mundane variety. This virus is mystical in nature."

"A magical virus?" I asked.

"Yes, that's right. Normally, a human immune system is powerless to affect the Lycan-virus because the germ is practically invisible to both antibodies and white blood cells."

"Mutants are vulnerable, too?"

The suit's head section moved slightly, which I took for a nod. "Yes."

I gulped. "What happens, then?"

"The person usually retains his mutant powers, or some version thereof, but mixed with the lycanthropic template's abilities, such as shapeshifting, super-strength, and regeneration."

"So, why am I not growing claws and whiskers and getting those extra powers?"

"That's a little complicated. Remember that I said that the Lycan-virus is typically invisible to the body's defenses?"

I nodded.

"Your body is different. Your body's immune system recognizes the virus for what it is, a foreign invader, and fights it accordingly."

"What?"

"That was my response, too," she said, a smile back in her voice. "It's practically unheard of, to the point that there's only ever been one mutant to exhibit an immune response even *remotely* similar to yours."

"Who is – "

Then, pieces fit together in my head. Mr. J was a were-shifter thing. Luke had said that he had stolen their gifts, made them a part of him, but while still being human. Then, that had to mean –

"Wait. Can I guess?"

"I suppose?"

"Nine. The guy who was on the Prometheans in Milwaukee, and was a student here in the late 70's."

". . . that's right. How did you know?"

I couldn't help but sigh as the shipwreck, and all the baggage with it, came right back to the surface. "He's my biological father."

After that, she asked me some pretty uncomfortable questions, but not as bad as they could've been, I guess. While she was around, she got a nurse and they took care of my, uh, bathroom needs. I'll spare you the details. I got up and walked around some after that, but only for a few minutes. After that, I fell into my bed, my energy run dry just like that.

"Take it easy for a while," the doctor (Ophelia Tennent, as it turned out) said. "you got hurt pretty bad, and your body as been working overtime to keep up with the virus."

"Don't have to tell me twice," I said before taking another deep breath. The doctor excused herself after that, saying that I should take the opportunity to get some rest. Following her advice, I nodded off for a while.

Later, I opened my eyes and sat up, and what I saw was a good thing: Maria, who stood on the opposite side of the huge window separating the hall from my room. I gave her a timid wave, and her eyes flew wide open while a huge smile spread across her face. She ran one way, then another, then hit herself on the head and pulled her communicator out of her bag. She clicked a few buttons and chattered into the walkie, her smile staying wide. Right after that, Max and everyone else bamfed in before giving me waves and smiles. Maria jammed something on the other side of the glass.

"Bear! How're you feeling?"

I gave her a weak smile. "Okay."

"We came as soon as Maria told us," Ray said. "It is good to see you awake."

". . . how long have I not been?"

"More than 3 days."

"3 days?!"

"Yeah, bro," Max said. "The doctors said you were passed out fighting off a virus, like, a bad one."

I was about to mention the were-virus, but then I realized that the doctors had kept quiet about it with my friends, which probably meant that I should, too.

"But A can't tell us anything more," Inspira said. Everyone looked at her. Spira's eyes darted back and forth. "What? He doesn't know any more, and he's saying so nice and loud in his head."

Everyone seemed to take that explanation.

//Gonna have to talk with her about that.//

"So, when're you getting out?" Penny asked before rolling her eyes. "And just let him answer, Spira."

"Dunno. Dr. Tennent hasn't told me yet."

"Well, let us know as soon as you do," Spira said. "and we'll help you get back to your room. Maria can let us know."

"Sounds good."

"Well, A, hope you feel better soon!" Penny sang. "All right, guys, let's split." She smiled and winked at me as she ushered everyone but Maria away. They all waved again before the girls walked away and Max bamfed elsewhere.

"Are you really okay?" Maria asked quietly.

My whole body slumped as I relaxed. "Not really, bunny. I'm really sore, I still have a fever, and I don't have any energy at all."

"Oh, bear," she said, frowning. "I'm sorry. Why did someone do this to you? Was it Silverwing, or something?"

"It all has to do with Mr. J . . . again," I said, sighing. "I'll have to tell you the whole thing later, OK?"

She nodded. "I wish I could do something more . . ."

I smiled. "You being here is good, bunny. It's good to see you."

"I'm glad. But I still feel like I should be doing something more to help."

"Actually, bunny, the best thing you could do right now is give me some time to sleep. I love seeing you,but I just don't have _any_ energy right now, and I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"I see," she said, frowning a little. "I'll be here later tonight, K?"

"Okay. I'll see you later."

She gave me a little wave, and I gave her one back. She stood and watched me for a minute before she walked down the hall away from my room. Once she was gone, I closed my eyes, wondering how long it would take me to get back to sleep.

Thursday, October 12th
//Not long, I guess,// I thought as my eyes came open. I didn't know what time it was until I checked the medical computers hooked up to me. They told me that it was 1:32AM, Thursday, October 12th. Even though it was the middle of night, I couldn't get any more sleep. I was exhausted, but sleep just wouldn't come. Instead, I looked at the ceiling, letting my mind drift through recent events.

I twinged with pain, and that reminded me of the fight with Luke, so my mind went straight to it. I shivered when I remembered the feel of the Fury coming over me. It was so . . . good. It was one of the best things I had ever felt. Letting it out was satisfying in a way that I still have trouble explaining. Then, I remembered something about it: I had _enjoyed_ causing pain. All at once, all the smiles and all the excitement at beating the crap out of Luke came back to me. Guilt pressed down on my mind and body, making everything feel so heavy. I just couldn't get over it. I had really hurt someone, and I had loved every minute of it. Was it the Fury that had made me that way? Or was it something else? I didn't know, but I just couldn't get away from the memories and how they weighed on me.

But that wasn't the worst part, not by a long shot. If Ben hadn't stopped me, I would've _killed_ Luke. I was just about to when Ben's arms wrapped around me. The weight got worse at the realization, and my entire body felt twice as heavy as it normally did. I wasn't a killer . . . was I?

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I didn't get any more time to think about, as I passed out again.

The guilt was still with me when I opened my eyes later on. The computer monitors told me that it was 4:03PM, which meant that classes had just gotten out for most people a few minutes earlier. I wondered if the guys would come by for a visit after classes, and that reminded me that Maria had said that she would visit later in the night the day before. I guess I had just slept through it.

After I laid back down, I took a quick stock of my body, of all the pain and discomfort. It felt like my ribs were mostly back to normal, as they hurt a little but not as bad as if they were broken. Next up, my chest and stomach were just tender, but didn't feel like they had dressing on them anymore, which meant that my body had already mostly healed Luke's slashes. The skin on my legs and wrists didn't hurt at all, and a quick feel showed me that not even scars were left over from where the ropes cut into me.

Out of all the pain and tenderness, though, my right wrist was still the worst, but even it it wasn't bad. Oddly enough, it itched under the plaster, but I couldn't get to it. I could only guess that meant that the healing process was mostly finished there, too.

It took me a second to sort it out, but I felt like an idiot for not noticing sooner. My fever had finally broken. I didn't feel any warmer than normal, and, if anything, I actually felt a little chilly. And that was a very, very good thing.

When I realized that I was almost all the way back to normal, I couldn't help but smile. Can't really complain about Exemplar-3 regen. Not at all.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Dr. Tennent asked. I hadn't even noticed that she came in.

"Just glad to be in one piece and almost back to normal."

"That is good news. The fever's gone, then?"

"Yep. I'm a little chilly, even."

"Good!"

She went through the usual motions: taking a blood sample, checking my chart, adjusting the controls on my IV stand, and looking at the monitors and making notes.

"Doctor Tennent?"

"Yes?" she replied, leaving her notepad alone for a minute.

"When will I be able to leave?"

"If the virus continues to decline at the rate it has, then you should be able to leave by this time tomorrow evening."

"Awesome. This bed isn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world."

She chuckled a little. "I didn't know you were one for understatement, Aspect."

I smiled back at her while she finished up her routine.

"Mrs. Carson needs to talk with you, by the way. I was told to notify her as soon as you were ready for company."

I gulped.

"If you're not up to it, then I just won't tell her."

I gulped but steeled myself. "Uh, no. Might as well get it over with. Go ahead and send her in."

"Taking things head on. I like that. I'll let her know you're awake, then."

I nodded weakly and laid back in my bed.

//What could she need with me? Am I going to get detention for this?//

Stewing was the thing to do while I waited, and I felt my heart start skipping beats every now and then as I imagined looking into Mrs. Carson's face. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, I heard an older female voice buzz through the intercom at the glass.

"Mr. Morris."

I raised my bed into a sitting position. "Hello, ma'am. I would be standing up to greet you, and all, but I still don't have much energy."

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Morris." She gave me a look for a moment, but it wasn't judgmental. It was more . . . caring, maybe. "You've been through a lot."

I nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I got torn up pretty bad."

"Yes, you did," Mrs. Carson said, her tone softening a little. "I am proud of you, Mr. Morris. Not every student would have found the mettle to fight, or even try to fight, in a situation like yours. You've proven that you have steel, Mr. Morris, something that will serve you well your entire life."

I blinked. Mrs. Carson had given me a straight compliment. "Thank you, ma'am."

She nodded. "But that isn't the main reason I'm here today. Do you remember meeting Benjamin and Eloise?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you remember what they told you?"

"Yes, ma'am. That they were leaders of the 'tribe' here. But I didn't really understand what they meant by 'tribe.'"

"You see, Mr. Morris, Whateley Academy and all of its grounds are on the lands of the Mediwhalla tribe."

"Mediwhalla? I haven't heard of them before."

"I would suspect not. They are a tribe of lycanthropes, what you would term 'were-people.'"

My jaw fell open. "An entire _tribe_ of shapeshifters?"

"That's right. And we're here on their lands. Their home settlement isn't far from here, as a matter of fact."

It started adding up. "That's where Luke came from, then?"

She nodded. "Yes. He was a member of the Mediwhalla. What do you know of him?"

"Only what he told me. He said . . ."

And I repeated the whole thing as best as I could remember it, and I had to tell her who my dad really was, which sucked in some ways but was good in others. Every time I told it, it was like it became a little easier to believe.

"I was afraid of that," Mrs. Carson said, sounding a little softer still. "During your father's – during Nine's time here and afterwards, he made friends with as many of the tribes as he could, partially to gain their powers, but mostly because he truly enjoyed their company. As you can see, though, his relationships didn't always end well."

"There are other tribes, though? More than just the Mediwhalla?"

"Yes, though they're spread all over the world."

"Oh."

"But enough sidetracking. I have spoken with Benjamin and Eloise, and they told me that you have their apologies for all of this. The matter should have been settled many years ago, and their council had ruled that no more action was to be taken against Nine or his descendants. Luke was acting outside of the rulings of the leadership."

"I didn't even know that there was a tribe to blame," I said, feeling a little lost. "But, yeah, I can see that it wasn't their fault. What happened to Luke, though?" I had to know, though. The bastard had hurt me. "Did he get punished for going against the rules?" I asked, gritting my teeth.

"They tell me that Luke has 'been dealt with,'" she said, her voice dropping as her face became grave.

It felt like the temperature in my room had just dropped 10 degrees, but that sounding like good news. I nodded.

"While you're here, Mrs. Carson, may I ask you a question?"

"Certainly."

"Why did Luke bite me? That's the part that I don't get. Why not just try to rip me up one last time?"

"Ah," Mrs. Carson said, nodding. "I spoke with Eloise about that. She believes that Luke believed it the surest method to get back at Nine."

"How does that work?" I asked.

"You see, if Luke had infected you successfully, you would be of his line and belong to his tribe. In a way, he would be supplanting Nine's line with his own, a final act of spite."

"Wow."

"Yes. From what Benjamin and Eloise tell me, Luke has harbored this grudge for some time, but they didn't think he was foolish enough to defy their elders."

//If he couldn't kill me, then it sounds like infecting me was the next best thing.//

"Finally – if you feel you need it, then counseling is available at _any time_. I spoke with Dr. Woodrow, and she has said that you can give her a call, day or night, week or weekend. In addition, if you feel that you need time off to deal with this, then I can make sure that your teachers excuse you."

"Thanks, ma'am, but no thanks. I think that getting back into everything would help a lot. I like having something to keep me occupied."

She gave a small grin, and I felt like I had just won the gold at the Olympics. "I'm very glad to hear it, Mr. Morris. One can't wait for the perfect circumstances to go ahead with life. If you need any more accommodations or arrangements pertaining to this, come straight to my office. Do you understand me?" she asked, her tone almost all soft.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."

"Of course. Now, I believe your friends are here to see you. Rest well, Mr. Morris."

There was something that I never thought would happen: a visit from Mrs. Carson actually _cheered me up_. Yes, that's right, miracles still happen. A few minutes later, the guys came in, all of them still dressed in their uniforms. Maria walked over and buzzed the intercom, and we all caught up for a few minutes, and Inspira had gotten my assignment lists and Max had brought my books. Max said that they wouldn't let him port them in, and that one of the nurses would bring them in after a while. I thanked everybody for stopping by, and they split again, leaving Maria.

"So, are you really better today?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. I feel about as good as I can, I'd say."

She put a hand to her chest, closed her eyes, and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's really good to hear."

As I looked at her, I remembered the . . . awful fight with Luke. The memories of violence came back to me, and the guilt with it, and I suddenly knew what I had to do.

"Bunny – Maria," I said, cutting her off from getting started again.

"What is it, bear?"

"I . . . This is hard for me to say."

Her bottom lip puffed out a little as she tilted her head for a second.

"I'm, uh, I'm dangerous, bunny. When I fought off my kidnapper this weekend, I used my Fury for the first time. I really cut loose. It," I said, shivering all over. "it, scared me, bunny. It scared me bad. I really hurt – no, hurt doesn't do the job. I _battered_ the guy. I beat the crap out of him. And the worst part . . .? I enjoyed it. I _loved_ it."

Maria's bottom lip quivered, and there was something else in her eyes, something I didn't recognize.

//Fear?// I asked myself. If it was, I decided, then I would definitely do it.

"Oh, A," she said, sounding more concerned than afraid. "I'm so sorry. But . . . why are you telling me this? Right now, I mean?"

I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself. "I'm not safe to be around, Maria. I can't, I can't afford to think that I could put you in danger if I ever let myself go like that again. I just, I just can't. It's too much. So, I . . ."

Tears glistened in her eyes and she shook her head, whispering "no's."

". . .I'm breaking up with you."

Her face fell and shoulders sunk. "But, A, I love you, and . . ."

"I love you, too, bunny. I always will. That's why I can't do this. I don't want to hurt you. Or even run the risk. I'm sorry. You have to go."

She took her finger off the button and looked down, tears tumbling out of her eyes onto the floor. My heart broke into a thousand pieces when I saw her face, so I had to look away. I kept my eyes to the floor, absolutely refusing to look back up for a long, long time. When I eventually did, Maria was gone. I had to keep myself from losing it, and it only kinda worked, as tears slid down my face anyway.

//But it's the right thing to do,// I told myself. It wasn't comforting at all.

Thankfully, Ms. Sterling came in with all my homework and books, and I lost myself in the work. Maria only crossed my mind a few times, and the fight with Luke only came back to me once. I was bound and determined to do my work and not think of anything else at all. That took what energy I had after just a few hours, though, and I passed out into my history book.

I woke up later, starving, and they brought me a few trays of hospital food, which was pretty disgusting, but I ate it anyway. After I finished my food, I went back to my homework, and I kept at it until right around my regular bed-time. Then I went to sleep again.

Friday, October 13th
For once, I actually slept all the way through the night. It was a great feeling, and I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day. Until I remembered that I had just broken up with my girlfriend because I was a violent psychopath. My stomach sank at the memory, and I pulled my work back over to me and dug into it again. I kept at that until mid-morning, when my stomach wouldn't leave me alone any longer, and I got some mildly unpleasant breakfast food, courtesy of Ms. Sterling.

I spent the rest of the day like that, studying, then eating, then studying more, until, by the time that the school day had finished, I was almost all the way caught up. Something clicked in my head and I stopped and thought about it.

//I just finished 5 days worth of work in a day and some change . . . maybe I've been selling myself short?//

The thought that I could kick butt at my schoolwork made me smile, the first time I had since the day before. So, yeah, it wasn't much, but I was taking what I could get. Fortunately, though, I had even more good news not too long after that, as Dr. Tennent let me know that I was more than disease free and that I that she was going to be taking off the cast. That done, I was free to go whenever I wanted. I had had more than enough of the food, so I got my clothes and left.

I strolled out of my room, through the main hall, and down toward the lobby. I was more than ready to get away from the smells of disinfectant and hospital cleaner, so I had to resist the urge to jog. I did burst through the lobby doors with a little too much force, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw who was there.

"Hi, A," Maria said, standing up from a chair. She was wearing civvies, a long-sleeved t-shirt with a hoodie, along with beat-up jeans. She looked cute.

"Uh . . ." was what I said. Yes, I know, amazing and insightful. Really blew you away, didn't it?

She walked up to me, her brows and jaw set. "Before you say anything more, I want to say something. I love you. I do. And what you told me . . . it's scary. I'm not gonna say it isn't. But I can take care of myself, so even if you did lose it, or whatever you think could happen, I'd still be okay. I could run from you if I had to. I have some other things that I could do, too.

"But here's the thing I _know_ A," she said, pointing to her heart. "In here. You would never hurt me. Even when you're mad, even when you're in this Fury thing, you wouldn't hurt me. I know it."

"But, Maria, I . . ." She leaned up to me and cut me off with a kiss. Her tongue slipped between my lips, wrestling with my tongue gently, insistently, just letting me know it was there, that _she_ was there. I dropped all of my stuff, hardly noticing it thump as it hit the floor, and I pulled her up to me, wrapping her in a tight hug like she might slip away from me if I let go. She pulled tighter around my neck, and our mouths opened to one another, sharing sweetness while our tongues met and caressed each other.

A door slammed shut nearby and we both jumped an inch, ruining the moment. I couldn't help the laughs that rolled out of me, and Maria joined in, too, giggling, her laugh like chimes to my ears. We laughed for a good, long while, and we eventually had to settle down into a nearby chair until we stopped.

"Maria . . . thank you. So much."

She just smiled in response while she snuggled into me. I leaned back and sighed, happy, for once, that things hadn't turned out like I had planned.]]> Aranis 2009-04-11T22:57:35-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=35984&th=1139#msg_35984 This section contains sexually explicit material. This material will be contained in a "Spoiler" box. If you find such material offensive, then you may forgo reading it by not examining the contents of the "Spoiler" box.

Epilogue


Saturday, October 14th
By the time I got back to the room from breakfast (which was phenomenal, by the way), I was thinking about Maria again. Specifically, how I didn't feel safe about having her around, even with her saying she'd be OK. I thought about it for a while, and I decided that I would break up with her again. For good. It was the best thing to do. With that in mind, I grabbed my communicator and pressed the silver button.

"Bear?" Maria asked. "What's up? Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, hoping that I sounded convincing. "I just wanted to let you know: I'm coming down to the Workshop here in a second."

"Really? Neat!" She paused. "Can you get here?"

"Yeah, I think. Just follow the signs, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"All right. See you soon."

I put the communicator in my back pocket, and walked, no, marched, over to Kane and caught the nearest elevator. I pushed the secret panel, and the car glided down to the tunnels. When the doors opened, I wandered around until I found the signs that pointed to the Workshop. I followed them and got there in a few minutes, but I stopped outside some doors when a pair of security guards held up their hands.

"What kinda business you got in here?" the taller one asked.

"I was coming to talk to my girlfriend," I said. "I told her I was coming."

"Sorry. No escort, no pass, no entry."

"But – "

Right then, Maria came out. "Hey guys. He's with me."

They both nodded and let me pass. I ran up to Maria's side and smiled when I saw that she had on her goggles and lab-coat. She moved with a steady, rhythmic pace that I'd never seen her use before. Pretty quickly, we came over to a sorta-room dipped in the wall, and all around the inside were chrome plates of all sizes, tools of all varieties, lots and lots of wires, and, on the table was something that could only be described as an Auto-person, only it was half-finished.

"This is just a working model," Maria said, lifting and dropping an arm for emphasis. "I can work easier if I do the whole model, then make the parts based on what works and what doesn't. Besides, it's good practice."

I nodded and ran my hands over the skeleton of the right hand. The rough workings hurt my fingers a little.

"Anyway, what brings you down here, today, bear?"

Down there, that hint of ammonia that was on Maria all the time was out in full force, probably from her keeping her parts clean, or something. Memories of her flooded in, keyed to that tangy scent. That and having her right there, made it a lot harder to say what I needed to say.

"Maria, I . . . I think we really should break up. I'm serious this time."

She took off her goggles and looked me square in the eye. "A. I thought we decided on this already."

"Well, I've had a little longer to think about it, and . . ." before I could say anything more, she was up on her tiptoes and she had her tongue between my lips, my next word turning into"hurmurgle." I started to pull away, but she really roped me in and pulled me down toward her, almost knocking me off balance. All the sudden, my heart almost ached with my love for Maria, and I wanted her close and in my arms. I picked her up, supporting her weight, while her tongue glided over mine, then my cheeks . . .

. . . but then I remembered why I had come down.

"Maria," I said, my vision misting a little with tears as I put her down and pushed her away. "I'm serious . . ." she pulled in even tighter than before, knocking me off balance that time, and the two of us crashed into her toolbench. My love for her welled up and begged to be expressed, so I shoved into her mouth that time, and we wrestled with our tongues even more, me pressing as hard as I could, and her pressing back just as much.

Then, though, she pulled away.

"Maria . . . we can't . . ." I said, barely managing to.

In response she gave me a devilish smile that made my knees wobble as she took off her labcoat. She fastened her fingers around my wrist and started walking off. I resisted at first, but then she locked onto me with her eyes, full of unspoken promises, and my stomach did a little flip-flop as Buddy started getting into gear. I let her pull me along, not caring where she was taking me, just knowing that I had to follow her.

Maria led me to a part of the Workshop that was covered in cobwebs and smelled kinda musty. She stopped, did a double-check around her, then turned back toward me and started walking backwards toward what looked like a closet. It took a her a second to find the knob without looking, but she kept that sexy smile going the whole time.

"Maria," I said, feeling my face heat up. "Like that? In there?"

She raised one eyebrow and smiled in a way that I had only seen her do in my fantasies. She opened the door and threw me inside before she closed the door behind us. I stumbled a little and clanged my head on a shelf.

"Ow."

"Here . .. I'll make it all better," she said, her voice dropping as she walked over to me with deliberate steps.

Explicit Content


Finally, she relaxed, sort of crumpling to floor. I couldn't let her just lay there, so I swept her into my arms, and she nuzzled into my chest, making my muscles tingle.

"That was . . . awesome," Maria said, her breathing slow and deep again.

"Yeah, it was."

We both laid there for a while, Maria not wearing anything but her socks. As I looked down at her, at her body, at _her_ with nothing hidden, I felt something. It made me feel like I could sass Mrs. Carson. It made me feel like Chasm was a pushover. It made me feel like I could fight Luke five times, back-to-back.

She snuggled all the way into me. "I love you, A."

And, then, I knew what I was feeling. "And I love you, Maria. Always."

I thought I could see her eyes sparkling with tears in the low light as she looked up at me. "Always," she said, smiling softly.

We sat like that for a long time, in the dark, pressed against each other. "Always" hung in the air, and we didn't move for the longest time, afraid to disturb that promise.

]]> Aranis 2009-04-14T22:21:28-00:00 A, vol. 4.5 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=35986&th=1139#msg_35986 A, volume 4.5 (Interlude):
A's Real Team

A and friends make their relationship official.


Sunday, October 15th
"You are not gonna believe what I just heard!" Penny said, clanking her dinner tray on the table and dropping her bag before sitting down with the rest of us.

"You said that you would not gossip to us," Ray said.

"Oh, shut up," Penny said, Ray raising her eyebrows. "Oh, uh . . . sorry. No, this is news, this isn't gossip!"

"Yeah, yeah, tell us!" Spira said. Everyone looked at her. "What? Her enthusiasm's catchy."

Penny slung her hair back with a quick flick of her head and gave us all expectant looks. "Team Kimba just took down the Children of the Night yesterday."

Max's eyes went wide and my jaw dropped. "The Children of the Night?!" I said. "Nightgaunt, Archfiend, and the Necromancer?! Those guys?!"

Penny nodded. "Yeah."

"There's, like, no way," Max said. "Kimba doesn't have the guns to take on top-class supers like those guys. It's gotta be a lie, Pen."

"It isn't! Check this out," she said, producing her laptop from her bag. She clicked a few times, opened Media Player, and queued up a video, and there was a shorter, shapely girl with firey red hair firing off spells at someone who was returning fire with searing black energy. The girl couldn't be anyone else.

"That's Nikki," I confirmed. "And that black energy . . . the Necromancer!"

"Exactly! I've found video or two of Tennyo, too, taking on the Arch-fiend."

"Wow," Max said. I had to agree.

"Now, I didn't just show you this to prove to a rumor to you. Really, that's not the point, anyway. What *is* the point is that we don't have a name."

Everyone paused and looked at her.

"I do not follow," Ray said.

"Put it this way," Penny said, her eyes sparking with enthusiasm. "All of the best students at Whateley have been in teams. You look in the scrapbooks, and all the people who've been in teams have done the most amazing things! I mean, take the Bruiser Brigade that graduated in '96. They were one of the only groups with a name that they had since Freshman year, and they beat down a major Class X entity. Class X! Those things are unreal, but *students* were able to take it out!

"And then, you take Team Kimba!" Penny said, her excitement ramping up. "They've beaten ninjas, the Alphas, and full-out supervillains!"

"And?"

"Annnd we should have a name. And costumes, too. Not even TK has costumes."

We all looked at each other.

"C'mon, guys! We hang out all the time anyway! We might as well make a team."

"Let's do it," Maria said. "I'd like to."

"I guess it kinda makes sense," Max said. "Sure, why not."

"I've always wanted to be a part of a super-team – count me in," I said.

"If we can beat up villains? Yeah, definitely!" Spira said.

"I am for it," Ray said.

"Awes~ome!" Penny sang. "First up, we should all have code-names. I have mine . . ." Penny trailed off, maybe in the hopes of building tension? "Panoply!"

"Oooh, I like it," I said. "Has a nice ring to it."

"Thanks!"

"Everyone uses my codename, anyway," Spira said. "So you guys already know it."

"Mine's Tesser," Max said. "In case anyone needed a reminder."

"Neuramail," Maria said, then paused. "Or does that sound kinda dorky?"

"I think it's great," I said. "That's the five of us. Ray? You know, I don't think I've ever asked if you have one. Do you?"

She nodded.

"What is it?"

"Five Times Favored."

I blinked. "Five Times Favored?"

"Not exactly snappy, is it?" Penny asked.

"It suits my abilities," Ray said. "I am blessed by all Five Phases."

"Makes sense to me," Max said. "Plus, it sticks out. Originality's a good thing."

"Well, that's taken care of," Penny said. "Now, we need a name."

"Hmmm," I said. "It depends on what you want to focus on. Some groups have names about their purpose. Others are about their nature, you know, what makes them who they are."

"Names about purpose?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, sure. You've got the Justice League of America in DC Comics. You've got the Avengers in Marvel. And you've even got the Changers in Wildstorm."

"And, like, the Empire City Guard up in New York," Max added.

"Exactly."

"But what about those 'nature' groups, or whatever?" Spira asked.

"Let's see . . . you've got the X-men, the Fantastic Four, Gen13. Here in school, we've got the Grunts, the Alphas, the Outcast Corner . . . "

"Where would Team Kimba fit in?" Penny asked.

"They don't. Like, at all," Max said.

"Yeah, I'd say he's right. I don't even know where they pulled their name from."

"Wait a sec," Spira said. "There was an old cartoon called Kimba the White Lion. I've seen it a few times on TV."

"So, how does work with the Kimbas?" I asked. "Or their powers?"

Spira shrugged. "You got me."

"So, anyway, you have purpose names, nature names, and, I guess, mascot names," I said. "I guess we just need to pick which one we wanna go with."

"We don't even _have_ a mascot," Max said. "So we can skip that."

"Definitely," Penny said. "How about a purpose name?"

"Like what?" Maria asked. "What do we do? Or want to do?"

"Oh, I know!" Spira said. "We can be 'The Guardians!'"

"The Guardians?" I asked.

"Well, sure! We're always guarding you!"

I clammed up and felt my face heat. Everyone laughed for a while, and Spira looked confused.

"Ohhh," she said, once the laughing had died down. "Sorry. Uh . . ."

"The Defenders?" Ray suggested. "We have not done much defending, but it is a noble goal."

"Maybe," I said. "But we can't do it. Marvel already has that one. Their Jersey team, if I remember right."

"The Whateley Guard?" Maria suggested.

"Eh. We're not really doing much defending," I said. "So let's get off that idea."

"I would suggest the Cultivaters," Ray said. "I have my greenhouse, A tries to encourage friendships in his dorm, Maria hopes to make homes more comfortable, Penny has her tutoring, Heather has her assisting job, and Max . . . 'helps' certain girls." I snickered at that and Max gave me a look. "We all do a small part to improve the the world around us," Ray finished.

"It's true, but with a name like that, people might expect us to have plant powers."

"So, then, let's move on," Penny said. "How about a nature name?"

"Well, we're all mutants . . ." Maria said. "The Mighty Mutants?"

I had to choke off a laugh. "That's a start, bunny, but I don't think it works, exactly."

"Our powers are all _totally_ different," Max said. "So we can't go with that."

"We should stay with something simple," Ray added. "Perhaps incorporate 'Six' into the name."

"*There's* an idea!" Penny said.

"If we wanted to go old-school, we'd need alliteration," I said. "So, something like the Singular Six."

"Singular Six?" Spira asked. "That almost sounds like we're single-minded. Or we have really crappy teamwork!"

"How about the Inseparable Six?" Maria asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Doesn't really strike fear into the hearts of villains," Max said. Maria pouted at him.

"Why not even simpler?" Ray asked. "What if we were just 'The Six?'"

"Hmmm. Got Modern/Iron Age sound to it," I mused. "Has a nice ring to it. 'The Six.' I'm for it."

"Agreed," Ray said.

"Not really any other group like it," Max said. "Sounds cool. Totally! Let's do it."

Maria was still pouting a little. "I guess," she said. "If you guys like it."

"Yeah, let's go with it!" Spira said. "It's short, sweet, and to the point."

"It's settled, then," Penny said. "I'll get us registered first thing tomorrow! Now, it's time for costumes!"

We spent the next hour or two deciding on basic designs. Penny already had a _lot_ to choose from, some really lame, but some really awesome, too. In the end, we decided to go with a black base, and then make each costume a little different, but have some the same design elements.

The thing that really tripped us up for a minute or two was colors, but then that was quickly solved when Maria pulled out her communicator. She had already color-coded everyone, and all of us liked the colors she had. So, I was white (from one Megadeus' main colors), Max was black (because of his bamf-smoke), Maria was silver (because of her chrome), Penny was purple (because of her eyes and powers), Spira was red (for her hair and eyes), and Ray was jade-green (because of one of her eye colors, plus the heavy use of jade in Chinese ceremony).

"There!" Penny said. "I'll have our costumes done as soon as I can. Thanks a bunch, everyone! This will be awesome, I know it."

]]> Aranis 2009-04-14T22:24:42-00:00 A, vol. 5 -- Part 1 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=36824&th=1139#msg_36824 A, volume 5: A's Battles

Vendettas are brought to a close and friends grow closer.

Part 1

Sunday, 0ctober 15th, 2006 Sunday, October 22nd, 2006
It feels like it's been a while, doesn't it? I've been keeping up with things, just not this. Anyway, as for what happened that next week . . . ?

For starters, my art class was just up and canceled. All of Mrs. Hoben's students got notes in their mailboxes saying that the class was axed, just like that, something about a personal emergency. I was kinda ticked about it, honestly, as I'd finally made some headway on what she was teaching us, but with the class canceled, I'd never have a chance to do anything with it. On the upside, I wouldn't have to deal with that Savant jerk, which was nice.

That wasn't the only thing that was canceled, though. As it turned out, they needed Dr. Nellens (remember her, the bald lady who was a doctor in psycholinguistics?) in some newly discovered ruins in Cambodia somewhere. That meant that I didn't need to worry about any more language stuff, probably for the rest of the semester. Well, not as much, anyway. Dr. Woodrow still had some stuff for me to do, but nowhere near as much as what Dr. Nellens had planned.

Besides that, I brought back all the old Imprints for Powers Lab, you know, the Aces -- Megadeus, FTL, and Cobalt. But I wasn't gonna just bring 'em back, no. I was gonna adapt how I used 'em. Like with Cobalt, for instance, I was _not_ gonna use the Tiamat Array, you know the big superbeam weapon? Mostly because it kicks me out of form every time, which had nearly gotten me killed the first time it happened. With FTL, I was gonna use his Speed-Spheres more like armor, which would help a lot with defense and overall usefulness. Besides them, though, I still had Raptor. Mrs. Bohn was glad to see all of them and made lots of notes as I described how I brought them back, and all. Once her assignment was finished, I thought that I was gonna get rid of them, like I had originally planned, but I realized that I really knew my way around them, so it was a good idea to keep them around.

There's a good reason, too: I was pretty obviously a trouble magnet. First, there was Chasm. Then, there was Chasm _again_. After him was Silverwing, and after Silver was Luke. No matter what I did, it looked like I was going to get in fights. (Yes, I know that third one was at least halfway my fault. Still!) All that together -- I should have forms I know how to use, not ones that I have to test, and everything, in the middle of a fight. That could only end badly.

Speaking of fights and things ending badly, I decided to scrap that whole "bully busting" thing. Mostly, it had to do with all that trouble I'd been having. I mean, I could get into another fight with someone big and mean at just about any time (Chasm was still waiting for me somewhere out there, after all), so it was a bad idea to take any chances getting injured. Besides that, detention _blew_.

And that still leaves all the Fury and Echo stuff. All that week, I didn't dream anymore, and the couple times I talked with Circe, she seemed to think that all of the dreams were pretty much done for me since the Dreamwalker from _way_ back had only left that one, uh, recording, I guess you could call it. Only one etching. In the end, it meant that I wasn't going to have any more dreams that I'd wake up from smelling ash. Which I definitely wasn't complaining about.

Besides that, TK was all the buzz those days, and even we didn't stop talking about them. I mean, how can you _not_ talk about a bunch of teenagers that take down the _Children of the Night_. Seriously. It even looked like they had gotten a new member, too -- a Chinese girl named Chou who had come to school on foot. On foot. Anyway, she had actually gotten into Poe the day before Luke put me in the clinic. Then, she had gotten in a fight, then she got mixed up in the big one in Boston with the Necromancer and crew, and it looked like she was some kinda crazy-good martial arts master. The thing about her was, though, she had a sword, one that Ray told me was a jian. I took that and the girl and used it for the Pride, making a serene-seeming swordsman for the team, mixing it together with my Toni pastiche. Yes, I know it doesn't sound like it would work, but it did. I think.

There's still a little more TK news on top. Sara had landed herself in the clinic when she had gotten into with some other kids, a group called the Goobers (really stupid name, right?) who had really beat her up something fierce. Last anyone had heard, she was still in the clinic.

But enough about injuries and stuff!

All that week, I had worked on the Pride, and I took my sweet time doing everything, but I had just about finished it up by the time the week was out. That was definitely faster than anything I had ever managed before, and, if anything, it looked like I wasn't slowing down at all -- just the opposite, in fact. It was something that I wished I could know more about, but that would mean that I'd have to mention it to Dr. Hewley, and him and Dr. Shandy would get in arguments, and . . . ugh. No thanks. Speaking of those crazy guys in white coats, they still hadn't managed to find anymore time to test me anymore, either my language trick or anything else. They said that they were pretty much booked solid all the way through the rest of the month, and even a little bit into November. But, hey, that was fine by me.

As for the guys . . . Penny did her usual thing, ya know, practice, practice, practice. Inspira was more or less doing her usual thing, too, hosting our little study sessions. Ray was unusually quiet that week, but she wouldn't answer any of us if we asked her if something was wrong. We all kinda shrugged it off and went on, which wasn't such a great idea.

Then, there's that whole thing with Max. Well, I still hadn't found anything, mostly because Penny said that she was still "getting the whole story," which didn't really explain much at all, but I took it anyway because I really did want to know. Wait, no, that's not right exactly. More like I really did _have_ to know. If my room-mate had done something really bad to someone, even a jerk, then I felt like it was a good idea to know.

Last up in the Six is Maria. We were getting along great, and the, uh, "Closet Episode" was just the start. That sorta thing happened a few more times during the week after that, which was _awesome_ let me tell you. But none of that stuff had gotten any heavier, so we still hadn't gone all the way yet. Both of us were more than a little uneasy about it, Maria because she was just flat-out scared of, well, you know, and me because I didn't want to have a pregnancy scare. I talked with Max about the thing a little, and he told me that I'd probably need some "Brick Condoms," which do pretty much what you think they would.

On the night of the 22nd, I actually stopped by a big thing called the "Weapons Fair," which, despite its name, didn't have just weapons. There was even one kid selling honest-to-god utility belts! I wanted to buy one really, really bad, but that would've tripped the flag on my spending account, and I didn't feel like explaining why I had just dropped thousands of dollars just so I could be like Batman. Oh, well. Anyway, I got what I had gone down there for: the condoms. I didn't know if or when I'd get the chance to use them, but at least I'd be ready whenever my Bunny was.

Besides all the -- intimate stuff, I had given her my comics for her to look into. She'd really only read manga, so she didn't know what she was missing, let me tell you. Manga's not bad, or anything, but Western comics have such more mature writing and better art. All that week, she said she'd been reading them, but she wasn't sounding too happy about it. I just couldn't get it.

And that brings us up to Monday night. Class had been done for a while, and the guys were over at Spira's. I had an appointment, you know, Monday nights, therapy, blah, blah. But it was a little different because Dr. Woodrow had transferred the time over to Circe starting the 23rd. She said that she had plans for me to work on my Fury, or whatever, which was good -- but also _really_ scary.

Here we go . . .

Monday, October 23rd, 2006 -- Evening
I followed the directions that Circe had given me, going down through the tunnels below Shuster, ones that smelled of dust and water and echoed like crazy. Besides that, they weren't the best lit, only having a few white lights here and there, and I wanted to run for it when I got to one section where the lights weren't working right.

Me and close spaces don't get along, if you remember.

Once I got over that and got going again, I started paying closer attention to the tunnels. As far as I could tell, no one had used the tunnels in a _long_ time. Matter of fact, I would've called them abandoned. It kinda made me wonder how Circe knew about them, but then again, she is a goddess/witch . . . person. Who knows what all she might know?

Within another minute or two, I came to the end of the directions for the tunnels, and I stopped at a huge steel door that looked like it could take a punch from the Hulk and not even budge. Once there, I looked back down to the paper.

"'Touch the door . . .' -- right -- '. . . it will open by itself.'"

For whatever reason, I couldn't just come out and do it. Something about the whole situation weirded me out on some level that was just a little below consciousness, or something. It wasn't fear, not exactly, just . . . discomfort, I guess? Without even meaning to, I thought back to my fight with Luke, how everything in the world was painted red and everything was something that I had to attack, to kill . . .

And I shivered again, even though the tunnel was plenty warm.

Huffing when I finally got tired of waiting, I raised my hand to touch the door, and then jumped when an orange spark flew from the steel to my finger. The door shrieked and squealed as it swung open, showing a mostly empty room on the other side. Well, empty except for a statuesque lady with a commanding presence and swaying, really long auburn hair.

"A, good evening," Circe said. "Please, come in."

Following her directions, I walked inside and the door immediately boomed shut behind me, making me flinch a little. Out of habit, the second I got a few feet from Circe, I bowed.

"Oh, A," she said, laughing softly. "How many times must I tell you such pleasantries are unnecessary?"

"Just feels like the right thing to do, I guess," I said, standing up. "So, ma'am, I was wondering: what is this room?"

She raised an eyebrow at me. "I suspect you could answer that question. Take note of your surroundings, A."

The room wasn't much, I gotta admit. It was just concrete roughly shaped like a bowl, with tier after tier leading up from the floor. At the bottom, where the two of us were standing, it was flat and wide, with enough space for a wooden platform, maybe.

"It's a classroom?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, nodding. "One of many such rooms constructed when the tunnels were built into the earth. Engineers and teachers both wanted to make sure that there were a surfeit of rooms to use should the buildings aboveground ever suffer destruction. Such has never happened on the scale they feared, so many of these rooms go unused."

"Yeah, that makes sense. But why are we down here?"

"Because of you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Your Fury state is quite dangerous; thus, we need to take due care not to risk the other students' safety. Even if you lose control and escape my wards, you could not escape this room."

"Wards," I said, looking around but not finding anything, "Magical shields, right?"

Instead of saying anything, she just swept her hands over smudges on the floor. When I looked closer, I found out that they weren't smudges but writing. Something that looked like Greek, to be specific, and I tried to read it with my knack -- and that got me a massive headache very quickly.

"Ow."

"My apologies, A. I should have warned you -- the characters appear to be Greek but are otherworldly, the tongue of the Olympians, script beyond the ken of most mortals."

I nodded, pain drilling into my temples.

"The pain should subside. While we bide our time, please seat yourself in the center of the ring."

After I shook my head again to clear the pain up some, I sat down in the middle of the floor in the ring of not-Greek letters, going straight into seiza, mostly out of habit. Circe walked around the circle, the writing going bright with orange light more and more with every step, the ring itself almost . . . humming? The feeling was so intense that my joints vibrated a little. She stopped in front of me and the light faded.

"Now, A, this will be a new exercise for you. The Fury is a raging fire smoldering even now in the depths of your heart. When awakened, it quickly flares into a blaze so potent that heeds no direction. But even the mightiest flames can be directed, quenched, and, ultimately extinguished. Yet this flame's kindling and fuel are within you, so for you the fire is not a force to be studied, it is something far more personal. Far more intimate. Thus, you cannot stop at just studying the fire or even mastering it. You must internalize its lessons, make it part of you until the blaze is as your thought and its smoke as though your breath."

Despite concentrating as hard as I could, most of what she said to me right there was pretty much lost on me.

Right then, anyway.

"The first step in mastering, though, is witnessing it action. To that end, I need you to waken the Fury."

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head at her.

"Fear not," she said, looking down her nose at me. "No matter the force you wield against the wards, they will hold."

A few memories of the Fury flashed through my head, and my stomach sank.

//This _is_ something I gotta do, right? Right?//

No one answered me, so I sighed and closed my eyes. To get things going, I thought of all the things that had ticked me off and _really_ ticked me off. Chasm making me feel like a helpless little girl. Silverwing generally being a prick. Luke hurting me and making me feel like a little kid stuck in a dark room in the basement. Every time I thought of something more, another cluster of red sparks went off in the dark of my vision. Juice started screaming in me, and I smiled at the pleasure that bolted through my nerves. I took a deep breath, mixing in frustration with Max and everything else, and my Fury _exploded_ like a cannon shot. My eyes flew open, and everything had changed into a world of crimson, rust -- and fire.

In a blink, I was on my feet and shrieking, beating on the wards, each hit making a red flash.

"Excellent, A," she said, perfectly calm. "This is the Fury. Feel it, _know_ it."

That bitch was just gonna stand there! I was gonna tear her apart!

"Yes, I feel it. That murderous intent that is turning all other thought to ash."

Another shriek tore out of me. "I'll kill you!"

"Now, let us see your mettle. Make your bid for control!"

//That stupid bi -- !//

-- but it worked. For just a second, I let my arms relax, even when I still wanted to break every bone in her body. My heart beat once, though, and I was back at it. But she didn't look worried. Circe just nodded as I made the wards flash over and over. Something registered in my thinking, and I realized that just beating on the ring wasn't gonna get me anywhere.

Right then, something bad, something _dark_ whispered in my mind, something that sounded like words but weren't. I focused in on that, and a cruel smile came to my lips as I realized what it meant. Circe raised a single eyebrow at me as I took a deep breath, as deep as I could.

"Cleanse the world with flame!" I screamed.

White fire roared around me an inferno, and I floated off the floor, the flames burning like a sun around me. Pain shot along my nerves and joints, burning as my body changed into that of Pyre. I looked down at Circe, my smile growing wider, but she just waved a hand at me, and everything went black.

Tuesday, October 24th, 2006 -- Midnight
When I opened my eyes, my mind refused to process what I was seeing. I blinked, shook my head, and double checked. I was laying on my back, staring at the ceiling. But not the ceiling of the empty classroom, no, it looked like the ceiling of one of the offices. Once I sat up and got a better look around, it was pretty obvious what had happened. Circe had brought me to her office while I had been out.

"Ah, A, you're back with us. My apologies for the sleep spell. Believe it or not, I overestimated the amount of energy it would take to incapacitate you." Circe was sitting at her desk, a tea set sitting next to a few open books on her desk. "Tea?"

I shook my head. "No thank you, ma'am. How long was I out?"

"A few hours. It's a little past midnight."

"Dang it. I was supposed to tell Maria good night," I said to no one in particular.

"Your lady?" Circe said, taking a sip of her tea.

"Yeah," I said, sitting up and swinging my feet over the floor. As it turned out, she had set me on her couch, which was actually really comfortable. After I got up and stretched for a moment, I decided that I wanted to know something. "So . . . how did I do?"

Circe sighed and put her cup down. "Well enough. I had held out hope for better performance, but we must deal with the reality of our situation."

"So, uh, what's the reality, then?"

"That your Fury's intensity far outstrips your control, something intensely dangerous, especially with your villainous Imprints," she said, standing. "But I have developed a stopgap measure."

Instead of saying anything, I just watched her walk to her bookcase. She reached around a Greek-style bust (you know, the kind with no eyes) and undid a necklace that was hanging on it before bringing it to me.

"Your hand, A."

As I held it out, she let the chain fall into it. It wasn't much to look at really, just a simple silver thing.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A spell woven into a material shell. A minor artifact, in other words."

". . . what does it do?"

"Place it around your neck and I'll show you directly."

Despite being sorely tempted to ask another question, I just put it around my neck and clasped it. Oddly enough, it felt sorta warm.

"Now, try to kindle the Fury."

"But . . . !"

She gave me a perfectly confident smile. "Do it," she said, her tone not brooking any opposition.

Even though I thought it was a bad idea, I closed my eyes and thought of things that had made me mad . . . and nothing.

"No sparks. No Fury. Wow!"

Her smile grew a little wider. "Of course not."

"Wow," I said, holding up the chain to look at it. "I bet the Rager kids would pay an arm and a leg to get ahold of this!"

"It would do them no good, actually."

"It wouldn't?" I asked, looking up at her.

"No. As I've said before, the Echo and the Fury still reflect arcane laws in their operation. Which means that measures designed to work against magical effects can work against them. Those who suffer from the Rage trait benefit from no such thing."

"Oh. So it only works for me, huh?"

"Just so. As long as that is around your neck, then you will be entirely unable to access the Fury."

"So . . . do I just leave this on forever?"

"No, A. You will learn control, but such mastery will take many months. So that you do no harm to yourself or others," she said, motioning to the chain. "You will keep that on."

I nodded. "Okay."

"Leave me, now," she said, sitting down. "I have matters to attend to."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, moving to the door. "Same time and place next week?"

She nodded. "Good night, A. May the gods bless your efforts."

"Thank you, ma'am. Uh, may they bless yours, too."

She smiled at me for a moment then turned back to her work and gestured, her office door shutting and locking in front of me. I stared at the door for a bit, then lifted the chain to get another look at it. It still felt warm, and the weight of it in my hand was reassuring somehow. With it on, I wouldn't be losing control, and . . . I wouldn't have to worry about Pyre or Soleil. I took a deep breath, trying to grin a little, then walked back to Emerson.]]> Aranis 2009-04-20T06:42:06-00:00 A, vol. 5, Part 2 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=37038&th=1139#msg_37038 Part 2

Tuesday, October 24th, 2006 Early Morning
My body bolted up, my skin cold with sweat. Images from the nightmare were burned into my head, my friends being eaten by Chasm's power because I wasn't strong enough to protect them. Luke was there, too, and he had mixed in with Chasm, and . . .

And I was still breathing hard as my heart beat like crazy.

A quick, rough sound nearly sent me jumping through the ceiling before I realized that it was just Max snoring hard. Once I had gotten calmed down, and all, I laid down, trying to get back to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw Chasm holding Maria by her throat, her color draining away . . . With another shiver, it was pretty much definite that I wasn't going to be getting any more sleep, so I got out of bed and walked over to my easel and worktable.

When I turned on the low-powered white light, a soft glow spilled over my work, showing all the pencils I'd done over the past few weeks. Sorting through them confirmed that I had come every bit as far as I thought I had: all of the pencils for the first volume of the Pride was done. Even the finale, which took a _lot_ of work because I wanted to get every frame just right. When you're closing something out, you need to get it just right, you know what I mean? I booted up my laptop and opened Corel Draw, pulling up the last file. It was the final issue, and I was only halfway done with the lettering. Since I didn't want to get started and have to stop halfway through, I took a look at my clock to check the time.

3:03AM.

//Okay, I'll just stay up to finish this, then I'll go to bed. Shouldn't take me too long, right . . . ?//

With a shrug, I set to work. Unfortunately, I didn't really get lost in it like I do with my drawing because there was a lot of places where I had to stop and check and position and think . . . you get the idea. But I finally finished, and I smiled as I clicked the "Save" button. When I checked the clock, it had been a little more than hour.

//It's done! Sweet. Now what to do with it . . .//

I thought about it, drumming my fingers on my desk, but nothing came to me. Both DC and Marvel had rejected me already, so it didn't look like going with any big publishers was really the way to do it. Right then, in the middle of the night, though, I couldn't really think of anything else. After that, I decided to try to get some more sleep, but I wasn't really any more successful then than I had been just a little bit before. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, thinking of some way I could bide my time until I could sleep or until it was time for my morning run with Zack, whichever came first.

After thinking about it for a bit, I figured that I'd try the communicator, see who was awake. If someone was asleep, then they wouldn't answer the little paging sound, and I didn't _think_ it was loud enough to wake them up, either. That in mind, I pulled the communicator out from the top drawer of my desk and went with Maria's silver button first. Nothing. Next up was the red button, Spira's. No answer. Third was Ray's green button -- no luck. The answer to whether Max was even awake was answered when he snorted loudly, once, then rolled over, mumbling something about Brianna. That only left one button, so I pressed it. I didn't get any response, so I started to put it back into the drawer, until I heard the gadget beep.

"Yeah?" I said.

"What are you doing up this late?" Penny asked, breathing deeply.

Smiling, I said, "I could ask you the same question."

"_Well_, I didn't feel like sleeping, so I figured I'd use my time for something useful."

"Which would be?"

"Gymnastics," she said.

"Gymnastics at . . ." I said, checking the clock, "at 4:20 in the morning."

"So?"

"Just kinda weird, that's all. Listen, mind if I join you? I can't sleep, and I could use some company."

All I heard from her end for a bit was her breathing.

"Yeah," she said. "Why not?"

"Cool!" I said, Max jumping a bit in his sleep. Once I was sure I hadn't woke him up, I said, "Where are you?"

"There's a practice space under Laird Hall," she said. "Just go to the tunnels and follow them over here."

"Right."

"Oh! And watch out for Security, since we are totally breaking curfew."

"K. I'll see you soon."

"Bye!" she sang.

Once the communicator beeped to show me that conversation was over, I got dressed in my warmer jogging clothes and dropped the thing in my pocket. I walked to the door, opened it quietly, and tiptoed outside before I eased it shut. Turning into the hallway, I didn't see anyone, which was good, so I went on outside, shivering as the night air hit me. It wasn't cold, exactly, but it was a good bit chillier than my room had been, so it took me a few minutes to get used to it. While I did, I made my casual way over to Laird Hall, making sure to stay _far_ away from any security crews.

When I got there, the place was completely empty, which was weird, but I made my way onto the elevator and clicked the hidden button, which started the car down to the tunnels. Sure enough, finding the place where Penny was wasn't very hard at all. Matter of fact, there were even signs -- "GYM THIS WAY." After a few turns, I heard a series of girly, sexy grunts. I could only assume that it was Penny. As I got to the doorway, I confirmed it by getting a look at her. And I'm ashamed to say it was good, _long_ look. Sorry Maria!

Penny was in the middle of a thing that I think gymnasts call a "floor routine." At the second I saw her, she was in a long series of back-handsprings, and I couldn't help but watch her, her purple spandex outfit hugging _everything_ as her long, lithe body danced through every move. After grunting over and over, hands smacking into the padded floor, she launched in a high arc, twisting around and around before she landed gracefully again on the floor, the force setting all of her, well, jiggly bits to jiggling. After that, she walked over to a nearby bench, and I suddenly became aware I was very, very . . . excited.

Penny closed in, and I did my best to reposition everything.

"Heya!" Penny sang, toweling herself off. I stopped dead, giving her my best impression of a deer in headlights. She laughed and looked down.

"Happy to see me?" she asked, grinning wickedly as her purple eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Er, um, this isn't what it looks like."

She grinned wider and raised her eyebrows. "What's it look like?"

"Well, you see, you might think, well . . ."

Penny laughed. "Just teasing, A. I know you and Maria totally retarded for each other, and I'm not gonna mess with that," she said as she walked back to her bench. My body still hadn't given up the idea of ogling her yet, so I watched her butt sway back and forth for a second before I made myself look at the ceiling. I didn't want to make the whole thing any worse, so I made sure to get myself under some sort of control. It took a while, but I got there, then I walked on over to her.

"So, do you do this a lot?" I asked.

Nodding, she took a swallow of water. "Yep! At least three nights a week."

"Oh. Um . . . why?"

"Duh! To keep my edge. I used to be real big into gymnastics, and I still like doing it. Besides, it helps me keep flexible, too."

"Hmmm. Doesn't the Exemplar Effect take care of all that for you?"

While taking another drink, she waggled her hand. "Sorta. It will keep you in good shape, but I don't think it will make you flexible. I could be wrong."

I shrugged.

"Anyway," she said, "what brings you down here tonight?"

"Oh, that," I said, sighing. "I can't sleep."

"Max snoring too loud?" she asked, smiling.

"Uh, no. Nightmares."

"Oh, that blows. What kind of nightmares?"

"Ehhh, I'd rather not get into it."

"Fine. Forget I asked," she said, bending down and giving me another view which I had to look away from. When she stood back up, her naughty smile was back, and she had her duffle bag slung over one shoulder.

"Anyway," she said, the smile disappearing. "I was about to go back to my room, wanna walk with me?"

"Definitely!" I said, glad to do anything to get out of that very, um, tense? situation.

"Awe~some," she sang. "Let me get some stuff out of the locker room, then we'll head out."

Nodding, I made a point of _not_ watching her walk away, her outfit hugging every curve, every muscle and every . . .

//Stop it! You've got a girlfriend!//

To try and get myself onto other subjects, I thought of really ugly or disgusting things. I immediately regretted that, as I pictured Mondo naked. I nearly puked right then and there, but at least I was out of the mood.

"You okay, A?" Penny asked, dressed in a jacket.

"Yeah, fine!"

"Right," she said, grinning. "Let's go."

We both got in the elevator, and I made sure to not look at her even once. And I definitely didn't imagine the elevator breaking down, leaving us trapped with nothing else to do but . . . Just to be on the safe side, I moved as far away from her as the elevator would let me. She just watched me shimmy and grinned again, pretending to watch the indicator tick the floors. Not that it really needs to be said, but I was _very_ thankful when tick hit "1" and the elevator let us out topside. I was even more thankful when Penny decided to keep quiet most of the way, but I figured that I needed to say something. We were friends, after all.

"So . . . " I said, then I went with the first thing that came to mind. "Did you ever find out what Max did to Silverwing?"

Penny stopped in her tracks and nodded. "Yeah, just finished earlier tonite."

"How . . . how bad is it?"

She raised her eyebrows and blew out a breath. "It's bad, A."

That wasn't what I had wanted to hear. Not even close. But if it was really that bad, if my room-mate was, well, capable of something like that . . . then I needed to know.

Right?

"Tell me."

Penny paused. "You sure you want to know?"

". . . yeah."

"Ah, well . . . okay. If that's what you want," she said, drawing a deep breath, closing her eyes, then letting it out. "He kidnapped him, A. Then stuck him in a cage."

My breath stopped in my chest. "What?"

Penny pursed her lips, considering. "Okay, you know how there are a lot of rooms in the tunnels?"

I nodded.

"He 'ported Silver down there and left him there."

I blinked.

"Over a whole weekend, A. For days. He didn't leave him any food, any water."

My eyes fell to ground, and chills ran down my spine. "You . . . you're sure?"

Penny was looking down, but she nodded. "Double-checked it every way I know. I even had my Psi friend take a peek in Silver's head. When she did, all she got was pain and darkness and cold. I had to check around with some other kids to see how long he was gone . . . That's what happened, A. Max is . . . it's not like him. I checked around, and he hasn't ever done this to anyone else. So maybe it was just the one time, I dunno."

I looked at her again, trying to say something. But nothing came out. What could you say to that? How are you supposed to react to getting that sort of news?

"C'mon!" she said, trying to sound chipper. "He had good reason, right? I mean that Silver bastard nearly gutted you."

". . . but that makes this sorta thing okay?" I asked, feeling sick.

She shrugged. "I dunno. What I do know is that we're gonna get caught if we stay out here, so we need to get going."

I nodded weakly and followed her to her room. Before she went inside, we hugged each other.

"Thanks," I said as we let go. "It's bad news, but I feel like it's good that I know." My stomach didn't really agree, though, and I just felt even sicker.

"Sure thing! I'm the one stop shop for all your gossip needs! Night, A, take care."

I nodded again and watched her walk into the building, feeling like my stomach was getting ready to erupt. Sick or not, though, I didn't think that getting detention would help anything, so I made my way back to my room, taking a bunch of paths that security didn't normally patrol. It paid off since I didn't run into of them and made it back to my room without any trouble. When I got to my door, I stopped. Max was in there, the person I _thought_ I knew. My best friend . . .

//How am I gonna deal with this?//

No answers came to me no matter how long I stood in the hall and thought about it, so I decided to just go in and do my best with the situation.

In the end, what else could I do, you know?

In a lot of ways, walking in was something of an anticlimax. There wasn't a fight, there wasn't an explosion, or anything like that. Max was still sleeping and snoring, and I was just standing there. And that was pretty much it. I sighed and went back to my desk, where my light had gone on the fritz while I was out. Instead of its normal white light, it was kinda bluish, and it was blinking sorta on and sorta off.

//Crap, gonna have to get that fixed.//

But I wasn't gonna fix it right then. I turned off the light and went to bed, sure that I wasn't going to be getting any sleep. It came as a real surprise, then, when I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.]]> Aranis 2009-04-22T03:48:57-00:00 Re: A, vol. 3 and up http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=50126&th=1139#msg_50126 Part 3

Tuesday, October 24th, 2006 -- Morning
I had the nightmare again, only this time Max and Silver got all mashed together with Luke and Chasm, and . . .

Not really wanting to think about it anymore, I just got started. As a matter of fact, I was already outside and stretched out before the sun was even up. It was a little overcast that day, and a little chilly, but fine otherwise.

"Morning," Zack said, as he came up, overwhelming me with his chattiness.

"Heya," I said.

"You're far ahead of schedule today," he said, reaching for his toes. "Any reason?"

"Ohhh, yeah," I said, nodding. "I had awful nightmares all night last night, and I got some bad news."

Zack's eyebrows raised. "Family business?"

I shook my head. "Friend stuff."

"Ah," he said, sitting down on the ground and splitting his legs. He didn't say anything more as he went through his routine, which gave me time to think. That was actually a bad thing, as my imagination went straight back to my nightmares, making my skin feel all clammy as a ball of dread plunked in my guts. Of course, with that dread came memories -- Chasm, Silver, Luke . . . All in all, it was pointing to something, something I'd been thinking about ever since I got out of the clinic. I felt like I wasn't doing enough. I felt like I needed . . . more of an edge, maybe. More intensity. Something.

Then I realized that there was someone who might be able to help with that. He was, after all, the most intense person I knew.

"Hey, Zack."

"Yes?" he said, looking to me as he got to his feet and bounced a few times.

"This is gonna sound kinda weird."

He swirled his right hand in a "go on" motion.

"Do you think you could, um, coach me? Or something?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What did you have in mind?"

"I really don't know," I said, shrugging. "But you seem like a really tough guy, and you seem to really know your ins and outs about things, so I was hoping you could teach me some of what you know."

"Ah. What brings this on?"

"Well," I said, sighing. "It's like I keep getting in these really intense fights. The stuff that Sensei Ito is teaching is great, and all, but it just isn't doing the job, you know what I mean?"

"Yes," he said, doing some shoulder rolls. "Fine. If you want me to teach you, then meet me at Laird Hall after classes. I'll arrange for an official match between us."

"Waaait a second," I said. "Match? We're gonna fight?"

He nodded. "Trial by fire. But we can worry more about that later."

I watched him leave, but I felt a little uncomfortable at the idea of fighting him straight-out. I didn't even know his powerset! Well, aside from PK-powered flying. Was he a PK Superman? I shook my head and put it out of my mind, sprinting to catch up. Our run was quiet, and he didn't say anything more after we were finished, just waving in his usual way before running off toward Twain. I wondered again about what I had gotten myself into, but I decided that worrying about it wasn't going to get me anywhere at all, so I went inside to my room. The crappy thing was that Max was fully awake and getting dressed.

"Heya, bro!" he said, toweling off his hair. "'Sup?"

Knowing what I knew, I just couldn't come out and say "hi" like usual. The really awesome part, the part that makes me the most suave person on the face of the Earth? I didn't say anything at all. (Oh, yeah!)

"Uh, bro?" Max said, walking up to me and waving his hand. "You, like, okay?"

"Uh, sorry . . . long night," I said. (Hey, it _was_ the truth.)

"Duuude, that sucks."

I nodded, resisting the urge to wriggle from the discomfort.

"Anyway, man," Max said. "You want me to wait for you so we can walk over to the Hall?"

"Uh, no, that's cool. Just head on over, I'll see you there?"

He gave me a bit of questioning look. "Sure thing."

The good thing was that he went back to getting ready, and I swept up my shower stuff before heading out, having to resist the urge to bolt. Not that I was afraid of him, it was just . . . awkward. Leaving that behind, I went for the bathroom, seeing the Stratosphere twins, who stopped arguing about something long enough to wave at me -- in unison. I just smiled and went on.

//Weird kids.//

Plenty of stalls were open when I got there, so I didn't have to wait to get my shower. I whipped through my routine mainly because I didn't feel like standing around, and then I went back to my room. A sigh of relief slipped out of me when I saw that Max wasn't there, then I got dressed and headed out. By the time I had gotten to the Hall and gotten my mountain of grits, sausage, and bacon, Spira and Ray were already there, but Max, Penny, and Maria were nowhere to be seen.

"Heya, girls!" I said, sitting down.

"Hi," Spira said.

"Greetings," Ray said, not looking up from her food.

"You guys seen Maria or Penny?"

"Nope," Spira said, "Penny's probably skipping breakfast today."

"And Maria is likely late," Ray added.

"Yeah, that makes sense."

No one said anything after that, and the silence got really, really uncomfortable really, really fast. To try and make conversation, I decided to go with Spira, who was looking a little frazzled. Matter of fact, her flame-red hair was sorta less "spikey" than usual.

"So, uh, Spira," I said, biting into a piece of bacon, "rough night or something?"

"Yes, big yes," she said, huffing. "I was up almost all night, and when I actually got to sleep, I had really . . . !" she said, looking at me, then she blushed so hard her skin nearly matched her hair and eyes. "Really, um, intense dreams," she said, almost at a whisper.

"Really . . ." I said, then I got it.

//Sexy dreams?// I thought, trying my hardest not to imagine Spira in . . . uh, you know.

"Oh. Uh, sorry?"

"It's okay," she said, picking at a bagel and still bright red. "Every time I think I'm used to having this power, it just gets worse."

"I sympathize," Ray said, her five-colored eyes sorta out of focus. "My powers are also quite taxing."

"Oh, right, because you get to feel it whenever anybody has a fantasy!" Spira said, "or whenever anyone wants to really get bloody! Yeah, I bet you get that all the time!"

Ray just fixed Spira with a glare. "I am going," she said, gathering up her collection of fruits and nuts.

"Ray, I -- " Spira said, reaching out and watching Ray go. Once she was gone, Spira slumped. "Some friend _I_ am," she said.

"It's okay, Spira," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "You had a bad night, these things happen. I'm sure she understands."

She heaved a sigh and pouted. "Yeah, maybe."

Before I got a chance to say anything more, Maria sat down and plopped a pile of comics on the table.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" she said, sitting down and fixing me with an intense look that was out of place on her cute face, especially framed by that Winry hairstyle.

"Uh . . . tell you what?" I asked.

"About the Iron Spider suit!" Maria said, my finally seeing that she was excited, not ticked. "It's just the thing I've been looking for!"

"Yeah, she -- !" Spira started, a smile blooming on her face, but then she stopped, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry, I'll let her tell you."

"Uh, go ahead, Bunny."

"Okay, so you know about the Iron Spider suit, right?"

Grinning, I said, "Well, yeah, they're in my comics after all."

"Don't you see what makes it so significant!?"

"Well . . . it has a cool color scheme?"

"No, no, no! It supplements his abilities instead of creating new ones!"

". . . come again?"

Sighing and grinning, Spira got up. "I'll leave you guys to it."

"Go ahead, Honey Bunny."

"Right! Okay, you know how regular power armor works, right?"

I nodded. "Sure, it makes the person wearing it tough and strong. Well, some models, anyway."

"Yes, that's exactly right. But almost every suit of power armor eats up gross amounts of energy! The most powerful models require microfusion reactors or cosmic particle gatherers, and that's strictly Devisor gear."

". . . which no one but the Devisor can really use."

"Exactly! I could kiss you!"

"So, then . . . ?" I said, blushing lightly.

"Later! And then I realized, Devisors were doing it all wrong! So, I'm thinking . . . what if you make something that extends and strengthens abilities already present? It would require so much less energy!"

As the idea hit home, I took deep breath. "Oh, that's cool."

She smiled, and her eyes and teeth sparkled. I had to keep myself from kissing her right then and there.

"So, it can make you tougher if you're tough, or smarter if you're smart or make your blasts more powerful, or . . ."

". . . and since it's like the abilities people already have," I said, "not only will it require less energy, but people will get used to it a lot faster."

That time, she really _did_ jump across the table and kiss me deeply, and our tongues played for a couple very sweet seconds. We both sat down a second later, a little woozy and disoriented.

"So, uh," I said, shaking my head to clear it but not really succeeding, "when do you think you'll have some test armor up and ready?"

"Hmmm," she said, her inner nerd shut off everything else. "I already have extensive data on my own powerset, but refitting it to new powersets will take lots of data collection, calibrating, field testing . . ."

She was so cute, I couldn't help but smile. "Okay, just yours, then."

"Oh! Oh, right! Hmmm. End of this week, I think. It depends if She-Bot can help me and if Stalwart will let me borrow his servo diagnostic kit, and . . ."

"Just let me know when you're done. I'd love you see you give it a try!"

She nodded and smiled. "Deal."

We were about to get down to cuddling and whispering to each other . . . \(Yes, in public, get over it.) . . . when Max sat down with a big bowl of cereal, a serious scowl on his face.

"Hey, guys," he said.

Maria immediately scooted back a few feet and I did my best to keep my expression neutral. "Hey," I said.

"Good," Maria said, a little flushed. "Uh, why'd you come in late, Max?"

He sighed. "Oh, Dawn wanted to 'talk,'" he said, putting as much bitterness in that word as he could..

"Talk?" Maria asked. "What about?"

Max just looked at her, taking abig bite of cereal and chewing angrily. "Relationship stuff. Apparently, I'm not giving her enough attention, or whatever."

I was about to say something more, but Maria beat me to it. "So, why not spend more time with her? And call her more?"

"It's not that simple," Max said, taking another bite. "I've gotta spread my time around with Brianna and Lyn, too."

"Three girls?" Maria asked.

//Ohhh, boy.//

"Well, Maria," I said, "you see, um . . ."

"I have three girlfriends," he said, his tone saying that that sorta was very normal.

Maria blinked, trying to process this information. "Like Tenchi?"

"Eh, sorta," Max said, and I breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to get into more detail.

"So, are you gonna pick one?" Maria said.

"I dunno," he said. "What's it matter to you, anyway?"

I was getting ready to try and wrap things up, but then Maria cut me off again.

"I think you're just gonna end up getting feelings hurt, yours or somebody else's," she said, nodding to herself. "You should pick one, the one you love the most!"

Instead of saying anything, Max just looked at her before he just left, not bothering to take his breakfast stuff with him. Maria watched him go, looking confused.

"What'd I say?" she asked.

"Max's relationships are, um, complicated, I guess. He doesn't really do them like other people."

"What do you mean?"

Before I said something that might cause Maria to a suffer a meltdown, I just shook my head.

"It's too complicated to explain right now, Bunny. Maybe I could tell you after classes?" I asked, hoping she'd forget.

"Uh, sure! Wanna get giong to first period, then?"

Happy to get out of the situation, I nodded. "Sure, let's go!"

After we dumped our trays, I walked with her to Kane Hall and gave her a five second Frenchie (which was awesome, by the way). We split up after that and I headed over to Geometry.

I'll spare you the details. The day was pretty usual, or, in other words, pretty boring. All the classes were pretty much the way they were every day, including Flight. Once that wrapped up, I went straight over to Laird and changed into my gi. I left for the mats then, where I started stretching out like I was going to be having a normal class of Basic Martial Arts, but I wasn't halfway through before Zack joined me, dressed in a gi with a red belt.

"Afternoon again," he said as het got down to stretching.

"Hey," I said. "So, how's this work?"

Zack didn't say anything, but he did raise his eyebrows once and look toward the doorway. Sensei Ito was standing there -- I hadn't even heard him come in!

"Ito-soke," I said, bowing.

"Aspect," he said to me. "Zone." Zack bowed in response. "I expect the both of you to obey all the rules I have laid down in class. I am happy that the two of you wish to further your development, but we will not cut any corners in the process, understood?"

"Hai, sensei," we said in unison.

"Good. When you're both ready, assume sparring positions. The first one to hit the floor outside of the mats loses."

"Hai, sensei," we said again. After that, we both finished stretching and went where we needed to.

"I won't take it easy on you," Zack said, stretching his neck to one side then another.

"Fine."

Ito took his place and looked at us both for a second. "Hajime!" he yelled, chopping the air with his hand.

"To defend the defenseless," I said, and my Juice hummed to life, buzzing along my nerves and skin, my clothes disappearing as I gained a foot in height. When it was all done, I was Megadeus, costume and all. Zack just watched me with calm eyes before he went airborne, hovering afoot off the ground, silver spots appearing all around his hands, about an inch out.

//Is that his TK field? Maybe -- //

But I didn't have time to finish that thought, as Zack rushed me, me ducking in barely enough time for him to wing me across the shoulder, but even that sent me flying to the edge of the mat. Blinking in surprise, I spun to see him closing in for the hit that'd knock me to the floor, but I shot up, avoiding his charge, only to counter a hard right cross -- that hit nothing but air.

"Crap!" I said before he hit me with a hook, straight-on in the head, so hard that I _felt_ it -- it hurt! When I went to slug him back, though, he was already gone, looping above me, upside-down, and he upper-cut me -- sending me flying down to the floor. I was able to stop myself a bare inch from the tile, but Zack wasn't going to let me recover, as I felt blunt force ram into my back, driving me into the floor, where a web of cracks shot out from the point of impact.

It took me a bit to realize that I had already lost. I huffed and started getting up and I saw Zack standing there, offering me his hand, but I knocked it away, getting up by myself.

"Match to Zone!" Ito said. "Will there be anything else?"

"Yeah," I said, clenching my teeth. "Remat -- !"

"No, sensei, that's all for today."

Nodding, Ito walked out in that smooth, silent way of his.

"What was that all about, huh? I wanted to get a rematch because you were cheating, you stupid ba -- !"

Sharp pain shot into my face, breaking me out of my rant and sending my vision spinning. Once I shook my head, I turned to see Zack, his arm at the end of a slapping motion, the air around his hand shimmering with silvery light.

"I wasn't cheating, and I won because you're still thinking in two dimensions!" he said, sounding like a drill sergeant. "When you use TK like us, you have access to all 3! Up is any way you damn well want it to be!"

Even though I wanted to pummel him, I didn't.

"If you want to get ahead, then start thinking in 3D, Aspect. If you're not a bitch then be here tomorrow."

Without another word, he just walked into the locker rooms, me glaring at him the whole way. It helped some, as my temper cooled off after a little bit, and then I realized that I was an idiot. He was a sophomore, for crying out loud (or at least I thought so), so of course he'd be better than me. I just -- I just hadn't been expected to get so badly creamed like I did. I mean, I wasn't able to get one good hit in!

Rather than stew about it, I just followed Zack into the showers.]]> Aranis 2009-08-25T12:02:53-00:00 A, vol. 5 -- Part 4 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=51579&th=1139#msg_51579 Part 4

Tuesday, October 24th, 2006 -- Night
I don't know what I had done to deserve it, but my mind seemed bent on really screwing with me. When I woke up from the nightmare (again), Zack had been mixed in with everyone else, so now the person I was fighting was some sort of bizarre fusion of Max, Silverwing, Chasm, and Zack. It sounds stupid, I know, but the truth is I was still shaking about it when I came to, not to mention being covered in fine coating of cold sweat (yes, as gross as it sounds).

The absence of Max's snoring bothered me just as much as his doing a chain-saw impression, and I was quickly reminded that he was with one of his girlfriends that night. Brianna, I think. Either way, I had the room to myself, and with the fear of the dream still wriggling through my guts, I kinda wished that I didn't. Then I remembered that Max was some sorta supervillain wannabe . . .

//. . . do I really want that kinda person around me when I feel like crap?//

It couldn't have been more obvious, really.

//No, I really don't.//

Sighing, I got out of bed and turned on my work lamp. As soon as it flickered on, I forgot that the thing was busted, and it was still showing the kinda-blue light, and it looked it like it was flickering to another color. It was impossible to tell what yet, but the fact remained that I still needed to get a replacement bulb. Sleep felt like it was still a long way off yet, if it was gonna happen at all, so I decided that I'd head over to the c-store.

//If I hurry, I should be able to make it over there before curfew's up.//

My clothes weren't even out of the drawers yet when I heard a tink. Then another tink. The one more. The weird part? It sounded like it was coming from the window. I walked to it and pulled open the blinds, and I saw a girl a little bit away, throwing pebbles at the glass. We both looked at each other for a moment, not sure what to do, then I opened the window.

"Uh, hi?" I said.

She walked closer, the mulch crunching under her sneakers. Before she was even most of the way to the sill, her eyes shone in the dark, brass like a cat's. Her slow steps matched that as she glided into view, sensuous and predatory. The motion was well-suited to her figure, especially the sashay of her hips.

"Oh, sorry, friend, did I wake you up?" she asked, an Irish lilt to her speech, making that last word almost 'oop.'

"No, I was already up and moving . . . Listen, I hate to be rude, but -- who are you?"

"Where are me manners," she said, putting her hand on her yellow hoodie that went with her golden-blond hair. "I'm Evey, Max's girlfriend."

"Evey, right . . ." I said, not wanting to get into any more than that.

"Which makes you A?" she asked as she flipped her head, causing her hair to sway over her cute, freckled face.

"The one and only. Either A or Aspect, whichever you like."

"Never did like the show-names, me'self. Would A be all right for ye?"

I couldn't help it, there was something about her . . . "Yep," I said, smiling.

"Now that we've met one another, do you know where I might be able to find yer room-mate? He's not been answering his mobile."

"Mob oh, his cell! Uh," I said, then paused. It wasn't really that long, but it seemed like it was. Right then, right there, I had a golden opportunity to really screw Max hard. But would that really solve anything?

I made my decision.

"I think he's staying with a guy friend over in Twain," I lied. "Studying for some big test coming up tomorrow."

"Feck," she said, blowing out a long breath while she closed her eyes. "Next time ye be seein' him, tell him to give Evey a call, will ye?"

I nodded. "Sure thing."

"Night, then."

I waved as she went and closed the window when she was out of sight.

//Max, Max, Max . . .//

Shaking my head, I decided that I'd go on to the c-store since it wasn't like the lightbulb was gonna fix itself. Once I popped on some civvies, I threw on my jacket and went through a short set of stretches. I went outside, and cold air laden with the earthy smell of damp, decaying leaves hit me like a wave, making me shiver. Thankfully, I was distracted pretty quick by my running effort because I was going at a pace somewhere between "back-breaking" and "insane," just to see what I could manage. The end result was pretty impressive, if I do say so I made it across campus in half the time it took last time I tried it.

As I walked through the outside door, the bell jingling softly, I couldn't help but smile even as my breath was coming in hard and fast. The runs with Zack were definitely still working. Before I did anything else, I went straight over to the housewares/lightbulbs section. I checked through the racks, but even after I went over every last lightbulb they had in the place, I didn't find the one for my lamp.

//Stupid c-store!// I thought, growling and kicking the shelves, leaving a good-sized dent. I huffed and looked, checking to make sure that no one had seen me put another bit of damage into the shelves which already seen more than their fair share. Thankfully, I was the only one in the aisle at that particular moment.

After I'd cooled off the rest of the way, I decided to make my way around the store. I hadn't ever really just seen what there was to see, and I hadn't even been in there for more than a minute since I had come in on a mission to get stuff for Maria. And I can't say that I was really paying attention to anything that wasn't romantic in some way or another. Anyway, when I finally got to looking around? I was really surprised. There was body armor, spell implements (I only really knew that from little bits I'd picked up from Ray and Spira), art supplies, groceries . . . just about everything you can imagine and then some. The things that really blew me away were the full supply of guns, even some really heavy things!

//Whateley,// I thought, smiling.

Eventually, I found my way over to the book section, and there were all the textbooks, of course, and some novels, but then there was something there that _really_ caught my eye: comics. By the boatload. Wildstorm, Marvel, DC . . .

//. . . they even have Midnighter #1! And it's not due out till November! And Iron Man #12! Wow! How'd they get their hands on these things!?//

I kept flipping through all their shelves, seeing that they had specialty editions I hadn't seen anywhere else, issues two or months in advance, and everything! It was awesome! Before long at all, though, I hit an imprint I didn't recognize. "MP Comics," it said, and the series in question was Titanus, showing some super-cyborg on the main cover. A quick flip-through showed me the art was good, well, no, great -- Bryan Hitch level at least, but not quite Alex Ross. Definitely better than what I could manage. Scanning the credits didn't help me much, other than telling me that "MP Comics" was short for "Miskatonic Press Comics."

//Miskatonic . . . wait, we're in the Miskatonic Valley. Does that mean that's its headquarters is nearby?//

It was all news to me, so I didn't really have any idea. After I'd dismissed the whole thing for later, I picked up a bunch of comics and TPB's and checked them all out.

//_This_ outta keep me busy for a while,// I thought as I walked back to my room. The second I was inside, I turned on my music and laid back, ready to enjoy a fine evening of comics, something that I hadn't done in a good while. I started off with the Civil War issues I'd missed, went on to Green Lantern: Rebirth (which I had missed) . . .

. . . and I'll spare you the details.

By the time I was finished, I felt thoroughly satisfied. There's nothing like going on a bender, let me tell you. I looked over at the clock, expecting half the night to have gone by while I was in fictional worlds . . . but it was just past 2:00. And I still didn't feel like sleeping.

//Crap!// I thought, slamming back into my bed, the thing bouncing a bit with the force. //Maybe I can get some drawing in?//

But that thought didn't last past me turning on my lamp. Instead of blue, it had shifted over to some sorta pale yellow . . . or something. I sighed, not sure what else I could do, but then I remembered that we had two resident night owls. Trying Penny proved to be pointless, and it looked like Ray wasn't gonna answer, either. I put my communicator back on my night stand -- when it beeped again, Ray's jade-green button flashing.

"What?" she said.

Instead of responding immediately, I just blinked, trying to figure out what was off about her.

"What did you need, A?"

"Just wanted to see if I could stop by and hang out for a while. I can't sleep."

". . . I suppose."

"Cool, I'll see you in 10?"

". . . yes."

My communicator beeped, telling me that we were done. I dropped it in my pocket and slid the window open quietly, mostly out of habit. When I remembered how cold it was, I started to go back to get something warmer to wear before I remembered that I wouldn't really notice the temperature, anyway. Mulch crunched underfoot as I stepped outside, and the sound of the window closing was the only sound in the night, aside from the air conditioners. After trying to walk as quietly as I could across the flower bed, I went to my usual spot and grinned a little, looking at the few stars out in the night sky, the rest hidden behind featureless gray clouds.

"To defend the defenseless," I said, and the familiar tingling sensation swept over me as my body reformed and my costume appeared. Without another word, I took off into the night sky. Instead of the cold being something irritating, to my Megadeus body, it felt refreshing, like walking into the AC during a hot summer day. It felt like that all the way over to the roof of Dickinson, where I saw soft light filtering through the panels of the greenhouse. Once I had settled down (with a completely silent landing yeah, that's right), I downshifted and walked over the door before knocking softly.

Ray's face appeared in the glass almost immediately. I waved as she opened the door.

"Hello," she said, standing in the doorway.

"Hi! Suppose I could come in?" I asked, me shivering as the cold hit me all the sudden.

"Oh? Of course," she said, stepping aside and waving her hand at me. She closed the door behind us, and we both walked over to her corner of the greenhouse. It was a little warmer there, and I soon saw why: she had inscribed kanji in a perimeter around her sitting area. If I was looking at them right, they were all the same copies of the "Fire" character.

"So, does this take up a lot of Essence?" I asked as we both sat down in the circle.

"No," she said, rearranging her books and reading one. Since I didn't want to interrupt her, exactly, I just waited for her to finish up that paragraph. Then I waited for her to finish up that page. Then that chapter. When she was still going on, I decided to interrupt, after all.

"Are you okay, Ray?"

Her eyes found mine, and I lost myself in the swirl of red, yellow, white, blue, and green, but as soon as my attention shifted, I saw how -- tired she looked.

"I have been unable to sleep," she said, heaving a sigh.

"You mean your once-a-week thing?"

She nodded. "If I cannot focus, then my Essence escapes my control. If my Essence escapes my control, then it will continue to energize me. If it continues to energize me, then I cannot sleep."

I frowned as she went on, then I pulled her into a hug. She just seemed . . . vulnerable?

"Oh, Ray, I'm sorry. Have you been having nightmares or something?"

For a minute there, she didn't do anything but sit there awkwardly, then she relaxed into the hug and pulled her arms around me.

"No . . . something else," she said, actually getting a little choked up. "I I I am so confused."

"What about, Ray? I don't get what you mean."

". . . I cannot say right now. Just . . . stay here for a while. Please?"

What kinda friend could turn down a request like that? Not that I was thinking about it anyway. So we sat there for a while, propping up against a pile of pillows she had sitting around. We didn't say anything, and she just cuddled up next to me, and I held her. We didn't, um, do anything else, if that's what you're thinking. I was just there for her. That's all.

After we'd been there a while, I was sure that she was asleep. I got up, trying to move as smoothly as possible. Before I was even halfway up, though

"I am not asleep," she said.

"God! Don't scare me like that. Sorry, I thought you were. You hadn't moved or anything."

"I know," she said, looking down. "I was just . . . at peace. For the first time in a long while."

"I'm glad," I said, then shuffled my feet. "Think you could keep this quiet, though? I'm not sure how Maria would react. Don't want another Penny episode, right?"

Ray turned toward me, her eyes not as tired as they were even just a little while earlier, but then she looked a little worried, or something.

"I suppose she has no need to know about this."

"Yeah," I said, nodding, even as my stomach sank. Ray was in trouble, and I didn't really want to get her in _more_ trouble. But I still felt like a total jerk for keeping something from Maria.

"I will be fine, now," Ray said. ". . . but you could stay longer, if you like."

Even as I was about to say something, my body just went and ripped out a huge yawn. "Uh, I think I'll see if I can get to sleep, actually. See you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Just as I was about to walk out of her corner . . .

"A?"

"Yeah?" I said, turning back to her.

"Thank you."

I smiled. "Sure thing. You have a good night."

"You, as well."

With that, I left the greenhouse.]]> Aranis 2009-09-09T18:06:36-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 5 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=52542&th=1139#msg_52542 Part 5

Wednesday, October 25th -- Morning
It hadn't been very long at all, really, but I had managed to mostly forget about it. But sometimes, just after I'd wake up, usually, it'd hit me.

Mr. J was my dad.

When my eyes opened that morning, it all came at me, and this really nasty mix of guilt and anger and disappointment and pain all came storming into me and settled in my stomach. Add to that nightmares and a villian-y room-mate, and I had the recipe for a craptacular day.

Max still wasn't in the room when I got up and got my jogging clothes on, which was just as well. I still didn't really want to see him, especially with Evey stopping by just the night before. What was I supposed to say? "By the way, one of your screw-buddies stopped by?"

Man, the whole thing was just super-awkward. Obviously, staying in my room wasn't going to help anything, so I went ahead and got the rest of the way ready for my jog with Zack. I got outside not too long after that, and it turned out that a fog bank had covered the grounds, making everything gray except for a little bit of yellow provided by the sun, which looked like it was burning with half the intensity it usually was. Worse was the how the mist made the cold worse: with so much dampness the cold would stick to your skin and really sink in.

It sucked.

"Morning," Zack said as I came out to the Emerson statue.

"Hey," I said, starting into my stretching routine.

"Coming to the session after classes?" he asked, rolling his shoulders.

"Yeah."

"Good."

And that was it. Say what you want to about Zack, but he lets you have your quiet. The run was just as quiet and pretty standard, us doing the full circuit around campus a little faster than we had the day before. Once we were done, Zack and I waved at each other and split up, him heading off for Twain. Max still wasn't in our room when I went in to get my shower stuff and a fresh outfit, and he still wasn't there by the time I finished washing up. For just a second, I was tempted to imagine what might be keeping him busy, but I decided against it and finished putting my uniform and jacket on.

I got outside and started jogging to the Hall, but a girl stopped as we passed each other.

"Oh, hi, are you A?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am," I said, stopping too. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"

"What? No, no. We haven't," she said, her long, auburn hair shaking back and forth. "But Max has told me a lot about you."

//Ohhh, boy.//

"I'm Dawn," she said, extending her hand, showing off her long fingers and slender arm. I couldn't help but wonder if she played guitar or piano.

"I'm A, but I think you knew that already," I said, shaking her hand and doing my best to grin. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, it was about Max," she said, brushing her hair back behind her shoulder with her hand. "Have you seen him lately? He wasn't picking up his phone last night, and I'm kinda worried about him."

It took a _lot_ of restraint not to roll my head back and groan.

"He was over at a friend's room in Hawthorne, as far as I know," I said. "They've got a big physics test today, so I'd guess that they spent most of the night studying."

"Oh," she said, frowning, her luscious lips pulling her strong-featured face into a pout that made me want to do _anything_ to make her problems go away.

"When you see him, could you tell him to give me a call?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

"Thanks! Have a good day."

I watched her go, and I couldn't help but appreciate her long, sculpted legs. After she was out of sight, though, I sighed again. The whole Max situation was just heading for some kind of train wreck. I could just tell. I thought about it as I went the rest of the way to the Hall, but I didn't really come up with a good course of action. My mood dipped a little further when I saw that the place was at the worst of the breakfast rush, which meant that I had to wait for a pretty goodly while to get my food. What really made it awful was that I was pretty dang hungry already, and I could smell _all_ the food at the bars: the sausage, the hashbrowns . . . when my turn came to get something to eat, I slopped whatever I could get on my plate, got a huge cup of Coke and rushed to our table, where I paid exactly zero attention to everyone else and just started wolfing down my food in huge gulps, like it was gonna vanish into thin air at any moment.

Maria's giggle broke me out of my trance. "Hungry, bear?"

I looked up to her with a half a sausage patty hanging out of my mouth. She giggled again, and I swallowed the patty in one big gulp.

"More than a little, yeah," I said. "Oh, sorry, morning guys," I said, waving to the other girls. Ray grinned a little in response, not saying anything.

"Heya, A," Spira said. "How's it going?"

"Eh, decent," I said, looking around to make sure that Max and Penny weren't anywhere close. "Last night and this morning both, I ran into Max's other girlfriends."

"You mean, the others besides Dawn?" Maria asked.

"No, actually, she was the one I ran into this morning. I met Evey last night. In the middle of the night."

"What was their purpose in speaking with you?" Ray asked, curiosity showing in her eyes.

"Max hasn't been calling them back or answering their calls. Both of them wanted to check on him to see if anything was wrong."

"Wrong with who?" Penny asked as she sat down with her breakfast of yogurt, strawberries, and toast with a bit of butter.

I looked around at the other three girls, and Spira just shrugged at me.

"Max," I said, biting into another sausage patty. "He's having girlfriend problems."

"Oh, with Brianna, Dawn, and Evey?" Penny asked, spooning out some yogurt and taking a bite.

"Uh . . . yeah. How'd you know?"

She grinned around her spoon. "I have my sources. What's up with all of them?"

"Not sure, actually. I've met two of the three of them, though."

"Huh, I'm not surprised, with what I've heard," she said.

Ray put down her fork and stared at a pile of pecans on her plate. "I believe you had given your word that you would stop gossiping."

Penny took another bite. "I said I'd stop gossiping around _you guys._ I never said I was gonna stop."

"It is distasteful," Ray said, locking eyes on her. "It is a habit that you should give up."

Penny blinked then smiled, but there was no warmth in the expression. "And why should I do that?"

"It poisons the opinions of those around you, leading to discord in your community."

Penny laughed. "And why should I care about that? There's gonna be 'discord,'" she said, throwing exaggerated finger quotes around the word, "no matter what _I_ do."

"You should still not contribute to the problem," Ray said, sounding . . . angry?

"I don't just give a fuck, about people's problems, Ray."

I knew things were _bad_ when Ray's right eye twitched. "Self-centered bitch," she said, starting into her dates.

"What did you say?" Penny asked, her voice _too_ quiet and steady.

"I said that you are a self-centered, dog-copulating, viral-ridden genetic throwback!"

All at once, Penny's face twisted into a snarl and her arm lashed out, slugging Ray across the jaw.

"You . . . hit me," Ray said, touching her lip to find blood there.

"Sure did, bitch," Penny said, baring teeth in a non-smile. "What're you gonna do about it?"

In one smooth motion, a red light bloomed over Ray's body and burned in her eyes as she launched from her chair and buried her fist in Penny's stomach a heartbeat before Penny went flying into a planter that shattered under her. Penny got to her feet, sagging a little, and Ray stood in place, her fist held in it position before she fell back into stance.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Penny said, standing up as a purple plates of translucent armor snapped into place around her body, looking exactly like an old Roosevelt class suit. As soon as she stood all the way up, a charge mace appeared in her right hand.

"Guys, please don't!" Maria said, running between them and holding up her arms, one pointed at each girl. "You guys are friends, c'mon!"

Penny snarled and batted Maria aside a backhand and Maria toppled to the floor.

"Bunny!" I yelled, running to her.

She shook her head and sat up. "I'm fine, but -- " she pointed to Penny, who snarled again and charged at Ray, screaming and holding her club above her hand, ready to crush Ray with a mighty downward swing.

"Penny, d -- !"

I didn't get a chance to finish, as there was a mighty rush of wind, and it drowned all the other sound around us. I looked up to see Spira floating in front of Penny, her face not just ticked, not just furious, but . . . _livid_. Spira snapped her hand open at Penny, and Penny went arcing through the air, crashing into a food bar and flinging gravy and grits everywhere. Spira spun to Ray and snapped her other hand toward her, but Ray only moved backward a few feet as she crossed her arms in a block, but that didn't last long -- Spira _screamed_ and the air distorted between her hand and Ray in a quick shimmer, then Ray's block broke and she fell the ground and launched in a rough skid along the floor before slamming into the legs of table, sending the thing spinning backwards.

My breath had caught in my chest, but I couldn't help but look at Spira. Anger still shone in her eyes, but it faded as she fell to the ground. It disappeared as soon as her feet touched the floor, and then she collapsed to the floor, crying.

"Not ag -- gain," she managed, her whole body shaking.

"A," Maria said, getting up. "I'll go to Penny. You go to Spira. Once I see how Penny is, I'll go to Ray, k?"

I nodded and Maria ran off to check on her roomie. With slow, quiet steps, I walked over to Spira.

"Spira?"

Nothing.

" . . . Heather?"

She threw herself into my arms and started sobbing.

"Shhh," I said, stroking her hair. "It's okay, shhh . . ."

"I can't t-t-take it A, it's too much," she said.

"It's okay, it's okay . . ." I said, then I looked up. A golden-skinned girl stood above me, concern clear in her burning orange eyes.

"Corona?" I asked.

"I saw what happened. Are you okay, Heather?" Corona asked, kneeling beside Spira. She looked up at Corona and shook her head, her bottom lip quivering while tears shined on her face. Spira threw herself onto and Corona and started going again, really bawling. Corona took Spira in her arms like she was a little girl.

"I'm here," Corona said softly and gently. "It'll be okay."

Spira didn't say anything.

"I'll get her to her counselor," Corona said. "Why don't you check on your mage friend?"

I nodded, and the two of them left, Spira still going, but a little quieter. When I turned to check, Ray was still on the floor, the kids scattered from the impact point, and I ran to her, kneeling right beside her.

"Ray?"

She blinked her eyes and groaned softly, sitting up.

"I am fine."

"But you don't usually -- "

"I am fine!"

Instead of saying anything, I just stood up and offered my hand to Ray. She took it and then I pulled her up.

"Listen, is this all because your sleep thing?" I asked.

She didn't make eye contact with me but nodded slowly.

"Ray, I'm not trying to get into your business, or anything, but you should take care of this thing. You can't keep going on like this."

". . . I know."

Both of us just kinda stood there in an awkward silence.

"I must go to class," she said, slipping in between the people in the crowd in a way I couldn't follow.

"Ray!" I said. "Crap."

With her gone, I decided to go check on Penny, and I ran over to where she landed. Maria was helping her up, and Penny was soaked with gravy.

"Penny, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay, you son of a bitch!?" she asked, shooting me a glare. I did my best to bite my tongue, and it worked. While we stood there, I noticed for the first time how dark the circles under her eyes were. They were black, like she'd been punched.

"It's just too much stress, I bet," Maria said, trying to smile while she wiped some gravy off Penny with some napkins. "You guys don't hate each other, after all."

Penny's mouth opened for a second, then she closed it. "I guess not," she said between gritted teeth. "I'm gonna change then get to class. Later."

Without another word, she left.

". . . wonder what's up with them?" Maria asked, frowning.

I pulled her under one arm. "I dunno, bunny. But we should probably get to class."

She sighed. "Yeah, you're right, let's go."

The walk to Kane Hall was especially quiet that day, and I noticed that some clouds had rolled in while we had been inside, making the sun look even weaker, making the day grayer. We kissed for a second outside of Kane, then we split up for our first period classes.]]> Aranis 2009-09-18T03:19:42-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 6 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=53116&th=1139#msg_53116 Part 6

Wednesday, October 25th -- Afternoon
Classes were worse than usual thanks to all the tension between us. Instead of talking and joking around like we normally did, we just stayed quiet and barely even paid attention to each other.

It was depressing.

World history was the worst by a long-shot, and I was more than glad to get out of there, let me tell you. That relief lasted all the way through flight class, but then I got that sinking sensation once I remembered that I was due in the dojo to meet for another "training session" with Zack. Just like last time, he was there before I was, and Sensei Ito appeared, walking to the mat without making a single sound, like he didn't weigh anything.

"Aspect, good to see that you're maintaining your interest in your defense," he said, his mix of British and English accents making his emphasis on certain words a little weird.

"Hai, sensei. The people I have to fight are something else, and I want to be as prepared as I can be."

"Good. Zone, are you ready for the match to begin?"

Zack nodded once.

"Aspect?" Ito asked.

"A moment, sensei," I said, then I took a deep breath. "To defend the defenseless."

A tidal wave of tingles swept over me, and when they were gone, I was Megadeus.

"The same rules as last time apply," Ito said. "First to hit the floor outside the mats loses. Ready?"

We both nodded.

"Hajime!"

Without a word, both of us were airborne. Neither of us charged, instead circling one another in the air. Zack's face twitched a little, and I tried to keep my expression as neutral as I could. Surprisingly enough, he made the first move, flying straight for me, his arm cocked to deliver a rocking punch as silver lit up above his fist. Rather than moving all the way out of his way, I just swung like a pendulum so that my head pointed at the floor, and he flew right under me.

"Good," he said, and he spun to match my orientation, coming at me again, but I caught his fist and hammered him with one closed fist. He spun a bit, then stopped himself, facing directly down at me and the floor. I charged him, but he just pivoted backward in the air so that his body pointed straight up and down.

"Nice try!" I said, and I took all my force, flipped feet-over-head and jammed a knee in his stomach, sending him flying backward. A massive vibration shook the dojo as he stopped himself with a clap of thunder, his sides not quite perpendicular to the floor.

"You've learned quickly," he said, righting himself. "That's goo " he started but didn't finish because I came flying at him with a huge right hook, but he saw it coming and bent back just enough for me to miss him. Growling in frustration, I followed it up with a knife hand, but he caught it, the space just in front of his hand glowing silver. I snarled and followed up the punch with a kick, but the jerk caught that, too!

"You can't hurt me like this," he said, a little smirk on his face.

"Wanna bet!?" I said, then I swung my head forward in the hopes of braining him. Instead, light exploded in front of my eyes, and my balance went funny as pain shot through my head. Before I could even get moving again, I felt myself flying through the air, and then I bounced off hard tile. It didn't hurt, but the tile shattered and cracked where I hit it.

"Zone wins! Better, Aspect, but you still have room for improvement," he said, and just like that, he was quiet. When I looked over to where he'd been standing, no one was there.

"Gonna whine about losing this time?" Zack said, sneering as he landed near me. I got up and dusted tile dust off of me.

"No," I said, straining to keep the anger out of the word. "But why didn't you tell me that your defense was so frickin' good? It kinda makes all of this pointless, doesn't it?"

Zack peered at me. "So you can only learn from all this if you can hurt me?"

". . .I guess not? But I like things to be fair, and me not able to hurt you? Not exactly fair."

"You could learn new approaches," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Brute force isn't always the best way."

My jaw opened and I tried to say something, but he had me there.

//I could stand to do with a little less charge and smash . . .//

Zack nodded in approval. "You're thinking. Good. You've got to keep an open mind in order to find the most effective tactics."

I nodded.

"Well, we're done. See you tomorrow morning," he said, walking off for the showers.

Sighing, I downshifted and followed him. We didn't say anything as we washed up, and then we went our separate ways afterwards. As I walked outside, I saw that the clouds were still out in force, and the sun still looked much paler than it should, which made the day pretty chilly. Out of habit, I turned toward Emerson and started walking, but then I remembered that Max might be there, and I really didn't want to chance running into him. I stood there for a few minutes, considering my options. Once I thought of Spira, I smiled.

//Yeah, I'll go check in on her. I bet she could use some company, anyway.//

After I got Dickinson and waited at the main doors for a bit, I wedged my way inside and went across the lobby, drawing some glares from the girls in there as I went through, but I didn't let that stop me, and I went on down the stairs to the basement. I passed the gym, and it was empty (which was a little weird), then I went on down toward Spira's room. Before I got all the way there, though, I stopped, hearing something weird. It sounded like someone . . . yelling. Really, really loud. I took a few steps further down the hallway, and I could hear what the person was screaming.

". . . poop-for-brains, soap-eating, dumb-bunny!"

//Wait, what?// I asked myself, tilting my head and listening closer. From what I could tell, it was Spira, and she was . . . cussing. Sorta. More like grade-school cussing.

"Jerk-head, frog-licking meanie!"

I couldn't help but snicker. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, but there wasn't anyone yelling back.

//Phone call, maybe?//

"Dingbat!"

A laugh just spilled out of me that time. She sounded just like a little kid. Had she never learned how to cuss? I tried to choke the laughing down while I tiptoed up to her door. Once I got calmed down, I knocked, but I guess she didn't hear me because she kept going.

"Boy-kissing, pantie-wetting retard!"

My laugh took some of the force out of the knock, but I managed. I jumped when I heard a scream from inside.

"Uh, who is it?" Spira asked, sounding off-kilter.

"It's me, A."

"Oh, uh, hi! Just a second."

While I waited, I looked around the hallway, tracing along the paths of pipes and cables and trying to guess which ones were water and which ones were power. Or maybe some where internet stuff, too. After a while, the door opened, and Spira stood there in sweatpants and a Orlando Suns t-shirt that was huge on her.

"Hi, A," she said, still sounding a little off. "Uh, please, come on in."

"K."

Without a thought, I dropped my stuff at my spot in front of her bed. The mix of sweet and strong scents hit me, the floral presence the very thing that told me I was in Spira's room. I'd recognize it anywhere.

"What's up?" she asked.

I smiled a little. "Came to check on you, actually."

"Oh."

"You sound like you're doing okay, though," I said, grinning. "You were getting really, uh, enthusiastic about something."

Spira's face turned so red it nearly matched her hair. ". . . how much did you hear?"

After I cleared my throat softly and broke eye contact, I quoted, "'Boy-kissing, pantie-wetting retard?"

She turned even redder, and her skin _did_ match her hair! I had to stifle a laugh, not because I thought it was silly. Not at all -- it was unbelievably cute.

"What was all that about, anyway?" I asked.

"Oh, that, well, I . . ." she said, then she mumbled something so softly I couldn't hear it.

"What was that?"

It sounded like she said the same thing again, but I couldn't really tell.

"Sorry?"

"I was playing GEO," she nearly whispered. "And I was getting totally pwned in an arena match."

I blinked. "Pwned?"

"Power-owned."

". . . I'm still not getting you."

Spira rolled her eyes. "Someone was beating me really, really bad, okay?"

"Ohhh. It was bothering you that bad, huh?"

She looked down and shifted her arms around a bit before finally settling for letting them hang down as she sighed.

"Sometimes it does," she said, looking embarrassed but not as red as before. "I was hoping to just blow off some steam, ya know? But I logged in and just got totally pw beat. Really bad."

I sighed. "I know what that's like."

Her eyes widened in comprehension. "You do, don't you."

"Yeah," I said, giving her a look. She wilted a little.

"Sorry," she said, her bottom lip quivering a little. "Forget I said anything . . ."

"No, it's cool!" I said, laughing awkwardly. We just sorta stood there for a minute after I stopped, not making eye contact.

"You, uh, wanna sit down?" she asked.

"Sure."

As I sat down, the bed complained with a metallic groan.

"Sheez. They give you the oldest bed in the cottage, or something?" I asked.

"Not really," she said, grinning softly as she sat down, too. "They actually ran out of new beds, so they gave me the option of taking one of the new ones or having one of the old ones. I figured someone else could use the new one, so I went with the old one."

"Wooow. That's really cool of you, Spira."

"Thanks!" she said, smiling. "Just trying to make the place a little better any way I can."

"That's really cool of you, like I said."

She grinned at me, and we sat there for a bit. Finally, I decided to get down to business.

"So, um, Spira."

"Yeah?" she said, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Do you . . . do you wanna, you know, talk about what happened at breakfast? If you don't, I can just leave it alone, no problem."

When she breathed out, it sounded a little choked, like there were tears coming.

"Forget I said anything, then! We can talk about something else, I "

"It's hard, A," she said, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I think I said it before, but it is. Super-hard."

Since I couldn't think of anything to say, I just stayed quiet and put my hand on hers, and she grabbed on.

"Back when my powers came on," she said, her voice getting more choked up. "I could feel e-everyone's emotions. EVERYONE's," she said, looking straight at me. I nodded and let her go on.

"It was so hard," she said, looking back down. "I think I nearly went nuts back then. Do you know what it's like to get super, super-angry?"

I gulped and thought about my answer.

"O-oh," she said, looking into my eyes for a second, then she nodded. "You know, don't you? When you're in the Rage, or Fury, or whatever, you get so mad you can't think straight? So mad that you wanna do is hurt someone?"

I sighed and squeezed her hand. "Yeah."

"It's that way for me, in some ways," she said, squeezing my hand back. "You see it's like . . . it's like all this smoke gets into my head, and I can smell the stuff that's burning. But I _hate_ that smell!" she said, her eyes welling up. "I don't want to hurt people. I've never wanted to hurt people, but when that burning smell is everywhere . . ."

Saying anything would've been pointless, so I just wrapped my arms around her. She relaxed her head onto my shoulder and let out a couple sobs, tears trickling down onto my jacket. After that, I just held her there, pulling her a little closer.

"How come you've kept quiet about this?" I asked.

"I didn't want to give you g-g-guys any trouble," she said, sniffling. "You were so n-nice to me, back when we met. I didn't want to turn into a-a w-whiny baby."

"You whiny?" I asked, smiling down at her. "Forget about it! You're talking to the guy who has nonstop problems and talks about them nearly all the time. And nobody's gotten ticked about that. I figure you'd be fine. Besides, you're great to have around! We'd never chase you off."

Spira sat back and wiped her eyes. "Really?" she asked, looking at me.

"Yep!"

Her bottom lip really started going, but I had her wrapped in my arms against before she started back up.

"What did I say this time?" I asked, honestly confused.

"It's j-just, that I, you guys, y-y-you're . . . here."

I kissed her on the forehead. "Yeah, we are. And don't you forget it!"

"Not a chance," she said, snuggling into me.

We just sat there for a while, and I let her go for as long as she needed to.]]> Aranis 2009-09-23T11:30:54-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 7 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=53907&th=1139#msg_53907 Part 7

Wednesday, October 25th -- Evening
I was definitely ready for the Hall that night. No matter how bad or complicated things got with me, people would always be joking, talking, and hanging out. It was a nice thing to think about, sometimes. That night was no exception, and I just sorta blended into the buzzing crowd as I got in line and got a stack of steaks and a few sweet potatoes. As I walked through the cafeteria, I saw some of the kids from Emerson, including Reaver, who I waved to, and I also saw the Kimbas at their table. It looked like Sara was back around again, but she wasn't wearing super-thick black clothes anymore.

//Wonder what's up with that?//

Giving a mental shrug, I made my way over to our table, but there wasn't anyone there except Maria. I paused for a sec, wondering where everyone was, but my stomach eventually told me to stop thinking and start eating, so I went with it and sat down.

"Hey, Bunny!"

"Hey, Bear!" she said, scooting over to me and kissing me on the cheek, which set that whole side of my face tingling. "How's my favorite boy?"

"I'm good," I said, smiling wide. "How about you?"

"Mmm, okay, I guess," she said, frowning a little.

"That face doesn't say you're okay."

"Well . . . it's just that I stopped by Ray's room, but she wouldn't answer the door. I knew she was in there, I could hear her breathing when I put my ear up against her door."

"Oh, yeah? Has she ever done that before?"

Maria shook her head, the braids on either side of her head swinging back and forth. "No. Before, if she was in, and I knocked, she'd just answer," she said, tilting her head to one side. "Usually even before I knocked actually. She'd do that Jedi Master thing she does."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Well, hmmm . . ."

"What is it, Bear?"

Memories of Ray snuggling up to me ran through my head real quick, but I cleared them out and stomped on them a few times. Maria was still looking at me when I was done.

"Bear?" she asked, a little concerned.

"When I stopped by to see her the other night . . . she said that she hadn't been sleeping."

"Oh, no." Her bottom lip puckered as she frowned. "Why can't she sleep?"

"Dunno," I said, shrugging. "She wouldn't tell me anything more than she was confused. And I have no idea what that means, I mean, well, more than that she's confused." I blew out a frustrated sigh. "It's like there's something seriously wrong bothering her, so bad that just 'being confused' doesn't seem to cover it, you know what I mean?"

"Um. I really don't."

Rolling my eyes, I sighed again. "Anyway, let's just keep our eyes on her."

"Deal."

"What about your " I started, but then my stomach reminded me that it was empty, very, very loudly. "Uh, mind if I eat, then we can pick it back up?"

She smiled a bit and shook her head. "Go ahead."

Scents of savory meat and butter-soaked potatoes filled my nostrils as I took a deep breath, and I absently heard Maria scoot a bit away. Then I tore into my food, enjoying every bite even as I wolfed it down in a bare fraction of the time that it would take most people to eat the same amount.

"Sorry about that," I said, wiping my mouth before continuing on a another potato. "Like I was getting ready to say, how's your powerarmor project coming?"

"Oh, that's right!" Her fists flew up and she shook all over. "Eee! I just finished it! You have to see it!"

"Oh, okay, how about I fini "

"Uh-uh! Right now!" she said, hopping to her feet and fastening onto my wrist. She started pulling me out of my chair.

"Marriia," I whined. "I just wanna finish this pot "

She turned and fixed a glare on me that promised terrible, terrible things.

"Yes, ma'am," I said quietly. "Coming right now."

"That's more like it!" With a huge smile on her face, she gripped my wrist even tighter and dragged me out of the Hall, not letting go once while we were outside, still not letting go as she took me into Kane, and her grip was just as firm as ever as we went through the tunnels and over to the Workshop. She was humming to herself the whole time, some J-pop thing, if I was right, but I stopped paying attention when I saw the closet. Yes, _the_ closet, the one where me and Maria . . .

You know.

My cheeks started heating up, and certain parts of me woke up, and fantasies flashed through my head, but Maria wasn't paying _any_ attention to me or the closet. Instead, she had her eyes set on her work table. Instead of the full body of a person sitting there, like before, there was just a shell, a suit. I could tell it was empty because all I saw through the gaps was empty space.

But that was hardly the most interesting part about it. All the armor plates were silver chrome, just like the automail from Full Metal Alchemist, complete with fluted grooves and large screws, but not everything was just like something off the show. For starters, the helmet had a visor and no mouthpiece, with sleek lines and stylized tips extending from the top. Another thing was that pieces of the armor glowed on the inside and outside both, a soft light somewhere between green and blue. The thing that was _really_ different though, was its thickness. I don't know if you're familiar, but most suits of power armor are actually really, really thick. Maria's wasn't. It looked like it was just big enough to house the circuitry, and all, but not really tough enough to stop any heavy hitters. All in all, it was like if someone from the 19th century made an armor suit then time traveled and had someone from the 22nd century spruce it up.

Yes, it was every bit as cool as it sounds.

"Here it is!" she said. "What do you think?"

I ran my hand over the plates meant to protect the abs, the cold metal squeaking under my touch. "It's awesome."

Her head somehow stayed intact despite the huge smile that threatened to split it apart. "You really mean it?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Eee!" she said, flinging her arms around me and roping me into a surprisingly passionate kiss.

"Uh," I said, pulling away, Buddy wanting to wake up and get to work. "Have you gone on any test runs with the thing yet?"

She shook her head, her smile fading a little. "No, I've only recently implemented the augmentary subsystems, and I haven't double-checked to make sure that they've integrated with the weaponry and tracking arrays."

"Oh," I said, pretending to understand what she was talking about.

"Let me check something, though." She walked to her workbench and flipped open her laptop. "Oh, yes! I haven't gotten any errors with this diagnostic check," she said, her fingers blurring over the keys. She grinned a little and took a deep breath. "I think it might be ready for the first field test!"

"Oh, man. Can I watch?"

"Sure!" she said, then her cheeks colored. "But could you step out of my alcove for a minute?"

"Why?"

Her cheeks went from pink to red. "My, um, uh, my interface suit is . . . skin-tight. I have to change."

Swear to god that I didn't mean to think of her naked, but it happened anyway. "Okay, sure!" I said, bolting out before I had the chance to do something that I'd regret. The second I set foot into the wider Workshop, she clicked a button and some shudders closed over her alcove with a clang. I waited for her to suit up, and I looked around, trying to find things to think of that weren't, um, activating. I eventually settled on some grating that was set in the middle of the floor and focused on it. It worked, mostly.

The clackataclack of the shudders opening again snapped me out of my trance, and I turned to see Maria in her powerarmor. Somehow, she looked badass but very feminine at the same time, since the suit highlighted her curves, especially her shoulders and hips.

As it turned out, the grate really hadn't done nearly enough.

"What do you think?" she asked as she did her hair up in a tight bun against the back of her head.

". . . very cool," I said, a little breathless.

She smiled wide. "Awesome! Now, for the last piece." She walked over to her table and grabbed the helmet, which unfolded at her touch, its panels sliding back along the sides of the headpiece. After she wrapped her other hand around it, she nestled it onto her head. As she closed her eyes, plates extended from the bottom of the helmet and slotted into her collar, then the pieces from the sides slid back over her face, covering it, and then the visor's midsection glowed blue-green.

"Still like it?" she asked, the speaker-unit in her suit making her voice sound digital.

I smiled and nodded.

"Yes!" she said, jumping a bit and squeeing, and I had to laugh. Someone in power armor . . . squeeing.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing!"

Even though her face was blocked, I got the distinct impression that she was raising an eyebrow at me. That didn't last long, and then she stood still. A shoop sound came from her helmet for a little while, then stopped.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Memory foam. I've made it so that the helmet is flush against my head. No space for extra injuries that way."

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."

"Okay! Let's get out to the test range. You can push some buttons." Her smile wasn't visible, but it was certainly audible. She grabbed me by my wrist, hurting it some, as she dragged me through the Workshop.

"Oooh, buttons . . ." I said, then rolled my eyes.

I stopped as she spun on her heel and stuck an armored finger in my face. "No sass from you, Mister!"

"Yes, ma'am!" I said, smiling and sketching her a salute.

She giggled. "That's better. Come on!"

Before long, we were across the Shop and into the testing area. Even at Whateley, I hadn't seen anything just like it. In some ways, the construction looked like the Arena '99, but there were a lot of devices, devises, gadgets, and other things rigged into the walls that glowed all different colors, some pumped and some chugged, and others were completely quiet. All the styles were mish-mashed, too some had the bulky green-and-gray look of 80's computers, others were so weird that I couldn't really identify what sorta scheme they were using.

". . . that one over there. Bear?"

"Wha?"

The mask gave her huff a digital hum. "Were you even listening?"

"Uh. No, I really wasn't."

"Okay, from the top. When I give you the signal," she waved two fingers in a sharp gesture, "you push this button here." I followed her finger to a control panel about waist-height, laden with buttons. The one she wanted was white, set in a row of others like it.

"Got it."

She nodded and walked to a wide, wide black circle painted into the floor, where she stood perfectly still for a moment, then more lights blinked to life all over her armor. With just the slightest motion, she bounced feet into the air, but she came back down with hardly sound. After she shifted around a little, she gave me the motion. I took a deep breath and stabbed the button, a chorus of hums filling the room a second later.

Without warning, a ball shot out of the wall, heading straight for Maria, but she flowed like liquid out of its way, and her spinning sideways jump put her out the path of two other balls, just like that. She was in the air again, bending over backwards, and two balls shot under her arched back, then she pulled her legs in tight, and another ball sailed through the air where her legs had been. As she landed, she ducked all the way down, and one more ball missed her head by a hair. She started to jump again, but she stumbled and waved a few steps, then a ball beaned her upside the head, then another went for her stomach, then another for her legs, then her butt. She eeped and jumped outside of the circle.

"Test system alpha-8 disengaged," a hard, digital male voice said from an unseen speaker. "Cleaning protocols activated." No sooner had it finished than a small fleet of little robots emerged from little bays in the walls and started sweeping up all the balls. I watched them do their work for a moment, then I looked back to Maria. She was still on her knees, and as far as I could tell, she hadn't moved once she had stepped outside the circle.

"Bunny?" I asked, walking closer to her. "Maria?"

When I didn't hear her say anything, I knelt down beside her. "You're not hurt, are you? It looked like those balls were just bouncing off you."

She still didn't say anything. I leaned forward a little, and she caught my hand, not even looking toward me.

"It's working fine now," she whispered, letting go. "What went wrong?"

"What now?"

As she took a deep breath and let it out, her helmet whooshed again, and all the plates slid back. She took the helmet off and looked at me.

"It was supposed to work!" she said, her face twisted up in anger, almost like a little kid's. "It should've worked without any problems!"

"What was supposed to?"

Even dressed in her armor, her whole form rose and fell with a heavy sigh. "The EAS." Before I could even get out my question, she said, "The ESP-Augmentation-System."

"Oh . . . what's it do?"

"Help me up?" she asked. I stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Thanks. It's designed to stimulate the brain-waves that occur when I'm using my secondary ESP-ability, Precognition."

"So, it's a machine to help you to see ahead?"

"Yeah. But it glitched, and I lost the Precognative Trance," she said, heaving another sigh.

"Waiiit. That's how you were so good at dodging. You could see them coming."

"Right. Well, I could for a minute or two," she said, frowning a little. "I guess I've still got some bugs to work out."

"Yeah, but you'll get there!" I put my finger under her face and tilted it up toward me. "You're the best Gadgeteer I know!"

She grinned softly. "I'm the _only_ Gadgeteer you know."

"You're still awesome, though," I said, and kissed her on the lips. "Just keep it at, okay? You'll do it."

"I'll try." She smiled and put her free hand in mine. "Wanna go watch some anime after I put my powerframe back?"

"Sure, sounds good. Maybe we could watch some more Full Metal Alchemist?"

"Oooh, yeah! And let me tell you, the anime is _so_ different from the manga. The way the homunculi work is different, and the main antagonist is really different, too! Oh, and then there's the way Ed acts, and . . ."]]> Aranis 2009-09-30T09:15:28-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 8 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=54780&th=1139#msg_54780 Part 8

Wednesday, October 25th -- Night
So, that night, instead of going over to the study session at Spira's room, Maria and I just skipped studying and went to watch anime. Penny wasn't in the room, as usual, and Maria said that she was off doing something else. That was good because we got . . . involved, if you know what I mean. And we kept at that for a good bit, but then it was time for Maria to get to sleep, so I headed out.

It looked like another fogbank had rolled in, and almost all the stars were covered behind thick clouds of mist. Besides the mist, though, it had gotten a good bit colder, and my breath puffed out in thick clouds as I made my way back to Emerson, shivering slightly the whole way. That meant that I was more than glad to get into the building, and I sighed in contentment at the wave of warmth that washed over me as I walked inside. I enjoyed the feeling all the way to my door, when I remembered that Max was probably inside. Being around him was still tense, and it was getting annoying, but I wasn't sure when would be the right time to get all of it in the open.

Sighing, I thought, //No point in worrying about it, really.//

My door opened without any explosions, or anything, and there sat Max on his bed, reading some book with a detective-looking guy on the cover, but the detective had a wizard's staff.

Weird, right?

"A, man," Max said, looking away from his book. "Sup?"

"Not too much." I didn't say anything more, and I just closed the door and clicked on my work light. The thing hadn't magically fixed itself, or anything, and I turned it back off with a sigh. Instead of working on my drawing, then, I just got out my schoolwork and started sorting through my history notes. Neither of us said anything for a while, but I guess all the quiet eventually got to Max.

"A," he said.

"Yeah?"

He sat up partway and put his book on his desk. "You okay, man?"

"What do you mean?" I was doing my best to pretend that I didn't know what he was talking about, but of course I did.

"Well . . ." He sat up the rest of the way. "The past few days, you've like, been tense, or something."

". . . yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah. So what's up? You and Maria having problems?"

"No!" I said, shaking my head hard. "Nope. No problems."

"K," he said, smiling a little. "Penny giving you more grief, or something?"

"Nope."

"Then what, man? C'mon, we're roomies and friends, and stuff. You can tell me if something's like, giving you problems."

Right when I was about blow him off and just go to sleep, or something, a little thing inside of me snapped.

//Going through all this just isn't worth it. Time to do this.//

"Man?" Max was leaned over with his elbows propped on his knees, peering at me. "You gonna tell me? It's cool if you don't, but I just "

"I know what you did, Max," I said quietly.

"What I ?"

"Silverwing." I was getting a little louder, but not much. "I know what you did to Silverwing."

It was the weirdest thing, but I could _tell_ when he shifted, or changed, or whatever. From the fake Max to the real one. "What, precisely, have you heard?"

"That you kidnapped him," I said, going with the rush of releasing all the tension, "that you took him down to some dark room, and that you hurt him somehow."

Max licked his lips. "Oh."

His response made me want to spit on him. "Oh? Just 'oh?'"

"What more do you want me to say?" he asked, looking honestly lost. "He was a problem. I dealt with him. That's all."

"Dealt with him?" Somewhere in there, I had gotten to my feet. "So you 'deal with people' by the Abu Graib method?"

"No. Not everyone."

"But _some_ ones."

Max raised his eyebrows. "Yes. Some."

"And this whole bit about torture doesn't bother you?" I said between gritted teeth.

"Torture?" Max smiled a little and shook his head. "That wasn't torture, A."

"What would you call it, then?"

"Proportionate response."

". . . wait, what?"

"Proportionate response," he said, getting to his feet, "is when you deal out a reply of equal or greater intensity than what was done to you."

It took me a second to find the right word. "Revenge?"

"No, no. It's more like . . ." Max looked up and tilted his head to the side for a second, something I'd never seen him do. "It's more like ensuring that your opponent quickly learns that further action against you will cost him more than he's willing to give."

". . . what are you saying?"

"That Langston had to learn that you were under my protection. That hostile action against me and mine would be . . ." Max's voice dropped below freezing. "Painful."

"Painful? What kind of . . . person are you?"

"I don't like your tone," he said, a little anger edging into his tone.

I took a few steps toward him. "This is something a friggin supervillain does! We're not like that!"

"Supervillain?" Max walked toward me until we were face to face. "You think I'm like Crucible?"

"Yeah! Max, you left someone underground for days! What if he had gotten sick? Or hurt himself trying to get out?"

"But he didn't."

"But what if he did!?"

"Then he would have deserved it!" Max snarled. "No one hurts my friends! No one!"

"That doesn't make it okay!"

"You're just naïve, A! You don't let someone get away with what Langston did! If you don't counterattack, then they'll just do it again!"

"Listen to you! You're not even making sense!"

"You're just too limited to understand what's necessary!"

It was too much. All that tension, all those lies about who he was, and my anger exploded and before I even knew what I was doing, I had balled up my fist and launched into a punch, but Max had somehow seen it coming, and he bent below it before taking the force into a back-handspring.

"A." I'd never heard someone layer that much threat into one word, something that made a shiver run down my spine.

"Just . . . just go, Max." My fists wouldn't unclench, but I didn't run after him. "Just leave."

He looked at me, tension all along his jaw, but he didn't say anything else. As I looked back at him, I thought I saw something like . . . hurt? I didn't get anymore chance to figure it out, though, because he teleported out, the black mist clearing away after a second or two. The whole thing hadn't gone . . . I don't know how I had expected it to go, but not like _that_. The worst part was that I was still weird about how I felt about it. I was glad that he wanted to keep me safe (mostly), but the way he did it . . .

For . . . I don't know how long, I stared over at Max's side of the room. After a while, my palms really started to hurt from my nails digging into them. When I pulled one hand in front of my face and let go of my fingers, I saw that there were four little red marks. I shook my hand a few times and sighed, just not sure what else to do. If nothing else, I could tell that I wasn't gonna be sleeping, so I decided to go for a walk, curfew or not. At that moment, I really didn't care about getting detention. Air was the only thing on my mind.

Luckily, I still had my outside clothes on, so I just turned off my lamp and left the room. Nobody else was in the hallway as I walked out, which I was thankful for, and nobody was in the main hall, either. Since I'd only been inside for a few minutes, the weather hadn't really changed . . . well, except the last of the stars had disappeared behind a big curtain of gray-black clouds. Without moonlight or stars, the only color on campus was the orange from the sodium lights, and it gave Whateley a sorta sickly look.

Cold air rushed at me all the sudden, making me shiver all over, but when I stopped, I saw that there was someone there in a blank spot amongst all the leaves, some of which were still airborne. Even in the low light, I could tell that her hair was almost irridescent: all the colors I could name and then a few more besides. It stuck out in spikes in all directions that waved back and forth when she shook herself, setting her rather . . . impressive assets to jiggling, even through her pullover hoodie. When she looked up to me with a shining eyes and a strong-featured, action-heroine face, I quickly shifted my gaze.

"Hi!" she said, no hint that she'd caught me checking her out.

//Oh, thank god.//

"Uh, hi?" I said back.

"I recognize you, the red eyes really give it away. A, right?"

That could only mean one thing, and it wasn't good. I tried not to sigh and said, "Yeah, I'm A. You must be the last girlfriend?"

She stood straight up and locked onto me with her eyes, and my stomach did a quick, sharp twist in recognition of what I'd just said.

//Oh, crap. Ohcrap. Ohcrap, ohcrap, ohcrap . . .//

"What do you mean by that?" Her tone was quiet. Too quiet.

"Uh, well, that is, he's uh, um . . ."

"He's what?" she asked, taking sharp, forceful steps toward. "He's _what?_"

Her breath hit me, hot but minty. The look in her eyes told me that she'd be more than willing to string me up by my toes and let crows pick out my eyes.

"He's . . ." I gulped, not sure what to do. Then I remembered that Max had lied to me. That he'd hurt another kid "for me." "He has two other girlfriends," I said calmly. "Dawn and Evey."

She didn't say anything, but her left eye twitched. "You're sure?"

I nodded.

"Where is that son of a bitch?" she growled, yanking my collar so that my head was even with hers.

"I dunno. He ported off just a minute ago."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No, ma'am," I said in a small voice.

"K." She let go of my collar and took a few steps back. "I'm gonna _kill_ him." She turned from me and moved her hands in a complex whirl while muttering something. "Thanks for telling me, by the way," she said over her shoulder. Then she finished the spell and the air rippled in a gust of cold and then she was gone.

The night around me was still and quiet after that, not even crickets doing anything. Part of me felt bad about what I had just done, but the other part, the bigger part, was glad to get back at him.

. . . but then why were my insides all twisted up?

I shook my head and walked on, hoping that the nausea would clear up as I went.]]> Aranis 2009-10-09T03:04:37-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 9 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=54998&th=1139#msg_54998 Part 9

Thursday, October 26th -- Midnight
Without friends to visit, there's not much to do at night on Whateley, let me tell you. It was mostly me and leaves. I didn't even see any security officers that time, even after I'd gone over the quad. The fourth time I did that, I decided to try something else, _anything_ else, so I went to see if the C-Store was open.

As it turns out, it was, so I walked in and grabbed a shopping basket.

Instead of going to one particular place, I just wandered around for a while, including a stop by the weapons section. I saw that they were having a sale on Makarov 9mm's. Not that I really needed one. I mean, come on, who needs guns when you've got Cobalt's weapons? Anyway, I went on from there into the food section, and I picked up some random stuff: potato bread, Peter Pan peanut butter, a 2-liter of Dr. Pepper . . . and then I wondered around a little more. It wasn't much of a surprise, but I wound up in the comics section. Since it didn't look like anyone was around, I decided to just look through a few of the issues they had on the stands, but with my new reading speed "looking through" turned into "read the whole thing in minutes." By the time I was done, I made sure to buy some, out of a sense of obligation, if nothing else.

I was about to head off to the checkout when I saw that issue of Titanus again, the one with the "MP Comics" imprint. Curiosity really got me, so I picked up an issue and put it in my basket with the rest of the stuff. No one was at the counter when I walked up there, so I rang one of those old-timey bells that they still have in some stores.

"Hello?" I asked, then clanged the bell again.

"Here!" a deep female voice said from behind me. I turned to find a largish lady behind me, one with short, wavy black hair and a friendly grin. "You know, you could have just looked around." She walked around the counter and I saw a nametag that said "Gladys" on her black-and-white apron.

"Sorry about that,"I said, smiling a little.

"Don't worry about it!" Then, so quick that I thought she might be a mutant, she whipped through all the stuff in my basket, ringing it up, and the total flashed up on the screen pointed at me. "Gonna be on your student account?"

I nodded.

"Need your card, then," she said. I took it out of my wallet, and she scanned it.

"Before I go," I started, "I was wondering: do you know anything about MP Comics? I saw some on your guys' shelves, but I've never seen them anywhere else."

"Sure do, hon," she said, punching a few more buttons on the register as she finished our transaction. "MP Comics are made right here on campus."

I blinked a few times and stared for a moment. "Really?"

"Yep!" she said, smiling. "Just go over to the printshop in Kirby. Their rates are very reasonable."

". . . so, if I got these printed up," I said, the gears in my head whirring, "then could I put them on the shelves here?"

"Sure. We'd only allow you a couple shelf-spaces, at first, and we'd get a small cut of every sale you make."

"But I could still put my stuff out where people could buy it," I said with quiet intensity as I leaned in.

"Sure could," she said, smiling a little wider.

"Awesome! Thanks!" I said, scooping up my stuff and running for the door.

"Have a good night, Aspect!" she called a moment before the door shut behind me. I did my best not to drop anything as I ran for my room, but I still managed to lose my jar of peanut butter, and I ran back and picked up and went back to bolting. My time back was probably a personal record, but it _really_ didn't matter right at that moment. No, what mattered was in my room, and I got there, flung the door open, flipped the light on, and dug up every panel I'd drawn and pulled up every file I had on my laptop. I had a crapload of comics finished, but I knew which one I was gonna try to sell: the Pride. It was my best work, and besides, it was a little bit like TK. And as much as people talked about them . . .

I smiled at the rush of finally getting my artwork off the ground, but then I looked over to the empty side of the room, to Max's bed. Everything that had happened before I left the room settled into my gut, and all my good vibes went up in smoke.

//Crap.//

Grumbling, I looked at the screen of my computer, still sure of what I was gonna do, but not as excited about it as I had been only a second or two before. I sat there and stared for a while, then I decided that I'd just go to bed so I could stop thinking about the whole mess. After I changed my clothes, I laid down on the bed, and tried to get to sleep. Getting there took a lot longer than it normally did, and I did my fair share of tossing and turning before I could finally drift off.

Thursday, October 26th -- Mid-Day
As it turns out, using my lunch to go over to the Kirby printshop was a pretty good idea. The place had no one in it except the workers, so I was able to get straight to business. I found out that they wanted what I had in .udf (that new thing that Adobe had come out with, basically like a .pdf2, I think), which was a good thing, because I already had it that way, along with something like 5 other formats, on the jump drive I had on me. I slipped them the drive, and they agreed to run off my first issue for a couple hundred dollars. Yowch! Right then, I saw why every issue of a comic was $3.00. Good grief. Anyway, all my money was gonna go toward a good cause, though, and the issue was gonna look professional when it was done, instead of that crap that I came out with on my own printing stuff.

All in all, I'd say it was worth it.

After that, I swung by the store, and I ran into Gladys. She hooked me up with everything, and I put my full run of the Pride in the two spaces that she had sorted out for me. I had to sign a couple forms, but just like that, I was done.

My business behind me, I grabbed a quick lunch and went on to afternoon classes. Max was absent from all them that he was normally in, and Spira wasn't in Powers Lab or World History, and Ray wasn't, either. I asked Maria if she'd seen either Ray or Spira, and she said that she didn't. I could figure why Spira was missing classes, but what about Ray? Imagining why Max might be missing class brought a little smile to my lips, but then my stomach flipflopped and I got really nauseous.

//What on earth? Am I enjoying getting back at him or not?// I asked, looking down at my stomach. It flipflopped again, and I sighed. Rather than think any more about it, I decided that I'd go check up on Ray, after I did my sparring, training, or whatever you wanted to call it with Zack. Speaking of him, we nodded at each other in Flight class, where we were going over protocols for landing. Not exactly the most exciting stuff in the world, but it was just what I needed to get my mind off everything.

Flight class wrapped up, and I headed over to Laird, where I got changed into my gi and went out to the mat do some stretches. When I was in the middle of the routine, the chain that Circe had given me slipped free of my gi shirt. I stood up and tucked it away.

"What's with the chain?" Zack asked as he walked onto the mat, rolling his shoulders.

"Nothing." I didn't feel like getting into everything with Circe right then and there, so I left it at that.

"Mmm," he said noncommittally as he went through the rest of his stretches. The second he finished, Ito-soke appeared out of the same door he always did, not making any noise as he walked toward, also like always.

"Aspect," he said to me. "Zone."

"Sensei," we both said.

"Do either of you want to change the rules of the match?"

I shook my head.

"No," Zack said.

"Very good," Ito said, his tone neutral. "Whenever you're both ready."

I transformed into Megadeus, and both of us went airborne, just a couple feet off the ground. Ito looked at me then at Zack.

"Hajime!"

Rather than give him any time to do anything, I charged straight for him.

"Hiiii!" I called out, ready to cut into him with a knife hand as hard as I could swing it. Zack banked backwards and to one side, but I flipped heels-over-head, back to the ground, flew underneath him, propped myself against the floor, and cracked into his back with both of my feet as hard I could. He staggered (figuratively speaking) and flew at the ceiling, but he stopped himself with a loud clap that shook bleachers and rattled windows. He spun to face me, and I just flashed him a smile.

"Your move," I said, still smiling. Zack's face stayed neutral, and he just rocked his head back and forth. I put myself into stance, my back still pointing at the floor, ready for Zack to charge, and he did faster than I could react, he slammed into me like a freight train, and all the wind rushed out of me as I slammed into the mat.

"You got cocky," he said, "and now you pay for it." He lifted up his right hand, his index and middle fingers extended with the rest of them curled back, like he was gonna finger jab me. Then his fingers glowed silver, brighter and brighter, then piercing pain shot through me, just above my heart. I looked down to see that he'd somehow managed to get through my forcefield.

"Agh!" I grunted. His two fingers clamped down onto the chain around my neck and snatched it out, breaking the clasp in the process, before my PK field came back up.

"Mine now," he said, smirking as he bounced the chain in his hand a few times.

"Give that back!" I tried to yell, but it came out a harsh whisper.

He balled up the chain in one hand before balling his fist around it and stepping back a good bit. "Make me."

I struggled to my feet and took off, flying at him as fast as I could, before flipping myself around so that I could bury my knee in his face. He held up his free hand, silver light blazing to life above it, and the dojo shook and a window broke when my knee and his hand collided.

"Huh, looks like I hit a nerve," he said, casually snapping his wrist but sending me spinning through the air. I stopped myself a breath before more force crashed into my back, but I held my ground, not moving an inch through the air. The pain radiated up and down my muscles, and breathing was harder. Spinning, I leaned just in time to miss his punch, and I took the opportunity to grab for my chain, but he saw it coming and snapped his fist out of my way before kneeing me in the stomach, doubling me over as pain rocked my body. After he clamped his fingers around my wrist, he slung me down into the mat.

"You want it back," he said, landing. "You're gonna have to try harder."

//Damn him!// I thought, getting to my hands and knees while I ground my teeth. Red sparks started popping up through my vision. //No!// I thought, doing my best to breathe easy. //Control, A. Control.//

But Zack didn't care about my control. Stars blossomed behind my eyes as pain snapped into my head, making my thoughts confused for a heartbeat or two. I rolled over to see Zack standing above me. He stomped on my chest, ripping a grunt out of me.

"I can see the passion in your eyes, A. Use it! If you wanna win, you gotta give everything! If you don't, you're not gonna have a fucking _prayer_ when Chasm comes for you!"

More red sparks snapped and crackled through what I was seeing. "Rargh!" I roared.

"That's it! Fight me!"

"RAGH!" I screamed, throwing him off me with the lightest arch of my back. I slung myself to standing, red covering everything around me, making the world rust and blood and fire. "I'm gonna rip you apart," I growled. Zack's face fell and he actually _shivered_. And that just made me grin.

I took a deep breath and faced the sky. "Cleanse the world with flame!"

My weight eased up off my feet as I went airborne, and bright white fire and blistering heat rolled out of me. Everything went white and hot, a deafening roar of fire filling my ears. I closed my eyes as it ended, and I floated down to the ground, a corona of white flame still burning around my body which had changed a good bit. Instead of bulky, well-cut muscle, my body was all toned and smooth. The black suit with the outlines of white flames highlights hugged every curve of my very sexy body . . .

You'd think that I would be freaking out. I had just turned into a girl! But, no, me, A, I was somewhere else. Pyre was at the front of everything. I . . . I didn't have control anymore. Some very small part of me knew that I should be very, very worried about that, but the part of me that still aware of things only cared that there was an enemy in front me he had to die.

"Perpetrator of suffering," I intoned, pointing a slender hand at him. "I can hear their screams echoing on you. How many have you killed?" Wails blew through my mind like a soft breeze, and they seemed to be coming from Zack. He whitened and quivered. "Did you enjoy it?" I asked, curling my hand as white wisps spun out from him and gathered into my hands. Chills swept through my body even as I felt the flames around me burn hotter. The room was still quiet, and Zack took a few a shaky steps backward.

"How d-did you . . .?" he asked.

"Their pain is my strength," I said, almost whispering. "All of it is open to me." I looked down at my right hand, and white flame blazed to life around it. Power rippled out of me and into the fire, and it grew brighter still, becoming a white sun, one that blotted all the color out from the room and made all shadows stark black. Zack took another step backward, and I felt my lips curl into a cold smile. "Now," I said, pointing my hand at him. "Now, you will sample the cruelty you have visited upon so many." Fire popped and sizzled around my fingers, and I felt Pyre push my will our will into the blast, getting ready to throw the whole inferno at Zack.

Then, sharp pain stabbed through my neck and it all went dark.]]> Aranis 2009-10-11T01:51:56-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 10 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=55786&th=1139#msg_55786 Part 10

Thursday, October 26th -- Evening
When I woke up, the only light nearby was a bluish one. That didn't quite add up with the last thing I remembered, but then I realized that I had been knocked out. Taking a deep breath confirmed it, the smells of cleaner and disinfectant lingering in my nose. I was in the clinic. In a bed. And my neck hurt a little. Checking the spot with my fingers, I jumped when they made contact. It was still a little tender.

"Adart," an oddly accented voice said from nearby. I sat up to find Ito-soke sitting in a chair not far from the bed.

"Sensei?" I asked.

"I used a dart, one with an adamantium tip, to deliver a Deviser-made knockout agent into your system."

"Oh. You had one on hand?"

He smiled a little smile. "Battles are won and lost in preparation, Aspect."

"I guess you're right," I said, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. "May I ask why you're here, sensei?"

"What happened today?" he said, his expression remaining neutral.

"Circe hasn't told you?" I asked.

"Circe." Ito blinked a few times. "What hand does she have in this?"

"Well, she's my . . . mentor, I guess? With all this, I mean."

Ito folded his hands in his lap and regarded me, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking _at all_. "I think it would be best if you told me everything from the beginning."

"It'll take a while."

"I have plenty of time when it comes to my pupils' safety."

"I see, sensei," I said. I took a deep breath. "So, it all started with these weird dreams . . ."

Even with me trying to make it short, it still took a while. I don't know exactly how long, as my room didn't have a clock, and I didn't have my watch on me (it was probably still back in the locker room). The whole time, he just nodded softly at certain points, but he didn't say anything, and his face kept being that unreadable mask thing.

Man, I wish I knew how he did that.

"In short, then," he said. "You become vastly more dangerous when in this rage state, this Fury."

"Hai, sensei."

"And you did not notify me of this?"

My whole body locked up, and I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Well?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I thought my teachers would, um, would "

"Take responsibility for everything in your life?" he asked, his tone taking a slightly reproachful edge. That was all he had to do to make me feel an inch tall. I shook my head slowly.

"Do you remember the opening speech that Headmistress Carson delivered to the student body?"

"Hai, sensei," I nearly whispered. "At least some of it."

"And it's basic theme was . . .?" he asked, peering at me over glasses that weren't there.

". . . that it's 'up to us?'"

"Very good," he said, nodding slightly. "Yes. That, ultimately, the responsibility for your time here lies with _you_. You can't expect the staff and faculty to take care of every loose end. What's more, when it comes to matters directly pertaining to high-stress situations, such as my class, you should be doubly careful."

"Hai, sensei. I'll . . . I'll do better."

"Excellent." He rose to his feet without making a sound. "Good evening," he said, his voice taking a bit more of a British tinge than usual. The door clicked behind him as he left, but it burst open just a bit later, and Maria ran through the room and landed on me before she pulled me in a hug so tight that it cut off circulation.

"Need . . . air . . ." I whispered.

Maria sat up, blushing a little. "Sorry! But I just got word about you being in here! Spira was trying to call me, but she couldn't figure out how to get to the Workshop, and I didn't hear my communicator, and none of the other guys were answering, and I would've been here sooner, but I was working on my suit, and I got it to w "

I kissed her hard, and she squeaked, her whole body getting stiff. Then she relaxed into it, and both of us played at each other for a second, enjoying the sweet taste.

"What was that for?" she asked breathlessly as I pulled away.

"For being you." I grinned at her. "You were worrying too much. I just had a bad match with Zack, that's all."

"But Spira said that it felt like you were really, really mad," she whispered. "And I was afraid that you'd gotten all Fury-y, or something."

I brushed her hair back from her face. "I did Fury, but I'm fine now." Actually, maybe I wasn't, if my chain wasn't there. A quick inspection showed me it was though, with a new clasp, to boot.

//. . . Zack?//

"What is it, Bear?"

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head and smiling a little. "Just a nice surprise."

"You'll have to tell me about it, then," she said, hopping off the bed. "Okay! The nurse said that you could leave as soon as you were awake, so let's get moving! Are your regular clothes back at Laird?"

I nodded.

"Right. Let's go got them, then. And . . ." She grinned sweetly. "I got you supper, since you missed it."

I got up and kissed her on the cheek. "You're the best."

"Thanks," she said, blushing lightly. "Ready to head out?"

"Yep! Wait a sec . . . did you bring any shoes with you?"

Her eyes went wide. "Oh, bear, I'm sorry, I didn't even think about it! I'll . . ."

"It's fine, hon! I've always got some around, anyway." I closed my eyes and said the catchphrase, making me in to Megadeus. "I can even carry you there." Kneeling down, I opened my arms for her. "Your chariot awaits, milady."

"Oh, my prince," Maria said with a giggle. She walked over to me and hopped into my arms. Without another word, I walked us out of the clinic, and Maria waved at Ms. Steel on our way. Waves of cold splashed on me the second we stepped outside, the change in temperature refreshing.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yes!"

Grinning, I took off, slow at first, moving past the roof after a few seconds. Then I looked toward the gray sky and really cut loose, going as fast as I could.

"Woohoo!" Maria cried out, even as I felt her shiver in my arms. We hurtled toward Laird Hall, but then Maria tapped on my chest a few times.

We slowed to a stop. "What is it, darling?"

"The communicator," she said, clicking a silvery watch-thing on her left wrist instead of the clunky units she'd given us. "It's Spira." She clicked the flashing red button. "Hello?"

"Maria?" came Spira's voice, obviously shaken.

". . . Spira, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, b-but . . . Ray isn't! As far as I can tell, she's out in the woods and she's _freaking out_!"

"Okay, okay," Maria said, breathing a little faster. "Can you give us dir " But she stopped there when our attention was drawn off campus. Somewhere in the woods, there was a flash of red light, and branches seemed to dance in the glow before falling away like they were never there at all. "We see her! Tell Penny to get outside Dickinson! We'll pick her up!"

"O . . . okay! But I can't . . . I can't go," Spira said, guilt clear even over the communicator. "I'm in bad shape, and if I got too close . . ."

"It's fine, Heather," I assured her with my deep superhero voice over the communicator. "We'll handle it."

". . . oh, oh thank you. Okay. Um, let me know how it goes?"

"Right," Maria said, clicking the watch-thing again. She turned her gaze at me. "What are you waiting for? Go!"

"Ma'am!" After a deep breath, I flew for all I was worth to Dickinson, and I saw Penny before I was even close to the ground thanks to a purple searchlight shining up from the ground. I landed and she ran to me.

"Make room!" she said. With a silent apology, I slung Maria under one arm and looped the other around, making a harness-sorta-thing for Penny, and thank god, she slipped into it without even so much as smirking. Both girls safe under my arms, I took off, going as fast as I could in the awkward standing-position flight. As we got closer, a column of fire lashed at the night sky, orange splashing some of the mist that hung over the woods. Really intense cold hit me like a brick as I got closer, and it hit the girls worse.

"Man, it's fucking cold!" Penny said. "What's . . ." She trailed off, looking down at the forest. There in an . . . epicenter, really, was Ray, her eyes blank white, her body splayed even as it hung in mid-air. Some sort of nimbus spun around her, black and red and green and white and yellow, and the ground around her had been ripped up really bad. Pieces of jagged metal stuck out of dirt, like a bomb had gone off, and bits of trees had actually been _frozen_ and broken off. As we touched down, jets of fire spiked out and just missed us!

"What's going on?" Maria asked, and the earth shook, a fissure opening up, swallowing a big tree.

Seeing that made me shiver, I couldn't help it. "It doesn't matter!" I said. "She needs our assistance! Penelope, shield Maria!" Dirt blew apart beneath me as I flew at Ray, and I spun below a chunk of metal that shot from her nimbus then I jerked right to avoid icecicles that were sharper than knives.

"Ray!" I cried as I got closer. "I'm coming!" She didn't seem to hear me, and her body shook as massive wall of heat washed out from her as her nimbus burned angry red. Even with pushing with everything I had, I couldn't make any headway . . . and I felt like she was cooking my skin! I had to fly back.

"I wasn't able to get close!" I screamed over the sound of trees groaning as trees all around us burst into full bloom, grew like crazy, then withered. "I'll attempt it with Coba !"

"No!" Penny said, transluscent purple armor plates snapping into existence all around her, forming a powersuit. "I'm rated for it! I can take it!"

"But . . ."

She spun on me, her mouth drawn in a hard line, her brow furrowed with determination. In that moment, seeing that face, I knew she could do it. That Hell itself couldn't stop her from it.

"Okay," I said, moving myself between Ray and Maria. "Go!"

Penny nodded and took off at a full run. "Ray! I'm coming for you!" Each step covered yards, and she was quickly at the worst of it. Fire lashed her, but she didn't stop. Icecicles broke on her armor, and metal lodged in it. "Ray! Snap out of it!" she said, each step closer more difficult. "Ray!" Her purple arms reached up through the nimbus, and the cloud of energy rippled and hissed, tearing away bits out of the manifestation, but Penny just grunted and kept closing in.

"Ray!" Penny said, concern clearer in her voice than I'd ever heard it.

Ray's head slowly swiveled down to Penny, and she had a blank look of wonder on her face. ". . . Penny?" she said, almost whispering it.

Penny nodded. "I'm right here, Ray," Penny said, just as quietly but with an intensity I could feel even as far away as I was. "Just let me in."

Ray's head tilted the other way, then she seemed to get what was going on. "You're . . . here?"

Penny didn't say anything and just nodded a few times. Ray's bottom lip quivered, and the nimbus faded gradually as she drifted down to the ground. I came closer just in time for Ray to burst out in tears and fling herself at Penny, who dismissed her armor so quickly that it was a blur of motion, then it was gone. By the time Maria and I were close to them, Penny had Ray cradled in her arms, and Ray was just going and going . . . bawling, really. Maria sat beside them, but didn't get any closer when Penny gave her a glare that was, uh, territorial, or something. So, instead, Maria just sorta sat nearby, looking on to the other two. I downshifted and sat beside her, pulling her close while Ray cried out.

Somewhere in there, security arrived, and me and Maria explained everything we could. Once they got what we had to say, they turned to talk to Ray . . .

But she had fallen asleep in Penny's lap.]]> Aranis 2009-10-17T08:53:03-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 11 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=56743&th=1139#msg_56743 Part 11

Friday, October 27th -- Morning
Maria left some mini-cameras in Ray's room so that we could check up on her, which we did in shifts so that we could all get at least a _little_ sleep but still keep tabs on her all night. The good news was that she had stayed asleep all night and hardly even moved. Not like she was sick or anything, just that she was really, deeply asleep. We stopped watching the second that visitors hours started and headed over there, even though Maria looked like she was about ready to faceplant. We hadn't been able to get ahold of Max at all, so he was missing out, which I was ticked at him about, but there was nothing we could really do about it.

In the waiting room, soft sunlight filtered through the clouds and trickled through the windows, and its white rays mixed with soft light from lamps on tables in the waiting room. It actually gave a pretty inviting warmth to the place, even with the typical hospital smells that were everywhere.

"So, when do you think she'll wake up?" Maria asked as she nibbled on some doughnuts that Spira had grabbed from the Hall.

"Dunno," Spira said, sipping some coffee. "I can . . . feel her mind, but I've never felt someone sleep like she's sleeping. It's so hard and deep and stuff. But that's not the weird part."

All of us stopped eating for a second, turning to Spira.

"I can feel her emotions, now. They were far away before, you know? Like a step away from what was going on. It . . . doesn't feel like that now. Don't know how else to put it."

Penny got that concerned look on her face again. "What do you think it means?"

"Dunno," Spira said with a shrug. "Ray's hard to get."

Before I had a chance to say something, a friendly-looking 30-something nurse walked up. "Good morning, guys, you're the ones here to see Five Times Favored?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "That's us."

"She's awake, now," she said, smiling softly, "and you can come in and see if you'd like." We all nearly flew to the door before the nurse held up her hand. "But I'd ask that you keep things calm around her. She's still recovering, after all."

"Right," Maria said, smiling a little. "We'll keep the noise down, and everything."

The nurse grinned. "Okay, that sounds good. Go on in."

We didn't quite run, but we made our way to the Ray's room. Maria knocked softly and cracked the door open. "Hello?" she asked.

Ray was sitting with her knees up to her chest, looking at the morning sky. She turned to us and gave use the warmest smile I'd ever seen on her face. "Hello, everyone."

"Can we come in?" Maria asked.

Ray smiled a little wider, and it made her multi-colored eyes sparkle. It made her the cutest I'd ever seen her, and I couldn't help but grin when I saw her.

"Of course, please," she said, "come in."

We did, all of us piling in before we closed the door behind us. I was about to try to figure out what we were gonna do, but Maria had already decided for us she ran to Ray and wrapped her in a big hug. Ray actually _laughed_ and returned it.

"It is good to see you, too," Ray said.

"How are you doing?" Maria sat back while the rest of us found places to sit or stand.

Ray nodded. "I am . . . I am unsure," she said, smiling again. "But I feel the best I have in some time."

"Yeah, I can tell," Spira said, grinning softly. "You're almost like, radiating positive emotions, or something."

". . . I am?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh." Ray spread out in her bed a little. "I was not before?"

Spira shook her head.

"I see . . . I believe I know why. Do you all want to know?"

Penny pretty much spoke for us all when she said, "Yeah, definitely. If it'll help with this, any of it, tell us."

Ray faced Penny for a second, her smile widening. "Very well. The explanation will take quite some time. My family was very wealthy, as it had been for many generations," Ray began, her voice growing distant. "When I was young, I had anything I wished for, even though I was not a male heir. I had the finest teachers, the best schooling, and well-made clothing."

"So, wait," I interrupted. "Your family's, well, loaded?"

Ray nodded. "Yes. We were among the wealthiest of the wealthy in Hong Kong, due to my father's export business. But before then, my family had wealth, but not always from . . . reputable sources."

"That means . . ." Spira said.

"Criminals. Tong."

"Oh."

"We've largely separated our ties from organized crime since then," Ray explained, her voice staying distant. "But my father still retains a few sources of income which are . . . not precisely legal."

". . . how did you figure all this out?" Maria asked, tilting her head. "It's not like your dad let you see his books, or anything, was it?"

Ray's mouth spread in a mischievous smile. "My gifts allowed me to see and understand things that I should not have," she said, then her smile faded. "But I never told my father what I knew."

I shifted my weight as I stood against the wall. "That reminds me, when did you get your gifts? I don't think I've ever heard you say."

"Because I never have." Ray took a deep breath and let it out, shaking a little all over. "I manifested at the age of 11."

Everyone stopped, but I was the one who broke the silence. "11!? That's really rare!" Ray flinched at my outburst, and I settled back against the wall. "Uh, sorry."

"Let it not worry you," she said, waving me off. "It was hard, and my manifestation was . . . violent."

"Yeah, I know how that goes," Spira said quietly.

"I am certain you do, Spira," Ray said, nodding. "When my powers came to life . . . I wreaked havoc on our home, so much so that my father and mother could convincingly blame it on a gas line explosion."

None of us said anything, but we all had wide eyes, and I saw Spira mouth "wow."

"Soon after, my parents had to make sure that I was hidden away because "

"Oh, man, do they have H1 in China, too?" Maria interrupted.

Ray nodded. "Well, yes, but that is not the reason. I was "

"In trouble with the law?" Spira asked. "Did they find out the truth about your manifestation?"

"If I could finish?" Ray growled.

Spira and Maria looked a little sheepish, and Spira gave Ray the go ahead hand roll.

"Good. No, the reason that they had to hide me is because I would have certainly been . . . 'asked,'" Ray said, the word dripping with bitterness, "to join the People's Advancement Program."

Maria blinked a few times. "People's Advancement Program?"

"I think I got this one," I said, "if you don't mind, Ray?"

She shook her head.

"It's a government program for gathering mutants." I scratched my cheek in thought. "I guess it's sorta like the MCO, isn't it?"

"In a way," Ray said. "But rather than seeing mutants as a problem or a threat, the Chairman believes them to be an invaluable asset and treats 'talented youth' accordingly. However, once children leave their homes for the Program, they are forever more agents of the government, so the parents lose all rights to them."

"They can't ever go home again?" Maria asked, frowning.

"Yes."

Maria's lips quivered. "That's horrible."

"Yeah, it is . . ." I said, pulling up a chair to Maria and draping my arm around her. "I thought that maybe the rumors I'd heard were just, well, rumors."

"I am sure some are." Ray shivered a little. "But mutant children are, in fact, collected by the government. In any case, my parents did not want such a fate for me, so they sent me to America to live with an estranged relative."

"Did she do something to make the Fa family angry with her?" Penny asked.

I turned to Penny. "Fa family?"

"My family," Ray said with an honest-to-goodness chuckle. Everyone went quiet and looked at her. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said. "What were you saying?"

"My cousin had fled to America, as well, when his gifts first showed themselves. Instead of using his powers to assist the family, he chose to be a hero."

"Which your family didn't like," I said.

"Yes. Many of my relatives believed that he was bringing shame to the Fa family for being such a public spectacle," she said, even sounding a little angry about it, too. "In the end, it was most auspicious during my hour of need. I left home and traveled to Chicago to live with Cousin Jiao. From the moment I entered his home, he began my training."

"Man," Penny said. "Sounds like he's intense."

Ray nodded. "He is. One of the first things we focused on was my English. Thanks to my new intelligence, I was able to gain basic fluency in three weeks." Penny's eyes nearly bugged out of her head, but Ray didn't seem to notice. "Once that was completed, we began in earnest on my magical training."

"What was it like?" Spira asked. "I had to figure out a lot from New Age books and stuff."

"It was . . . hard." Ray's eyes started welling up a little, and Penny sat beside her and gave her a sideways hug. "Cousin Jiao believed in the old methods, so he taught me how to make my mind a peaceful plain in the midst of my thoughts so that my magics would remain calm unless I called upon them. It took so long to achieve . . . and when it occurred, everything changed. I saw the world differently, and everything was . . . blank, somehow." Her lips trembled a little, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"So, wait," Spira said, rocking forward in her chair, "that's why you felt distant to me? Because of your cousin's training?"

"Yes. The Way of the Peaceful Soul is what he taught me, but it did not . . . seem to work right," she said very quietly. "Instead of feeling peaceful, I felt trapped."

Things started clicking into place. "And that's why you couldn't sleep lately, isn't it."

Ray didn't look up. "Yes. My emotions were under control until . . . recently," she said, blushing a little. Spira's eyes widened as they shined in comprehension. I looked at her, and she looked at me, but she shook her head, as if saying, "I'm not saying a _word_."

"What happened recently?" Maria asked, holding Ray's hand.

"I . . . I . . . think I fell in love." Ray was almost whispering, and her cheeks turned even redder.

Maria giggled and bounced in her chair. "Ohmygod! Who's the lucky guy?"

Ray blushed so hard that I could practically feel it from where I sat, and she mumbled something. I didn't think it was a good idea to ask because she was obviously dying of embarrassment, but Maria kept on.

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

Ray mumbled it again.

"What?"

". . . lucky girl," Ray mumbled.

"Lucky girl?" Maria asked.

Ray pulled the sheets over her head and squeaked.

"Lucky girl," Maria repeated, realization slowly dawning on her face. Right about then, it hit me, too.

I took a sharp breath in. //That means . . . ohhh! That's why she was confused!//

"If you don't want to tell us," I said, "you don't have to."

Ray wriggled under the sheets for a minute before she pulled them back down. Without making eye-contact with anyone, she whispered, "Penny."

Silence dropped on the room like a blanket.

". . . what?" Penny asked.

Ray pulled away from Penny's shoulder and wrapped both of her hands around one of Penny's. "I . . . I . . . I love you, Penny."

Penny, for once in her life, was speechless.

"For many weeks, when I would try to meditate, you would be there, in my mind, unspoken," Ray said, tears welling up in her eyes. "But even at other times, you were still there. When I am near you, I feel . . . uneasy, but in a pleasant way. Dizzy yet somehow happy. It is hard to describe."

"You get warm fuzzies around me?" Penny asked quietly.

"Warm fuzzies?" Ray asked. "Yes! You give me warm fuzzies!" she said, giving Penny a hopeful look. "How . . . how do you feel about me?"

Penny gaped, and she worked her mouth a few times but couldn't say anything. "Ray . . . Ruishuo, I . . . I don't know."

Ray (or Ruishuo?), just looked at Penny and her lips trembled as she searched Penny's purple eyes.

"You're a good, no, great friend, Ruishuo," Penny said, wrapping her hands in Ray's. "And I've been a bitch to you lately, and I'm sorry about that. But, for whether I love you back? Like that? I . . . I dunno. The best I can give you is a maybe, okay?"

Tears tumbled down Ray's cheeks and her lips quivered. "Yes . . . that's okay."

Penny frowned and got ready to say something more, but then the bell chimed. "I gotta go, Ray, sorry," Penny said, getting up off the bed before squeezing Ray's hands. "But I'll be back after classes."

"Me, too!" Maria said.

Spira grinned. "And you know I'll be."

"Me, too," I said, "well, maybe later, but I'll be here."

Ray gave us a small, sad smile. "Thank you so much."

Penny grinned at her and shooed us all out of the room. I waved at Ray one more time, and then Maria closed the door.]]> Aranis 2009-10-24T02:55:35-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 12 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=56948&th=1139#msg_56948 Part 12

Friday, October 27th -- Afternoon
Besides the little bit of drama at the beginning, the day was actually pretty calm. Classes went on without any problems, and we took notes and all. Weird thing was that Max still hadn't shown up, and instead of feeling good about it, I just felt worried, even bad enough that I couldn't really eat lunch. Anyway, afternoon classes were pretty much like the morning ones, but they were a little weird without Ray or Max. Last up, as always, was Flight class, and Zack and I got there around the same time. We nodded at each other and he surprised the crap out of me by _speaking first_.

Yeah, I think pigs just flew somewhere.

"About this afternoon," he said in his same neutral tone. I didn't say anything, just waiting to see what he had to say. "We're going to postpone the match until tomorrow at the same time. I want you to rest up, think ahead, and really be prepared to give everything you have. The trick you can do included."

My eyes went wide and a ball of dread thunked into my stomach. "You don't mean . . ."

Zack turned to me, his eyes calm but steely. "I mean that you have to be willing to use everything in a fight. You think Chasm will take it easier on you because you don't make use of an edge?"

"Uh . . . no," I said, looking down. "He won't."

"Good, you're getting it." Zack's tone had shifted slightly, maybe taking on a bit of . . . satisfaction? It was hard to tell with him. "Meet me tomorrow," he said, "at Laird Hall. We'll leave from there."

"Leave from there?"

"Yes. We're going off-campus with Ito-soke so that we can really cut loose."

"Cut . . . loose," I said, trying to wrap my ahead around that. What more did Zack have to give?

"Yes."

"Huh."

We sat in silence until the professor came up, but right before he started the lecture, I got Zack's attention.

"What?" he asked, a little irritation in his voice.

"Just wanted to say: thanks for replacing the chain," I said, smiling a little. "That was really cool of you."

Zack grunted. "Don't mention it."

I smiled a little wider and shook my head, starting to pay attention to Professor Buttons. That didn't really change for the rest of class as he covered some stuff about radio protocols that was gonna be on a quiz in a couple days. It wasn't the most exciting stuff, but it wasn't horrible, either. Either way, I was glad for Flight class to be over, and I basically ran flat out for the clinic. Flying was out because of the Red Flag day, but I still made it there in a pretty good time (my record, I think), and I found the rest of the guys there in the waiting room.

"Bear!" Maria said as she rushed me with a hug. I lifted her up and spun her around once before setting her on the floor and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, which made her giggle.

"Geez, get a room you two," Penny said with a half-smile and a roll of her eyes.

"Anybody been in to see Ray yet?" I asked.

"Nope!" Spira bounced a few times. "We were waiting for you."

"Oh," I said, "you didn't really have to, but thanks anyway. Wanna head in now, then, everybody?"

"Sure!" Maria said.

We walked down the hall with me in the lead that time, and I knocked on Ray's door softly once we got to it. "Ray?" I asked as I cracked the door open and leaned it. She didn't say anything, so I leaned a little further in . . . and I found out that she was back asleep and going hard at it.

. . . get your mind out of the gutter.

"She's asleep, guys," I said, leaning back and clicking the door shut. "Didn't think to check, Spira?"

"No, I did . . ." she said, pursing her lips. "It felt like she was awake. Weird."

Penny crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe she's having some really intense dreams, or something?"

"Dunno," Spira said, spreading her hands. "She's always been hard to read, and it doesn't look like that's gonna change real soon."

None of us said anything, and we just sorta stood there for a minute.

"Well, guys, I'm gonna go work on our costumes," Penny said. "See ya." Just like that, she was gone, before I even had a chance to ask her what she had made for us.

"And I gotta help a girl on third floor move her stuff around. Later!" Spira waved and walked off with her hands in her pockets.

"What about you, bunny?" I asked.

"Gotta work on my suit. I've almost got the bugs worked out! . . . I think."

I grinned and kissed her real quick. "Good luck, Maria."

She giggled and picked up her bag. "Thanks. Here's hoping it'll work. Wanna walk with me over to Kane?"

"Part way, anyway," I said, scooping up my bookbag. "I wanna swing by the C-store."

"Gonna get some snacks, or something?"

"Nah, gonna check on something."

"Oh, okay."

We left from the clinic and separated about halfway to Kane, and I headed over to the C-store. I didn't expect to see Gladys in there, but she was right by the entrance stocking some wire shelves with those little snack bags.

"Hi!" I said, coming to stop beside her.

"Heya," she said, standing up from her work with a smile. "Aspect, right?"

I smiled back. "That's me. I came in to check on my comics."

"Oh," she said, not quite frowning. "Uh, well . . . don't get your hopes up."

Wincing, I said, "That bad, huh?"

She pursed her lips and nodded once.

"Might as well see _how_ bad." I sighed and walked to the comics section and checked over the shelves, but when I got there, I couldn't find any of my comics. Even after I moved stuff around, I still couldn't find anything. It took me a minute or two, but I found Gladys again, who had gone into the clothing section to put some clothes back on hangers and stuff.

"Hey, Gladys?"

"Yeah, Aspect?"

"Where're my comics? Did you take 'em off the shelves, or something?"

Gladys just grinned at me.

"I . . ." And then it hit me, and my jaw hit the floor. "No way!"

She smiled a little wider. "Yes way."

"They. Sold. Out!?"

Gladys beamed at me and nodded. I took her arm and jumped up and down. "That's AWESOME!" She raised one eyebrow, looked down at my arm, then looked at me. "Oh," I said, coughing a little as I let go. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about," she said, chuckling. "Hardly the worst thing to happen on a shift."

"So, uh, how about the money I made?"

"Already put in your student account," she said, still grinning. "I'd like to celebrate a bit more with you, but I'm on the clock. Anything else I can do for you, hon?"

Shaking my head I said, "No, I'm good. Thanks a bunch!"

"Sure thing."

After standing there in a daze for a second, I walked back to the comics section, staring at the two blank spots where piles of my comics had been just a little while earlier. Seeing all them gone just made me . . . ecstatic, I guess. To be completely honest, I felt like skipping up and down the aisles of the C-store, but, I, uh, restrained myself. Didn't want to look like a fruit, after all.

As good as I felt looking at it, though, I wasn't going to really accomplish anything by just standing there. I turned to leave, but I stopped as I looked at the person who'd snuck up behind me. Her face was cute with full lips, and her hips were _awesome_. She peered at me with very green eyes that made me feel smaller than her, even though she couldn't have been more than 5 feet and I was a good head taller than her.

"Are you Alexander Morris?" she asked with an expectant voice.

"Uh, yeah." It took me a second to realize who it was. She'd really caught me off-guard! "You're Ayla Goodkind, right?"

Ayla nodded. "You're the one who made this, right?" Ayla asked, holding up issue 1 of the Pride.

"Yeah. Is that . . . is that a problem?"

"Problem?" Ayla asked. "No, not exactly. I've got a few questions for you. For starters, this _is_ based on my team, isn't it."

"Uh-huh. Well, I kinda took inspiration from "

"It's obvious," she said, flipping the comic open and showing me a picture of Esotera. "A combination of Carmilla and Fey, right?"

I nodded.

"And this one." Ayla pointed at Gravimetric. "Generator?"

"Yep."

"And here and here," Ayla said, pointing at Mushin and Megadeus. "Chaka mixed with Bladedancer, and Lancer?"

"Well, Megadeus is my own thing, but yeah, sorta." I watched her close the comic and then she locked on me with those green eyes again. "Listen, I was gonna give you guys credit, and all, I just hadn't gotten around to it yet."

"Actually," she said, intent brushing her tone, "I've got a better idea." Ayla pulled her backpack off, sat it down at her feet, snapped out a stack of papers, and handed them to me, clasping the stack with both hands. I just looked at her for a second, but then I took it and leafed through it.

It looked like a contract.

"I will invest a nominal sum in your production process, more than enough to provide for whatever tools you need to continue producing the Pride," Ayla said, excitement thrumming in her voice. "You will also receive an hourly wage which can be renegotiated every six months. You will keep regular contact with me, exchanging at least one communique a week."

My heart was beating like a jack hammer in my chest. "That sounds . . . awesome, honestly. What do you get out of it?"

Ayla smirked. "Creative input. You'll see in the contract, on Page 11, paragraph 8, section c, that it's stipulated that I am allowed a degree of control over the characters, plots, and themes used in your work. This is non-negotiable and failure to cooperate will be construed as refusal of your contractual obligations, which will prompt legal action from my representatives."

I wasn't _quite_ keeping up.

"Yes, it's a lot," she said, zipping up her bookbag and hefting it over one shoulder. "Which is why I want you presenting that to your own legal counsel. Once you've considered it, contact me with your answer." At some point, she'd gotten out her business card, and she handed it to me. "My e-mail address, instant messenger screen name, and a few other points of contact are on there. Use whichever is most expedient for you."

Swear to god, I was trying to give her some sort of good response, or something, but I think I came up with "blank stare."

Classy, right?

"I look forward to hearing 'yes,'" she said with absolute certainty as she extended her hand. I shook it, and she nodded once and walked away. After watching her go, I looked down at her business card, then back at the door, which had just closed behind her.

//. . . what just happened?//]]> Aranis 2009-10-26T06:58:50-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 13 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=57088&th=1139#msg_57088 Part 13

Friday, October 27th -- Evening through Saturday, October 28th -- Noon
The rest of the evening after my meeting with Ayla was pretty calm, as the Six's plans were pretty much scrapped because Max was MIA and Ray was still doing a lot of catch-up on her sleep. When I got to dinner, the only person there was Maria, and she was just as excited as I was about my news from Ayla. We left from there and, uh . . . celebrated. She still wasn't ready for going "all the way," but we had a good time.

Enough of that!

Afterwards, I slept pretty peacefully and got up the following morning, when I did a short jog, just partway around campus. It was enough to warm up but not so much that I even felt the strain. When I came back, I stayed in my running clothes and didn't bother with taking a shower. After all, I was gonna get sweaty again when I met Zack, anyway. Speaking of, by the time I had breakfast and got back to my room, I still had a while to kill, so I decided to read through the contract Ayla gave me. From what itsy, bitsy bit of understanding I could get from the thing, the condition about "creative control" was pretty much like how she said it would be: she could pitch ideas and make me put them in my comic. I wasn't exactly happy about it, and I thought about just rejecting the contract . . . until I saw how much she was gonna be paying me. It was so much, I had to close my eyes and double-check. Yep. Ton of money. All the sudden, her having some input sounded pretty dang acceptable.

For the rest of the morning, I just messed around a bit, then I grabbed some lunch. Once that was done, I just did my best to get relaxed, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get rid of the little bit of nausea. Or how my heart seemed to be beating extra fast. Or . . . You get the idea. Point was that I wasn't exactly looking forward to the fight itself, or the idea of shifting into Pyre. But I needed to get comfortable with it, because, as Zack said, Chasm wouldn't pull punches, so I shouldn't either.

At long last, the time to head over rolled around, and I didn't quite run to Laird Hall.

Saturday, October 28th -- Early Afternoon
As I waited in front of Laird Hall, the sun peeked through the clouds a few times, but not long enough to really make things seem all that brighter. The clouds themselves were moving fast thanks to some pretty wicked wind, and I shivered all over even though it wasn't too cold out. Just when I was about to try and find Zack to see why he was late, he walked up in his superhero costume.

It was . . . pretty cool, honestly.

The whole thing had a midnight blue base made out of something that caught the light like leather but hugged his body like spandex. It had raised, crimson red lines that concentrated in a band around his waist, and ran through the rest of his costume, along the outside of his bodylines across his sides and on the outside of his legs and arms. There were gold highlights at his shoulders, neck, boot and glove-lines.

. . . like I said, cool, right?

"Ready to take things seriously?" he asked, his hair snapping in the wind.

I gulped and said, "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

"Not exactly what I was hoping to hear," he said, raising an eyebrow at me, "but I guess it'll do."

". . . yeah." Neither of us said anything for a second, then I decided to break the silence. "So, when do you think Ito-sen "

"Now."

That scream I let out was to surprise the potential opponent behind me, I promise. After my heart crawled out of my throat and back down into my chest, I turned to face Ito, who was _still_ wearing his gi, like we were in class, or something. When I saw him, he had actually turned toward Zack.

"Zone, you were late."

Zack blinked a couple times. "You saw?"

"Yes, I've been here for several minutes."

". . . oh. My apologies, soke."

Ito waved him off. "This is not class, so I cannot discipline you, but it _is_ rude to keep a person waiting."

"Hai, soke."

After looking at Zack for a moment, Ito said, "All right, gentlemen, where is that you plan to spar?"

"A clear area 2 klicks north, northwest of campus, soke."

"Ah, yes," Ito said, nodding once. "I'm familiar with it. So, then, shall we go?"

"Hai, sensei," I said, "I can . . ."

. . . and, then, the little old man took off at a sprint faster than I'd even seen some Exemplars manage.

"I swear, he has to be a mutant," I said.

"I know what you mean," Zack said, taking off. "Gonna go airwise?"

"Yeah," I said, pausing long enough to say my catchphrase and transform before I went airborne, too. "Lead the way," I said with my deeper voice.

"Right." Zack looked up and rocketed off, and I followed pretty, kinda close behind him. He was fast, okay? Faster than I was. Anyway, we both got to the place he had in mind in a little while, and we actually made it there before Ito-sensei did. Before long, though, he was there, and he did his silent little walk over to one spot and stood, looking at us expectantly.

"New rules for the match: the first person's torso who touches the ground is the loser, or the match ends if I call it. Understood?"

We both nodded.

"Good." Ito paused, took a deep breath, then said, "Hajime!"

Zack and I both went airborne again and circled one another in the air. As we moved, I rotated to my side, and Zack did, too, in the same direction. I kept going until my head was pointing at the ground, and so was Zack's. After a deep breath, I fell up, the ground rushing away from my head until I slammed to a stop, pivoted to one side, and went flying, screaming at Zack. He smirked at me and held up one hand that promptly shimmered with silver light, but I struck out with my foot instead and buried it in his side, sending him spinning off through the air. He glared at me as he didn't bother stopping himself, just taking the force into a long upward climb. Matching his climb seemed pointless, so I just smiled when another idea hit me, and I went with it. I flew as fast as I could below him then changed my angle all at once in one jerk straight up, flying at him like a bullet.

"Nice try," Zack said, already changing direction to go head-to-head with me. At the last second, I pivoted off to one side, balled up my hands, and swung them down at Zack, but he spun in a blur and blocked me with both of his arms crossed at the wrist with silver light shimmering above them. Faster than I could react, he locked onto my wrist, punching straight through my PK field, and flung me toward the ground.

"Crap!" I cried as hurtled at the Earth, but I managed to avoid pile-driving into the dirt, but not exactly smooth-like I stopped myself with a clap that snapped a few twigs off trees. Zack came hurtling at me, and popped to one side in barely enough time to avoid a punch that blew a crater in the ground, throwing up a cloud that I used to fly away and hopefully get some time to think things out.

//He's a better flyer than I am, and my punches don't seem to get through,// I thought. //I have to . . .// I gulped and shivered. //. . . it's how I can win.//

Bracing myself, I kept my eyes on Zack. The dirt cloud exploded as he launched at me, his face set in a concentrated scowl. I flew at him along the same vector and yelled. "AGGGH!" While we ran at each other, I balled up a fist as I cocked my arm, making Zack smirk at the apparently obvious thing I was about to do. We met, and I swung my whole body feet-over-head below him and drove my _other_ fist into his guts, and he went flying skyward. I turned and bolted for the ground and stopped myself with another boom that ripped up some dirt and sent rocks flying.

As soon as my feet hit, I downshifted and pulled off my chain as quick as I could before I tossed it to the side. Zack was still out of sight, so I had enough time to do it I closed my eyes and thought of everything that had made me mad: Zack being a smug bastard, feeling helpless at Luke's feet, Silverwing . . . red sparks started popping all over my vision, and the longer I went on, the more my heart drummed in my chest, and the more I ground my teeth. Then, all at once, red burned my sight, and everything was crimson and rust. I saw Zack rushing me, but I just bared my teeth in something like a smile and whispered, "Cleanse the world with flame."

I didn't see him after that because everything around me went white, and I felt the weight fall off my feet as I left the ground. Heat blossomed to life around me, a white-hot inferno, but instead of hurting, it only felt soothing and . . . right to me. To her, to Pyre. When the white light faded and my feet were on the ground again, I was all smooth muscle and form-fitting costume, surrounded by a white bonfire.

Zack faced me with something I'd never seen in him before unease. I could see it on his face, something between fear and nausea. Last time, I hadn't noticed it, but this time, I could clearly see a sort of ghostly mist around him, almost like he was surrounded by his own personal fogbank. In that cloud, I could see screaming faces, and I could even hear them cry out.

Pyre knew what that was, of course, but the small part that was still _me_ realized for the first time

That was the Haze of Suffering, and it was the fuel for my power Pyre's ability the Keening Flame.

"You have visited pain on many," I said, and wisps of smoke rolled from Zack into my hand, and white fire kindled to life and then flared in my hand. "Taste it." With hand open and palm pointed at Zack, I unleashed an eruption of wailing flame, a thousand screams joined into one roar. The flash eclipsed the sun in brightness, turning the open plain we were in into white and black, blinding light and stark shadow. Pyre let her hand fall away, but white flames still burned all over our body as we kept feeding on all the suffering that Zack had caused.

Smoke finally cleared away from him, and he still floated in mid-air . . . but only for a moment before his concentration faltered, and he fell, hitting the ground with a thump. I felt my lips, our lips, curl in a satisfied smile as I walked over to him. Pyre gathered more power and prepared another gout as she said, "And now, you end." But before she was able to pull it off, I felt a sudden coldness around my neck. Everything snapped into focus, and _I_ was in charge again. I spun to find Ito, and I looked down to see that he had put Circe's chain back on.

"That's enough, Aspect," he said, his voice perfectly calm.

Any protest I might have had didn't particularly matter, as, all at once, all the power that Pyre had built up disappeared and I involuntarily downshifted in an intense wave of cold and pain. My vision went wavy, and when I came back around, my body wasn't quite responding to what I was telling it, and I felt incredibly tired.

"Aspect?" Ito asked.

I didn't even realize that I was kneeling until I had to look up at Ito.

"Are you back with us?"

I nodded and tried to stand, but I couldn't manage it. "How's Zack?"

Sensei didn't say anything and just motioned behind me. With a little bit of effort, I was able to crane my head, and I saw that Zack wasn't exactly hurt, but he was unconscious.

"Is he . . .?"

"The strain from the heat outstripped his endurance," Ito explained. "But do you realize what this means?"

Shaking my head, I said, "No, sensei."

"You've won," Ito said, a little pride in his voice. "Congratulations."

As I looked back at Zack and thought about how I'd won, who I had to be to do it . . . I suddenly didn't feel very victorious.]]> Aranis 2009-10-28T03:08:33-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 14 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=57188&th=1139#msg_57188
Part 14


Saturday, October 28th -- Afternoon
Once I made sure that Zack was safe-and-sound in the clinic (and that I wasn't gonna get in trouble), I came back to Emerson and took a long, long, long shower. I didn't even bother keeping track of time, and I didn't have to get out fast, either, because there weren't any other guys waiting on me to finish up. The whole time, my mind would keep wandering back to the fight with Zack, how much I changed . . . being in Pyre's head was _not_ fun, let me tell you. It was surprisingly cold, and the only thing that mattered to her was killing the people who had hurt others . . . Right then, I really, _really_ wished that I had never even made the Aces, or her. But I couldn't give up my Imprints without turning defenseless, and if I wanted to have my Imprints, then I had to have Pyre. Or Soleil.

//. . . crap.//

Shaking my head, I turned, letting the water run down my body after spraying onto my shoulders. It felt good, but no matter how long I stood there, I couldn't get rid of this, um, slimy feeling I guess. It was quickly becoming obvious that the slime wasn't going anywhere, so I sighed (yes, again) and turned off the water before I stepped out and dried off. Forgeworks stepped in right about then, and we said our hello's, and all, and then I got dressed in my civvies before I headed back to my room.

My blinds were wide-open, but the sun was still mostly behind the clouds, making the world look dreary. It was kinda sucky, and I frowned a little as I sat down at my desk and loaded up Corel Draw, getting ready to mess around with the Pride volume 1, issue 2, but then I heard a familiar clapping sound. Looking over to Max's side of the room, I saw black mist appear and disappear, and Max stepped out from the cloud.

"A," he said, his voice not surfery. He leaned against the wall and looked out the window before he slid the blinds closed.

"Max?" I replied in a neutral tone. He walked over to his bed and collapsed onto it, breathing heavily. I didn't get up to go to him. "What's up?" I asked.

"The girls . . . looking for me . . ." Sitting up, he looked over at me. "I should have known that this would turn out poorly."

My tone bitter, I said, "Two-timing, you mean?"

He shot me a glare, but it didn't last very long. Finally, he just sighed. "Yes. Polyamory was a terrible idea."

As I looked at him, at his sagging posture and his tired eyes, I didn't really feel like giving him grief anymore. All I saw was a tired friend. For a minute or two, I just stared at him, trying to decide what I needed to do, then there was a knock at the door. Well, no it was a pounding, really.

"Max!? Max, I know you're in there! Open up!"

"Who?" I mouthed at Max.

"Brianna!" he mouthed back. Panic spreading over him like a fire, Max darted one way, then another, finally flinging himself behind his bed.

//Oh, come on . . .//

"I'm gonna break this fucking door!" Brianna said, pounding on the wood so hard some splinters fell to the ground. "Get your ass out here!"

I looked at Max's side of the room, looked at the door, then did the first thing that came to mind I started stripping, undressing faster than I even thought I could. Whipping my towel around me, I mussed up my hair and opened the door.

"Max, I'll . . .!" Brianna said, then stopped, looking me over. ". . . you're not Max."

"Really?" I asked, forcing a small smile. "I wasn't sure. Thanks for clearing that up!"

Brianna turned a little red and looked away. "Uh, have you seen Max?"

"Nope." I tossed my hair back with my hand and shook my head once. "Still looking for him?"

"Uh, yeah. I felt my ward trip, and that lets me know when he ports onto campus," she said, turning redder as she looked away in another direction. "If, um, if Max comes around, could you tell him to c-call me?" Her face was almost crimson. "Okay?"

"Sure thing. See you later?"

"Yes!" she said, and ran down the hall, the lights catching her shimmering white, rainbow-tinted hair. After I closed the door, I leaned against it and took a few deep, soothing breaths, hoping to get rid of the butterflies in my stomach. Max stood up from behind the bed and looked at me with a little bit of wonder, maybe?

"Impressive," he said.

"What?"

"I didn't know you had it in you, A," he said, smiling a little as he walked over to me and clapped me on the shoulder. "That was pretty devious."

"Just doing it to save your ass, man, it's what . . . it's what friends do."

Max carefully lifted his hand off my shoulder and stepped back a little. "Friends?"

After rolling around the word in my head for a second, I decided to say it. "Yeah. Friends."

"I see," he said, grinning. "Um . . . thank you."

"Yeah, man," I said, waving him off. "Before we do anything more, can I put on some pants?"

"Oh, what? Right, of course! My apologies."

Grinning myself, I got redressed only to find that Max was back at the window, peeking between the blinds.

"So, uh," I said, walking up beside him. "What's going on?"

"Evey, Brianna, and Dawn found out that I was dating all of them at the same time," he said, letting the blinds shut and leaning against the wall. "I don't know how they did, as I was utterly careful with what I said and did."

//. . . I should say something,// I thought, but I didn't, instead just letting him continue.

"That was Wednesday night. They all started looking for me with a vengeance not too long afterward, and the second I saw Dawn and she nearly broke my ribs while ranting that I was a, ahem, "cheating sleaze-ball," I ported to Boston, called into the school, and 'arranged' it to look like I was out of commission due to an Devisor drug accident."

"Oh." I blinked a couple times. ". . . wait, you flat-out lied?"

"That's right," he said, checking through the blinds again. "I hoped that a couple days away would give the girls time to cool off. I was wrong. The second I ported back on campus, Evey found me, then Dawn. No matter how much I ported back and forth over campus, one of them would find me. Brianna guessed I was here, and . . . you saw that, of course."

"Uh-huh," I said, still not sure what to do. "So . . . why don't you just port back to Boston?"

After he let the blinds shut again, he shifted his weight back and forth. "Well, that is . . . I can only manage one long-range jump per day. So, now, I'm left with only a few options on-campus."

". . . such as?"

"A few underground chambers, Spira's room . . . then, of course, there's the least desirable option."

"Yeah?"

He slumped. "I could just apologize and hope they'll show me mercy."

I looked at him, then snorted.

"A . . .?" he said, looking up.

Swear to god, I tried not to, but I just couldn't help it I doubled over. "hahahaHAHAHAHA!"

"A," Max said.

Nope, I wasn't done yet. "Hahahaha . . ."

"A."

"Hahaha . . . haha . . . ha." I coughed. "Sorry. Dude, have you _seen_ Brianna when she's ticked?"

Believe it or not, Max actually _shivered_. "Yes," he said.

"When I told her " I started, then shut up very, very quickly.

Max got very quiet. ". . . when you _what_?"

//Oh, crap.//

"When. You. What?" Max asked, bristling with promises of violence.

"I . . . I was the one . . ." I said, gulping. "I was the one who told Brianna. About you and the other girls."

"You did this to get back at me, didn't you?" he said, his brows creased with fury.

"No, man, I . . ."

"Why else would you have told her, A? What other possible motivation would you have?"

My mouth just sorta quivered, and I couldn't say anything.

"Friends," he spat. "That's what you said we were. If we're friends, I'd hate to see what treatment your enemies get."

"Max, I'm . . . I didn't mean "

"You didn't mean to wreck _everything_?" His voice was glacial, and he was breathing fast and hard. "I'm sure. See you, A. Thanks for nothing."

"Wait, man, I'm . . ." I said, reaching out to him as he disappeared in a puff of black smoke. ". . . sorry."]]> Aranis 2009-10-29T05:24:39-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 15 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=57434&th=1139#msg_57434 Part 15

Saturday, October 28th -- Afternoon through Tuesday, October 31st -- Early Evening
After the craziness of the week, the weekend was very, very chill by comparison. All of us were recuperating or busy, or something else. Penny was during her turbine thing, ya know, keeping busy with about 50,000 things all at the same time. Inspira was still in her room, but when I stopped by to check on her, she seemed to be doing okay. On Sunday morning, Ray was finally able to leave the clinic, and I walked her back to her room. She smiled at me again, and it looked terrific on her, and I couldn't help but grin back.

I spent most of Sunday afternoon in Maria's lab while she worked, and I caught up on some comics. She said that her suit was ready for another field test, and that it _should_ work, and that made me smile. All the inventor types always said that it _should_ work. Not that I said that out loud, of course. For one, Maria was my girlfriend. And for two, her inventions usually worked right. Okay, at least I hadn't ever heard mention any explosions, like most Gadgeteers and Devisors. Anyway, she got really excited when she ran a batch of diagnostics, and everything came up nominal . . .

Matter of fact, we used the closet again. Hey, there was no one down there! We checked!

Later that night, we heard from Penny, and she said that she'd gotten our costumes finished. She'd even followed my request, and did the ones that I'd ask her to whip up for me and Maria. No, I'm not telling you what they are, just yet. Besides ours, she had costumes for herself, Spira, Max (who was still MIA at that point), and Ray. It was kinda funny, but she wouldn't tell us what all they were, and I didn't want to get in her face about it, so I didn't ask any more questions and decided to find out later.

Monday came around, and we all did our usual thing, which meant that I ran out in front of Emerson to do my daily run. Zack was there, and he gave me a sorta . . . proud? look when I came up.

"Morning," he said.

"Heya. So, we on for this afternoon?" I asked, rolling my shoulders a bit..

He shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"No. The rest you can handle with practice and Soke's instruction. I've already taught you the most important lesson I've ever learned."

"Oh." I stopped and grimaced a little. "You mean 'if you want to win, hold nothing back?'"

Zack actually _smiled_. "Yes, you got it." He reached down to touch his toes. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."

Not too long afterward, we jogged, and that queasy feeling stuck with me for all our laps.

Max was even there, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him for a long time, until after the school day was done, and even that was just for a minute.

"Hey, Max," I said. "Listen, I . . ."

"S-s-s-save it," he said, stuttering.

//. . . stuttering?//

But I didn't get to ask him anymore about it, as he ran off, and he wasn't even in our room when I got back there after classes. That wasn't so unusual, really, but he didn't show up at supper, didn't show up at the get-together at Spira's (which was a lot quieter than usual, but it was good to have, anyway), and still wasn't back for the evening . . . until it was time to go to bed, and he just ported in, fell on his bed, and promptly fell asleep. Or at least it looked that way.

//He's avoiding me,// I thought, sighing. //Can't say I blame him.//

Halloween morning came, and it looked like the weather might clear up some, but it was pretty cold, cold enough that my breath puffed out when I went out for my morning run, which Zack and I did without even saying much to each other. In a way, the silence was nice, like we were back to normal. Zack wasn't exactly my friend, but he was . . . something, I dunno, and I was glad to have him around. There was this sorta quiet stability to him . . .

Right. Then, the school day came, and everyone was chattering about everything that was gonna go down for Halloween that night, about the huge party-thing that they were gonna have at the McFarlane stadium, and how they were gonna have a battle of the bands. Honestly, it all sounded pretty awesome, and I even got excited about it more and more as they day went on, and I wasn't even a Halloween-kinda person.

Classes wound up and everyone scattered, probably to put the finishing touches on costumes and finalize plans and everything, and that included us. Penny stopped by and measured me again, and I couldn't help but notice how dark the circles were under her eyes.

"Hey, Penny?"

"Yeah, A?" She leaned this way, then that, stretching the tape out. "Should be perfect," she said to herself.

"You okay?"

She stood up, the measuring tape in her mouth. "Yeah, why wouldn't I ve?"

And I'll be danged if I couldn't figure out anything to say. "Oh, nevermind, just asking."

"Thanks," she said, smiling a little. "But I'm fine, really." She stuck the tape in her pocket and nodded. "Okay, you know where to meet us, right?"

I rolled my eyes and recited, "I need to be at Dickinson by 6:00 in order to get into costume. Max should be too. We'll leave from there at 6:45 so that we can get to the stadium before the place is absolutely packed."

She pinched my cheek and cooed at me, which just made me roll my eyes again. "You're so smart! Yes you are!"

"Whatever," I said with a smile. "See you then?"

"Yep! Bye." She left, and I messed around for the rest of the afternoon with some art until it was time for supper. The Hall was the loudest I ever remember it being, but the energy of all the noise kinda soaked into me, and by the time I was finished eating and leaving, I had a huge grin on my face. It stayed there all the way over to Dickinson, even though it was pretty fricking cold outside. After I made my way through the building, I knocked on Penny's door, and she let me in to do the final preparations for the costume.

Tuesday, October 31st -- Halloween
"How's it fit, A?" Penny called from the other side of screen. Smiling, I decided that I'd just show her. When I stepped to where she could see me, her jaw dropped.

"I . . . wow, that's . . . wow."

"Is it a good fit?" I asked, moving around a bit. The leathery material of the jacket creaked a little when I moved, but it was a good sound.

"Hell, yes," Penny said quietly.

". . . hell, yes?" Maria asked, looking up from her desk. Her eyes landed on me, and her jaw dropped, too. "Hell, yes," she said with evident awe.

"Okay, I gotta see for myself," I said. Once I'd walked over to Maria's side of the room, I stopped to give myself a good look.

Wow. I don't know about being hot, but Penny absolutely _nailed_ the costume.

The jacket was the thing that was creaking, of course, but she must've used the same material that Zack did in his suit, because it looked like leather but hugged like spandex, almost. The rest of the costume was similar, but more on the spandex side, with a blue torso, red leggings (all form-fitting but looking good anyway) and gold bands marking the tops of my boots. The knuckle gloves were the same deal -- crimson with gold bands. But that wasn't the most important part -- she'd gotten the shield in the middle of my chest _perfect_. The swirling red "S" on the gold, red bordered background.

"Superboy, no kidding," Penny said.

"What?"

She took a deep breath and shook her head a bit. "A . . . you need to wait outside for us, K? We gotta get changed."

"Uh, sure," I said, and stepped out. As soon as the door was closed, it sounded like the girls were fighting over something for a second, then they both giggled.

//Huh?// I thought, blinking a few times. While I waited, I settled my weight against the wall, and I was really surprised when I heard a familiar clap nearby.

"A," Max said. When I looked up to him, I didn't see Max, but I saw some tall guy in a long leather jacket holding a long staff in his left hand.

"Uh . . . Max?"

The man smiled a little, and it lit up his face. "Y-y-yeah, it's me."

"Man," I said, stepping closer. ". . . is that make-up?"

He shook his head. "No. It's magic."

"Magic, huh? Who did it?"

"S-spira."

I smiled a little. "Nice." Max stood there for a second, and we looked at each other, and guilt started gnawing at me. "Listen, Max, I wanted to say that I'm s -- "

But I stopped dead when I saw Maria. Her crimson tank top left her very, very well-shaped ab muscles exposed, and the golden bands above her chest brought all kinds of attention to . . . uh, you can figure it out. The crimson pants hugged _all_ her curves, and the boots made her look sexy and tough at the same time. Of course, the thing that really sold it was the lasso -- it hung at her side and glowed gold.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly, her cheeks a little colored.

". . . I think you're the hottest Wondergirl I've ever seen."

She giggled and gave me a quick hug. "Thanks! I was a . . ." She got quiet again and blushed a little harder. "I was a little nervous about how I'd look."

After I swept her into my arms, I gave her a quick, deep kiss. "You didn't need to be nervous at all," I said, putting her back down. When I heard giggling from behind us, I turned to face pretty blond girl in a lavender dress with metallic purple shoulder pads and long blond hair. She also had a staff, one that was thinner than Max's, and it had a glowing crystal at the end.

"You look really neat!" Maria said. ". . . who are you supposed to be?"

"Jaina Proudmoore!" she proclaimed, and I realized it _had_ to be Spira.

"Jaina P-proudmoore?" Max asked.

"Ya know, the leaders of the human colony on Durotar?"

"Uh . . ." I said.

". . . the archmage that helped repel Archimonde at Mount Hyjal?" she said.

"Where?" Maria asked.

Spira huffed and growled, "She's a video game character in Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft."

Then, all three of us said, "Ohhh."

"God," she said and huffed again, "you guys need to get out more."

Shrugging, I started to go back to my place against the wall, but then I stopped short when I saw the costume that Penny had picked out. Even with my best efforts, I couldn't help but stare at her for a minute. I mean, c'mon, she was in _all leather_.

"A!" Maria said, jabbing me in the ribs.

". . . sorry," I said with a shake of the head.

"I guess my Trinity costume does the job?" Penny asked, looking at me over her glasses in order to give me a quick wink.

Max grinned that face-warming grin the character had for a second, then stopped. "Ray?"

"Here," said a voice coming from somewhere nearby, but I couldn't see Ray anywhere. "I see my invisibility spell is working well." There was a shimmer in the air -- my eyes crossed by themselves as I watched it -- and when they straightened again, I saw Ray, but in her costume. She wore robes and those two-slatted sandals that you see in all those anime about feudal Japan. She had a high, ornamental hat on, and she carried a staff in her right hand, one that was topped off by a large metal ring which other rings were hanging from.

"Oh, neat!" In the blink of an eye, Maria was at Ray's side, running her hands over the fabric of the costume. "You're a monk, right?"

Ray smiled and nodded. "Yes. To be specific, I am Sanzang, the monk who made the journey to the west to retrieve Buddhist scriptures."

"Oh, like in the m-m-myth." Max rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated breath.

Ray's smile widened into a grin, and I had to tell my knees to keep steady. "Yes, that's right." Clapping her staff on the floor, she said, "Shall we go?"

"Yep!" I said, smiling back.

Penny pumped both fists in the air and ran a few steps ahead of us. "Let's get ready to party!"

. . . too bad it wasn't the sorta party that any of us expected. Or wanted.

It started off well enough, and Sara gave some absolutely _awesome_ performances, including one that made Maria squeal like a fangirl. We were all having a good time, even Max, who could forget about his newly-acquired speech impediment by dancing.

Then it all went to hell.

The Chessmaster and his forces stormed campus and turned on the scrambler. People started screaming, and it felt like all my internal organs had suddenly decided to play musical chairs. My powers were going all to hell, and pain wracked my body as a cluster of Imprints all mashed together, time after time after time. None of the rest of the guys were doing good, either. Spira had her hands clutched to her ears, and she was sobbing, really sobbing, and Maria did what she could, but it looked like she was gonna puke at any minute. Max looked drugged out as he ported in and out, in and out, seemingly unable to get any direction. Ray and Penny huddled in each other's arms, and all of us did exactly as the Syndicate soldiers told us when they herded us all toward the center of the stadium. We were all too weak or in too much pain to put up any sort of fight.

After waves of nausea, pain, and acute discomfort, it all stopped. None of us missed a beat, and all of us turned the hurt on the guards and robots, me going with Cobalt as Max started getting kids to safety, Maria shielded who she could, and Ray and Penny wailing on some bots, like I was. As we got going, we all stopped to hear the head Alpha guy call at us all like he was some kind of legendary general, and when I looked up to him, he had this . . . pose, or something, going on.

"Well?" he said, so clear that we could hear him over the shots and screams. "What are you waiting for? Fliers -- to the skies! Teach those squalid invaders what it means to trespass on Whateley, even on All Hallows' Night! Go! Unleash the storm!"

I almost did exactly what he said we should as I got ready to reshift over into Megadeus, but then, somehow, my flawless vision caught a familiar face in the crowd, one that sent chills down my spine like some had just dropped ice down my shirt.

//Chasm!//

He must have realized I spotted him because he smiled _directly at me_ and took off at a dead sprint out of the stadium. I looked around at the students, and no one had even noticed him. How could they have?

"Max!" I yelled over the roars and gunfire, and he teleported next to me, his duster replaced with a form-fitting suit. "Chasm's here, I'm disengaging from battle to pursue! Keep the girls safe!"

-:Calculate jump vector.:- Glowing arcs lit up my vision, and I got that strange not-flex feeling as my jump-jet nozzles flared and positioned. -:Execute!:- Heat and energy flooded my legs, and I hurtled through the night, away from the thick of it, away from the blasts that were lighting up the sky and the booms that were shaking the ground. The second I touched down, I zoomed in and found him -- he was running away from campus almost as fast as I'd seen some Speedsters run. But I could eat up ground like no one's business like I was, and crunched more jumps and punched them, flying through the air, adding another roar the cacophony of the assault going on all around me. Dirt blew apart as I landed, then I started running with great whirring, springing strides.

I finally managed to catch up with him on a low sloped on the south side of campus, and he turned to face me with his shark grin, clumped, matted white hair hanging down over it.

"So predictable," he said, a low growl that I could somehow hear from as far away as I was.

"I'm ready for you, Chasm." I did the best I could to keep the fear out of my voice. Maybe I managed it. "Tonight we end it."

He sneered at me, then I shivered when he ran a black tongue over his razor-sharp teeth. "Is that what you and your friends hope to do?"

Were it not for the fact I didn't have eyelids, I would've blinked. //Friends?// Before I got the chance to turn, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked down, and I saw Maria in her powerframe. "Guys," I said in my cold, metallic voice, "I don't want you to get hurt. This is my fight."

"No," Penny said, stepping forward armed in her translucent power armor. "This is _our_ fight."

"So brave . . ." Chasm laughed, a sound like sandpaper over a skull. "Fine. Fight together, die together," he said, going slightly airborne as a sickening green glow started burning around him. "I'll feast well tonight!" He faced the burning sky and tossed his arms up, and a huge demonic shadow appeared behind him, its eyes a baleful, burning green. He turned to face us, and no one moved back an inch.

Spira floated forward, an absent look on her face, but her entire body glowed an angry red. Ray assumed stance, a cloud of razors swirling around her. Max snapped his wrists, and two sleek, lethal-looking pistols appeared in his hands. Penny made another club in her left hand to go with the first. Maria bounced on her feet a few times, and something in her suit hummed to life. I held up both arms and extended my weaponry arrays with a soft click and gentle whir.

Booms echoed in the background, and, somewhere, light flared behind us.

"Go!" I cried, unleashing the first volley, but Chasm just opened both hands at me, palms open, and black holes appeared, devouring both beams whole, though I knew that he'd do that very thing, and I was already in motion. Max had reappeared on Chasm's side, opening with thick chatter of automatic fire, bullets slung by the bucketload at Chasm, but the shadow stopped them all -- but it couldn't stop Ray. Ice spears the size of bicycles raced over my head as I ran at Chasm and engaged my assault arm, servos spinning to life with a hiss as I balled up my fist. Chasm reduced the ice to vapor with a hellish blast, and then Penny and I were on him. My fist missed his head, but both of Penny's clubs found his side, and bones snapped and crunched audibly as Chasm spun side over side before stopping himself with a gout of flame that made a black crater in the Earth.

He flew at us, the shadow going off toward Max, and he growled, "You'll pay for that!" With one swipe then another, he pummeled me hard enough that I saw stars for a second, but Penny made him pay for it by burying both her clubs in his back, and he stumbled long enough for Maria to soar overhead in a long leap and encase him in stuff halfway between glue and web.

I was about to add more injury to insult when I heard Spira said, "A little help!" She was weaving around punches from the shadow, and her hardest TK blasts, the ones that rippled the air and tore the ground apart, weren't even phasing it.

"Stand clear!" I said, and then the thing turned toward me. Taking a deep breath, I opened full blast, and both beams of energy burned through the air, punching to holes in it. It staggered, and Ray appeared in front of him, murmuring quick and low in something that sounded like Chinese, then a tower of flame erupted all over the thing, which screamed with an otherworldly yell as it burned alive. When the flame died down, the thing was so much smoke. Just as I was turning to go back to Chasm, I heard Maria.

"A! Duck!"

Without thinking, I did just that in time to see a neon green beam streak through the space where my head had been just a heartbeat before. I sprang to my feet, spinning as I went, and Chasm had another blast ready, but, out of nowhere, a boulder the size of a house slammed into him, and he disappeared for a second. I turned to see Spira floating over a deep pit in the Earth, seven or eight boulders floating the air around her, her eyes and entire body burning with seething red light.

"Spira!" Maria cried, bounding, vaulting, flipping over to her. "Get down! He's coming!"

Spira ducked down in just enough time to not take the full force of Chasm's flying punched, but even from where I stood, I saw her shoulder go way out of socket, and her whole right side just go limp.

"Spira!" I yelled, running for her, but Max was already there, with his arms around her, and they were both gone the next second. Chasm shook his fist once and smiled at me.

"Nothing quite like the sound of snapping bones . . ."

"You son of a _bitch!_" Penny screamed, charging like a madwoman, and I ran to stop her, but it was too late -- Chasm opened one hand let loose a blast of sickly green light, and Penny fell to the ground, her armor completely gone.

//I'm too slow . . .!// I thought, running to get between Chasm and Penny, but Maria was there first, with a small shield -- then there was a blur, and Ray was there, the Earth cracking underneath her as yellow shone around her.

"You will not lay another hand on her," Ray said, deadly quiet, then murmured in Chinese again, pointing a hand at Chasm, who smiled and dipped lazily to one size, avoiding the spire that shot out of the ground at him, but then he stopped dead, the smile vanishing from his face when he realized what was in the air around him. Blades of all sizes and thicknesses hovered in the air around him, and Ray held out her hands, her fingers splayed, then she yelled a word and clapped her hands together, all the sharp edges running into Chasm's flesh, blood spilling all over the ground, and . . .

I had to turn my head.

"Go!" I said, downshifting. "Take Penny, keep her safe." Ray sagged but then looked up at me, nodded once, then waved her hands around in a series of mudras till she finished and then disappeared with Penny. Max ported back in, and he snapped his wrists again, a different pair of pistols popping into existence.

"Is Spira okay?" I asked Max.

"Sh-should be. Put her in one my h-hidey holes."

"Good man," I said, then murmured, "Quicker than sight, faster than light!"

Juice swept over me in a wave of tingles, and then I was the little blue Speedster. I was about to ask Maria about her ordinance, but then Chasm _stood_ a sickle blade sticking through one leg. All three of us wretched when he pulled it out with a shower of blood. He looked at us and snarled as he pulled the last blade out, the one through his neck . . . I couldn't watch that.

"I'm going to rip you apart!" he screamed, running forward so fast to be blur. Maria rolled to one side, Max ported off, and I ran as far away as I could, but somehow, he kept up with me, and pain lit up my side as he battered my ribs with a fast, hard punch. He soared through the air, ready to cave in my head with an overhead swing, but then Maria hit him with two darts which whistled for a second before blue-purple lightning arced between them and Chasm fell to the ground, convulsing. I took a deep, steadying breath, creating all the speed-spheres I could manage, and Max filled Chasm's body with energy bolts courtesy of the pistols he was carrying. Chasm jumped a bit more with each bolt, but then he stood all at once, ripped the darts out, then blurred over to Max, who ported just in time to miss a swing that tore through the air. Maria tried another capture web, but Chasm just held up on hand and devoured the shot in one of his spinning vortexes.

Doing my best to ignore the powerful nausea in my stomach, I flew at Chasm, cocking both arms back, and he turned just in time to see me start in, and I felt flesh buckle and bones crack as I jackhammered his torso with lightning-fast punches, but when I went to finish with a haymaker to the head, he flashed me a nasty grin, caught the punch with one hand, and then snapped up his free hand, unleashing a gout of energy onto Max's charging form -- but his legs didn't make it out of the way in time.

"Aaagh!" he wailed, smoke wafting up from his legs and suit. Maria spun into sight and threw up a forcefield, and that gave me time enough to give a sharp left cross across Chasm's jaw as I sped toward them, throwing speed-spheres underneath them, dragging them along. Max yelped as we stopped, and I knelt beside him.

"Max, port out!"

"But . . .!"

"No, go!"

He frowned at me but closed his eyes, then he was gone. Chasm walked back toward us and popped his jaw back into place.

"A, go into Megadeus form! I can keep him busy!" Brave words, but her voice was quaking.

"Are you -- ?"

"Do it!" she said, snapping her wrist as she ran at Chasm, and three darts hit his chest and bounced off. He swung, but she wasn't there, and then she landed a hard kick into his head as she arced over him. Not wanting to waste another second, I took a deep breath, downshifted.

After I took a deep breath, I turned the catchphrase into a battlecry. "To defend the defenseless!" I was Megadeus in a breath, and I flew straight at Chasm, who hadn't seen me coming -- I used the moment and hit him square with an tearing punch, and his body leaned all in one direction for a split-second as his jaw broke into pieces, then he went flying through the stone wall that surrounded campus, completely obliterating a section as he went through it with the sound of a gunshot. As I flew over to check on Maria, blinding pain bloomed in my head, and stars danced in my vision while I fought to get things straight, which I finally succeeded in doing in time enough to see Chasm take Maria's hand and break the entire thing with one quick squeeze.

"You've annoyed me," Chasm said quietly, and I tried like hell to get going, but the ground still spun beneath me. "I _hurt_ the things that annoy me." Without another word, he flipped open his opposite hand -- then drove straight through Maria's elbow, metal and bone snapping like twigs.

"AGH!" Maria cried out, sagging. My vision cleared in an instant.

"RARGH!" In a heartbeat, I was in the air, over the ground, carrying that son of a bitch into the cold night sky that still burned with the battle on campus. A breath passed, and we separated, but I grabbed his ankle, twisted sharply, shattering it, then I cut into his body with a knifehand, and I felt his organs rip under the force, but all did was make me smile. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" With that, I headbutted him then took him by the head and flung him to the ground -- he whistled as he rocketed down, and trees exploded in rains of splinters before he finally stopped in a deep rutt. From where I was, I could see him getting up . . . and right then, I wanted to make him hurt, I wanted him to _die_. Without even dropping, I snapped the chain off and threw it away from me, the silvery length twinkling as it tumbled through the night sky. Red flooded my vision immediately, and I didn't wait for what was gonna come next --

"Cleanse the world with flame!" Juice in me went from a song to a shriek as I started falling slowly, white flame roiling around me, the glow spilling out onto nearby clouds, making it look like I was ground zero of an explosion. By the time I was halfway to the ground, I was fully Pyre, and she took in a sharp breath at the sheer density of the Haze of Suffering that wafted from campus, but then she locked her eyes on Chasm. The cloud around him was so thick that he was a white silhouette where his body would normally be, and the thing that left me with no doubt that it was him was the two black discs spinning in the midst of the haze, right where his eyes would be.

Superheating the air beneath us to slow our fall, Pyre threw streams of white flame below us until we touched down. She triggered the largest fire around her she'd done so far, and I could hear the grass burn in the white flame feet out from us as she walked forward to where Chasm had landed. Rather than say anything, she just held out both of our hands and drained fuel from the thick Haze around Chasm, and the bonfire around us went from feet to yards and burned like twin stars in her hands, making the night all black and white. Chasm rolled his weight onto his back and arms then sprung to a standing position, and for some reason, he was _grinning_. Pyre wasn't fazed, though a small part of me was scared out of my mind.

He took a few steady steps toward me, and I watched as his bones snapped into place, watched as his warped torso pulled itself in. By the time he'd walked out of the thicket, you wouldn't even be able to tell that he'd been in a fight except for the trails of blood that caked his skin and soaked his costume.

"Do you know how my power works?" he asked, still grinning. Pyre didn't answer, instead building the flames higher still, new white stars kindling to life around us. "I consume everything from a mutant," he said, going into stance and walking in a slow circle to one side, and Pyre mirrored him. "Including their powers. Normally, I end the weakling and take what's rightfully mine. But sometimes, just sometimes, something interesting happens . . ."

Pyre didn't care, and she just held up one hand, ready to char Chasm down to smoking embers. But when his grin spread a little wider, and something just _wrong_ hit me, hit us, Pyre shivered.

"To consume the weak!" he screamed as he turned his face to the sky, and then our whole body shook, and I took control for just a second.

//No . . . no, no, no, no!//

Not-gold gathered around him in a sickening swirl, and our senses caught something like Juice only . . . desecrated, and then Chasm began to change. His body went from lanky to muscular, corded, tortured muscle. His black bodysuit disappeared in a wisp only for another to reappear, its colors gray-white, scab crimson, and neon purple. When he opened his new eyes, they were blue -- and madness shone clearly in them.

"Surprised?" he asked, and we shivered again as both of us recognized what he was mocking.

"Megadeus . . ." Pyre whispered.

Chasm smiled and charged at us, and Pyre didn't have time to do anything in response, and he caught us with a punch that cracked ribs, and the pain would've made me grunt, but she took it, and she wasn't about to let him get away with that, so she opened a hand and launched screaming white flame in his face, then she arced backward, more points of white light coming into being around us. Chasm's face split into a grin and he flew at us again, missing us with a punch that detonated the dirt, and Pyre burst upward and sent two of the points of light at him, one exploding at his side, the other in his back. He flew to the earth, leaving a trail of smoke, but he stopped himself with a polluted thunderclap that twisted my stomach with a low-pitched warble. I landed, and he had found a tree to bat me with it, and it caught me across the head, and pain tore through my jaw and nose, both probably broken.

Pyre then made the offending tree so much dust and sent another white ball at Chasm, but he just opened his hand and it disappeared in a black vortex. Drawing on my own experience, Pyre ran at Chasm, not bothering with another point of light, and somersaulted in the air before she snapped a kick into his head. It barely even dazed him, but we followed it up with another point-blank blast, one that charred a third of the thicket behind us. He swung again, ripping a rock apart at our feet, and again, blowing a tree apart, but I was already gone when he swung again, riding a trail of hot air out of the small wooded area. Pyre began to stoke her flames again, and she draw not only from the thick Haze around Chasm, but she held one open hand pointed at campus, and tendrils of whimpering, moaning smoke rolled out to us. Chasm flew above the thicket and looked down at us, and Pyre's hands were burning so bright that it was like holding one sun in each hand, and I could even hear and feel the dirt baking at our feet.

"This again?" Chasm asked, smiling. "Oh, what the hell, for old times' sake." With both hands held open toward me, black, spinning spirals appeared. We didn't say anything more, instead just blasting both streams of white plasma-hot fire.

All was white and heat. For one heartbeat after another, there was nothing except the blinding light, nothing but the incinerating heat. It kept on, the energy streaming out of me.

In time, the flow abated, and we sagged to the ground, our body too tired to stand any longer. When Pyre looked up, there was nothing left of the thicket, nothing left of grass or life around us at all. For as far as we could see in every direction, everything was charred and smoking . . .

. . . including Chasm. Somehow, though, he kept moving, and he crawled toward us even as his body blurred and warped back to its original form. We struggled to our feet, and we walked to Chasm with slow, deliberate steps, then Pyre picked him by his collar. He turned one eye on us with a hateful glare, and his leg whipped out and snapped ours. Pyre just shifted her weight entirely to the other leg, and then she focused her fire in a tight band that went through Chasm's leg, lopping it off.

". . . damn . . . you . . ." He swung with a hand, slicing open our forehead, but Pyre grabbed the hand at the wrist and rotated it 180 degrees with one sharp twist. "Argh! How did you . . . I should have . . ." And with that, he drooped in my grip, and he was out cold. Pyre held two fingers up, their tips taking on a white phosphorescence like a blow torch. Neither of us had any doubt about what she intended to do -- drive those straight through Chasm's heart and burn the wounds shut.

//. . . no!// I thought as I hard as I could. //I am _not_ a killer!//

With every scrap of willpower I had, I fought to regain control, and for one crystal-clear moment, I got it, and I used it to let go of the tension of my Juice, and I felt the form recede, and the Fury with it, having finally exhausted its energy source. Chasm dropped to the ground, and I dropped with him, pain threatening to completely overwhelm me. But then I thought of Maria, and I found the strength to move. I began crawling with my three good limbs, blood leaking down my face and into one eye, forcing it shut. Time slowed down to heartbeats, and booms continued sounding in the distance while flares of light would dot the sky. All of it became less important as I went, and by the time I got over the ruined wall, the battle didn't matter at all.

Maria was still there, and when she saw me, she came running as she disengaged her helmet. "Bear!" I don't think I'd ever been so glad to be hugged as I was right then. She settled her helmet off to the side and asked, "Are you okay?" Thanks to my jaw, I couldn't say anything, so I settled for what I hoped was an affirmative-sounding grunt.

"Is Chasm . . .?"

I nodded, and her whole body relaxed. "Good. The battle's still going on, but from what I'm getting from channels, we're winning." That sounded like awesome news, and I tried to smile but regretted it as pain flared through my jaw and triggered another pang in my nose.

"Bear . . . we should be safe here," she said, settling up against the wall and easing my head into her lap. "I'll keep you safe. You rest, okay? You earned it."

Even though I wanted to argue, my body had other ideas. I was out the second my cheek registered the cold metal of Maria's power frame.]]> Aranis 2009-10-31T02:12:48-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Part 16 http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=57526&th=1139#msg_57526 This section contains sexually explicit material. This material will be contained in a "Spoiler" box. If you find such material offensive, then you may forgo reading it by not examining the contents of the "Spoiler" box.

Part 16


Tuesday, November 1st -- Evening
First thing to hit me as I came around after all that mess?

Pain.

This probably shouldn't be a surprise. I mean, after all, Chasm broke my leg and my nose, and did something pretty bad to my jaw. Speaking of, I did a quick mental check, and it felt like it was tender but movable. With as much care as I could manage, I opened my mouth a little ways, then again. The side Chasm had hit was still tender, but I could move it. Taking a deep breath, I looked down at my leg, and -- sure enough -- I had a cast.

//. . . crap,// I thought as I fell back into my bed. But then I smiled when I realized how stupid I was being. Not only did I go up against Chasm and _live_, but I went up against him and _won_. Right then, right there, I felt like I had won a million bucks and all-expense paid tour of Marvel, Inc. Warmth almost seemed to roll out from me . . . right until I saw Mrs. Carson standing above me, looking unhappy.

"Mr. Morris, you're awake." Her tone was neutral, almost like she was reading a newspaper headline.

"Uh . . . yes ma'am."

She wrapped one hand in the other and held them in front of her. "You may be pleased to know that Chasm was apprehended in the aftermath of the invasion. ARC teams spotted him thanks to your . . . calling card. When they did, they tell me that his Regeneration had healed him enough that he could move, but he was short a leg." The room's temperature dropped a few degrees. "Because one had been burned. Off."

My stomach did a sharp twist and guilt filled me.

"In any case," she continued with that carefully neutral tone, "he's currently been imprisoned in the Red Level at ARC, where he's expected to be for quite some time. He has, after all, been found guilty of too many crimes to list, and he was given 13 consecutive life sentences."

If it was such good news that Chasm was out of my life for good, why was I not feeling more optimistic about her being here?

"Congratulations, then." Mrs. Carson shifted slightly, and her tone turned a little colder. "Not that we can share your victory with the world."

"But -- !" I started, then she cut me off with a flash of her eyes. ". . . uh, um, you were saying?"

"I was saying, Mr. Morris, that what you did was foolish, selfish, and, above all, flat-out idiotic!"

I flinched and my ribs flared up in pain for a second.

"In the middle of the most pitched conflict this campus has ever seen, you chose that time to engage in a vendetta that's nearly gotten you killed! Twice!"

Withering and shrinking, I didn't say anything.

"What's more, Mr. Morris, you had no protection from our staff whatsoever. Tell me, which of the faculty knew that you left the Stadium to pursue Chasm?"

Shivers ran down my spine, and I came up with the answer. ". . . no one."

Mrs. Carson nodded. "That's right. No one. If you had lost, you would have been missing in action. Tell me: did you ever stop to consider how your parents could live with themselves if you died? What of the Six, Mr. Morris? Do you think that they'd take your loss cavalierly?"

The only thing I could do was look down. I hadn't thought about it. Not once.

"And you know of Chasm's ability?" Mrs. Carson leaned down, getting closer, but her tone didn't change. That just made it worse, somehow. "He's a glorified parasite, Mr. Morris, and his appetite knows no bounds. He would have gladly turned his depredations on your friends. Would you have been able to face him, knowing that he wielded Mr. Saito's gifts? Ms. Little's?"

Everything went cold and numb when I met her eyes.

"No." She leaned back and went back to standing. "You didn't stop to consider it for a moment. That was why it was idiotic, selfish, and foolish. And just to make sure that you have plenty of time to consider what reckless aggression will do to the world around you, once you and your friends have recovered enough, you will join the clean-up crews every day after class until such a time that I dismiss you. Do I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

Speaking was pretty much impossible, so I just nodded weakly, hoping she'd go away. She did, after looking me over and giving another shake of her head.

I don't think anyone can blame me for going back to sleep right then.

Thursday, November 2nd through Friday, November 10th
Thankfully, the first thing to come to me when I woke up that time was sunlight -- bright and pure, scattering a full array of colors against a cluster of clouds, making it the most beautiful dawn I'd seen in days.

In case it needed to be said, the attack hit everyone pretty hard. After all, Whateley was supposed to be everyone's safety zone, and that got smashed all to crap. We all found out pretty quickly who was behind it, although they wouldn't say much more than that. It had been the Chessmaster (yes, _that_ Chessmaster, rank 48 on the top 100), and, to boot, he had Deathlist along for the party (yep, the super-dangerous 12th place guy). In the long run, it was something of a miracle that as few of us were as we were.

Speaking of being hurt, it turned out the Six had gotten some pretty hard knocks. Spira's shoulder was dislocated, the ligaments torn, and her arm was broken in three places. Max got first and second degree burns on his legs thanks to catching the edge of Chasm's blast, and he'd probably have scars once the injuries healed. All of Bunny's fingers on her left hand were broken, and elbow was basically completely screwed. For my part, Chasm had dislocated my jaw, cracked three ribs, snapped my tibia in half, and broken my nose. Ray was the lucky one, really: she just got away with a few scratches.

The good news is that thanks to the fact that we had access to some of the best medical centers anywhere along with some mutants like Prism, and with the help of the Exemplar Effect, we all healed up pretty quick . . . but not before some things happened in the clinic.

For starters, all of Max's "girlfriends" stopped by Friday, around noon, looking for blood. I did my best to keep things calm, and we got everything sorted out after a very tense half-hour, which meant that they were all finished. For good. At the door, Brianna shot Max one more glare then waved her hands at him. As she walked out the door, Max clicked his tongue and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank god," he said. "I'm back to normal."

"Brianna had did that to you?" I asked, leaning back against the wall to relieve some weight from my crutches.

"Yeah." When he sat up to look at me, he was smiling like he used to. "Do you _any_ idea what it's like to have a stutter?"

"Uh, no."

Max rolled his eyes and his smile faded. "I do, now. Brianna said that was my punishment for 'being a smooth-talker.'"

"Ouch."

After that, the girls didn't show up, and it looked like Max was gonna have some peace and quiet, which was good. That mess sorted out, we went to check on the girls. Penny was still out cold, and we asked the nurses what was going on. They said that they found some sort of Devised chemical in her system, and from they could tell it was a potent stimulant, which they thought she'd been using for a long, long time. What did that all mean? Penny hadn't slept in _weeks_. So Max and I backed out, letting her catch up.

We talked on our way down the hall, and we figured that was why Penny's Manifested armor had failed so easily: her body was already strained to its limit cause she'd been awake for so long. All it took was a little more, and then, _boom_, she was out like a light. Not wanting to worry Spira about it, we zipped it as we walked in to visit her. Believe or not, she was in pretty good spirits. She talked about the fight, about how much she was able to do, and she said that she realized how much she was missing out on by shying away from her powers. That was really good news. I definitely didn't want her to be a hermit for the rest of her life -- she was too much fun to be around. Before Max and I left, she'd decided to try to take meditation lessons, so I recommended Dr. Woodrow, who'd been so much help to me.

Now for the strange part. While I was waiting in the clinic, I tried to get ahold of Zack, but I couldn't find him no matter where I called. I even checked with the school secretary, and she told me that Zack Niven had withdrawn, citing no reasons, on Halloween night. Security took down my testimony about him, but they never managed to find out more about him.

But I did.

When I woke up Saturday morning, there was a picture laying on my food tray. It showed a man's face behind frost-tinted glass. After studying it for a second, I realized that it was Chasm. My breath caught in my chest for a second, not sure what it meant, but then I turned the picture over and found a note written in precise, neat script.

"Looks like you took my advice to heart. Keep it in mind, it's a handy thing to know. Take care of yourself. -- Z"

I leaned back, not sure what to think, but I stuffed the picture away before anyone saw it. I wanted to keep it to remind myself of where Chasm was, and what Zack had taught me.

By that evening, we were all out of the clinic, but for obvious reasons, we didn't really feel like hanging out or anything, so we basically all went back to our dorms to rest. After Max and I got back, though, there was something that I wanted to get my off my chest.

"Max."

"Yeah, man?" he asked, careful to prop his legs up, avoiding the injured areas.

"I wanted to say . . ." Just coming out and saying it was a lot harder than I thought it would be, so it took me a second. ". . . I'm sorry. Really sorry. I've been a j -- no, I've been a dick to you lately. And I . . . I'm sorry."

Max's mouth hung partway open for a moment, then he gave me a lopsided smiled. "And I suppose that I have something to say, too," he said, his surfer-accent gone again. "I'm sorry. For . . ." His voice hitched, and he took a deep, steadying breath. "Sometimes, the practices that Father, no Dad -- Masi instilled in me come to the fore, and . . . they aren't good things, A. He sees the whole world as a battlefield, and he sees every adversary as someone to be subverted or slaughtered. I . . ." A single tear rolled down his cheek. Before he could say anything else, I wrapped him in a hug.

A manly hug, just so we're clear.

"Thanks, A . . ." he said, coughing to clear his throat, then he extended his hand. "Friends?"

Grinning like an idiot, I grabbed his hand, shook, and said, "Friends."

All of us slept hard that night, and none of us really rushed to the Hall. The kids all over were still kinda looking shell-shocked, but there were a few conversation here and there, and all of them agreed on one thing: out of all the teams, Team Kimba had pwned the most. I rankled at that, but I couldn't say anything about the Six's victory over Chasm, so I just grumbled while we ate. That night, we decided to go on with hide and seek. We were a sorry mess, but when it was over, we were laughing hard.

It felt really good.

The week after that, all of Whateley was getting back into the thick of things, including all of the Six, who had to help with the clean-up crews as we healed up. It took a lot of energy, sure, but there was something . . . satisfying, I guess, about helping rebuild everything. Every day we could that week, we worked outside, everything from picking up small pieces of rubble to holding things in place while the crews did welded and hammered and all. When Friday came, we actually had the afternoon off, which we all used to grab a quick nap, then we all came to supper at the Hall.

Friday, November 10th -- Evening
"Man, I'd forgotten how good sleep feels!" Penny said as she sat down.

Maria giggled. "How could you ever forget something like that?"

"By not sleeping for a couple weeks."

"Oh." Maria paused for a moment, her head tilting in consideration. "Yeah, I guess that'd do it."

"But she has been getting plenty of rest," Ray added as she sat down with the rest of us. "I have had Maria keep track."

"What are you, my mother?" Penny said with a roll of her eyes, but her words didn't really have any heat.

"So, how are things with you two?" Spira asked as she started in on her chocolate cookies before she ate anything else.

"Us?" Max asked, looking at me for a second. "Things are good! Very good." For some reason, Max had stopped using his surfer voice when he hung out with us. It was important, but danged if I could tell you why, exactly.

"Yep." I nodded and gulped down the rest of my burger. "We buried the hatchet a few days back."

"Back on Saturday," he confirmed.

"Yeah, that's right."

"That's great!" Spira said, grinning. "Yeah, I can definitely feel the lack of tension between you guys. Heck, everyone's feeling more relaxed tonight."

I blinked. "You're scanning the whole Hall?"

"Uh-huh. Believe it or not, you can kinda tone things down, just get impressions. It's a trick Dr. Woodrow taught me!" Spira grinned again, and her eyes sparkled.

"Man, good to hear," I said, grinning back.

We all just made small-talk afterwards, you know, tests, Team Kimba (including a kinda harmless rumor Penny had heard that Tennyo took care of the whole dropship fleet by herself), and some stuff about our detention. All in all, it was like we were back to normal, and it was the best feeling in world, something that made me smile the whole time we were at dinner.

"Well, Penelope?" Ray asked, meeting Penny's eyes for a moment as she touched their fingertips together.

Penny's cheeks colored a little and said, "Yeah, let me finish this sundae."

Maria looked at Ray, leaned in a bit, then gave Penny the same treatment. "What's going on, guys?"

Penny's cheeks turned a brigther shade of pink, but Ray was the one who spoke. She smiled softly and said, "Penelope and I have a date."

All of us sputtered and launched bits of dessert and soda through the air.

"I figured it's the least I could do." Her cheeks were basically solid pink and her voice kept getting quieter. "She saved my life, after all."

Ray just scooted her hand over Penny's, and Penny turned her hand over so that they could intertwine their fingers, and that just made me smile for some reason.

"Okay," Penny said, standing. She looked down at their hands, looked conflicted for a moment, but she kept hold.

"Excellent," Ray said, grinning that award-winning grin of hers. "We will see all of you tomorrow." They both waved and walked out of the Hall.

"And I . . ." Max said, standing too with a bit of wince, ". . . have a pile of novels with my name on it. I'll catch you guys later." With a clap and a puff of black mist, he was gone.

Spira stood and stretched. "I think I'm gonna go pwn some noobs. Have a good night, guys!" She smiled at us, then flew out.

Maria turned toward me and gave me a smoldering smile that made my heart hammer in my chest. "Just the two of us . . ." she said.

". . . Penny won't be around for a while," I pointed out, giving her a wolfish smile.

Maria mashed hers into mine and said, "Let's go!" She bolted out of her chair and yanked me out of mine, but I didn't protest, and I only smiled wider as she dragged me out of the Hall. Heck, I had to run to keep up with her. She nearly dropped her key when she opened the door to Dickinson, and I could help but press her against the wall just inside and kiss her hard. Her tongue pushed just as hard as mine, if not harder, and our hands ran over each other's bodies, mine over her smooth, hers over my broad shoulders.

". . . wait." Maria was breathing hard, and her cheeks were bright red. "C'mon, let's at least get to my room." I didn't protest, and she took my hand in hers again, and she pulled at a hard march, and it took everything I had not to press her against her door and pick up where left off. It took roughly a year, but she finally jammed her key in the knob, and the door slipped open.

I could help it, and I almost tackled her, sending her through the door, and I kicked it shut behind me. She ran at me and jumped, curling her legs around my waist in one swift blur, and I pulled her close, pressing her into me, and we nudged the wall as our tongues danced, pressed, and felt, and my body was feeling hotter and hotter by the minute -- all over.

Explicit Content


". . . wow," I said, barely managing to find the strength to speak.

Maria was quite for a moment, and then said, "Damn straight."

I laughed and wrapped my arms around her, just holding her as we both waded into the warmth of the afterglow.

"I love you, A," she whispered. "I'm glad . . . I'm glad for this."

I leaned down and kissed on the forehead. "Me, too. I love you, Maria. Now and always."

She grinned up at me, her eyes glittering a little with tears. "Always."

* * * * *

". . . always?" she asks, looking over at me. "I actually said always like that?"

I nod and smile a little. "As best I can remember it, yeah."

Maria looks down at the page, smiling with remembrance. "Did you _really_ have to put both of our . . . encounters in there?"

"Hey!" I respond. "I wanted to keep it true to life. Besides, I left some of it out."

Her smile hasn't lost any of its light over the years. "Yeah, you did. What about later, when we . . . ?"

"No, I left that out," I say. "That was a little too hot for the page."

And her blush still looks like the most adorable thing on earth. "Yeah, it was pretty intense, all right." Maria yawns, moving the manuscript off of her built-in stomach shelf.

"Has he kicked you tonight?" I place my hand on her stomach, which had taken on a beautiful curve over the past six months.

"No, he's been quiet," she says. "Hopefully he wasn't, um, listening too close to the story."

I laugh and give her a quick peck on the forehead. "Well, how else would he have gotten here? Anyway, bunny, I'm gonna brush my teeth."

She kisses me quickly and then adjusts her nightgown as she snuggles down into the covers. With a soft smile, she turns off the light, and I swing my legs out of bed and walk over to our bathroom. As I flip on the lights, I see myself, more muscular and more defined than I was back then. I start in on my teeth and look back on Maria, who has filled out all the curves she had when we were teenagers, but she was still a good head shorter than I was. Not that that stops her from being the cutest, sexiest woman alive.

But maybe I'm biased.

The reminder note catches my eye as I rinse out of my mouth, and I take it down and read it over again for the 20th time.

"Be at Whateley at 12:00PM. Meet in front of old hide-and-seek base."

Smiling at the thought of the reunion the next day, I turn off all the lights and hop in bed, careful not to disturb Maria. I'm a little surprised as I feel sleep sneak up on me, and I'm out almost immediately.]]> Aranis 2009-11-01T00:33:26-00:00 Re: A, vol. 5 -- Epilogue http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=57544&th=1139#msg_57544
Epilogue


Saturday, June 13th, 2020 -- Noon
We follow the signs that leads us from the skies above Dunwich to the landing area on Whateley's campus. Our craft is little more than a frame with some solid-light projectors, as we didn't really get anything particularly fancy there, just enough to get from point A to point B.

Besides, if we want to travel in style, we'll just take Maria's Autocab. That thing is _sweet_.

"There it is!" Maria says, pointing at campus, and the cruiser tilts a little in response to our wanting to sightsee. Campus spreads out below us, a good third bigger than when we graduated, and I can't help but smile at the sight.

"It's good to be back," I say as we pull into the lane and let the autopilot kick in as it takes direction from the runway AI.

"Yeah, it is. I can't wait to see everyone!" Maria smiles, and it gleams in the sunlight, and I grin back at her. "How long has it been?"

"Five or six years for Spira. She came up when the Solar Squad helped us out with Ravage," I say as we swoop with a smooth motion toward the landing area, a concrete pad not too far away from the wall I wrecked when I fought Chasm.

Maria shakes all over. "I'm glad they didn't need me on the field for that one."

"Yeah, me too," I say as our cruiser pulls down to the lot, then the fields retract as our foot rests fold up. I walk over to Maria's side and offer her my hand, which she takes with a smile as she steps down. With a click of the fob, the cruiser folds up and stores itself in the row with all the others.

"You want to catch a cart, or . . .?"

She bats me. "I'm not some fragile flower, Alex. C'mon, let's walk, for old times' sake."

I don't argue with her, and I smile a little as we wrap our hands together. We take off up the soft rise to the main part of campus. The day is gorgeous, sunny with a smattering of clouds, and a light breeze that carries the soft fragrances of flowers in bloom. We take our sweet time walking, and we have to go around the newest building, Sand Cottage.

"Is that the one for the kids who are . . ." Maria pauses, looking for the right word. "Experiencing gender difficulties?"

I nod. "From what I've heard."

"I remember that sort of thing was practically unheard of when we came in as freshmen," Maria says. "Heck, I didn't even hear about until senior year."

"What can I say? If you get more mutants, you get more of everything, including the rarer things. Just the way it works."

"Guess so, yeah. Have you heard how big this class is supposed to be this year?" Maria looks at me, and I can tell that she already knows the answer to the question.

"No, how big."

"900."

I gape at her. "900!? I knew it was supposed to be big, but . . . wow."

"I know," she says, nodding as we make our way past some trees that weren't there when we graduated. "I've looked at the trends . . . if they have the figures right, then the increase in mutants worldwide is becoming exponential."

Neither of us have anything to say at that, so we just walk in silence for a couple minutes.

"Gonna be one exciting time to be alive, I guess," smiling a bit.

Maria nods. "Sure looks that way. Oh, look, there's the tree! Hasn't changed a bit." We walk over to it, and, sure enough, the branches, the bark, everything's the same.

As I run my hand over one side I say, "Good to know some things don't change."

"Yeah," Maria says quietly.

"Guys?" says a voice from above us. We both look up to see a red-haired woman with red eyes decked out in a blouse and slacks that complement her body very well.

Maria gasps and says, "Spira!?"

Spira grins like a manic and flies down, wrapping both of us in a hug. "Hey, guys!" She steps back, still grinning. "It is really good to see you!"

I can't help but grin back. Spira hasn't lost her touch. "How are you these, days?"

"Oh, just terrific," she says, then she taps her right index finger to her left ring finger. "Let me show you my kids!" Her palm flickered as the nanites came online, and holographic display came up, showing Spira with a handsome man, and cluster of three kids. "There's Mark, my husband, and that's Jeremy, Rory, and Evan."

"They're adorable," Maria gushes. "How old's your youngest?"

Spira eyes widen a bit. "Already one. He's walking now! It's crazy. And . . ." she said, sidling up Maria, poking her lightly. "When are you due?"

"Late September," Maria says.

"Little boy," I add.

"Oh, having a little boy first is a challenge, but it's worth it. Figured out his name yet?"

"Nope, not yet," I say. "Too many choices!"

"But we're thinking about Edward, maybe, after Alex's father," Maria said, giving me a sideways look.

"She is, I'm not. I'd rather not run the risk of cursing him with workaholism."

Laughing, Spira clapped me on the shoulder and said, "With you raising him, I don't think he'd have to worry about that."

"Hey!" I cry with mock indignation. "I resemble that remark!"

We all share a chuckle, and then I stop as a couple approaches the tree from the far side of the hill. One is a handsome Asian lady, built of lean muscle and strong features -- more attractive than beautiful, exactly, wearing a shimmering white lady's business suit with skirt. She is holding hands with a tall, statuesque lady, who is classically beautiful, and she wore a purple and black pinstripe pantsuit that made her look ready to kill in more than one sense of the word, even with her short, angular haircut. They seem so familiar, and then when I look in their eyes, one set purple, the other a swirl of five colors. I step away from Maria and Spira with a huge grin on my face.

"Ray? Penny?"

Both of them smile in response and our two groups meet. "Guys!" Spira says, roping both of the newcomers into a big hug. Maria and me take turns, too, and there's a lot of chatter and kisses and hugs, and we all walk back to the old base tree together.

". . . and the second the passed the Equality of Marriage Act, we got married on the spot," Penny says as we reach the tree.

"It was a wonderful day," Ray says with that smile that still makes her look like a million bucks.

"Even though her twat family refused to come," Penny says with narrow eyes.

"Now, now, let's not dwell on the negative," Ray says, patting Penny's arm with her free hand. "Despite my family's absence, it was _still_ lovely."

Penny ribs Ray and gets a devilish smile on her lips. "Not as lovely as the honeymoon."

Ray blushes, and the color makes her look five years younger. "Well, yes, of course."

We all laugh again, and then Spira's the first to speak up afterward. "So, Penny, do I . . ." Spira says, rather than stating what she was thinking straight out.

//Huh, guess she's learned a little tact over the years.//

Penny smiles in a way that I'd never seen her do. "2 months."

"And no signs of problems whatsoever," Ray says, smiling in a way that mirrors Penny's.

"So, how did you guys do it?" Maria asks. "Ova reconstruction sequencing? Sperm donor?"

"No, not that," Penny says, the naughty smile back. "Ray, honey, why don't you tell them?"

Ray's cheeks blush even more, and she looks up and away from us. ". . . there is very little my magic cannot do," she says very quietly.

My jaw falls, and I look back and forth between then, and then I get it. "Wow, that's . . . congratulations!" I say, giving them both hugs. "Do you know whether it's a boy or girl yet?"

"No, not yet," Penny says, rolling her eyes toward Ray. "She wants to divine it, but I want it to be a surprise."

"It doesn't hurt to prepared," Ray says, and sniffs. I chuckle, but then I stop when I see a puff of black mist, and a fit-looking Japanese man steps out of it. "Excuse me, everyone." They shoot me questioning glances, but then they know the answer when they turn to see him. His black mandarin suit is custom-tailored, and it fits him like a glove, emphasizing the long, strong lines of his body. His hair is short, but still long enough for the wind to ruffle it. I stop when I get within speaking distance.

"Mr. Saito."

"Mr. Morris," he said, then his split in a smile. "Or should I say Defender?"

Wind blew between us, then I smiled back at him, and we walked up, shook hands, and went into a man-hug.

"How've you been, Max?" I ask, arm draped around his shoulders.

"Busy. Very busy. Doing what I do doesn't leave much time for yourself."

"I bet," I say as we rejoin the girls. "Look who joined us, everyone."

"Max!" Spira says, throwing her arms around him. He whirls with her for just a moment, then sets her down. He's strong, stronger than I thought he would be. Everyone else greeted him, too, and we chat for a while. Max's business is doing well, and the transition of Saito, Unlimited to Max when his father passed was as smooth as it could be, all things considered.

"I never wanted to run the company," Max admits as he folds his arms behind him. "But when I saw the books and all the . . . dubious projects Masi funded, I knew that I had to be one to take over, or such abuses might continue indefinitely."

"It's good thing, too," Ray says. "I've heard of the many charitable foundations that your company assists now."

"Yes, we do charity work in over 30 countries, helping them building infrastructure rather than just throwing money around," Max says, pride shining in his eyes. "I've got Gadgeteers working around the clock to develop sturdier, cheaper building materials and technologies so that countries all over the world can bootstrap themselves rather than relying on handouts from larger nations."

"That's awesome, Max, it really is," I say, "what about -- "

Then a voice booms over the omnispeakers that had spread around campus without my even noticing.

"Attention class of 2010!" a cheerful voice says. "If you would please proceed to the Crystal Hall, then we will proceed with registration and other festivities!"

"Well, that's our cue." Maria starts off toward the Hall, and the other women follow. "Coming, Alex?"

"Just a minute, hon, wanna ask Max here about something."

Maria gives me a puzzled look for just a second. "Oh, okay. Usual table?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

With that, the girls leave, just me and Max standing at the base of the tree. Max has a knowing in his eyes when I turn to face him.

"If you're as good as I think you are," I say, keeping my voice low, "you already know what I'm about to ask."

Max regards me for a moment, raising one eyebrow. "It was me, yes. The West Coast League."

My gut twists as he confirms the intel that Prometheans had ferreted out. ". . . why? That's the question I keep coming back to."

"Do you remember what I told you of Masi?" Max asks, apparently changing the topic.

I can't help but furrow my brow as I look at him. "Sure. He was a real bastard."

Max's mouth tugs upward in a smile for just a second. "Yes. He was. He imposed a life on me, never giving me the choice to make my own decisions. I had to fight for that privilege, that right. When I graduated, you know what I promised myself?"

I shake my head.

"That none would ever have to do the same as long as I could help it," he says, his eyes shining with an intensity that is both mesmerizing and scary. "Did you know what the The West Coast League was planning?"

Another ball of dread plunks into my stomach. "You mean . . .?"

"Yes. They were planning on forcing every bearer of the metagene complex to submit to mandatory treatments which would allow the league to track them anywhere they went."

"No . . . they wouldn't."

"Yes, they would," Max says, his voice becoming that arctic wind again. "There was a reason they were deemed unconstitutional, and I made sure the League remembered it." Just like that, though, Max's voice warmed up again, although he didn't lapse into surfer-talk. After all, he hadn't done that in years. "But let's stay on more pleasant topics, shall we? What about Maria? I see that she's pregnant?"

I sigh, not really ready to change topics, but I figure that it's for the best, so Max and I catch up as we make our way over to the Hall. It was bigger than our freshman year: part of it had been wrecked in a huge fight between two Bricks in '08, and they rather than just rebuild what was lost, they decided to make it bigger. The new structure was just like the old, all shimmering crystal and geodesic construction.

The day goes well, altogether, and there are a lot of laughs and smiles and hugs as people have their reunions. It was especially interesting seeing the Kimbas get back together. They'd matured so much that I could hardly recognize them. Well, except Tennyo, she was much the same . . . oh, and Fey, who doesn't just steal your breath but almost steals your heart, too. Or she would to most guys, anyway.

We get back together with Mrs. Carson, who hadn't aged a day, and the rest of the faculty, who'd aged some, even Dr. Woodrow. Circe hasn't changed at all of course, but then again she's a goddess, so that hardly counts. The day keeps going and going, reunions aplenty, but I don't see the one guy who I had hope I would -- Zack. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am, and when it comes time for the last event of the day, I can't help but sigh.

Following the directions piped over the omnispeakers, we all go down to Dickinson's basement, and I'm a little amazed that the place has changed as little as it has. Except for music mixer, there's hardly any change at all. If I look at it just right, I can almost imagine me being down there back years ago. Maria smiles up at me, and she must know what I'm thinking because she directs me to the table we sat at the night we met. I pull a chair out for her and get her some punch while people gather in.

"They haven't remodeled this place at all," Maria remarks as she takes the punch and sips.

"That's what I was thinking," I say as I sit down beside her. "How many years has been, now?"

"It'll be 14 this coming September." Maria gives me a sly look. "But you already knew that."

I flash her a smile. "I know, I just like hearing you say it. Makes it more real."

Maria rolled her eyes. "You're a sap, you know that?"

"And you love every minute of it."

"Can't deny it," she says, throwing her arm in mock defeat.

Neither of us says anything as the dance gets started, and they play old favorites that kids liked way back when, a lot of songs I hadn't heard in years. As the crowd gets thicker, I get an idea. "I'll be right back." I go to the music mixer and cue up an old favorite of ours that should start playing after I get back to the table.

"We didn't dance that night," I say, giving her my hand. "So we're going to do it tonight."

She looks at my hand, then up at me, then smiles a smile that lights up the room. "That sound awesome, what song did you -- " And then she stops as she hears Hiro no Tsuki, the closer to her favorite anime when she was in high school. With a roll of her eyes, she gives me an incredulous look. "I don't like this stuff anymore, you know," she says as she gets to her feet.

"I know . . . but it seems appropriate." I lead her to center of the dance floor, and she wraps her arms around me, and I pull her close, and we dance, nice and slow, for seeming hours, in the midst of fond memories even as the crowd moves around us.

fin]]> Aranis 2009-11-01T03:33:43-00:00 A's Story -- Afterword http://crystalhall.org/chboards3/index.php?t=rview&goto=57546&th=1139#msg_57546
Afterword


Yes, this is probably indulgent. No, that's not going to stop me.

A year ago tonite, I posted the first Part of A, vol. 1 -- A's Team to the Whateley forums, serving as my introduction to the Whateley readership.

I can only say how very thankful I am for my time here.

Since my first posting, much of life has come and gone, and my skills have improved by bounds, thanks in large part to the emotional and creative support I received from so many here.

Among the most prominent on the emotional end are KenJ, the Unicorn, Anvildude, and Talhe, all of whom have read and commented regularly, even through my, shall we say, highly erratic update schedule.

On the creative end of it, I absolutely must thank tensai. She is one of the primary causes of my gains in prowess, and her insight should be accorded an award for as resoundingly helpful as it has been to me. Also, too, of course, I must thank the Canon Cabal for creating a setting that unlocked my creativity, and from amongst them, I must especially thank Doctor Bender, who has been a steady mentor to me through this project and others, providing keen observations about widespread shortcomings in my work. Not only that, but he has provided emotional support as well, including much-needed encouragement.

As for all my more recent friends, Taira, Tsureai, Polk_Kitsune, and others, thanks so much for listening to me and just being the cool people you are. You provided good conversation and needed support, both of which, believe me, are utterly necessarily to keep me going.

Anyone else I've missed, I apologize, but if I were to enumerate each and every one of you, then this post would be of tremendous length, and I'm afraid that I may be wearing out my welcome as it is.

So then, we stand at the close of A's story. In short, thank you all. From the bottom of my heart. I hope that I've provided an enjoyable time for you.

It's really the least I can do.

-Aranis-]]> Aranis 2009-11-01T03:47:07-00:00