School of the Gifted

The roome was shiny and chrome, with a liquid blue undertone. "now misery," the headmaster started, "First i need a precise explaination of everything you know about your porwers and then we will begin the tests okay?" he smiled warmly at her. "Oh, and everything you say and do in this room will be recorded for convenience purposes, so if you wish to tell me something private, please notify me beforehand..." he trailed off, indicating that she should start.

Misery nodded, her usually quiet voice now coming through loud and clear, "It was a few years ago, I was trying to cook dinner while my mother and father were out of town, and I was chopping vegetables. I was thinking on some things and wasn't really paying attention. I felt a strange pain in my hand and looked down, noticing immediately that I had chopped a little too far. I had actually cut my finger off. I was the only one home, so I was picking up the phone, dialing 911, and when I looked back at my hand, my finger had grown back. I experimented with it for a while, and I've figured out that I can heal anything. It just takes a few seconds to kick in, then I'm good as new. Also, if you block my spine, right here," She pointed at the spot on her neck where her head met her neck, "it paralyzes me. But as soon as whatever was cutting it off is removed, I'm back to normal. Well, as close to normal as I can get. Does that work?" She asked, her voice becoming quiet again as she said the last sentence.

"That is fine. now, were going to take a few DNA and blood samples. I'm assuming that you are not afraid of needles?" Headmaster Andrew smiled playfully at his somewhat lame joke. He readied the needle, an exquisitly high tech looking module. "now this will not hurt a bit..." the man said, but unlike most doctors, he meant it. The needle was so modern that its thin metal tube slid delicatly into her upper arm, administering a light painkiller in the general area, without causing numbness. He withdrew the needle, set it on a tray, and continued "I do not know if you feel pain or not, but it comforts me to know that i am not injuring anybody, even if it is necessary.

Misery nodded. She wasn't afraid of needles. Actually, she wasn't afraid of much of anything. While she could feel pain, it seemed to hurt less knowing it would stop soon after. As he removed the needle from her arm, it took less than two seconds for her skin to heal back up. Se flexed her arm and put it back down at her side. "So, what are you wanting to accomplish with these tests?" she said softly, "I mean, is there an intended goal?" She was still unaware of the fact that her blood could also heal others if used in a transfusion. There was lot about her power she didn't know.

Headmaster Andrew stiffened, hen relaxed, and easygoing smile playing over his face. "Just for research. you never know when you will learn something new." He paused thoughtfully and stared dreamily into the distance. "There are just so many possibilities..." the headmaster trailed off. He stood as though dazed for a few more moments, then, with a start, returned from wherever his mind had taken him. "now, I believe we are done here. Anything else I can do for you? special requests to make your stay here at the school more pleasant?"

Misery noticed his stiffening. What could she possibly have said that upset him so? He seemed to lapse out of his fatherly demeanor for a brief second. But, she didn't think to dwell on it right now. He could just be a little stressed. What with three new students all coming in mid-way through the year at the same time and all, no one could blame him. She shook her head, her voice still soft as a summer's breeze, "No, I think I'll be fine. Thank you, though, Headmaster." She turned on her heel and left the room, deciding to find one of the robots to take her to her room.

The headmaster bowed once more, then followed Misery around the corner. "Miss Luna?" he inquired, "We are ready for you now." Luna jumped from her semi-meditative state and her gossamer wings shrunk into her body. SCHLOOP!, and they were gone! She landed with a thud on her rear and blushed a bright red, "I.. um... forgot that part..." she muttered trailing off. Just another one of her stupid mistakes, soon the others would get used to her clumsiness. Though she was able bodied, Luna's mind often trailed in the clouds, and it was hard to see the ground when her imagination was busy soaring with the stars. She skipped to the room, once again marvelling at the way everything gleamed with unknown power. WHOOSH, the door slid into place, and Luna was glad she hadnt had a tail then. "Now if you will make your way this way..." Headmaster Andrew led her to the table, and gave her the baisics about the visits, as he had done with Misery, informing her of the recording techniques and such. Luna simply nodded, eyes big as the moon she was named after, shining light of her curiosity. This time the blood test came first, she giggled when the needle entered her skin. "It's weird, like my skin is expanding to change into something without me commanding it to." she verified, "My parents always complained about needles...?" "Most aren't this painless," He said, amusment exposing itself in the sparkle in his eye.

The headmaster set the samples on a tray and proceeded to inquire about her powers."Well... I can pretty much turn into anything I want, i just have to think about it specificly, but if I dont remenber to sorta subconciously think 'human', then little bits of different animals may slip out, depending on my mood." Luna explained. "Ah, and does the size matter?" Headmaster Andrew asked. "Well, it kind of hurts when i turn into anything smaller than say... a mouse? Cause I get all squished up and squeezed when I change. Im fine after a few minutes though, I get used to it." she paused. "All growing does is make me fill sort of hollow for a moment until my organs expand." Luna nodded, punctuating the statement. "Are extinct creatures a problem?" "Of course not!" Luna scoffed. "And plants? Abiotic objects?" "I-I dont know.." Luna stammered, shocked by the headmasrers intensity. "Well then, you can attempt that in classes. That will be all." He dismissed Luna and called Jason in for observation.

Jason growled. "you ain't sticking any needles in me. i've heard too much about what you can do with dna now adays" he said growling. "if you touch me with one of those needles i'll rip your head off of your shoulders and feed it to any carnivorous thing in the area i can find." he said staying out of the room, his back to the wall. "and don't try touching me with a robot either. i''ll faze through it in a heartbeat" he said growling. he didn't trust anything about his headmaster. not like he didn't have plenty of reasons for it.

Misery's soft, black eyes turned hard and cold as ice as she whipped her head around to face Jason, "He's just trying to help! Can't you see that and at least cooperate? God!" She sighed, "I'll take you out if that's what it takes! And don't you think for a second that I can't, Mr.!" The sudden ferocity from Misery was something no one expected. Everyone had taken her to be the quiet and gentle type thus far, could she be having a bad day, or was she just like this naturally? Either way, it was frightening as hell coming from her. She stood in the doorway, having decided that if he was going to be a pain, then she was going to be an even bigger one.

Jason growled at her. "the only one he's trying to help is himself and the d*** normal people. he's going to plug our dna into a tracer so that they know where we are at all times and once we're no longer usefull they will send the Destroyer bots that you see on the news after us to kill us. they use our dna to find us. and don't say i'm wrong. I know this for a fact because that's how they killed my sister" he yelled at her. tears brimmed up in his eyes at her memory. a green ball of spiritual energy formed in his hand. "if you want me to be some f****** guinna pig to be killed later you won't have me. i'll die before i let that happen" he said as the green orbs in his hands grew bigger.

"I'm not saying for you to be a guinea pig. I'm saying for you to not be so damned hard-headed!" Misery glared. No one there knew her voice could get that loud, "Just because some people are mean or evil or whatever, doesn't mean all of them are! I mean, look at my mom and dad! They are royal jerks and I'm not taking it out on you, am I?" She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as her voice got whisper-soft again, "It's going to take a lot to get me to like you after this. And trust me, you don't want me as an enemy."

Jason held her glare. "if you were my enemy that would just make one more of many." he whispered. "i won't let myself be a test subject here. my sister didn't listen at the last place when i said it was bad news. and guess what happened next... I SAW HER DIE IN FRONT OF MY EYES" he said shaking. "you say the world isn't all evil.... it wasn't before she died... she trusted anyone's word. she saw good in everyone... and because of that she died..." he said as tears dripped from hsi eyes. "so don't tell me i am hard headed. you haven't had to lose the only thing you had to live for" he whispered.

"And are you certain of that?" She snapped, "I'm not hear to quarrel with the likes of you. My name isn't Misery for nothing. And you'd be wise to remember that." her words had a warning in them that was impossible to miss, but buried beneath that was a touch of pure sorrow melted with pain. Not many could see that. Only those that were very talented at reading people could detect her hidden emotions. "I'm done here." She whispered, turning slowly as she let her hair cover her face. She walked out of the room silent as a ghost on Halloween night.

Jason faced the headmaster again. "if you want to put me in there you have a death wish" he said growling. he wasn't going to die. he had to avenge his sister before he died. he wouldn't give up until he had accomplished that mission. she was an angel, nice to everyone, naive to the very end. she had looked for something and turne dher back when a destroyer killed her. jason hadn't been quick enough to save her life. and never had he ever forgive himself for the fact he hadn't tried harder to get her away.

Luna froze in shock at the argument that revealed so much raw emotion. It reminded her of her life at home. Though she was happy and naivvely cheery, it was not like thata year ago. She always used to wonder why her parents were so ashamed of her that she had no outside connection to the outside world. Though allowed to go wherever, she had resided in the middle of nowhere, without internet or even a television. Luna had morosely wandered around the lands of Australia, wondering if she was even fit to live, dangerous thoghts when you lived on the edge of a 100 foot mesa. She was just relieved that there were others like her, that she wasnt a stone being tossed chaoticly among the waves in the sea of life. Tears flooded her eyes as she shouted, "STOP IT!!! This is supposed to be nice! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY!" She slid down to the floor, trembling and suprised at her own outburst. Headmaster Andrew placed a comforting hand lightly on her shoulder. "The day has been long. Perhaps you should go to your room and get some rest." Luna smiled weakly and allowed herself to be escorted away by the maid robot. She glanced back apoligeticly at those she had shouted at, then resumed trudging along.
"Now, if you wish, I could question you right here, no needls, no recording devices, Just words, jason. Will that be okay?" the headmaster inquired soothingly, ever the voice of reason.

Jason watched the headmaster warily. he sent out a small energy charge to short out any recording devices in the room. "fine. but if you ask a question i don't want to answer, i won't answer it"he said simply. "and yes, i will keep some things secret. i have reason's not to trust you simply on a word" he said letting his arms down and wiping his eyes. " and keep ten feet back at all times. i don't know what you can do yet either" he said. sure he was cautious, but after all that had happened to him, cuold he be blamed?

"Ha!" the man smiled ruefully, "What I can do... what can I do?" He played with the words madly, a sense of longing intense on his face. Then it slipped away as if a mask. "Very well," he said wearily, running his fingers through his hair, loosening the slicked back strands. "The reports had little information on you, and for good reason. May i, praytell ,hear your story?"

"all i will tell you, is that my sister and i were orphans. we stuck to just ourselves, until my sis decided to trust a headmaster like you. they took a copy of her dna and then killed her once she wasn't usefull. i've been on my own ever since" he said simply and crossing his arms. "as for my powers, ghost abilities and wolf shapeshifting. that's all i'm going to say" he said knowing that was pretty much all that was on the records.

The head master sighed wearily and placed his head in his hands at the answer of the defiant boy. "Very well then, you may leave," he waved Jason away, knowing hat that was all he was going to get. Before Jason could leave he assed in what seemed to be almost a pleading voice, "Im really not that bad of a person you know." Headmaster Andrew seemed to want to believe it with every inch of his being, and seemed to want reassurance. He gave a little shudder and stood up, all formal and composed once more. He bowed deeply at the waist and then went once more into the lab without a single word.

If jason wasn't suspicious before, he was now. why would he have spoken like that, unless he had some doubt of his own integrity? Now jason was glad more than before that he hadn't let them take his DNA. he felt sorry for those two other girls. he knew it wouldn't be long before he was digging their graves. He walked out of there and into the open air. he took a deep breath. "definatly can't let down my guard here" he murmured. "or i will be laid to rest beside my sister" he whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek at the memory of his beloved sister.

Luna had been escorted to her room and pretty much passed out before her head had even hit the pillow. She winced as the cliche entered her mind, though its cheesiness did sum up her dreamless sleep. Now that she was fully awake she had the chance to appraise her room. She dug through the layers of plush pillows and warm quilts, finally breaking free from the inviting bed. Her eyes widened and she did a double take as she saw her beautiful new room. The walls alone were glorious, satiny smooth blue-silver wallpaper with black and white rose vines painted around the edges. Pictures of nighttime scenes from deserts, praries, and even under the sea adorned the walls. The meagre light left from the sunset streamed through the windows, creating shadows on the thick black carpet. Black chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling, which she turned on with the light switch near her bed. On the victorian style white nightstand with black trim stood an old fasioned rotary telephone and a sleek silver new age alarm clock, reading 6:30 in electric blue numbers. The dresser, vanity, and desk matched the nightstand, and a glaming black laptop shined under the lamp atop the desk. The only thing that grabbed her attention more than the enormous walk in closet was the ginormous plasma screen tv and stereo system that took up an entire wall. luna merely blinked at them, as she had no idea how to operate such fancy high tech equipment. She stepped out of the huge four poster bed to get a better look, and admired the satin sheets and the gauzy fabric draped across the top. She turned and opened the door to leave the room and found herself in a chic bathroom. She peeked out of the door she had just entered and soon found another door. This one opened to the empty hallway. She left the door open and set about unpacking her things which were piled haphazardly inside the doorway.

Misery walked down the hall with her ipod in her ears, making an attempt to dissuade her boiling rage. Her temper had always been a weakness of hers, and no time like the present, when there was an arrogant, pity-seeking ghost boy to agitate her, than to practice her patients. She walked past a room with an open door, peeking inside out of pure curiosity and found herself smiling lightly at Luna. There was something she liked about this girl. Maybe it was the youthful innocence that seemed to seep from her very pores. But either way, she turned off her music and knocked lightly at the door, "Mind if I come in?" She said softly.

Jason knew he had to chill out a bit. he was letting his emotions control him again. he tried figureing out how he was going to get out of here. more than likely something already had a hair or something as his DNA sample. he floated up into the air and surveyed the ground below, wondering what this school held. he was very quiet now. he didn't want to draw unneccessary attention to himself. he dissappeared from sight and started to explore, fazing through walls and staying unseen.

Luna blinked blankly at Misery, taking a while to register the question. Her eyes focused in recognition and she waved, "Come on in!" Luna crawled over the piles of clothes that surrounded her. "Whats up?" she asked brightly. "Isnt the room just sooo cool!? Have you seen yours yet? How do you work these things?" she gestured toward the Television-sterio system.