Alaric escorted the six men through the vast corridors of the school, pointing out and explaining things he considered important to their understanding of the lifestyles of his kind. The men seemed to absorb everything with a kind of obsessive interest. They asked many questions, sometimes general questions, such as the way the island operated, sometimes very specific questions, such as the information of students they passed. The two who appeared most interested were the oldest and youngest of the group. A man of forty and one of sixty. They occasional stopped students and asked them to display their abilities, much to Alaric's displeasure.
"I can't help but notice that a vast majority of your alumni are male, Mr. Beilschmidt. Is there a reason for this?" The youngest asked after a chatty boy with long blond hair had been pulled away worriedly by a nervous looking boy with equally long brown hair.
They had just left the courtyard where many of the students were lounging during their lunch hour. The school, in fact, was comprised mainly of male students, although there were a fair share of girls. Some of the most prominent and efficient heroes were actually female, but, due to their limited numbers, were often overshadowed by the male hero population. Elizabeta, Bella, and Katyusha, to name a few, were talented beyond their years, but were the only female heroes for the time being, and Katyusha was not even an active hero. She preferred to remain on the school grounds and work as a medic alongside Yao. Alaric, however, was very confident in the abilities of the female students that had yet to graduate. Natalia showed a deadly cunning, that was sure to be efficient in any battle; if anyone was left standing after her show of ability, that is. Michelle's powers were inescapable, and her resourcefulness when it came to them would possibly save her life one day, Wendy was talented beyond her years and was able to remain calm and logical in the few situations where the other children weren't. Mei, despite her happy persona, was more than capable of becoming serious in a fight, and wasn't one to back down easily. He had never really witnessed Lien's ability, but she gave off the same serious, if not deadly, aura that Berwald often gave off, and had excelled in every single one of her classes. They were the only girls in the entire institution, but they were also some of the most gifted.
"It would appear that the gene that causes the mutations works much in the same way with colorblindness. It's a recessive trait, but it is located on the X chromosome, and as males only have one, they have no dominant trait to counter it." Students looked on interested, while others appeared suspicious. In any way, all eyes were on Alaric and the men that accompanied him through the course of the school, dorms, and rest of the island.
"I see. You seem to have studied the cause of this quite thoroughly. Why the interest in it? Does it matter what causes it if you're going to accept your kind into the school either way?"
"I have been around for many years, you can imagine I had the time to look into it. It was simply for understanding. As humans, we do have the tendency to want to discover ourselves, do we not?"
"I suppose so, Mr. Beilschmidt. Another question: If it does work as colorblindness does, that means that the offspring of any two mutants will inevitably be a mutant themself, does it not?" Alaric sighed. The questions they were asking was beginning to worry him. They seemed to be attempting to pick apart the cause of the mutations as much as possible; trying to learn how and what made them tick.
"Yes, we do have a few children in our care whose parents are heroes. Elizabeta and Roderich, for example, have a son who shares their genetic enhancements. The Kirklands were also a prominent hero family, whose offspring all had the mutation."
"Is that so? May we see some of these childr-"Alaric was quick to shut down their request.
"Absolutely not. It's a miracle Romulus did not shoot your helicopter down. If he were to know you were allowed anywhere near the children, I would not be able to guarantee your safety." The children had, not only the most unstable abilities, but also the most easily influenced minds. He didn't know how they would react to the exposure to the men or any questions or statements made by them. Romulus knew that as well and made it his most important rule when he had learned that the heroes had given the outsiders permission to enter the school.
"Quite hostile, isn't he?" The youngest of the group asked with a confident smile.
"I expect no less, considering the way you dealt with our own." The others laughed off his response and probed at another topic.
"Do you ever, for the lack of a better word, breed these heroes?"
"Of course not. The people here are free to choose whatever partner they wish, whether they be mutant or otherwise. They are not animals."
"You're getting very worked up over a simple question, Alaric. I am simply attempting to understand the way you run this place. You can't blame me for thinking such things, you do keep them trapped here like animals. It is strange, though. If mutations such as yours are as common as colorblindness I would expect you to have more inhabitants on this island of yours."
"Clearly, you are misinformed. Our students are allowed to leave during their breaks and live amongst you if they please, or remain permanently after they have gained control of their abilities. The four eldest Kirkland brothers are a prime example. They did not wish to remain heroes, so they didn't. This school, this island, was built for the sole purpose of helping people like us, not caging them. We do not have as many inhabitants as you might assume because we do not force our own here. They can come as they please, not to mention that there is the fact that many of them have not awakened their abilities and we don't want them to feel as if they fall short because of this.
"Furthermore, some of their abilities are so menial they could easily live among humans. Clairvoyance is a common gift, and many humans continue to live on in your world that have it, although they have proven to inaccurately foretell the future because of the various possible paths a future can have, leading many to think that their gifts are a hoax. It is the more troubled or potentially harmful ones that we search for and invite to our establishment. Francis Bonnefoy, for example, projected such strong illusions to those around him that he drove his parents to the brink of insanity. Lukas Bondevik had mistakenly summoned dark entities and lost control of them, leading to devastation in his home town. Elizabeta Héderváry destroyed her school and created something resembling a jungle in and around it when her powers awakened. A majority of the children we have here are those who were scared, alone, and needed our guidance. " Alaric stopped in front of the academy and turned to the men.
"I have shown you everything I could and I have told you everything there is to know. You have free ground to explore as you please with the exception of the children's sector. Be warned that if any of our heroes spot you wandering too close they will take it upon themselves to attack and I will not stop them." He turned and began walking away.
"Is that a threat, Alaric?" The man stopped and turned back to them, a dangerous gleam in his eye.
"No, it wasn't, but if I catch you anywhere near the child's sector I will take it upon myself to tear you apart. That is a threat, gentlemen." They physically tensed under his gaze, but the Germanic man paid it no mind. It simply meant that they understood the true danger of attempting anything with the younger generation of mutants. He continued on his way, until he heard a soft voice call out to him. He spun on his heel and looked down to find Matthew looking up at him nervously. He raised a brow and was about to ask what he needed, but the boy spoke first.
"I-I'm sorry to- to bother you Mr. Beilschmidt, b-but-well-you see... Are Lovino and I allowed to compete in the tournament?" He finally choked out. His face was red from exertion, no doubt having run around the school grounds looking for him.
"Wh- yes, of course. Once you've completed academy requirements, which you're in the process of doing, you have as much of a right to compete as any other student. Did that ever appear to be an issue, Matthew?" Relief washed over his features, and he let out a sigh, hunching over. Ever since Gilbert had mentioned it, he had been worrying whether he was allowed to compete. No one, not even the founders had informed him, or reminded him of it until Alfred had returned. Lukas and Mathias had apparently been teaching him to fly the academy craft so that he could get started on missions with a team as soon as possible.
When Matthew had informed him that nobody had told him of the tournament he grew concerned and instructed Matthew to ask Alaric or Romulus. After several minutes of searching and asking if anyone had seen him, leading him the wrong way on multiple occasions, he had finally found the man.
"N-no, it's just, well y-you didn't mention it, s-so I thought I wasn't allowed-"
"Well, then I'm sorry to have worried you." Alaric rested a hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. "You are like us, the same rules apply to you, as well as the same privileges. Despite your origins, and despite the bumpy beginnings, you will always be accepted as one of our kind. That has been bothering you, hasn't it?" Matthew was caught off guard, but slowly nodded. He'd felt like an outsider or a circus act for the past few months; it was a relief to be told so openly that he was accepted, and Alaric clearly sensed his relief, as he gave him one last smile, before walking away.
Matthew muttered a small "Thank you" before he turned and walked away as well. He had been at the school so long, three months to be exact, and had never really had a conversation with the man that didn't involve the lectures he had been given when he first arrived. It was almost exhilarating, talking to someone so powerful, who had been around for thousands of years, and would probably be around thousands more after he had died. It was truly incredible, after all, he was the origin of so many of the modern heroes, along with Romulus and Yao. He had heard of a few other heroes as old as them, but they weren't as successful, and died out thousands of years ago.
Matthew was making his way to the founder's mansion in search of Lovino to inform him of the tournament, when he heard people speaking in hushed tones. He was about to continue walking, when he heard someone call out to him. A middle aged man had his hand up signalling for him to come closer to himself and five other men. Matthew looked around in wonder and checked to see if there was anyone else he could be talking to, but found no one, and slowly approached the men.
"I am sorry to bother you, but those are the strangest colored eyes I've seen on this island. Not only that, but they appear to have an almost supernatural quality. What is your name, young man?"
"M-matthew," he glanced around, in hopes of finding someone he knew, but he had no such luck.
"Ah, I see. What is it that makes your eyes appear to shine like that, Matthew?"
"W-well I'm not sure-"
"Is that so? Such a shame. You have a brother don't you? I believe I saw him when we first arrived. Are your biological parents also mutants?"
"Yes, I do, but we don't have the same biological p-parents. W-we both live with Tino and Berw-"
"What do you mean? You two are practically identical, and how could he be your brother, if you are not related?"
"W-well, I- I wasn't... I'm not... I've- I wasn't born, s-so much as I w-was made. Mo- Tino and Berwald found me and took me in, and Alfred and I claim to be siblings, but we're... well we're actually more like... the same person?" The men raised a brow at his explanation and looked quietly to each other as they processed the information given.
"So you're a clone? I was not made aware that they were experimenting with students in this institution. Does that mean you share your brother's abilities?" The man who had beckoned him said.
"No! T-they don't. Lovi and I weren't made here. W-we were made somewhere else. I-I'm sorry, even I don't know how we- this happened, but I- I don't share Alfred's powers." Matthew continued to look around, desperately attempting to find a means to escape from their prying interrogation. He felt like a cornered animal, unsure of how to answer, but unable to remain quiet out of respect.
"Lovi? There is another like yourself?"
"Y-yes, Lovino Vargaas, he's my friend. We were found together. L-look, I really need to g-"
"Of course, but would it trouble you greatly to show us what you are capable of, first?" Matthew began fidgeting, but nodded, nonetheless, and vanished. The men let out a chorus of "Oh's" and "Ah's" as well as several praises, before thanking Matthew and allowing him to scamper away.
Matthew had been in such a desperate state, he had run off in the wrong direction to ensure being as far from the men as possible, that it took him much longer to finally make it back to the founder's house without seeing or being seen by the men. When he inspected the inside of the home, however, he found that both Lovino and Gilbert were out. He huffed out a sigh, and was about to leave, when Feliciano popped up in front of him.
"Hello, Mattie! Wow, I haven't seen you in such a long time. Are you here for Lovi? I don't think he came home yet today. I've been here the whole day and I didn't hear him. Would you like to hang out with me? I'm a little bored; Grandpa told me not to leave the house, Gil's been gone the whole day, Ludwig's doing some homework with Kiku, and told me I was making too much noise, and Lovi isn't back." Feliciano was rocking back and forth on his heels, hands clasped behind his back as he spoke a mile a minute. He wore a small smile on his face as his brows creased in worry.
It was unusual seeing such an expression on a face so identical to that of his friend. The only expressions Lovino expressed often were rage, malicious joy, nonchalance, or the soft look only Matthew could invoke. Any flashes of insecurity were usually replaced in an instant by any of the first three. It worried him at times, but he never further pursued the topic, lest he upset the boy. Lovino always came off as more sensitive than most people, quicker to anger, worry, or overthink things and fear consequences. It was one of the things that drew him closer to the boy; he just happened to be passionate than most, and it made his emotions more pure, more concentrated. In its own way, it showed a kind of naivety, and when it came down to it, Lovino was naive. They had only be "alive," or rather, conscious, a few months, but in that time, Lovino was the one that was punished, the one that fought back, the one that was aware of the abuse more than anything. He knew that wasn't how a person was supposed to live, and he refused to believe he wasn't a person. Not when he looked like them, talked like them, angered like them.
His chest grew heavy at the thought and his eyes began to water. Matthew felt his knees lock, unable to support him. He was drowning in the resonating echo of his memories, and he began to lose sight of the light that led him back towards reality as his thoughts suddenly became darker and spiraled out of control. Was it even real? It felt so distant, so dream-like. What he was remembering then felt more real than any of the past few months had.
Lovino's screamed as they tested him out, or punished him, he couldn't be sure which. The screams always sounded the same and they both felt the same, anyway. They echoed through the building and remained long after the boy was unconscious. He remembered his own. Whatever powers they had would be forced out of them after hours of prolonged torture to draw them out with their need to protect themselves. Without proper control, it was only their fight or flight instinct that would trigger them. Lovino's power was offensive, his own was defensive. Lovino tried to kill, he tried to escape, but it never seemed to work. They had never even gotten close to seeing the light of day, they weren't even sure it could be brighter, but they had faith that the world could not be so dark.
Where they were now, they weren't more than rats, but not to each other. They valued one another to the point where Lovino would distract the men from any of Matthew's shortcomings by attacking, back talking, insults, or simply shielding the cowering boy. Afterwards, Matthew would hold him close and comfort him; even if they didn't understand one another, they at least knew what they each went through, and knew that they cared for one another. If no one else, at least they did. It was their saving grace, their reason to stay and live each day, and endure anything.
Just before they had been found by the Nordics, Matthew and Lovino were deemed "immature" due to Matthew's disarming coyness, Lovino's recklessness, and their too human physical condition that would be a major weakness if they were ever faced with any real danger. They were put back in the gel until their bodies, minds, and abilities would develop further.
Matthew had screamed as Lovino was taken from him and collapsed. The boy became pale and limp and Matthew feared the worst before everything went black. The next thing he knew, he was waking up, in a much different cage this time. The lights were brighter, but he was further from Lovino than he'd ever been while in the same room. He couldn't use his powers, and he feared their fate, but then Alfred came, and Feliciano came, and then the others, and suddenly he was surrounded by people who smiled and cared, and Lovino; He wasn't going to be taken away again.
Matthew felt a warm, wet line run down his cheek and quickly wiped it away snapping back to reality. Staring back at him was Feliciano, concerned and a little frightened. He had been rubbing circles on his back as he remembered all of it in an attempt to soothe the boy. The blond boy blushed at his behavior and pulled away slightly. He sniffed and let out a small, embarrassed chuckle.
"I'm so sorry- I just- it's just- I rem- Do you ever remember o-or feel like you're reliving s-something? Something awful that seems so far? As if it were a dream, but still has a greater impact on your life than it should or than you want it to?" Feliciano blinked at his question, but then gave him a small thoughtful smile, that was too bitter on his usually happy face.
"Sometimes, I'm not sure if it's what you mean, but I feel like someone's going to take Ludwig away from me. I remember what it was like when they took him the first time. I was moved first, so that I could get used to being away, and then so they wouldn't see me cry. It was fine when we were just living apart, I could still see him at school, but then, I couldn't see him there, either. It was like he vanished, without a trace, so I asked my grandpa, but he didn't answer. I think he expected me to stop, but I didn't.
"He was my only friend and I wasn't going to give him up, so eventually he gave up and let me see him. He was where you were, but he was unconscious most of the time. For three years, I think, and then he came back, and I was happy, and I hugged him, but... he didn't know who I was, he didn't really care who I was, he pushed me away. It ... It took so long for him to come back, not just the time he was away, but even after he came back, he was still away. I think... a little bit of him is still away. I get scared that someone will take him away again, and I get scared when I'm not with him, so I cling to him." He looked up at Matthew, without shedding a single tear, despite his quivering lip and his thickening voice. All Matthew could think then, in looking at him, was that the boy shared the same incredible bravery as Lovino, even if not in the same form. While Lovino would, and could, stare down any opponent, Feliciano could, and did, stare back without hesitation at one of the loneliest and scariest times in his past without shedding a tear; something neither Matthew, nor Lovino could bring themselves to do.
"He thinks it's annoying, but I'd rather he thought I was annoying, than have him leave again." Matthew was left shocked. In truth, he had seen Feliciano float around Ludwig most of the time, practically glued to him, but he never would have guessed why. Feliciano, in those moments, showed no fear or worry or any clue as to his troubled mind. He was always happy, smiling, goofing around, despite Ludwig's evident exasperation. Lovino had even complained often about his brother's infatuation with the 'potato bastard' with a hint of disgust and jealousy. It made him see Feliciano, and all the others in a new light. It seemed as though he wasn't the only one with a troubled past on the island, although thinking that was rather selfish on his part. Who knew what secrets lay behind the smiling faces of his classmates. He found himself awed by how incredible, not just the founders were, but how incredible everyone was.
Feliciano noticed him staring and sent him one of the brightest smiles he'd seen on the boy. "So do you want to hang out?"
"S-sure." Matthew responded with a small smile of his own and followed Feliciano as he led the way through the large house.
WOAH! I updated! Amazing! Just kidding~ it hasn't been that long, right? Anyway! I just finished my first week in college! It was way better than I thought it would be... except my school is at the top of a hill and the parking only goes so high... long story short, my butt is sore. You probably didn't need to know that... Nah, we're all friends here. So, like, I thought I was done with obsessing over new fandoms, but then I ended up finishing the Captive Prince trilogy in four days and it's amazing, like, seriously, one of the best books ever, you should totally read it, but, like... check the warnings first, it's a little... yeah... either way XD I think it's amazing and something you should totally check out. Sorry XD, I just REALLY liked it. Anyway, now that I'm in college I hope I'll still be able to update pretty regularly, but if not I hope you guys will be able to understand :0! I really value you guys reading and reviewing and stuff, and it makes me real happy, so I don't want to lose any of you :0. Also! I feel like maybe answering reviews through messages might be a little too personal? So I'll just respond at the end of each new updated chapter so I don't bother anyone :D. If you DO want to talk or DON'T mind me messaging you, just tell me or send me a message :D. Anyway, I've wasted enough of your time with this XD. There were no new powers revealed in this chapter, but maybe the next?
Superpowers:
Nikel Anderson (Luxembourg) Age 10: Amalgamation ( the ability to fuse things with one's self or each other)
Leopold Edelstein (Kugelmugel) Age 8: hard light constructs, superhuman agility and reflexes
Marcello Vargas (Seborga) Age 12: atomic manipulation
Wendy Kirkland (Wy) Age 11:telepathy, telekinesis, psionic blasts
Lili Zwingli Age 12: animal communication, superhuman endurance, agility, and reflexes
Peter Kirkland Age 12: Shapeshifting, superhuman endurance, reflexes, and agility
Elizabeta Héderváry Age 29: nature manipulation
Matthew Williams Age 17: Invisibility, teleportation, intangibility
Mathias Køhler Age 32: forcefield generation, energy blasts, superhuman strength and endurance
Berwald Oxenstierna Age 32: Adamantine body armor, absorption, superhuman strength, endurance, and reflexes
Lukas Bondevik Age 32: Astral projection, summoning, telepathy, energy blasts
Tino Vainamoinen Age 30: duplication, echolocation, superhuman reflexes and agility, healing factor
Alfred F. Jones Age 17: Superhuman strength, agility, endurance, stamina
Feliciano Vargas Age 18: Superspeed, healing factor, superhuman stamina
Francis Bonnefoy Age 27: illusion, possession, power neutralization
Alaric Beilschmidt (Germania): superhuman strength, flight, telepathy, reduced aging
Romulus Vargas (Ancient Rome): Superhuman strength and endurance, flight, reduced aging
Lovino Vargas Age 18: Fire and heat manipulation, infrared vision
Antonio Fernandez Carriedo Age 26: animal communication, animal morphing, enhanced senses
Leon Wang (Hong Kong) Age 18: portal creation, superhuman speed, agility, and strength
Ludwig Beilschmidt Age 17: elemental transmutation, superhuman endurance and strength
Gilbert Beilschmidt Age 27: disintegration, superhuman endurance, agility, and stamina
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! (and favoriting and following... and even considering.)