[IC] Academy of Heroes and Villains

[knight125]

John looks down for a moment before standing straight and asking, "Do you think I'm attractive?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Kalinda stared at him. Was she missing something here? "Do I-? I, uh...well, yes" She stood up, feeling somewhat intimidated, but standing didn't exactly solve that, "Why?"

[Mistress Dizzy]

knight125 said
Anthony nods and replies as he sits down, "Thank you." He takes a few bites of his meal, then a sip of orange juice before asking, "Tell me Kijani. What do you know about your grandmother's past?"

Kijani raised her eyebrows. She knew Anthony must have wanted something other than a friendly breakfast. "Well. I know she's got power. And connections. But I really don't know specifics." She paused, taking a bite out of a melon slice before she spoke again. "I've asked, but... she's been less than forthcoming. I'm guessing she's done some things she's not terribly proud of. I've also tried to find out on my own. The problem is, a great deal of my research abilities are due to the doors that open when I name drop the people she's chosen for me... and they aren't talking." She looked to him. "Why? Do you need information?"

[knight125]

John holds up his hands and says with a smile, "Hey calm down, now. I'm going to cause any trouble, but I have another question."

Anthony chuckles slightly before replying, "Quite the contrary, actually. During some research I was doing into the projects that my father had done before, I stumbled across something interesting. I assume you know that she worked for the United States government at one point."

[MarshiestMallow]

Kalinda blinked, "I am calm" She said, then frowned to herself. She had, sometime during the workout, blocked out the emotions around her, and her own. how had she done that? "is this going to be one of those one more question things? go ahead" She said

[knight125]

John grins while asking, "If I think you're attractive, and you think I'm attractive, why shouldn't I kiss you right now?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Kalinda didn't have an answer ready for that. Mostly, she was shocked. Her, attractive? "Have you hit your head John? I'm cute, not attractive" She said, "Other than that..." She shrugged, "You can try, and we can see what happens, but I am not that easy"

[Mistress Dizzy]

knight125 said
Anthony chuckles slightly before replying, "Quite the contrary, actually. During some research I was doing into the projects that my father had done before, I stumbled across something interesting. I assume you know that she worked for the United States government at one point."

Kijani nodded. That was something she'd known the bare minimum about- it was one of those things her grandmother refused to talk about. Usually because Kijani 'didn't need to know'. "Yes, I'm aware..." She frowned, wishing she wasn't starting to get confused. "What does that have to do with your father, Anthony?"

[knight125]

John hesitates for a moment, thinking, "Is she bluffing? Well I'm gonna call it." He steps forward, puts one hand behind Kalinda's waist and the other behind her head, then dips her as if they were dancing. He leans down and kisses her on the lips.

Anthony forces Kijani to wait a few minutes while he eats more of his meal, then wipes his mouth with a napkin. "Well my father served one term as President, and shortly after he was inaugurated, Amanda Waller stopped working for the government. When I saw this I was curious about why, so I dug a little deeper. Apparently, they were very public about how they disagreed with each other about using superpowered beings as government agents."

[MarshiestMallow]

Kalinda would be the first one to admit that she was a mess. This confused her, and some sort of instinct took over, where she found herself kissing him back for a few seconds, and with a growl, she pulled away, then putting as much strength as should could behind her hand, she slapped him across the cheek,

"I will not be one of your Floozies, or anyone's. I barely function as it is" She stepped away, unwilling to admit to herself that for a first kiss, it hadn't been the worst thing on earth. "So if you are just going to kiss and run for some sort of sick emotional game, then go to hell"

She allowed none of the emotions swirling through her to show in her voice.

[knight125]

John rubs his face with a mix between a smile and a look of disbelief. "What was that for?" he asks, "You told me I could! I wasn't going to run, I was going to make a, hopefully, extremely cool exit. And it wasn't an emotional game, it was more of an impulse. I think you're hot and nice, so I felt like kissing you. Is it a crime to be a normal teenage boy?"

[Mistress Dizzy]

knight125 said
Anthony forces Kijani to wait a few minutes while he eats more of his meal, then wipes his mouth with a napkin. "Well my father served one term as President, and shortly after he was inaugurated, Amanda Waller stopped working for the government. When I saw this I was curious about why, so I dug a little deeper. Apparently, they were very public about how they disagreed with each other about using superpowered beings as government agents."

Kijani raised her eyebrows. "News to me." She drank her water, then leaned her chin on her steepled hands, fixing Anthony with a steady gaze. "Do get to the point, Mr. Luthor." She was being very deliberate, especially in using his last name. She knew he was up to something. The questions were: What was he up to, and what did it have to do with her?

[MarshiestMallow]

"I said you could try and we will see what happens" Kalinda replied, her hand stinging, she sighed, "And that's what messes with me. I'm not hot, and if I were so nice, why can I not seem to keep friends?" She reached up, laying her stinging hand on his cheek, sending in healing energy to prevent a bruise. Not that she was sure there would be one, but she generally tried to repair her mistakes. She then stepped away.

"Often, peoples words don't match their emotions. So I have trust issues. It isn't a crime to be normal. But I can't understand why you felt like kissing me "

[knight125]

Anthony returns her steady gaze and continues cooly, "Upon further investigation, I discovered that their public dispute was a cover to hide the fact that they were working together. 'On what?' you may be thinking. They created a program called the Alpha initiative, the main goal of which was to 'find' young US citizens with special abilities and train them to become super black operation soldiers, of sorts. Sort of like the brain washing regiment Bucky Barnes endured to become the Winter Soldier." He uses air quotes while speaking the word find. "Now, unless I'm mistaken, and I rarely am, you disappeared for a while, a few years back. Soon after your powers began emerging, correct? So tell me, Ms. Rayne. Do you think it's a coincidence that the relative of a woman that was creating a secret metahuman army, just happened to disappear after her own super powers began to manifest?"

John laughs, "That's because you're not male, Shorty. Do I have permission to go? I need to take a shower before I head up to get some breakfast."

[MarshiestMallow]

"Scared of me? Its a free country, go if you want" Kalinda said, sitting back down on the machine, "I'm rather thankful I am a girl"

[Mistress Dizzy]

Kijani listened to Anthony continue, and the rest of the cafeteria noise started to drop away. All the sights, too. Everything was going dark, and her ears were ringing, and the pain in her side started to feel like she was getting torn into all over again-

"SHUT UP!" The words tore from her throat, and she didn't even realize she was on her feet, looming over Anthony. "You... you're.. you're mistaken! Or lying! My grandmother would never do that!" Her voice was filled with rage, but her stance read differently. Her eyes, her shaking hands, the way she was fighting back her own words, as if something else wanted to be said... There was fear written underneath the anger. "What the hell is the point of you telling me this, huh?"

Kijani was starting to smell bleach and copper, like old blood that someone had half-tried to wash away.

[knight125]

John grins, "I'm glad you are too." He walks out of the gym, but sticks his head back in and says, "You need to work on your self-confidence. You really are beautiful, and I guarantee that just about ever straight guy that sees you, wants to at least kiss you." He walks back out of the gym but calls over his shoulder, "Feel free to join me in the shower if you want to conserve water."

Anthony turns his attention back to his meal, not bothering to even look at Kijani as he says nonchalantly, "Ms. Rayne, I'm going to have to ask you to sit down if you wish this conversation to continue." He continues to eat, consuming the bacon with particular relish.

[MarshiestMallow]

Kalinda laughed, "I told you, I'm not that easy. Gonna have to work harder then that" she let the laugh fade. you really are beautiful if that were true, she wouldn't have spent her school years to the side while just about every other girl in her class had guys attention. She sat on the machine, pondering that.

He did seem genuine when he had said that. She couldn't detect anything off. She waited a few moments before Rising, and heading to the girls locker rooms, slipping in, and going to the showers. She stripped, showered quickly. She was starting to dress, looking at herself in a mirror. Her long, black hair, wet from the shower, framed her face. her eyes just a little to big, she considered herself.

She supposed she might just be considered beautiful by some people. But she just couldn't see it. She finished dressing, put her hair up, and headed out.

Shorty. Not the worse nickname she had every had. She smiled slightly

[Mistress Dizzy]

Strangely, Anthony's lack of reaction to Kijani's beginning to freak out was exactly what she needed. His calm words gave her something to grasp, reminding her that she had to get it under control. She took several deep breaths, ignoring the stink of bleach in her nose, and sat back down, carefully. She kept her eyes shut and made sure she'd gotten past the spell of rage before she spoke again. "Ahem." She cleared her throat and tucked back a loose dreadlock. "Forgive me for my outburst, Mr. Luthor." She looked at him again, but her gaze was much, much less steady. "I did not mean to interrupt. Please, continue."

[knight125]

Anthony lays down his food and once again, cleans his hands and face with a napkin. "Perhaps I am wrong," he says, clearly not believing it, "and your disappearance and the Alpha Initiative are unrelated. Is that really the sort of thing you'd like someone to get away with? You're training to be a hero, are you not? Bringing justice upon people that kidnapped and brainwashed children is rather heroic, if you ask me. I have a few more things that I need to research, but would you be willing to accompany me when I eventually confront my father and your grandmother?"