Description

People just need the right leadership.

Name:
Ozymandias Ramses Bastion

Nickname:
Ozzy or Oz

Age:
17
Sexuality:
Heterosexual

Clique:
Elite

Rank:
No. 1 'Of course'

Likes:
|| His Powers || Planning || Ensuring things go his way || Chess
|| Mental Perfection || || Body Perfection ||Interesting Novels||
|| History || ||Social Sciences|| ||Technology||
|| Star Gazing || Psychology || Order ||
||Good ideas, no matter the source||

Dislikes:
||Chaos|| ||Frustration of his plans|| ||Being challenged||
||Waste|| ||Stupidity|| ||The State of the World||

Fears:
Failure- While immensely patient, Ozymandias fears dying without having accomplished his goals in changing the world for the better and leaving his mark on the world.

Dying Unknown- Ozzy desires to leave his mark on the world and he views a life where he didn't do enough to be remembered as a waste of his unique gifts.

The Fall of Civilization- The more Ozymandias looks at the state of the world, the more he is convinced that mankind is headed towards destruction either through nuclear war or the destruction the world's ecosystems and resources. He has taken to heart Einstein's maxim, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

Hobbies:
Reading- It doesn't matter which genre of book it is or whether it is fiction or nonfiction. He will read what interests him. He particularly enjoys sociological, psychological, and political books as well as thrillers, adventure novels, and occasionally a romance novel.

Technological experimentation- It may be fairer to call this tinkering or gadget-making. Ozzy enjoys improving his computer, cameras, and other pieces of technology as well as create his own. Surveillance technology is one of his favorites.

Sociology- While many might interpret him as enjoying his social status too much, Ozzy enjoys examining and experimenting with the unique social structure he is a part of. He is fascinated by how people act, particularly in high school, as that gives clues on their fate later on in life.

Tennis- Ozymandias has quite a fondness for this sport, partly to keep himself in shape and partly because he enjoys using his powers to play against himself. While he isn't part of any group or team, it is one of his favorite forms of exercise.

Studying- With a genius level IQ, this isn't so surprising. He particularly enjoys studying technology, politics, and the social sciences such as history, politics, psychology, and sociology.

Powers:
Enhanced Intelligence- Ozymandias has immense memory and other mental capacities, allowing thinking on various different levels at once and while multitasking. He can immediately conceive complex formulas and models, possible results and other factors on speed comparable to super-computers as well as recall everything they have experienced, connecting and comparing known facts, etc. This is evident in his perfect grades and the fact that he regularly makes mental dossiers of every single person he encounters.

Teleportation- Ozzy can move somewhere without physically traveling by thinking of a place or person he wants to set as a destination and disassembling his molecules, moving them at light-speed towards his destination before reassembling himself. His power is limited only by his memories/knowledge of the place or person he wants to teleport to. In addition, he can teleport anywhere within his line of sight. In particular, he can teleport towards places and people he has strong bonds to such as his home or close friends. Ozzy may also teleport people or objects he touches, which expends more energy depending on the person's or object's size.

Weakness:
Ozymandias is human and, as such, he is not infallible. He can be fooled or make miscalculations in his plans and thought processes. Indeed, even the most intricate plan or viewpoint can crumble into dust if he is unaware of an important factor or makes conclusions based upon an error in judgment or in fact. In addition, his thinking can be slowed by drugs and distractions, emotional or otherwise.

Ozzy's teleportation is also limited by his knowledge of the person and place he wishes to reach as well as the distance which he wishes to travel. Usually, Ozzy cannot travel to a location he's never been to, though this can be circumvented by a detailed description of the place as well as photos. Ozzy's powers also take up energy. The longer the distance and the more often he teleports, the more energy he uses. This is only offset by practice, physical health, and rest.

Strengths:
Organization/Planning- In addition this super-human intelligence or, perhaps because of it, Ozzy has the tendency to organize every aspect of his life and think ahead weeks, months, or even years at a time. His room, locker, etc. is spotless and he can always find whatever possession he needs quite easily.

Martial Arts/Fitness- To rise to the top of the school's ranking system and in order to ensure he had energy to sustain his teleportation, Ozzy pushed himself into being fit physically and learning kung-fu/karate.

Inventing - Ozzy is quite adapt at gadgets and has tinkered with computers, cameras, etc. for years. This is where a uniquely creative streak emerges.

Psychology/Sociology- Despite his posture as an multidisciplinary genius, Ozzy's true talent lies in the social sciences and he isn't afraid to apply psychological or sociological techniques to achieve his own ends.

Flaws:
Pride- Ozzy is a rather arrogant person. He does not believe that anyone is his equal on an intellectual level nor does he think that anyone is capable of defeating him in battle. This leads to underestimation of his foes and a certain unsettling sensation when he finds this view challenged.

Cooking- While Ozzy is at the top of his class in chemistry thanks to his intellect, Ozzy is hopeless at cooking meals beyond a sandwich or heating up frozen food. He is used to servants handling such things and, quite frankly, hasn't ever been interested in it.

Utilitarianism- Ozymandias is prone to thinking of the countless masses as humanity as a whole and has a certain tendency to cast aside or dismiss individual concerns as trivial if those concerns conflict with his own plans or goals. This can come off as apathy, but really, Ozzy tends to look at the benefits to the whole rather than the costs to the few.

Loneliness- Ozzy needs people. This isn't to say that he needs to be surrounded by crowds of people constantly, but he finds the need for connection to other people whether as enemies, lackeys, allies, or friends. It isn't really a fear so much as a certain need he feels for contact.

Personality:
Ozymandias possesses a certain confidence that comes from being born into wealth and possessing a great intellect, greater than most of those around him. He is not afraid to defend his viewpoints with a calm, logical argument while appealing to certain values that his audience holds. He takes pleasure in having a small group of friends and a few other relationships while studying the unique microcosm that is Benjamin High School. He is not one for prolonged exposure to a large crowd, though he tolerates them when necessary and is most at home either in his study or with a couple friends or acquaintances.

Ozzy has a keen intelligence thanks to his powers and his habit of studying. As such, he is often watching people and taking note of even their most minute actions and drawing hypotheses and theories about why they behave they do and, when the opportunity presents itself, testing these hypotheses and theories in order to gain more information. Ozymandias can have a certain disconnect when he does this, forgetting that the objects he is studying are actual people instead of formulas or theorems. Nevertheless, Ozymandias possesses a keen sense of morality. He has studied the way the world is today as well as calculated its most likely trends if events continue as they do. He has come to the conclusion that the world needs a certain strong-arming or intervention if mankind is to survive its own vices and weaknesses. As such, he despises the way that the town's adults have decided to hide and isolate themselves from the world instead of taking direct control, something that he has quietly decided to remedy.

Ozymandias maintains a genial, likeable manner, even when he is dealing with people who either dislike or hate him or he himself dislikes. Ozzy doesn't believe in maintaining hatred for anyone. Indeed, he often finds the rebels and their various disorders fascinating. And if anyone proves to a challenging rival, Ozzy would find great pleasure in sparring with them, though he'd quickly grow frustrated if he was ever outsmarted or outmatched. To his friends, Ozzy is quite generous and doesn't mind spending money, effort, or time on them. Nonetheless, he can be somewhat miffed if they ignore or don't follow his leadership.
|| Intelligent || Prideful || Good-Intentioned || Social ||

History:
The Bastion family were and still remain one of the most influential families in the town of Benjamin which probably has much to do with the fact that Ozzy's great great great grandfather brought the land that the earliest version of the town would be built upon. Rich landowners, Ozzy's ancestors later invested heavily in the Industrial Revolution and the town. Though few of Ozzy's family ever ran for office, their "suggestions" were often taken in account by the mayor and town council, perhaps partly due to the incentive of campaign money. Though other residents of the town might have raised their eyebrows at the family's more extravagant nature, no one could deny they were important.

Ozymandias' father had a gift for mental communication while his mother was gifted with the ability to learn foreign languages just by hearing a sentence of it so it was no surprise that Ozymandias' powers were mental in nature, though the teleportation was rather surprising at first. Ozymandias was found to be a genius at age 6 when his first grade class was accidentally assigned fourth grade homework and, at age 7, when he teleported home by mistake by merely wishing he was home during a particularly boring day at school. Ozzy slept for four hours straight afterwards and his parents resolved for him to train his powers in addition to his intellect. It was around this time that Ozzy began to read news articles in the paper and on the internet and watch news channels and it seemed he grew more somber and calculative.

Ozy was always rather genial if a little distant with his peers, but it was when he entered high school that he really took off socially. He had, of course, prepared for the After School club and had resolved to get at the top as a spot of pride if anything. He quite easily made it and has found friends among the elite, though a few, he thinks, might resent his top spot and social dominance.

Ozymandias

Other: Anything else you want to add.

So begins...

Ozymandias Bastion's Story

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Setting

Benjamin

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Character Portrait: Sebastian Pérez Padilla

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#2013-08-13 08:50:38, as written by Issa

Benjamin
Mid-afternoon, Friday 16th of August

A light breeze rolls off the lake beside the town of Benjamin, offering a small break from the hot sun above. For those students stuck inside, the have only a few more minutes until the bell rings marking the end of the school day and the start of the weekend.
Students also find themselves looking forward to the weekly meeting. The After School Club is due for a gathering. A few hours after school most students will make some excuse to their parents and make their way to the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. There challanges will be made, some will wake away as winners and others might find themselves further down the social ladder than when they entered the warehouse.

Abigail Porter

Outfit

Abigail Porter sat in class, her attention on the small, balding man that was trying to lecture the room full of students on the properties of the fundamental forces. He had already given the class a stirring introduction to electromagnetism and no doubt next week would be filled with strong and weak nuclear forces. Today, however, was dedicated completely to gravitation, a force that Abby knew intimately well. Physics had always been an interesting class, or at least Abby thought so. Many of Benjamin's inhabitants had powers that let them defy the very rules that Physics was trying to teach. Abigail always enjoyed seeing the teacher try to explain around the peculiar abilities, making exemptions for the talents. Nevertheless Abby always made a point of learning the lessons, failure was hardly something she wanted.

Even so, as the teacher droned on Abby found her mind wondering to tonight's gathering. She was quite content with her current position, number two, so she doubted that she would challenge Ozzy tonight, but it was always interesting watching other fights. Whenever anyone from the Elite's was challenged it was always useful to pay attention, watching how her fellow Elite's fought was very informative and would help Abby form a partial plan on how to deal with them if they ever chose to fight.

The loud buzzing of the school bell brought Abby's attention back to the present. The teacher began to shout the weekend's assignments over the loud sound of scrapping chairs, but gave it up as hopeless as conversations cropped up and his voice was muffled out. Abby picked up her books, arranging them carefully in her arms. She left the classroom with the crowd and began to make her way towards her locker.

Being an Elite had its perks. Many of the lower students moved out of her way, leaving Abby with a clear path through the crowded school corridors. Of course there were always those who either chose to ignore the hierarchy or simply didn't seem smart enough to get out of her way. Abby was climbing down a set of stairs when a younger students pushed past her, his elbow catching her painfully on the upper arm and sending her books flying. Pursing her lips to stop herself from shouting at the younger student Abby held up a hand, palm facing vertically outwards. Her falling books stopped their descent, freezing in midair. The student froze too, caught in a bubble of zero gravity. His excitement for the weekend, and most likely tonight's meeting, was easily visible and quickly turned to a look of shock as he was slowly spun around to face Abigail.
"If you're going to run in the corridors, you had better watch where you're going." Abby told him. She held out her arms and let her books float into them. The student was still floating inches above the floor in Abby's cloud of zero gravity.
"I... I'm s..sorry" He stuttered, glancing nervously from Abby to the ground just out of reach. Not wanting to cause more of a scene than she already had, Abby let the boy go. He landed on his feet and seemed to shrink back against the wall as Abby passed.

She reached her locker a moment later without incident and quickly opened it, placing the books she didn't need inside and taking out those she would need over the weekend. Around her everyone seemed to be buzzing about the weekend. Abby smiled, she too was looking forward to a few days to relax in the sun, but first came tonight.

Zack Hooke

Outfit

"Keep your knees up Hooke! Stay awake!" The harsh voice of Benjamin's gym teacher was having little effect on the teenage boy. Zack liked most sports, however gym class was not something he generally enjoyed. Or at least not when he was being forced to run around the track under the heat of Benjamin's summer sun. He could also feel the increasing anger radiating from the large gym teacher as Zack slowly jogged the last leg of the track. He didn't understand why he was the one being targeted, after all there were others who were still behind him.
"Come on Hooke! Don't fall behind!" She shouted again. Zack felt himself slowing down, if only to spite the teacher. He could feel her anger increase exponentially as his pace slowed.
"Come on miss, it's almost the weekend." Zack told her, "And it's too hot to run any faster." He had to admit that the teacher was exceptionally good at controlling her anger. He could feel it spike as he spoke and yet there was no visible sign present.
"Hooke..." Her warning was enough though to let Zack know that it was probably time to lay off. He flashed her a cheeky smile before picking up the pace. Apparently satisfied she went to go harass some other poor student, leaving Zack alone to finish his run and then head for the showers.

Zack quickly entered the male locker room and Zack grabbed a towel before headed into the showers. Ten minutes later he reappeared, smelling faintly of peaches and looking as fresh as if he hadn't just been running. The bell rang just as he was stuffing his damp towel away. Zack picked up his sports bag and made his way out of the showers. He considered stopping by his locker to pick up some books but decided against it. Instead he headed out to the school front where he took a seat on the rails and waited for his friends to come out.

He would see them tonight at the Club, but Zack was a social person. He wouldn't want to waste the few hours between now and the start of the club alone. Sure, he could do some homework, but he'd rather hang out with his friends. Besides, there weren't many days left in summer and he didn't plan on wasting the fine weather.

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#2013-08-13 22:52:54, as written by almostinsane

If there was one downside to being a genius, it was the sheer boredom that came out of attending a class presided over by a teacher who knew far less about the subject than he realized. It was supposed to be a "fun" class where they discussed the Vietnam War, but Ozzy had already taken studied the conflict in detail when he was 12. The United States and her allies confined themselves to fighting the last war through the destruction of the Vietcong with overwhelming force while the North Vietnamese focused on a propaganda victory in order to make the war unpopular at home. It was a fascinating lesson on how morale and will played into people's actions. Without confidence, even the strongest opponent could be defeated by a weaker one.

Soon enough, the bell range, the teacher reminding the class of the essay that was due this Monday, much to the dismay of the majority of the class. Ozymandias, naturally, had already finished his, but he refrained from turning his in at the moment. It wouldn't due to foster resentment among his fellow classmates. Ozzy had a reputation to maintain. He was the smartest student in school, but he wasn't a teacher's pet. In fact, he came off as believing that the teachers got in the way of his learning, which was true enough. Ozzy did his best learning on his own. He packed up his stuff, making polite small talk with those who greeted him even as he took in their interaction. Most were readying themselves for the weekend and, more importantly, the After School Club. There was always a certain eagerness, a juvenile fascination with who could beat up who in a fight. Really, the After School Club was necessary to serve as a release for these impulses.

Ozzy stepped out of the classroom, noting how the other students went out of their way not to run into them or hinder his movement. Really, he had learned to enjoy the perks of being the Elite. He did not need to waste his time maneuvering through crowds and, if he ever wanted something, he was sure to get it. Of course, not all students observed the etiquette, either through ignorance, accident, or deliberate rebellion. He smiled slightly when he saw a student lifted off the ground. He shook his head and approached his locker, which was conveniently placed next to Abby's. He had already packed everything he needed for the weekened in to his backpack when she opened her own locker.

"Really, Abby, I think you terrified the poor kid," he told her with a small smile.

Finally, class was over and James was among the first students to leave. James didn't really dislike school, but it would be a stretch to say that he liked it. He really had no clue what he wanted to do once he graduated other than getting a scholarship though swimming. Whatever career he was going to have in the future, he decided that it wouldn't be math. The problem were tedious, the teacher was unhelpful, and really, it felt like a convoluted game of marco polo.

Still, what the other students were talking about wasn't much better. Everyone was dropping hints about how hey were looking forward to it tonight. James didn't necessarily like participating in the system that kept himself and his friends at the "bottom", but he just had too much pride not to compete. He headed for his locker, only to see the rebel girl, Lexi, scare them away. He smiled slightly. Really, he suspected that most of her threats weren't genunine. Not unless you really pissed her off. Call him crazy, but he found the girl interesting. He couldn't help but wonder what she hiding behind that tough facade of hers. It didn't help that his locker was only a few lockers down from hers. He smiled at her when he passed her.

"I doubt they have STD's yet. Being horny doesn't make someone promiscuous."

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#2013-08-14 03:50:23, as written by Issa

Zack Hooke

Zack didn't have to wait long for a familiar face to float out of the school. The first to arrive was Sebastian Padilla. Zack liked to think of him as a gentle giant, based more on his personality than his actual physical appearance. And, well leaving out the fact that when Sebastian fought he was far from gentle. Zack always found watching Sebastian fight interesting, he became so much more alert than most people gave him credit for.

"Hey, you ready for tonight? Planning on sparring with anyone?" Sebastian asked as he joined Zack. Apparently Zack wasn't the only one thinking about tonight's club meeting. Before Zack could reply a light gust of wind caught at the folds of his clothes. He glanced up to find the culprit approaching them with a large smile on her face.
"Hey guys," Millie greeted them. The wind stopped as she joined up with the group. Zack grinned back at her, not in the least concerned that she had just used her powers on them. Really, given that she could create lightening, a bit of wind was hardly something to get irritated by. "Yeah Zack, cause you know I'll take you on," She added, having caught the end of Sebastian's query.

Zack decided to play it cool,
"Howdy Seb, Millie." He started, returning their greetings with a grin, "Well, I would probably take you on Millie... but when I won I'd probably have to fight so many people and I really can't be bothered." Zack, of course, was joking. He had about as much chance of beating Millie as he did of beating Sebastian, which was a rather small chance. His power could make people angry and Zack really didn't like the thought of making someone who could create lightening angry. Sure, he could direct her anger at some inanimate object or bystander and hit her over the head while she wasn't looking, but then his main fighting technique would be revealed to the world. He didn't think people would keep falling for the same trick. No, he was perfectly happy to stay where he was. "'Sides, I could never harm a hair on your beautiful head." Flattery could get someone far in life, but Zack flirted for the fun of it. It was nothing serious, he just enjoyed making girls blush.

Millie asked Seb whether he would be challenging anyone. Zack was interested to hear whether Sebastian would be. It was always interesting watching the Elites fight each other. There was always guaranteed to be more fireworks, both the literal and figurative kinds, since their powers were so much more powerful. As Zack waited for Seb to respond his eyes caught movement. Magnolia Settle waved to the group, unsurprisingly from next to a bush of flowers. Zack waved back before indicating for her to come and join the group. He'd had a brain wave the previous night and he was keen to share with Magnolia the wonderful plant related pun he had come up with.

Abigail Porter

Her books for the weekend carefully packed into her school bag, Abby closed her locker. She spun the lock, waiting for the click that indicated it was shut before turning to the figure standing beside her. Abby had always thought it a great coincidence that Ozzy's locker was beside hers. She enjoyed being able to see him between classes and at the end of the day.
"Really, Abby, I think you terrified the poor kid," Ozzy told her, a small smile playing on his face. Abby shrugged, her own mouth mimicking Ozzy's smile,
"I didn't hurt him." She responded lightly, "I just reminded him that it isn't safe to run through the school corridors."

A smile appeared on Abby's face as her mind turned to other subjects, namely tonight's Club meeting. As an elite Abby was used to fighting at the meetings. There was usually one or two confused individual who thought that they could beat her. Some believed that they could jump right into the illustrious Elites without working their way up. Abigail was always happy to show them the error of their ways and help them to understand where they truly fit.
"So, have you heard of anyone likely to try their hand at the top spot?" She asked Ozzy, stepping away from her locker. She pointed down the corridor, wordlessly asking Ozzy if he cared to walk with her out of the school. She knew he would understand her question, he wasn't a genius for nothing.

Setting

Benjamin

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#2013-08-14 08:49:44, as written by MegaKooala12

Finally, the bell rang. The bell that signaled the end of the torturous week and the beginning of the hassle-free weekend. Almost instantly, Hal Humble jumped up out of his seat and proceeded to make his way out the door. He promptly handed his pop quiz to the teacher as he exited. He neither left the classroom with worry nor confidence, as he wasn't quite sure whether or not he passed or failed the dreaded quiz. Regardless, school was over. It was the weekend. It was time to relax, and more importantly, it was time to mentally prepare himself for the After School Club.

As he breezed past the students in the hallway, (WITHOUT his power, of course) he tried to picture who on earth he would declare war against today. In order to become an elite, he needed to face someone who was challenging, yet an easy target. Having a rare and applicable power for offensive battle, Hal knew that he could easily make it to the top if he tried. And he would try. There was nothing the eighteen-year-old loved more than a little competition.

As he opened his locker, shoving some books and papers into his backpack, he could hear Abigail Porter and Ozymandias Bastion conversing from a short distance away. "So, have you heard of anyone likely to try their hand at the top spot?" said Abby. Having lived in the small town of Benjamin for all of his life, Hal knew well of both Ms. Porter and Mr. Bastion. Abigail was the mayor's daughter, and Ozymandias's ancestors had apparently founded the town. Both were well-known hotshots, and both, coincidentally, were elites.

Hal quietly and courageously sauntered up behind Abigail, a snarky grin on his face. "Hope you've heard of ME, princess. You ready for tonight? Never know what's gonna happen..." Hal gave Abigail a testy look as he put his hand upon her shoulder. Princess had always been his pet name for her. It wasn't a name spawned from flirtation, but rather from annoyance. He then turned to gaze at Ozzy, a wide smirk plastered upon his lips."I'm sure you're ready, right? Must be hard being at the top. You've gotta keep your eyes out for every possible threat." He then jumped into the flow of traffic that spread throughout the hallway. "See you two tonight" he said, giving them one last glance before making his way outside, where hundreds of students were conversing upon the school's campus grounds.

As he strolled out into the sun, Hal's eyes flickered around until he found one of his friends, Zack, doing what he usually did best: being a social butterfly. Sebastian Padilla and Millie Edwards were also there with him, but as Hal approached the group, he didn't really acknowledge them. Instead, he spoke directly to Zack.
"If we're on tag teams tonight, you're on my side. Ya got that? No backing out." Hal doubted that there actually would be a team match of sorts, but he just needed a reason to talk to Zack. Zack was a member of the third: a group of students who were neither the greatest nor the weakest at battling. Zack's power was anger manipulation, something Hal felt was completely underrated. He saw a lot of potential in Zack to move up in the ranks, he just wondered whether or not his friend would put in the effort and try.

He gave a small chuckle to Zack, and then turned around to face the school's entranceway. "FINALLY, here she is." he muttered as he watched his other friend cautiously walk down the cement steps, her laptop in her hands, and a pair of gleaming white headphones perched around her neck.

Her brain cells were dead from schoolwork, her hands were tired from holding a camera for most of the day, and overall she was completely exhausted, but that didn't keep Paige Johnson from walking out of Benjamin High with energy and life. With her gray-colored hoodie tied around her waist, she swiftly flew down the old cement steps. For a second, her head turned up to stare at the world in front of her. It was then that she caught Hal with his eyes on her, as if he had been watching her the whole time. She gave him a confused and cynical look as she came closer to the group where he was near.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, her eyebrows raising up towards her forehead. "I'm waiting for you." Hal said, turning his body towards her. "Oh. Okay. Wow, for once you actually WAITED for me. That's a first." She chuckled lightly, and then turned her gaze towards Zack, Sebastian, and Millie, all three of whom she had just noticed standing there. "Oh, hey guys!" Paige politely smiled, "See you all tonight, I guess..." Judging by who she was speaking to, it was safe to assume that the three of them would be attending the meeting. The unsuredness in her voice came from her own questioning of whether or not she would be at the event. She then snuck past the four of them, and started the journey towards her home. With an upbeat vibe, she walked with a spring in her step as she made her way down the sidewalk and into the town of Benjamin. Hal followed suit as he pulled his small black skateboard from out of his backpack.

As her long-time friend came closer, a small smile started to appear onto her face. She looked both ways, making sure the coast was clear, and then opened her laptop as she walked. "C'mere, I gotta show you something..." Without tapping a single key on the laptop's keyboard, her screensaver suddenly changed into a sketch of some sort of strange-looking machine. Symbols and numbers were scribbled all across the picture. "What in the hell is that contraption?" Hal asked with a smirk. "It's a rough sketch of a treadmill I'm planning to make. But it's not just an ordinary treadmill. It serves other functions as well. Not only would it be a pedometer, but when powered with enough kinetic energy, it'll be able to power...well...a whole city."
"Wait, really? You're being serious, right?"
"I dunno, am I?" As Paige smirked, Hal promptly gave her a matching facial expression.

"But like I said, if it had enough kinetic energy, it would be able to generate a copious amount of electricity. However, this kinetic energy obviously must come from a source." She glanced towards Hal, who shrugged as he started to cruise on his skateboard. "Paige, the next time you want me to be a guinea pig in one of your experiments, please ask me first." She laughed, and broadened her steps as she tried to catch up with him. "Easy there hotshot, I'm not sure when this'll be done by, or if it'll EVER be completed. I don't even have the parts for it yet."

They both then stopped at a pedestrian crossing light, where they waited until the traffic came to a halt. "So, you challenging anyone tonight?" the eighteen-year-old asked his friend. She gave a sigh, and gritted her teeth. "I dunno Hal. I'm not sure if I'm even going to show up." Hal swiftly turned his head, and gave her a baffled look. "What? Why?"
She shrugged, "Well...although you know i'm definitely into simulated violence, I'm not so sure if I'm willing to watch and participate in real violence anymore. It was fun to do battles and stuff at first, but now... I'm starting to think that this whole After School Club thing is kind of...pointless..."
"So you're saying you're a rebel now?"
"I'm not saying that at all! Look, I'm not saying I want to go against the school hierarchy shit or whatever, I just kind of wish that instead of using our supernatural powers to brawl, we should put them to better use..."
She stared out into the road as she continued, "I don't think I'd join the rebels. I've come to the conclusion that if you want something to go away, you need to pretend as though it doesn't exist. By drawing attention to the subject, the rebels only make the cliques more prominent. The truth is only what we choose to believe, Hal. You get what I'm saying?"

Hal briefly nodded. He face seemed unchanged, and Paige knew that he was unconvinced. "Sure. But let me say this, Paige; you have a lot of potential to reach the top. To become a part of the elites. I mean that honestly." He gave her a sharp look as he continued, "The After School Club, it's a tradition. And it's not hurting anyone. It's all in good fun and competition. I know it comes along with all the stupid cliques and shit, but you just gotta...well... in want for better words, embrace them. Think of it all as a way to make you stronger at your power. If you kept working on your power, Paige, I'm sure you could become the strongest yourself. Look at Bruce Wayne; he doesn't have any supernatural abilities, but he's good with technology, and he's one of the greatest heroes of all time. That could be YOU, Paige."

The girl rolled her eyes. Hal's competitive side was one of his greatest flaws. He could tell that he wanted her to be there. She knew that he wanted her to grow her power, however, she couldn't tell if it was for better or for worse. It almost felt as though he had been pushing her to become stronger. As the street light changed and the cars came to a gentle stop, Paige replied to him again, "You know what, I'll let you know if I'm going later. But for now, consider me out." The high school started to fade into the distance as the two walked across the street towards the downtown area of Benjamin.

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#2013-08-14 22:50:18, as written by almostinsane

"I didn't hurt him. I just reminded him that it isn't safe to run through the school corridors."

Ozzy smirked slightly. It was like her to present one irritated act as a public service. He couldn't really blame her, though. Abby despised mess and disorganization and making her papers or books fly everywhere was one of the best ways to make her lose her temper. He chuckled at her next question, wordlessly sliding into step with her as they walked through the hall.

"I am quite sure that there are many who intend to challenge me. There are a few in particular that I..." he began, only to lose his train of thought from an unwelcome interruption. Ozymandias disliked Hal Humble. The boy was rude, loud, and had an unwarranted fixation on himself and Abby.

"I'm sure you're ready, right? Must be hard being at the top. You've gotta keep your eyes out for every possible threat. See you two tonight."

He laughed, his expression indulgent, like one he would give to a child that said something particularly clever, "I suppose it would be hard for one such as yourself."

When he and Abby were alone, his expression gave way to one of annoyance, "Misplaced bravado is tiresome."

"And minding your business won't get you punched either."

"Where's the fun in that?"

James simply grinned at Lexi as he replied. He knew that inserting himself into her personal world was just asking for trouble, but there wasn't any other way to get her out of her shell. Besides, he could endure a few verbal barbs. He knew the line between annoying her and pissing her off enough for her to do something terrible to him. He thought so, anyway.

James entered the grounds, not too close to Lexi as he didn't intend to provoke her more, but still close enough to show he wasn't scared. He scanned the grounds for his friends from. He hated having his last class without the others in his clique. Fortunately for him, he spotted Josh. Unfortunately for them both, he wasn't the only. It seemed one of the Elites, Charley, had decided to ambush him. James did the only thing the occurred him: he ran over to the scene and mouthed off.

"Nice snake! I hope it compensates for your... unfortunate condition."

He coughed meaningfully. Okay, it wasn't an original insult, but it should be enough to make him lose his concentration.

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#2013-08-15 10:28:51, as written by Issa

Abigail Porter

In reply to Abby's question regarding whether Ozzy had heard of any potential challengers, she first received a chuckle and the beginning of an answer, "I am quite sure that there are many who intend to challenge me. There are a few in particular that I..." Ozzy's words were cut short.
Hal Humble, the irritating tick that never seemed to be far from ruining Abby's mood, sauntered up behind the pair. A cocky grin was spread across his face, "Hope you've heard of ME, princess. You ready for tonight? Never know what's gonna happen..." Hal said, giving her a look and placing a hand on her shoulder. She hated how casually he touched her. If they were friends she would have left his hand there, but Hal was nowhere near to being a friend. Abby shrugged his hand off, her mouth forming into an irritated frown as she turned to glare at him. She hated that he called her princess. The name was purely used to annoy her and Abby hated to admit that it usually hit the mark. "Witty as ever Hal." Abby replied with a roll of her eyes.

Hal's next words were directed at Ozzy and were just as snarky as his previous words to Abby.
"I'm sure you're ready, right? Must be hard being at the top. You've gotta keep your eyes out for every possible threat... See you two tonight"
Ozzy laughed, "I suppose it would be hard for one such as yourself."
Abby smirked, her irritation at Hal disappearing at Ozzy's quip. As much as Hal might boast and irritate Abigail at the end of the day Abby was an Elite and Hal wasn't. It was clear to anyone that took the time to see it that Hal was desperate to make the Elites. Abby wasn't about to let that happen anytime soon.

As Hal left Ozzy's earlier indulgent look changed to irritation, "Misplaced bravado is tiresome."
Abby shrugged, "Tiresome, yes, but it also means he'll be all the more entertaining to beat." The two made their way down the corridor, aiming for the main entrance doors. "You know, I'm half hoping that he would be stupid enough to challenge either of us. Abby admitted as she pushed one of the heavy wooden doors open and stepped out into the sunlight, "I'd love to put him in his place."

Abby's gaze cast around the school front, catching on the various groups gathered outside. She saw two fellow Elites, Millie and Sebastian, talking with Zack Hooke. Hal was just leaving the group, Paige at his side. Further on she spotted Charley who, by the look of things, had just sent Merida away through the use of his powers.
"What a waste." Abby muttered under her breath. Perhaps a tad hypocritical given that Abby had just frightened another student with her powers. Still, Abby felt that her use of her powers had been provoked by the other party rather than her simply deciding she was bored, which is what she assumed had happened with Charley. Abby gave a mental shrug and turned her attention back to Ozzy.

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#2013-08-15 20:10:32, as written by almostinsane

"Tiresome, yes, but it also means he'll be all the more entertaining to beat. You know, I'm half hoping that he would be stupid enough to challenge either of us. I'd love to put him in his place."

Ozymandias couldn't help but laugh at the thought as he walked beside his friend. Yes, it would be an interesting challenge to face Hal Humble in a fight. Superspeed vs Teleportation. Their powers were similar, but both offered their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Ozzy, of course, was confident that he could beat him. He made it his business to learn of everyone's strengths and weaknesses, both physically and mentally.

"I feel that you would make an excellent opponent for him. How can he run when he cannot even touch the ground. Even lightening or weighing down the around the field should give him trouble," he reasoned.

Ozzy took in the sight before him. It was fascinating how quickly people grouped together for innocent and not-so-innocent reasons.

"What a waste."

"Charley is simply enacting his pathology. I suspect an Inferiority Complex," he told Abbey. He focused his attention on her for a brief moment. The way the sunlight seemed to highlight her hair. The sight was ineffable. Ozzy looked away, forcing an end to one of many moments which were becoming more and more frequent.

"Of course, he refuses to permit me to psychoanalyze him. For some unfathomable reason, he doesn't seem to trust me," he told her, an ironic smile forming on his face.

Really, sometimes he didn't think things through. One moment, he was mocking the prick that was harassing his best friend and the next, he felt like he was pulled into a blizzard at the North Pole: no light and no heat at all. He opened his eyes, finding himself 100 feet away from the scene. He cursed slightly, trying to push himself up. No one had ever used their powers to teleport him before and James decided that he didn't like it.

"Jamie, are you alright? Did that asshole do something to you? Oh my god, you're so cold..."

He looked up, smiling reassuringly at the girl talking to him. Like with Josh and Magnolia, Merida was a close friend and not just because they were in the same clique. She was just as impulsive as he was, if not moreso. Because of this, he felt extremely proud to see that Merida wasn't charging at Charley like he had. Perhaps she, unlike him, had learned to think before she acted.

"Why don't you take someone your own size, fucker!?"

Or, maybe not. James glanced at her hand. It looked like she froze some water to make a knife. Was that her power? Manipulating water? He had never seen her use her power before so he couldn't tell. It looked like she was going to tear into the prick, but Charley simply left. He smiled at Josh when he came running back. He stood up and gripped his friend's shoulder as he dug Merida's ankle out of the shadow it was stuck in.

''You shouldn't of tried to help me you two...I know you meant well but I can...deal w-....with it okay? I know my power is a passive one but...it has its uses...''

"Bullshit. You would have come running if it was me or Merida who was in trouble. That's what being a friend is. Oh, Jesus, I sound like some Disney Channel character," James joked lightly.

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#2013-08-16 12:25:57, as written by Issa

Zack Hooke

It seemed their small gathering outside the school was slowly gathering more people, which was just the way Zack liked it.
Blue, having caught the last portion of Zack's comment, joined the group.
"Too scared Zack? Don't worry, I could take you on any day." She joked.
"Scared? Me?" Zack replied, placing a hand over his heart in mock astonishment, "You must have me confused with someone else. I'm never scared." He winked at Blue before adding, "Although I don't doubt that you could take me any day you wanted." Despite the subtle innuendo Zack was certain that Blue actually could beat him in a match. He had nightmares of becoming obsessed with a spoon or chair.
“-And show him no mercy,” Millie's playful input made Zack laugh and he stuck his own tongue out at her.

A moment later Hal approached the group, although he spoke only to Zack,
"If we're on tag teams tonight, you're on my side. Ya got that? No backing out." It was to the point and typical of Hal to assume that Zack would agree. Typical and correct. Zack grinned and nodded his acceptance,
"Why not?" Zack replied with a shrug. Most likely a tag team wouldn't happen, but if it did Zack would be more than happy to work with Hal. Hal had a great way of looking at fights, he was focused and determined where Zack was more laid-back. More than anything Zack thought that it would be fun to battle with Hal. As usual Hal's appearance was really just a passing visit, a flash and then he was gone. "See you guys tonight." Zack said to Paige and Hal as the pair left.

Zack turned back to find Sebastian answering the long awaited question, whether he would challenge anyone. He wasn't sure, however it appeared that a group of rather short students had decided to challenge Seb. Sebastian seemed to find it genuinely amusing. Seb flung an arm over Millie's shoulders, asking the girl if she would be challenging anyone.
“In all honesty, I don’t really have anyone I think I’m going to challenge... Of course, if no one challenges me, I might have to challenge someone to keep things entertaining.” Millie replied. Zack hoped that she did challenge someone. it was always fun watching the big battles.

Amelia appeared in the group, her greeting just as quiet as her approach. Magnolia joined their group quietly too, to be expected from the shy girl.
"Sup Mels." Zack said to the first girl, using one of the many pet names he had for her.
"So, Maggie, who are you... rooting for tonight?" Zack tried to bite back his grin, although he wasn't doing a very good job of it. "I hope you won't leaf before all the fun begins."

"So we have a few hours to kill before the Club starts and I'm keen to get away from that thing... So did any of you guys wanna do something fun until then?" Millie said. Zack had to laugh as she called the school 'thing'. It was oddly appropriate.
"Let's go to the lake." Zack suggested, flapping his shirt to try and get some cool air circulating. It was hot and he would love to take a dip. "Or we could grab some food?" He added. In all honesty he wasn't too concerned with what they did, he was just keen to hang out with his friends.

Abigail Porter

Ozzy laughed, clearly finding the thought of fighting Hal just as amusing as Abby did.
"I feel that you would make an excellent opponent for him. How can he run when he cannot even touch the ground. Even lightening or weighing down the around the field should give him trouble," Abby smirked as Ozzy spoke. Yes, super speed wouldn't work too well when gravity was crushing you into the ground.
"I don't think Hal has actually thought about that. From what I've seen he likes to act quickly without actually thinking anything through." Abby replied. Then again, for all Abby knew it could all be a massive bluff.

"Charley is simply enacting his pathology. I suspect an Inferiority Complex," Ozzy told her. Abby raised her eyebrows, her gaze flicking back to Charley. An inferiority complex certainly seemed to make a lot of sense. Charley seemed to be openly hostile towards Ozzy and Abby for no better reason then that they were better than him.
Abby flicked her eyes back to find Ozzy's eyes on her. His gaze made her slightly uncertain, an emotion she was not accustomed to feeling. Butterflies seemed to stir in her stomach, only quietening down when Ozzy quickly spoke again,
"Of course, he refuses to permit me to psychoanalyze him. For some unfathomable reason, he doesn't seem to trust me,"
Abby laughed quietly, finding the idea of Charley letting Ozzy psychoanalyse particularly amusing.
"Now, why wouldn't he trust you?" Abby replied with a smile. The question was purely rhetorical of course, they both knew that Charley disliked them. There was no way he'd let Ozzy examine him.

Abby shifted her bag on her back and turned to face Ozzy, "So, what are you doing before the Club meeting tonight?" She asked, "It's definitely too hot to stay inside all afternoon." It was a not so subtle way of asking Ozzy if he wanted to hang out before the After School Club started. Previously she might have just asked him outright, after all the two had known each other since childhood. But recently certainly feelings had began to creep in, making Abby more uncertain than she would like to be.

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#2013-08-19 02:18:59, as written by almostinsane

Abby laughed quietly, quite clearly finding the idea of Charley letting Ozzy psychoanalyse particularly amusing. He smiled slightly. He had always liked her laugh. It wasn't often that she did laught, but it wasn't rare either. It fit remarkably well with her personality: neither aloof nor overly sociable.

"Now, why wouldn't he trust you?"

"I really have no idea. I know more about the mind than the so-called psychology teachers at this school. Honestly, it is quite embarassing. The school needs to raise their standards," Ozzy told her with a smirk. Really, he didn't mean that. He understood perfectly well that his abilities already made him smarter than most adults. In fact, had he wanted to, he would have graduated early and gone to college this year. He had, of course, opted to stay in town, mostly to make connections with other people for his plans for the future, but also because there were certain people he didn't want to leave just yet.

Abby shifted her bag on her back and turned to face Ozzy, "So, what are you doing before the Club meeting tonight?" She asked, "It's definitely too hot to stay inside all afternoon."

Ozzy frowned slightly, studying his friend for a moment. Things had become different between them, this much was true. Both of them had modified their interactions with each other, an interaction that had remained unchanged since they were children. She wanted him to hang out with her, but she didn't want to come out and ask and he had conflicted feelings about that. At last, however, he smiled.

"We can warm ourselves up at the tennis court. No powers or over-exertion. We need to be at our best tonight."

James frowned slightly as he saw Josh go with one of the teachers. He caught some things about his father and it being "for his own good". He sighed. He knew that Josh was keeping something from him and the others, but whenever he asked, Josh was able to deflect or move the conversation in the other direction.

"Let's go to the Club first, shall we? We can find two seats for Maggie and Josh, too..."

He paused in his musings to catch Merida's annoyed look and shrugged wordlessly as he followed after his friend. Hopefully, they would be able to get good seats. Some of the kids from the upper cliques had the habit of forcing them out of all the good seats. Truthfully, he was worried about Maggie too. She was much too gentle for these fights. He laughed slightly at Merida's next words.

"We may have to fight today, just so you know. I think I may have accidentally pissed off Labelle... He's a fucking sadomasochist if I have ever seen one and believe me... Pretty sure the bastard, Jason I mean, is one, too... Wanting to be hurt to get high... Why the fuck do I have to have such troublesome twin?"

"No offense, but Jason is a psychopath. Still, he seems to care about you... In a strange, semi-twisted, sort of way," he told her honestly. He didn't bother softening up the truth. He wasn't able to anyway. Still, he steered the conversation away to a topic he knew she and Josh would tease him mercilessly about.

"I think I kind of pissed Lexi off today. Not enough for her to do something drastic. I just can't help but prod her, though. She puts up walls and my instinct is to poke at them until I find a hole through," he told her conversationally.

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