'Suspiciously well kept secrets, check, possibly evil cult, yep, escape route? Damn I am missing something. Oh well...' Locke let out a short sigh. 'Too late now...'
"Next!" yelled out a voice belonging to a militaristic guy in a yellow and black costume. Stepping forward he briefly wondered how much information to risk. But before he could speak the man handed him a clipboard with a few sheets of paper in it. As he took it from the man information bombarded him. Ink composition, scientific names of various trees, stress marks from the printer, tool marks, plastic impurities in the clipboard, the works. Ignoring all of it Locke asked what was the with the application. The man answered in blunt terms that there were so many applicants H.I.V.E had to start with a written screening process. Any applicants that were deemed insufficient in potential were dealt with painfully. Locke shrugged trying to appear unconcerned as he stepped through the next door, filling out the application as he went. By the time he reached the small auditorium he was done.
Gender: Male
Height: 5"9'
Original Name: Ryan Bishop
Costumed Persona: Locke
Dietary Requirements: Human usual (not vegetarian or other)
Power(s): Extra Sensory Perception, minor magical ability.
Origin of Power(s): Mutation and LOTS of practice
External Contacts: None worth mention
Previous Education: High School transcripts were sent ahead
Locke skimmed through the rest idly answering the more boring questions as he went. He finished the paper after minute or two later and glanced around at the "competition".
'Hmmm, I don't think there's anything special about that one. There are people with enhanced muscles by the truckload, one very focused body tone so probably martial arts, a lot of tech on those two, and matching costumes... Huh, I wonder if she realizes how short that skirt is . . .' After committing the more, interesting, costumes to memory he was bored. Again, as usual. 'No wonder the percepi subjects had such a high suicide rate, there's nothing left to do when you commit everything to memory so easily.'
Thankfully he was saved from boredom. A man practically glowing with power entered the room. Energies were swirling around his head so brightly Locke could barely sense the rest of him. His power slowly filled the room, drifting in multicolored tendrils that appeared almost like gigantic wisps of smoke. As the wisps came into contact with the people in the room, they relaxed. There stances changed, they sat more comfortably in their seats and their auras became subdued, as if they weren't fully awake. His power was swirling towards Locke's corner of the room now, and he panicked. He didn't know what his power was going to do to him. Brainwash? A literal addictive personality? The colored wisps flowed around Locke and he felt, relaxed. His power wore away at the long built tensions and worries. For a single moment Locke didn't need anything. He was calm. Then his mind snapped back to the situation, analyzing both the feeling and the effects it had. The man's slow glance across the room sped up noticeable until his eyes settled upon Locke, his brows narrowing slightly. He resumed his slow study of the people and then finally addressed them.
"Might I have your attention?" he asked. Those five words had more charisma in them then anything Locke could remember. Everyone in the room immediately sat up straighter, and actually listened. Getting teenagers to willingly pay attention? What was next, herding cats?
'Then again,' Locke thought cynically. 'it's probably a result of that power of his.'
He continued on. "Every year more people are given with extraordinary gifts, some gained through birth, some through dedication and training, others still by accident. When the average person is faced with such a gift do they embrace them, and welcome the advances that could be made? No, they shun you. They persecute you. They deny you the benefits of society and cast you out! You are all gathered here today to enter H.I.V.E Academy in an effort to find a society to belong to. This is the reason I teach, to give you all a chance at making a world in which you can belong! A world of our own design! H.I.V.E Academy is here to make the world safe for all of you!" He paused and was rewarded with a massive wave of sound as people stood up and cheered. With a deft flick of his hand everyone took their seats silently.
"I have been informed that the previous administration simply dismissed overflow students. I will not tolerate such a blatant disregard for talent. Any of you who pass the entrance exam may join." His eyes hardened as he slowly surveyed through the room again. "The exam is not to be taken lightly, make no mistake. Failure will be very... unpleasant. So for those of you who have completed your applications already please turn them into my assistant, Private H.I.V.E. and leave through the side door. Those of you who feel they may not qualify to study at H.I.V.E academy may leave now, no questions asked." His calming aura seemed to retract, like watching a video of a fire in reverse.
Several people left, including the one that seemed to be a plain human. Locke set his cane down beside his seat and followed the general flow of the room, turning in the paper work before he stood next to Private H.I.V.E. After a few moments the would be recruits were sent into separate rooms told to last "five minutes" to be accepted. With a tentative breath Locke opened the door and stepped through the door. The room he stepped into was more accurately a hallway. A rather plain hallway with off white walls and horrible diamond patterned carpet. At the far end of the hallway stood a fairly tall thin figure in a dark cloak and spandex suit. Further still was a large digital timer counting down from 5:00.
"So let me guess, you're supposed to attack me?" Locke asked rhetorically shifting into a more comfortable stance. The figure nodded quietly, then sprinted forward. *Contego* Locke said lifting his left hand quickly. The masked figured stopped his charge a moment away from impacting the invisible shield. He tentatively swished one end of his cloak forward sending sparks flying as it hit the shield. The silent specter smiled faintly and wrapped himself in his cloak. The cloak started to flicker in and out of sight rapidly, taking the wearer with it. Sensing a shift in air pressure from behind him Locke hit the floor and turned just in time to see the cloak flash over his head embedding itself in the wall.
"Teleportation, cool." Locke said as he crawled backwards through his shield. The cloaked fellow sprinted forward cloak at the ready.
And slammed his head on the shield. "Oh, that must have hurt." Locke said wincing. The figure didn't seemed deterred, much. He swirled his cloak and disappeared again. Locke felt the air pressure change again. 'Ok, time to try offense.' Locke pushed his right hand out behind him and shouted *Flatus vires*
A small blast of concussive force flew through the air and hit the teleporter flat in the chest. Unfortunately the blast wasn't strong enough to knock him aside, but it did disorient him. Locke jumped to his feet and hurried over to the dazed masked man. *Exsisto limito pallium immotus* he muttered grabbing the masked man's forehead. Locke's target wasn't too dazed to punch back in response however, and Locke fell to the ground. Lying on the carpet Locke noticed the timer had only gone down by 40 seconds. He pushed himself back to his feet and looked at his fallen opponent.
The costumed character was struggling to move. He tugged at his cloak and twisted his neck, but the cloak was held in place. "Four minutes and 12 seconds left. Any other tricks?" Locke asked staring intently at the figure. After a few more moments of struggling the figure finally shrugged his shoulders and leaned on to his frozen cloak. A four minute long test in concentration later the timer finally reached zero. The timer flashed 0:00 a few times before the door behind Locke automatically opened.
"If I let you up will you let me past?" Locke asked. The figure seemed to contemplate the question, shrugged, then raised his hand in a thumbs up. *Liberari* Locke said relieved that he didn't need to hold the spell any longer. Taking a deep breath Locke walked through the door he entered.
On the other side of the door was the man who had addressed the crowd holding a stopwatch. He looked up from his watch and smiled broadly. "Well Mr. Bishop, I trust everything went well?"
"Better than I expected sir. I don't mean to seem rude," Locke started hesitantly.
"Oh don't worry about it my boy." The man said jovially. "I teach super powered teenagers, I'm fairly thick skinned."
"Well, what's your name?" He asked sheepishly.
He let out a genuine laugh. "Did I forget to introduce myself? You may call me Brother Blood, and while we are in school Professor Blood. Now, I have a question of my own." The man had a practiced smile. "Will Kyd Wykkyd be able to continue the tests or will he need medical attention?"
"Oh, that's his name? He should be a little shaken but I didn't do much to him." Locke said.
"Excellent, Kyd Wykkyd is one of our top students. If you will wait in the auditorium the rest of the testing will be done soon, then you and your classmates will leave for school."
"Ok sir." Locke said turning to leave.
"One thing first Locke." Blood said. "My power connects the minds of the students to me on a subconscious level. I've found this makes them much easier to teach. I noticed that you seemed rather distressed by it when I settled the crowd. I thought I would warn you that during lessons I will be linked to my students."
"Oh. I don't react well to most forms of psychic power." Locke thought for a minute. "If the link is just to increase students learning ability then could I try the class without it? Before you answer would you look over my school records, I think I can do it."
Blood showed no outward response for a moment. Finally he spoke. "I have looked over your transcripts, if they are indeed as good as they appear you may be able to handle the workload. In truth though it would be offsetting to the rest of the students. The link prevents them from getting away with major rule breaking so it could be seen as favoritism."
"I see. I do want to go to H.I.V.E academy but it would be pointless if I couldn't learn there." Locke looked around. "Why don't you check into my transcripts and give me a call when you get them confirmed." Locke turned and picked up his cane on his way to the door, passing by bruised metahumans all the way. As he reached the door Private Hive started to block his way, but he stopped after seeing Brother Blood shake his head.
'Well that could have gone better.' He thought to himself as he walked to the hotel he was staying in. He was not in a good part of town but he knew he'd sense any would-be trouble before it came. Sure enough, he did. A group of intoxicated men were approaching him. Judging by their various wrenches, chains, and knives they weren't coming over to simply ask for a light.
'Let's see, no where nearby that's open to duck into, no real chance of police assistance within 20 minutes, and without an explosion or something the titans probably won't know.' He grimaced, 'This shouldn't take long.'
It took the thugs a few minutes to intercept Locke, minutes he spent carefully thinking. "Hey punk!" One of them yelled at him brandishing a knife. "Yeah you, you freaking supers think you're so great don't you?"
'Ah, he must have seen me leave the tryouts.' Locke thought while watching the bikers form a semicircle around him.
"Yeah! We're just a nuclear meltdown away from super powers, you aren't so special!" Another said to the general agreement of the group. "Well we're gonna teach you a thing or two about us "Normal" folks!" he finished as he stepped forward menacingly holding his knife up.
Locke looked the man in the face, smiling slightly. "Really? Well then if you believe you have something to teach me, by all means do." The calm words had the desired effect and the man swung wildly with his knife. Locke swung his cane around, deftly knocking the knife away. The man gaped at his empty hand a few moments to long and received three sharp knocks in that time. With a final blow to the back of the knees the man fell to the ground, unconscious. Locke raised his face to the rest, a bored look on his face. seeing dozens of little indicators of fear, and several large indicators, Locke carefully stepped around the unconscious man and continued walking. The crowd dispersed with his advance and he made it to his room uneventfully.
He stretched and sprinted until he was literally exhausted. He fell into his bed and fell asleep wondering if HIVE would prove to be the drive he needed, or if he'd be forced to find a new focus.