NationStates Jolt Archive

"As a medical marvel, I'd really hoped to study it at leisure, but if we must destroy it, we must." Professor Whately sighed. "However, if you go over it's mass and the amount of fire needed to fully destroy it, you'll find we'd deplete the station's oxygen-not a problem for me, but the rest of you..."

"How else can we stop it?" asked Mavis as he put the magazine away.

Having sufficiently cleaned himself of the acid and bile, and covered the skin somewhat burned off in the process, Ziyo had returned to the scene at the end of Whately's speech about oxygen.
"Not entirely. We could create a backdraft inside the room by sealing it off, lighting stuff on fire, then opening it to a sudden load of oxygen, creating a sudden huge flame. Of course, whoever opens the door would probably be fried."

"Like Pa-Professor Whately said, I can take someone down to his sanctum to fetch a spare jar." Sareau replied. "Depending on where they are, I can even point them out for whoever goes with. Second shelf of the armoire, right?"
"Third-second is my trading set." Professor Whately replied. "Last thing I'd want is to seal it up with another mind, so make sure the jar is empty, please?"

Kagetora;14325529']Having sufficiently cleaned himself of the acid and bile, and covered the skin somewhat burned off in the process, Ziyo had returned to the scene at the end of Whately's speech about oxygen.
"Not entirely. We could create a backdraft inside the room by sealing it off, lighting stuff on fire, then opening it to a sudden load of oxygen, creating a sudden huge flame. Of course, whoever opens the door would probably be fried."
"Excellent, Mr. Ziyo, excellent." Professor Whately replied. "Now, who'd like to do something terrribly heroic?"

"I'll do it," replied Mavis as he turned into his spirit form.

"Now, be careful-if so much as one cell escapes the backdraft, it'll hide out feeding on vermin until it's of a size to be a menace again." Whately seemed a bit off from having to destroy his specimen, but compliant. "I'd suggest saturating it with some accelerant..."

"I'll do it," replied Mavis as he turned into his spirit form.
"I can set up a small field for you..." Mathieu said, waiting to be instructed. "It won't be that powerful, but it should deflect the flames," he amended.

Mavis eyes turned to darkness as his darkness started to turn him into his third transformation. The darkness started to form a shield around his body as his legs turned into nothing. He looked around as he started to saturate the creature in some accelerant. With this in mind, he carefully started to lit a several fires around the classroom while avoiding the creature.

"Mathieu, create a shield around me while I start to make this backdrift," ordered Mavis.

"Backdraft." said Ziyo

Mavis eyes turned to darkness as his darkness started to turn him into his third transformation. The darkness started to form a shield around his body as his legs turned into nothing. He looked around as he started to saturate the creature in some accelerant. With this in mind, he carefully started to create the backdrift while avoiding the creature.

"Mathieu, create a shield around me while I start to make this backdrift," ordered Mavis.
"Right," Mathieu said, reaching his hand out, creating a separate field for Mavis.

ooc: did you still need someone to accompany you...?

OOC:Yes-Sareau can teleport down, but not within the Sanctum-it's warded against the Kings of Edom, and Sareau hasn't the magical background to bypass and actually go in, while Whately wants to stay and make sure the Marterkind doesn't reproduce or leave bits lying about to grow. I've asked for volunteers a few times now, but it's apparently more fun to have me guess at the structural integrity of the station and figure out the effects of this backdraft idea.

OOC:Yes-Sareau can teleport down, but not within the Sanctum-it's warded against the Kings of Edom, and Sareau hasn't the magical background to bypass and actually go in, while Whately wants to stay and make sure the Marterkind doesn't reproduce or leave bits lying about to grow. I've asked for volunteers a few times now, but it's apparently more fun to have me guess at the structural integrity of the station and figure out the effects of this backdraft idea.
ooc: got it

ic:

Delphina stepped forward, "I may not know alot about these mystical things," she said, "But I'll help you out, if you need it..."

"Well, someone hurry," Mathieu grunted, containing the MArterkind as he could.

"The last of the fires are done," finished Mavis as he returned to the students and Whately. "All we need to do now is close the door, let it burn then open them to make a backdraft,"

The moment of transition was barely noticeable-Delphina probably noticed the calls of birds first, before the fresh smell of morning dew. "Where are we?"
"The Old Whately Estate in southern Massachusetts" Sareau answered, nodding off towards the East. "Arkham's that way-nearest town to this old place."
Delphina couldn't quite see a house until Sareau casually opened a door in a low, wide hill covered in ivy, the porch to a dwelling long buried under thick vines and foliage. "I'd have brought us inside, but the house-well, Papau and his grandfather rebuilt the interior to contain my great-uncle, and the geometry throws my powers off.
"This way-don't follow the lines of the house too much, especially the corners-attention there sometimes'll call stuff." Sareau walked on, through a labyrinth of corridors he seemed all too familiar with. "The Sanctum's just ahead-I can't go in, myself. Papau set the wards to keep his brother out-got a purer strain of King of Edom blood, took after his daddy right strong-and I've got Edomite blood both from Papau and my daddy-too much to get in there.
"Good-I can see the armoire from here-that big mahogany thing. The empty jars are on the third shelf-just grab an unsealed jar and lid and we'll be on our way. Just empty it first-Papau and his penpals reduce bodies down to essential salts to save space-and it's easier to mail them back and forth that way. Later, he'll summon them up and see who it is, then package them back up again with the right label."

Delphina walked in, and kept close. She immediately felt uncomfortable, like she was intruding on someone's grave. In fact...it felt like more than one grave. She shivered, a cold grasp clutching at her heart. In an instant, Delphina wasn't looking at the corridors of the estate, but a misty, unfathomable domain.

"Hello...?" she called out.

"Hello..." an unfamiliar voice called out to her.

ooc: hope this is what you meant...

It had been close. The object had sucked in Reardon's cloud and returned something even harsher. Of course, Reardon had done the only thing he could: blast away the cloud with a gust of his own. It had worked just long enough and just well enough for him to leave the room. As he was on his way out, he heard that the object was vulnerable to fire.

He cursed! He'd almost had it!

Still, the situation was back under control, and it was time for him to be getting to the library. He had a five-page report to write.

Professor Whately threw up a warding arm:"Gelu, servo!" he commanded, wrapping everyone in spheres of frigid air as flames filled the classroom and the hall, the powerful backdraft sucking at them all.
A wave in the direction of the Marterkind was accompanied by the second command:"Flammo, postulo!", concentrating as much of the force as remained on the mass of the monstrosity, surrounding what remained in a circle of fire.
"I believe I shall deal with this matter now:the rest of you, report to Medical. I want no one wandering without a clean bill of health-a full report will be made to the Heroic Alliance, Blackstar, and the League of Villains. I would suggest you render full disclosure to them, as there will be an investigation."
Secretly, he was worried-this incident was a debacle from the start. The Marterkind should not have been released in the first place, Mr. Endis should not have been left to his own devices in the classroom once it was released, and he certainly should have nipped this backdraft idea in the bud rather than allowing them to go through with it. The Board of Regents would not be pleased....

Professor Whately threw up a warding arm:"Gelu, servo!" he commanded, wrapping everyone in spheres of frigid air as flames filled the classroom and the hall, the powerful backdraft sucking at them all.
A wave in the direction of the Marterkind was accompanied by the second command:"Flammo, postulo!", concentrating as much of the force as remained on the mass of the monstrosity, surrounding what remained in a circle of fire.
"I believe I shall deal with this matter now:the rest of you, report to Medical. I want no one wandering without a clean bill of health-a full report will be made to the Heroic Alliance, Blackstar, and the League of Villains. I would suggest you render full disclosure to them, as there will be an investigation."
Secretly, he was worried-this incident was a debacle from the start. The Marterkind should not have been released in the first place, Mr. Endis should not have been left to his own devices in the classroom once it was released, and he certainly should have nipped this backdraft idea in the bud rather than allowing them to go through with it. The Board of Regents would not be pleased....
ooc: so, mathieu need not continue, right...?

ic:

Mathieu sighed, falling to his knees in exhaustion. He'd never had to use his powers for such an extended period of time. Another trickle of blood came from his nose, and he wiped i away with his sleeve.

"Professor," he said, trying to keep his voice strong-sounding. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

Whately pulled out a hankerchief from his brest pocket and held it on Mathieu's nose. "Tilt your head back." he ordered. "I want the medlab to examine your head closely, Mr. Chevalier-Professor Mavis, as you handle Power Harnessing, perhaps you should accompany Mr. Chevalier to Medical? If his powers are having this detrimental effect, perhaps he should be given lighter assignments pending a clean bill of health."

"Hold it," pointed out Mavis as he watched Whately give the boy a taste of his own blood. "Keep your head forward, level it, pinch the front part of the nose with the cloth while covering the enterance to your nose and don't breath in or out of your nose. It's a well know medical fact you never tilt your head backwards. Now if you don't mind, I need to take you to the medic's, I'll take 36 to guide us to the medic's,"


OOC: That's an actual medical fact you use when you have a blood nose. Except you place something cold/frozen on the bridge of your nose.

Whately pulled out a hankerchief from his brest pocket and held it on Mathieu's nose. "Tilt your head back." he ordered. "I want the medlab to examine your head closely, Mr. Chevalier-Professor Mavis, as you handle Power Harnessing, perhaps you should accompany Mr. Chevalier to Medical? If his powers are having this detrimental effect, perhaps he should be given lighter assignments pending a clean bill of health."

"Hold it," pointed out Mavis as he watched Whately give the boy a taste of his own blood. "Keep your head forward, level it, pinch the front part of the nose with the cloth while covering the enterance to your nose and don't breath in or out of your nose. It's a well know medical fact you never tilt your head backwards. Now if you don't mind, I need to take you to the medic's, I'll take 36 to guide us to the medic's,"


OOC: That's an actual medical fate you use when you have a blood nose. Except you place something cold/frozen on the bridge of your nose.

Mathieu nodded as well he could and followed obediently. He glanced back, though, hoping he'd been able to help as much as he could.

"Hold it," pointed out Mavis as he watched Whately give the boy a taste of his own blood. "Keep your head forward, level it, pinch the front part of the nose with the cloth while covering the enterance to your nose and don't breath in or out of your nose. It's a well know medical fact you never tilt your head backwards. Now if you don't mind, I need to take you to the medic's, I'll take 36 to guide us to the medic's,"


OOC: That's an actual medical fact you use when you have a blood nose. Except you place something cold/frozen on the bridge of your nose.
OOC:Professor Whately hasn't bothered with medicine for some time-as an undead, why should he? But I am suitably chastised-I went with what I was always told with a bloody nose-but it does explain Genghis Khan, doesn't it?

Oh, blast! Couldn't those stinking medics see that Reardon had work to do? There was a report due the next day, and he needed to prepare! The tests had shown exactly what he had expected: his leather clothing had taken some damage (the gloves would have to be replaced), but it and his well-timed...breezing through...of a defense had basically kept him from any harm.

Then it struck him: this was an exercise in teaming up. He didn't have to merely write the report! He could form a group and then delegate! For this, he would need more lackies!

Yes, this would be interesting. He would go back to the dorm, select lackies for the traits that the report needed, and then have each of them write about his own suitability for the role! Then, he would grill them until it was as if he had written the report himself. Finally, they would all pop up for class the next day and squeeze the report into its proper place.

Sharp as a fresh one!

ooc: so, are delphina and what's-his-name back or...?

ic:

Mathieu was laying on the cot, tired as he pinched his nose like he'd been told. He was dizzy, but didn't tell the medics. I just need to rest, he told himself.

OOC:Sure

OOC:Sure
ooc: k. sorry 'bout not getting what you meant, btw...

ic:

Delphina sighed, walking over to those injured and touching their skin, healing them one at a time. She smiled down into each of their faces, reassuring them that she'd make them all better.

Riding up in the shuttle had been...well, Anna couldn't call it 'fun' with any honesty. However, the genuine space-man (space-girl?) suit had been quite nifty, and the countdown had been a LOT like what she'd seen when the Americans were launching the Apollo. The thought was one that brought a slight surge of resentment, though- the McKees' had killed her (the first time) before she'd been able to actually see the first moon-landing. Standing in the front area, though-after a spacewalk just like Gemini, she finally felt like she really WAS in the future.

She noticed that there were only a couple of other 'late registrations' with her. A member of the School staff read off their names.

"...McCall, Anna?" he looked at her.

"Present." Anna responded.

"We're assigning you to Black Star, Miss McCall." he said, "Your abilities are considered ill-suited to the Heroic Alliance, and your psyche-evaluations indicate you're not villain material."

"oh." she said, a little disappointed. He handed her her schedule, a map of the school (with the route to her dorm highlighted), and said, "You'd better hurry, your first class period is with Professor Phoenix in just under half an hour-Power Harnessing. You'll want to be attired appropriately."

"Right..." Anna took the Map, and her schedule, and the identicard, and hurried to her new living space.

Joshua watched as the girl-Anna- walk into the building. He was gald to have her gone, she gave off a bad vibe. The shuttle flight hadnt been that bad, just boring. At least it wasn't FTL travel. He then looked at the staff member who was reading off names.
"Moyle, Joshua?" he called.
"Here," Joshua replied, walking forward.
"You are beening assigned to Black Star. You abilities can be used for evil but your psyche evaulations showed that you are not villian material. Also, a member of the ICO government requested that you are not placed in the League of Villians," handing him a map, with the route to his dorms highlighted, his timetable. he then continued:" your luggage will be taken to your room. In the meantime, you should go to your first class period, which is Power handling with Professor Phoenix, which starts in half an hour."
"OK then. Thank you," said Josh as he walked towards the building. while he was doing so he created 2 light orbs, which produced tails. the orbs hovered at his sides and followed him into the building.

OOC: Joshua has a MASSIVE fear of FTL travel. just putting that out there for the teachers ;)

Clytus emerged from the sickbay with just a cursory examination, done mostly at Prof. Whately's insistance. While the Professor was sealing up what was left of the Marterkind in the jar Prof. Davis had brought, the students were queued up in the medical bay, most superficially injured, though Clytus noted Mathieu was being given additional scrutiny.
Idly, he saw the new arrivals. "Hello there!" he waved.
His well-knit gymnast's frame filled out the school uniform nicely, his lapel bearing the crest of the League of Villains, his face hidded behind a featureless mask, one hand extended sealed in a glove colored to match the school uniform he wore.
"I'm Sareau-spatial maniulator, so I'm an excellent guide." he chuckled softly, then noted their apprehension, following their gaze to his crest. "Don't give that too much thought-too early to decide one way or the other, but the dorm rooms are nicer.
"Why don't I give you the quick tour to your rooms before we get to Power Harnessing?"

"Yes," Reardon replied, "a tour!" And maybe, he thought, I can round up a few lackies to help with the assignment while we're at it.

Of course, he didn't tell Sareau that they were in the same--what was it? House? Dorm? Group?--because the man was a potential rival and one does not give one's potential enemies information for free. One made them pay.

"Sareau. Good to meet you. I'm Joshua, or just Josh. I'm a Atomic energies manipulator," said Josh as he stepped forward to shake Sareau's hand....

The gloved hand had a firm grip, but seemed oddly angled in some indefinable way. "Glad to meet you, Josh...Ma'am." He bobbed his mask in McCall's direction. "Guess we'll start the tour with taking you Down Below..."
"Yes," Reardon replied, "a tour!"
Sareau looked over, not seeing him before. "Oh...Endis, isn't it? Don't believe I've had the pleasure.
"Anyway, the Black Star dorms are Down Below-the bowels of the station. We'll have to go around the main hall-there was an incident."

"Thanks," said Josh. As they started walking Josh started creating some light orbs. The light orbs then hovered at different hieghts but all of them followed Josh, leaving behind trails of light. Looking at Sareau he said:"Dont worry if the orbs touch you. The most they will do is give you a bit of a shock," he said, reaching out and touching one.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Sareau replied. "Though I would be careful in class with that-some of the instructors take a dim view of using your powers blatantly."
He casually passed a hand through one of the orbs, eliciting no response at all. "I can shift myself in sync with reality, but it's not my natural state. One of the compensations for so many ancestors from a fractal dimension-I'm not composed of conventional matter."
He waved a hand to indicate the glass cases lining the hall they walked. "Trophies, I guess-that one's Old Man Bowens-he was Papau's number two for the longest-his schtick was a supernatural understanding of sound he picked up in India. Hypnosis, illusions, even a powerful blast, all from a standard violin. He died of cancer about eight years back.
"That over there-looks like the first Hornet's gas-gun. Wonder if they have any of his narcotic dispenser bullets around?"
He looked closer at the mask and gun in the case. "Suppose they wouldn't want anyone misusing it, huh? That girasol ring on the wax Shadow is probably paste-I heard the original amplified his telepathic powers.
"Anyway, Black Star dorms are just down these stairs-got your room numbers? I doubt the dorms are unisex."

"You should be fine," Delphina told Mathieu as she released her touch on his shoulder. "Next time, know your limits."

"Y-yeah..." Mathieu said, knowing he'd been moments from serious injury.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Sareau replied. "Though I would be careful in class with that-some of the instructors take a dim view of using your powers blatantly."
He casually passed a hand through one of the orbs, eliciting no response at all. "I can shift myself in sync with reality, but it's not my natural state. One of the compensations for so many ancestors from a fractal dimension-I'm not composed of conventional matter."
He waved a hand to indicate the glass cases lining the hall they walked. "Trophies, I guess-that one's Old Man Bowens-he was Papau's number two for the longest-his schtick was a supernatural understanding of sound he picked up in India. Hypnosis, illusions, even a powerful blast, all from a standard violin. He died of cancer about eight years back.
"That over there-looks like the first Hornet's gas-gun. Wonder if they have any of his narcotic dispenser bullets around?"
He looked closer at the mask and gun in the case. "Suppose they wouldn't want anyone misusing it, huh? That girasol ring on the wax Shadow is probably paste-I heard the original amplified his telepathic powers.
"Anyway, Black Star dorms are just down these stairs-got your room numbers? I doubt the dorms are unisex."

"'Kay then,"said Josh, drawing the light orbs into his body."Woh. Havnt done that in a while. Better see what i got for a room later. best to go to class..."

Anna was polite, but didn't extend a hand on meeting Sareau.

she checked his "guidance" against the map the school provided, and that against the markers on the passageways. Upon reaching the entrance to the dorm, she did, however, say "Thank you." to him-really the first words she'd said to anyone NOT an official, pilot, crew, or mission-specialist.

The room assignment number was fairly easy to find once she entered the Blackstar dorm.

At her room, she shucked the Sudovan Space Programme suit for more appropriate wear, silently thanking Frigg and Heimdall that the mission-specialists had cleaned her up after the "hard vacuum" test- thankfully her death that time hadn't taken long, and had proven that she wasn't "Terrain dependent"-at least, so far as the coming-back-from-the-dead went. She gathered the listed texbook, and thought about Sareau's comment-

"Though I would be careful in class with that-some of the instructors take a dim view of using your powers blatantly."

She chuckled a little nervously to herself. Oh, I have NO intention of dying around here... Dying hurt. Coming back? it sometimes hurt just as much. The time through the wood-chipper had been really painful, it had ached enough that she remembered slipping in and out of the cold place...and Georg's holly-tipped dart left a scar that occasionally still ached.

Besides, once some prankster finds out I bounce back from the after-life, the jokes will be quite bad enough, thank you. As she climbed out of Blackstar to head through the public areas to her class, she thought about how Joshua had reacted to her mere presence-a reaction she might have expected if he'd been in the cargo bay when they de-pressurized...but he hadn't. She paused by the trophy case, and looked at her reflection.

Dammit...did I get ugly or something? It nibbled at her.

Mavis entered the arena as he looked around the giant room. He glanced around as 367 came to his side. This was his first class and he was going to be having students that had Rathma before him. He used the darkness ability in his hands to write 'Professor Maverick' on the arena wall.

'Best be prepared,' he thought to himself.

Anna checked the room number twice, and the class title, and the notations on the schedule.

Oh, boy... she waved her identicard. The indicator light went from red, to green, and the door unlocked.

Handbook said it wouldn't unlock for the wrong class according to the schedule, so either the copy I've got is wrong, or I've got a substitute on my first day..? She peeked carefully in.

She was looking into a room larger than a farmhold, bigger than the Old Fortress, and as advanced as anything she'd seen in a comic book or speculative-fiction novella.

It was huge, intimdating...daunting. Come on, I'm here to learn to be a hero! she scolded herself. She steeled her nerves, straightened, and walked in.

"Excuse me." Anna looked around the huge room, and realized she was-had to be, Early-there was a man standing a ways away in the room, with the words "Professor Maverick" written on the wall behind him. "This is Power Harnessing, yes?" she asked, a little louder.

"This is Power Harnessing," replied Mavis as he made the darkness out of his fingers cross the open floor for a moment. "I'm your substitute teacher until who knows how long. Any questions?"

The nervousness damped a bit, "Only about a million of them, Sir." she said, And curtsied, "I'm new here." she added apologetically, "First day, First class. I've got a lot of catching up to do." the Nerves jumped a little when he stretched his shadow out, but settled down. "I'm probably on your attendance roster-I'm Anna McCall."

"367," started Mavis as the droid rolled onto its legs. "I need the attendance roster," Mavis didn't have to wait long until it found the roster and handed it to him. "Don't worry, its my first day here, so don't worry about being nervous," Mavis stretched out his hands slightly as his shadow slightly extended by the power of his abilities.

"367," started Mavis as the droid rolled onto its legs. "I need the attendance roster," Mavis didn't have to wait long until it found the roster and handed it to him. "Don't worry, its my first day here, so don't worry about being nervous," Mavis stretched out his hands slightly as his shadow slightly extended by the power of his abilities.
Mathieu strolled into class, a bit woozy, but at the diagnosis of Delphina, none the worse for wear. She'd given him a cup of juice and some cookies, though, and they were starting to make him feel better. He chuckld at the irony of the class title. Mathieu had just demonstrated the most control he'd ever had of his power, after all.

Sareau wandered in, carefully extracting four papers from his folder-a report on the Empowered Crime Response Units(ECRU) attached to the police of various major cities, one on the Superpower TActical Response (STAR) teams many states employed, one on the US's American Empowered Government Intervention Service(AEGIS), and finally, a brief report on the United Nations International Superhuman Oversight Network (UNISON) database. Placing them in the instructor's inbox, he took a seat and removed a pad and pencil.

Sareau wandered in, carefully extracting four papers from his folder-a report on the Empowered Crime Response Units(ECRU) attached to the police of various major cities, one on the Superpower TActical Response (STAR) teams many states employed, one on the US's American Empowered Government Intervention Service(AEGIS), and finally, a brief report on the United Nations International Superhuman Oversight Network (UNISON) database. Placing them in the instructor's inbox, he took a seat and removed a pad and pencil.
"What was that...?" MAthieu leaned over and asked, curious.

"Professor Phoenix asked us to prepare reports on local law enforcement we'd face-part of his discussion on deputizing vs. vigilanteeism." Sareau whispered. "Since I intend to be active in the US, I included city, state, and federal agencies, plus a little extra-cred on International. Not that it matters-I'm not certain the substitute is aware of the assignment."

"Professor Phoenix asked us to prepare reports on local law enforcement we'd face-part of his discussion on deputizing vs. vigilanteeism." Sareau whispered. "Since I intend to be active in the US, I included city, state, and federal agencies, plus a little extra-cred on International. Not that it matters-I'm not certain the substitute is aware of the assignment."
"Oh, cool," Mathieu said. "I don't even know of any..."

"Actually, a lot of countries don't bother-they have Empowered troops, sort of a Super-Soldier program that doubles as law enforcement. The US has about seventeen major agencies on the federal level, not including military programs, but I just went with the field agents likely to be encountered."
Sareau shook his head. "God, if I'd have had to get into the legal agencies-there's a ton of those..."

"Actually, a lot of countries don't bother-they have Empowered troops, sort of a Super-Soldier program that doubles as law enforcement. The US has about seventeen major agencies on the federal level, not including military programs, but I just went with the field agents likely to be encountered."
Sareau shook his head. "God, if I'd have had to get into the legal agencies-there's a ton of those..."
"I've heard that buro-bureaucracies are like that," Mathieu struggled to remember the word. "It's like that in my country too. Well, for the programs and agencies I know of..."

"I've heard that buro-bureaucracies are like that," Mathieu struggled to remember the word. "It's like that in my country too. Well, for the programs and agencies I know of..."

"Where I'm from there are 2 types of law enforcement," said Josh, who had quietly sliped into the class."Theres the usual: police ect. Then theres the military. Those guys are utter nutters. Most murderers get sent to the Magni deep crust mines but not if they are caught by the military. The military pushs them out of the nearest air lock!," at this point Josh reliased that he was almost shouting at the top of his lungs."sorry. Its just....They were going to push me out a airlock when they found out about this place." Josh then turned his back for a moment. Not many of the sudents noticed, but he was silently crying. after a moment, he stopped and said to himself theres time to cry later, for now focus on class.

"I've heard the KGB and GRU are like that sometimes," Mathieu said, "But we're usually quite civil..." Mathieu looked uneasily towards Josh, "You okay?"

"I've heard the KGB and GRU are like that sometimes," Mathieu said, "But we're usually quite civil..." Mathieu looked uneasily towards Josh, "You okay?"

"Honesty? No. Having your government say that your a theat to , well everything, and then have them try to push you into a vactum kinda screws with your head," Josh replied, looking up."Should go to a shink but....". his voice trailed off as though of something."Nevermind my problems, should really focus on class."

"Honesty? No. Having your government say that your a theat to , well everything, and then have them try to push you into a vactum kinda screws with your head," Josh replied, looking up."Should go to a shink but....". his voice trailed off as though of something."Nevermind my problems, should really focus on class."
"Class isn't everything, y'know?" Mathieu said. He sighed and leaned back in his seat. He really wasn't used to classes anymore.

Sareau nodded, glad his mask revealed no expression. Dictatorships were often mistrustful of the Empowered-an individual capable of taking out an entire battalion could mount a revolt.
Stalin had hated the Empowered-part of his many pogroms were aimed specifically at them. However, he had also invested heavily in producing his own Empowered agents-Stalnoivolk the only success-which is why many of the Soviet Union's Empowered were only recently come into their abilities and the governments themselves reliant upon brigades in power suits.
As he listened to Josh's tale, he wondered. Being sponsored by the League of Villains meant he could easily fall under the same classification...

Mavis looked at the report given to him as he looked down at 367 for a moment. The droid was already scanning the room as it looked back at Mavis for a moment. He didn't mind the odd chatter but he waited for a moment as he looked at his watch. In fact, it didn't take up much time for him.

"I'm Professor Maverick and I'm going to take your class while Professor Phoenix is away," introduced Mavis. "Now question for everyone, is it important to keep your powers a secert and why or why not."

Mavis looked at the report given to him as he looked down at 367 for a moment. The droid was already scanning the room as it looked back at Mavis for a moment. He didn't mind the odd chatter but he waited for a moment as he looked at his watch. In fact, it didn't take up much time for him.

"I'm Professor Maverick and I'm going to take your class while Professor Phoenix is away," introduced Mavis. "Now question for everyone, is it important to keep your powers a secert and why or why not."
"It's not important one bit." Sareau replied. "Several heroes-and villains-have taken up both sides of the debate, and it's had no impact on their effectiveness or lack thereof.
"The Bat has no powers and maintains a secret identity-at least, no one knows who he is of a certainty. On the other hand, Reed Richards advertises his powers, and he's not the only one. I've seen ads from various Empowered where their powers are the basis of the service they provide.
"The whole secret identity thing is a matter of personal preference, or situational-villains avoiding prosecution, individuals who came into their powers late in life or through accident and wish to protect their loved ones from reprisals...
"I don't think I'll hide my powers, but given their nature, I don't think I could..."

"If I could've hidden my powers," Mathieu spoke, not necessarily to anyone in particular, "I wouldn't have been disowned...or have had to wander the country for two years, so...I'd probably go with hide your powers for $200."

"I COULD hide my powers, but whats the point? I mean, if i wanted to i could level a city! And if people, villian or not, know that, it might put them off doing anything," said Josh.

"Again, situational." Sareau replied. "Nothing to do with your powers as much as your desire for a 'normal life'." Sareau held up two fingers on each gloved hand.
"You are fortunate to have the option-this." He held up a hand to his mask. "Isn't a privacy issue, isn't to protect my identity. It protects all of you."

"Again, situational." Sareau replied. "Nothing to do with your powers as much as your desire for a 'normal life'." Sareau held up two fingers on each gloved hand.
"You are fortunate to have the option-this." He held up a hand to his mask. "Isn't a privacy issue, isn't to protect my identity. It protects all of you."
"Y'know...I electrocuted the first girl I kissed," Mathieu retorted. "She's fine...just some short-term memory loss."

Sareau nodded sympathetically. "Well, it's fortunate there was no greater harm.
"If it isn't offensive, could I ask if that was how your powers manifested?"

"I dont know. All i remember was that i was 10 when they started to present. Some people, including my mother, think it's the result of a genetic mutation. Honestly i dont care what causes them, all i care about is the fact that i have them," replied Josh.

Sareau nodded sympathetically. "Well, it's fortunate there was no greater harm.
"If it isn't offensive, could I ask if that was how your powers manifested?"
"Actually...I was asleep, sometime before my 10th birthday, and when I woke up, I was floating a foot above the mattress," Mathieu said. "It got worse from there: static shock when I touched electronics, shorting out the wiring of the house, getting struck by lightning...several times, sneezing myself into the air...let's see, what other embarrassing things did my powers make me do...?"

"You think thats bad? How about every time you click your fingers you create a small explosion. Thats how my powers start off," said Josh." The only reason i remember that is i have scars where i got burnt by the heat."

"The team that delivered me tore their eyes out before dying." Sareau replied. "Thankfully, Papau was there to prevent further...mishaps.
"My ability to manipulate space didn't emerge until later-about ten or so."

"You think thats bad? How about every time you click your fingers you create a small explosion. Thats how my powers start off," said Josh." The only reason i remember that is i have scars where i got burnt by the heat."
"Scars, eh?" Mathieu lifted up his shirt, showing crisscrossing and intersecting white lines all over his body. "Beer bottle in Shern," he pointed to one, "This is a .40 pistol some farmer shot at me," he moved to another scar, "These are from that sneeze," he showed some others, "Bully...rednecks...white supremacists...bikers," he started going down the list of people and things that had given him his scars.

"While we're talking about war scares," started Mavis as he exposed his left side to expose an infection covered with green clime. "I got this when napalm blew up about 100 metres from my position during the Last Fungi War. Now going on, what's the problem about having powers at a young age and exposing them to authorities that are curious about how you click?"

"OK not THAT many scars," said Josh, who was slightly impressed at the amount of scars that Mathieu had."Most of mine are small and faded so yeah."

"While we're talking about war scares," started Mavis as he exposed his left side to expose an infection covered with green clime. "I got this when napalm blew up about 100 metres from my position during the Last Fungi War. Now going on, what's the problem about having powers at a young age and exposing them to authorities that are curious about how you click?"

"They could take you away from your family and experiment on you. Or see how powerful your abilities are and try to copy them," replied Josh.

"Many governments are obsessed with their own power and stability." Sareau answered. "Young Empowered are often recruited for military units on behalf of certain agencies, or targetted for destruction as possible threats to the regime.
"The lot of the Empowered is rarely pleasant in such lands-captured for brainwashing and manipulation or destroyed for the 'good' of the rulers. Even in relatively free lands, young Empowered face a great deal of social pressure for being different."

"While we're talking about war scares," started Mavis as he exposed his left side to expose an infection covered with green clime. "I got this when napalm blew up about 100 metres from my position during the Last Fungi War. Now going on, what's the problem about having powers at a young age and exposing them to authorities that are curious about how you click?"
Mathieu held a slight grin as he lowered his shirt, feeling he'd impressed Josh.

"Or they could try and kill you; label you as a menace to society," Mathieu added.

"With all the negatives Empowered face, it's hardly surprising heroes will face thirty or more villains." Sareau kicked in:"Frankenstein complex-treat them like monsters until they become monsters. Small wonder secret identities are the norm."

"Oh...Endis, isn't it? Don't believe I've had the pleasure."

"Nor I," Reardon replied. "Glad to meet you...Sauro, is it?"

Sometime later, the young man found himself standing in a classroom, a man standing in the front of the class and "Professor Maveric" written nearby. How quaintly grammar-schoolish. Wonder what other thunderous bursts of wisdom he has to offer.

"With all the negatives Empowered face, it's hardly surprising heroes will face thirty or more villains." Sareau kicked in:"Frankenstein complex-treat them like monsters until they become monsters. Small wonder secret identities are the norm."
"Or you can look at it like martyrs and saints," Mathieu said. "People that were persecuted for doing good things, but later on were found to be holy."

"Or you can look at it like martyrs and saints," Mathieu said. "People that were persecuted for doing good things, but later on were found to be holy."

"Like that schizophrenic French girl, Jean D'Arc?" Sareau asked. "Her lieutenant, Gilles de Rais, was likewise burned for witchcraft-though since the French burned him, he was also tortured first. Hardly seems fair she's patron saint of France while he's vilified-especially when his crime was being wealthier than the King. At least the British were getting rid of a masterful general.
"Forgive me for my cynicism, Mathieu, but I doubt the idea she'd be sainted in the nineteenth century gave her much comfort."

"Like that schizophrenic French girl, Jean D'Arc?" Sareau asked. "Her lieutenant, Gilles de Rais, was likewise burned for witchcraft-though since the French burned him, he was also tortured first. Hardly seems fair she's patron saint of France while he's vilified-especially when his crime was being wealthier than the King. At least the British were getting rid of a masterful general.
"Forgive me for my cynicism, Mathieu, but I doubt the idea she'd be sainted in the nineteenth century gave her much comfort."
"She didn't know she'd be sainted," Mathieu said, "And still would not recant her visions. You don't do good because of the reward later on, but because it is good."

"She didn't know she'd be sainted," Mathieu said, "And still would not recant her visions. You don't do good because of the reward later on, but because it is good."

"You have to remember that Jean thought that it was God speaking to her, at least one of his servents. She would of thought that if she recanted her visions, God would have denined her entry into Heaven," said Josh, showing a large knowledge of Earth history."She didn't say anything because she thought it would of damned her, and therefore she believed that it would save her. Of couse, belief didnt save her from burning..."

"She didn't know she'd be sainted," Mathieu said, "And still would not recant her visions. You don't do good because of the reward later on, but because it is good."
"I expect that's true-one of the more decorated officers of the Varangian Guard was described by the Emperor's daughter, Anna Comnenus, as 'a monster, hateful to her kind' for doing the exact same thing as Jean-though without the schizophrenia."
Sareau considered. "Of course, the discussion of Right and Wrong is largely individual, as History decides long after one's death. 'To thine own self be true, and then it follows, as Night the Day, thou canst not then be false with any other.'"

"Those are all good answers..." started Mavis as he realised he was going to be behind the timetable unless he act now. "Now I have to push forward. Where were you students up to before Professor Phoenix left?"

"You have to remember that Jean thought that it was God speaking to her, at least one of his servents. She would of thought that if she recanted her visions, God would have denined her entry into Heaven," said Josh, showing a large knowledge of Earth history."She didn't say anything because she thought it would of damned her, and therefore she believed that it would save her. Of couse, belief didnt save her from burning..."

"Belief doesn't save anyone from burning...your point?" Mathieu retorted.

"I expect that's true-one of the more decorated officers of the Varangian Guard was described by the Emperor's daughter, Anna Comnenus, as 'a monster, hateful to her kind' for doing the exact same thing as Jean-though without the schizophrenia."
Sareau considered. "Of course, the discussion of Right and Wrong is largely individual, as History decides long after one's death. 'To thine own self be true, and then it follows, as Night the Day, thou canst not then be false with any other.'"

"To rebuke that, And the Lord asked, "Who shall go for us, and whom shall I send?" And said I, "I will go, send me.""

"Those are all good answers..." started Mavis as he realised he was going to be behind the timetable unless he act now. "Now I have to push forward. Where were you students up to before Professor Phoenix left?"

"I believe we were discussing deputising vs. vigilanteeism." Sareau answered, eager to get off the subject as it veered into religion. While he didn't quite see how Mathieu's quote rebuked his own, he really didn't want to argue with someone about Faith-it was an individual matter, and could get personal far too rapidly. Better to let it drop, and hope the class reverted to the instructor...

Dr. Destructo paced the halls of the new school, barely able to contain his excitement. Finally, a place where he could help advance the purposes of evil by passing his considerable knowledge down to the younger generations. In fact, he would have started the school himself if it wasn't for the intrusions of...

No! He must not let past failures resurface! This was a new time, with new possibilities for evil! He couldn't wait until he was able to fill the younger generation with the ideas he had learned through years of experience.

As he walked the halls, he decided it would be good to meet the people who would be his colleagues. Surrounding himself with minds as evil as his was only one of the benefits.

Stopping at the door to the faculty room, he stepped inside.

Professor Whately was rather tired, and the fine stew made by Prof. Lannergan was soothing. Good God-the Colossus of New York! he thought briefly, before realising his error. "Hello-I am Wilbur Whately, one of the faculty here. May I help you?"

Dr. Destructo looked down at the teacher. Apparently, he was a professor of some sort. "Hello there." He replied, smiling a sinister grin. "My name is Richard Prentus, but you may call me..." He paused "...Dr. Destructo!! MUWHAHAHAHA"He broke off into an evil laugh for several minutes, before quickly calming down, re-asserting a straight face again. "I'm the new professor here."

As Reardon listened semi-intently to the pseudo-intellectual mental flatulence that the class was bandying about, a distant yet distinct laugh echoed through the corridors.

Ahh, at last, he thought, someone with a bit of PIZAZZ!

Anna listened quietly, "My government found me after the fifteenth or sixteenth time my relatives tried to re-kill me." she said, looking at the others, "compared to a shocking kiss, or a few fights, consider being fed through a wood-chipper feet first, and spending a week Dead." She uncrossed her arms, pacing nervously, "After they found me, they tried testing-formal testing, with notes, to see how far they could go before I stayed dead longer than eight hours." She stopped, "I've been exposed to radiation, poison gas, suffocated, drowned, stabbed, shot, burned, burned with accellerants, burned with napalm, crushed, buried alive, exsanguinated,electrocuted, boiled, frozen... and died every time, and every time, I came back... for a while, last year, the only decent conversations I got were in the morgue between waking up, and being 'tested' again." she slid her hands into her pockets, "It stopped when Her Majesty took over from her father, learned of the 'testing', and put a halt to it."

Dr. Destructo looked down at the teacher. Apparently, he was a professor of some sort. "Hello there." He replied, smiling a sinister grin. "My name is Richard Prentus, but you may call me..." He paused "...Dr. Destructo!! MUWHAHAHAHA"He broke off into an evil laugh for several minutes, before quickly calming down, re-asserting a straight face again. "I'm the new professor here."

Whately looked at him, his expression serene. "And what exactly do you teach, Dr....Destructo, is it?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sareau listened to Anna's story. How interesting her culture thought such experimentation would be reasonable-he would definately have to pay a visit to her country sometime-the lack of morality and ethics alone made it tempting.
Though, he really doubted he'd want to spend too much time with them-of course, with his powers, he wouldn't need to....

Josh grew steadily more uneasy as he listened to Anna's story. All the stuff he was put through looked like a tea party compared to what Anna went through. The woste part for him was the fact that she didn't die. The thought of dying Josh could stand, as long as it was a one way trip. But to wake up in a few days, fully healed, after going through a woodchipper. But through his uneasy, and almosr fear, he felt respect for Anna, for going through all of that and staying sane. And he began to understand where that bad vibe came from: the atoms that made her up must have extremly powerful energies, energies that Josh could sense. Josh then noticed that, for a chick that had been put through a woodchipper, she didnt look that half bad.

Anna listened quietly, "My government found me after the fifteenth or sixteenth time my relatives tried to re-kill me." she said, looking at the others, "compared to a shocking kiss, or a few fights, consider being fed through a wood-chipper feet first, and spending a week Dead." She uncrossed her arms, pacing nervously, "After they found me, they tried testing-formal testing, with notes, to see how far they could go before I stayed dead longer than eight hours." She stopped, "I've been exposed to radiation, poison gas, suffocated, drowned, stabbed, shot, burned, burned with accellerants, burned with napalm, crushed, buried alive, exsanguinated,electrocuted, boiled, frozen... and died every time, and every time, I came back... for a while, last year, the only decent conversations I got were in the morgue between waking up, and being 'tested' again." she slid her hands into her pockets, "It stopped when Her Majesty took over from her father, learned of the 'testing', and put a halt to it."
"Okay, you win," Mathieu said, chuckling as she had just one-upped all of them in their mini pissing contest.

"No," Reardon said, "you all lose. How many times was this girl killed, and nothing was done to dissipate the disgusting cloud of fools who were killing her? Friends, if there's justice in this world or any other, we should go back there. I can guarantee that, if I were there, at least some of that little congress would be...dissolved. One must put one's enemies in their place!"

"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely...for so they persecuted the prophets before you," Mathieu answered.

ooc: ironically, this passage is found in the Gospel of St. Matthew...

Dastardly Stench;14353853']"No," Reardon said, "you all lose. How many times was this girl killed, and nothing was done to dissipate the disgusting cloud of fools who were killing her? Friends, if there's justice in this world or any other, we should go back there. I can guarantee that, if I were there, at least some of that little congress would be...dissolved. One must put one's enemies in their place!"

"OH! I just remembered something. During an experiment i negated some poor lab assistants atomic bonds," said Josh."Does that count as putting your enemies in place?"

"Depends," Reardon said. "Did the other lab assistants think twice about the next experiment? If they're only vexed, it doesn't serve as a proper deterrent, but if they're intimidated, well, let's just say that sometimes the work is its own reward."

"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent," muttered Mathieu.

Whately looked at him, his expression serene. "And what exactly do you teach, Dr....Destructo, is it?

"Yes." Richard replied, "My class will instruct aspiring young villains the finer points of how exactly to become a successful evil mastermind. Subjects of discussion will include naming your organization, establishing a successful base of operations, and utilizing your powers to create a powerful superweapon, capable of annihilating entire cities in a single blast!!!" He paused for a moment, his fists clenched, basking in his own brilliance. "A field trip to my secret base in the Earth's South Pacific will also be held, with the headmaster's permission, of course." He smiled sinisterly, contemplating the sheer possibilities of the subjects he could cover.

Dastardly Stench;14354145']"Depends," Reardon said. "Did the other lab assistants think twice about the next experiment? If they're only vexed, it doesn't serve as a proper deterrent, but if they're intimidated, well, let's just say that sometimes the work is its own reward."

"They didnt do any more experiments, so i think they got the message. Kinda freaks people out when they find out i can rip them apart at the atomic level...." said Josh

"Yes." Richard replied, "My class will instruct aspiring young villains the finer points of how exactly to become a successful evil mastermind. Subjects of discussion will include naming your organization, establishing a successful base of operations, and utilizing your powers to create a powerful superweapon, capable of annihilating entire cities in a single blast!!!" He paused for a moment, his fists clenched, basking in his own brilliance. "A field trip to my secret base in the Earth's South Pacific will also be held, with the headmaster's permission, of course." He smiled sinisterly, contemplating the sheer possibilities of the subjects he could cover.
"I intend to take the class to Kaiju Island, in the Kuril chain, once I am certain they can work together without killing each other." Professor Whately replied in a soft whisper. "Of course, I'm going to then suffer catastrophic vehicular failure and let them make their own way to the beach sans supervision, as I'm going to get a ship and give them a rendezvous point.
"I should come back to a strong class who understands working together or the last chapter of Lord of the Flies. There's a pool as to who's head is on a pike when I arrive on the beach-it's in the Admissions Office if you want a piece of the action.
"It will be a while, however-today's exercise saw Ms. Okan abandon Mr. Endis to the menace, no one bothered to fish him out, and as a result, he set off their 'grand scheme' prematurely-would have destroyed the station had I not intervened.
"Of course, this was an appraisal, but it showed me there is a great deal of work to do. Your trip, being less hazardous, should not pose a dilemma to the dean nor the Board of Regents.
"Bear in mind, though-most of the student body are not intent on villiany. Teach the heroes too many useful tactics, and you'll have the Board of Regents come down hard. This school doesn't segregate the sides-at least, not since Professor Davis successfully lobbied to force the villains into her ethics class."
Professor Whately moved his massive frame over to Professor Lannergan's hot plate. "Stew, Dr. Destructo? It smells divine."

Dastardly Stench;14353853']"No," Reardon said, "you all lose. How many times was this girl killed, and nothing was done to dissipate the disgusting cloud of fools who were killing her? Friends, if there's justice in this world or any other, we should go back there. I can guarantee that, if I were there, at least some of that little congress would be...dissolved. One must put one's enemies in their place!"



"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely...for so they persecuted the prophets before you," Mathieu answered.

Anna nodded. "Agreed-to a point..." she drew in a breath, Anna peered at Reardon. "They were punished-someone DID stand up and make enough-enough." she said, "Garrett the Second was removed from power, and his daughter took the throne-officially, it was an accident that removed him, and his sons simply didn't make the cut in the Ordeals of Coronation."
she crossed her arms, "Un-officially, the Mediators were growing tired of his paranoia, narcissism, ruthlessness, and high-handedness, and the Army was not far behind them. They backed his daughter for Princepes, and rigged things to insure her succession. In the aftermath, I helped them to question the ones that thought they could protect their sponsor by dying."

she crossed her arms, "Morgues are cold, and smell bad, and dead people have a hard time lying to me-they will tell me everything they know. I have only to ask. I'm curious about how far I can push that, and Her Majesty agrees that I shouldn't be out doing it on my own, now that I'm free again."

She added a faint smile, "Needless to say, the one thing I won't be doing, is visiting my relatives-they're superstitious, you know-think I'm some kind of sign of the coming final conflict, maybe even Hel herself come to midgard-which I am fairly certain is not true..." She sighed, "Hel, after all, has dominion over the dead, and that would be a bit more than the parlour trick of making a dead man testify."

"They didnt do any more experiments, so i think they got the message. Kinda freaks people out when they find out i can rip them apart at the atomic level...." said Josh

Anna looked over at Josh. "ouch. I thought the wood-chipper was bad..."

Anna nodded. "Agreed-to a point..." she drew in a breath, Anna peered at Reardon. "They were punished-someone DID stand up and make enough-enough." she said, "Garrett the Second was removed from power, and his daughter took the throne-officially, it was an accident that removed him, and his sons simply didn't make the cut in the Ordeals of Coronation."
she crossed her arms, "Un-officially, the Mediators were growing tired of his paranoia, narcissism, ruthlessness, and high-handedness, and the Army was not far behind them. They backed his daughter for Princepes, and rigged things to insure her succession. In the aftermath, I helped them to question the ones that thought they could protect their sponsor by dying."

she crossed her arms, "Morgues are cold, and smell bad, and dead people have a hard time lying to me-they will tell me everything they know. I have only to ask. I'm curious about how far I can push that, and Her Majesty agrees that I shouldn't be out doing it on my own, now that I'm free again."

She added a faint smile, "Needless to say, the one thing I won't be doing, is visiting my relatives-they're superstitious, you know-think I'm some kind of sign of the coming final conflict, maybe even Hel herself come to midgard-which I am fairly certain is not true..." She sighed, "Hel, after all, has dominion over the dead, and that would be a bit more than the parlour trick of making a dead man testify."
"Wow, you're country still believes in the Old Gods too?" Mathieu asked. "Of course, a lot of my country is some form of Christian...along with other religions, but there are some who are still Norse holdouts..." he explained. "And I don't think you're Hel, by the way," he amended.

"Wow, you're country still believes in the Old Gods too?" Mathieu asked. "Of course, a lot of my country is some form of Christian...along with other religions, but there are some who are still Norse holdouts..." he explained. "And I don't think you're Hel, by the way," he amended.

Anna sighed, "Not the old-gods, The Gods-though our Jewish community does sometimes differ. Violent, intolerant, religions like Christianity and Islam never really took root." her legs were getting tired, so she sat down modestly, "and thanks for the vote of support-I mean, really, I'm pretty sure I don't have half my body decaying, and I KNOW I don't have Jotun or Aesir bloodlines, but my cousins are very...conservative, and coming back from the grave after forty years kind of creeped them out in a really psychotic way." she sighed, "Not that coming back repeatedly after their oh so kind efforts to put me back in the afterlife on a permanent basis failed might have influenced their point of view."

Anna sighed, "Not the old-gods, The Gods-though our Jewish community does sometimes differ. Violent, intolerant, religions like Christianity and Islam never really took root." her legs were getting tired, so she sat down modestly, "and thanks for the vote of support-I mean, really, I'm pretty sure I don't have half my body decaying, and I KNOW I don't have Jotun or Aesir bloodlines, but my cousins are very...conservative, and coming back from the grave after forty years kind of creeped them out in a really psychotic way." she sighed, "Not that coming back repeatedly after their oh so kind efforts to put me back in the afterlife on a permanent basis failed might have influenced their point of view."
"We're not violent and intolerant," Mathieu said defensively. "I'm taught that all religions have merit and to treat them with respect..." he shook his head, "Sorry, this isn't the place for a religious debate," he apologized. "Y'know, if your family had been more lax and accepted you, you coulda had fun with that..." Mathieu joked.

"We're not violent and intolerant," Mathieu said defensively. "I'm taught that all religions have merit and to treat them with respect..." he shook his head, "Sorry, this isn't the place for a religious debate," he apologized. "Y'know, if your family had been more lax and accepted you, you coulda had fun with that..." Mathieu joked.

Anna flushed a little, "Sorry...um. Yeah, about the religious crack, it's probably unfair, but a pretty common view back home, and even the amazing resource that is the internet probably isn't likely to change things that way for a long time." She tossed her hair back, "As for 'having fun' with it-dying still hurts, and what I can remember of being dead is mostly dark, cold, and lonely."

Anna flushed a little, "Sorry...um. Yeah, about the religious crack, it's probably unfair, but a pretty common view back home, and even the amazing resource that is the internet probably isn't likely to change things that way for a long time." She tossed her hair back, "As for 'having fun' with it-dying still hurts, and what I can remember of being dead is mostly dark, cold, and lonely."
"Well, I just know what I know from my Catechism...so," he shrugged. Mathieu got tongue-tied when she flicked her hair back, "S-sorry, I forgot about that part...and I don't really have much to say about the rest...I'll just be quiet now," he blushed a bit, knowing he was already **tasting ankle...

**foot in his mouth.

Anna watched Mathieu blush, and thought he's cute when he blushes... she pushed the idea away he probably thinks I'm hideous! a Freak or a Monster... and looked down at her hands self consciously, ...or a heathen that has to be 'saved'. she felt uncomfortable, but the thought that he was cute still nagged at her. she wondered what kind of kisser he was, then flushed a little more in embarassment.

Anna watched Mathieu blush, and thought he's cute when he blushes... she pushed the idea away he probably thinks I'm hideous! a Freak or a Monster... and looked down at her hands self consciously, ...or a heathen that has to be 'saved'. she felt uncomfortable, but the thought that he was cute still nagged at her. she wondered what kind of kisser he was, then flushed a little more in embarassment.
"Hey, you all right?" Mathieu cocked his head to the side, a slight grin on his face. "You're kinda spacing..."

"Hey, you all right?" Mathieu cocked his head to the side, a slight grin on his face. "You're kinda spacing..."

she kind of jumped. "Oh, um, I was just thinking about..." you "...something else." she said lamely, "I was distracted-I think the Professor's saying something..."

she kind of jumped. "Oh, um, I was just thinking about..." you "...something else." she said lamely, "I was distracted-I think the Professor's saying something..."
He noticed she was somewhat blushing, and wondered about it. Her last statement made him realize he was in a classroom.

"Oh, yeah...you're right," he said. "Let's talk after class then, ok?"

Anna looked over at Josh. "ouch. I thought the wood-chipper was bad..."

"It dosnt hurt them much if you do them all at once, but if you start at the feet and work your way up....I swear to Auron that the screams were heard in orbit!-" said Josh before stopping. He was starting to sound like a nutter. Maybe what his sister said WAS true: maybe his powers ARE driving him mad....Oh well. IF i am going nuts, which is unlikely, maybe i could go live on Earth. Looks like a nice enough planet.... Josh muttered to himself, just loud enough for only him to hear.

He noticed she was somewhat blushing, and wondered about it. Her last statement made him realize he was in a classroom.

"Oh, yeah...you're right," he said. "Let's talk after class then, ok?"

Smooth, Josh thought.At least he's trying. Josh had tried to go out with a few girls on his home world but most rejected him and the few that didnt were later found out to be doing it on a dare.Come on, I'm not that bad looking am i? thought Josh. this thought was overrun almost instantly as the anger at the assholes at his old school flooded in. He started clicking his fingers almost out of habit but stopped when he saw that his shoe was on fire.
"Oh snap," said Josh, who reached out with his powers and ripped the heat out of the flames. He then patted the flame out of exsistance.

Smooth, Josh thought.At least he's trying. Josh had tried to go out with a few girls on his home world but most rejected him and the few that didnt were later found out to be doing it on a dare.Come on, I'm not that bad looking am i? thought Josh. this thought was overrun almost instantly as the anger at the assholes at his old school flooded in. He started clicking his fingers almost out of habit but stopped when he saw that his shoe was on fire.
"Oh snap," said Josh, who reached out with his powers and ripped the heat out of the flames. He then patted the flame out of exsistance.
Mathieu chuckled, noticing his faux pas. It reminded him of the time he'd blown up the chemistry lab in school.

"Quiet people and we'll start the simulations," shouted Mavis as he was bound to get the students attention. "You'll be going into a...post nuclear war that went badly leaving most of Europe in a massive nuclear wasteland. You'll be landing in Pairs, France, and you'll divide into the teams that Professor Phoenix had put you into to. The villians objective is to stop the heroes from activating the purifying plant that'll change the posioned water into purified water which is drink able. Villians can either halt the heroes from turning the plant on or find a way to destroy it without blowing the purifing dam above them. Any questions?" asked Mavis as he looked around the room.

"Are there any restrictions in power-usage?" Mathieu asked, taking off his jacket and placing it on his chair. He'd just used his powers to a massive amount recently, but his ability to control it had encouraged him.

"Yes," replied Mavis. "Try and avoid killing each other and serious injuries being inflected,"

"Yes," replied Mavis. "Try and avoid killing each other and serious injuries being inflected,"
"Ehehe," Mathieu chuckled, "I'll do my best, sir."

"Umm...I wasn't here for the first leason so i havn't been put on a team so..." said Josh.:"Oh screw it i'll go on the villians side."

"Just one question, Professor Mavis." Sareau had listened to everything, and wondered about one point, though Professor Phoenix had placed him in the heroes team. "Why would the villains not destroy the dam and flood the area with tainted water? It would seem the ideal stratagem for success."

"I intend to take the class to Kaiju Island, in the Kuril chain, once I am certain they can work together without killing each other." Professor Whately replied in a soft whisper. "Of course, I'm going to then suffer catastrophic vehicular failure and let them make their own way to the beach sans supervision, as I'm going to get a ship and give them a rendezvous point.
"I should come back to a strong class who understands working together or the last chapter of Lord of the Flies. There's a pool as to who's head is on a pike when I arrive on the beach-it's in the Admissions Office if you want a piece of the action.
"It will be a while, however-today's exercise saw Ms. Okan abandon Mr. Endis to the menace, no one bothered to fish him out, and as a result, he set off their 'grand scheme' prematurely-would have destroyed the station had I not intervened.
"Of course, this was an appraisal, but it showed me there is a great deal of work to do. Your trip, being less hazardous, should not pose a dilemma to the dean nor the Board of Regents.
"Bear in mind, though-most of the student body are not intent on villiany. Teach the heroes too many useful tactics, and you'll have the Board of Regents come down hard. This school doesn't segregate the sides-at least, not since Professor Davis successfully lobbied to force the villains into her ethics class."
Professor Whately moved his massive frame over to Professor Lannergan's hot plate. "Stew, Dr. Destructo? It smells divine."

"Stew." Dr. Destructo asked, eager for some soup. Of course, he should have anticipated the fact that there would be some problems with teaching a class about villainy to students who don't want to learn it.

"Of course, non-segregated classes are only a minor inconvenience. Those who don't wish to use my lessons can always establish a..." he nearly gagged at the very idea. "...a league of justice."

"Just one question, Professor Mavis." Sareau had listened to everything, and wondered about one point, though Professor Phoenix had placed him in the heroes team. "Why would the villains not destroy the dam and flood the area with tainted water? It would seem the ideal stratagem for success."

Anna looked at Sareau, "Because, it's not about destroying the area, or destroying the water, or even really about destroying the plant-it's about control." she said, "It's the major water source-what will thirsty people do for a drink of water?" She looked around the area, and picked up a simulated skull...

"Oh, I'm so very thirsty...please, I'll do anything for a drink..." she said, moving the holographic-solid jaw-bones, "...anything at all." she dropped it, "Not a real skull, not a real person, but one of the worst experiments wasn't being burned-that didn't take too long-it was dehydration-before I died that time, I was willing to do anything, or anyone, or anything to anyone for a sip of something liquid-and that was under controlled conditions. Imagine what a civilian, or a whole bunch of civilians, would do for a sip of water that wouldn't kill them-what a mother would do to give her baby a drink-Power, Sareau."

ooc: is anna a villain...?

ooc: is anna a villain...?

[ooc-Sareau was put on the "Heroes" team, but was asking why the Villains didn't just blow the dam. Anna's from Sudova, a product of her environment during the paranoid and turbulent 1950's and 1960's, two years in the less-crazed "Modern world" doesn't make up for fourteen spent growing up in an environment where violent feuds and brutal power-plays over water rights and heating oil were normal.]

[ooc-Sareau was put on the "Heroes" team, but was asking why the Villains didn't just blow the dam. Anna's from Sudova, a product of her environment during the paranoid and turbulent 1950's and 1960's, two years in the less-crazed "Modern world" doesn't make up for fourteen spent growing up in an environment where violent feuds and brutal power-plays over water rights and heating oil were normal.]
ooc: ok, i just wondered, cuz it sounded 'villiany'

ic:

"Wow, that's really...messed up," Mathieu said at Anna's answer.

ooc: ok, i just wondered, cuz it sounded 'villiany'

ic:

"Wow, that's really...messed up," Mathieu said at Anna's answer.

"Until the seventies, that was how some of the larger Clans back home kept the smaller ones in line-and how smaller clans became bigger ones-get control of something valuable for life, then make others do you favours for it..." she looked around the simulation, "Rationally, then, the Villain side would need to control either the only other alternate source-or, they want the area cleared of survivors for some other project-possibly forcing the civvies to concentrate in another zone they control exclusively-otherwise the dam, station, and apparatus is of little value to them." She started climbing up a 'stairway' of broken building wall, to get a better look around the site, "So, what we're doing is only important in that it guarantees the civilians have clean water, but it's only worth it to the Villains for the control its continued absence grants them." She peered without popping her head into the clear, cautiously across the wasteland. "We'll need to keep it working and defended, were this a real situation, to keep it out of their hands and functioning."

"Until the seventies, that was how some of the larger Clans back home kept the smaller ones in line-and how smaller clans became bigger ones-get control of something valuable for life, then make others do you favours for it..." she looked around the simulation, "Rationally, then, the Villain side would need to control either the only other alternate source-or, they want the area cleared of survivors for some other project-possibly forcing the civvies to concentrate in another zone they control exclusively-otherwise the dam, station, and apparatus is of little value to them." She started climbing up a 'stairway' of broken building wall, to get a better look around the site, "So, what we're doing is only important in that it guarantees the civilians have clean water, but it's only worth it to the Villains for the control its continued absence grants them." She peered without popping her head into the clear, cautiously across the wasteland. "We'll need to keep it working and defended, were this a real situation, to keep it out of their hands and functioning."
Mathieu followed after her, impressed with how she'd gotten a handle on the situation.

"You're really good," he said, "I wouldn't have known all that stuff..." he admitted. "I can project a shield over the plant," Mathieu offered.

Mathieu followed after her, impressed with how she'd gotten a handle on the situation.

"You're really good," he said, "I wouldn't have known all that stuff..." he admitted. "I can project a shield over the plant," Mathieu offered.

Yes you go do that, so i can use it against you thought Josh, who happened to be behind a pile of rubble about 30 feet away from the 2 of them.
Josh aready had a plan, but he would a lot of energy to do it. Sure there was bound to be some radiation around but he didnt want to waste time looking for it. And Mathieu was pretty much a walking battery to him.
The guy's nice, so i wont take ALL of his energy

ooc: it's basically at mathieu's will whether or not to discharge energy, fyi

The arena suddenly changed into post-nuclear war Paris with holograms but Professor Maverick smiled as he looked around. There was something different about this simulation as the wall next to them said in blood: 'Betrayal'.

"If there's one thing people should know," started Mavis as he turned into a mutated werewolf with eight tentacles coming out of his back. "Paris doesn't have dams and you need to use common sense. There's no plant, there's only one thing Humans do best: survival of the strongest. Prove me wrong and everyone will pass the simulation and any simulation they've missed. Question is: is there going to be factions? Are we going to fight to the death? Are we going to be diplomatic? Are we going to find the plant or the dam that doesn't exist?" shouted Mavis as he transformed into his third form. "Each of you are the last of your kind and I'm the creature that's going to take you down. I'll give you five minutes to sort yourselves out before we begin," finished Mavis as he suddenly vanished into thin air.

By now, Lucus had come back from (OOC: presume its being awhile) the surface as he entered the post-nuclear war. He entered the arena as he looked around as he listened to the last of the professor's speech before it dawn on him.

"Ahhh...he wants to see if we'll divide or become pray to his attacks," finished Lucus as he joined his classmates but kept quiet.

"Grrr....Oh well. If he wants a fight he'll get one!" said Josh, unleashing rather large amount of energy as he said it. He then created 3 balls of energy that were not unlike the ones he created before he got to class. the main difference was that these on had a core tempature of about 1500 degrees centregrade. he could go higher but it would drain so much energy that he would pass out. Then Josh had a thought.
"Hey Mathieu, how about we team up? You can act as a power souce and i will act as the controller, shouted Josh.

The arena suddenly changed into post-nuclear war Paris with holograms but Professor Maverick smiled as he looked around. There was something different about this simulation as the wall next to them said in blood: 'Betrayal'.

"If there's one thing people should know," started Mavis as he turned into a mutated werewolf with eight tentacles coming out of his back. "Paris doesn't have dams and you need to use common sense. There's no plant, there's only one thing Humans do best: survival of the strongest. Prove me wrong and everyone will pass the simulation and any simulation they've missed. Question is: is there going to be factions? Are we going to fight to the death? Are we going to be diplomatic? Are we going to find the plant or the dam that doesn't exist?" shouted Mavis as he transformed into his third form. "Each of you are the last of your kind and I'm the creature that's going to take you down. I'll give you five minutes to sort yourselves out before we begin," finished Mavis as he suddenly vanished into thin air.

By now, Lucus had come back from (OOC: presume its being awhile) the surface as he entered the post-nuclear war. He entered the arena as he looked around as he listened to the last of the professor's speech before it dawn on him.

"Ahhh...he wants to see if we'll divide or become pray to his attacks," finished Lucus as he joined his classmates but kept quiet.
"So, there's...what?" Mathieu turned to Anna. "No plant...but there is a plant?" he asked. He looked around, "I'll follow you, simply because you seem to have a better handle on it," he said.

"Grrr....Oh well. If he wants a fight he'll get one!" said Josh, unleashing rather large amount of energy as he said it. He then created 3 balls of energy that were not unlike the ones he created before he got to class. the main difference was that these on had a core tempature of about 1500 degrees centregrade. he could go higher but it would drain so much energy that he would pass out. Then Josh had a thought.
"Hey Mathieu, how about we team up? You can act as a power souce and i will act as the controller, shouted Josh.
ooc: aren't we on opposite teams? oh, and mathieu is with anna, atm...

Lucus looked around as he went over to the group already forming a team together.

"Can i join your team?" he asked as he looked around.


OOC: Mavis has put you guys in a situation where society has fallen and there's no such thing as villians and heroes. So students are required to form teams before he comes back.

Lucus looked around as he went over to the group already forming a team together.

"Can i join your team?" he asked as he looked around.


OOC: Mavis has put you guys in a situation where society has fallen and there's no such thing as villians and heroes. So students are required to form teams before he comes back.
ooc: oh, i see. i was confused a bit

ic:

"Sure, Anna seems to have a handle on this," Mathieu explains, "So I guess I'll be the muscle," he chuckles bashfully.

"Can i join your team?" he asked as he looked around.



Damnit, Mathieu is with Anna. This wont be good for me though Josh as he heard Lucus talk.
"Eh? Oh hey there. whne did you get here.....mm, whats your name? My's Josh by the way. And please don't touch the orbs. They will melt your skin if you do," said Josh.

"Thanks," smiled Lucus. "It would be wise we prepare ourselves before Professor Mave...rick comes back," pointed out Lucus as he had trouble pronoucing the professor's name. Pairs was in ruins with the Effial Tower only having the lower part of it left over and the top of it smashed into a nearby building. Cars were banked up to the back of the road as the students had landed in front of a building that had a upside down 'U' which allowed people to pass through. "The best idea would be to hide in a building rather than behind the cars. Mavis can throw cars around like toys and he has problems with buildings," finished Lucus before a boy know as Josh introduced himself to Lucus. "I...rather not talk about it. My name is Lucus and I think I'll stay away from orbs," finished Lucus as he avoided the orbs.

"Lucus. cars like toys. Got it," said Josh, bring in the orbs closer to him. He then proformed a few attacks by moving his arms. The orbs followed his arms movements and his commands.
"Good," said Josh

OOC: Josh's fighting style with the orbs revolves around his useage of his arms. 2 of the orbs are moved by him moving his arms and the 3rd is there for trick attacks.

OOC: read the last few posts man....

OOC: There's no plant Ordo Drakul. Mavis has set a trap for the students basically.

"Lucus. cars like toys. Got it," said Josh, bring in the orbs closer to him. He then proformed a few attacks by moving his arms. The orbs followed his arms movements and his commands.
"Good," said Josh

OOC: Josh's fighting style with the orbs revolves around his useage of his arms. 2 of the orbs are moved by him moving his arms and the 3rd is there for trick attacks.
A spark of blue coalesced on Mathieu's arm, turning into a solid blue sword. On his other hand, a similarly blue shield formed.

"Too cliche?" he asked the others.

"Cars?" Reardon asked.

He pulled his goggles over his eyes.

PFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTATATATATTATATTAT!!

A dark green tendril slowly snaked down between his legs and landed, snake-like, on the ground in front of him. As it did, cracks and fissures formed in the ground itself. Moving forward, it seemed to crawl, leaving still more cracks in the ground, until it reached a point a few feet in front of him. There, it seemed to dissipate, but the crack in the ground continued to grow. Now, the earth was rumbling.

Soon, there was a hole in the ground, then, a fissure. The cars began to fall into the fissure as it spread.

By then, The Sphincter had long since taken to the air. He watched the whole thing from a few hundred feet off the ground with a satisfied grin.

Mathieu followed after her, impressed with how she'd gotten a handle on the situation.

"You're really good," he said, "I wouldn't have known all that stuff..." he admitted. "I can project a shield over the plant," Mathieu offered.

"First things first-find the plant." Anna said, "The way a feud shakes down in a resource-fight, the path or paths will be guarded, either with armed followers, or traps-we're best assuming the enemy has already taken the site and we're going to need to take it from them-intact..." she checked the area, and rolled off the broken wall. "I see rubble, the base of a steel truss structure, broken buildings, but nothing that looks like a water purification plant." she said, "anybody got a map? and let's get out of the street-we're vulnerable to tracking here."

"First things first-find the plant." Anna said, "The way a feud shakes down in a resource-fight, the path or paths will be guarded, either with armed followers, or traps-we're best assuming the enemy has already taken the site and we're going to need to take it from them-intact..." she checked the area, and rolled off the broken wall. "I see rubble, the base of a steel truss structure, broken buildings, but nothing that looks like a water purification plant." she said, "anybody got a map? and let's get out of the street-we're vulnerable to tracking here."
ooc: ok, so is there, or isn't there, a plant?

ic:

"I don't think he gave us maps," Mathieu said, "I could fly you up, so you could see the terrain better," he offered.

A spark of blue coalesced on Mathieu's arm, turning into a solid blue sword. On his other hand, a similarly blue shield formed.

"Too cliche?" he asked the others.

"A little bit," said Josh, who was thinking of ways to generste shields.
"Lets see: energy shield, kinetic shield, movement negation shield. Ummm....thats it," said Josh, who created a different shield around himself as he said them.

Anna nodded, "Let's take a look-be careful, though-if we can see them, they're likely be seeing us-we'll have to move fast once we're down on the ground again."

[ooc: Gotta go to work now, be back on later.]

Anna nodded, "Let's take a look-be careful, though-if we can see them, they're likely be seeing us-we'll have to move fast once we're down on the ground again."

[ooc: Gotta go to work now, be back on later.]
"All right," Mathieu nodded, his weapons dissipating into static. "Hold on."

He'd never actually carried anyone, but he walked over and took a firm hold of each of Anna's arms. "Step on my feet," he directed, as he began to levitate off the ground. Mathieu concentrated on keeping his balance, lifting them a couple hundred feet into the air, "Do we need to go higher?" he asked.

OOC: What's going on?

OOC: tactical simulation. GOOD GUYS want to FIND THE WATER TEATMENT PLANT AND TURN IT ON; BAD GUYS want to DESTROY IT.

IC:

Next, The Sphincter went up to a thousand feet or so and took a look around.

"That must be it," he said, spying a building in the distance.

Ooc: Kk

OOC: Whether he's right or not is anybody's guess.

OOC: Dastardly Stench is wasting his time. the objective is to form teams in a fallen society era. The Professor is returning.


THERE'S NO PLANT OR DAM!!! EITHER FORM TEAMS OR FACE THE COMING STORM BY YOUSELVES!!!

What looked like a water purification plant from a distance turned out only to be an abandoned shipping dock. The Sphincter used another burn to turn himself around. Soon, he had found the others. In another burst of flame, he set himself down in front of them.

"Well," he said, "what's next?"

"Who knows? Just play it by ear." Sareau warped space about himself, determining to shred anything that opposed him. Space and Time flowed about him as he prepared for whatever would come...

The view was breathtaking-and depressing. "We're high enough." Anna said, enjoying the feeling, "but there's no plant. I think this is intended as a no-win situation, putting teams against each other...bring us down, there's also no dam, which means no reservoir, which also means the other rules are...flexible." she felt him land them, "I probably won't be much use in a fight unless we can get the drop on them." she added-"No real-live dead people around to ask for information either. We need to get our team together in a defensible condition."

The view was breathtaking-and depressing. "We're high enough." Anna said, enjoying the feeling, "but there's no plant. I think this is intended as a no-win situation, putting teams against each other...bring us down, there's also no dam, which means no reservoir, which also means the other rules are...flexible." she felt him land them, "I probably won't be much use in a fight unless we can get the drop on them." she added-"No real-live dead people around to ask for information either. We need to get our team together in a defensible condition."
"All right," Mathieu says, rallying Josh and Lucus. "Anna says we should get into a defensible position," he explained, letting her fill them in on the rest. "I wish I could hand over a sword...but it'd just fry you," he chuckled. "You be the brains and we'll do the fighting, okay?" he turned to the others for agreement.

"That's ok," replied Lucus as he smiled as he drew out his sword from his hands. "Its some sought of Hell Forge Sword I can weild using darkness abilities. I suggest we stay away from the cars since the professor can use them like simple toys. What about buildings?" asked Lucus as he noticed the water was vibrating from something very close. The vibration was coming closer and becoming more quicker. "Something is coming really close," noted Lucus as the vibration in the water stopped along with the thumps.

"That's ok," replied Lucus as he smiled as he drew out his sword from his hands. "Its some sought of Hell Forge Sword I can weild using darkness abilities. I suggest we stay away from the cars since the professor can use them like simple toys. What about buildings?" asked Lucus as he noticed the water was vibrating from something very close. The vibration was coming closer and becoming more quicker. "Something is coming really close," noted Lucus as the vibration in the water stopped along with the thumps.
Mathieu nods and steps in front of Anna, ready to erect a shield if necessary.

Anna swept the street with her eyes again, and picked a building that was mostly collapsed, but had an intact basement (or it looked intact-the floor of it was visible during her thrill-ride, and the entry was visible from the ground.) "There-get under cover over there, and hope he's busy with the other team while we work up a plan and get set up..." she pointed, and matched her words with actions. "Mat, worry about protecting the others-if he kills me, it'll hurt, but I'll come back. He kills one of them and the loss is somewhat more permanent-like LOTS." She saw how worried he looked, "hey, if you guys do it right, he won't have time to match the wood-chipper, okay?"

Anna swept the street with her eyes again, and picked a building that was mostly collapsed, but had an intact basement (or it looked intact-the floor of it was visible during her thrill-ride, and the entry was visible from the ground.) "There-get under cover over there, and hope he's busy with the other team while we work up a plan and get set up..." she pointed, and matched her words with actions. "Mat, worry about protecting the others-if he kills me, it'll hurt, but I'll come back. He kills one of them and the loss is somewhat more permanent-like LOTS." She saw how worried he looked, "hey, if you guys do it right, he won't have time to match the wood-chipper, okay?"
Mathieu gave her a pained look, as if following her orders violated his tenets-which they did. Instead, he nodded and led them to the basement, ushering them to find cover quickly.

Lucus listened too the advice and headed towards the basement. He looked around as a car was thrown into the air. Lucus watched as the car was thrown aside.

'This can't be good,' thought Lucus to himself as a creature appeared.

"Guys," shouted Lucus as his legs were suddenly wrapped together. "I could use some help!"

Lucus had a tentacle wrapped around him but instead of expecting the professor, the Fungi Feeder had appeared. It looked at Lucus for a moment with its massive eyes as the tentacles stroked him for a moment. It shake's it head for a moment as he was tossed aside towards the group but missed them. The creature looked around and noticed Anna was in the group. It licked its lips as the tentalces with the suckers on the side, travelled through the air and along the ground towards Anna.

"Mathieu! Its going after the girl! It ain't gonna be pretty if it gets its tentacles on her!" finished Lucus as he stood up before a tentacle attempted to crush him only to dodge it. Lucus drew out his sword as he attempted to slice the tentacle off before the creature sat down. He watched it for a moment as Professor Maverick appeared alongside numerous Fungi Demons. The professor had became part of the Fungi and had nine tentacles growing out of his back. His skin was a slimy green, his eyes were as red as the fires of hell and he was weilding two Hell Forged Class Longswords.

'This can't be good,' thought Lucus to himself as he was quickly attacked by a Fungi Demon.

Screw orders! Mathieu said, taking Lucus' advice. He fired two bolts of energy at the approaching tentacles, making a sword in his other hand, taking a battle stance in front of Anna.

Anna fought relief with annoyance, panic with both. The fungi-demon shape was huge, the swords looked painful.

Fervently, she wished she had a bottle of chlorine bleach at hand, or athlete's foot medication-something that could really hurt the demon.

Think!!! Anna didn't have much to use as a weapon, other than her wits...

Drug-stores..drug-stores...hardware stores? don't they have hardware stores in these cities? She scooped the skull she'd used to illustrate her points, and remembered seeing a supermarket-like structure on the next street over. She Threw the skull at the fungi-demon as she bolted left, "Hey!! OVER HERE!!"

Bleach, cleansers...gotta be bleach, right? supermarkets always have bleach... She whipped a fist-sized rock at it as well, for good measure-aiming low-centre of mass in the vain hope she could nail his goodies-or at least, distract him with a near miss-maybe enough to draw his attention and let Mathieu get into a really good shooting position. She zigged and swerved, pelting the Professor with Sudovan profanity in the Hill People dialect while trying to stay both seen, and hard to target with a mid-size sedan.

Anna fought relief with annoyance, panic with both. The fungi-demon shape was huge, the swords looked painful.

Fervently, she wished she had a bottle of chlorine bleach at hand, or athlete's foot medication-something that could really hurt the demon.

Think!!! Anna didn't have much to use as a weapon, other than her wits...

Drug-stores..drug-stores...hardware stores? don't they have hardware stores in these cities? She scooped the skull she'd used to illustrate her points, and remembered seeing a supermarket-like structure on the next street over. She Threw the skull at the fungi-demon as she bolted left, "Hey!! OVER HERE!!"

Bleach, cleansers...gotta be bleach, right? supermarkets always have bleach... She whipped a fist-sized rock at it as well, for good measure-aiming low-centre of mass in the vain hope she could nail his goodies-or at least, distract him with a near miss-maybe enough to draw his attention and let Mathieu get into a really good shooting position. She zigged and swerved, pelting the Professor with Sudovan profanity in the Hill People dialect while trying to stay both seen, and hard to target with a mid-size sedan.
"Hey, wait up!" Mathieu said, firing two more bolts and dashing after her. He couldn't catch up, so he dove forward and began to fly, skimming the surface, dodging objects in his flightpath.

"C'mon," he grabs her waist and takes off with her, "Where you headed?" he asks, firing two bolts towards the Professor and Fungi as he glances back.

"You lot, take care of Lucus," ordered Mavis as his mutation has completed transformed him. "I'll escort the Feeder to the girl," grinned Mavis as he led the Feeder towards the pair as orbs flew in all directions.

"I'll take the lot of you on if I have to!" shouted Lucus as he got in the way of Mavis and the Feeder.

"Get out of my way!" shouted Mavis as he clashed swords with Lucus for a moment as he weakened Lucus defence.

"Hell no!" replied Lucus as a tentacle took his arms and picked him up while his sword dropped to the ground. His eyes tried to look around as he was thrown into the sky and caught again by the Feeder. Lucus was hanging upside down as he was wrapped with tentacles.

The Feeder contiuned on as it sent several tentacles to wrap the boy and the girl in before using the girl as a source of re-producing. Its eyes lit up as it started to ctach up with the pair. Lucus finally got his hands loose as he sent a wave of sand into the Feeder's eyes causing it to lose its grip on Lucus and the tentacles halted for a moment. It let out a loud groan as it attempted to remove the sand from its eyes.

"You lot, take care of Lucus," ordered Mavis as his mutation has completed transformed him. "I'll escort the Feeder to the girl," grinned Mavis as he led the Feeder towards the pair as orbs flew in all directions.

"I'll take the lot of you on if I have to!" shouted Lucus as he got in the way of Mavis and the Feeder.

"Get out of my way!" shouted Mavis as he clashed swords with Lucus for a moment as he weakened Lucus defence.

"Hell no!" replied Lucus as a tentacle took his arms and picked him up while his sword dropped to the ground. His eyes tried to look around as he was thrown into the sky and caught again by the Feeder. Lucus was hanging upside down as he was wrapped with tentacles.

The Feeder contiuned on as it sent several tentacles to wrap the boy and the girl in before using the girl as a source of re-producing. Its eyes lit up as it started to ctach up with the pair. Lucus finally got his hands loose as he sent a wave of sand into the Feeder's eyes causing it to lose its grip on Lucus and the tentacles halted for a moment. It let out a loud groan as it attempted to remove the sand from its eyes.
A blue orb of energy enveloped both of them, as Mathieu increased his speed. He fired off burst after burst at the tentacles, heading for the building Anna was heading for.

Sareau gestured, and the car redirected towards the Fungi Feeder. "I can deal with thrown weapons easily enough. WHy don't you go on the offensive while I cover you? He'll stop throwing things once he realises they go where I desire."
Scanning for incoming missiles, he surveyed the scene about him. Perhaps intangibility would be best-but he'd reserve that for an emergency. Far better to surprise his opponent with his permutations of his powers than lay all out initially. His irritation with these exercises was making him want to try spooling...

OOC: sorry for not posting for a few days. had stuff to do. just assume that Josh got caught by this Fungi Feeder.

"GET.THE.HELL.OFF.ME!!!" shout Josh at the Fungi Feeder, slashing at the...whatever it was wrapped around his leg.
"SCREW THIS!!" Josh then offically got pissed off and click his fingers. The light orbs then charged the thing and exploded in rather large balls of heat and light. And all it seemed to do was piss it off. But at least it let go of him. Falling back, he fell onto the ground and started moving back.
"Damnit damnit damnit. A LITTLE HELP!" shouted Josh, creating a shield around himself.

OOC: Ditto to Orinon.

IC:
"Ah fuck this!" said Ziyo as the Feeder grabbed a hold of his limbs.
Converting to electricity and reforming a few yards away, Ziyo looked incredibly bored.
Off to his left he saw Josh with his shield.
Once again converting, he moved over to Josh and reformed.
"Go on ahead. This thing can't catch me." said Ziyo, shooting a bolt of what used to be one of his toe-nails at the Feeder.

ooc: waiting for sudova to reveal her chem attack on the Fungi Feeder, so...

Kagetora;14362044']

IC:
"Ah fuck this!" said Ziyo as the Feeder grabbed a hold of his limbs.
Converting to electricity and reforming a few yards away, Ziyo looked incredibly bored.
Off to his left he saw Josh with his shield.
Once again converting, he moved over to Josh and reformed.
"Go on ahead. This thing can't catch me." said Ziyo, shooting a bolt of what used to be one of his toe-nails at the Feeder.

Josh heard him but wasn't listening. Standing up, Josh started increasing the size of his shield while walking forwards. Every time the Feeder touched the shield it had to move back or risk being destoryed by the massive amount of energy Josh was pumping into it.
"Mathieu! I need help! I know how to kill this thing but i don't have enough energy! Can you come help?" shouted Josh.

Slightly annoyed at what seemed to be Josh ignoring him, said
"Can you channel electrical energy?"

Mathieu weighed what to do. Thundering forward, he dropped Anna off next to the building she indicated, turning and firing off bolts at the Feeder. He sped forward towards Josh and Ziyo.

"Whatcha need?" he asked them both.

"Energy. Lots of it. And before you ask i'm going to compress this thing into a rock," said Josh
Slightly annoyed at what seemed to be Josh ignoring him, said
"Can you channel electrical energy?"

"Yes," said Josh."Hell, i can channel ANY energy. Now if you would be so kind as assist..."
and with that Josh threw the shield aroung as much of the Feeder as he could.

OOC: HAPPY 100 POSTS FOR ME!

OOC: Congratz

IC:
Ziyo put his hand on Josh's shoulder. Converting his whole body into electricity.
"Shoot me into the Feeder. I'll see what I can do from there."

"Sure," said Josh, sending Ziyo into the Feeder in a blaze of energy. He then pushed as much energy he could into the shield and started to shrink it, the white strips in his hair starting to glow orange. He then waited for Mathieu to start feeding energy into him...

"Sure," said Josh, sending Ziyo into the Feeder in a blaze of energy. He then pushed as much energy he could into the shield and started to shrink it, the white strips in his hair starting to glow orange. He then waited for Mathieu to start feeding energy into him...
"Huh...never zapped anyone who wanted me to before," Mathieu quipped, placing his hand on Josh as he began to concentrate. Blue static crackled over his arm and hand as he fed him energy.

"WOH! Now THATS energy," said Josh, as he felt the energy flow into him. He then used the energy to start crushing the Fungi Feeder, at the same time increasing the temprture of the shield in an attmept to burn some of the Feeder away.

Ziyo moved to what he thought was the center of the Feeder, where he concentrated himself in an electric ball and started bouncing around the area like a pinball.

"bleach..." every housewife (and thus, every girl who ever had to take care of a home in the fifties in Sudova under her mother's direction) knows that fungus dies when it's hit with certain, relatively stable chemicals. Top of the list, at least, in Anna's mind, was an American product called "Clorox". Smelly and nasty, it burns the eyes, but it also burns fungus, mold, and other such organisms.

The stuff is also really hard to ignite-the odds of such a cleaning chemical surviving a non-surface, high altitude, nuclear blast (the way that, for instance, the buildings had mostly done) were good, and unlike a lot of other things, it isn't something panicked people or looters horde in a chaotic situation.

Ammonia might also work, but bleach is best... the shelving was tumbled over in the store, and it was hard going once inside, among the shattered bottles and ruined home products, she found a row of unruptured bottles.

Taking the cap off of one brought up that nasty swimming-pool odour that burns the eyes.

"perfect." she muttered, dragging two gallons out. She used a sharp piece of debris to cut the bottles open, then, she brought them to the front of the store.

She went back, got two more, and did the same thing. She didn't bother with the broken remains of a mop-bucket, it would have been easier, but it was melted and crushed and of no use whatsoever-unlike the bottled bleach in the back, the mop-bucket had apparently been in the front of the establishment when the bomb went off several kilometers away.

"Just like mom taught me..." Mathieu zapped tentacles outside, gotta remember-tell people what you're doing! and zapped one of the other 'hero' team members.

The thing looked distracted-at least, for the moment.

Sure hope this works... "MATHIEU!! BLEACH!!!" she shouted, "BLEACH KILLS FUNGUS!!!" (she didn't bother to mention that it also burns skin, or that the chlorine can destroy lung tissue...)

"bleach..." every housewife (and thus, every girl who ever had to take care of a home in the fifties in Sudova under her mother's direction) knows that fungus dies when it's hit with certain, relatively stable chemicals. Top of the list, at least, in Anna's mind, was an American product called "Clorox". Smelly and nasty, it burns the eyes, but it also burns fungus, mold, and other such organisms.

The stuff is also really hard to ignite-the odds of such a cleaning chemical surviving a non-surface, high altitude, nuclear blast (the way that, for instance, the buildings had mostly done) were good, and unlike a lot of other things, it isn't something panicked people or looters horde in a chaotic situation.

Ammonia might also work, but bleach is best... the shelving was tumbled over in the store, and it was hard going once inside, among the shattered bottles and ruined home products, she found a row of unruptured bottles.

Taking the cap off of one brought up that nasty swimming-pool odour that burns the eyes.

"perfect." she muttered, dragging two gallons out. She used a sharp piece of debris to cut the bottles open, then, she brought them to the front of the store.

She went back, got two more, and did the same thing. She didn't bother with the broken remains of a mop-bucket, it would have been easier, but it was melted and crushed and of no use whatsoever-unlike the bottled bleach in the back, the mop-bucket had apparently been in the front of the establishment when the bomb went off several kilometers away.

"Just like mom taught me..." Mathieu zapped tentacles outside, gotta remember-tell people what you're doing! and zapped one of the other 'hero' team members.

The thing looked distracted-at least, for the moment.

Sure hope this works... "MATHIEU!! BLEACH!!!" she shouted, "BLEACH KILLS FUNGUS!!!" (she didn't bother to mention that it also burns skin, or that the chlorine can destroy lung tissue...)
"You want me to get the bleach on it?" he asked, "I can do that...!"

Anna realized the thing was larger-it would need more than the four gallons she'd already brought out. "I'm going for more!" she said, "Get it all over the thing, I'll see if there's anything else here we can use!" and went back inside.

okay, if it's got a slime coat...damn alcohol's low flash-point...but there ARE other degreasers...and maybe more things of use... She shoved another toppled shelf over-like most stores, the shelves here were thin sheet-metal, and once upended, they were light and easy to move. I hope they're alright...

Anna realized the thing was larger-it would need more than the four gallons she'd already brought out. "I'm going for more!" she said, "Get it all over the thing, I'll see if there's anything else here we can use!" and went back inside.

okay, if it's got a slime coat...damn alcohol's low flash-point...but there ARE other degreasers...and maybe more things of use... She shoved another toppled shelf over-like most stores, the shelves here were thin sheet-metal, and once upended, they were light and easy to move. I hope they're alright...
"Gimme a sec!" Mathieu told Josh, rushing over to the bleach containers she'd laid out. He picked up one in each hand, jetting himself over the Fungi and turning it into a dive-bomb. He released the containers and fired, rupturing the plastic down the middle, letting the bleach cascade upon the creature. Mathiue flew back down, reaching for the second pair.

Anna peeked to see if the bleach was at least hurting it-if it didn't, she'd need a new, improved plan...one that would work.

"bleach..." every housewife (and thus, every girl who ever had to take care of a home in the fifties in Sudova under her mother's direction) knows that fungus dies when it's hit with certain, relatively stable chemicals. Top of the list, at least, in Anna's mind, was an American product called "Clorox". Smelly and nasty, it burns the eyes, but it also burns fungus, mold, and other such organisms.

The stuff is also really hard to ignite-the odds of such a cleaning chemical surviving a non-surface, high altitude, nuclear blast (the way that, for instance, the buildings had mostly done) were good, and unlike a lot of other things, it isn't something panicked people or looters horde in a chaotic situation.

Ammonia might also work, but bleach is best... the shelving was tumbled over in the store, and it was hard going once inside, among the shattered bottles and ruined home products, she found a row of unruptured bottles.

Taking the cap off of one brought up that nasty swimming-pool odour that burns the eyes.

"perfect." she muttered, dragging two gallons out. She used a sharp piece of debris to cut the bottles open, then, she brought them to the front of the store.

She went back, got two more, and did the same thing. She didn't bother with the broken remains of a mop-bucket, it would have been easier, but it was melted and crushed and of no use whatsoever-unlike the bottled bleach in the back, the mop-bucket had apparently been in the front of the establishment when the bomb went off several kilometers away.

"Just like mom taught me..." Mathieu zapped tentacles outside, gotta remember-tell people what you're doing! and zapped one of the other 'hero' team members.

The thing looked distracted-at least, for the moment.

Sure hope this works... "MATHIEU!! BLEACH!!!" she shouted, "BLEACH KILLS FUNGUS!!!" (she didn't bother to mention that it also burns skin, or that the chlorine can destroy lung tissue...)

Clever girl, Sareau thought. Now, let us hope this thing is truly a fungus, since it resists impact well. With a wave of his hand, he relocated he bleach bottles high above the Feeder, where gravity did the rest...

As the bleach dripped down into the Feeder, Ziyo ran into it. It was much more conductive than the Feeder, and Ziyo shot forward, and out of the shield.
Reforming, he landed, or rather crashed, a few feet behind Josh and Mathieu.
"Oww..." he said, making sure he had no bad injuries. There was a decent scrape on his left hand, but that was about it.
Turning around, he watched the bleach continue to pour onto the Feeder. It probably wasn't safe to go back in.

The Feeder stood still as it started to shrink in size for a moment before exploding. Mavis turned around as he sent Lucus flying backwards, pounding the student against the wall. Lucus collasped onto the ground as he panted for air. However, even though the hologram returned to the arena. something strange happened. When the creature expelled the invader inside of itself, the Feeder had laid an egg the size of two ostrich eggs.

"367, execute protocol Hotel 737," Mavis said to the droid as scattered off back to Mavis' office. "Students, class if over for the day. Next time we'll be doing theory,"

The Feeder stood still as it started to shrink in size for a moment before exploding. Mavis turned around as he sent Lucus flying backwards, pounding the student against the wall. Lucus collasped onto the ground as he panted for air. However, even though the hologram returned to the arena. something strange happened. When the creature expelled the invader inside of itself, the Feeder had laid an egg the size of two ostrich eggs.

"367, execute protocol Hotel 737," Mavis said to the droid as scattered off back to Mavis' office. "Students, class if over for the day. Next time we'll be doing theory,"
"Whoa..." Mathieu said, trotting over to Lucus, "You okay, dude?" he asked, looking around for the others. He waved over Josh and Anna.

Lucus coughed for a moment as he looked around.

"Bloody hell," muttered Lucus. "I'm alright," replied Lucus as he blinked and helped himself up. "Did it get...err...Ann...Anna," Lucus suddenly coughed again. "As long as the girl is safe, the job...the job was a success," Lucus shake his head. "The Fungi would've enjoyed having a girl that can regenerate,"

Anna wiped glop off, and walked over to the rest of the team. "You guys alright?" she asked, worriedly. She looked over at the egg on the floor, then back at the boys. "Sorry I couldn't be more help-looks like I've got LOTS of studying to do..."

Lucus coughed for a moment as he looked around.

"Bloody hell," muttered Lucus. "I'm alright," replied Lucus as he blinked and helped himself up. "Did it get...err...Ann...Anna," Lucus suddenly coughed again. "As long as the girl is safe, the job...the job was a success," Lucus shake his head. "The Fungi would've enjoyed having a girl that can regenerate,"
"She's safe," Mathieu commented, "A chevalier after my own heart," he chuckled.

Anna wiped glop off, and walked over to the rest of the team. "You guys alright?" she asked, worriedly. She looked over at the egg on the floor, then back at the boys. "Sorry I couldn't be more help-looks like I've got LOTS of studying to do..."
"You did well," Mathieu said, "I was just shooting randomly and helping when someone asked me to."

She favoured Mathieu a smile, and said, "It didn't look random to me..." she turned, and noticed Lucus' hand, "Lucus, you got a cut! We should get that cleaned up and looked after-fungi make pretty tough infections to fight off, and if you're going to have a proper battle-scar, it still needs tending..." she dug into her school-bag for the first-aid kit she'd learned to carry while dealing with two older and three younger brothers. "Who else got hurt?"

She favoured Mathieu a smile, and said, "It didn't look random to me..." she turned, and noticed Lucus' hand, "Lucus, you got a cut! We should get that cleaned up and looked after-fungi make pretty tough infections to fight off, and if you're going to have a proper battle-scar, it still needs tending..." she dug into her school-bag for the first-aid kit she'd learned to carry while dealing with two older and three younger brothers. "Who else got hurt?"
The door opened and a figure in white came in. It was Delphina, of course.

"Never mind that," Mathieu chuckled, pointing to her, "She'll heal him up."

"Well, I had a feeling some of you might get hurt," she chuckled at her own pun. "Here." She placed her hand on Lucus' and they watched as it healed itself.

"Amazing," grinned Lucus as he watched the woman place her smooth hand onto his hand causing the cut to fade. 'That's something....err...' thought Lucus. 'She's a beauty...grrr...remove that thought and focus on the job,' concluded Lucus as he blinked a couple of times. "Thanks for the heal," smiled Lucus as he twisted his hand about but the scar was still there. "Fungi infections were listed as the worst creatures to defeat in battle during the Fungi War. However, after the first engagement, it was exposed that the Fungi are incredibliy weak to fire and napalm," explained Lucus as he looked at the other two. "Thanks for the help Mathieu,"

"Amazing," grinned Lucus as he watched the woman place her smooth hand onto his hand causing the cut to fade. 'That's something....err...' thought Lucus. 'She's a beauty...grrr...remove that thought and focus on the job,' concluded Lucus as he blinked a couple of times. "Thanks for the heal," smiled Lucus as he twisted his hand about but the scar was still there. "Fungi infections were listed as the worst creatures to defeat in battle during the Fungi War. However, after the first engagement, it was exposed that the Fungi are incredibliy weak to fire and napalm," explained Lucus as he looked at the other two. "Thanks for the help Mathieu,"
Delphina smiled a bit, as she was aware of something directed towards her, but hadn't probed deeper to find out what it was.

"You're welcome," Mathieu said.

Giving himself a onceover and finding nothing but a few bleach spatters on his uniform, Sareau prepared for the next exercise, or the next class...

Anna watched the healing, and was amazed...and a faint bit envious. wish I could do that... "You've got the Healing gift." she asserted, "You must be wise indeed." It was the best compliment she could come up with. I'm useless in two ways... nagged at the back of her mind.

At last The Sphincter relaxed. He moved his goggles back up. It had been satisfying to watch the others do the work. Besides, making sodium hydroxide gas gave him cramps, and his natural napalm gave him heartburn. Of course, if their efforts had failed, he would have brought these and other weapons to bear from his Cannon of Death.

He still had a five-page paper to write--as did they all--and he couldn't wait to see what results putting the theory into practice would bring.

He would have to interview the new students. Who knows? Perhaps some of them would have what it takes to join his little legion...

Ziyo was fine with being ignored. His life had been like that. Wandering over, he asked the group
"Do any of you have a battery on hand? Kinda random I know."

"Good job, Anna" Sareau clapped her on the back. "I never would have thought of bleach without your quick wit.
"You'll be a fine coroner one day."

"Battery?"

"I can always improvise," Reardon said.

Pfffffffththththtth!

A little green cloud formed behind him for a few seconds. Little arcs of electricity passed back and forth inside of it. Then, it dissipated.

"Always glad to help," he said with a wry grin.

"Sweet." said Ziyo.
"Could you transfer some? I don't have any reserves right now."

OOC: sorry for not posting. at the fathers and hes only got dailup so you wont see much of me for a while.

It took a few seconds for josh to notice that the class had finished.
"That was unexpected," said josh, his hair slowly turning back to normal.
"woh...I'm a little tried. i'm just going to...have a little nap...." he just finished his sentacne before falling on the ground, having passd out from using all of his energy.

Pfffffffththththtth!

"Help yourself."

Though Josh was passed out, his abilities instinctivily reached out for energy and found the ball of energy that Reardon had created, sucking in all of the energy they could find, the electical energy and the heat energy that the gases created naturally.
"What did i miss?" asked Josh, waking up and getting off the ground, brushing dust off of his black jacket.

Anna watched the healing, and was amazed...and a faint bit envious. wish I could do that... "You've got the Healing gift." she asserted, "You must be wise indeed." It was the best compliment she could come up with. I'm useless in two ways... nagged at the back of her mind.

"Good job, Anna" Sareau clapped her on the back. "I never would have thought of bleach without your quick wit.
"You'll be a fine coroner one day."

"The only good is knowledge, and the only evil ignorance," Delphina smiled, sensing a bit of her emotions as well. "You were knowledgable too," she said, smiling at Sareau's compliment. "You're comrades seem to think so."

"Yeah, we do," Mathieu complimented. "I'm just good for being told what to do, where to shoot and all that," he smiled.

Though Josh was passed out, his abilities instinctivily reached out for energy and found the ball of energy that Reardon had created, sucking in all of the energy they could find, the electical energy and the heat energy that the gases created naturally.
"What did i miss?" asked Josh, waking up and getting off the ground, brushing dust off of his black jacket.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Delphina asked, ready to use her Touch on him if needed.

"I'm fine, i just need to rest," said Josh, though he was a little unsteady on his feet. walking over to his carry bag, he pulled out a small box with a radiation sign on it.
"Thyrium. Its used as starship fuel in the ICO but for me it acts as a power souce," explianed Josh, pulling out tiny amount of Thyrium and then conventing it into energy.
"AHHH! Much better. Now i'm almost back to normal."

"What are these fungal anomalies the Lynions warred with, anyway?" Sareau asked. "Are they related to the Mi-Go? And what's the chances of us running into one if we go to Subterra or the remoter regions?"

Slightly annoyed at Josh's taking of his energy, Ziyo took what was left, converting it into skin to patch up his hand.

At the mention of a five page paper, Anna sighed. How do I stretch "My powers were of no use at all in this excercise, I got more out of childhood chores." into five pages? She hefted her books, and shifted gears, thinking about how the others handled theirs.

and how they should have taken the thing on. What if it weren't vulnerable to chemical cleaners? "What about the next one?" she muttered, "He won't pick something so obvious..." She stopped at the door, and looked at the rest of her "Team".

We need some way to communicate better-or a set of short-order plays to practice against- she mulled it over, against whatever Professor Maverick might be prepping to spring on us next.

She walked back over to where the boys were getting ready to part ways. "Mathieu, Ziyo, Josh, Sareau, we need to get together-I think our next excercise won't be so easy, and we need some 'stock plans' we can execute on the fly, and adjust as needed, and a way to signal them-if I'd been quicker telling Mathieu about my bleach idea, or if we had a way to really coordinate, nobody would've got hurt...and he's not going to go so easy on me next time either-this time, he picked something that was relatively slow, and relatively dumb, but very, very tough-next thing he slings at us is going to be faster, smarter, and tougher... You too, Lucus, you've got info, and at least you weren't helplessly running about shouting insults to distract the thing."

"Faster? Tougher? Smarter?" replied Lucus as he noticed his scare on his hand was stretched onto his arm. "Just wait until Professor Maverick dispatches a matured Fungi Feeder then its hell. Those things have immunity to chemical cleaners, nuclear waste, lead bullets, it absorbs an amount of electricty before being fried and other chemical factors," explained Lucus. "The only way the Lynion Military Extinct the Fungi was using napalm bullets. It worked by using armour piecing rounds to piece the body and explode inside the creature, thus, the napalm flowed through the body. It then came into contact with the base substance of the Fungi which then killed the creature. It was suspected that the substance was trapped inside of something and only needed something hot, like napalm, to open the substance. Basically, by what I've figure out, fire will kill any Fungi within seconds," finished Lucus as he shaked his head for a moment to rid the memories in his mind. It was something he was part of and he wanted to forget.

"Exactly. Knowledge." Anna quipped, "if Maverick is our opponent, then we really, really, need to know more about how he works, and what he works with." She dug into her pocket, and pulled out a packet of gum, "He used the Fungi-Feeder for a reason, it was immature, for a reason." she nodded to the others, "You've all got powers that you can use offensively, in battle. The best I can figure, my own abilities are geared toward the less flashy side-that is, finding the villain, tracing him down, and working out a means to thwart him..." she stopped. "He had to know...oh...crap. that's it-he picked an immature one, because it would test the strength of the rest of you, but because of my..er...lack of power, I was being tested in a different way entirely." She looked at the others, "Know anyone good with designing a utility belt?" she asked, "I don't think he'll leave the perfect item lying around for me to find next time, and certainly once we're out in the world, real villains won't...I'll either have to have it, or make it on the fly from something else."

"Utility belt eh?" started Lucus as he reached into his for a handkichef. "I might be able to build one but I've only got..." Lucus snizzed into his handki as he noticed his scar was changing shape. "...I've only got a limited knowledge of how to make them," Lucus wiped his nose as he noticed how the shape was forming. "Talking about Maverick...the only thing I know about him was he was part of my uncle's unit when he got a slight infection during the Fungi War, the infection is the green skin on his side. He was an elite assassin and an apprentice to Professor Phoenix for awhile before Maverick retired," explained Lucus as he tried to remember what he could about the war. "There's extremely very little to know about Professor Phoenix. How I see it...Professor Phoenix was some kind of err... he was like a master and he had very few apprentices. Anyhow, Maverick was taught by the very best and he was taught to always change his tactic's unless he was caught up and forced to repeat. I think in the next simulation, he'll have a new game to play but I think a matured Fungi Feeder is going to appear alongside an escort party," explained Lucus.

"Fire, eh?" Sareau thought-most of these urban wasteland exercises had natural gas pipelines and other sources of flammable materials floating about if one looked. Even the abandoned cars had a small quantity of gasoline in their tanks...
"I think a utility belt would come in handy." He decided not to mention he carried a set of lockpicks and burglary equipment as a matter of routine. "Especially for those of us without combat oriented powers-my own abilities make me the team chauffeur, or the teleport bitch."

"Then maybe I'll finally get the squeezing challenge I've been looking for," Reardon said. "Only time I've had to so much as lower my down was when I brought the street down around those cars. It was little more than a shot in the dark anyway. Quite frankly, a good challenge would be like a breath of fresh air.

"Young lady," he said, "if you're so blasted intelligent, maybe you can work out a communications protocol that we can use. Also, it would be a good blast for us to find ways to combine our abilities. For example, you mentioned that napalm kills those infernal fungus things. Well, I can manufacture the stuff. Can we improvise small containers? We can arm ourselves that way.

"And you, teleport bitch, as you refer to yourself, could you squeeze a few of these rounds into strategic locations without endangering yourself during the warmth of battle?"

As if she's the only one who can take charge around here...

Anna sighed at Reardon's comment, "I'm not That smart." she said, "I can understand what needs to happen, but I can't work it out into practice on my own."

Anna sighed at Reardon's comment, "I'm not That smart." she said, "I can understand what needs to happen, but I can't work it out into practice on my own."
"I still think you did pretty well, considering," Mathieu piped in. "I gotta bunch of stuff that could equip a belt...and some military carrying harnesses...maybe you could use those." He frowned at Reardon, clearly showing his distrust of him.

"And protocols like...Pattern Delta or something? That would be helpful..."

"How about an all-in-one powered armor that carries all the weapons you need? And an on-board tactical computer that can store hundreds of situational reactions?" Through the door came a figure probably thought expelled or otherwise gone by the rest of them -- the one and only Min Okan. What would likely strike those who knew her before her... absence... was the new armor (http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/7307/smsamusta1.jpg) that she was wearing, considerably bigger and more powerful-looking than that which she had been equipped with.

"In case you were wondering," she said tiredly, having not had much sleep the past few days (OOC: with FTL, time is relative), "I was pulled for a mission. The Federation had suspicions that an abandoned colonial planet was being used as a small Zebesian base. Well, I was sent to investigate, and found a full city of Space Pirates. Took a hundred or so with me, before getting reinforcements." Behind her opaque visor, she smiled, which they couldn't see but would likely slip into her voice. "I was granted the GF Medal of Valiance, and the Guardian organization fast-tracked me the Varia Suit."

She sighed contentedly, almost like over a new lover. "It is thrillingly powerful... so much more energy than my last suit. 4 different beam types," she said, cycling through them, "4 visor variants, a grapple beam, and even some neat speed-booster boots that let me break 80 kilometers an hour, unaided."

She looked around then, and noticed some familiar faces. "Mat," she said warmly, "nice to see you again. Lucus." She fell silent, then, as her eyes fell upon him. "Reardon. Still here, I see, and fouling up the works as surely as you foul up the air."

"And you, teleport bitch, as you refer to yourself, could you squeeze a few of these rounds into strategic locations without endangering yourself during the warmth of battle?"

As if she's the only one who can take charge around here...
"I manipulate space, and with a certain skill." Sareau sniffed. "I can redirect it straight from the source if I've a mind to, and as I can apply my powers to render myself intangible, there is no endangering myself.
"Of course, using codes with each other would imply a working knowledge of our abilities or our equipment-'BlueDot' if we're about to set off a flash, for example, or preset maneuvers like 'Withes Brew'-my opening a pit so another can toss the opponent in and those of us with energy powers filling the pit to damage a single target. We'll really have to compare notes to see our capabilities..."

"You sound like you depend on your armour suit too much," replied Lucus. "Its nice to see you again as well,"

"You sound like you depend on your armour suit too much," replied Lucus. "Its nice to see you again as well,"

"I understand your concerns," Min replied. "Of course, realize that without this suit, I am pretty much the sum total of the world's most agile gymnast, fastest sprinter, strongest weightlifter, and most enduring triathlete. Admirable, superhuman qualities, to be sure, but nothing of value compared to electromagnetic manipulation, or arcane arts."

"While we are on the subject of tatics, if Anna is going to be the brains, then someone has to make sure that she dosn't get nailed by a enermy or even flying objects. Sareau could make it so anything that came with in a few feet of her was redirected at the enemy, I could do one of my favorite tricks; a shield that negates movement and rips apart anything that gets past that at the atomic level and Mathieu could do the same: make a shield around her," said Josh, eying Min.
If that cannon fires plasma, if i end up against her in a sim it could end badly thought Josh.

"While we are on the subject of tatics, if Anna is going to be the brains, then someone has to make sure that she dosn't get nailed by a enermy or even flying objects. Sareau could make it so anything that came with in a few feet of her was redirected at the enemy, I could do one of my favorite tricks; a shield that negates movement and rips apart anything that gets past that at the atomic level and Mathieu could do the same: make a shield around her," said Josh, eying Min.
If that cannon fires plasma, if i end up against her in a sim it could end badly thought Josh.

"I can create fields to prevent ferromagnetic materials from getting close, but that's about my limit in protection for others. As for signals, I can create a multitude of different colored electricity." said Ziyo, holding out his hand and creating a different colored spark on each of his fingers.

OOC: Oh... oh-ho-ho...

Strategizing? Without me? Well, granted, she had only just landed in the GF transport, but all the same... time to get herself into the game. "At the atomic level, eh?" Min switched her weapon mode thoughtfully. The cannon became wider in diameter and shorter in length, glowing with purplish energy. "Wave Beam," she said in explanation. "Fires bolts of energy, in the form of concentrated EM radiation -- so, basically, a cluster of electrons. Should be able to slide through right?" She slid through her other modes. "Ice Beam -- no, that supercools air, so you'd get a ball of near-absolute zero gas... Power Beam, no, fires spheres of energy around microprojectiles... Plasma Beam -- nope, frees ions to generate plasma, but that's definitely superatomic in size. Seems that I could serve in whatever little system you're developing, if I stand behind and act as EM artillery."

"i should really explain: The shields i make wont let stuff in, but it will let stuff out. Though anything that has energy in it would be slightly drained. As for the plasma..."said Josh, deep in thought."Plasma is tricky. It can rip apart atoms, and strip them of their energy, so in theory it would put a hole in my atomic shield, though the movement one would be fine." creating a shield around himself, Josh played around with the energy for a moment, then a hole the size of a soccer ball appeared in it.
"Is the big enough for you to shout through?"

Min scanned the hole with her visor's sensors, the primary data processing system going at blazing speeds. A readout came, and she looked up, declaring its results. "Everything but the Ice Beam, but the projectile of that moves like molasses. So, basically, yeah, I could bombard the enemy with pretty damned near any sort of poison you pick using this rampart idea." She paused. "Rampart... you think that code fits? We are shielding behind a wall, bombarding our enemy, after all..."

"Its better then "hey Josh put a hole in your shield", so it'll do," said Josh, cancelling out his shield.
"Oh crap isn't our next class starting so?" asked Josh, looking at the time.

Sareau listened. "Min, in the event of an EMP, how fast does your armor reboot?" he wondered idly. "What is the next class, anyway?"

"In the case of an EMP, that really depends on your equipment. If it's anything terrestrial from Earth, it's gonna get fried, and would need to be replaced. All silicon chips, CPU's, etc. would be fried."

"But that suit isn't Earth tech, is it?" said Josh, who was going through his carry bag looking for something.

Sareau listened. "Min, in the event of an EMP, how fast does your armor reboot?" he wondered idly. "What is the next class, anyway?"

"If my suit shorted whenever it encountered an EM pulse," she said in response, holding up the Wave Cannon again, "do you think I'd be able to operate a weapon like this?"

"I don't know. But a better question would be could it withstand the amount electricity I can put out? If my whole body were to electricize, my body would put out the equivalent of 6.5 megatons of TNT. That's more than a 5 on the Richter scale. Now imagine if I was captured, and they could manipulate my energy."

OOC: My guy weighs 130lb, which using E=mc2, translates to 6.44 megatons of TNT, which I rounded for simplicity

Also, 1 megaton is 1,000,000 metric tons, so think of 6,500,000 tons of TNT going off at once

"umm...No?" said Josh, pulling out a belt with about 3 pouchs on it and lots of clips. Walking over to Anna, he said:"Here. My dad made it for me but i never used it. kinda hard to when you're being experimented on 24/7...." his voice trailing off.
I hated that place. I hated those people. I hated EVERYTHING!.
Josh then stopped and tried to calm down. He did, the strips in his hair changing back from bright yellowish to white.
"Sorry...."

"Hmm," was all Min had to say. "I know that the Gravity Suit can withstand the force of a 1 MT explosion, point-blank, if its shields are fully charged. The Light Suit could withstand the radiation -- but that's too bad, because the only instant of that particular model was granted to Aran's suit by yet another alien race. So, no, I wouldn't be able to face that amount of force. For electromagnetic radiation -- now, that's another matter." She paused, thinking. "I could channel the energy through the Wavebuster, a combination function that uses missiles to create a stream of what is essentially lightning. I probably wouldn't be very comfortable, but the enemies I turn the energy on wouldn't be, either."

Kagetora;14371569']"I don't know. But a better question would be could it withstand the amount electricity I can put out? If my whole body were to electricize, my body would put out the equivalent of 6.5 megatons of TNT. That's more than a 5 on the Richter scale. Now imagine if I was captured, and they could manipulate my energy."

OOC: My guy weighs 130lb, which using E=mc2, translates to 6.44 megatons of TNT, which I rounded for simplicity

"6.5 megatons? kinda small for a explosion arnt it?" said Josh.

Min rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Yes, that's right," she said flatly. "Your friend and mine, here, will just defy the laws of physics to impress you." She snorted before continuing. "The calculation of my system puts it around there, based on his probable mass -- somewhere around 6.4, 6.5 megs."

"OK OK, didnt mean to offend," said Josh, looking through is bag again.
"AH HA! found it!" said Josh, pulling out his music player.
"Breaking Benjimmin, Guns 'n' Roses, Disturbed, there we go, Metellica," said Josh to himself, putting in one earphone and hitting the play button.

"As we learn each other better, we'll doubtless come up with all sorts of tricks from combining our abilities." Sareau replied. "Best to come up with codes as we think of them. Now, as far as these utility belts..."

"As we learn each other better, we'll doubtless come up with all sorts of tricks from combining our abilities." Sareau replied. "Best to come up with codes as we think of them. Now, as far as these utility belts..."
"Not to be a buzzkill, but I always thought utility belts were kinda...I dunno, cliche or something," Mathieu pondered. "Though, for myself, I can usually make what I need."

"Well, if we referred to every item in the belt as the bat-whatever, I could see your point." Sareau answered. "However, there would be advantages to carrying binary compounds to be mixed as required for flash-bangs or such, and there is a value to possessing certain tools on one's person. I wouldn't object to wearing one, cliche or not..."

"Well, if we referred to every item in the belt as the bat-whatever, I could see your point." Sareau answered. "However, there would be advantages to carrying binary compounds to be mixed as required for flash-bangs or such, and there is a value to possessing certain tools on one's person. I wouldn't object to wearing one, cliche or not..."
"What's wrong with pockets?" Mathieu asked, "I got whatever I've ever needed in pockets," he removed a utility knife and assorted things from his pockets, "See?"

"What's wrong with pockets?" Mathieu asked, "I got whatever I've ever needed in pockets," he removed a utility knife and assorted things from his pockets, "See?"

"I keep other things in my pockets." Sareau replied, opening his coat to reveal his inner lining. "My lockpicks, stethoscope, clays, jimmies, ECM-but nothing would be wrong with safely reinforced pockets that could hold explosives, acids, radio communications, or such smoke pellets or sleeping gas as I should require in extremis. All a utility belt is is a strip of pockets, after all, and the suggestion is sound.
"But you are right, friend-perhaps this is one of those individual endeavors best set upon alone..."
Already, Sareau was calculating how best to conceal armaments in various and sundry innocuous items...

"I keep other things in my pockets." Sareau replied, opening his coat to reveal his inner lining. "My lockpicks, stethoscope, clays, jimmies, ECM-but nothing would be wrong with safely reinforced pockets that could hold explosives, acids, radio communications, or such smoke pellets or sleeping gas as I should require in extremis. All a utility belt is is a strip of pockets, after all, and the suggestion is sound.
"But you are right, friend-perhaps this is one of those individual endeavors best set upon alone..."
Already, Sareau was calculating how best to conceal armaments in various and sundry innocuous items...
"No, no...I mean, I don't mind helping," Mathieu said, "But I just don't think it's for me. I mean, I don't need grappling hooks or tools most of the time," he explained. "But I'll help if someone needs material. I have harnesses and stuff in my duffel."

"You know, other than coming back from the dead, and getting dead people to talk, I really don't know what the extent of my powers are." she commented, adding, "It might be a problem later. The problem now is that I really can't contribute much to the team in these combat-tests. The Bleach move was kind of a fluke-what happens when the thing isn't vulnerable to common sense?"

She looked at Mathieu, "What happens when we're on a crowded street, and there are civilians who need protecting? If you're shielding me, they're out in the open-and isn't that why we're training-to protect people, to defend them?" She crossed her arms, "the ONE thing the experiments they put me through taught me, is that if I die, it isn't Permanent, but the one thing being in a Morgue several times, and being buried has taught me, is that what's true in my case, isn't true for everyone else. I'm the most expendable, you need to focus on protecting people who won't get up cranky a few hours to a few days after they've been pulped-unlike ME, Innocent people tend to stay dead when the baddies kill them-first collective move, then, is to stop the bad-guys, and if Anna dies, you're going to put my damn remains somewhere comfortable with a handle on the inside, something to drink, something to eat, and a decent amount of ventilation-graves suck."

She turned on Min, "Hi, I'm Anna." she said, extending her right hand, "I'm new here."

"You know, other than coming back from the dead, and getting dead people to talk, I really don't know what the extent of my powers are." she commented, adding, "It might be a problem later. The problem now is that I really can't contribute much to the team in these combat-tests. The Bleach move was kind of a fluke-what happens when the thing isn't vulnerable to common sense?"

She looked at Mathieu, "What happens when we're on a crowded street, and there are civilians who need protecting? If you're shielding me, they're out in the open-and isn't that why we're training-to protect people, to defend them?" She crossed her arms, "the ONE thing the experiments they put me through taught me, is that if I die, it isn't Permanent, but the one thing being in a Morgue several times, and being buried has taught me, is that what's true in my case, isn't true for everyone else. I'm the most expendable, you need to focus on protecting people who won't get up cranky a few hours to a few days after they've been pulped-unlike ME, Innocent people tend to stay dead when the baddies kill them-first collective move, then, is to stop the bad-guys, and if Anna dies, you're going to put my damn remains somewhere comfortable with a handle on the inside, something to drink, something to eat, and a decent amount of ventilation-graves suck."

She turned on Min, "Hi, I'm Anna." she said, extending her right hand, "I'm new here."
"Well, I can't just stand by while a friend gets hurt, or worse," Mathieu commented, "Even if it isn't permament. And...maybe we could train you to fight. I don't know any formal stuff...but I can teach you how to get out of a barfight," he smiled.

Anna nodded, "Training! that's why I signed up." She hefted her bookbag, "I understand it's about lunch-time..? Part of working out our playbook, is training. I've got to get better, and our team has to get more organized...and we've all got a five page report to write."

Anna nodded, "Training! that's why I signed up." She hefted her bookbag, "I understand it's about lunch-time..? Part of working out our playbook, is training. I've got to get better, and our team has to get more organized...and we've all got a five page report to write."
"Lunch? Sure," Mathieu agreed, picking up his things to follow. Then she mentioned the paper. "Wait, I helped out with that goo-thing, you think I can weasel out of the paper?" Mathieu asked. "My grammar and stuff isn't so good..." he looked down at his shoes.

Anna looked at him a touch crossly, "You helped fight the goo-thing, the Feeder, Mathieu, you participated. Therefore, you have observations on how you did, and how the rest of us did, and that's what the Paper is about-you're not weaseling out, but we faced it as a team, so we'll work the paper out...as a team-unless someone has a better suggestion-we'll sit down tonight, you talk, I'll write, and I'll do the same for each of you, then we'll compare notes, and write the report as a group. He told us to form teams, we'll turn in the paper as a team."

Anna looked at him a touch crossly, "You helped fight the goo-thing, the Feeder, Mathieu, you participated. Therefore, you have observations on how you did, and how the rest of us did, and that's what the Paper is about-you're not weaseling out, but we faced it as a team, so we'll work the paper out...as a team-unless someone has a better suggestion-we'll sit down tonight, you talk, I'll write, and I'll do the same for each of you, then we'll compare notes, and write the report as a group. He told us to form teams, we'll turn in the paper as a team."
"Is that okay?" Mathieu asked, a bit enthused. "If someone can correct my misspellings and stuff...I got no problem with a paper." He looked at her, "Thanks...you're really smarter than me," he admitted.

"Is that okay?" Mathieu asked, a bit enthused. "If someone can correct my misspellings and stuff...I got no problem with a paper." He looked at her, "Thanks...you're really smarter than me," he admitted.

Anna stopped, turned, and put one hand on each side of Mathieu's face, "Don't ever say that-you don't know for certain. I got lucky in there. There will come a time when you've got the answer that I can't figure out, and when that time comes, I don't need you keeping your trap shut because you think you're not smart enough!" She held his eyes with her own, "I was the one dumb enough to steal daddy's keys to the Chevrolet without looking First, and when the McKinney's bomb went off, it took four others besides me." She held his eyes a few breaths longer, "That was in nineteen sixty eight, Mathieu. That moment of stupidity cost me fifty two years, it was stupid because I knew the Feud had escalated, and suspected my older brother had something to do with a fire that killed four of the Mckinney's youngest children in their barn. I was trying to do something secret, and it killed four of my siblings and one cousin, because I was [i]careless,[i] I thought that by going to the Mediators to stop the violence in secret, I would be some kind of invincible-I wasn't, and it cost innocent lives."

she let him go, "Do you understand? Speak Up, you're no dumber than I am, you just haven't had the opportunity to realize it for yourself yet."

Anna stopped, turned, and put one hand on each side of Mathieu's face, "Don't ever say that-you don't know for certain. I got lucky in there. There will come a time when you've got the answer that I can't figure out, and when that time comes, I don't need you keeping your trap shut because you think you're not smart enough!" She held his eyes with her own, "I was the one dumb enough to steal daddy's keys to the Chevrolet without looking First, and when the McKinney's bomb went off, it took four others besides me." She held his eyes a few breaths longer, "That was in nineteen sixty eight, Mathieu. That moment of stupidity cost me fifty two years, it was stupid because I knew the Feud had escalated, and suspected my older brother had something to do with a fire that killed four of the Mckinney's youngest children in their barn. I was trying to do something secret, and it killed four of my siblings and one cousin, because I was [i]careless,[i] I thought that by going to the Mediators to stop the violence in secret, I would be some kind of invincible-I wasn't, and it cost innocent lives."

she let him go, "Do you understand? Speak Up, you're no dumber than I am, you just haven't had the opportunity to realize it for yourself yet."
For some reason, Mathieu's heart felt broken, like he'd never be happy again. At that moment, for whatever reason, he stepped forward and hugged Anna.

"I'm...sorry," was all he said, tears forming at his eyes.