Hello boys and girls. Sorry for the late update – been visiting my sister today. So, here's the long awaited chapter, featuring all our fan favourites and least favourites. So… this is heavily focused around powers, but even more so around the characters. SO, read on, and enjoy!

tobi-is-an-artist-too – Hailey's cool. As for that awkward noddle promise I made… Hailey belongs to So hard usernames to choose usernames

I'm glad to hear! We see her out of her element here… hahaha… I made a science joke… it's to do with quantum entanglement, theories of atomic displacement… that was an Octavi-joke.

You'll like this chapter. There's so much awkwardness… We had some guy chapter previously between Robbie and Warner, but there's a little more on the way.

Well, enjoy this chapter from Maggie's POV!

Kenna is, without a doubt, the nicest person in the story. Hands down.

Ahh… Octavio's power… read on.

*Sinister laugh* Oh you shouldn't be cautious… not yet.

So hard to choose usernames – Hmmm… you've got some things right, but you're not quite on the right lines with the first part of the riddle. As for 'The Old Country'… well, let's just say that I've been dropping in hints as to what that means. As for Alex – we know at least 7 students at Blackwell have powers…

We see many interactions here – enjoy!

I'm planning to write from Octavio's POV in the next chapter or the one after.

Warner's power does have a slight drawback… at least when you're learning to use it. As we'll see shortly…

Ooh, Villain? I wouldn't say so… Abigail's… complex. A lot like Robbie… *sinister laugh*

Harukawa Ayame – I thought so! And yes, you know I monopolise the 'Unreliable Narrator' device…

Ooh, yeah – that is true… she doesn't have a bias… but who's Hailey learning a lot about Blackwell from?

Ooh – there's so much drama brewing… read on in this chapter…

And that was intentional – nice attention to detail. Max is actually keeping an eye on Kate… I'll go into that at some point, I promise.

You'll like this chapter… I hope. I mean, it's Maggie, so expect a lot of her observations… there's quite a few of them.

Octavio, Octavi-bro… he's really coming into his own…

Also, yeah, Kenna's the only one responsible enough for that power.

W. R. Winters – Haha… Hailey's so smitten. I mean, it's like seeing… well, Annasophia Robb. The term 'moonstruck' is one my friend told me about – it's a great word.

Ooh, you're in luck… Maggie and Warner you say? You can't say I don't listen to fans…

Octavio's the fan favourite… I sure hope he doesn't die or anything.

WhiteReaper4 – I hope you enjoy this. And yes – not a word to anyone. Though, you don't actually know what that riddle refers to… but shtum until chapter… 12(?) And yes – I'd love some more updated opinions – never enough information on characters.

Robbie and Kenna is a thing that keeps cropping up… lots of people don't like it, but I'm not trying to make a romance here. They used to be close, and in this story, they've grown up a bit, but they can't help but fall back into an old pattern of being friends – which we'll see may not be the best thing for either of them…

Ooh… Well, have some more Maggie then!

Yeah… Warner's power is pretty dope.

RegaliaAmethyst1313 – Hmmm… depends on who else you're talking about with Hailey…

It is pretty cute – we see how Oxy's changed a little since they've started hanging out

Well, everyone loves their own brand…

Maggie: Magnetoreception

The abandoned mill was associated with certain students – junkies, delinquents and other sorts of undesirables. So, when Robbie had arranged for us to go and see Different Creatures (a band none of us had ever heard of), my first response was 'Hell no'. But, Kenna was insistent we go – she didn't tell me the specifics, but from what she told me, she'd found others like us. She said it was surprise Robbie and I who'd she found.

So, Robbie, Hailey and I sat in the rafters, looking out at the supporting band, Cassius, and their churning crowds of moshing fans below. They were a English band – London, apparently – so Robbie supported them out of loyalty for his home country and town. I'd managed to smuggle in Cat with me. For a squalid, termite-ridden hovel like the mill, it was fairly strict when it came to animals on the premises.

"So… Hailey," I said, trying to make conversation, "You can do something as well?"

Hailey nodded, holding a single bottle of beer that she hadn't sipped in the past ten minutes. I would've assumed it was the taste of cheap moonshine, but it didn't seem to phase Robbie – it was like she was keeping her wits about her. I couldn't blame her – skeevy guys crept out of the woodwork more than the termites here.

"Yeah," She smiled, "I can-" Robbie quickly interjected with a yell.

"Show and tell doesn't start until everyone's here," He said, looking between the two of us firmly. I never really knew Robbie that well – we were both part of Vortex, but he whole-heartedly embraced the 'Party-Boy' persona more than anyone else. It was probably because of this that he never really understood the big deal about Kate Marsh's video – it was a usual occurrence for him.

I leant back onto the chipped floorboards, stroking Cat, who was having trouble trying to find a spot to lie down.

A few more minutes passed; Robbie went downstairs and came back with a few more bottles of beer – I helped myself to one, which I nursed over the next ten minutes. Hailey, however, was still yet to have another swig.

"Not a big drinker?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"Not really… haven't really drunk before…"
"Well, no pressure," I smiled, trying to reassure her, "you don't need to drink."
"She's a big girl, Maggie," Robbie rolled his eyes, "she doesn't need your permission."

Well, he was still a jerk.

A few more moments passed, where I tried to listen to Cassius. They weren't bad – too distorted and angry for me to appreciate. Robbie, on the other hand, lit a cigarette, and began to sing along to the lyrics absent-mindedly. I shook my head with a smile – it was like this whole meeting was an excuse to get drunk at a gig.

Ten minutes later, Kenna arrived. Alone.

"I thought you said you'd found others."
"They're getting a beer," Kenna explained. "Now, you remember at the End of the World party, where you and Octavio fell into the pool randomly?" I nodded, remembering the experience. "Well, it turns out it wasn't so random…"

We saw shadows creep up the stairs. I gripped my bottle in anticipation as we all watched, and waited. Who else had a power? It was someone we knew, definitely – Blackwell was small, and the number of people at the pool party were smaller still. Was it Zach Robertson? Pushing Octavio in the pool seemed like the sort of thing he'd do…

"This is so awesome…" Robbie grinned.

We all felt that buzz – the anxiety of meeting others. It was this super secret scoop – too secret to even gossip about it – the ultimate gossip. First up the stairs came Warner Monger. Him? Really? The hot-headed jock?

"…And now it's not." Robbie said, drinking his beer.

"You've got a power?"
"You don't have to sound so disappointed…" Warner smirked in response.

Before I could respond, someone else came up the stairs behind Warner. I could see Kenna smiling at me – looking at me in particular. It was like I was going to be affected by the next person…

"Oh, you will be…" Kenna giggled excitedly.

And up the stairs came… Octavio?

"Wait, what?"

"Maggie?" Octavio asked incredulously, "W-what are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I… I can do… I've got…" He stammered, anxiously playing with the zip on his jacket before dissolving into stutters and chokes.

"I think he's saying he has a power," Robbie whispered loudly. He turned to Kenna, drinking his beer.

"Yup, that's it," She nodded.

"That was a test. Stay out of my head," Robbie stood up, "Well… I'm going to go and get more beer."
"I'll come!" Hailey said immediately, burning a deep shade of red as she passed Kenna and went downstairs with Robbie.

A minute later, they returned with an old, cracked crate of bottles. Discount brands of whiskey, rum, beer, cider…

"Something for everyone," Robbie smiled, setting it down. Everyone took something, though it was Robbie and Warner who helped themselves to the spirits. We sat in silence, no-one knowing who should go first. Well, there wasn't much of a protocol for this. We all waited for someone to start asking a question about this. I was burning in anticipation of finding out what everyone could do. I knew what Kenna could do, and Kenna probably knew what everyone else could do.

I only then realised Kenna and Robbie sharing looks. Kenna would look at Robbie for several seconds, then shake her head or nod. I smiled – she could hear what he was thinking. That's how they were communicating. Warner and Octavio, however, did not notice this – well, they wouldn't – neither of them knew what Kenna could do… I doubted it, anyway.

"Should…" Octavio coughed, making all of us look over to him. He immediately dropped his gaze to the beer bottle as he began to pull the label off of it, "should we… like… come up with a name? Yeah…no? I don't…"

Warner shook his head with a little laugh.

"Christ you're a twat…" Robbie chuckled. We all started chuckling at this – even Octavio. It was nice – it broke the ice… even if Robbie was being a bit of jerk.

"So, who's going first?"

Robbie raised an eyebrow at Kenna, who sighed.

"Okay, someone think of a number…"
"No-no, not again," Robbie shook his head, "My ears are still ringing – the less you're in my head, the better…"

"What about you, Robbie?" I asked, "Why don't you show us all what you can do?"

Robbie sat forwards, and stretched out his hand.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Everyone started laughing as Warner started a drumroll on the wooden floorboards, which everyone joined in on.

"Alright, alright," I held up my hands, "Okay, I'll go…" I turned to Cat, scratching her ear, "Cat, can you get me that cup, please?" I pointed at a scrunched up, plastic pint glass that sat by the stairs. Cat brushed against my hand simply.

"Wow," Warner grinned, "I wish I had that one…"

"Shut up," I snapped, turning back to Cat, "Cat, please?"

Cat looked over to the cup, then back at me. Eventually, she moodily sauntered over there, picking up the glass in her mouth and bringing it over, dropping it in my hand.

"Thank you Cat," I smiled, scratching her behind her ears. Everyone clapped – though Robbie and Warner did it with a heavy hand of sarcasm.

"So… you taught a cat how to fetch?" Robbie asked. Cat looked over at him, meowing in her unamused tone.

"She doesn't like you," I informed him.

"She's not the only one…" Octavio muttered.

We all looked up at Octavio, mouths half-open in disbelief. We grinned as Robbie was lost for words, and burst out laughing. Warner knocked his fist into Octavio's as Robbie began to think hard to try and come up with a retort. It didn't matter – nothing he could say would stop us laughing. Eventually it died down.

"Okay," Robbie looked over at Octavio, "I get that you're coming out of your shell, making friends, and generally becoming less of an… awkward noodle, but let's get one thing straight – I'm the funny one here."

"Funny to laugh at maybe…" I said, looking over at Octavio, who flashed a smile at my solidarity.

"Kenna?" Robbie raised an eyebrow, "Why don't you let everyone see what you can do?"

"Invasion of privacy," She said, sipping her bottle of beer.

"Oh, now you have a problem with that?" She rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I can… I can see inside people's heads. Feel what they feel, see or… hear what they're thinking-"

"What?" Hailey stiffened up, eyes wide in shock. I grinned – Octavio shared a similar look. Warner, however, seemed completely unfazed by this.

"You're at peace with this…" I commented.

"Meh," Warner shrugged, "I say what I think."
"Or you just don't think at all…" I said. Warner gave me a wink.

"Octavio hasn't gone yet," Robbie pointed out.

"Oh… I… it's not… I mean, there's not…" He began to mumble, peeling off the label of his beer bottle once again.
"What was that?" Robbie said loudly, "Squeak up."

"Don't be a jerk Robbie," I rolled my eyes before looking at Octavio, "Come on, show us what you can do."

We all started chanting 'Oxy' over and over again until he he stood up. Octavio looked around, spying a fusebox by the stairs. He chugged the rest of his beer, standing up and making his way over to the fusebox. He pressed his hand to it and closed his eyes. The lights then began to flicker in a strobe effect to Cassius' music. The crowds went ballistic! Slamming into each other and screaming with pure joy, enveloped and immersed by the moment.

I've got to say… seeing Octavio be confident like that…

"Yo," Robbie shouted as Octavio came over, "I've got to admit it, that was pretty dope…"

"Nice one bro," Warner knocked his fist into Octavio's.

"So, is it anything electrical?"

"Pretty much," Octavio nodded, "Hi… you're…?"
"Oh, Hailey. I'm- I'm Hailey."
"Hailey. Do you have a phone on you?"
"Oh- yeah," Hailey pulled out her phone, "I don't have data though…"

Octavio took Hailey's phone and held it for a second. It flashed to life, with a series of browsers flashing through it. He handed it back to her.

"Unlimited data."

"What…" Hailey took her phone, looking at it, puzzled. "How did you do that?"
"I…" Octavio shrugged, tapping his head, "I just… told it to."

There was a silence as Hailey smiled – a heart-warming smile.

"Thank you…" She said, beaming at him. I looked between the pair of them. It was frustrating – Octavio was a sweetheart, but… this wasn't him. That wasn't bad, but… I mean, he was my friend. I knew him first.

"Okay," I said loudly, point at Robbie "Your go."
"Oh, not yet…" Robbie said, looking over to Hailey. "Your turn."
"Wha… me?" Hailey asked.

"What's wrong Hailey?" Kenna asked, leaning back, "Scared?"

We all ooh-ed, following Warner with his drumroll again.

"Chug the beer – it'll help with the confidence," Robbie said, opening a bottle of beer and knocking it into hers. She sighed, drinking hers with him.

"Okay…" She stood up, looking over to the crate of beers beside Robbie. She furrowed her brow, and then something amazing happened. She started to become transparent – fading into the very air until she wasn't there.

Then, she re-appeared – next to the bottles of beer. She picked up another one as we all starting clapping and cheering. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gave a shy, nervous bow.

"You can teleport?" Octavio asked in awe, beaming at her. "That's awesome- That's an awesome power!"

I bit my lip, stroking Cat. I thought my power was pretty cool… I mean, teleporting was cool, but Hailey couldn't talk to animals… I looked up and saw Kenna raising an eyebrow at me. And it was now that I took a note from Robbie. I sipped my beer and looked away, while loudly thinking 'Invasion of privacy!'. Kenna smiled.

"So," Octavio continued, "how does that work?"

"I don't… I don't really know," Hailey began to explain, only to be cut off by Octavio, who was smiling like a kid on Christmas

"Well, how far can you go?"

"I don't know; I've never tried going beyond what I can see…"
"Like Nightcrawler?" Octavio shouted, pointing at her. We all looked at him, lost. "You know? In… in X-men…" There was a long silence, filled only by Cassius' rhapsodic lyrics. "He… he can teleport…"

Robbie laughed again.

"Such a twat…"

"Okay Robbie," Warner looked at him, "you're calling out everyone else – what can you do?"
"Me?" Robbie shook his head, "It's… kind of weird."
"Really?" Kenna raised an eyebrow. "Weird. Your power is weird? After a girl just… Night-crawled?" I paused – Robbie could do what Kenna could do… right? "Wrong," Kenna looked over to me, "Well… kind of wrong. Show them, Robbie."

Robbie stood up, picking up his bottle.

"Okay guys… I'm going to need a hand…" Octavio stretched out a hand, "No, not you; I'm still upset about your mean comment…" Robbie said, looking at the rest of us.

"What's wrong Robbie?" Kenna asked, drinking her beer, "Feeling a little sensitive?" He grinned at her, then looked at Warner.

"Fistbump?" Warner knocked his hand into Robbie, and that's when something happened – it was subtle, but there was a definite golden glow that emerged underneath their skin for a moment.

"Woah, what'd you do? What was that?" Warner asked in exasperation.

"That was me copying you," Robbie said, "I figured it was skin contact that did it…" He stretched out his arms, as if he was getting ready for a run "So, what can you do?"

Warner pointed at an empty beer bottle and held out a hand. In less than a second, the bottle soared through the air like a nail to a magnet, shooting into hand.

"That's sick!" Robbie shouted. He picked up another empty bottle, placing at the edge of rafters. "How'd you do it?"
"It's kind of like… you just do it. Like picking it up normally."

"What, like this-" Robbie stretched out a hand, but instead of the bottle flying towards him, it jettisoned out over the heads of the crowd, slamming into the stage and shattering into several pieces.

Robbie covered his mouth and crouched down to hide as we all began laughing at this.

"Yo, you've got to practice bro…" Warner laughed.

"This is a pretty good one to hang onto…" Robbie laughed nervously with us.

"So," Octavio began, "it has to be skin contact?"
"Yeah… like, bare skin has to touch," Robbie explained.

"So… when you mimic another… ability? Do you… well, what happens to the old one?"
"I don't know," Robbie shrugged, "I can't do it anymore. I can only really hold onto one at a time."

"That's weird…" Octavio said, rubbing his chin.

"You're asking a lot of questions," I noticed, "if I didn't know better, I'd say you're writing an article." I smiled.

"I… I'm not writing an article. There's- I'm trying to work out…"

"He's coming up with theories for how our powers work," Warner explained to me, "Go on, Oxy, tell them your theories," Warner encouraged him. Octavio took a breath, then a swig of beer.

"Okay, well… we can all do something different, s-so, I thought… I reckon that it's… well, it's like hair colour."
"Hair colour?" Robbie squinted at Octavio.

"W-well, it's like… our genes control everything. A-and, sometimes genes are dormant… so maybe they got… activated…?"

"…Did they?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, by what?"
"I don't know… puberty?" Octavio shrugged with his usual nervous smile.

Robbie immediately stood up.

"Guys, Different Creatures are playing!" He took Hailey by the hand, pulling her down the stairs with Octavio and Kenna quickly following.

I got up to follow, but Warner called out to me.

"Hey, Maggie, hold up," Warner picked up his letterman jacket, walking over to me, "Yo… I just wanted to say… I was a fucking idiot," He stuffed his hands into his pockets, "How I acted the other day… that wasn't cool." He shrugged. "I'm sorry."

I smiled.

"You were close with Chloe, weren't you?" Warner nodded.

"Shitty dads… it's not something most people get. They say it a lot, sure, but…" He shrugged again, looking at the floorboards, "she really got it, y'know?"

I smiled; Seeing Warner like this, with all the anger peeled away and being just simple and honest – it was nice. It seemed like Octavio was rubbing off on him as much as he was rubbing off on Octavio.

"Yo, we should probably follow them down there," Warner smiled. As he went to move past me, I pulled him into a hug – he looked like he needed one. I knew Warner wasn't the physical type – not in the same way I was anyway. I felt his arms wrap back around me – strong arms.

There was an awkward cough from behind as we turned around to see Robbie. He walked over to the crate, picking up his bottle of whiskey.

"Just forgot this…" He unscrewed the lid, leaning against one of the cracked pillars and looking at us both with a glint in his eye. Warner shook his head with a smile and walked down the stairs, muttering a curse with a chuckle.

I looked over to Robbie, who was smirking from behind his bottle.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he grinned. I shook my head – I didn't have the time, nor the energy, to spend on him. I started to walk towards the stairs, "Just surprises me."

I should walk away. I should just leave right now.

"What surprises you?" I turned around. Robbie shrugged, swaggering over towards me.

"Well… you and Oxy had this really cute 'will-they-might-they?' thing going on. And then I see you getting close with Octavio's octavi-bro," He grinned, "Sorry… it's all just so... well, clichéd."

"Clichéd?" I wasn't confused – I was astounded by how much of an ass one person could be.

"Well, we've got the awkward noodle, rebellious bad-boy jock, and they're after the same girl… plus they're friends. It's all very exciting."
"Mmm…" I nodded, trying to think of something cutting – words always came naturally to me, but now… "So, who are you in all this then?"
"…Me? I'm the leading man," Robbie said, coming closer to me, "Let me give you a bit of advice."
"Advice? From you? About relationships?"

Robbie's smirk transformed – it wasn't knowing anymore – it was satisfied.

"I didn't say anything about relationships…" Why did I bring up relationships? I glanced out to see Different Creatures playing, trying to avoid his stare. "Look, you're clearly into Oxy – that much was certain as soon as you saw him and Hailey getting on like a house on fire."

"I'm not into-"

"If you want something to happen, you should make it happen." Robbie said, glaring into my eyes – his smile dissipating. "Don't take your time waiting. I've made that mistake before."
"…With who?"

This time, Robbie avoided my stare, looking at Different Creatures playing. He seemed to be remembering something very distant… as if he was looking into the past like it was a box of photographs. He quickly shook his head, once again plastering that stupid damn grin on his face.

"Just take my word for it, yeah?"

"I don't-"

"Fine," Robbie nodded, screwing the lid back onto the bottle, "my mistake. Forget I mentioned anything."

I groaned, following Robbie down. He was wrong – dead wrong. No way. Octavio and I were just friends – we weren't even friends. And Warner and I, even less so. He was just being his regular jerk-self and assuming he knew everything.

But I couldn't help feeling a nagging sensation whenever I saw Hailey dancing with Octavio. It was tiny, miniscule, immeasurably small, squirrelled away in the back of my head.

But it was still there.

Oooh… things have transpired.

Events!

Drama!

Plot!

Intrigue!

Exclamations!

Please review:

Favourite Moments (in this chapter / in the story)

Hailey and Oxy's friendship (Not a word, So hard to choose usernames – you've got too much knowledge of Hailey)

Is Maggie Jealous?

What / Who / Where do you want to see more of?

Until next time,

R.