Intro to Education - Part 4

My name is Mercedes Whitman and I'm a hero on a foreign world. I am the daughter of two heroes, and was trapped on this Earth during an Event that sealed the way back home forever. They call me Black Sapphire when I’m out patrolling, and these are my Blogs.

Sapphire looked at the screen in amazement, “I have no idea who it could have been.”

Intro to Education Part 4 - The Graduate

“My name is Alejandro Raven and in a roundabout way I am your father, each and every one of you.  You see I was one of the Scientists who experimented on your parents and caused this genetic hybridization in all of you.  That is why you are here today.  I approached your parents and offered them restitution for my crimes and a chance to make up for my actions.  I would like to teach you here at the Raven Institute for the Academically Gifted.  Teach you how to harness your abilities for the greater good if you want, or how to wield them in a way as to allow you to hide in society as a normal person.  The choice is yours.”  The speech was always the same, Alejandro never varied in its recital, and it had become his mantra and drove him forward throughout his life after GeniCon.

“We sit before a massive forest.  The Ravenwood, named for myself of course.”  The crowd chuckled slightly.  “Actually for my father who came to this…land long ago in a different time, a time before Augments and Hybrids and the Super Heroes of this day and age.  He used his wealth to build this home for his mother while he searched for his family who were separated on the journey to these lands.  It was secluded from the world at large and she was able to live in luxury and peace.”

“This will be your home for the next four years and we will teach you everything you need to know to survive in the outside world.”

The Event

Another explosion ripped through the campus as Kristoff unleashed the next wave of attacks generated by his quantum singularity generators.  He cackled as they ran and scurried beneath him.

Vin slid to a stop and pulled out his ray gun and popped a fresh clip into the handle it buzzed to life and pinged green and ready to activate.  “We’re pinned down near the fountain.”

“Who are we?”  Lazerface asked over the communication units.

“Vin Maxwell, Donald Darwin and Christian Gotti.  I have eyes on Zachary and Jezebel near the courtyard.  This Kristoff guy and his orbs are tearing the place apart.”

“Confirmed, the WMD and IED are in route.  Superdude is telling us that we are being invaded on a massive scale from another universe, and that he is just one force hitting the Earth right now.  We have sightings of the Entity and three of his Scions attacking The Family over Neutron City.  I am also getting reports of some kind of fleet coming at us from deep space.”

“This shit is going to get worse before it gets better.”

“Your father Max is now in the field and moving up behind the target.”  Walters’s voice popped in over the unit.  “We’re five minutes out; hold your position until we arrive.”

“I don’t think we can do that sir.  The fountain is on fire and now we really need to move.”  Vin motioned to the others and pointed for a hasty retreat around the gazebo side of the courtyard.  “GO NOW!!” Steve watched in the HUD of his visor and stood back up from the remains of Joan’s body.  He took a deep breath and nodded to the rest of his squad.

“Okay let’s move out and give these kids some backup before they end up being the Final Generation.”

Sometime in the future…

A rather pale and somewhat sickly-looking potential student entered the queue behind me.  "Hey," he said. "Is this the line for admission to the superhero school, or whatever?"

He couldn't possibly serious.  Was it the multitude of capes, masks utility belts that gave it away?  Idiot.  I ignored him.

"Yeah.  Okay."

Jack Rabbit opened the door to the interview room.  "E.P.I.C.?  Come on in."

Jack Rabbit.  His suit was even more ridiculous than his name.  Supposedly his suit's design and the hardware contained within were all necessary to facilitate his power of super-speed.  I would have made it better and, more importantly, not look completely moronic.  I sat across the table from him. "It is an honor to meet you in the flesh, Mr. Rabbit," I lied.

He seemed to think my admiration genuine.  "Thanks.  So..." He looked through my file, no doubt in part compiled by the Dark Avenger.  It seemed a rather meager amount of paperwork.  That made me smile.  "...E.P.I.C.  What makes you think you'll make a good superhero?"

"Four things," I told him.  "Endurance.  My suit, which is of my own design, features  a kinetic dampening field.  It is invisible to the naked eye, and it is skin-tight.  It absorbs any potential physical damage thrown my way, from bullets to the occasional tossed eighteen-wheeler.  The material is impervious to flame and highly resistant to radiation, including most known forms of energy generation."

"What about - -"

"It is also resistant to extreme temperature, and regulates my body temperature.  It is adequately effective versus cold and ice attacks."

"Well, that's very --."

"Power.  My suit features next-generation propulsion technology.  I can fly.  The suit amplifies my own physical strength many, many times over, and in conjunction with state-of-the-art combat simulation software fed to me via a heads-up display, enhances my reflexes.  My visor emits an expanding energy blast that was created to rival the power of a star."

"...How is all that possible?  I don't see any generators or anything on your - -"

"Micro-technology.  Beyond that, I can't say much more, I'm afraid.  I'm sure, being a scientist yourself, you can honor some professional secrets among... equals."  I had a hard time saying that last part with a straight face.

"Actually, I think - -"

"Integrity.  Because what is power without an upstanding moral code?  Dangerous, of course.  A path to villainy.  I vow to use my technology in the name of good."

"Er... that's good."

"Cunning.  Because, as you have obviously by now ascertained, it took a brilliant mind to construct this suit.  Mine.  Moreover, I use my intellect to outsmart my adversaries.  Sometimes it takes more than a super-powered punch or an energy blast to defeat a foe.  I pride myself on the fact that I can think several steps ahead of my enemies, and, frankly, there are few out alive as intelligent as I am."

Jack Rabbit frowned.  "That's all very impressive, E.P.I.C.  But, honestly, I'm not convinced our school is a good fit for you.  You've got a heck of an ego, kid, and that can be a dangerous - -"

I produced my PDA and showed it to him.  "There. I believe this amount is adequate to cover the full four years of my tuition?  As you will note, I've estimated generously for cost inflation."

"Sign here, please.  Welcome to Super U.!"

Epilogue #1

Some time ago…

Walters stood quietly and watched the newest recruits train.  Every year the technology available to him to assist in his methods was stronger and more realistic to be of use in combat situations.  One student jumped out at him in skill and ability.  He pushed that group harder than the rest hoping that the leadership abilities would surface and take charge.

The group ran through the gauntlet and suddenly began to act as a unit, one forged in the heat of battle.  He smiled.  His legacy finally had a successor.

Epilogue #2

Sapphire closed the files and frowned.  She began to stand and turn away from the monitors when the entire bank of monitors light up.  They remained blank for a moment and then began to fill with small red dots; they continued to fill until the whole of the monitor wall made a large red number 5.

“What the hell?”  The 5 lasted for a few seconds and then shut off.  Sapphire frowned.

TBC in Stand Alone 7

Intro to Education - Part 3

My name is Mercedes Whitman and I'm a hero on a foreign world. I am the daughter of two heroes, and was trapped on this Earth during an Event that sealed the way back home forever. They call me Black Sapphire when I’m out patrolling, and these are my Blogs.

“There were plenty of teachers and students during the time Dark Avenger spent at the Raven Institute, and any one of them could have been enough to catch his eye and receive further training. But I really need to narrow it down somehow. According to the records, the first two years of school were mainly the four Hybrids and a school full of smart people, but it looks like in their junior year an influx of the next generation of Hybrids came to the school as freshmen.” Sapphire punched at the keys and started to peruse the transcripts in order to gain a better understanding of the school... and who the Dark Avenger had been keeping a secret from her.

Intro to Education -Part 3: Risky Business

Steve Saunders surveyed the freshman class of the Raven Institute, the Next Generation of Hybrids. He frowned. 

Joan walked up to his side and he took her hand in his and smiled again. “I think we have a good crop of people this year," she said.

“I hope so,” he responded. “It’s kind of terrible that we were the only hybrids our freshmen and sophomore years.” 

She smiled as she looked up at him; staring past the full mask he wore to hide his public identity. “We weren't alone. There were others.” 

He nodded back to her slightly. 

“I understand that you think that because we meshed as a squad perfectly and that the others didn’t do as well that we were alone, but you know this wasn’t the case right?”

 Again he nodded. “It’s just hard that we alone were the standouts.” 

Joan shrugged in response.

He turned back to the crowd and watched as a handful of the new students made movements that brought them back to his attention. A heavily muscled Indian was wrestling with a pale skinny Irishman, and he was losing. Steve blinked several times and the inside of his mask brought up the admission files and some of the notes that Walters had already added to them.

Ajay Harjit Sadavir “The Ever Courageous Unconquered Victor”
Country of Origin: India
Abilities: Unable to lose in hand to hand combat once the challenger has accepted, literally a two-fisted god of combat.
Hindrances: Pacifist

Angus O’Shannihan “Black Angus”
Country of Origin: Ireland
Abilities: He calls it the ‘Infliction’. He is able to shift damage that his body has sustained unto another person, effectively allowing you to beat yourself up as it were.
Hindrances: Pain junkie. Rumors of personal cutting followed him to the school.

Across the way one of the people watching was clicking, chirping and gesturing wildly. He paused and laughed for a moment before continuing on talking.

Gamba “Sonic Thunder”
Country of Origin: Zimbabwe
Abilities: Gamba is a sound generator. He can manipulate sonic tones and craft illusions and violent attacks.
Hindrances: His brain is wired in a way that will not allow him to learn any language outside of his home village. I have shifted another student into his class so that he has someone to talk to.

Steve frowned and moved his line of sight to another foreign student. He was standing on a rock and had his hands positioned on his waist in a triumphant pose. He could swear that he could see the Japanese Flag waving behind him, with waves crashing on some unseen shore, lightning crackling in the sky above him. The boy laughed at everyone who passed him by.

Keichi Takemura “Eco”
Country of Origin: Hokkaido, Japan
Abilities: Unknown at this time. Leadership skills, and upper-class learning before transferring to the Raven Institute.
Hindrances: Suffers from residual time differential, causing his words and movements to be slightly off.

An older man was hobbling around away from the crowds and his one normal hand was holding his hip. His other arm was just above the grass of the grounds. It was a massive lobster claw and the chitinous shell went up to his shoulder.

William Randall “The Claw”
Country of Origin: Britain
Abilities: Has a large lobster-like claw on his right hand/arm.
Hindrances: Suffers from Werner Syndrome.

“Seriously fellows, TRANS, LATE, and TOR like the publishing company, not TUR like turd…” He pushed the glasses back up his nose after looking down at the crowd around him. “I once talked to a lunar princess and got her phone number.” He smiled and popped his collar.

“But there’s no air in space so how did you understand it?”

“Oh, Lunar Speak is easy.”

Donald Ronald “Translator”
Country of Origin: America
Abilities: Able to translate and speak any language in existence.
Hindrances: Massive ego, does not work well with others.

A young woman rolled her eyes at the geek’s speech and popped some gum. “I’m out, dork.” She rolled off the step and fell into a hole in space/time and reappeared across the field next to a large metal man. She looked him up and down and purred. “Hey there, sexy.” Another boy's head popped up from behind the metal man.

“What?” He had smudges of dirt and clay on his arms and face. He was wearing overalls and was shirtless, his well muscled upper body on display for all to see.

Katrina Wendell “Passport”
Country of Origin: America
Abilities: Teleportation
Hindrances: ADHD, and general promiscuity 

Peter Reginald “The Sculptor” 
Country of Origin: Ukraine
Abilities: Able to manipulate any material into sculpted creations and then able animate them to fight for him, or provide protection.
Hindrances: Naïve to the real world. He gets lost in his projects.

Steve turned back to Joan and shrugged. “Well, it ought to be interesting.”

TBC in Intro to Education Part 4…

Intro to Education - Part 1

My name is Mercedes Whitman and I'm a hero on a foreign world. I am the daughter of two heroes, and was trapped on this Earth during an Event that sealed the way back home forever. They call me Black Sapphire when I’m out patrolling, and these are my Blogs.

“Have you finished?”  Walter’s spoke up from behind her.  Sapphire sniffled and wiped at her nose then nodded.

“There’s something I don’t understand about you and why you are making me do all of this.”  Sapphire responded.  “I understand that you have gone out of your way when no one else would and have taken me in when I had nowhere else to go.  I get that you see potential as a hero in me and that you feel I need more training before you think I will be ready.  But I think that you may have done this before, that I’m not the first one that you have brought here and gone through this with.”

Walter’s nodded.  “You aren’t the first and who knows, you probably won’t be the last.  Complete training is important to me and what I did out in the world.  It does not do anyone any good to be unprepared when fighting crime.  Before I picked my Protégé I taught at a school outside of the city, I was doing one of the WMD a favor and helping some of the students there to be better strategists and hand to hand fighters.  I did this for a few semesters and one of them caught my eye and I took him under my wing and expanded his training to replace me and my duty.”  Walter’s looked away from her then and stared off into the darkness.  “I lost him.”  Sapphire stood to go to his side and he held up a hand.  “Stay.  You have more work to do.”  He walked off and she lost him in the shadows.

Intro to Education Part 1 - The Freshman

My name is Steve Saunders and I am a super hero?

Allow me to clarify that statement.  I have extra-normal abilities granted to me through a quirk in my genetic code.  The Government has taken to calling us Hybrids, this new generation of powers, born of Augmented parents.

My Parents are famous, my mother is a cook and has a chain of chicken restaurants under her ‘wing’ and my father is a businessman.  Between the two of them I am second hand famous, and now that I am in this school I have to hide who I am to save my parents from possible embarrassment. 

The school is the Raven Institute for the Academically Gifted.  It is run by a man named Alejandro Raven and is the reason I even exist in the first place.  Many years ago he worked with a company called GeniCon along with another woman and through them another doctor, Barnabus Alexander, better known to the world as Jack Rabbit, the speedster of the WMD.  GeniCon and Alexander developed a way to harness the genetic code of a being to hijack DNA and kick start a chemical chain reaction to grant the individual exposed to the process abilities beyond the normal.  They were quickly referred to as Augments or the Augmented.  Some of the Augmented became heroes, some used their abilities for villainy and others just maintained their normal lives, ignoring their powers as much as they could.

Several weeks ago Alejandro came to my parents and offered to train me and finish my schooling at no cost to them and they quickly agreed.  I think they secretly hoped that they would never see me again.  It seems that I was the first Hybrid born on the Earth.  So I was some kind of a big deal to the government and GeniCon.  Luckily GeniCon folded before any of my abilities manifested and Alejandro was watching out for me and kept me off the radar of those who would exploit me.

Within the first few weeks of my arrival several more students came to the school.  

Joan Grant, a young woman who would become the healer of my group.  She was a Meta-Kineticist, which broke down to her being a telekinetic at the molecular level and able to mend wounds by rearranging the strands of DNA.

Huffington MacDougall, a brilliant young man who acted as our tank.  He was able to increase his mass to become a solid form related to the strength of his density at the moment, being wood, stone, or metal.

Randall Douglas, he decided he liked being called the Elemental.  He was able to harness and transform his body into the various basic elements and then mix them into additional forms.  Which enough preparation he was able to become magma bleeding a cone of freezing cold in a time of extreme stress.

These were to be my classmates for the first few semesters.  Their abilities had all started to manifest so they were in need of training in the use and control of them.  There was supposed to be a fifth member of our group but Wallace Wellington developed flight and unfortunately had no control over it and was struck by a jet liner, he was killed instantly.  

It would be a few days before we would meet the Special teachers that Mr. Raven had brought in to help train us.

TBC in Intro to Education Part 2…