The Cure That Kills — Chapter one: Same Faces, New Game

[Ski-Bird]

The summer flew by in a blink, as it was prone to do in Glenside. The small city had its fair share of summer festivals, the odd circus that had passed through, and there was that one political rally... something to do with motivating the youth to participate in government. But all in all, it was a rather quick - and unremarkable - summer.

Summer was managing to hang on tenuously, but was well on the way to passing the torch to fall now. Mostly, it was still warm enough for shorts, but that window was closing quickly. By and large, the pools had all been put away for the year, the barbecue grills were now sheathed for the season in their all-weather coverings, and most of the boats had been pulled from their docks. There was a chill in the air that promised the turning of the leaves, and the onset of the cool rains that would soon turn into the snowstorms the area was known for.

With summer solidly on the retreat, the year had turned to that most perennial of events...

The first day of school.

The Patton high school auditorium was packed. All returning students and the new freshmen had filed in over the last fifteen minutes or so and the room was a madhouse. The roar of conversations was hard to ignore, some of the teens laughing and chatting as they awaited the annual greeting by the school's principal, Mr. Waters.

He stood there on stage, like a commander surveying a battlefield. Not too unlike the namesake of the school: General George Patton. Principal Waters took stock of the rowdy auditorium. No doubt cataloguing this year's allstars and troublemakers. Widely known to be stern, and a little heavy handed, Waters was not exactly well liked among the school's students. His method of dealing with problems often resulted in many hours of detention followed by a lengthy phone call home to parents - something that no student looked forward to.

On either side of the principal, in a loose formation, stood the rest of the faculty, waiting to greet this year's batch of students. There was the matronly Mrs. Fields. Her gray hair pulled up into a neat bun. A freshly starched uniform proudly proclaiming her status as the school nurse. The shop teacher, Mr. Short, stood stoically to Water's right... a second in command of sorts, even though he did not hold the post of Vice Principal. His stern gaze and closecopped steely gray hair belied a military background.

Mr. Holden, head of the English department, was the closest thing to a favorite among the students. Of all the faculty, he was the youngest, the hippest, and was well known to be generous with grades (particularly with the jocks).

Others too filled the stage, too numerous to mention. Suffice it to say that there were all the regular faces; the nice ones, the stern ones, the ones that seemed to hate children so much it confused the students as to their choice of career. A few new faces were on stage as well, their bright beaming smiles betrayed them as newly assigned teachers, freshly accredited and eager to pull out all the stops in their first year of teaching.

In the audience, all of the students continued their conversations as the room filled in. This was the first day of school, true enough, but it seemed that they were subconsciously determined to not yet submit to the yoke of control & routine that the teachers were about to slip on. This was still their summer, and none of them would willingly turn it over to the teachers until they were told to.

So, the cacophony continued…

You are here, or have just recently arrived. You have discovered your powers within the last twelve months, and other than a few chosen confidants … they are not public knowledge. Small talk away! Introduce your character, describe them … mingle with other students. Go crazy.

The auditorium is Overcrowded and Noisy. (Not expecting an encounter … but wanted to show how situation Aspects would pop up when they were pertinent)

[gremlin-pult]

Standing as far back in the hall as he had been able to, Connor looked up at the principal, the teachers, and round at the chattering student body. Connor was not happy.
Oh, what fresh hell is this... Connor thought, his irritation at the world in general slowly rising. His day had started wonderfully, with his breakfast being a few half roasted pieces of bread (plain, since his dad had forgotten to buy groceries), and a cup of coffee thick enough to chew (The coffee machine at home deciding to die resulting in sub-par coffee). Then He had missed the bus, and was forced to run to school, sprinting most of the way to make it in time.
And now this. Connor lamented not taking his time in getting to school. At least then he could have avoided this torture.
"Christ, I would murder for a smoke break right now" He moaned, his gaze falling on a group of boisterous jocks and their bimbo arm candy, giggling and chittering like brain-addled hens. A wry smile crossed his face, as he contemplated short circuiting the sprinkler system above the group. "Well, it would give me a good laugh, and a reason to leave this purgatory to grab a cig..." He muttered.
He ended up deciding against it, however, instead looking around to see if he could spot his fellow freaks. "Wonder where ken doll and Williams are..."

[Ahmanae]

Carefully parking her car, Ashley slung her bag over her shoulder and joined the flow of students heading towards the auditorium, nodding in return to scattered greetings from her teammates and acquaintances. Spotting Lauren with a few of their teammates near the back, she headed over and claimed one of the rapidly filling seats. "Ash! There you are; I haven't heard from for nearly a week! What's up?" Her friend asked. "Well, a few of the Impala's rods have been acting up, and I wanted to make sure it was safe to drive before school started; I hate taking the bus... And I still haven't found what's been making that rattling noise every time I shift into third." She smiled at the others 'Hey guys, good summer?" And the conversation carried on.

Ashley glanced around the nearly-full auditorium seeing plenty of familiar faces and a bunch of new ones. Christ, did I really look that young when I was a freshman? She wondered. Probably, hard to imagine, though. She noticed Connor sitting against the wall on the top row, sporting a grimace as though he'd just swallowed something unpleasant. Heh, what a dork, She thought affectionately. Dude needs to lighten up; maybe I should try and drag him out to some good parties this year. He's kinda cute; I'm sure one of the girls would love to show him a good time if he ever relaxed a bit.

"Hello! Earth to Ash!" Lauren's voice interrupted her musing. "Huh? What? I'm listening!" She replied. "We were just discussing the merits of a 2-3-1 defensive formation versus a 3-2-1. Michelle suggested..."

[gremlin-pult]

Spotting Ashley entering the hall, Connor allowed himself a little smile, before standing up and walking over to her. Only when he was well on his way did he notice that some of Ashley's friends were also present. Dammit, this is gonna be more taxing than I'm prepared for this early... But he wasn't about to go sit back down now that he was almost there. "Hey cheerleader." He said, walking over to Ashley. "How're those parts working out for ya? I'm not exactly an expert on Impala's, but my old man assured me that they were the right parts when He got 'em for me."
Connor acknowledged Ashley's friends with a slight nod, but nothing more. Not that he would know what to say to them anyways.

[Ahmanae]

Her friends glanced up at Conner as he sat dow, and with a few nods in return, continued with their conversation, which had since moved from lacrosse to cosmetics, a topic Ashley didn't particularly feel like weighing in on. The stuff went on your face, it looked good; not much to it, in her book. Grateful for a change of topic, she replied "Lacrosse. But, yeah, the rods were fine. The hard part is getting the timing right so the engine doesn't seize up. Tell your dad thanks for me, will you? Though I'm sure mine will see him down at that dive of theirs sooner or later. So, how's things going with..." She glanced around before shooting him a wry grin, "Your wiring? Still shorting out the toaster?"

[gremlin-pult]

"That hasn't happened for months now, I'll have you know." Connor scoffs. "I've got it mostly figured out. Although I've had to keep any electronics outside arms reach of my bed. Turns out I sleep-siphon" He sniggers dryly, before casting a glance at the assembly once more, letting out at long frustrated sigh. "God, I can feel my lungs screaming for mercy in here. I need to get outside and have a cig." He leans over, lowering his voice. "Tell ya what, I'll give you fifty bucks if you stomp the ground so they think its an earthquake or sumthin. Anything to get a chance to get out of this."

[Galenti]

Ryan rocked up at school in his sleek Porsche just before the bell was going to ring. Still he was one of the last ones to enter the assembly hall as he was way-laid by friends (and others) calling out to him.

"Hey, man", that was Andy, football.
"Yo, dude!" Steve, lacrosse.
"Hi, Ryan," Allison, cheerleader.
"How's summer?" Seb, football.

Ryan tried to smile back at the last well-wisher, but it was more of a grimace: he knew what his supposed 'best friend' thought of him.

A crowd quickly formed around him as he headed to the hall and they entered as a group to chants of "King! King! King!" - just a normal day at school.

The problem was, things had changed for Ryan and now, when he sat in the auditorium he was distracted by stray thoughts floating into his head - I'm so regretting wearing this jumper ... Should I tell him about the guy on vacation ... I'm kill for a cig right now. Ryan cocked his head, recognizing that last thought as Connor's. He still didn't know what to do about the dweeb who knew his secret.

Ryan glanced around and caught sight of him chatting with Williams, the new star of the lacrosse team. His blood boiled thinking of how she had humiliated him at the end of last year. He sat seething in his chair for a bit, getting some odd looks, but he ignored them: this year was going to be the worst ever.

[gremlin-pult]

Glancing back as a group of students start chanting something, Connor sees Ryan enter the hall, surrounded by his loyal sycophants. Giving the jock a sardonic smile, Connor reaches up and taps his temple. So his majesty decided to grace us common rabble with his presence. He thinks, his eyes never leaving Ryan, and his smile never leaving his face. How's life as a public radio station treatin' ya, ken doll?

[Galenti]

Ryan sat bolt upright, jostling Emily who was sitting beside him. She shot him a puzzled look, but he was busy focusing on a patch of dirt on the floor in front of him. Ken doll - really? Ryan was sure he would be fuming with that weirdo if he wasn't so on edge.

After a second, when he was sure Emily was looking away, he turned towards Ashley and Connor and gave them his best withering look- one perfected over years of disdain for any who were below him in the social order.

[gremlin-pult]

Seeing Ryans glare, Connors smile grew wider. Aww, did my thoughts hurt the widdle golden boys feelings? He thought, making a little pout with his lower lip. Well, that wouldn't be a problem if you could keep your mind to yourself, now would it? Maybe you should consider learning studying a bit, try to find out what is going on inside your own gourd, instead of mine. I'm at the public library pretty often, if ya feel like trying to get control of your peeping powers.
With a snicker, Connor turned back to Ashley, and the tediousness of the assembly.

[Ski-Bird]

The general hubbub continues for a few more moments before Mr. Waters stepped to the forefront of the stage. A few of the students in the front few rows started to settle down, but the whole auditorium quieted down rather quickly after he began speaking into the microphone.

"Good morning Patton High!" His voice boomed over the sound system. "Most of you know me. For those who don't, I am principal Waters..."

His speech went on to introduce the rest of the faculty and to lay out the expectations for the year. A pep talk of sorts. He worked the crowd like a professional... he wove humor throughout and told the students how great they were, and how great they were going to do this year if only they would apply themselves. The freshmen ate it up with spoons.

The returning students knew better.

For Waters, his 'Welcome to Patton' introductory speech was customary... and actually quite out of character for how he ran things. For most of the kids, the only time they ever had anything to do with the principal was when he addressed them in the auditorium like this. For them, Waters was a great principal.

If you found yourself sitting across a desk from the man, however, his hard gaze meeting yours like a man passing judgement ... it was not a pep talk like this that came out of his mouth.

"Finally," He said, as he was bringing the speech to a close. "We are going to be having athletic tryouts throughout the week. The Generals are shaping up to be a great team this year. But we could always do with some new faces!"

Like any midwest school, football was big business. Patton High was no exception. The Generals were widely known to be a competitive team, even after allowing for the size of the community they hailed from. They had come very close to nabbing the state title only a few years ago. The ladies' lacrosse team was no slouch either … but it rarely got the attention it deserved.

As the applause died down, the sound of the bell rang throughout the hall. The speech, perfectly timed, had ended just as the clock neared the top of the hour. Now it was time to find your homeroom and officially start the first day of school…

Spend another post or two getting to know one another, if you like. The school day will be uneventful for the most part. The scene of my next post will be the athletics field after the final bell … tryouts! Connor might have to have a different reason for sticking around … but he'll be there too. Maybe watching from the bleachers, running a color commentary?

[gremlin-pult]

"I'll see ya in english class, Cheerleader. I gotta go grab a smoke before the first class starts."
Connor says, rising from his seat and moving towards the exit before it gets too crowded.
Have a good one, Ken doll. Make sure not to peek in someone else's head for the answers if you have a test. Thats cheating, you know. He thinks as he passes Ryans group, letting out a snicker.
Once outside, Connor walks over behind the building to one of the few spots on the grounds where he can smoke without being bothered by nosy teachers. hurriedly pulling out a cigarette, he lights it and takes a deep draw on it. He then lets the smoke out in a deep exhalation, feeling his body relaxing. "Ahh, much better."
Connor smokes the rest of the cigarette relaxedly, before putting it out, and throwing the cigarette butt away.
"Well, guess its that time of the year again..." He mutters, walking of to his first class. Art history. Yaay.

[Galenti]

What did that loser even know! Ryan thought angrily, as he stormed towards their homeroom. That ******* has no idea what I'm going through. It's alright for him with his power- he can choose when to use it. It's not a freaking curse like mine!

Ryan was paying so little attention that he tried to push his way through the door at the same time as someone else. Unfortunately for him, that someone was Ashley Williams. Instead of knocking the girl flying, he bizarrely found himself flung sideways where he slammed into the wall unceremoniously.

Sebastian laughed, but Ryan caught the scorn that his 'friend' covered behind a smile. Emily grabbed Ryan by the arm and pulled him to a pair of seats near the back of the room, and their other friends fell in around them, forming a block on one side of the room.

"Are you alright, Ryan?" Emily whispered, clearly concerned, but he just shrugged and looked away. It was hard enough focusing on his own thoughts when little snippets of other people's conversations interrupted his train of thought: how was he meant to solve any of his problems? He would have offered Ashley and her friend a seat near him, but after the whole door incident he really didn't fancy speaking to her: she had a habit of embarrassing him.

[Ski-Bird]

The schoolday was relatively uneventful. The first day of school was always like that … teachers wanting to gauge their new students, students wanting to gauge their new teachers. Almost like a game of chess, where neither side wanted to open up too quickly and lose the game for their rashness.

Or more closely perhaps, it was like the law of the jungle. Two predators circling one another, snarling. They each knew that it was going to be a long and bitter slog, but neither one was ready to commit just yet … wanting instead to conserve energy and spend a little time probing the others' defenses.

In any event, whether it was a pleasant experience or a thinly masked right-of-passage … it was over quickly. The final bell had rung, and teens flooded the halls exiting the building and going about their day. This included tryouts.

The athletic field was filled with the hopefuls. Most of the returning players were already through with their cursory tryout … basically finding their respective coach and making sure their name was still on the roster (Ryan and Ashley had done this). The tryouts were, more or less, for the new kids. The freshmen, or the sophomores who didn't make it last year but still wanted a slot.

The air was a bit chilly, but pleasant. They type of chilly where you could draw a quick lungful of bracing air and feel invigorated, but not so chilly that your fingers went numb. The skies were clear and a slight breeze had picked up. A beautiful day to be outdoors, in other words.

After speaking with their respective coaches, Ashley and Ryan had got caught up chatting with Rodney Reddings, the local photography buff and team booster. He was a nice enough kid but kind of dorky all at the same time. He adored the school's athletic teams and often did the videography and still shots for many of the games. He was tolerated by the athletes, by and large, because of the monumental amount of work that he put in photographing the teams during their games (both home and away) … he really did have a knack for it.

Chances were, if your action shot made the paper … Rodney had taken it.

In their role as team captain … it was sort of their job to give him the time of day once in a while. This was one of those days.

"… and I have this new Nikon F-100 that I'd like to try out," He says, continuing on with some boring catalogue of the gear that he intended to use this year. "Should be great for action shots..."

***

Meanwhile, just a few dozen feet away, Connor was perched up on the bleachers. He had noticed the other two but primarily his attention was focused past the athletic fields and over to the student parking lot.

It may as well have been theater, or high art. In the parking lot, out of sound range unfortunately, Mike Brody was waving his arms and pointing at the hood of his car. The figures in this little drama were quite small, but the pantomiming left no doubt … his battery was dead, and he had no idea why. Another vehicle, a large beat-up truck, had pulled up so as to park nose to nose and was giving him a jump … one of Mike's gear head buddies no doubt.

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Connor steps down from the bleachers and joins the others.

[Ahmanae]

Classes finally over, Ashley found herself by the side of the athletic field, gauging the prospects for this years team. It was highly unlikely that anyone who hadn't played last year would make the varsity team, as the openings would usually go to the best of last years JV. All in all, a good day, considering that the teachers never assigned any work on the first day of classes. Yessir, a good day, indeed.


Sorry for taking so long, I had a bunch of stuff for school the last two days, and then the internet went out. Fortunately, it was just a loose ethernet cable. Unfortunately, it took me a while to find it.

[gremlin-pult]

As he walked over to the others, Connor couldn't help but wonder how Ryans mind-reading worked.
Is it the impulses in his brain that does it? or is it some mystical BS? The brain is basically one big crapload of electric impulses, so if his powers are linked to that, I'd know where to start at least...

He abandons that train ofthought as he reaches the others, in favor of more interesting things. "Hey cheerleader, how's the team look?" He asks Ashley, his voice just level enough to make people uncertain whether he's serious or being sarcastic. "You ready to go out and win home some trophies for good ole Patton?"
´
Without breaking stride, Connor decides to poke the bear a bit, directing a few thoughts at Ryan.
And how about you, Ken doll? Any luck with keeping your nose out of everyone else's heads? Or do you still get the whole package wherever you go. If nothing else, it'll make you great at poker.

[Galenti]

"That's pretty cool dude," Ryan replied casually as the photographer rambled. The guy was a weirdo, but man could he take some good shots. "Are you gonna get some of these guys today?" He asked gesturing to the rather mixed group of hopefuls trying out.

Just then, Connor rocked up, and Ryan's charming smile fell from his face. Ken doll? Seriously. This guy has one hell of a nerve.

"I could kick your ass at poker anyway!" he blurted out, realising only afterwards that this would have been a complete non-sequitur for everyone else in the group.

[Ski-Bird]

"Oh hey, Connor." Rodney says, greeting the newcomer nonchalantly, as though they chatted like this everyday. Rodney had a certain likability about him — aloof wasn't the right word, a peculiar kind of obliviousness perhaps — he was accepting of all, even though he was accepted by few.

"Hey," He says excitedly. "Want to see something cool? It'll just take a moment … stay right here."

Rodney fumbles with one of his cameras and grabs a tripod from his equipment kit. Taking the lens cover off and hitting a few settings, he powers up the digital LCD screen on the chassis. Then, he sets off at a jog away from the group. When he gets about thirty feet away, he stops and turns back and sets up the tripod and sets the timer.

"I'm going to snap your picture, hold still for a second. Three … Two … One." A sharp wind whips past you as Rodney counts down. You blink. Ryan takes half a step back.

Rodney trots back over, bringing the camera and tripod with him. "Now," He says, his voice betraying how excited he was. "Check this out."

The camera's tiny screen was displaying the photo he had just taken. Unsurprisingly, it is a shot of the three of you; Connor, Ryan and Ashley. The astounding part is … Rodney is in the photo too! He's standing just behind Ashley and Ryan, huge goofy smile, throwing up two pairs of bunny ears.

Ashley was caught dead-on, Rodney's two fingers appearing directly behind her head in the photo. The bunny ears missed Ryan though, he had side stepped at the last moment, and in the photo Ryan's head was turned slightly, as if he was looking Rodney right in the face as he threw the bunny ears up.

"Cool right?" Rodney says, pleased with himself.

Ryan caught a glimpse of what Rodney was planning it as it unfolded. Not quick enough to stop it, but quick enough to side step out of the way … sort of an intuitive, reflexive dodge kind of thing. Now that he's fully back in the moment, Ryan picks up a few surface thoughts.

-Rodney discovered his power this summer. Super-Speed.
-He has experimented endlessly, taking photos / video / what-have-you
-He can run faster than the speed of sound (although he didn't just now …)

[gremlin-pult]

"Huh, aint that something?" connor said, eyebrows raised, as he studied the picture. He looked at Rodney with a wry grin.
"So, did ya jury-rig the camera to do that trick yerself? God knows you've spent enough time with yer nose buried in photography manuals to know a camera inside and out."

I assume the only one of us actually knowing that it was done with superspeed is Ryan, who could read his thoughts.

[Galenti]

"Wha- what?" Ryan spluttered, absorbing the situation at a rate much slower than super-speed. He managed to slightly cut across Connor's light-hearted question with a much more ominous one: "You've got a Power?"

[Ski-Bird]

"Yeah, sort of." Rodney says sheepishly at first, then, with a bit more conviction, he adds, "Yes, yes I do."

"Turns out, yours truly is a speed demon." He says, grinning, pointing a thumb at his chest. "I went for a run one day last summer, and wasn't tired so I kept pushing, kept running. And then like, I don't know … something snapped. I could see everything in slo-mo. Turns out I'm fast … real fast."

"Sometimes if I try, it gets real hot too … like air friction or something. Doesn't hurt though. See … " He holds out a hand, palm sideways and fingers outstretched. He begins to move his hand slowly up and down, like he was shaking hands with an invisible man. Then it happens. His hand moves so quick it becomes a blur, and a very low, almost inaudible hum fills the air.

A few seconds and it's over.

When he stops he shows you his hand, which looks totally normal … except for the heat distortions coming off of it. It looks a little bit like a mirage you might see in an old cartoon … the air around his hand is wavy and a little bit out of focus. There is definitely some heat emanating off of it, like when you open the oven to check on dinner. He pats his jeans, and shakes his hand a few times and it quickly disappears, but there is no doubt … you just witnessed a genuine superpower.

"I even have my superhero name picked out." He continues, leaning in and taking on a somewhat conspiratorial tone.

"I'm going to be … Hot-Rod! How cool is that!?"

[gremlin-pult]

"Well, that really is fascinating..." Connor said as he leaned over to study the heat emanations from Rodney's hand more closely, his mind reeling with different theories as to how his speed works.
As the rest of what Rodney said sunk in, Connor's gaze shifted to his face however, and he gave a look of displeasure.
"Wait, what? Dude, a super-hero name? Really?" He asked. "You're not thinking about doing some crazy hero thing like those costumed weirdo's in Wash Point, are you? Because that would be really, really stupid. And I mean full on, stir freakin' crazy dumb."
Connor emphasized his words with a sour expression.
Dammit, we've got Ken doll going über-emo over finding out that his social life ain't perfect, and now this? A friggin superhero name. This place is going down the drain. He thinks, gritting his teeth. His previous good mood is gone, replaced with an intense annoyance at the smiling camera enthusiast.

[Ahmanae]

"Cool it, Connor. Rodney's got every reason to be enthusiastic about this," She gave him a meaningfull look "I mean, wouldn't you be?"

[Galenti]

"I think Connor's actually got a point, for once," Ryan added, sounding skeptical. "You think just because you've got this power you can suddenly go off and be a hero. Dude, you're gonna get yourself killed." Rodney's cheerful display of power was really annoying Ryan: did he not realise how stupid he sounded? Well, Ryan could hear his thoughts so he knew for fact that the photographer was oblivious.

[Ski-Bird]

Rodney's grin falters when his plan is put to even the slightest bit of scrutiny. He stands there looking a bit confused for a moment. You didn't have to be telepathic to know that Rodney had looked on his powers as something akin to winning the lottery … and that putting on a mask would have been the next logical step. He had failed to view it through any other lens. It sort of made sense. He had always been able to 'fit in', but only as a marginal member of any group. Welcomed for his abilities and little else. He had seen this as his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shine.

It was only for a moment though, then the smile returns. "Aw guys, don't worry about me … I can take care of myself." What would you know about it anyway? Probably just don't want to give up the limelight.

Ryan hears the thoughts and words arrive in parallel, throwing the young telepath a bit. He still hadn't grown entirely used to hearing someone's inner monologue yet. Ryan had heard a similar discordance before, with Sebastian, his so-called friend. The one with a jealous streak.

"I'll take it easy at first." Rodney continues, making his case. I have to show them, then they'll get it.

"And if any trouble starts," He says, punching a fist into his palm. "Bam! I'm outta there! Like this…"

Rod tenses for a bit, then sets off.

If you hadn't been somewhat anticipating something so amazing, you might have said he had just simply disappeared, but no, that wasn't quite accurate. Rod hadn't disappeared, but he did get awfully blurry when he ran at top speed. It was almost as if your eyes had a hard time tracking something that moved that quick and just decided instead to not see it.

He was doing laps around the field. Many of the other students had no idea he was even sprinting past them, leaving little but an errant gust of wind in his wake. When he rounds back towards you, he speaks but doesn't stop running. His words reach you faintly as if shouted through a windstorm.

One lap. "And once,"

Two. Faster than the first. "I get,"

Three. Faster still. "Going,"

Four. "No one can …"

Then it happened. On the far side of the field, a catastrophe! Rod was rounding what would have been his fifth lap when he trips! With the speed he had built up, he tumbled and slid for a good bit before crashing to a halt into the small equipment shed that doubled as a concessions stand during home games.

The sound of the crash is phenomenal, like a car hitting a barrier at the speedway. Debris flies everywhere, the shed is nearly leveled and begins to smolder! Smoke and debris fills the air, and hundreds of napkins and empty styrofoam cups that had been stored within begin to flutter to the ground.

This draws a collective gasp from the students and faculty on the athletic field. People start running. Some people start making their toward the shed to help. A few whip out cellphones to take a picture, and a few teachers pull theirs out as well, but instead of snapping a picture, they start placing a call (presumably to 911).

[gremlin-pult]

"That goddamn idiot!" Connor moans, gripping his hair in frustration.
He looks around at Ashley and Ryan, clearly near panicking. "What do we do, What the hell do we do?" He asks frantically shifting back and forth, torn between staying and running over to Rodney.
"We can't leave him like that. He needs a hospital, but if they take him there, there's gonna be questions. Trouble for him. Trouble for all of us. We need to get him away from here. But how? Crap, crap, crap, crap...." He goes on, getting more and more panicky as he paces back and forth. As his tension and adrenaline rises, so does the electricity in his body, and it shows. His movements get more and more jittery, and small visible arcs of electricity starts dancing and sparking on his body, growing in sync with his emotions.

[Galenti]

Suddenly the groups skeptical mien was destroyed and replaced with horror. Ryan lurched to his feet, gaping at the destruction that the boy's super-speed impact had caused.

"He's gotta be dead," the footballer breathed, but doubted it himself. Connor was right, again, damn it, they had to do something.

He set off without thinking, heading towards the flaming debris, without a thought for what he would do when he got there, just trying to stay alive and get as close as he could to wherever Rodney had ended up.

[Ahmanae]

Ashley took off after Ryan, thinking loudly at him Just make sure he's still alive. If he is, then he needs to go to the hospital. He doesn't know about us, and neither will anyone else unless we shove it in their faces.

This was bad, but they weren't the ones in trouble. Rodney needed help, or, at least, she hoped he did. There was no need to make things worse through paranoia.

[gremlin-pult]

As Ryan and Ashley ran of, Connor took a few seconds to calm himself, taking deep breaths to get his electricity under control.
Its part of me. I control it, not the other way around. He thought, and the electricity stopped arcing around his body.
When he was sure he had it under control, he set of after the others.
He wasn't sure how much range there was on Ryans powers, but he tried thinking loud thoughts. No matter what happens with Rodney, I think you, me and Ashley need to sit down and figure out how to handle our powers. It'll be easier to find a solution if we work together. We can go to my place when we're done here. It's private, and my old man won't be home 'till tomorrow.

[Ski-Bird]

The scene is pretty tumultuous. Students and faculty are milling about … no one has really taken charge yet but it's obvious that a few brave souls are eyeing the inferno, gauging if they could hop into it safely and get Rodney out.

The shed is fully ablaze now, and a downed power line is crackling and sparking next to the shed. Inside the now-ruined structure you see a half dozen or so of those little white propane tanks that go on a backyard grill … and they are right in the middle of the blaze. You don't have long before they blow!

Current Issue: Things Will Never Be the Same

This scene is Crowded and the shed is On Fire.

This scene will be a Challenge. Please see the OOC thread to see how these are handled before replying. We have to hash a few things out there OOC before we continue in this thread.

[Galenti]

As Ryan got closer the heat built until he could barely stand it. Connor and Ashley were behind him but he suddenly doubted whether they'd actually be able to save the boy.

In the panic it was difficult for Ryan to pick up on individual thoughts, as his head became a swirling maelstrom of chaos and fear, but one thought drifted to him that filled him with dread: "There are canisters in there!" He yelled to the other two, "Propane! It could blow at any minute!" But whatever they decided to do would have to be done fast, and if it involved powers, it was going to be pretty difficult with all these people watching.

"I'll try and distract everyone, Connor!" he said, picking up on an idea he'd just sensed forming in Connor's mind.

* * *

Rushing back towards the gathered crowds Ryan waved his arms and bellowed: "Get back! Everyone needs to get back! There are chemicals in the wreckage! This thing could blow! You need to get back!" But his voice was already hoarse from the smoke and he found himself battling just to make himself heard. Pushing aside the pain he used the full power of the lungs that had helped him win his captaincy: "GENERALS, GET BACK!"

[roll0] +1

[gremlin-pult]

With Ryan distracting and pulling the crowd away, Connor surveyed the scene. "Ok, With some extra juice from the wires, creating a big enough burst will be easy." He mumbled, but his hopes sank as he looked at the interior of the shed. "But what about inside. I can't do anything about the fire, but maybe the wires, if I siphon enough..."
After a moments deliberation, Connor made up his mind, and turned to Ashley. "I'll deal with any phones, so we won't be filmed. I might also be able to remove the danger from the wires. Then you'll only have fire to deal with inside."
He said, before running over to the nearest of the exposed wires and grabbing hold.

Connor let out a ragged gasp as the electricity started coursing through him. He had siphoned many things up til now, but the sheer amount of power flooding into him almost made him pass out. This is amazing! He thought, as he felt his powers grow exponentially, the euphoric sensation threatening to take over completely.
"Must... Focus..." he moaned, forcing himself to direct the energy into a concentrated burst, rushing out from him in all directions. The energy he used was quickly being replaced, as the electricity continued flooding into him, and he turned to glance in the direction of Ashley. "Anytime, now..." He said, before another, more powerful burst of electromagnetic energy was released from him. "I can't... control this much power... for long."


[roll0] +4


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**** me! Connor thought, as another burning piece of the sheds roof caved in. With a start he tore himself away from the wires, painfully aware of the emptiness that filled him when the steady stream of power stopped.Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the shed.
"This is such a bad idea..." He mumbled, starting towards the fire. As he entered the shed, he gasped at the sudden shock from the superheated air, his lungs stinging. "**** me sideways!" He said, gulping desperately for breath.
With sweat pouring out of all his pores, Connor rubbed his eyes, trying to spot Rodney. A slight smile played across his face as his gaze fell upon a crumbled shape lying among the tools and sports equipment. Running over, Connor deftly avoided some falling debris, and stepped aside as a flame roared to double size next to him. It's like things are moving slower than normal. He thought, marvelling at the increased reaction speed he gained from the electricity inside him. I should get jacked up like this more often. It would make gym class easier... Connor let out a strained giggle at the thought, realizing that he was desperately trying to think about anything but the roaring inferno around him.
When Connor reached the shape which, just as he'd hoped, turned out to be Rodney, he wiped the sweat from his eyes, before lifting him up and hoisting him up, one arm under Rodney's shoulder. "Dammit, I ain't built for this kinda ****! this is a job for Ken doll! Or a fireman! Or someone else not me!" He moaned as Rodney's weight almost pulled him down. With a grunt he dragged the limp camera-maniac towards the door, carefully picking his path out to avoid putting Rodney in reach of the fires.
As they reached the door, Connor felt a sharp, painful heat spread across his back. He glanced over, only to see that his sweatshirt had caught fire!
"GAAAAHH!!"
Dragging Rodney desperately away, Connor threw him on the grass when they'd gotten around fifty feet away from the shed, before ripping of his sweatshirt and throwing it on the ground. "AHHH, God-****ing, Horse-****, sunnova*****!" He screamed, falling on the ground and rolling around, until he could only manage to lie on his stomach, sobbing in pain and coughing from the smoke he'd inhaled.

[Ahmanae]

Ashley dashed into the crash site right behind Connor. It looked like he could handle getting Hot Rod the beanpole out, but those propane canisters... That could be pretty bad, with this crowd hanging around. She began grabbing the canisters and slinging them to safety from flames while Connor beat a quick retreat from the heat with Rodney in tow.

Physique (+3)
Doors Are A Lifestyle Choice (+2)
Stronger Than A Locomotive (+2)

[roll0]

[Ski-Bird]

It hadn't been easy, but then … things worth doing seldom were. The three teens had worked together to handle the catastrophe like a well-oiled machine.

Ryan had handled the crowd masterfully, ensuring that none of the braver students got it in their heads to try to effect a rescue in their own. In fact, while he had been marshaling the crowd, most of the onlookers were too busy to notice that their cellphones had mysteriously blanked out — unable to make any calls or take any incriminating video.

Ashley had jumped into the fray as well, tossing each of the propane tanks a few dozen yards before they started popping off like fireworks! If they had still been in the shed … someone could have been seriously hurt.

Connor suffered some minor burns as he runs out of the burning building, hauling Rodney out in a fireman's carry. It is plain to see that Rodney is gravely injured. Deep lacerations cover the poor teen, and one of his legs is sticking out at a funny angle that makes you wince just to look at it.

Fortunately, an ambulance can be heard wailing in the distance. Help was on the way!

In a few moments, the athletic field was crawling with paramedics and firemen … who made short work of the shed blaze. A few students were being treated at the scene, sitting on bleachers and sucking oxygen through tiny clear masks. Connor had received some gauze and was told that since he had injured himself while on school property, his father had to be called to come and pick him up.

Thankfully, however, the number of serious injuries remained at one; Rodney. The young speedster was loaded onto a gurney and was whisked away. It didn't look good if the grim faces of the paramedics was any clue.

It all had happened so quick, but it was over now. The three of you each find a moment to compose yourselves and, looking around, decide to get somewhere where you could have a quiet moment to discuss what had just happened without any prying ears.

Congrats on the first challenge! The scene will now move to the student parking lot, out of earshot of the rest of the witnesses. As near as you can tell … the scene was chaotic enough that no one witnessed who did what (and certainly, no one witnessed any powers).

[gremlin-pult]

"Gah, dammit that smarts!" Connor cursed as he tried to carefully lean on the hood of Brody's car, only to accidentally put weight on a burned part of his back. Putting his hand on the hood, he started absorbing a small amount of electricity, letting it trickle into him like a gentle stream. As the siphoning dulled the pain somewhat, he sighed in relief.
"So, that could have gone a lot worse. Could have gone a lot better too, but hey..." He said, glancing at Ryan and Ashley in turn. "Ya did pretty good there, herding away the sheep, ken d... Er, Ryan." He continued, giving a tired smile with no trace of sarcasm for once. "You too Williams. Then again, I already knew you had a freakishly good throwing arm, hahaha...OW!" Connor winced, as his movements shifted the gauze on his back.

He leaned back slightly, looking up at the sky with a thoughtful expression.
"Seriously though, we have to make some kinda plan for how to deal with our... "Situation". This whole mess was an excellent example of what'll happen if we go about this without proper preparation. Whatever we end up doing with our powers, the first step needs to be to figure out exactly what we're capable of, and how to control it."
He turned to look at the others, an easy smile once more on his face.
"Now, I'm not saying I've got a better handle on this than you guys, but I do have some suggestions. First of all, I think my place will be a good place to test our powers and train. Its pretty secluded since its in the wilds, and my old man is out around town doing work pretty often. secondly, I think you should consider starting to spend a lot more time in the public library. Reading books on how electric currents and stuff like that works actually helped me quite a lot when I was figuring out how to control both my siphoning and my power output."