Since the dawn of time, various members of mankind have been gifted and cursed by the gods with special powers. These men and women with special abilities are what are known as Metahumans, humans who possess various abilities, powers and attributes that set them apart from other people. Throughout history, many metahumans tapped into gifts, and have used them for both good and evil. Some metahumans have shown up in many holy books to this day, and even a few of them have created religions of their own. However, most metahumans weren't as fortunate, as many societies either saw them as demons or witches, and either cast them out at best or killed them all at worst. Since then, metahumans barely have made appearances in history, and when they did, it was often dismissed as myths or folklore. However, the first recorded sightings of metahumans were that in World War I, where several metahumans on either side had turned the tide of battle, using their abilities to either aid their comrades or destroy their enemies. When World War I ended, the various goverments of the world did what they could to research this phenomena, and dig up what they can about them.

However, metahumans didn't become a household name until World War II. When World War II broke out, metahumans from all parts of Europe (including Nazi Germany itself) banded together and helped the Allies fight back against the Nazi Regime. However, while many of the metahumans fighting on the side of the Allies were natural metahumans, the Third Reich had been researching and have been trying to develop their own metahumans as part of the "Master Race" agenda ever since the late 1930s. Many of these metahuman experiments were fielded into battle, and while they were proven to be effective in combat, they died quickly as a result of weakened immune systems and structural degradation. The experiments continued, and the Nazis started rounding up every natural metahuman they could find, putting them in concentration camps in order to help speed up the metahuman projects. Several metahumans escaped from the camps, freed a few more, and worked together to form a resistance. The resistance was soon called the Machtgebunden Allianz, and while the Allies and Russians started to close in on Berlin, the Machtgebunden Allianz gathered enough strength to launch guerrilla-styled attacks all across Nazi Germany, freeing metahumans and humans alike from the control of the genocidal and tyrannical regime. Within years, the Germans have surrendered, and the war ended. While the nightmare was over, those in the Machtgebunden Allianz remembered it all, and together, they vowed to never allow nightmares like that to happen again.

In 1947, the Machtgebunden Allianz formed into what's now known as the Powerbound Alliance, an alliance a metahumans from all around the world. While the Nuremberg trials took place, the Powerbound Alliance helped with reconstruction efforts, and while most of them helped out the people who lived through the war and searched for other metahumans who survived the Nazi Regime's experiments and torture, some members of the Powerbound Alliance went on a hunt for the Nazi Officers and Scientists that were involved in these horrifying experiments, and depending on the role they played, they were either killed/tortured on the spot or brought to Allied officials. Since then, the Powerbound Alliance has grown over the years, and in 1954, they moved to Costa Rica, where they set up their base in a small abandoned town that had evacuated long ago from a volcanic eruption. Since then, they have been building up their first headquarters and began relations with the locals and the government.

As the Powerbound Alliance started sinking their feet into Costa Rica, both the Soviets and Americans have discovered the Nazi's metahuman experiments and began replicating their own. However, with a collision of power over time, as well as with the beginning of the nuclear arms race, it opened the doors to the Metahuman Cold War. While some proxy wars were fought in the form of low-intensity conflicts in Korea and later on Vietnam, most of the fights happened in between metahumans in various places all around the world. While it appeared to be two sides metahumans who freely chose their allegiance on their own (as what the propaganda on both sides make it out to be), most of them were actually experiments that were improved from the Nazis and fielded by both the Soviets and Americans. Fights between metahumans were quite the spectacle, though they were quite catastrophic, often killing and injuring civilians as well as causing destruction to untold amounts of property. As a result, many towns, cities and other locations became abandoned from the said fights, as well as the effects that the various metahuman powers had on the surrounding area. With changes in leadership came changes in policy over time for both sides, different methods and different types of metahumans were developed by both the Americans and Soviets, creating all sorts of metahumans. However, it all ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. Since then, things were a little different.

In that time, the Powerbound Alliance have created such a large home base in Costa Rica it would rival that of largest military bases in either the US or the USSR. Costa Rica's cities and towns have also received massive upgrades, and while various metahumans helped the locals with their crops and industrial output, it brought lots of revenue to the country, and thus has brought lots of people out of poverty. The Powerbound Alliance has also fought lots of criminals who tried to take advantage of the country and people, and soon enough the crime rate in Costa Rica dropped to a significant degree. By the time the Cold War ended, Costa Rica is one of the most advanced countries in all of Central and South America, and their influence spread over Latin America in a positive way. However, before the Cold War ended, the Powerbound Alliance learned of Suddam Hussein and the gas attacks he carried out against ethnic minorities in the country, mainly in order to suppress dissent. The Powerbound Alliance got involved, and before all-out war broke out, the band of metahumans tore apart the entirety of Hussein's administration, killing and arresting various individuals responsible for the war crimes carried out in Iraq. While the the chain of command was carried over to various Iraqis and Kurds who were against Saddam Hussein, the Powerbound Alliance got the pleasure of capturing Suddam Hussein and give him a public execution, to the pleasure of many people in the country. At that point, in the course of several months, Kurdistan became an independent country, and Iraq transitioned to a new democratic state. At that point, the Powerbound Alliance set up operations in Kurdistan, and repeated the same process that they had with Costa Rica.

After the Cold War ended, things ended up quite different. Many metahumans soon went on to live normal lives with other humans, and others simply formed their own groups and started crime sprees all over the world. They were stopped of course by the various metahumans that were still on the side of the West after the cold war. At this point, technology advanced, the internet was invented, many nations started with diplomatic trade agreements (now that most of them were free and independent), and things looked great. However, metahumans used their powers to form their own factions, and some of them have risen to power in various nations, including that of Colombia. The Sudanese Government started committing genodice against dissenting groups of people in their country, and while many parts of the world got better, some others got much worse. Conflicts and infighting broke out. At this point, with operations in both Costa Rica and Kurdistan, the Powerbound Alliance soon became a household name as it participated in operations all around the world, either toppling oppressive regimes, defeating terrorist organizations or defeating metahuman crime groups all around the world. Beforehand, the Powerbound Alliance formed what is known as the Special Tasks Coalition, a military group consisting of both metahumans and normal humans, created in order to fight tyrannical regimes, terrorist groups and other such evils that rest around the world. However, many of these conflicts have left lots of destruction and pain in their wake, and most of the non-violent Powerbound Members formed their own group known as the Heroes Without Capes, and helped rebuild the destruction left behind from conflicts of past, and helped feed the hungry and shelter the homeless all around the world. Volunteers from all over the world flocked to the Powerbound Alliance to join both organizations, and soon enough the Powerbound Alliance became a very powerful Non-Government Organization. And by 2024, the Powerbound Alliance has thousands of elite personnel within the ranks of the Special Tasks Coalition, tens of thousands within the Heroes Without Capes group operating all around the world, with resources that rival that of various nations, and several academies and schools with the mission to teach and safeguard metahumans from all across the planet.

However, things have gone a bit wrong when 2024 started. A new terrorist organization by an unknown name has shown up from Iran, and is standing on the borders of Kurdistan and Iraq, firing at the Kurdish and Iraqi troops stationed there. There were several strange events happening all across the world, and the Russians and Americans have shown up to cover it all up. And worst yet, a powerful member of the 32nd STC Platoon has disappeared from the face of the Earth, with no leads, no clues, and no trace. All of this could spell disaster, and the Powerbound Alliance is scrambling to act. However, the headmaster of the Powerbound Academy in the United States, Cyprian Udina, pitched the idea to use a class of his students to help solve these problems for a grade. Considering their options, the Powerbound Alliance agreed on the condition that the class of students are to be accompanied by several members of the Powerbound Alliance, as well as the STC.

And so the adventure begins with our new heroes...

---

Up in the mountains of Northern Oregon was the large and prestigious Powerbound Academy, one of few that were dotted all around the world. At the foot of the mountain, to the east, was the small town of Hastings, a town populated with friendly normal humans that saw a rise in their economy ever since the Powerbound Academy was founded. To the west, in a valley situated within the mountains, was Oured, an abandoned city that was left alone to decay since 1982, and the only entryways to the city are condemned by Hastings officials. The rest of the surrounding area was mainly forest, mountains and farmland, though there were some places that people normally couldn't see from the air.

The Powerbound Academy itself is a large and massive property up in the mountains. With several buildings under its name, and several more underground areas that were added to the property, the Academy was built for the purpose of teaching young metahumans and humans alike. The drive that led up to the property was hidden deep within the woods, having been an offshoot from a road that led to Hastings. The driving lead up through a long winded path up the mountain and through the woods, leading up to a large walled gate, with a large metallic box that acted as the gatekeeper. Hidden surveillance cameras litter the forests surrounding the academy, and many look over the gate, including one that rested above a speaker, allowing a security guard to remotely and safely confirm the identity of those who would enter. The gate itself is large, dense and incredibly durable, with collapsible barricades that run flat on both sides of it.

Once the visitor has gotten past the gate and the hidden barricades, the drive going towards the academy would split into two places, one of them going into a large parking garage situated within the mountains, and another would lead right up to the main building of the academy, acting as a pick-up drop-off point. The parking garage itself was a large bunker-like garage that housed several security vehicles, buses and box trucks, as well as the vehicle of most of the staff and some of the students that went to the academy. The area in front of the main building was a beautiful sight to behold, complete with plants, trees and other such flora that decorated the area around the roundabout, and in front of the main building. This main area, known as the Roundabout, is where most of the students are seen outside, as the roundabout connects the Main Building, Science Building and one of the dormitories.

The Main Building is where most of the non-science classes and curriculum is held. It's also the place where most of the staff sleep at, as the top floors and some sides of the building are where the staff rooms and offices are situated in. The classrooms are the standard circular-desk setup, with dry-erase boards, projectors and some computer setups. The classrooms also have various books regarding the subjects taught there, such as books for history, math, English and Spanish. One part of the building is taken up by the large and extensive library that is in possession of thousands of books that go over the lore of Metahumans, both fiction and non-fiction. Right next to the library was the Auditorium, with seats and such that ran down in a slope similar to that in a movie theatre. The auditorium itself has a massive screen, as massive stage and often times a podium, a podium with the insignia of the Powerbound Alliance on it. Underground, facing the fields to the north, is the massive cafeteria, with industrial grade kitchens, operated by experienced staff.

The Science Building is where most of the hands-on stuff takes place. Situated opposite of the Main Building, the Science Building is nothing but labs, labs and more labs, but labs of all different kinds. There are labs for biology, labs for chemistry, as well as labs for computer and tech and labs for engineering. There are also large storage areas too, where most of the tech, chemicals and supplies are held at as well, that are situated in between the laboratories. While the lab classrooms are on the top floors, everything in the basement level all belongs to the crazy Dr. Chaos, where the massive lab space is used for his crazy experiments and research.

The dormitories, situated at the front of the roundabout and in between the two buildings, are where most of the students sleep. This building is dedicated for the students, and Hakam and Tatiana might patrol the dorm every so often at night, it's mainly a student's dormitory, and as such, there are many areas in it other than the dorm rooms themselves that allow students to have their downtime. Recreation rooms with pool tables, pinball machines, televisions and video games are on every other floor, and in their place on the remaining floors are quiet study rooms with sound suppressing features that allow people to study in silence. There are kitchens and dinettes on every floor, where students can enjoy their meals any time they are at the dorm. The dorm room themselves all have a bed-desk-closet-bathroom setup, where people would have the entire rooms to themselves (though in some cases, larger rooms people have to share). It also has its underground shelters that are connected to the other underground areas that the campus has.

North of the campus is a massive field with a large building behind it, that's utilized as the athletic and training center. Surrounding the field and building is a track that people can run on. The field itself is utilized for whatever is going on that day, whether people are playing American football or Rest of the world football. The building itself, however, is a large gymnasium that doubles as a power training facility. While the ground is clearly marked for basketball and running, there are also markings for shooting ranges as well. The interior of the building is situated with support beams within the walls that can neutralize powers if activated, with the walls being built to withstand just about anything from within (they used C4 and JDAMs to test the thing!). Here, the gymnasium serves as an indoor play area as well as an indoor power practice area (as practicing powers outside is against the rules, and someone could get hurt from them if someone has poor aim).

Last but not least is the forest area, an area that's situated a safe distance away from the Academy for people to practice their powers outdoors. This area's mainly used for games like hide-and-seek and other such games for students, but often times this area is also used for wargames and scenarios conducted by STC personnel and Academy staff in order to train metahumans how to fight against hostiles, whether they be metahumans or normal humans. Outdoor events are also sometimes hosted there as well, as a large clearing allows for a stage to be moved there. There are also small buildings and other structures within the woods used solely for training purposes, but sometimes the students also use it as an airsoft battleground as well.

There are some clearings and fields that surround the academy that are used for just about anything in particular, and often times STC helicopters would pay the Academy a visit, whether to pick up or drop off personnel. There are also other, smaller structures too, that are uses as maintenance sheds and sometimes entryways to the underground bunkers situated in the mountains below.

---

However, today is the first day of school for the initial inductees, the Class of 2024. The other classes, those who have been at Powerbound for a year or more, don't have school until a few days later. However, a whole lot of them have already returned from various parts of the world during the summer (though some have never left), and are enjoying their days in a variety of different ways. The outdoor athletic area is already populated by runners and people playing soccer, and one student might be able to catch a student with superspeed lapping around the other students multiple times on the track. Boys and girls, as well as men and women, all high-school age and college aged, walk to and from buildings, some of them standing around in groups talking to each other. Some of them had odd features about them, such as different colored eyes, some animal features, and even some strange skin tones. Some of them stood in groups, talking to each other. Others simply messed around before heading to where they needed to go.

When the new students arrived, they would've been greeted with a variety of reactions. Some of them would be teasing some of the students, others would give them a friendly welcome. If one asked for directions for the auditorium, one of the students would've gladly gave them. Once the new recruits have entered the main building, they would be treated to a massive hallway that led to many different parts of the building. However, there were signs, and some teachers that helped guide the students to the right place. As the students arrived at the doors that led to the auditorium, Sajaa would be sitting at a desk, asking for the students to sign in their name before finding a seat. Once everyone was accounted for (which took a while), many of the teachers arrived at the auditorium, and so did two security guards and a robot. The students were in for a real surprise!

---

Once everyone has gathered in the auditorium, the students seemed to have talked to each other a bit. There were about fifty of them at the max, and all of them crowded the center of the auditorium, with some at the front and some at the back. Teachers and staff were standing at the sidelines, looking over the children and talking with each other for the time being. Once everyone was accounted for, and the doors were closed, it took another few minutes before things actually went underway.

The lights dimmed down a little bit, and the stage was lit up. Appearing from behind the curtains was a man dressed in a full suit, a man with long black straggly hair, a man that appeared almost like a vampire, but even though he looked strange, he had an incredibly wise, understanding and friendly vibe to him. He slowly stepped up to the podium, his dress shoes clacking against the hardwood floor.

"Hello students." He spoke in a strange, broken accent. His voice was light, and his accent was strange, almost unplacable. "Welcome to the Powerbound Academy." His tones were a little messed up, but his diction was precise. While a few kids held back laughter out of respect, a few let out a giggle. "I am Headmaster Udina, and I know my voice and my accent sounds funny..." He looked to the giggling students. "..but I appreciate your respect nonetheless."

The Headmaster continued speaking. "This is the orientation course that every first year student goes through. We will be going over what we are about, where what is, and why you are here." He explained. "After the orientation is over, all of you will follow Miss McDowell outside to the gymnasium, where you will introduce yourselves, as well as your abilities. After that, you will be taking a placement test so we can assign the right classes to you." The Headmaster looked across the room to all students. "Is that clear?"

Most of the students gave an affirmative reply, to which the Headmaster smiled. "Okay, good." The Headmaster gave a nod and a smile to the woman in the blue professional attire, smiling to her before looking to the students. "I would like to introduce you all to the staff present here with me." He gestured to the staff that stood at the wall. "This is Deputy Headmistress Ayanov, feel free to come to her if you have any questions or concerns." Farida, the woman in the blue professional attire, smiled and nodded to the students in a professional manner. "This is Miss McDowell, and she is the Physical Education and Abilities instructor here at the Powerbound Academy." Constance, wearing combat trousers and a black STC tank top, simply smiled, nodding as well. The Headmaster gestured to the woman next to Constance, introducing her. "This is Missus Faraj, and she is our wonderful history teacher." Sajaa gave a shy smile and waved to the students happily, wearing some colorful clothes, as well as a hijab. The headmaster looked to the man and the woman in black jackets, combat trousers, and gunbelts, their jackets with the STC emblem on their shoulders. "These two are Mister Faraj and Miss Sevilla, and they make sure the campus is safe. They will make sure that this is a safe and friendly learning environment for all of our students." The two security guards gave a friendly smile and wave to the students. "And this is Mister Castellanos, he makes sure that our buildings are running smoothly." Manuelo, wearing a simple stained T-shirt and carpenter pants just cracked a small smile before the headmaster continued on. "There are many more people who work here but cannot join us today, but know that we are all here to help you."

The Deputy Headmistress kept an eye on students, and when she saw some nodding off, she used her powers to drag energy from the ground and pump it into the sleepy student to get them to pay attention. She smiled at her results before turning to the Headmaster once again.

Cyprian continued to speak. "Here at the Powerbound Academy, our goal is to open the doors for you to grasp the full potential of your abilities, and to set you on the right path." Cyprian explained. "We aim to help you understand your abilities, teach you how to use them effectively, and most important of all, help you use your powers to better yourself, those around you, and the world we live in." The Headmaster said with a soft smile. "We will be teaching a bunch of classes to you, depending on your wants and your needs here at the Academy." He explained. "While we have classes that teach the basic things, like math, science, English, history and things like that, we also have classes in art, athletics, power focus, engineering, and many other things. The only tests we take here are placement tests, and monitor tests, to gauge of how much you learned." Cyprian explained.

"While we do give grades, they are all on an individual basis based on your placement tests. We understand of all people that everyone else learns differently, and at a different pace, and we seek to accommodate that." He looked around for a moment before speaking again. "Most of the reading and lecture classes will be taught here in this building. Lab-based classes will be taught in the building across from this one, and althetic and power-based classes will be taught in the athletic area to the north of us." He explained. "We have dorms for everyone, and after orientation, you will be able to collect your belongings, and Mr. Faraj and Ms. Sevilla will take you to your assigned dorm rooms."

"Now for the rules. Listen very carefully, because these rules are very important." He explained. "The first rule is the most basic rule. Always listen to us, and follow our directions. It is okay to ask why, and it is okay to bring up alternative solutions, but do not disobey orders given by any of us. Our main goal is to keep you all safe, so you will learn. We will not ask without reason." He said before moving on to the next rule. "The second rule is to refrain from using your powers unless instructed, or you are in a safe area to use them, like the gymnasium or the practice area out in the woods. This is to make sure that no one gets hurt by accident, and to make sure there is no distractions in class. I know some of you may use them when none of us are around, but whatever you do, do not hurt anyone." He explained.

"Rule number three. Always have good attendance, and always stay on campus grounds. If you want to leave campus grounds, please let any of us know where and when you are going, and when you are going to return. Always give prior notice. Now this rule is incredibly important because if we leave someone unaccounted for, the entire campus will be placed on red alert, and the whole place is going to be on lockdown." The headmaster explained, gesturing to the ground. "A missing metahuman is an incredibly dangerous scenario, and if we do not do anything, people might get hurt or killed, whether it be the metahuman or other people the metahuman may encounter. Remember, this is for your safety, and all of our safety." Cyprian then moved onto the next rule. "The rest of the other rules will be explained in your handbook. Violence, bullying, all that stuff is not allowed either, so do not get any ideas." He moved on. "Punishment for breaking any of these rules will include in-school detention with your powers neutralized, expulsion, or worse, being transferred to an STC Holding Area. We have never had that happen before, so do not be the first."

He looked to all of the students. "Now remember, you are here to learn and improve, and we are here to help you with that." He cracked a smile. "Now does anyone have any questions?"

---

A few days ago, Ezra had finally made it. To the safe haven and school for all Metahumans, Powerbound Academy. He had walked right up to the door, sluggish, beaten and worn out, half-dead as he hadn't ate in at least three days before. He had climbed up the mountains, and remembered the map that he had got a copy of from an library where which he learned about Powerbound. He pulled it out and learned that besides the road that led to Hastings there was off to the side an trail, that led to the place.

There was a gate, and he heard from some speaker that he didn't notice, someone asking for his identity. He had told them his name, and luckily they had let him in. They gave him food, let him have a shower that he literally didn't have in years, also fed him and let him brush his teeth to the point where they were white again, white like before he was on the run.

They had even let him shave that mess of hair on his head, which he enjoyed to do so. And before he knew it, it was today. Probably because he slept like a rock for most of the last couple of days before the present. He was told to go to the auditorium, like every one else. He would've rather slept in another whole day but he had no choice to go.

And now he is here, he thought. What was going on? Why were they in this room, and why the hell was there a curtain. Was he about to see some stupid play? He rolled his eyes. "What is this..?" Ezra muttered. Soon, enough the lights dimmed. And some guy appeared as the curtains dragged in opposite directions until the whole stage was visible.

As soon as the man appeared. And when he spoke, Ezra couldn't be help but snicker a little too loudly. The man acknowledged this, as Ezra wasn't the only one. Ezra instantly closed his mouth when the man addressed them. So, the man was Headmaster Udina. Ezra then realized that this was probably an sort of introduction for the students, he had guessed right.

Apparently they were going to learn more about the school, and then when they were done, a lady that Ezra only knew as McDowell for now. They were to introduce themselves and their powers, and then have tests for what classes they would be placed in. When Udina asked them if they were clear, Ezra nodded without a word.

Then Udina had started introducing the staff and teachers of Powerbound to the group, Ezra was intrigued, but slightly bored, as he would rather not be sitting in a chair listening to a man with the funniest accent he had ever heard. There was another lady, who was Deupty Headmistress Ayanov. The lady who Ezra could only assume as Ayanov nodded to them. Then there was the history teacher, Missus Faraj. She smiled shyly. Then there was Mister Faraj and Miss Sevilla, and by the description Udina gave, they were most likely the security for the place. Why would they need security?, Ezra shuddered at he thought of it. A bloodshed of angered people attacking Metahumans.

And last but not least it seemed, some guy, Castellanos, who was wearing a dirty t-shirt smiled as he was introduced by Udina.

Ezra felt himself start to go to sleep, his eyes drooped. Maybe he could sleep without noticing, it would only be a cat nap anyways. Suddenly, Ezra felt energy in his veins and his eyes instantly perked back up. What the hell was that? One second he was about to fall asleep, the next, it was like he drunk three energy drinks and ate a energy bar. Ezra shook it off, maybe it wasn't a big deal at all.

So far, Ezra had liked the idea of the place. They were going to learn how to use their superpowers for good. He wouldn't have to be scared of hurting someone anymore. He wouldn't be scared of....

No, I'm not thinking of that. Not ever. Again. Ezra snapped at himself in his mind.

They were going to learn differently based on their 'needs and wants' as the Headmaster had put it. They were also going to head to different buildings for different classes. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of it, as he wasn't good with memory. Ezra wasn't sure he liked the rules, listen to everything they say for their safety? Keep them safe from what? And they were to not use their powers, Ezra was fine with that.

He was afraid of his powers, deathly afraid of himself as well. Ezra didn't want to hurt anyone at all, much less did he want to use them when they were told to.

They were also to not leave at any costs without telling the authority of Powerbound where they were going, or lockdown would happen. Jesus, now Ezra was starting to get afraid. Ezra had understood many regular people hated and wanted to kill Metahumans, the same some Metahumas felt about regular people. But to the point of a lockdown...? They don't trust them enough to walk out without telling them? Ezra shook the feeling off, it was probably not a big deal. It made sense anyways.

Ezra rolled his eyes when he was told if he broke the rules they could get detention and their powers neutralized and expulsion. It almost sounded like an regular school, which made it seem uncanny to him in a way. Then the one about STC Holding Area caught his attention. He assumed it was a sort of prison for Metahumans, and if no one has ever gotten that. What would a person do so bad to be put in one?

Then the Headmaster asked if they had any questions. Ezra felt his stomach growl, and raised his hand up. "So..when do we get some food?" He said without waiting for the Headmaster to address him holding his hand up.

---

There was a chill to the air, autumn had yet to befall the area but Lyrah could smell the damp promise on the winds, as her boots thudded heavily towards the auditorium. A shiver traced down her spine as she hugged her jacket closer. They were assembling all the new students into the massive building, no doubt to lay down the rules and greet the youth with genuine pleasantries. Her nose wrinkled at the thought. She had no care for introductions. Be good. Don't get caught. Don't tease the other students. Blah, blah, blah. It was always the same. If she could she'd skip all the fluffy hype and go straight into the training but it seemed they were adamant about the first years attending the soppy ritual. Plus, it'd give her a chance to scope out her classmates.

Lyrah's old academy was high up on the list for producing well rounded, disciplined, and functional members of society. To which she lasted a whole- what? Six months? A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She had fun there. Girls were easily messed with, especially hormonal teenagers, and soon fights had broken out. Friendships crumbled and some even taboo relationships had been started. But Lyrah failed to see the down side in any of her meddling. All she did was open the doors to the truths hidden deep within eachk orher. Their naked truths; jealousy, lust, wrath, and love. The headmistress should've thanked her for making the students more honest but instead she was subjected to criticism.

It was clear. The only place she'd ever be appreciated would be among those who understood her gifts. Her blessing.

The faint smile had widened into an almost mad grin as she stepped into the throng of bodies. Hugging her jacket closer Lyrah slipped her way through the crowd until she found a decent spot to stand off to the right. She was careful not to touch people with her bare skin. There was too many people. Too much anxiety and chatter already in the air. There was no desire to feel their emotions seep into her.

It wasn't long before the curtains swept back and revealed an older gentleman, his hair as strange and scraggly as his dialect. Lyrah smiled politely as a handful of students broke into a fit of giggles. She listened intently while scanning the crowd. Most were enraptured with his speech, or maybe they were just trying to place his accent, while others seemed to be drifting off. A student nearby had started to off doze himself. She watched as his head began to bob and wondered what secrets lied behind those heavy lids when a familiar buzz grazed past her cheeks. It left a soft pulsing sensation against her flesh as she watched with interest as the traces of sleep vanished from the boys face. Lethargy was now replaced with the boy bouncing on the heels of his feet with anticipation. Lyrah's attention was at a new high as she picked people from the crowd. Watching their bodies go from limp to almost twitching with energy. Sure enough; someone was pushing energy into the students though she failed to catch which staff member was to blame.

The headmaster had already moved onto a set of rules by this point, meaning she had missed the addressing of the staff but Lyrah was sure she'd meet them all eventually. Udina was adamant that no powers were be used outside of the designated areas and with that her lips pessed firmly shut. Part of her power was uncontrollable. That was one reasons she had agreed to even come here. She lacked control on who she tethered with when unwanted contact was made. Not to mention the wash of strong emotions that would slip back into her. No. That kind of weakness she couldn't and wouldn't tolerate. Plus, her dream walking could only be done when someone was at rest. There would be no two ways about it, her powers would be used outside of the designated zones. They'd just have to deal with it.

Leaning back against a support beam she awaited the end of the standard speech. Udina had asked for questions and a few hands had already popped up but before he could call on someone a voice blurted out. "So, when do we get some food?" This caused a few chortles from the student body as Lyrah's head whipped around the spot the speaker. Amusement rolled across her features as she gauged his inquiry as genuine. Yes, she was going to enjoy her time here. Despite the humdrum rules and stipulations, she'd find the honesty that hid behind the masks of her fellow companions and bask in the frantic energy those secrets came with.

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April slowly opened her eyes as she groaned slightly as she heard her alarm going off, she reached over for her phone and the alarm had shut off. She looked out the window as she stretched out and yawned loudly. Today was going to be her first day going to the Powerbound Academy which was what her grandfather recomended that she go to before he passed away.  April started to grab some clothes and quickly got changed into a simple t shirt and a pair of blue jeans, tossing her PJ's into her bag.

April had left her hotel room and headed down towards the food court area where they were surving some breakfast. As she got her plate of scrambled eggs and toast as well as some bacon she quickly started to dig into her food enjoying the food it would be the first time that she would be living without her parents as well which she was slightly nervous about. 

A few minutes later...

April was sitting in the back of a car that was driving up the windy road that would take her to her new home for the next couple of months. As the car drove through the gates April leaned her head forward opening the window as she felt the cool mountain air running through her hair April could see the school in the distance along with several other cars stopping at the front of the school. Her eyes scanned the area as she saw other students were outside socializing with one another.

Then her car came to a stop as the car door opened April gave a soft smile as the man took her bags and started to take it off towards the dorm rooms. The young woman stepped out, April took out her phone putting in a pair of headphones in and started to listen to some music. April followed the group of new students that were heading towards the auditorium. She stood there in line as she made her way into the auditorium she stood in line as Sajaa asked for her name. "April Brooks." She said and once she was let in April started searching around for an open seat.

Once April did she sat down and leaned forward as more and more students started to fill the room, than Headmaster Udina approached the podium along with the other stuff and what appeared to be a robot of some kind. She started to listen to the speech as April looked over her shoulder at a girl who wore head to toe in dark clothes that hid her face. April couldn't help but laugh slightly at the woman's question but she remain pretty quiet non the less as she listened to everyone around her.

---

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Everything started well for Alexis. She woke up, sunlight was entering through the windows and it was quickly blocked by some of Alexis's shadows when she realized that this will be the last day, she'll be couped up in that appartament. She's going to school ! No more house arrest. Maybe that will provide her with a way to escape the STC, once and for all.

She quickly dressed in everything black she could find and covered her face, no one had to know how she looks like. Most people still don't. People that she worked with. People that she later betrayed and killed. Alexis, as she always did in the morning, started practicing her shadow power. There was no need for the rash to appear in the first few minutes she would be conscious. It always happened like that when she woke up, if she didn't use her powers...then the rash would appear. If she used it too much, the rash would appear anyway. Life is hard enough without having a noose around your neck.

*a few hours later*

Alexis arrived at Powerbound Academy. She looked arround and smirked. "Fuck...another day in paradise. Children and all that..." said Alexis loud enough for anyone nearby to hear her.

As soon as she went towards the Orientation thing, people started looking at her. She was the only one there, from what she saw, that hid her face from everyone. She turned at a student that was staring at her and said in a wrathful voice "WHAT ?!". The student clearly shocked backed away and soon people started avoiding to stare at her.

Soon enough, a lady was at the entrance and asked Alexis her name and power. Alexis grinned and with a small "shadow" tendril, picked up the pen and used it to write her name down. "It doesn't matter. " she said as she entered the presentation hall.

Alexis almost chocked on laught when the Headmaster talked and didn't stop 'till he finally asked if anyone has question. She rose up and asked in a clear immitation of the Headmaster's voice "Grandpa, when am I allowed to leave your pitiful excuse of college and get back to my old life ? I liked it better.".

---

"Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak-"

The squeak of Quami's new sneakers was almost lost in the din of heavy foot-falls and excited squeals that emanated from the gathering crowd in the Auditorium. Even in the artificial light they flashed a perfect and brilliant white, absolutely clean and pristine; they even matched his outfit perfectly. Christopher Kane creature hoodie and sweatpants and a brand new Brooklyn Nets Mitchell and Ness NBA Metallic Foil Snapback Cap; an ensemble that cost his mother a fortune. It was a sending off gift that he would never forget. He had been drooling over it for years, as it was the very same outfit his favorite rapper wore on stage when he attended his first concert back on 2013; Kendrick Lamar. Ever since then, that exact outfit had been imprinted in his mind, and every year, on his birthday, he begged for it on his birthday, but never got it. At the time, the hoodie cost a surplus of $600 dollars, equivalent to one months house rent. Then, the day before he was set to leave, he found the outfit on his bed; who knew all it took for him to get it was to move out of the house.

Upon coming to that conclusion a slight tingle that ran underneath his skin. No, it was as though someone had attached a live wire to each of his nerves, and his body convulsed as the violent electrical current pulsed through him. Quami began to jump in place, wild and untamed energy rushing through his veins. It was as if he had swallowed a pill of concentrated caffeine and it was suddenly kicking in.

It was at this point that Quami realized that his daydreaming awarded him with gap in his memory, as a woman had taken the stage. Quami barely remembered the Auditorium being filled not to mention the start of a speech. With his energy levels set to high, he tuned into the woman's speech, finding himself more and more immersed in her words and schools ideals, but doubtful of the placement tests. They made sense, but he was never comfortable with taking tests that determined his future in a school. Despite apparently being academically talented when trying, such notions such as studying just didn't stick to him unless it meant his grade was dearly in jeopardy.

Upon looking back up from his thoughts, a man had taken center stage, this time speaking upon the schools rules, all in which Quami himself approved of. Some of these Meta kids needed to keep their shit in check, he didn't need anyone accidentally charring his shoes after a sneeze. But it was the last rule that brought the look of concern to his face. An immediate lock down of the school upon finding a student missing? This couldn't have been a rule that they suddenly thought of on the spot, it had to have been lived out before. The ramification of a missing Metahuman was great, but the punishment upon being caught only seemed to heighten the offence. Why expel the student, was that not only counter intuitive, could that not lead the a life of crime, the opposite of the schools goals?

Quami rubbed the stubble on his chin absent mindedly, his brain attempting to wrap around the the schools logic in the third rules possible punishments, while the call for questions was raised. While one student opted to call for food, which no doubt drew snickers from the crowd, Quami's mind was elsewhere. Hundreds of possible questions ran through his mind, but only one, stood tall over them all, one that would reveal the schools true colors, one that would put Quami's opinion on the school in jeopardy.

So, he raised his hand, and without waiting for a response, he spoke. "Will we be required to abide to a Dress Code?" he called above the snickers of the crowd. At the same moment, a woman in the back arose and chortled in the Headmasters voice when she could leave. If Quami heard correctly, he was sure she said; grandpa. Quami, immediately hated her, which wasn't normal for him since he wasn't a hateful person. "Well shit can you be anymore of a bitch?" he called back, his oft-present grin growing on his face as he turned to face her.

---

Today was the day! Having only heard of the Powerbound academy a few weeks prior, Light was quite thrilled to go to a place that wouldn't think she was too much of a freak. Sure using clown makeup to keep yourself looking pure white and wearing large white gloves was kind of weird. But usually people didn't care too much about that, thinking she was an entertainer going to some kids birthday party. Though when you stretch a good few feet after getting hit by a car from a drunk driver... Yeah folks weren't too happy about that whole incident. (What Light forgot to mention was that this town was more of a small hick town than a large city, where racism against Metas was rampant.)

The Academy itself looked like a fun place. The gates were big with some scary looking security, lots of unmanned things with speakers and stuff. Light had to give her info before she could pass. Good thing she was expected! And they were nice all the same and buzzed her in over their speaker! Following the road, she found her way to the main campus, and was told to go to the auditorium for an assembly. Well, after having her fill out a bit of paperwork with a nice lady helping her out on things she was a bit confused on. Though Light could see the confusion on the women's face when Light put down "toon" has her power but she didn't make much of an issue of it and told Light to meet everyone else in the auditorium.

There were quite a few other students here, and some even looked much weirder than Light! Especially the guy with the super super ripped muscles. How did he even scratch his nose? Looking around in wonder, Light's attention was snapped to the stage when the room went dark and the headmaster walked out. And he was a vampire! Or so Light figured, even if he wasn't it still was a pretty snazzy look. Though what came after that... well... Light could've seen it coming a mile away; Staff introductions? Check, going over rules? Check, classses being offered and all that academic stuff? Check. What she wasn't expecting was the adrenaline surge halfway through which wiped away any tiredness she had. She didn't know where it came from, but it really let that Vampire headmaster drill in those important rules about making sure people knew where you were at all times.

Upon the headmaster completing his speech, he asked the students any questions. Some had good questions, like when was it time to eat. Light got a kick out of this one, giggling a bit with the rest of the students. Or asking about a dress code, which Light knew she'd have problems following if they were far too strict, she loved her toon persona, even if it did make her look like a ballroom clown. Meanwhile others had a less nice question, as if they didn't want to be here at all. Light really didn't get those people, there was free food here, free lodging, and lots of nice classes to teach you stuff and all you had to do was sign up to be a hero later on down the line. It was a win win situation! Light herself took a bit of thinking before she said, waving her hand. "What about powers that are just... there? I'd think some of us have powers we can't really turn off."

---

Natalya eagerly stepped out of the black car before it even came to a complete stop. She was cautiously optimistic of this "Powerbound Academy" place. She'd heard of the Powerbound Alliance, and everything that the Metahumans have done. Freaks of nature would be a more accurate term. Why couldn't she just be a normal girl, with normal arms?

Despite her self consciousness, Natalya moved with a purpose. Sure, there would be several strangers who stopped and stared as she walked by, but who are they to judge her? It's not like she wanted any of this. Fortunately the Powerbound Academy had helped supply her with enough funds to purchase an outfit that wasn't torn up and stained to hell and back. Without her sweater, she felt naked. Everyone could see her for who, or what, she truly was. No more newspaper articles about "The Kraken" living underneath the bridge, now everyone could just see it for themselves. Her old ragged outfit would have caused even more stares and snickers from the peanut gallery. That life was gone now, though. She was a student of the Powerbound Academy.

One of her responsibilities as a student was to attend the student orientation, which was being held in the auditorium. Natalya strode through the halls of the mansion-like building, following the many signs that would keep even the most clueless people on track. She had found the entrance after only a short walk. In front of the entrance was a woman behind a desk.

"Pardon me, ma'am, could I have your name?" She said.

Natalya stepped closer to the desk and cleared her throat. "Natalya Ivanov," she responded, her voice full of confidence.

The woman scanned a sheet of paper for her name before looking up again and smiling. "Thank you. Welcome to the Powerbound Academy, Natalya." She motioned Natalya into the auditorium.

Instantly she was filled with a sense of claustrophobia. The room itself wasn't entirely small or compact, but the amount of people that suddenly surrounded her sent chills down her spine. She moved along the edges of the room to settle herself into the corner of the room. Soon enough the lights dimmed and the orientation started. The headmaster, Udina, introduced himself and made no attempt to hide his accent. This sent a ripple of stifled laughter throughout the auditorium, which he promptly commented on. Great. Not only do I have freak arms that everyone can make fun of, but an accent, too. Fortunately for Natalya, her accent wasn't nearly at the level of their headmaster's.

After introducing some of their staff, the headmaster went over the goals of the Academy, as if they weren't obvious enough already. "We're going to teach you to be good freaks instead of bad freaks because you can't just not be a freak." And onto the rules. "Don't do bad freak things, because we'll teach you what happens to bad freaks." Of course, he didn't actually say any of that, but it would have been much quicker. As the headmaster finished, he asked for students to ask any questions they might have had. One boy had asked about food, which earned a couple of chuckles from the students.

"Grandpa, when am I allowed to leave your pitiful excuse of college and get back to my old life ? I liked it better," asked a girl as she poorly imitated the headmaster.

Natalya was shocked at the sheer rudeness seemingly out of nowhere. It may not be the best situation, but that doesn't mean she had to be so aggressive about it. Natalya wasn't the only one to think this either, as another boy had voiced his own distaste for the girl's question. She searched for the source of the boy, eventually spotting the very casually-dressed man, with a pair of blindingly white sneakers. His comment forced a small smile onto Natalya's face, one that she couldn't help. While she wouldn't have voiced her distaste in quite the same way, she wholeheartedly agreed with him.

Another girl had brought up the point of powers that cannot be deactivated. Natalya turned her attention to the headmaster, as this question did quite obviously pertain to her.

---

It was three days after Jin buried his father and he didn't really feel like getting out of bed. But when the doorbell rang, he had to drag himself out of bed and meet the lawyer. He didn't look forward to hearing what the man had to say. As far as he knew, his father's heart attack had been so sudden that he wasn't able to draw up a will. So what did the lawyer needed to tell him?

He sighed, pulled on a rumpled shirt and jeans that he had draped over the chair the night before and then went out to open the door. His father's close friend and lawyer, a balding man in his late 50's looked at Jin sympathetically and patted the young man's shoulder as he passed him by. "Jin," he greeted.

Jin gave the man a half hearted nod and then led him to the living room. Jin gestured politely for him to sit. "I am so sorry for your loss, Jin. Ho was a good man. I will miss him everyday."

The man's kind words meant little for Jin. He had no family left and no where to go. How was he gonna live? How was he gonna support himself? As far as he knew, his family in Korea had long since forgotten about him when his family moved to the States. He mustered up a small smile. "Thank you, Mr. Hills," was all he can really say.

The lawyer nodded. "Now, shall we get down to business? I imagine you don't want to be stuck with an old man like me," he chuckled softly as he dug into his suitcase. He pulled out several papers, put on his reading glasses and read through what was apparently a will.

"...2 million dollars... house... car... bank account... Powerbound Academy... make it happen."

The words were jumbled up in Jin's mind. "Dad... left a will?"

The lawyer nodded, a gentle smile on his face. "Yes, he did. A week before he passed away. He clearly emphasized that all his assets should be transferred to you at the event of his passing. And that I may act as your guardian. Also, I can arrange for your attendance in Powerbound Academy. I understand that this was one of the discussion he had with you."

"I..."

"Tomorrow, the Academy will be holding the orientation for their new students. But there is no need to decide now. Even if you decide later on, I can arrange for a late enrollment."

---

The next day, a black sedan pulled into the driveway of Powerbound Academy. Jin stepped out wearing a black hangbok, soft black boots and an ornate mask covering his left eye. He looked like some dark prince from a period drama and it was probably that look that made people stop and stare.

As per the lawyer's instructions, he was told to proceed to the Auditorium when he arrived, conveniently providing him with a layout of the place. He headed towards it.

At the auditorium, a woman wearing a hijab situated by the door immediately asked for his name. "Park Seong Jin." The woman ran a pen down her list, her brows furrowed as she paged through the sheets of paper trying to find his name. She smiled when she found his name at the very bottom of the last page. "Ah, yes, the very last to enroll."

Once Jin affixed his signature, the woman gestured to the door. "You may proceed inside and find yourself a seat."

"Thank you," the masked young man mumbled before he entered the wide room. Jin's eyes swept around, making a quick assessment of the students present. Silently, he took a seat at the back.

It didn't take long for the doors to close and for the orientation to begin. The lights dimmed down and the stage lit up for the Headmaster's grand entrance. When he began speaking, several students giggled at both his voice and accent. He didn't find it amusing and he remained silent as he continued listening attentively to what the headmaster was saying. He looked at each of the staff as they were introduced one by one. These were the people who will be mentoring him during his stay in the Academy and he made an effort to take note of their names and their designations.

Jin remained awake and attentive as the Headmaster droned on. Several students began nodding off. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips as he saw the sleepy students jolted awake. His eyes drifted towards the Deputy Headmistress before they focused back on the Headmaster. The rest of what he said he didn't mind. Rules were made to be followed, guidelines were meant to guide and being in the Academy meant an education. He leaned back on his chair when the Headmaster asked for questions from the crowd of students. He had none and if ever he had any, he preferred to ask the Instructors face to face.

He remained silent as questions began being voiced out, some amusing, some rude and some he thought quite practical.

---

Organics had a strange way about them, that much was clear to Seven in its brief three months of operation time. Since its recovery in Chernobyl, and its subsequent activation by the scientists at the Powerbound Alliance, the synthetic found biological life to be...curious. Fascinating, really. Seven observed that each organic was a variable unto itself. From the mechanics that repaired its damaged and slightly irradiated chassis to the bureaucrats that decided to place the Synthetic among the metahuman youth at Powerbound Academy, each human bore an individuality that perplexed the Soviet relic.

So as it stepped out of the sleek, blue car which had ferried Seven from the landing strip to what would be its operational base for what be years to come, Seven found itself unwilling to move down the walkway which led to impressive entrance hall of the Academy. The unit would have plenty of opportunity to observe organics. Standing here now, however, seeing the excited faces and hearing joyous laughter ring through the air, Seven felt it necessary to record this moment. Simply for accurate record keeping, of course.

*whirrr-click* Data-file: 'Powerbound_Academy:_Day_1' created

"Feeling intimidated? It's all right, most people are their first day," a sweet voice chimed out to the A.I. from the car Seven had just exited.

Seven tilted its head, processing what the woman had just said. She had been with Seven since the unit landed in Oregon, ensuring that the synthetic made it to the school grounds safely.

"Apologies, but I am not equipped with the necessary adrenal glands or biological components to feel fear. I am also unsure of my status regarding 'personhood', but understand the confusion. My hardware intentionally appears human-like for purposes of unit cohesion and infiltration," Seven responded matter-of-factly, still facing towards the ornate doors that led from the Roundabout to the inner sanctum of the Academy.

The woman rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Someone is going to get you to loosen up one of these days, you know that don't you?" She walked casually from the driver's door to behind Seven, placing a hand on the machine's shoulder.

"That would be unwise. My efficiency is based in part upon my physical frame's functionality. Loose joints would hinder my capabilities in the field."

She was silent for a moment, unsure whether Seven had told a joke or was being its usual straight-edged self.

"We should proceed to the Auditorium, correct? Orientation begins within the hour," Seven gestured towards the school proper, beginning to shift its heavy frame towards those imposing doors which marked the entrance to the main hallway. Smiling despite herself, the woman nodded and followed after the strange synthetic.

Seven's head *whirred* on a constant swivel during the short walk from its liaison's car to the Main Hall. There where a few other would-be students loitering about the front of the Academy, some of them saying fond farewells to family members while others had already set about making friends early in the school year. The synthetic enjoyed catching these moments for his record, but more often found the subjects it was observing staring back at tit. Seven had drawn more than a few curious glances despite its meager attempts to disguise itself to appear more in line with its new peers. The brown and blue hoodie it had been provided did not appear to be a sufficient enough covering to hide the more mechanical aspects of its appearance. Seven's obvious recording of its surrounds probably did not aid attempts at subtlety, but the synthetic was fine with the curious looks the organics were giving it. It observed them, and in turn they observed it. A fair exchange of data as far as Seven was concerned.

Slowing to allow its liaison to take the lead, Seven ceased its erratic observations as the odd pair entered the Main Hall and headed towards the Auditorium. The synthetic realized that it would be important to process the headmaster's upcoming speech, as the orders contained within would most likely dictate the path of Seven's stay at Powerbound Academy. Seven allowed his liason to sign it in on the list of students, waved goodbye as it was instructed was customary in organic departures, and pushed onward into the crowd of young metahumans waiting for their headmaster's speech.

A man, one whose skin fell on the far-side of Seven's understood paleness-parameter for human pigmentation, took the center podium and introduced himself as Headmaster Udina. The man spoke at length about the staff and their duties, of which Seven took note to file each away in an individual profile, before moving onto the Academy's goals for their students and this year. The synthetic also ensured to encode these notes, rules, and goals into its data-streams. Headmaster Udina was the unit's superior, the top at its newly developed chain of command, and Seven weighed it as a boon to take Udina's orders into consideration.

As the Headmaster's speech drew to a close, the man motioned for any question from the student body. A number of potential queries burst into existence from Seven's processor, but the synthetic elected to keep quiet and observe. It figured that a unique opportunity displayed itself in this open forum, allowing certain organics to establish their voices and social ranking among their peers. Seven's primary directive while at Powerbound Academy was to learn about organics by observing them. It wished to observe how social order was established among the human's hormonal youth.

A male spoke out first, attempting what Seven recognized as humor. It worked to partial affect, eliciting the desired reaction from some of the crowd, while others made their displeasure known via body language. Upon further observation it did not appear the adolescent organic intended his query to be comedic, but rather as a genuine question of sustenance.

Another human male had a question to ask, but this one of a darker skin tone than the first. His apparel also differed drastically from the first, but the subtleties of the exact fashion escaped Seven's current knowledge of modern human society. Seven was also unsure about why this 'Dress Code' was important to the male. Did the clothes he chose to wear represent some sort religious or cultural significance that the male was unwilling to part with?

The next organic to speak out looked to be a young female. To Seven's observation, she seemed in a state of agitation, intentionally speaking to her superior in a mocking tone in what the synthetic calculated to be an attempt to reject the Headmaster's authority. Seven found itself perplexed by this action, as the organic unit had already agreed to enroll at this school. It wondered what the female's ultimate directive was by attacking the school's sense of unity, but was curious to see the Headmaster's response.

At the female's insult, Seven saw that the darker skinned male had also taken on an agitated state. Perhaps this was the female's meta-ability? A sort of psychic or pheromone based mood control? Seven swiveled its head to observe the other organics in the crowd, to see if they too had been affected by some sort of emotional manipulation. Seeing that response was mixed, Seven resolved that its initial hypothesis tested negative. This was simply a natural response to inciting unrest in the student body.

The darker skinned male's response to the female's question fascinated Seven. Within it, the male's statement contained both insult, comedy, and intent to rebuke the female's stance. Judging from the body language of the other students surrounding the male, this organic spoke the majority opinion of the crowd. It was strange to the synthetic, how quickly conflict sprung up among these students. Seven postulated that it had something to do with the young human's still developing brains and the imbalance of chemicals surging through their bodies.

A few more questions attempted to pierce the veil of tension that had risen between the dark-skinned male and the agitated female, but Seven had become rapt in observing this conflict. These first actions taken by students would be incredibly important in establish dominance, at least as far as was Seven's understanding. An understanding that Seven knew to be limited in scope. More data was required before the synthetic came to a conclusion about this oncoming social battleground.

Turning to a girl standing next to the A.I., a meta bearing appendages like a cephalopod, Seven *whirred* its vocal modulator to get her attention.

"I have a query," it began abruptly, electronically synthesized voice chirping out distinctly from the din of the crowd. "Why does that organic female wish to incite agitation from her superiors? What does that organic male exactly mean when he names her a 'bitch'?"

---

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---

Alexis was watching the crowd to see how will they answer her sheer rudeness and she was pleased. These so-called heroes, were all roused up and most of them were shaking their heads and were frowning. She sure made an impression on most of these idiots.
There is was only one problem with the outcome of her rudeness. Someone decided to rise up and tell her, that she's a "bitch". Alexis shook her head and looked at Quami.

"Now,now. I never called you a bitch, kiddo. I never called your mother one either, even if she was but...I'll give you...let's say. 5 seconds to apologize for those words before...those idiots there--" she pointed with a hand to the security guards "--will have to save your ass. I ain't in a good mood today but you're lucky. Too many, so called heroes, here to outright kill you, so I give you a choice. Apologize or I'll forget where we are. You've got 3 more seconds now. "

Alexis wanted to continue talking when something talked to her. Whatever that thing was, it asked a question that could be called idiotic...at best. The thing looked...well...robotic but that could be simply a costume. "Kids these days..." thought Alexis.

"Thingy. Why don't you let this organic deal with one idiot at a time ? This organic has no patience for idiots. "

---

While many expected Quami to rise from he seat, walk over to her, and confront the chick, he was more resigned to surveying the field before he truly retaliated. His grin grew wider as he placed both if his hands on the back of his head, simply observing for a few seconds. Her words replayed itself over and over in his mind, breaking it down and searching for the insult. Everything from the use of the word 'bitch', to the proper-noun that sat before it, and then the rest of the sentence. He then mulled over the possible consequences if he continued, if he continued to poke at her pride. If her words rang true, he could most likely be carried off the hospital with what power she posed, but that would result in a punishment for her unless 'grandpa' really came to the rescue, which would be unfortunate, but the most likely outcome was her getting in trouble, not him per say. So his odds of losing his admittance to Powerbound, or any other likely punishment, was pretty low.

So, Quami simply played the situation, either way, the most likely outcome was in his favor. Jokingly, he lifted his wristwatch up to his face, squinting at it before tapping the screen as if he were confused. "Radio in Spock! Could you find the insult in that last statement? No? Nothing! Thought so. Out." Quami sighed as he turned to address the girl, specifically, her threat. "Now, now girle, did I wound your pride? Or is that the female dog talking? Look, I could careless who your relative is, or what power you think you have over us, but I'm not gonna apologize cause you couldn't handle the truth." Quami mused. Each word the flew from his mouth was a spark, a spark in a pot of oil ready to light a blaze.

---

Of course the amusing question about food wasn't the final act of the day. Once the sudents laughter had subsided more questions started cropping up, all asked without being called upon. By this point she was bouncing on the balls of her feet with irritation. She just wanted them to shut up and move on. They'd adjust or find out eventually. Surely there would be a pamphlet, there was always some sort of pamphlet, that'd go back over everything the headmaster had just covered.

Then there it was, a voice that rang out sharply above the chatter. Causing Lyrah to choke down a chuckle as a mouthy young woman spoke up. It was nice to see that spmeone else was feeling particularly anxious to get past this but her flagrant disrespect caused a ripple in the energy as students whipped their heads back to stare slack jawed at the youth. While a spark of delight flushed across her skin Lyrah heard a male's voice speak up over the murmur of the crowd.

"Well shit, can you be anymore of a bitch?"

Oh, yes. She could feel the stupid grin pull across her face. The quick temper of humanity was always right there beneath the surface. All it ever needed was just a subtle spark , which by judging the aggressive way the youth held herself as she faced the dark skinned teen Lyrah could tell this girl was all about sparks.

"Now,now. I never called you a bitch, kiddo. I never called your mother one either, even if she was but...I'll give you...let's say. 5 seconds to apologize for those words before...those idiots there--" she pointed with a hand to the security guards "--will have to save your ass. I ain't in a good mood today but you're lucky. Too many, so called heroes, here to outright kill you, so I give you a choice. Apologize or I'll forget where we are. You've got 3 more seconds now. "

Once the mini tirade ceased to pour from her lips, Lyrah's own interest had begun to wane. Was that is? All this seemingly spit-fired woman had to offer? 'Apologize or die'? She couldn't quite hide the disappointment that graced her features. She wanted a show down between supers. She wanted to see what these special children could do but instead the girl was nothing more than a bag of hot wind, trying to declare herself as some supreme on the first day and ultimately holding them up.

Her eyes flickered over to the boy. It was clear he was taking in the threat with a calm and clear head though Lyrah could spot a bit of amusement etched into the fine lines of his face. Not a moment later did he clear the air with a pointed joke before turning and starting into the woman with a collected coolness. As each word slipped past his lips there was a heat that had begun to build, his dialect was edged with tones as sharp as razors and Lyrah could feel the tension grow thick. He was challenging the girl. Goading her. But behind her she could feel the staff begin to rouse. There would be no show down as the administrators would quickly nip the two quarrelsome teens drama in the bud but there was a promise for later and later was all Lyrah needed.

"Oh, shut up."

She spoke up suddenly, taking a few steps towards the pair leveling them both with a steely gaze before turning to focus on the girl.

"Heads up, princess, all you're managing to do is hold up this whole-" her hands gestured widely around her before returning to their folded state, " irksome ordeal. So, as the gentleman so elegantly stated, no one gives two flying fucks about your feelings or that watery attempt at a threat. So how about you button that sweet mouth and take a seat." There was ice in her words and a smile on her lips. Lyrah rarely spoke up but she didn't want this anger to quell; she wanted it to simmer.

---

Once the headmaster was finished with his speech, he listened for any questions that the students may have. One spoke up, asking about when the students would get to eat. While somewhat humorous, it was a very fair question. The Headmaster understood that the students had come long and far to get here, and they haven't gotten the chance to replenish themselves. "I'm glad you mentioned that." The Headmaster said with a soft smile, pointing towards Ezra. "After orientation in here, as well as in the gymnasium, we will have lunch in the cafeteria." He explained. "We will be serving pizza, salad, pasta and sandwiches. Chips too." The Headmaster nodded to the students, the chuckles dying down before he moved on to the next question.

At the question of a dress code, the headmaster nodded. "The dress code is not incredibly restrictive, but please wear at least a full set of clothes, and nothing obscene or offensive. I hope that answers your question." Cyprian nodded with a smile to Quami, before looking to Light. Light had a question regarding powers that they had no control over, such as conditions that aren't triggered upon will. "Good question!" He smiled, nodding to Light. "I'm glad you asked that. As for powers one cannot control, such as a state of being, it's obvious. They are allowed, but if you use them to hurt someone or cause trouble, you will still get in trouble for it." Cyprian explained. "The restrictions on voluntary powers are only to prevent accidents or..." He spoke with airquotes. "...'accidents.'" He said, nodding. "Good questions, good questions..."

Meanwhile, on the side of the auditorium, the staff kept an eye on the students, making sure things went by smoothly. Deputy Headmistress Farida Ayanov stood closest to the auditorium, while Mister Manuelo Castellanos stood closest to the exit, which was to the back and right of the auditorium, leading outside to the back area of the building. Standing in between them was Constance, Sajaa, Hakam and Tatiana, who all stood there, looking among the students while the questions were asked and answered. They continued to survey the students, before Hakam brought up an important question.

"Sajaa? Sweetheart? Do you have the highlighted watchlist?" Hakam asked quietly to his wife, who stood right beside him.

Sajaa looked up to her husband before nodding. "Oh, yes." She having held a clipboard in her hand for the majority of the orientation, she pulled it up and turned over a few pages. "Here we are." She said, bringing up the list of students who were supposed to show up for orientation, with some names highlighted. "Here are the names of everyone in this auditorium, as well as their abilities. Udina highlighted all of the ones we should keep a close eye on in pink."

Hakam gently took the clipboard from Sajaa before looking at it himself. "Light and Seven seem to be on the caution side of things..." Hakam said softly, looking to the others, who were listening intently. "...but Lyrah is a mental power advisory, and so is Chris, so keep an eye on your emotions and your thoughts. They might use them against you to get what they want. I hate those types." He continued to look through the list. "Hm... there's one highlighted in blue... Alexis." He looked to Tatiana. "She's a felon on an Academy Transfer Deal. Tatiana, you're supposed to be her security detail."

Tatiana looked to him for a second with a somewhat confused expression on her face before it clicked in her mind, to which she gave a fearful sigh. "Shit." She groaned. "Totally forgot about that part in the briefing. Any idea of where she's at?"

It was then Alexis spoke up. Headmaster Udina listened to her clear disrespect for him, and her clear disdain for the place, asking when she could leave while simultaneously trying to mock him. Headmaster Udina simply smiled. "You will get to leave the Powerbound Academy as soon as you have completed all of your classes and electives. How long you stay in this school is entirely voluntary, and varies from student to student. It all depends on what you want to learn, and what you need to learn. While most students here would take four to eight years, ten or twelve if they really apply themselves, you on the other hand won't be leaving until you come up with something better than that." Udina grinned. "And judging by your remarks, I'd give you... say, fifty years? I don't know." Udina said with his smile, his implications quite clear. Most of the students understood those implications, and 'ooooohhh'd at that statement.

Tatiana rolled her eyes, spotting Alexis from the crowd. "Figures, fucking pendejo." She sighed. "I'll be right back. Won't be surprised if she ends up killing me on the spot..." She said to the others. As she was walking towards where Alexis was at, the others watched as some of the students exchanged words, but ones that weren't quite so friendly. Quami stood up to her, and Alexis stung right back. The two exchanged a brief flurry of words before Lyrah ended up joining the mix. Soon enough, Tatiana arrived on scene, looking in between the three of them. "Hey, hey, cálmese... can you guys please quiet down?" Tatiana asked politely. "While what she did was incredibly rude, and while we do appreciate you for calling her out on it, it's kind of interrupting the orientation and breaking the flow of things. So please, sit down. I can take it from here." Tatiana said calmly, hands on her hips. All in the while, the Deputy Headmistress was continuing to work her magic, using her powers of manipulating energy to bring a calming effect to most of the students, either easing the energy in their nerves, or easing the energy from adrenaline. Either way, the situation was (supposed to be) quelled, and the Headmaster continued on with questions from the students.

Once Lyrah and Quami sat down, Tatiana looked to Alexis, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey hot stuff. It just so happens that this 'idiot' did a little research on ya. Heard about your deal with the FBI." She whispered with a soft smirk. "And as a result, you're stuck with us as long as we see fit, so I would spare your breath and bluster if I were you." Tatiana explained. "I'm Tatiana by the way, I'll be your security detail from here on out. Just give me a reason to show the rest of the students what they'll be dealing with, I'd happy to showcase the effects of a ten-million volt power-neutralizing taser." She teased. "And the best part? Well, we don't have a problem throwing your stupid ass in prison if you fuck up. And the prison? Well, it's the STC holding facility that the Headmaster mentioned, and those things are deep within the mountains of multiple classified locations, and you live in a cell that neutralizes your powers. Heavily guarded. No escape. Life sentence." Tatiana explained. "So, I'd suggest you think before you fuck up again. Sound cool?"

After everything has settled down, the Headmaster continued to answer questions from the students. While some of the questions were quite trivial, such as where the bathrooms were at, when the tour would start, and whether dogs would be allowed on campus or not (one needs to go get written permission to have one on campus), there were some questions that would've caught the attention of other students.

"Are there any clubs or organizations in this academy?" One student asked.

"Oh yes, there are plenty of clubs and organizations in this academy." The Headmaster said, nearly butchering a few words with his heavy unplaceable accent. "We have the Yearbook Club, Chess Club, Gamer's Guild, Parkour Club, Student Council, as well as the Football and Soccer Leagues." He explained. "One could form a smaller club if one wishes, though one would have to seek a little supervision from one of our teachers before forming it." He turned to another student. "Yes?"

"Who's the STC?"

"The STC, or, uh... Special Tasks Alliance, is a branch of the Powerbound Alliance that is a little more military than the other divisions, such as the Heroes Without Capes or the Powerbound Alliance itself. Not to worry, the STC people that are here with us today are here to help, and are here to keep you all safe."

"Or in your case, makes sure that pendejos like you don't step out of line." Tatiana said quietly to Alexis.

"Now, are there any more questions?" If there were no more questions, Udina would've continued on. Otherwise he would've answered them all before continuing. "Alright! Well, it's a pleasure meeting you all here, and I wish you all a great school year! Remember, speak to me or anyone else if you have questions or problems!" He then gestured to Constance, who stood at the double-doored exit. "Front rows, line up in front of Missus McDowell." After the students in the front row left their seats and lined up, he then allowed the students in the back rows, and then the middle rows to line up as well. "Missus McDowell will show you your way to the Gymnasium, where you will all demonstrate your powers. I hope you all enjoy your stay!" And with that, the Headmaster left the stage, walking up to the rest of the staff before speaking to them.

Once Alexis got up and left, Tatiana followed close behind. "I have a feeling you and I are gonna get along just fine. Just know your place here, and soon enough, we might actually tolerate your very existence." Tatiana winked at Alexis before following her to the line.

---

"I have a query: Why does that organic female wish to incite agitation from her superiors? What does that organic male exactly mean when he names her a 'bitch'?"

Natalya turned to face the voice directed at her. It's electronic origin nearly through her off, but then she realized where she was. It was simply another freakish non-human thing. Despite the significant height advantage that the android had, she felt incredibly relaxed in his... or its... presence. Perhaps she felt like the droid simply wasn't capable of judging her based on her mutilated body. Natalya couldn't help but let out a little giggle at his overly formal question. Before Natalya had a chance to respond to the android, the "bitch" in question decided to pipe up once more.

"Thingy. Why don't you let this organic deal with one idiot at a time ? This organic has no patience for idiots, " she said.

At this point, she seemed to have agitated many others in the crowd. Another girl had stepped into the fray and voiced her opinion, again siding with the majority.

"Poor girl; I think she just wanted to make friends. Doesn't look like it's working out so well, does it?" For the first time since she had arrived, she made her voice heard by more than just the lady at the front. Natalya tried to hold in her accent, but it somehow managed to slip out. It was probably for the best; her American accent was awful.

With the situation now diffused and the headmaster back on track, he finished answering any lingering questions. He told the students about the available clubs and what exactly the "STC" was. With the first part of their orientation concluded, the students were instructed to follow one of the professors outside to the gym, where they would show off whatever they could do.

"Well, looks like it's time to show the world just how weird we really are! Sounds like a blast. Would you care to join me... Robot guy? I'm sorry, but I don't know your name. You can call me 'Octopus lady' if you want. Or, 'The Kraken'. That's what the scared little children called me when they found me curled up under the bridge." Natalya forced a smile at the half-assed joke. Sure, she was called "The Kraken" several times, but more often than not it was by the newspapers speculating about the disturbance underneath the bridge. She had never actually scared any children. Well, never scared any children intentionally.

---

The way things were going, a possible fight could ensue. Jin, however, wasn't worried. If it comes down to it, he was sure that the staff was more than ready and more than capable of neutralizing it. His eyes fell on the angsty female who had started the commotion. Her face was well hidden and it didn't seem like she'd be making friends anytime soon. Perhaps there was more to her than what she's letting everyone see. She'll prove to be a handful if he ever crossed paths with her. He looked at the people who had reacted one by one. A brown skinned tall boy, a small freckled girl and a robotic humanoid. They would all be interesting to encounter.

His eyes fell on the Deputy Headmistress again, sure that she was casting some sort of calming effect on the student body. It was evident with how he was feeling calmer than he usually did. He supposed it was one of the reasons why the place didn't erupt in fighting. He looked towards the Headmaster as he continued his speech.

When told to follow an Instructor to the gym, Jin stood up and did as he was told as silently as he had entered the auditorium. He caught up with two fellow students, a girl and the robot humanoid. He caught the girl's sentence midway. "You can call me 'Octopus lady' if you want. Or, 'The Kraken'. That's what the scared little children called me when they found me curled up under the bridge." He studied both for a few seconds before he decided to make an effort to interact.

Not really knowing how to start interacting with them, he settled on a single word of greeting. "Hey."

---

Boy things got heated fast! And as fast as they got heated, they died down with the headmaster diffusing the situation. Missy bad mouth with her rude and haughty words was being ascended upon by a few students, while insulting... A giant robot? Well 7 feet wasn't that giant, but Light was a bit shocked she didn't notice something so cool! She figured he must have came in after her. What was even cooler, it wasn't even a suit from the looks of it, but an actual robot! Ignoring the commotion that missy foul mouth (Alexis) had caused and was dealing with, Light made her way over to Mr. Robot (Seven) with an expressive wave and smile. "Hello! Your a robot? Thats so cool!" she said, looking at his shininess with a beaming smile. Light's smile fell off her face though once she saw the tentacle armed girl on the opposite side of the robot. Seeing her, Light lept back a bit. (Light has had lots and lots of experiences with tentacles, most bad.)

Snapping out of her startled demenour after looking at the girl who called herself Kraken (Light vaguely overhearing someone mention that, and well, this girl had tentacles like a kraken.), Light tentatively held out her gloved hand to the girl and said. "Uh, Kraken did you say? My name is Light." Thinking of something to put herself at ease, she blurted out. "I hope those tentacles of yours don't have minds of their own. I've seen some very curious ones before..." Having a difficult time to look Kraken in the eye but trying her best, she focused on the robot guy. She was curious as to the name of the robot guy, and she couldn't help but think of that one smoking beer drinking robot from that one cartoon when looking at him even though they looked nothing alike. The name of the robot from the cartoon escaped her but she remembered him being very funny.

She was snapped out of her remembrance by another student sneaking up on her and the rest of the group with a casual "Hey". And unlike the trio, he looked fairly normal. Though seeing how he was a guy, Light wondered if it was her cartoony charm that brought him over. She did know that some people like those existed. (The reason Light was thinking like this was due to Kraken's tentacles putting some unsettling images in her head.) She shook her head soon after and laughed a bit to herself as that probably wasn't it as there was a super cool robot guy right in front of him. Light gave the new guy a hearty "Hello!" as she moved a bit to let him into the group. The more people the merrier! And who knows? Light figured that she'd be able to make at least one friend with these people, they didn't look mean or rude unlike that other lady from earlier. Heck, she'd even try to put her skittishness around tentacles aside if Kraken wanted to be her friend.

---

Seven stood with a mechanical patience as it waited for the woman's response. She giggled, a peculiar sound akin to bells in the wind, and, not know the proper protocol in this circumstance, Seven mimicked her response and her body language. The Synthetic's laugh was an odd combination of *whirrs* and *beeps*, but the A.I. hoped it would allow for further social cohesion between the two. From Seven's brief observations, there were very few of Powerbound Academy's students that deviated as far from the organic norm as it and this female did.

Seven had its metal body and mechanical mind, but this woman had traits that perhaps separated her even further from the student body than the synthetic soldier. Her arms, large, spiraling masses of purple flesh, Seven made sure to make note of this human's unique meta-attribute. This organic, despite bearing the majority of qualities that would indicate her belonging to the species homo sapien, bore certain characteristics of an aquatic nature. Seven's processors were cycling through the potential applications having such appendages would yield, and would have have asked at length if not for the return of a certain, agitated female's voice; cutting through its data streams like a knife through flesh.

"Thingy. Why don't you let this organic deal with one idiot at a time? This organic has no patience for idiots."

Seven was...unsure of the unpleasant female's response. It had directed no speech towards her, and, as it was to the robot's understanding of human conversational norms, had merited no reply. Seven wondered if she was attempting to elicit an emotional response from the unit. If so, the organic had a severe lack of understanding regarding the A.I.'s current capabilities regarding simulation of biological responses. Perhaps this was the reason the female wished to incite anger against educators? She lacked an education, and as such decided it was the educators fault for her failings?

Regardless, Seven's original hypothesis regarding humans had gathered further evidence for its claim: organics indeed had a strange way about them.

"Poor girl; I think she just wanted to make friends. Doesn't look like it's working out so well, does it?"

Seven registered the cephalopod female's words, but something about her voice felt familiar to the Artificial Intelligence. Some half-formed file from the android's memory banks rose to the surface, reminding it of time long past. It responded immediately, but in a language it hadn't voiced in over forty years.

"<I am in agreement, her tactics for gathering allies are flawed.>" Seven replied, it characteristic electronic tone sounding strange tinged with Russian. The unit was unsure if the woman next to him even understood the foreign tongue, but a small, hidden part of Seven hoped that someone else could relate to being far from their origin of manufacturing.

The synthetic turned its attention back to the headmaster, the staff having diffused the situation with the troublemaker. Seven made notes regarding Udina's responses to questions, updated its files regarding the schools rules and their following consequences, and considered which of the on-campus clubs would be an asset to its integration in organic society. With the orientation concluded, Seven turned back to its aquatic acquaintance as she spoke to the synthetic.

"Well, looks like it's time to show the world just how weird we really are! Sounds like a blast. Would you care to join me... Robot guy? I'm sorry, but I don't know your name. You can call me 'Octopus lady' if you want. Or, 'The Kraken'. That's what the scared little children called me when they found me curled up under the bridge."

Seven's optics narrowed in confusion as it processed 'The Kraken's words, then opened wide with recognition. Realizing her statement was intended to be taken as a joke, and the android acknowledged that fact with its mechanical laughter.

"That was a joke, yes?" Seven asked hopefully, wishing that it better understood the social aspect of organic interaction. "I was never assigned a 'name' by my manufacturers, but the engineers who recovered me often refered to me as 'Sev', 'Seven', or 'Soldier Seven' depending on if there was a Powerbound Official nearby. Will that satisfy?" Seven paused for a moment, head lowering as it connected to the internet via its internal cellphone and searched for the commonality of the name 'Kraken'. Upon the results of its search, Seven raised its head again towards 'The Kraken'.

"<Is 'The Kraken' your true designation? Or are you unwilling to divulge that information due to the relative newness of our relations?>" The android asked cautiously, using their common language in order to ensure the privacy of their conversation. Seven would wait until she responded before addressing anyone else.

"Hello! You're a robot? That's so cool!"

Seven's head snapped up towards the sound that broke their conversation. Mimicking the new female's excited wave, the Artificial Intelligence studied this stranger with curiosity. Her form was unlike that of other organics, seeming foreign, almost animated in comparison with the rest of the crowd. Interaction with her would require further study, but something about this woman set Seven's processors spinning.

"I am indeed a synthetic, and my designation is Seven. However, you are mistaken in your other claim. My chassis is currently room temperature, not 'cool' or 'cold' in any degree. I actually suffer from an overheating issue at times, but I am currently researching methods of repairing that error." Seven replied flatly, still unsure of this newcomer. The further the robot analyzed the creature, the closer it came to the conclusion that something was amiss about her existence.

"Hey."

A simple word turned Seven's head in the direction of a second newcomer. The synthetic wondered why these organics chose now to interact with it, instead of prior times? Perhaps the fact that the number of units obviously interacting with interacting encouraged others to engage in social activity? A type of collective behavior? Regardless, Seven put his questions aside, turning to the second stranger and shifting its body language in an attempts to match his.

"Greetings. The designation I have been assigned is 'Seven', what is yours? It appears we are forming a squadron before moving to the gymnasium, is it your intent to join?" Seven asked, curiosity infecting its synthesized voice. It had not been operational long, but from what Seven had on file from its combat training, there was a certain strength in numbers. Thus, there was a logic to gathering allies quickly before the school year started. It looked over this new stranger, wondering if his functionality would be an asset to the android's own growth, and noticed the ornate metal object latched to his face. "I have a second query: is that metal object on your face synthetic in origin? I have not seen many many mechanically augmented humans in my operation time."

The crowd around them began to thin as more and more students began to filter into the gym. There were a few others remaining in the auditorium for a minute, apparently doing the same thing that Seven and its new acquaintances were as well. The synthetic looked at the motley crew of metas that had gathered into their rapidly forming group, and decided that this unit would worth incorporating itself into. These organics were far more interesting than any it had encountered yet, and the A.I. was slowly allowing preferences to them. Turning back to the metas around it, Seven *whirred* its vocal modulators in order to gain their attention.

"This unit seems cohesive, but it would prove beneficial for all if we better understood each other's functionalities and directives. Should we relocate to the gymnasium, and, as was stated, 'show how weird we are' to our fellow students?" Seven offered, attempting to move the group so it could gather more information on these organics. Data-collecting was a long process, and out of the organics the synthetic had seen, this group seemed far better to spend its time with, unlike irregularities like the agitated female.