8:00 AM - Mon. November 29th, 2038 - Margaret Carter Institute
After the entire mess with Arcade, our intrepid heroes had a much deserved break - a break that went better for some than for others. But no matter the reason, the students of the Margaret Carter Institute returned to Los Angeles before the first bell on the Monday after Thanksgiving break. While most students went off to attend their various classes, such as advanced physics or spaceship piloting lessons or beginner Kree, the qualifying teams for the Contest of Champions were asked to report to Headmaster Coulson's office instead (minus the Young Avengers).
... For somewhat obvious reasons, of course. Of the four teams, one of them no longer had a coach, and was also down a member with Arcade's arrest. Three of the teams were potentially traumatized as well, with only the Young Avengers unaffected by the entire mess for the most part. It wasn't even guaranteed that everyone on the three affected teams would still want to participate in the Contest, after what had happened with the Framework.
One by one, students would file into Coulson's office. There wasn't really enough room for everyone to sit down - Coulson was at his desk chair, Ser Nemo and Lady Nimue at his side, and there were three chairs pulled out in front of the desk for students to use. Gideon Muir immediately flopped into one - she was wearing sunglasses, despite being indoors. ("I have a light sensitivity, assholes," she had grouched the last time someone asked her about it.)
@Forsythe: Vicky would receive a text from Cassie that morning, asking if she would be free to talk after classes that day.
These tricks/treats go into effect when your character returns from Thanksgiving break
Leah - Treat - While everyone else had a parent or guardian that could be contacted, there was no one there to speak for Leah - something that the school, shockingly enough, hadn't even realized. In order to both tie up the legal loose end and ensure the safety of a young child, She-Hulk stepped up and filed the documentation necessary, with Leah's okay, to become her legal guardian. Leah has now been given access to She-Hulk's Los Angeles apartment, where a room has been set up for her, as well as a card giving her access to the West Coast Avengers' mansion. Jen has also gotten a trust fund set up for Leah, where she will now be making regular deposits - being an Avenger doesn't pay well, but being a lawyer as well certainly doesn't hurt.
Mary Sue - Trick - Mary Sue headed back to Cardiff over break, most likely hoping for something relaxing and uneventful. Instead, her grandfather sent his heralds to retrieve her father. The resulting fight was intense and bloody, Oliver ended up in the hospital in critical condition, and a scar across Mary Sue's left eye that rendered her partially blind. Her mother lost an arm, which will soon be replaced with a prosthetic. At least they won the battle. But Thanos is still out there, lurking.
Andy - Trick - Over Thanksgiving break, Andy will have had a hard time sleeping, bouts of insomnia that no medicine or magic seems to be able to dispel. The day before she is due to return to the Margaret Carter Institute, she'll finally get some much needed rest. However, when she wakes up, she finds herself in an abandoned building, a desiccated corpse at her feet, and wounds on her arms - as if someone had tried to fight her off.
Mads - Treat - Over the break, Mads went through a bit of a growth spurt! Her more demonic features came in and settled. She now has fanged teeth, a forked tongue, horns, a tail, and wings like those of a bat. With these wings, she now has the innate ability of flight. Her teeth are able to destroy most materials, save things like vibranium. Her tail is prehensile, so can be used to grab other objects and manipulate them. And her more monstrous form will give her advantage on intimidation checks.
Sabine - Treat - During the break, Sabine was plagued with strange, almost lucid dreams. In these dreams, she watched her mother as a young woman, striding confidently down the halls of a castle on the moon, a sword strapped to her side. She stood a few paces behind a tall man, with dark hair and a dramatic cloak, a crown on his head that indicated his station. Her mother seemed to be his bodyguard, following him wherever he went - from the scene of courtroom dramas to ghastly murders. No matter what Sabine did, no one noticed her in the dream.
Until the last night, right before students were due to return to the Academy, when her mother would look directly at Sabine, and say: "You are not your father's child, Sabine. You're his."
Zari - Trick - Zari and Andy have a great break, catching up with her parents in the alternate universe of Earth-667. Aside from Andy's issues, no trouble rears its head - until they get back to Earth-666, and Zari sees her time traveling device short out, reading a bunch of error messages that more or less amount to one thing... Earth-666, the universe our RP takes place in, is now cordoned off from the rest of the multiverse. No one can leave. No one can enter.
Zelda - Trick - Even before the business with Arcade, Zelda has often felt herself to be invisible, blending in with the surroundings and never truly being noticed. Perhaps that is more true now than ever before, as over the break, she fell ill with a horrible fever. The fever nearly required hospitalization, and when it broke, her body seemed to be fading out of existence. Within a matter of hours, she had become completely invisible - and so far, she hasn't figured out a way to control this power and reappear.
Dorian - Treat - For a living boy, Dorian shares a great deal in common with the dead - a fact that may endear him more to his Uncle Casper, or even his formerly dead father, Ben. Over the break, Dorian will discover another thing he has in common with ghosts - the ability to manipulate electromagnetism. He gains the ability to perform applications at the basic level per powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Electrom…
Danni - During the break, Danni ended up wearing himself out one day, so incredibly tired as he went to sleep. So tired, in fact, that the scent of smoke didn't wake him. In the midst of a nightmare, his powers activated... and burned his house to the ground. No one was injured, thankfully, the adults had been out seeing a show - and while Max would be able to fix the house pretty quickly with magic, the memories don't fade, and the smell lingers.
After a relatively uneventful and peaceful break, filled with the usual family traditions and plenty of time for reading, Percy had returned to an empty dorm room. Teddy had finally withdrawn formally from the Margaret Carter Institute. He had been emailed a notice that a new roommate would be placed with him at the beginning of the spring semester - but for now, the room was his and his alone. It was nice and quiet, and once he had finished thoroughly disinfecting Teddy's side of the room, Percy had allowed himself to reorganize and redecorate some.
He hoped that Dorian would appreciate it.
Despite his texting habits - or lack thereof - Percy had missed his boyfriend over the break. He had done his best to respond to Dorian at least once a day. For the most part, he had been able to meet this goal, replying to messages within 24 hours, sometimes within 12. And while he had been told that he texted like an old man, Percy did his best to try to keep his texts interesting - even sending Dorian photographs of highlighted passages in the books he read.
None of that replaced the real thing, however. Percy's moms had dropped him and Diana back off at campus late the previous evening - the West Coast Avengers' quarters was just around the quarter - so he hadn't been able to see his boyfriend properly yet. A fact that needed to be remedied, much more urgently than whatever Headmaster Coulson had to say about the events with Arcade. As far as Percy was concerned, the likelihood they would be punished was rather low. If anything, breaking into the Framework for extra training ought to be the sort of initiative valued in a hero.
So as soon as it was a reasonable hour, Percy knocked thrice on Danni and Dorian's door, and he waited. Coulson be damned.
April Flynn
Location: Avengers' Academy - Outside the Headmaster's Office Skills: N/A Fit: ~School Uniform, Skirt + Sweater Variant~
It had been strange, going back to Washington D.C. after everything that had happened. April's room back home felt so incredibly empty, without her besties or her girlfriends. Somehow, it had felt even more uncomfortable than the tense quinjet ride back with her parents, when her mother insisted on examining her and Zelda's vitals at least a dozen times. And no matter how much April threw herself into little projects - she made about a dozen pairs of crocheted gloves - she hadn't been able to really relax, to sleep. She'd suffered from extreme insomnia, practically glued to her phone as she texted everyone in her life back too quickly, too rapidly - as she consumed hours upon hours of content - as she spent more time in the family pool than anywhere else, shaping the bitter winter water over and over again.
But even now, back in Los Angeles, back in a place that felt more like home than anything else - April still felt strange. The clothes on her body seemed to almost itch - no, not the clothes, it was her skin. It was like her skin didn't fit quite right. And as she breathed, the air tasted off - so subtle as to almost be imagined, but real enough that she was sure. And as people spoke to her, their voices had distance to them, a soft echo almost like static.
Had Arcade done something to her in the Framework? Or was she losing her mind?
She waited for Mads to be ready before heading over with her to Coulson's office, sending out a flurry of texts as she went -
What do you think Coul wants? It has to be about Arcade, right? â ď¸ He can't kick us out of school for it? Like yes ik we used the Framework after hours but... Shit maybe he is going to kick us out đđđ
Gods I am soooo nervous for what Coulson wants from us... If he kicks us out of school, I'm going to go see if Disney will hire me to be Ariel or smth đđđ
Is anyone else losing their mind over what Coulson wants from us??? No? Just me???
You have to come, just FYI. Or you'll be mega expelled.
"Oh, I haaaate this..." April whined, as she and Mads approached the last hallway to take them to Coulson's office. "If I get kicked out of school, my parents are going to kill me - find a way to raise me from the dead - and then kill me again. And then I'll never be able to win the Contest of Champions, become president of the school, and be scouted by the Avengers and have Namor beg me to join to help him save the fucking ocean."
Leah was not in a good position, right. She was in an okay state, but a bad place.
Ordinarily, she would've just hid in her dorm at the school, barricaded behind all the usual security measures the place had, while hiding underground in the gym where the building could be modified every which way. If these were normal circumstances, she'd just stay like that, entombed in a subterranean environment she'd eventually unmake, for everyone's protection in case dear old dad decided that this would be the day he stopped playing the long game. She had it worked down to a science by now, exactly 15 feet in every direction, 30 feet below the floor and at the furthest left corner from the front doors. Last year, she tried the right but found it a bit inconvenient during Christmas break because couldn't hear jets landing as easily. But alas, this wasn't normal circumstances.
Instead, she was sitting on a bed in She-Hulk's apartment, distracting herself with a playlist she could barely hear through the earbuds used. It was two in the morning, and she just sat there, staring at the door like the Winged Menace himself was just around the corner. They never celebrated Thanksgiving, dad didn't care for it and mom wasn't able to eat that much anyway. They didn't really do holidays in general, unless it was dad leaving for a business trip around December. But the funny thing was that everyone else did, and of course they'd all be off with their families during such a time. The ones they still had.
Leah hated these kinds of things, because it reminded her that she could've actually had something like that if her dad wasn't some fucking international supervillain. If he hadn't shot mom right in front of his daughter, or even if they lived in some twisted world where dad was actually proud of Leah for surviving his "guidance," as he'd put it.
She didn't want to be here, in this woman's home where he could crash in at any second much easier than the school. Anyone else who tried that would be stupid, but dad wasn't stupid. He was smarter than most people, stronger than them, more skilled than them, and he knew where she was. The better option, strategically, as the mansion that She-Hulk had gave her access to, but she was not going there. They'd ask questions about where she came from, because She-Hulk definitely wasn't going to keep that to herself, and Leah doubted that saying they stood a chance against him was anything other than optimistic. He'd probably take Vision to pieces, or kill Hawkeye with his own damn weapons to make it harder on himself, just to say he could.
She was tired, but she was fine enough to deal. Over the break, April wouldn't shut up, and she actually loved that for her. Whenever April texted her in particular, she'd just send something simple back to not to stop April's stream of consciousness. Yeah. I'm alive, or Apparently She-Hulk is my parent now. She was just glad that April was thinking of her, it felt nice. But beyond that, she didn't really initiate conversations. She didn't feel like it, because there was always something in the back of her mind that made this whole mess demand her attention.
"I wish you'd just come out already," Leah whispered. "So I can fucking kill you again."
No one manifested from the darkness, no one popped out and held a gun to her forehead.
"You've waited long enough, haven't you? You know where I am, or did you always know? You could've killed everyone around me to isolate me, but you didn't... So come out already and I'll make it quick. Or maybe I'll make it slower than what you did to mom. You'd deserve that..."
She blinked, slowly.
"You always told me I was a mutant, like you. But you couldn't even be straight with me about that? You stuck machines in me, and I've got fucking magic in my spine or something. That was you. And- I'm wondering just how fucking free of you I really fucking am, you piece of shit."
Leah fell back against the bed, staring up at a dark ceiling. She'd been staying up like this for days, now. "I'd been telling myself you were dead for long enough that I thought I'd get to live. Then she tells me you're not dead- I confessed to her and then she made a move on me. They- You- Fuck you. Come out and fucking fight me if you want. I'll... Kill you. Again." An irrational side of her brain, the parts she hated the most on some days, told her that if she fells asleep now, she might not wake up. But another part was taking over, deciding to knock her out.
After many, many hours straight without rest, she passed out.
Location: Avenger's Academy Skills: N/A
Leah didn't stay at the apartment long enough for She-Hulk to do or say anything parental. None of that "have fun at school" shit or any nonsense about staying here long-term. She just grabbed her things and walked out the front door, deciding to walk to get rid of the nervous energy she was trying to endure. And just in case She-Hulk (She wasn't about to use the woman's real name, they weren't familiar enough) wanted to say otherwise, Leah stuck her earbuds in and cranked the volume.
She walked all the way through Los Angeles, she was familiar enough with the layout of the city from flying on rocks that she got there in about as much time as anyone else could in a car or on a bus. She wore her usual modified version of the school's uniform, the one made to actually last a while with her hair, under her old jacket that really clashed with the aesthetic. Not that she cared about that part.
Leah got to the school itself and then pulled out her phone, walking as she did and not trying too hard to avoid running into someone. Usually, she was a big and stout enough individual that people got out of the way.
He wont kick anyone out for it. Except Arcade.
He knows better. If he does then half of the heroes in north america are going to be on the schools ass for putting people in a position where they *know* their only chance is to cheat. And someone WILL say its cheating.
At that point they have to acknowledge that the nepotism team got an unfair advantage this whole time. That looks bad.
And who the fuck gives a shit about the contest anyway. i never did, I just went along with it because it would be unfair to victoria or the rest of the team im on. no one in this school has a damn thing to prove to a bunch of stuck up, egotistical pricks whose only collective claim to fame is that theyre the kids of the old avengers.
We lose, were still heroes after this Fucking remember that, because i love both of you too much to let you hate yourselves over something like that.
Please.
Minutes later, she turned down the hallway, and walked down it, seeing April there with her friend. Mads tried helping her with the whole magic-machine-bullshit spine thing once, so they were at least cool. Leah looked a bit rough, like she also hadn't been sleeping. But she looked practically bulletproof on most days. Today was the same.
"Hey." She bent down to April's height and kissed her on the forehead. "Bine here yet?"
Location: By the Headmaster's office Skills/Powers/Equipment: N/A
Unlike most others, Victoria has not gone home. In her head, she was calling staying at the school 'Jordaning it out'. Ironic, since Leah has actually gone away, although if Vicky could tell, she did not look as happy as someone who was given a new place to stay when she was leaving for the break. Probably something to do with having to leave her fortress, Vicky thought. And if someone could physically prevent her from coming back on her own volition, a hulk probably qualified.
Unfortunately, there was no time to handle the problems of others. The android had more than enough problems of her own. Vicky has looked up available psychiatrists in the area and found someone who actually had a free slot on such a short notice. Initially, she even felt like a responsible member of society, coming to terms that she had a mental health issue and taking steps to solve it. But, of course, nothing with her was ever so simple.
It didn't help. A week has gone by, she had a session every day and nothing to show for it. The doctor mentioned that it may be a futile effort since she wasn't human and noone could guarantee the same approach that worked for them would work on her. And not only that, but something that had loomed over her ever since she was active took on a new, dark presence in her mind. Her purpose. Vicky thought that she has wanted to do this. That it was her choice, even if she was meant to do this by her creators. And even though she was never sure of it, she was kind of okay with the possibility that that drive was actually hard-coded into her being.
Now though, she was given a mirror of what she could become in this line of work. That her system was very much vulnerable, albeit under some rather extremely convenient circumstances. And for the first time, she doubted whether this was the best course of action. Perhaps she could do the most good for humans by not actively searching for people who could turn her into another Ultron? And what did she do first with that doubt? Rather than weighing the pros and cons of staying the course or abandoning the superhero path, as logic would dictate, she ran to a psychologist doing her best to remove what she considered an obstacle in her purpose. And for the first time it bugged her: Was that her choice, or was that a program telling her to get back in line? Was she actually free to choose?
And that was only part of it. What has happened to her as of late? Vicky has split her days into three parts. Visit the doctor in the morning, train in the afternoon, and tinker in the evening. And during the last part, she has reviewed her previous plans, and was appalled at her priorities. What the hell? I have started everything I could think of and what have I actually finished? What do we have here? Making the armor more streamlined: Barely an idea. Miniaturizing the MFG? Concept drawings. Repairing my internal antenna? Not. Even. A. Thought. There was even talk of coming up with something to help Diana teleport in one piece, what happened to that, huh? And Leah's implant? You are some friend, van Dyne. Absolute mess!
Vicky forbid herself from starting anything new until she either made tangible progress on anything on that list, or decided to abandon that idea. Which turned out to be easy, since she did not want to repair her antenna until she analyzed how Edward took such a firm grip of her, and streamlining the armor went into the garbage bin immediately as that was far too big of a project than she presently had resources for. Those mini-MFG though? Those required some more attention.
Now though, it was new week, and she has received summons to the headmaster's office. No doubt something concerning the contest. Which can crash and burn as far as I care. On her way there, she replied to Cassandra:
Nuts'n'bolts: Can do. By the big tree in the yard? Yell when you're free.
As she arrived by the hedmaster's office, she noted a couple of familiar faces there already. "Mornin'." Vicky greeted everyone yet noone in particular, leaning on the wall, giving the present company a once-over:
Ew. Get a room. Oh, wow. 'My body has been through some changes recently'. Well you look... Worse off than I am. Broke a nail or somehing?
She decided to stop before she blurted something out loud.
Location: Her room Skills: Enhanced Reflexes (Passive)
Andy sat on the edge of her bed, her hands wrapped around her Everfill mug, her leg bouncing up and down. The perfect coffee, at least according to her, was inside. She sipped at it. Trying to center herself. The last week had been frustrating. The incident with Ardere wasn't weighing on her. Andy had done what was needed in that situation. She also had a strong feeling that killing Ardere was what brought her back to life. She looked at the doll, which was her mother. She hadn't talked about that or what had happened while she was away from the school. Andy knew that both incidences would probably overjoy Selene, and it was the latter that was causing Andy distress. She hadn't even told Zari yet, Andy didn't know who she had killed. Didn't know what the repercussions could be. This hadn't been an issue of fighting someone who was trying to hurt her. This had been out of her control. She hadn't even known she was doing it. That was what scared her.
The nightmares that had once plagued her had stopped with the pillow that Magneto had given her. That pillow didn't stop her from sleepwalking, and she had to sleep for it to work. Could she sleep now? Could she trust herself in this school with students? Killing in the heat of battle was one thing. What if she killed a sleeping student? Those questions plagued her.
Andy didn't think of herself as a villain or a menace or anything like that. She had had issues with that line of thinking prior to meeting Zari, but Zari had by her very nature helped Andy move through that self-loathing. But this new issue was beyond her control. It made her worry again. Was she a danger to others just by existing? She wanted to go to school to learn how to protect her mother from those who might try to free her, but was this the right way? Could she find a safer place? If she did would that mean leaving Zari? Andy didn't think she could do that. Life without Zari didn't seem like something she could ever deal with again.
Finally, Andy stood up and left the room, still clutching her coffee mug. It was a good thing she didn't have a roommate. If Andy did she would be worried for their safety. Something about Zari kept her safe and that was enough for Andy. But no one else was.
Finding her way to Coulson's office Andy took up a place in the growing line of other students. She nodded but didn't say anything. Just sipped the coffee. Maybe she should talk to the school nurse? There had been a time she had taken sleeping pills. Could that help again?
Location: Avenger's Academy, Framework Room. Current Outfit: AA School Uniform Skirt and blazer Skills: N/A Grimoire: N/A
"It's okay April i'm pretty sure that Coulson won't kick us out of school for what happened before break. He probably would have given us all the boot the night we left." Madalyne said to April hoping to calm her friend down, she had her newly formed tail wrapped around her waist as a makeshift belt more or less, she didn't want it to be dragging it across the floor or have someone step on it. Madalyne looked at Leah and nodded to her seeing her coming as well as Victoria and Diana before entering the Headmaster's office. "Hi there." Madalyne said as she found standing. Sitting was still uncomfortable with her wings and tail was something she was still trying to adjust to, her mother said she would give her an enchanted charm at some point to try and hide her appearance but that would take time to make.
During Thanksgiving break Madalayne had gone through a lot of physical changes, she spent it mostly in bed in a lot of pain as the changes happened. First it was her teeth and tongue they were now razor sharp fangs and her tongue became forked like a snakes, then the horns grew in a day later that swept back look over either side of her head. Then the day after that came in her bat like wings which was the most painful out of the changes. And then on the final day was her tail that grew in out of her lower back that she could move freely and touched the ground, after the changes Madalyne had a very long talk with her mother and explained who her father was a demon from Limbo.
After a day of her tail growing in and the pain was gone now, she tried flying for the first time with them which was awkward but she managed to get the hang of it. Madalyne kept in contact with everyone of her friend's though she didn't do any video calls and didn't want to show the others her sudden changes. Only really the members of her team for the Contest of Champions really knew about it and she was comfortable with April showing her changes in a video call. Madalyne spent the remaining day of her Thanksgiving break modifying all of her clothes and school uniforms putting holes big enough for her wings to fit through as well as holes for her tail to come out.
Diana Novikova
Location: Avenger's Academy, Coulson's Office. Current Outfit: AA School Uniform With Skirt & School Blazer Skills: N/A
Diana slowly started to get up and stretch slightly letting out a slight yawn as she got herself changed into her school uniform, she and her brother Percy returned to school the night before. Her dorm was the way she had left it before Thanksgiving break, she looked over at Zelda her roommate. "I'll meet you at the headmasters office." Diana said to Zelda as she got out of her bed and started to head out, she grabbed her school bag as well as her dorm key and headed outside.
Diana had spent most of the break just taking it easy for the most part and occasionally doing some training here and there. Either with archery practice or practicing her teleportation powers. She of course spent Thanksgiving break with her mom's even getting a visit from their Aunt Kristina to which was always great to see her. Diana approached the door to Headmaster Coulson's door seeing that April, Mads, Leah and Vicky were there she noticed the sudden appearance changes to Mads right away to as she passed them.
"Hey how goes it?" She asked looking at them all as she entered the office, seeing Lady Nemue and Ser Nemo there as well to and Gideon from the Huntresses team. She was a little bit nervous and wondered if they were all in trouble or something for what they had did to the Framework because of Arcade's actions.
Location: Kingston-Grey House, New Orleans Skills: Pyrokinesis, Electromagnetism, Astral Projection
It was dark, cramped, cold. The kind of cold that seeped heavy into the skin and stayed there. Awareness came slow to Danni, though he couldn't tell if he woke or not. He blinked, or at least he thought he did. There was no light to tell him. He thought for a second he'd gone blind, but he still saw the fuzzies behind his eyes when he squeezed them shut so he figured that wasn't right. He stretched and frowned as his fingers tapped against something firm, cold, and smooth.
Danni pressed around him and he realized quickly he was in a cylinder of some sort. He tried every surface, his pulse rising as he realized he had barely any room to turn as his shoulders brushed against the sides of wherever he was. He couldn't find an escape, any sort of opening, and panic set in. He kicked and screamed and cried, throwing himself against the walls before awkwardly sliding down and sobbing in his hands as he curled into himself.
âAw, all tuckered out already?â A voice in the dark laughed. A creaking accompanied the voice and a single, swaying light flickered to life. Illuminated by the broken, flickering yellow glow was Arcade. He was slouched lazy in a comfy chair, his laptop propped up on an arm, and the shifting light gave his glasses the cartoon evil glare.
ââCadie! T'ank God you're âere! I don't know what's goinâ on.â Danni shot up as relief flooded him, pressing up against the tank glass. âYou're lookinâ a little like villian you but you're âere ta get me out right? I don't know when I got back in the Framework t'inâ but I don't wanna be âere, please and t'ank You!â
âYou got out? Please, as if you or your amateur friends could have outsmarted me.â Arcade dismissed the notion with a hand wave and a laugh. âCome on Danni. I know you'll have to dust them off but at least try to use some of those brain cells. I can force you to experience anything and you thought I would stop at video games? Come on, this is my debut! Why not have a little fun with it?â
ââCadie, tâis is not âow you make friends. You wanted ta do better! You were sad and upset! T'at was real, right?â Danni asked, his back hitting the glass as he started shaking again. The realization that this wasn't quite a rescue was starting to bring the panic back.
âThat was real, right?â Arcade mocked in a poor impersonation. âPlease, I just made you see what you wanted to see. And it was fun, really fun, knowing that I let you have that little bit of relief before I tore it away. And now, I think it's time for you to die! Which way should we do it? Arcade tapped at his keyboard, dismissing options as he did.
Danni couldn't catch his breath. His lungs burned as they struggled and he couldnât, couldnât get enough air. The room started spinning, things started going hazy, and his heart was hammering in his ears. He reached for his fire but found nothing.
âYeah, I took that away too. Couldnât have you ruining the fun!â Arcade cackled as he finally found what he was looking for. âWell, Daniel. Its been fun but I have a few more to kill so I think it's time to wrap this up. Snakes away!â
The top of the chamber slid open and Danni screamed at the mass of snakes writhing in a ball above him. One by one they drop and it was all Danni could do not to pass out. âPlease, please, please, please Ed! Please help me! I won't tell anyone! I'll do anything, I'll help you escape,I'll work for you, just please let me go!â Danni begged, screamed, through tears. His vision was going as he felt the snakes squirm around him, he felt bile burning the back of his throat, he felt pressure on every side as they glass closed in around himâŚ
Then everything was on fire as he felt the flames tear themselves out of him. Danni couldnât even scream as it consumed him too.
Dorian was laying in his bed, his bedroom door open so that his new pet raptor could come and go as he pleased from his room. He was having a wonderful dream about Percy and him going to visit some ruins in Italy, something he'd have wanted to do during this break if it wasn't for the fact that they were grounded because of the Arcade incident. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as a wave of heat blasted into his room. It quickly spread to make him uncomfortably warm, prompting Dorian to get up and see if his fan had somehow turned off.
At first he hadn't noticed it, too groggy from sleep as he shuffled over to see if the fan had any higher speeds. It wasn't until he noticed a reflection of red dancing across the glass of his PC. He turned to look towards the windows where the reflection would be emanating from and saw the blaze of flames that seemed to press against the panes of Danni's room. Every ounce of tiredness had shaken free from his body as Dorian began to run towards the hallway that conjoined the two houses and coincidentally also their rooms. The closet there always had a fire extinguisher in the event of a Max or Danni mishap.
He grabbed the extinguisher and pulled it's pin as he began to make his way towards Danni's room. The heat from this blaze was unbearable. Dorian tried to squeeze the foam out but it didn't seem to help, and the metal reached began to burn from the intensity around them. The extinguisher dropped to the floor with a clatter as Dorian quickly and reflexively went ghost. He couldn't feel the heat anymore, allowing him to move closer, but he couldn't barely see Danni within the inferno he'd caused. âDanni! Danni! Wake up!â Panic laced his every word, and as much as he wanted to possess him and walk him out of there, he couldn't tell if he was still generating flames or not and moving him could bring more issues.
Dorian was desperate to grab Danni's attention, trying to think of a way that would wake him up. He needed something loud and fast. Searching around the room, he decided the best option was to toss Danni's TV. After all, they could always get another one. He'd meant to reach out with his telekinesis, to toss it onto the floor and cause a loud commotion, but as he reached out towards the TV, it quickly flickered on and static began to screech over the sound of flames. The volume jumped up to the highest it could go and suddenly, for a brief moment, an image of Dorian appeared on the screen, screaming. âDanni Wake Up! C'mon!â
Danni's eyed snapped open and he was screaming, clawing his way out of the burning remains of his blanket and stumbling to the ground. He struggled to catch his breath in the heat. His heart pounded in his ears. He was sticky with sweat and he squinted against the harsh glow. He coughed and swallowed back the bile that threatened at the rancid stretch of burning plastic. He couldn't quite wrap his head around what was happening. Danni shook his head, trying to get the feeling of helplessness out of his head, the feeling of being crushed, trapped, suffocated.
âFuck.â Danni whimpered and pushed himself unsteady to his feet. He took in the fire around him, raging in the wake of his nightmare, and he swallowed heavily, the discontent sitting like lead in his stomach. It would be fine. Danni could get the fire under control, the wierd Dee face in his TV would disappear, Maxie would just snap his wizardy fingers and poof, no problems! Danni reached out and called the fire, urging, begging them to listen and come to him rather than spread and for a moment, the fire stilled and shrunk, slinking back through the halls like a scolded child.
But it took everything in Danni to keep it that way. Fire wanted to grow and consume and spread at all costs and it fought So much kindling, so much fuel, and he was the only thing holding it back. Danni shook with the effort, clawing the flames back to him, but he was suddenly back in the tank, Arcade laughing at him and that feeling of helplessness... Danni screamed as the fire expoled from his control and he barely was able to stay standing.
âDee? Dee?! W'ere are you? Please tell me you're okay.â Danni half sobbed, half coughed, smoke burning his eyes and lungs. Danni bolted out of his room, grabbing the closest thing to him, and nearly tripping over his own feet.
âI'm fine! I'm in the Astral but I can't âelp you from âere. I don't know what to do! I'm not fireproof!â The image said, calling from the TV over the dull background of static and the sound of flames. Dorian just wanted to get them both out of there, but he also didn't want their parents coming back home to a house fire.
Danni barely registered what Dorian said, continuing to stumble his way down the stairs. They felt longer than heâd remembered and in the glow of the fire they seemed to grow two steps for every one he took. His breath came short and the world spun and he all but threw himself down the last few. His knees buckled and he hit the front door hard.
âFuck!â Danni shouted, his wrist throbbing, but he threw the door open anyways and bolted out the front door unsteady. âDee, just get outta t'ere! I- I can't anyt'inâ âbout t'e fire!â Danni shouted hoarsely.
Dorian watched as Danni began to leave the house, following behind him in his ghostly form before swooping down and taking over his raptors body to help lead him out to safety. As soon as they'd made it out of the house, he left his pet and a static-y image began to appear before the both of them until Dorian fully materialized, swooping up his little dino into his arms. âIt was gettinâ a little chilly in tâere anyways. At least we âave some warmth now.â
Danni finally registered what he'd grabbed, his dragon egg, and wrapped his other arm around Dee. Danni let his head fall on Dee's shoulder as they watched the house fire from the street. Danni knew it'd be alright in the end. Maxie would snap his fingers and everything would be fine again, but it still feltâŚ
âCan we⌠not tell anyone âbout tâis? Please?â
âYa know, I can't wait âtil Couls congratulates us for puttinâ down a villian! It's time we finally get some recognition for beinâ awesome!â Danni said as he ruffled his hair, turning his head left and right in the mirror to make sure that everything settled just right. âDoes this look natural enough, Dee? When Couls inevitably walks us ta t'e auditorium, I wanna make sure I âave tâe surprise down pat, but stylinâ my âair too much will make him know âe ain't slick. I want t'is ta say âI woke up prettier than youâ, you know?â Danni rambled, picking up his phone at the buzz.
Oh bb, please. He ain't kickin us out. We're on the same level as The Young Avengers now! He'd be crazy to kick us out. He's gunna tell us how âirresponsibleâ we are and then tell us that we did a great job apprehending the baddie and then give us an award right in front of everyone! Nothing to stress about!
âCouls got Princess all stressed out. Gotta âave a spa day soon witâ t'e besties next chance we get!â Danni announced, twirling and snatching up a little baggy that clicked and clicked as it shifted. He held up his phone, snapping a selfie with Dee in the background and uploaded it to the junior year folder he made over break before sending it out.
Your two favorite boys just finished getting ready! On the way!
âOop, I got t'e door! Princess probs swung by ta grab us!â Danni all but jumped to the door and snatched it open, halfway to sweeping April into a hug before he stumbled and caught himself on the door frame when he was greeted by Percy instead.
âWhoops, shit, my b! Deeeeeeee, tâe boyf is âere!â Danni yelled unnecessarily into their dorm. âPercy, we gotta work on t'at uniform. It needs⌠more. Like, a little less box, ya know? Hm⌠Whelp, I'll keep t'inkinâ about it and we can get our nogginâs togetâer at some point and make somet'inâ great!â Danni side stepped past Percy. âBut I'll give some time ta t'e lovebirds. God knows âow âe complained âcause âe missed âis boyf.â Danni teased, throwing a shit eating smirk at Dee.
Danni offered a lazy wave and spun to head out, but instantly turned again with a dramatic gasp. âOmg, I almost forgot! I made you a gift!â Danni dug into the bag and pulled out a handmade black bracelet with red block letters that spelled Percy and slapped it I'm his hand. âSince we're friends, I gotta start gettinâ ya gifts so t'is is our first one! But now, really I'll get out of you âair. Don't do anyt'inâ I wouldn't do!â Danni skipped down the hallway, humming a cheery song despite the little bubble of disappointment it wasn't April or Mads or Beanie.
