Oh, it's time for an introduction! Hey there, welcome to Academy 003, a version of an RP that I've run several times before. If you were aware of me from early twenty-fifteen and beyond, you probably would have heard of the Academy 218 series of RPs I ran. They all died from either a lack of interest, or me getting bored and moving onto other things (it happens more often than you think). This (hopefully) won't end that way, but it'll be a fulfilling experience for everyone.

Basically, the setting is a world where people are enhanced by crystals that emit a strange energy and have been granted superhuman abilities, being dubbed "Metahumans." These Metahumans have been exposed to the world at a very early age, and have been quite integrated into the minds of the world as their acts, whether good or bad, often pop up on the news. There are mixed thoughts on Metahumans, some hate them, some love them, and others are on the fence. But, the problem is that, following an incident known only as the Verthaven disaster, they are on the rise, and people are afraid.

However, from the first sighting of Metahumans, there was a government funded program in place to help integrate youths into society, along with improving public opinion. Known as the Academy Program, there are thirty-two Academies across North America. The story of this roleplay, as you most likely have already gathered, is Academy 003, and the Freshmen class which will be referred to as "Year 1." These students will go through many trials and tribulations as a whole, as they develop, and improve themselves as people.

If Superpowers/Superheros/Whatever aren't your fancy, then I suggest just closing the tab and going about your day. If it is, I promise to provide an interesting experience. A deep and complex tale of students, with a very rich and well-developed lore. Above all else; this won't be a standard superhero romp, but a character-centric look at how Superpowers and whatnot would function in real life. No capes, no gimmicks. The RP will be character driven, and somewhat sandbox-y. I will be providing a storyline, but I'll be giving people free reign on how their characters act within the storyline.

The theme of this story is, essentially, Change.

Metahumans (sometimes called Deltahumans) are humans that were exposed to the Delta-Point Energy, or a Delta-Crystal, and had undergone a Manifestation Event. These Metahumans have gained abilities that defy the laws of nature, men with super strength, children that can control, and women that can teleport are the tip of the iceberg. This manifestation event only occurs after a human being has developed a sufficient amount of Delta-Point energy within their body. The rate which this energy develops depends on how much a person is exposed to (Codenamed their Exposure Event) and if a person touches a crystal for a prolonged amount of time their energy will develop at a much faster rate than somebody who was briefly exposed. In a lot of cases, exposure to this energy will not cause a manifestation to occur, but 15% of humans who are exposed manifest and become Metahumans. It's unknown what causes a person to manifest as anyone of any sex, of any gender, is capable of manifesting, it's widely believed to be just chance. After many of them were covered, destroyed, or drained of all of their energy, it's fairly difficult to get exposed to the crystals and most are exposed to it by other Metahumans. There are two ways to manifest: Naturally, or Under High-Stress situations. If manifesting naturally, it can take over years for a Metahuman to manifest their powers. There seems to be a correlation between high-stress situations and the rapid growth of powers as many Metahumans who manifested.

Upon manifesting the Delta-Point Energy will completely flow within a person's being from their skin, all the way to their bones. It is normally invisible to the regular human eye, but when a Metahuman is straining themselves or using their power a great deal, their energy will show. When a Metahuman uses their power on the outside world, a small amount of the meta-human energy gets projected and focused in that area. Such as a Water-Elemental controlling a cup of water will get some of the energy projected into it, allowing them to manipulate the water inside of it until they cease to control and the energy returns to their body. However, this still leaves the energy in the area and can possibly cause others to manifest, this is very rare, though.

There are four types of Delta-Crystals/Delta-Point Energy that exist in the world: Type-Yellow (for those that have developed physical powers), Type-Red (for those who have gained an ability that pertains to manipulating the environment), Type-Blue (For those who have manifested a mental ability of some kind), Type-Green (for those who can alter the properties of other powers), and Type-White (those that have powers that don't fit the other categories). Depending on what kind of energy somebody is exposed to will dictate which type of power a Metahuman will develop. From either gaining the ability to manipulate the earth when exposed to red energy, read minds with Blue energy and so on. However, it's possible for these categories to blend together as it's also possible to get exposed to multiple different types of energy and will end up with a power that spans multiple categories. This is a rare type of Metahuman but these kinds of Metahumans are known as Type-Chromatic.

There is such a thing as powers being hereditary, but it is very rare within the Metahuman communities. When Metahumans have children, that child has a 95% higher chance to manifest an ability than anybody else. This is because, when a child is in the womb, the child is bathed with the energy and will grow and develop a similar power to their parents. However, the child will always take after the mother power-wise as they will be exposed to maternal energy more than paternal energy. This is why, if only one parent is a Metahuman, it's far more likely that the child will manifest if the mother possesses the powers. Even if the power is hereditary, the power will be different in certain ways, as nobody has the same one power. If the parents of a Metahuman are different types, there is a higher chance that the child will end up being a Type-Chromatic. Metahumans have a very particular effect attached to them: the Black Fall Effect. This has two main effects on the Metahuman population: firstly, all Meta-humans are subconsciously attracted to each other whether they want to or not. So subtly that it's next to impossible to even notice. It causes the shyest people to head out and interact or draws Metahuman to one location. The more Meta-humans that are around, the more intense this "flocking" effect will get.

Metahumans have an interesting relationship with the Delta-Crystals, as when in contact with a Delta-Crystal, a Metahuman receives a boost to their power as long as they remain in contact. This boost depends on which type of crystal a Metahuman is holding - as if they are a Type-Red holding a Type-Yellow, it'd be an incredibly minor boost to their ability. However, if the crystals are compatible, it'd be an insane upgrade to their powers. With one Metahuman being capable of doing city-changing feats while in contact with a crystal. Though, it will be an insane strain on the Metahuman and will increase their risk for ashing.

However, while powers are truly incredible, they come at a price, powers have a toll on the body and mind. Excessive and unrestrained use would cause what could be described as physical overexertion, and the Metahuman body gets strained from overuse. Pushing powers beyond their limits in high-stress situations cause even worse problems, and at it's most extreme, it may cause an effect known as "Ashing". This is basically an extremely deadly ailment where a Meta-human self-destructs, and their powers shut off, and all their cells will die at an alarmingly fast rate. Their cells will literally drop off their body like specs of ash, and this process will continue until there is absolutely nothing left of a Meta-human. This state is extremely deadly, and there's a mere 4% chance of survival - Even if an ashing victim does survive, there are some permanent physical damage (Amputation, Brain damage, loss of powers, etc, etc - Are a few to note) so it's considered a fate worse than death. Ashing is what Meta-humans truly fear, as any meta-human can ash if they are not careful.

It's possible for regular humans to ash if exposed to large amounts of Delta-Point Energy, and they are among the few that don't or can't manifest a power. This will largely occur if a person is in prolonged contact with the Delta-Point energy as it would take a large amount of energy for this to be possible. However, this can occur with the smallest amount of Delta-Point energy, and anyone who's not capable of manifesting can die from ashing.

Through the study of the crystals and the Delta-Point energy, there has been technology developed from them. They were noted to be a very potent energy source, and the energy can be harnessed in different ways. Most notably, by studying the energy, many organizations have created devices that can detect the energy within people and the crystals in the wild. Of course, these devices are considered to be a huge violation of privacy and are rarely employed. Then there are the simple Suppressant-Collars which are metal devices made to be wrapped around somebody's next that completely disables the usage of activation powers - for those whose powers are permanent changes, they have no effect on them. On the more insidious side, the mad scientists of the world have figured out means to give people powers: Serums. These serums are full of a glowing green liquid that infuses a person's body with the Metahuman energy and after the process is complete, they'll gain a superpower that corresponds with the color of the energy. These serums are usually sold to the highest bidder but are only capable of being purchased by those with a hefty chunk of change, but some people are just given the serums. It's unknown where these serums are coming from, or who are making them, but authorities are doing their best to find out.

In the summers of 1963, there was a sudden and abrupt meteor shower that wrought havoc over the skies of Earth, spreading bizarre crystals across the world wherever their debris made landfall. These crystals were infused with a strange radiation that would "infect" living beings that either came in contact with the crystals themselves or were in proximity and got infected with the crystal's energy. This gave rise to the "First Generation" of Metahumans as the first of few individuals with such abilities found their place in the world. While this first generation proved to be relative unknowns, rumors or bogeymen to all but a handful of informed figures, their presence in the world would gradually increase over the coming decades, eventually causing mass hysteria as rumors were proven true and sightings impossible to cover up. By the 1980s, this had led to waves of rioting, protests and even mass displays of religious fervor as the public digested the knowledge of their existence in various ways. Eventually, the governments of the world attempted to manage their Metahuman populations through regulation and incorporation into newly established government agencies, but even so great unrest had and still continues to persist even to the modern day. This manifestation of Metahumans would eventually be known as the Delta-Point Event and many theorize that it has happened before, and could happen again. After the Delta-Point Event, almost all the crystals were taken into government custody, but a few remained at large and it is theorized that they're growing in number.

Academy 003 is located in a forested area situated on the outskirts of a city called Charity City. Technically within the city bounds even though the Academy is situated on the very edge of the city grounds. It's surrounded by woodlands, and fields as far as the eye can see, only broken up by the sole road connecting the Academy to the outside world. The first thing people see about the Academy is the tall brick wall, and the large metal gates - and of course the sign saying Academy 003. These walls are to keep intruders, and unwanted guests, from getting into the confines of the Academy.

Academy 003's campus is a beautiful sight and is a collection of different buildings, rather than one large building. Each of these buildings serves a different purpose, and are all within walking distance of each other. Connected by stone pathways that lead to different ends of the school. Because of the Academy's reputation, it has some of the best funding out of the entire Academy Program. Academy 003 is equipped of state-of-the-art facilities, and technology, as it is regarded as the second-best Academy in the program (Second to Academy 002, of course). It's one of the largest Academies, that are attended by thousands of different people each year, and has one of the best staffs. Thus, it has one of the strictest admissions. Academy 003 is guarded and monitored by a small FAMA office, and the FAMA team that backs them up.

Despite the Academy having strict admissions, the older students are almost constantly cycled out for fresh students. Academy 003 mainly aims for students that have done something to stand out from the others, have potential in their eyes, or come from a troubled background. However, Academy 003 is known for using a "lottery" assisted by the FAMA program where a young Metahuman is selected for Academy 003. It's difficult for someone to apply to the Academy for these reasons, but not impossible by any definition.

The students, in particular, are divided up into different classes (First Year, Second Year, Third Year, and Fourth Year). As the Academy Program is a four-year program, these classes are essentially a way to separate students by year. Year 1 being first-year students, and year 4 being last year students. The different classes have little to no interaction with each other, as each of the classes is expected to be on different levels than each other. At the end of each semester, Year 4 graduates, and the preceding classes move up to the next letter. Fresh students are constantly brought in, and in the event that there is a shortage, applications are opened.

Academy 003 is known for its "Academy Games" events that are done once a year. It's a massive event in which the students from all classes have an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents in various competitions decided by the staff. The Academy Games is usually done towards the end of the semester to showcase how the students have advanced power-wise. Each of the students are separated by which class they are in, and none of them compete against each other. It starts with a preliminary elimination round and those who survive to move up to the main events. Whoever wins the Academy Games (I.E reaches the top three) receives a huge great boost in grading, and will be in the Entrance Hall's Hall of Fame.