Nestled in the countryside of Devon, England resides the illustrious Hellfire Academy for the Gifted Youth. Funded by the efforts of well-known mutant aristocracy, the Hellfire Academy is a place where young students of all super-powered origins can come and hone their abilities, while learning practical skills to navigate the human world. The school has employed the leading talents of super-human society to help shape the future of the Super World.
The Facility
Designed in part by Valerie Huntington, the Hellfire Academy operated within a sprawling mansion constructed amid the beautiful landscape of England’s rural country. Boasting enough bedrooms and baths to house all students and faculty, the estate also provides indoor swimming pools, gyms, saunas, kitchens, libraries, and other amenities to provide a five-star experience for those enrolled or employed.
Security for those making a home out of the Hellfire Estate is of upmost importance. Top of the line technology enforces the entire building and outside grounds, while psychic and mystical shields are maintained by master members of the school’s staff. Entrance onto school grounds is granted only by voluntary willingness to have its location telepathically veiled from conscious knowledge.
The Houses
Students at the Hellfire Academy are housed and taught through four different categories based on the nature of their abilities. These houses include:
Adela's startling red hair bounced rhythmically behind her, drawn back in a slick ponytail to accommodate her athletic endeavors. The treadmill read 43 minutes and 30 seconds, drawing near to the end of her cardio goal. Sweat beaded on her forehead, threatening to fall at her feet in glorious evidence of her efforts. With a minute left in her session, she amped up her speed, reaching a full blown sprint to finish off her 45 minute run at 6 miles even. The treadmill slowed down, allowing Adela to drop to a casual walk as she concentrated on not allowing her controlled breathing to get away from her. Taking a sip from her water bottle, she grabbed a towel and headed in the direction of the girl's sauna.
Surrounded by the earthy brown of European Oak Trees scattered upon a theater of dirty emerald grass, the soft kiss of the sunlight illuminated the flora, giving the world a soft atmosphere. Augmented by the sights of different wildlife. Deer as dainty and graceful as they were elegant. Birds swiftly soaring high above the waning blue sky as late afternoon approached. Smaller critters rushed through fallen leaves, as they returned to their homes. The sounds of the forest were almost as stunning as its sight with the wind huffing softly, bringing a welcome chill as it passed by, carrying the birdsong further into the world beyond. However, a certain sound stood out amongst the rest, something unnatural yet almost native to the current environment.
The soft, slow pull of the bow against a set of strings. Releasing both a harmonious and somber tune into the wind. Sitting upon a fallen trunk, hosting a number of insects and fungi, was a young man with shaded glasses staring at both nothing and everything with a violin pressed underneath his chin. Solomon chuckled as he played the beautiful, yet slow and sorrowful tone. The irony wasn’t lost upon his hearing ears. That the blind man played amongst an audience he can’t fully enjoy. Being unable to enjoy the serene beauty of the living world around him, like he once could.
The notes rose and flew, following the rising and flowing of the wind’s blow. The sounds of the leaves falling became falling notes, with the birdsong’s becoming the template of a symphony.
A symphony by nature.
Made by the ears of the blind man.
He wasn’t so sure as to how long he had been there, in that spot. Due to the nature of his being, he needed neither to eat nor rest, so he easily spent days focusing on his work. However, seeing how noone from the Academy had gone to look for him, he figured that it hadn’t been that long. Then, within the dark world of his eyes, he saw a friend covered in blue. A cat shone within the darkness walking from the great behind, its steps leaving a blue outline of where it once was. Illuminating the outside world in faded cold colors only to finally disappear into the darkness.
Solomon put down his violin at the appearance of his ethereal companion, and picked up his weightless body and held it within his arms. “Hey, how’s your hunt been, big man?” The something within its mouth was a blue wisp of flame, meaning that something has died nearby, and Mozart had collected its spiritual residue, before their soul was whisked away. Solomon gently took it out of Mozart’s mouth, knowing that the spectral beast can’t feel pain, and examined the phenomanon. It vibrated with slight sporadic activity, meaning that whatever passed didn’t enjoy a peaceful death.
“That really sucks.” The Blind Musician sighed, before laying his violin’s bow across his lap. He then raised the residue above it, clasping both hands over it and squeezing it. If it were any other man, the sound would’ve been inaudible. However, to someone as attuned to the dead as Solomon, the beautiful sounds of the forest abruptly became replaced with the harsh cries of the undead, as the residue was crushed. Turning into a single drop of a spiritual ichor that shone brightly within Solomon’s dark world, and fall upon his bow, illuminating it with a similar hue.
“Sucks for them, not for me.” Solomon sung, as he kicked himself off of the trunk. He had gotten what he needed, practice and ichor, and now he headed back to the Academy for one more thing, food.
Having showered and dressed, Adela made her way into the kitchen. She wore a white Dôen lace trimmed blouse and black Jacquemus wool pants, the outfit illustrating the understated elegance she possessed. Opening the fridge she found a container of yogurt and blueberries, preparing the snack with toppings of honey and granola. Taking a seat at the dining hall, she watched students filter in and out for breakfast hours. She took a moment to appreciate the full circle her life had developed, from being a student here at the Hellfire Academy to now being the Head of House for the Mind Chapter of the school. Much had changed since her school years. The Hellfire Academy's shift in leadership from Caspian Huntington down to her eldest daughter, Valerie, had brought some ethical refinement to the student's curriculum. Where the Hellfire Academy had once taught the importance of mutant supremacy to its pupils, Adela and her fellow staff members now focused on the teachings of harmony between humans and Supers. Unfortunately, old prejudices against non-Supers still lived in the whisperings of some of the legacies of renowned Super families.
Looking up from her meal, Adela spotted one of the newer students entering the cafeteria. She rose from her seat, approaching him with a warm smile and effortless grace in her countenance.
"Solomon, right? I'm Ms. Roth, head of the Mind House here at school. I'm here to help if you have any questions about the school. Are you settling in comfortably?"
Traversing has always been an issue for the Musician, as he saw nothing but the dead and their spirits. The world he lived in was dark and empty, yet he wasn't defenseless. Mozart acted as his seeing-eye spectral between the two worlds, walking ahead of Solomon and warning him of obstacles with a series of growls, cries and whimpers; While the system itself was hard at first, over the many years he had mastered his reliance on Mozart, and Mozart had mastered their ability to guide him. Solomon listened to the sounds of Mozart's signals, allowing him to navigate, like an orchestra listening to their conductor, to the cafeteria.
Then, Mozart suddenly shifted, causing Solomon to halt dead in his tracks to watch the spectacle begin. The ethereal spirit that guided him, walked further ahead into the abyss. When suddenly the spectral feline transformed. Its stubby four legs turned into two, with the remaining turning into the arms. It took the form of a woman, its ethereal likeness still unchanged, as it then drew closer.
The figure greeted itself as Ms.Roth, the head of the Mentals, as Solomon called them. She nearly glided across the floor with a sense of regality, giving Solomon the impression that she really was who she said. Solomon bowed, before offering his hand for a shake. Respecting both of his Eastern and Western heritages.
To Solomon, she lacked eyes and a nose , due to Mozart’s still limited capacity of replicating human faces and details. Yet, he still looked at the empty space. “Everything’s been good so far. Nothing to complain about really. Except, the ghost sightings.” Solomon liked to poke fun at his condition, not out of self deprecation, but because it was sincerely funny to him.
He himself is a member of the House Of Nature after, of course, a period of confusion due to the nature of his abilities. Almost being put within the House Of Mind, when he described Mozart as a ‘beast in his head’.
“How’s everything in the Mind house?” Solomon did have a slight fear of psychics, as they represented the lack of privacy within someone’s mind, however the Head herself doesn’t seemed like someone who’d restore to tricks such as those. “Um…could you kindly guide me to the lunch line.” He asked, as Mozart was busy impersonating her.
"Yes, I read about your condition in your student file." Adela's brows furrowed in contemplation. "If there's any way I can help you navigate your powers, I'm more than willing. That seems like it could be quite the distraction while pursuing your educational and social endeavors." Her head tilted slightly in sympathy, not wanting to come across patronizing in any way.
"The lunch line is this way, follow me." They passed through a wide hallway, one side of which was a wall made of floor to ceiling glass. Outside in the spring sunshine, students ran across the lush grounds of the school, playing games of football using various powers to augment the sport. Others tanned by the pool, enjoying their free period during lunch to relax and gossip with their peers. Adela walked slowly, studying the way Solomon navigated his way through the world.
"The Mind House is well, thank you for asking. We don't have quite the volume of students as the others houses, however, I am continually impressed with the talent I see. Psychic abilities are a huge responsibility to be bestowed with." Having crossed across the length of the cafeteria, Adela gestured toward several students standing in a line. Internally, she wondered how clear the gesture would have been for Solomon.
"Here you go, lunch awaits." She hesitated for a moment, before adding. "You know, if it's comfortable for you, I could telepathically implant some visuals of the campus. It could make navigating around easier for you."
She was considerate, despite her highly respected reputation throughout the school. Fitting for a head of the Mental’s House.
“There’s been some challenges, of course they try their best to compensate with braille. But I’m making do.” He gave a light hearted chuckle, hiding the real weight that his condition has on his academics. Not to mention the effect on his social life, when you can only realistically communicate with one person. “Looking forward to seeing how the other kids are like, so that’s a plus”.
He followed the spectral woman that now existed in his dark world. Making sure to walk close to her to avoid any unforeseen obstacles. While he couldn’t see what happened around him, he could very much hear and feel.
The sounds of running & laughter, energy and wind rallying up. The warmth of the sun tanning his naturally brown skin. Chats of scandals and rumors being exchanged in whispers. The world of sensation was the world that he became used to, and it was beautiful to him.
And yet, he couldn’t help but feel disheartened. Sight was robbed from him in exchange for spirit. He wasn’t born blind, and the memories of the living world are still haunting him to this day.
Yet, he shoved the feeling of regret further into his subconscious. Focusing on the here and now: Ms. Roth, Lunch and School.
"The Mind House is well, thank you for asking. We don't have quite the volume of students as the others houses, however, I am continually impressed with the talent I see.
“I see.”
He couldn’t
“That sounds like a wonderful house to be a part of. I’d like to visit it someday, see if psychics are still as attuned to spirits as they were in the olden days.”
The ghost gestured towards the darkness, and Solomon waited for Mozart. Who quickly shifted from the woman, popped into existence a few feet away and had transformed into one of the cafeteria helpers. His gaze turned away from her as he watched the spectral event happen, before sharply turning towards her after her question. Gazing at the empty space that Mozart once was.
His face showed confliction. “A telepathic imprint?” Repeating it to himself. He had always only relied on Mozart for his navigation around the world for years on end. Changing that now seemed. . . surreal.
“I’ll have to think about that Ms. Roth. . .Thank you for offering” Fear of change and overreliance on his own abilities got the better of him. “But I’d still like to take you up on your offer to help me navigate through my powers.”
He clumsily grabbed a set of trays and piled them with a haphazard assortment of food, resulting in a chaotic display that resembled a Picasso painting.
Adela did her best to refrain from prying into the minds of others, but, in her conversation with Solomon, she could't help but feel the waves of conflict emanating from the young student. It disheartened her, and reminded her of the sacrifices many Supers faced in exchange for their extraordinary abilities. Often times great power came at the cost of simple pleasures.
"Of course, I understand your hesitance. It's an open invitation, one you may choose to accept or decline at your own discretion with no offense taken on my end." She smiled warmly, not sure if the gesture would reach the blind student. Either way, she sensed Solomon had developed a way to gauge people's intentions through other measures.
"We certainly can," Adela answered, opting for a turkey sandwich and sparkling water from the available lunch options. She watched Solomon struggle to assemble his own tray of food, and the mutant mistress telekinetically assisted him in guiding pieces of food to his plate. She did so subtly, hoping the assistance was not taken unfavorably. "I have some free time once classes are over for today, if that works for you?"
Solomon watched and waited, once again on his ethereal companion to shift. The delay from her gesturing to him recognizing was noticeable, and he was aware. He listened intently, to the tones of her words and the pitch of her voice. The raising and falling of letters held powerful connotations that Solomon had been developed to catch, to judge other’s intent. His final conclusion?
She was concerned for him. A feeling most people felt when they interacted with him, and he knew he couldn’t blame her. He fumbled around the living world, his eyes used to seeing death and regret. But he wanted people to realize his competencies as well. One of the reasons as to why he refused outside help. To not have to become the stigma that is placed upon him, he hated pity
However, with her, in this brief interaction. He didn’t feel that. Simply genuine concern for a student, not even her own. Which made him feel a bit better. He searched for utensils, where he’d pause for a moment. Feeling it ever so slightly shift, before he accepted it.
“Thank you.”
He turned towards the spectral figure that was Ms. Roth’s impersonation. “Do you ever wish you could take it back? The abilities that others call your blessing?” He stopped his question, realizing she had asked him something prior, too distracted by the assembly of his tray to have answered.
“Oh-, sorry, and yes that works great for me actually!”
"No, I don't," she answered after briefly pondering his question. It was true, Adela's life had been made more difficult having been a mutant. She didn't come from mutant parents, and had been the only person she knew with Super abilities for most of her childhood. It wasn't until she had attended the Hellfire Academy herself that she had been introduced to the world of those like herself. Even then, the politics of different opinions regarding what role Supers should play in society had plagued her adolescence.
However, from an early age, Adela had found her experience and power to be a beacon of hope and compassion for her peers and those younger than her. She had always questioned the hateful speech of Super supremacists, as well as fought for the voices of mutants in the face of human supremacists. Being a mutant from the human world had placed her in the middle of a worldwide dispute, and given her a sense of purpose through trying to promote peace between both sides.
"I wouldn't be able to be doing the work I am now without my abilities. It has given my life direction, as well as the ability to help others. I wouldn't trade it for another kind of life."
"I should go now to finish my lunch before next period starts. But, like I said, my offer stands to find me after classes today. Do you know where to find my office?"
For the last two years Ricky had been living on the street. Sleeping under bridges or abandoned buildings, anywhere where he could stay warm. For money he would do just about anything, including and up to pick-pocketing the rich, but his main source of income was playing his guitar. Resting on the side of the street he would play for hours, with an incredible talent to make sounds come out of a guitar, that no other musician could do. The truth was he had a special ability to create and manipulate sounds, giving him that little advantage he needed. On a good day he could pull in two to three hundred dollars, but due to his good hearted nature he would spend over half of it, buying the other homeless people around him food.
But all that has changed now as he stood at the front gates of the Hellfire Academy for Gifted Youth. Strapped to his back was his trusty guitar, in a busted up case, almost ripping apart at the seam. Over his shoulder he carried a duffel bag, holding the rest of his belongings, including three pairs of underwear, an extra pair of jeans and a thick heavy jacket that was big on him, in case the weather got really cold. But perhaps his greatest possession, other than his boom box, was his trusty journal, where for the last few years he had been writing his own songs down as he dreamed of one day becoming a professional musician.
But once again none of that mattered, as he now stood at the front gates of the Hellfire Academy for Gifted Youth, looking through a thirteen foot tall gate at the mansion. Unfortunate for him, when growing up on the streets, he had no knowledge of protocol in such a situation, therefore he had no idea there was an intercom along the gate wall or even a camera looking down upon him. Instead all he knew was ‘this gate is in my way’ and he didn’t like it. Looking left and right to see if anyone was looking, with the aide of his sonic powers he projected a sound wave beneath him, granting him the power of flight. Immediately he shot up to the gate’s height, then over, then back to the ground, now on the Academy’s grounds, all with the greatest of ease, and a bit of a “whump whump whump” sound.
Unfortunately, Ricky had no idea that he just set off dozens of silent alarms inside the Mansion, as well as several security measures. Immediately camera’s caught him from every side, as hidden lasers locked on him ready to fire. As for Ricky he had no clue what was going on around him, other than he was one step closer to his new home. But that was only the beginning of the Academy’s security measures, closing in around him, and if he had known even one tenth what he was in for, he would never had jumped the gate to begin with!!
(nothing but some exposition to help me get going. I'll start @ next post)
Detroit, Mi
Knightfall Mansion
Live@5's special reporter, Amanda Huggenkiss, graciously accepted a seat after having been properly escorted into the Knightfall family mansion's aggrandize conservatory. Using her ring finger to gently slide the frame of her glasses back up the bridge of her nose before opening her Ipad Pro, making sure her notes were professionally in order before meeting the enigmatic Knightfall patriarch himself and conducting her exclusive interview. Right on time the CEO of P.A. Financial INC casually entered the accommodating room wearing an all black FF-Embossed Fendi wool sweater and khakis. Pausing briefly to re-align the large framed canvas of his mother and father prior to offering his hand and formal greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. Huggenkiss."
"Amanda, please."
"But of course. Shall we begin?"
"Yes. If you dont mind, I couldnt help but notice your attention to detail. That portrait couldnt have been more than a fraction off center and yet you noticed and adjusted it. Is that an attribute that extends beyond the preservation of family representation?"
"Well. Family is very important to me."
"Ah yes. Which brings me to a question that you may find uncomfortable but you did say during our phone conversation, all access. So with that in mind I'd like to ask you about your family. Specifically, your sister. How is her condition by the way?"
"My sister's condition is stable. Thank you for asking."
"It has been almost 19 years now since you and your sister were abducted in one of the world's most infamous missing persons cases. To this day there remains alot of unanswered questions."
Quintus feigned a defensive nod and slight grin
"Your point?"
"Well, for starters. We now know, thanks to you, that your abductors were mutants. A fact your father successfully hid from the public for five years after the fact. In fact it wasnt until your parents unfortunate fatal care accident that you yourself would come forward and reveal that particular detail. So my question is, why do you think he choose to deceive the public?"
"I believe my father was trying to avoid the unnecessary persecution of an entire species, for the heinous crimes of a few individuals. It was a different time back then."
"I see. Most people already know the story. Know how you escaped and ultimately freed your sister, but not before irreparable damage had been done to her both physically and mentally leaving her in a comatose state for almost two decades now. Do you think your experience and the assault of your sister has shaped your personal views on the accepted integration of mutants into society?"
"Ms. Hu....sorry, Amanda. I am just a man. I have flaws like everybody else. But I try not to let the evil of the few corrupt my feelings towards those of the whole. My mother used to say that no person is the worst or best thing they have ever done."
"Fair enough. I apologize if that was unforgettable. Perhaps we could switch gears for a moment and talk about P.A. Financial INC take-over of Saint Industries?"
"I'm sorry but we'll have to put that conversation on hold. I have a flight to catch. I am attending a scheduled tour of the reimagined Hellfire Academy. Perhaps you would care to join me? Maybe together we can find the answers to some of those questions you had about my personal views...."
Keira took a deep breath, closing her eyes and centering herself with a long exhale. A sword hung from her side, the cold steel glinting in the bright lights of the Combat Simulator. Before she could open her eyes again the room around her transformed. Stark white walls and floors became a vast countryside, rolling green hills and a wide blue lake in the distance. Keira stood on the top of a hill, looking down on a medieval battle taking place. A gust of wind reached her, blowing her raven black hair into the air behind her.
In a single massive leap she charged toward the battle before her. Catching her enemies off guard, she swiped and thrusted her sword with the grace of a dancer, removing limbs and striking arteries before her adversaries had time to respond. As she attacked her foes, they disintegrated into thin air, rather than displaying and blood or human insides.
Eventually, only herself and a titan of a man remained on the battlefield. He twirled an axe in front of her, glaring down menacingly from his gigantic height. Keira stood tall, tightening her grip on her sword before charging toward the man. He swung at her head, missing by a hair’s breadth as she dropped to the ground, sliding between his legs before popping up behind him. He turned to face her, but it was too late. Leaping into the air, she used his thigh as a point to leap off of up onto his shoulders. Wrapping her legs around his neck, she drew her sword into the air before plunging it down into his skull. The body beneath her disintegrated, leaving her to fall gently onto her feet. The scene around her shimmered, returning to its original state.
---
“Hey, how’s it going?”
Keira appeared at the front doors of the Hellfire Academy, smirking at the boy who had set off the alarms. Pulling a device from her pocket, she deactivated the security measures, before walking toward the boy. “That was quite a break-in you orchestrated there. You lost or something?”
From the moment his feet touched the ground, he was already in trouble. Little did Ricky know, that he had set off alarms everywhere. While he was walking towards the front door, dozens of tiny lasers locked on him as cameras watched his every move. At the same time a squad of drones took off, quickly closing in on his direction, all upgraded with enough weaponry to stop an army. But even though all this was going on without his knowledge, being a kid from the streets, he could tell something was not right. Instead of waiting around to find out what it is, he choose to sprint the rest of the way to the Mansion door, and with a little use of his powers, he took off.
With one big sonic boom he sprinted forward, moving so fast he was a blur. But at the same time activating all of the Academy's security devices. Those silent alarms where now blaring out loud, as red lights shined from every corner. The drones, now in plain sight, where hot on his tail, moving even faster than him, at which point they reached the front door before he did. It was then as they surrounded him, in unison, they fired a blue energy at him creating a spherical bubble trapping him inside and stopping him dead in his tracks.
Immediately Ricky began blasting the shield with his sonic vibrations, but just as he would poke a hole through one spot, another drone would fill it back in. Never one to give up, he kept blasting away, while at the same time cursing like a sailor, when suddenly the front door opened up and a young woman stood there remarking, “Hey, how’s it going?” Immediately Ricky knew he was in trouble, as in his mind he knew he was going back to jail. But to his surprise the lady simply pushed a button on a device in her hand, freeing him.
At the same moment Ricky fell face first to the ground, the alarms went silent. Soon enough all the red lights disappeared as the drones flew away. All that was left was Ricky lying on the ground looking up to the mysterious woman saying, “That was quite a break-in you orchestrated there. You lost or something?” Immediately, Ricky rose to his feet, dusting himself off as he tries mumbling through a sentence.“I wasn’t, I mean I didn’t, uh I wasn’t here to rob you or anything, I was here because…” He then begins to scratch the back of his neck as he tries to make sense of an unbelievable story. “I mean I know how it looks me being here dressed as I am, but something,..” he laughs as even he didn’t believe it, but is trying to, “I uh, had a vision I was suppose to come here!”
Slowly and carefully he takes a nonthreatening stance as he tries putting on his boyish charm, anything that could help him out of this situation, without going to jail. “I don’t know how to explain this any better but, I uh, I have uh dreamed of this place many times.” Again he chuckles, doing anything he can to ease the awkward tension, as he goes on. “I mean I’ve not only dreamed of this place, but where it is, and what it looks like inside.” Immediately he perks up as he found his ace in the hole, and almost exaggerates, “That’s it I can describe the inside of this place in almost every detail!” From then on he eagerly begins describing rooms, hallways, even the decor even though he had never been inside. To him he felt validated, proving that he was meant to be here. That was until he thought to himself ‘or maybe she might think I had been casing the joint before I robbed it!’ Either way he stood there waiting to see what she would do next, praying that she was not going to call the cops!
Keira raised an eyebrow in amusement as the boy attempted to string together a sentence. He brushed the dust off his body, which drifted toward her in the air. She waved it away with an air of impenetrable confidence.
“Hey, relax. Trust me, if you weren’t supposed to be here, those drones would’ve had you handled before I could even make it out here.”
She turned to walk back toward the front doors of the imposing mansion, stopping to lean against the entryway as she spoke. “I’m Keira, a sixth year here at the Hellfire Academy.” As he explained how he came to find the school, she listened intently. Certain qualities of his story struck home with her, personally.
“That sounds like heads of staff here, Ms. Huntington or Ms. Roth. They’re both powerful psychics, who can seek out young mutants in trouble and help guide them to the school.”
She paused, looking the boy up and down and taking notice of his distressed attire.
“Why don’t you come inside? We’ll get you in touch with some staff members and get you cleaned up. I’m a head student here, so I can help show you anything you need to know.”
Things could have gone many different ways. Ricky could have been sent to jail or even shot on the spot. But instead the lady at the door simply put his mind at ease. “Hey, relax,” she said “Trust me, if you weren’t supposed to be here, those drones would’ve had you handled before I could even make it out here.” It may not have been the most cordial of greetings, but it was enough to let Ricky know he wasn’t going to jail. Immediately he took in a long deep breath to calm his nerves, at which point she began to explain, “I’m Keira, a sixth year here at the Hellfire Academy.” Naturally, Ricky responded with a friendly “Hey there Keira, you can call me Ricky,” at which point he nods according out of respect. “I sometimes like to call myself, Beat Boy! You see I’m an aspiring musician!”
For the next few minutes he explains how he got here, and for weeks how he dreamed of the academy. In his dreams he saw not only this place, but others with gifts like him and how he would be accepted there, and trained how to use his powers for good. It was all a bit overwhelming at the time. And even more now that he was standing where he is. Still he kept emphasizing the fact how it all came to him like a dream, or as he would put it, ‘a song that keeps running through my head!’ In the end all Keira could say was, “That sounds like heads of staff here, Ms. Huntington or Ms. Roth. They’re both powerful psychics, who can seek out young mutants in trouble and help guide them to the school.”
Immediately, Ricky perks up, remembering certain details from his dreams as he begins to say, “Wait I think I may know them..” after which he begins to describe one or both of them in great detail, based off how they may look when in costume. Either way that could be put on hold for now as there were more important issues to deal with. Issues involving Ricky’s appearance, and obvious smell. In a very polite way Keira informs him “Why don’t you come inside?” as she leads him into the Mansion, “We’ll get you in touch with some staff members and get you cleaned up. I’m a head student here, so I can help show you anything you need to know.”
Slowly Ricky enters, keeping his head down thinking to himself ‘I didn’t sign up for no school’ as he takes his first step into the Academy. Even gasping in disbelief as he takes it all in. “So do you think I could also get a bite to eat?” he asks as his stomach grumbles, “and maybe something clean to wear?” He easily recognized the offensive nature of his smell and attire, but still tries to keep a sense of dignity in his voice. But shortly after Keira responded, to keep his mind at ease, he couldn’t help himself but to ask, “So if this place is for…” he chuckles, “..giftedpeople,what exactly can you do??”
A synchronized series of Black Badge Artic White Rolls-Royce Cullinan's rolled to a synchronized stop along the circular drive of the H.A.G.Y's main campus building. The surprising stylized ejection of black suited security sporting black Celine Monochroms was only slightly overshadowed by the emergence of the Sin of Suicidal Shinobis public persona, Quintus Knightfall.
Himself professionally sheathed in a two button single breast navy colored Italian wool blazer, colorfully complimented by a pair of Almond tinted Chinos and House Check Cotton Burberry sneakers, fully expressing a visual masterpiece of casual spring attire for the seasoned CEO.
Though his arrival was unannounced, he somehow managed to convey an aura of dignified diplomacy as he navigated the illustrious halls of the Hellfire Academy. Periodically pausing as he observed various moments of unique academic tutelage and classroom exchanges that were truly one of a kind. However, was the Silent Knight merely recognizing the rare curriculum associated with educating the latest generation of evolutionarily gifted mutants? Or were his motives more in line with the philosophies of Sun Tzu?
'Know thyself. Know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories'
A bright yellow sun poured over the Hellfire Academy, embracing the campus with the first eager warmth of the spring. Teachers had begun leaving their windows open during class, allowing gentle winds to breathe fresh life and sweet birdsongs into the classrooms. May brought with it an excited whisper of summer. Students all tried their hardest to ignore the promise of a vacation just around the corner, but homework and studying proved to be much less enchanting than dreaming of a long, warm break from school. Many of the school’s students would remain on campus year-round, however, the summer season meant that only pool parties, bonfires, lake days, and other enriching social activities would be taking place at the Hellfire Estate. Under, of course, the supervision of the academy’s esteemed staff.
“Now remember class, your final paper on what the privacy of one’s mind means to you will account for forty percent of your total grade, along with your practical exam. I hope you are all studying the outlines I provided at the beginning of the year to ensure that nothing in the exam comes as a surprise.”
Adela adored being a teacher. Working with adolescents was never something that crossed her mind in her college years, however, with some convincing from Valerie, she had made the decision to return to her alma mater as an instructor. After overcoming the initial learning curve of a new career, she had found the work to be immensely meaningful to her.
As she addressed her class of telepathy users, she noticed their attention had drifted away from their teacher and toward the classroom’s entryway, where a tall, dignified looking man stood watching. She recognized him instantly.
“Alright class, I’m going to let you all out a bit early to enjoy this beautiful day. And, hopefully, allow you to continue preparing for the end of the year. As always I’m available to anyone who needs extra clarification.”
Students shuffled eagerly from the room, each of them taking a cautious pause at the doorway as they passed by Mr. Knightfall.
Left alone in her classroom, Ms. Roth addressed the academy’s unannounced arrival.
“Adela Roth, a pleasure,” she said, extending a polite hand. “Ms. Huntington hadn’t told me to expect any tours today. Especially not one so prolific.”
Log in to comment