4. First Class

Posted on Fri Apr 28th, 2023 @ 12:54am by Duke Drake & Kai & Kranny Shtorm & Rebecca McMillen & Eric Mixon & Sakura Tanikawa & Gabe Spicer & Eli King & Kunikpaa

1,860 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: 1. Year One
Location: Gymnasium
Timeline: September 2, 1992 0800

Doc looked over the assembled students in their PE gear while standing with a group of teachers, "OK everyone, I'm not a speechmaker, so this is going to be brief. Welcome to your first day of class here at the Haven. I hope while you are here, you forge lifelong bonds of friendship with your classmates as well as your teachers and instructors. There is a lot of knowledge in this room, failure to take of advantage of it, is your loss. Now then, our first class will have all of staff and students together. I'd like you to form a single line and step up one by one and give your name and a small demonstration of your powers or abilities. This will allow us to best assign the teacher or mentor who will guide you best. If there are no further questions, let us begin."

Eric stood next to the headmaster looking at the students as they fairly efficiently worked into a uniform line. He was eager to see what they could do. From his experiences most mutant's powers weren't as obvious as his organic steel skin. While this was the Headmaster's school the gym was his domain and he was already feeling protective of it and those inside it.

Shtorm was a combination of excited and a little anxious for this coming year. Teaching kids was new to him and now actually having them here was like being out on the battlefield for the first time. Yet he put his brave smile on. "is it true kids can smell fear" Shtorm thought to himself. Regardless, he was ready to give it his all and to really make this a great, educational and safe year for these kids.

Rebecca was there, sporting a simple gray top and shorts combination fit for a school gym. What it lacked in school logos or icons it... also lacked in color.

It would be easy to look right past Eli, who stayed near the door. He was curious about the types of powers the students had, he had never really been around so many mutants before.

Louis-Phillipe, a rather handsome 16 year old boy with perfectly coiffed brown hair, joined the line of his peers. He was both nervous and excited to demonstrate what it was he could do. He kept seeing back to the looks on his parents faces when he showed them his powers. Looks that etched into his brain their feelings of disappointment towards him.

Behind him, Heather pulled her blonde hair into a ponytail. She was pleased to show off for her new classmates, and part of her wanted to be certain that her power would eclipse everyone else.

Kai walked to the line quietly, holding a water bottle, he hoped he wouldn't get in trouble on his first day for making a mess.

Zaid stood in the back of the line, looking around almost like he was surveying his surroundings and the other students. He raised his hand " Do we having to show or tell others about our powers? I find others knowing exactly what you can do puts oneself as a great disadvantage."

Rebecca fielded the 'concern'. Truth be told, trust was hard to come by and she recognized it. "Well, for one... knowing what your fellow student, or the faculties members, can do might save your life if necessary. In the event of a fire, try to find someone fireproof to rush in to save people and try to find someone who can deal with the fire. Do not find the person who exhales hydrogen." she winked.

"And for second, it's only a great disadvantage if it's one sided. If everyone knows what everyone can do, then we're all on the same playing field." Rebecca offered. "Aside from those who's powers are obvious, who have already taken the first steps to trust." she looked over at Eric, "... and for that we appreciate you."

"So, in the interest of breaking the ice and setting the bar, I'll go first. Hi, my name is Rebecca, and I talk to mice. Rats too." she giggled, then took a breath. The change came gradually, but steady. It didn't look like it hurt, or felt odd, it just looked like something she did as casually as walking. Slowly, the height melted off of her as she got smaller, and smaller, and smaller. Four feet, three feet, two feet...

Eventually, Rebecca's downward spiral stopped when she was a mere two inches in height, the average height of a field mouse, or a rather underweight rat. Certainly not the chonkers from the city. She held that height for a moment before she reversed the process, returning to the full-sized world with the others. "Okay. Would anyone of the students like to go next?"

Kai stepped forward, he was slightly overweight with a full head of dark, black curly hair. "I'll go, since most of you know my dad and have been to his shop. If you're ever in a fire like Miss Rebecca said, I'm the guy you want with you."

He held open his hand and poured part of his water bottle onto it, however it formed a floating sphere, without a drop hitting the ground. He moved his arm and formed a fist, and the water shaped and extended into a larger fist extending from his own. Kai opened his hand and he recalled and guided most of the water back to the small bottle, but left a small puddle on the floor. He looked down sheepishly, "The longer I tried to hold it the more control I lose, I'm hoping I can learn to better control and focus it."

"Thank you for sharing Kai." Eric said as he stepped forward from the group of teachers. "Rebecca brought up the fire scenario, but hopefully we are not faced with a mass shooter or one of those people that fear us to the point of attacking us. I am the guy to run to in that case. I am made of an organic steel skin makes me highly resilient against bullets and falling buildings." He explained as he stepped back hoping the ball kept rolling.

"Well, Hello everyone. My name is Gabe, and I"m the guy youd want around if your garden ever stops growing." he smiled. "I can manipulate plants and control them." Gabe said, stepping forward

"Umm...I..I'm Flynn." As a partially small child sheepishly moves forward. "I can..ummm.... make things teleport to me. Only small th.th.things and i have to um...mark them first bu.bu.but...um i guess i'll show you". As Flynn pulls a small rubber duck from his pocket and puts his hands around it, he stays silent for a moment. Then throws it in a random direction. After it lands Flynn puts his hand out and closes his eyes after a few seconds the duck wobbles on its own then blinks away to reappear in Flynn's hand. Flynn coughs a little bit like just moving the duck was a lot for him. As he looks around "ummm...ya, th.th.thats it." As he steps to the side.

Louis-Phillipe stepped up. "If it’s alright, I'm going to need a volunteer. Someone who is comfortable with a little pain and discomfort." His voice was calm and steady. "My ability allows me to pull a bloodlike substance from people and absorb it. It temporarily weakens them and also temporarily increases my stamina, agility, and strength." He hoped his explanation didn't turn away any would be volunteers.

“I’ll help.” This was from a young woman, age fifteen, who stood two places down from Louis-Philippe. She went around the other students to stand next to him. “But you need to help me with mine after you’re done.” She looked to the teachers. “I’m Kunikpaa. I’m from the Yukon. And my power is that I can make my voice come from other people’s mouths. Like I can make them say what I want. It doesn’t always work though.” She faced Louis-Philippe. “Go ahead.”

Louis-Philippe took a steadying stance with his cupped hands outstretched, his gaze honed in on Kanikpaa. Almost immediately a red substance flowed in small streams from the girl towards his cupped hands. Quickly in pooled before draining into his palms. He looked around, waiting for some indication his classmates were impressed.

The young girl looked a bit woozy on her feet for a moment, and grabbed his shoulder once it was over. “That’s intense,” Kunikpaa said with a laugh between heavy breaths. “My turn,” she added. And a moment later, the words ‘Kunikpaa is pretty cool’ were coming out of Louis-Philippe’s mouth.

Louis' eyes widened as his lips moved without him controlling them.

Suitably impressed, Sakura went next. “I’m Sakura Tanikawa. I’ll be teaching information technology class, and my power is that I can understand how machines work by touching them, and I can make them do what I want.” She decided to start simple and saw that Kunikpaa wore a digital watch. Sakura beckoned the student to hold her hand out, and when she did, holding it for all to see, the teacher touched the side of the watch and replaced the numbers with the word hello.

Heather stepped up without a word. She reached up and removed the scrunchy that held her hair. Her blonde locks began to move, growing longer and moving about as if they had their own minds. She demonstrated her powers further by grabbing a nearby ball with her hair and tossing it. Satisfied, she retracted the blonde appendages and pulled them into their former ponytail.

As the line thins out and the once back of the line has become the front of the line, it becomes Zaids turn. "So ya, im not really going to show you. Don't really feel the need to. But for the idea of humoring y'all I'll at least tell you." As Zaid readjust his hoodie. "Well I'm Zaid, and I can manipulate gases. I can make them lighter and denser, and if you don't understand what that means or can do, that's your issue." As Zaid ends it there and just walks over to the side.

Rebecca leaned over, closer to the doc, and muttered something.

The Doc watched as the students and teachers interacted, sharing their powers with each other, and beginning to build the bridges between trust and mentorship. He walked over to Eric, the Haven's PE teacher, "Coach, it looks like you've got a pretty decent group here."

"They are raw and have trust issues but don't we all." He said with a sly chuckle. "Definitely something we can work with and bringing them together helps to build that trust and comradery."

"Yes but it is a great foundation to build on," the Doc replied as he watched the students and teachers continuing to work with one another. He hoped that events that were happening outside the Haven wouldn't affect the peace they were enjoying, but sadly that would not be the case.

#The End

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