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It takes a while for the rytum of the school to return.  There is still a buzz about what happened with Rory and the other boy, as well as about the girl with the ice opwers in the locker room yesterday.

"You know," Sylvia says, staring at her wheat berry and soy cheese casserole, "I bet it's the food.  I bet someone's dumping toxic waste in the cafeteria mac-and-cheese.  People will be sprouting extra eyes and arms soon."

Donnie pauses as he lifts another spoonful of cafeteria mac-and-cheese into his mouth. He swallows audibly, then pushes the half-full bowl aside. He mock-glares at Sylvia. "You are just annoyed that you have hay and oats again for lunch."  He then wickers like a horse, pawing at the table like the counting horse he saw on tv once. "Well, so far I seem to be one of the few normal ones around here. Matt is a walking movie encyclopedia, TJ turns into bubbles, Colin zaps people and makes them sick, Seth can mess up doors, Rory turns into a red Incredible Hulk, and Matt can summon Ninjas.

I would be cool to have superpowers though. Zap! Pow!"

He grins at his own foolishness and grabs another slice of pizza.

Sylvia shoots Donnie a look.  Normal.  Su-ure.  "Maybe it's contagious.  That would explain why there's this epidemic of weirdness infecting everyone we hang with.  It's, like, a retrovirus that edits the R-factor into normal human DNA."  She's been doing some research.  "More reasons to wash your hands as often as possible."


"You think?  But then what would you do?  I mean, so what if you could zap-pow your way through anything?  Would you start trashing bullies or come to school in spandex and a mask?"

OOC: Shouldn't Donnie roll that save in the Kirby thread before saying he has no powers? Be careful what you wish for... ;)

Colin sits at the table. In silence. Which is strange. He's brought a bottle of water and a sandwich, but he looks like he's having trouble eating. He takes only small bites every now and then.

"A fat kid in spandex. Yeah. I will never get a date to the freshman dance that way."

Sylvia clams up about the burden of being super when Colin sits down.  As creeped out as she is by the eruption of paranormal abilities, she'd hate to hurt Colin's feelings.  "You okay?" she calls to the photographer.

T.J looks at the others and takes a sip from his bottle. "I still don't feel good after yesterday. What happened with Rory? I heard about it but no one really told me anything." He looks at Donnie and frowns. "I didn't turn into bubbles surely? How does that work?"

"I've been better." he answers. He has a rather raucous voice, and red eyes behind the glasses as if he's been crying. He still trembles a bit sometimes.

"I tried to help him, but it was a little too much for me. It's gotten me quite badly, but I'm getting over it"
he gives a faint smile instead of his usual big ones "Thanks."

He looks at the incredulous T.J., thinking of what to say to help him accept what happened, but can't find any words, so he remains silent.

Sylvia doesn't like the look on Colin's face.  He's always so happy, so bubbly, and now he looks like something's sucked ten years out of him.  "Rory will be okay, won't he?  And that other boy, too?"

"I think Rory will be okay. It just that... How can I explain... Whatever it is I use to help people, I strained it. There was something wrong with his heart, and... It hurt. Quite a lot. But I told you, it's passing. Only I didn't have anything in me to help the other boy too."

"I can't save everyone, it seems." He looks down, as if he felt ashamed of this.

"What if you are right, and it IS contagious? The new talents haven't done Rory much good. Maybe we should actually be contained, until it's safe again." he lets out a deep sigh "I think we need some help."

Sylvia can only nod, but she's thinking about that, forming a plan of action.

Megan made her way into the lunch room with the rest of the cheerleading squad as normal.  But the events of this morning, added to the incident yesterday and at the lab had her a bit more quite than usual.  It seemed really weird that there were so many superpowered kids appearing. 

With the strange feeling she had yesterday when pushing the cart into the ice girl, she was thinking that later tonight she should go out for a run when it was a bit darker, and see if she really had run incredibly fast.

Seeing Colin sitting there suffering and with the comments made, Donnie shuts his mouth, feeling guilty. He finishes his meal in silence.

"Hey, Donnie, it's not your fault. Besides I could make several additions to your list. It's just that... superpowers may come with a price. I have this kind of magic, I can use to see things and... heal people, sort of, but if people feel really bad, it looks like I get to share some of their pain too. It's somewhat like being electrocuted, hence the zapping, I think. It happened with Megan at the labs, it happened today too. Helping Rory just hit me quite hard. But I went looking for it, I have but myself to blame. Rory instead wasn't looking for what happened, and neither did T.J. yesterday. If we're all R-positive, as strange as it is, we have to learn to live with these talents. And for someone, it may be difficult. That's why I'm saying we need some help. But who can help us?"

Seth walks in...Today he has his guitar with him. He sits down, swings his guitar case in front of him, opens it, pulls out a lunchables, and throws it on the table. He takes one look at the lunchable..."anyone want that? I sure don't"  

He then takes his guitar, turns around so his back is against the table and begins to strum some cords...Nothing in particular.

Colin takes a seat near Seth, and for a while he quietly enjoys his music. Then he asks, in avery low voice, so that only Seth can hear him "Seth... When I "zapped" you... what did you really feel exactly? I kinda need to know."

Samantha sits with her usual crew, but she is unusually quiet.  Her friends chatter excitedly about the ice girl and about the fight that happened just a little while ago, but caught up in her own thoughts, she zones their conversation out into a kind of white noise.  She barely touches the sandwich her mom packed for her.

Kirby makes his way into the luch room.  After he went into the Principal's office yesterday no one has seen him.

He sits down with his lunch and listens to many questions about what happened.

KIRBY: "The principal isn't gonna suspend me, but my folks are gonna have to pay for the hole to be fixed.  The principal locked the tunneling ray up to make sure it didn't disappear again."  He takes a sip of his drink, "I wanted to thank you guys for helping me out yesterday, that was really cool of you.  The fact that you were all there is what made the difference I think.  the Prinicpal realized that you guys were helping me find it, which is why I hadn't come forward sooner.  Thanks again.  If there is ever anything I can do for you guys, any of you.  Don't hesitate to ask."

Finally a smile in the usual Colin-style.

"It's ok, Kirby. That's what friends are for. There is this nice bank not far from here though..." he says with a wink.

"I would like to know who stole it and why, though. I'll look around if I can recognize those guys. I never forget a face."

Matt wanders into the lunch room, a haunted look on his face. Seeing mild-mannered little geeky Rory hulk out like that shook him to his core, and for reasons he's not too sure of. On the one side he's just been close to something he's wanted to see up close practically half his life, while on the other it was kinda awful in real life, as opposed to just reading about it. And in addition there's a part - a uncomfortably big part - of him that wishes that it had been him growing all big and red and beating the crap out of the other guy, and instead it was Rory?!

He wanders over to Colin and the others since he's just lost the only other guy in school he were remotely comfortable with, and with their experiences in the epic quest for the sonic deathray thingie yesterday they probably bonded... or something. "Uuuh, hi guys. So, anyone heard anything about Rory, if, uhm, if he made it that is? Man that was crazy... I think he thought he was dying, as he whispered to me to talk to his folks for him. This is all just f***ed up on so many levels, y'know?" He breathes a sigh then shuts up, his mind obviously wandering again.

Sarah strolls into the lunch room with Kel.  Feeling much more like herself, she smiles and waves to the gang at the big table.  But there's Matt who had a front row seat for the horribleness... 

Her smile fades and she walks up to Matt.  "Hey Matt, is Rory going to be okay?   How about yourself?  Did you guys even know that other kid?"   

Kel settles himself down into a chair with his usual unceremonious manner, and just lets the conversations around him roll in.

"Huh?" Matt looks up at Sarah. "Uuh, yea, I'm okay, dunno about Rory though, haven't heard anything, he could be dead for all I know. And who cares about that other piece of shit anyway?" he asks, obviously growing a bit upset. "I hope he broke his neck, that he's either dead or paralyzed for life, so that he has to eat through a hose the rest of his life. F***er deserves it. They all do." The coldness of Matt's words leaves no doubt that he means every word, and that it's not said out just anger, but rather something far more dangerous...

Kel quickly hides his shock over what Matt just said, it was hard to hear someone say that.  But Kel shrugged it off, he's just stressed out has to be...

Sylvia, who's sitting next to Colin, cringes.  "That's kind of harsh, isn't it?  Rory taught him enough of a lesson."

Colin freezes. He has a face that it's difficult to decipher. It's like his eyes, his mouth, his jaw, just became hard and sharp. You've never seen this face on him. As he slowly turns to Matt, you realize why. You've never seen him angry.

"How can you say that? How can you ç#§%ing say that! Don't you think he has a family, and friends that care about him, just as you care about Rory? Would you say that in front of them? Do you really think he deserves to die just because he made a mistake? Just because he's been a jerk sometimes? I guess you have never been a jerk with anyone in your life! I guess it would be just fine to come here, right in this lunchroom, with a shotgun and start shooting away, because that's what they -deserve-, isn't it? They had it coming, didn't they?! -That- is what should be done!"

He realizes that he's almost shouting, and he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and squeezing a couple of tears out of them. His face softens somewhat.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, Matt. If you need to vent then it's fine, you're among friends, I'll listen to you and wait till you've taken it all out, but you should never -never- say something like that like you mean it. it's just wrong, for them, but mostly for you. -You- don't deserve to be one that says this kind of things, that keeps this ç#§% within. It's like a poison, Matt, and you'd better spit it all out, trust me."

Matt remains quiet for a few moments, then just says "Yea, I guess so." He looks down in his hands, but then his head snaps back up as he seems to change his mind, and when he speaks again there's a whole lot of passion, anger and hatred in his voice. "But what the hell gave him the right to act like that, what the hell gave it to any of them?! I get assaulted by some f***wit practically every single day by some jock with an overinflated ego or some other moron with only the braincells it takes to throw a ball, and hardly even that, and Rory got picked on constantly as well, just for being a little geeky, and no one seems to give a shit! Hell no, I don't think that punk got enough, I think Rory should have trashed him, then taken on the next one in line. Hell if I had power like that, I'd make them pay, every one of them..."

When Matt starts his new tirade Colin watches as smokey flames come up off his shoulders.  There is a heat to him that's almost palpable.

EDIT:(OOC: Only Colin can see the flames.  sorry)

Kel stares at Matt and then says a sentence simple and matter o' factly, "Should have?  Obviously you didn't see the same seen as the rest of us.  I saw one person be an ass, then a nice young man turn into a total monster and then an ass was much more than thrashed.  Did you look at the path of destruction that sits there.  He was more than thrashed, he was embedded in a set of lockers.  I agree with you that people should stand up against bullys, I do.  But there's a difference between standing up and defending yourself, and vengeance."

Matt looks at Colin's now probably screwed up face, his own still red with rage after his rant. "What?! I shouldn't say these horrible things? That why you're looking at me like that? Well then screw you!" he stands up, obviously about to walk away.

He looks at Kel, then mutters "Yea, there is. The other feels waay better, and I bet that Rory, if he's still alive, would probably agree with me on that point."

Colin sees the flames coming out of Matt.

This is wrong. This is so wrong. He's on fire! I have to help him, I can let him get away on fire like that.

He grabs Matt's harm, and his face is totally different. Now it's the same face he had when he ran to Rory. A face full of concern, and a hint of panic.

"Matt, stop. Please. You know, you're right. No one gave them the right to treat you and Rory like they do. No one. You're right, they are f***with and probably they don't have even the brains to play ball well enough. But on the rest you're wrong. It's not true that no one gives a shit. Today there was a lot of people that tried to help Rory. You're wrong, because if you had the power, I know you'd be better than that. And you're wrong because vengeance doesn't feel better at all. And Rory, if he's still alive, and I think he is, would tell you. He would tell you because I could feel his heart- " the memory of the pain makes Colin grimace, and Matt can recognize the pain he saw on his face that morning "I could feel him, and it didn't feel good at all. And we don't know yet how much it cost him, taking his vengeance. Yes, you shouldn't say these horrible things because they're not true, and I refuse to believe they're who you are. And I am looking at you as a friend... who seems to be on fire, as if something is burning inside you, and is hurting a lot. Let it out. I can take it. F@#£, after this morning, I think I can take anything. Otherwise, if you keep it in to burn you away, it'll destroy you, and those bastards will have won, won't they? Don't let it destroy you."

He stops wondering if he made any sense, wondering if what he saw was real or an allucination, wondering if what he said is true, and if he had any right to say it. It just felt like the right thing to say.

OOC: Matt and Colin, make Will Saves DC 18.

OOC: Will save after 'heated' discussion (1d20+3=15) (http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=612051). DC 18 is a lot!  :8

Sarah stays quiet because boys are stupid.  She forgot her lunch in her locker and she did not want to go back to see those dented ones.  She didn't want to see security hovering around or hear all the kids whispering about the fight and letting imagination mixed with the truth spin around them. 

If Matt wanted to vent and Colin thought he could fix someones brain from stupidity well then they could figure it out themselves. 

She gets up quietly and heads towards the lunch line searching for something inoffensive. 

T.J quietly watches the argument rage and shrugs to himself. He takes out a notebook and jots down a few ideas for his next project, maybe a remote boat? Or Plane? It would be interesting figuring out the engine for those. He then hears one part of the conversation, about fire and letting it out, and his eyes widen and he starts to stand.

“Guys, I think we should be ready to duck or jump away right now. I have a bad feeling about this.” He takes a step back.

Well I had a devil of a headache, and then there was like a live wire running through my body, and then...nothing...I felt fine. Better than before actually.

And then the arguement started. "Quit it."  Seth said under his breath. It took him a moment to even realize he had said anything. "QUIT IT"  He shouted. And this time they heard him. His hair began to blow in the absence of a breeze, and color drained from his face. "Just stop it. Look at yourselves, you're causing a scene."

Donnie watches the exchange between Matt and Colin with some concern, but when Seth's hair starts fluttering like from an invisible breez eafter he yells, Donnie gets up from the table, ready to bolt. He just remembers what that door and the torn lock looked like..

[OOC: Will Save from Colin touching him (1d20-1=15) (http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=612735), the below is in case nothing happens, if they get zapped or Matt turns into Great Cthulhu he obviously won't say any of that.:P]

Matt looks Colin in the eye for a few moments, then looks down. "I-- I know. It's just that it all just makes me so angry, not angry enough to become a red Incredible Hulk but... not far from it. I-" then Seth shouted at them. Matt looked over at Seth, slightly disturbed at the apparent invisible breeze around him, but after what he saw earlier it'd take a lot more to even make him care all that much. "I'm causing a scene, miss drama queen? We're having an argument, and you throw a fit? Quit it or what?" he just blankly asks Seth, looking utterly unconcerned, despite that twisted door yesterday...

"Ah, forget it," he adds a moment later. "I'm sorry for blabbering about things that obviously few give a damn about. I'll just go." He turns around and walks away out of the cafeteria, but not before giving Colin a barely perceptible nod.

As Matt walks away Colin sees the flames fade, and an odd inner glow emerge from Matt.  In an odd way Colin knows Matt is somehow wounded, in a way Colin can't help.  Instead of blood he's hemorrhaging hate.

As Matt leaves he feels like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders, and like he's taken his first deep breath in days.

Colin keeps watching Matt as goes away, then sits back with the others. He thinks for a few moments before speaking.

"You guys don't understand, huh? Matt... is hurt. Deeply. I was trying to help him. That's kind of my new job now, isn't it? There's gotta be a reason if a boy one day wakes up and he can heal people with his hands. Shouldn't it? Only... Matt needs something more than my... magic touch. He needs friends, I think. Especially now, so please cut him some slack, ok?"

"Seth, if I know anything about this, and I know very little, then when I zapped you this... thing in me was trying to help you, to "fix" you. Maybe it was just your headache, though it should have been a hell of a headache, maybe it was something else, I don't know. I just thought you should know."

Seth's hair settles on his head, and the color returns to his face. He shakes his head, and flips the hair back into place in a very rockstar/emo boy way. He takes a breath, grabs his guitar and starts to play a tune, while he talks. "Well thanks for letting me know...But that doesn't make you responsible for me, or for him. He's an asshole. I don't even know the whole story of what happened earlier today. But that doesn't give him the right to come in here, start a fight, and create a scene. You guys know what we did yesterday? It wasn't exaclty the most legal thing, and he gets the nerve to freak the hell out. And then when he's told to calm down, freaks out on everyone who's only concerned about him. We could all be in trouble, and he can't control his freaking emotions.

I'm sorry, that's not stable behavoir. I just yelled quit it. Not Quit it or else. I wasn't trying to be advasairal, but his behavior is insane. I don't want to see people fight, especially with all the weird shit going on. There has been like what, 10 fights in the last week? All....

And I am NOT a drama queen."

(OOC: Sorry.  There was some confusion with one of my posts.  IOnly Colin saw the flames on Matt.  sorry abiout that, it's the second time this misunderstanding has happened.  Will try to be more careful in the future.))

Sarah returns with a couple of chocolate milks and some french fries.  She notices the standoff is over and Matt is gone.  Did that mean he won or lost or is there just more stupid boy stuff going on?  "Have we stepped down to yellow alert yet or do I have to go find somewhere else to eat my fries?"  

"Show's over," Sylvia says.  "Nothing to see here, but you might want to stay out of the testosterone splash zone all the same."

(OOC Fixed)

"Thanks, I'd hate to get it mixed in with the ketchup."  Sarah settles in next to Kel.  After a few frenchfries and a drink of chocolate milk she feels better and back to normal... whatever normal is anymore. 

"So we all know that something weird is going on with a lot of us.  Crazy things have been happening in school around us.  More than once people have said we need help... but who do you get help from?  I mean, if the government steps in... wont they be very eager to offer assistance and drag us all off to study like labrats?  I'm fairly certain they don't want people running around in a regular school with the ability to turn into monsters or blow things up or anything else terrible that can be imagined.  They can use a metal detector on the door but how does that stop someone with the ability to throw lightning bolts?  I think they'd be all over this school pretty quick.  I wouldn't be suprised if they started showing up soon anyway.  Three supernatural events in a week at one school?  I wouldn't know who to trust with this information except each other.  Even if some of us don't get a long really well." 

Kel's fist cracked a bit as Matt responded, but he let Colin handle it, the last thing that needed to be down was pound someone's face in.  He then says, "Pain is one thing, vengeance is another Colin.  He wasn't talking through anger or greif, it was something alot deeper.  I don't think there's much we can do for him, besides make sure someone stops the bullying problems around here before Matt can get worse."

Sylvia mumbles a little, embarrassed about the research she's been doing since hearing about the laboratory incident.  "The most the federal government offers are scholarship programs and internships for paranormals interested in Eagle Force.  I'd be more worried about the principal."

GREG: "What you guys need is an ancient master like in all the kung fu movies.  Someone who has a secret base and all that jazz to teach you and mold you into heroes.  Of course, in a three act story we're not to that point yet."

DAVE: "This is a group dynamic story, so the Jedi Master thing is out.  Greg's right, you need to find someone to mentor you.  Sarah and Don have the most extensive knowledge of the bizarre I know of, maybe they can find someone."

Colin turns to Seth, eyes wide with surprise and disapproval, but his voice is calm now.
"Oh, Seth, you're right. He's an asshole, and he definitely can't control his emotions. But then I've gotta say he's right too, you just don't give a damn. Do you have any idea what s@#t is going on in his life, to scar him like that? One of his best friends nearly died, just a few hours ago, he doesn't even know if he's still alive, and yet he's not allowed to freak out, because you're worried about what happened yesterday? I'm sorry he took it out on you, but please, at least try to understand him."

He sighs and then he fights the smirk that is starting to appear on his face.

"Besides... that thing with the hair, wasn't it just a little bit of drama?"

EDIT:

"I'd sign up immediately for the sensei thing. But I guess that at least we can try to get together and tell each other what's happening to us, so we can compare notes. There are already..." he counts on his fingers "7 people is this school that are... inusual, me included, and a couple more that I'm not sure of."

Donnie laughs at the guys' break in the tension. "If there were hidden ancient masters in Oak Park, I think they are too well hidden for my paltry knowledge. I am more into the fantsy realms and ancient mythology. Now Sarah, on the other hand.." He looks speculatively over at Sarah, sstroking his hairless chin as if he had a beard to stroke.

Sarah's eyes get big.  "Hey... well I don't know about finding some psychic sensei.  Then again, I never tried looking for one before.  I'm not sure where to start.  I mean, there's no swamps around here to find a little green guy or anything.  Maybe we could try and get in touch with a non government super power?  They might have some advice for us as well."

"I was going to write a letter," Sylvia says vaguely.

DAVE: "This is gonna sound so stupid, so before I say it.  Shut up!.  what about that Vampire guy that does the radio talk show in Chicago.  The Night Watchman  Maybe someone could call into the show and ask him for advice.  He talks about crazy stuff like this all the time."

GREG: "Good thing you said shut up before you explained you plan."  Greg says, sipping his juice.

"Greg you are just mad that the TV show they made about him sucked so bad they pulled it after three episodes. And BEFORE you say it, yeah I agree, your script ideas were better. That's what happens when corporate suits take over above creativeness. All they thought about was licencing and action figures. The stupid outfits they showed the actor in? Gawd-awful lame.

I think calling him is a rather good idea. Something to do while Sarah uncovers the hidden superhero mentor school they probably have somewhere or Sylvia gets a call back from the Werehorses Local 405." He does a Jackie Chan wink at Sylvia, then blushes a bit at his forwardness. Why was he being all flirty with her? He usually clams up around girls, until Sarah eased his uncomfortableness with her no-nonesense attitude. Maybe it's the excitement over the last couple days. God, I hope she doesn't think I am being an ass..

T.J looks up at Seth with raised eyebrow. "I'd see what his life is like before you make judgements. He's probably been bullied for a lot of his life just because he does the things he likes. If I was like that I'd probably want to blame someone. Although he'll probably just go psycho one day and come into school with a gun, then bye bye bullies."

He writes something down quickly and mutters to himself. “Should I use organic fuel of fossil fuel?”

Sylvia rolls her eyes a little, but it's in good humor.  "Horses haven't bitten me.  I'm not going to turn into My Little Pony."  She feels a need to squelch that rumor because, silly as it is, it doesn't seem all that far-fetched after everything that's happened.

Dave replies to TJs last question, "Be innovative, use something new."

"I think that that'd be worth something at least."  Kel says as he listens in on their whacky plan.

T.J nods at Dave. "Yes, I guess doing something organic would help our planet live a few seconds longer. Oh and how's your van? If you need any help with it, me and Kirby could always help."

DAVE: "You guys wanna look over the van, you say the word and I'll have it at your place.  So long as any work is cheap, because I've yet to win the lottery or have a bag of free money fal into my lap."

"Let's do the meeting thing too. A secret meeting. In a safe place. We could talk freely, and what is said among us, stays among us, so no one suddenly becomes the school freak or something. I'll invite the people I think are "special" and tell them to invite others too if they have the same problem. Would it work? Where should we do it? When?"

Sylvia looks at Colin as he says this and stifles the urge to blurt.  She jams her half-empty container of wheat-berry casserole into her sack.  "I've got some work to do," she mumbles and stalks out of the lunch room.

Colin looks around confused.

"What? It's something I said?"