Big thanks to everyone for sticking with me through the decade turn.

And a major thanks for Scottken and his character Hadrian that he graciously allowed me to use.

——————

"Thanks." I said with a slight smile.

"You must be starving." Said Hadrian. "I'll show you the way to the cafeteria."

As we began walking the campus ground, I decided to screw manners and ask him where he was from. "Where are you from? 'Cause your accent is, well it sounds Australian but I know it isn't."

"New Zealand." He answered.

"Wow. That's a ways off."

"Yeah. This is my second year in the States. Though I'm still not used to the slang here."

"What do you mean?" I asked as we rounded a corner. "the slang shouldn't be that much different from New Zealand."

Hadrian raised an eyebrow. "That's a crack up. Comparing Kiwi and Stater is like comparing Wellington to the wops."

"Uh, what?" I asked, completely confused. I understood the first part, but I was lost after that.

"I said that what you said was funny. New Zealand and American slang are completely different. It's like comparing a city to the middle of nowhere."

"Oooh. Wow, that is different."

"Exactly. And here we are."

The cafeteria was smaller than the one at Defender, that much was obvious, but it was designed differently. There were a few students milling about in a courtyard area next to the caf, and the building had a covered walkway connecting it to a large building. The building itself seemed squat with only one floor, but the inside did look rather nice.

Hadrian opened the door for me, and followed after I stepped inside. The tile was a mix of white, blue, and orange. Various flags hung from the ceiling, ranging from Canada to Nigeria. The tables were round, with blue chairs around each one. The students barely looked up as the two of us walked towards the food lines. But those that did immediately began whispering to each other. About what I wasn't sure, but I was hoping it was about either my parent, or my power.

"This is pretty nice." I said as Hadrian and I lined up.

"Yeah. That's what I thought when I first came here. And that's what I still think." He paused. "Hey, can I ask a question?"

"Yeah, sure, even though you already asked one."

That threw him for a loop, his brain processing what I had said. That was a favorite of mine. I didn't get to use that jibe often so I relished the moment when I could.

"Uuh, well I was going to ask if you were related to the pro-hero Stormbreaker. When word got out about who our transfer would be from Defender, a rumor started going around that you were related to Stormbreaker."

"Yeah. He's my dad." I answered picking up a plate of hamburger and fries, one of my favorites.

"That must be something else, the daughter of a pro hero." "Eh." I shrugged. "It's normal to me. I never knew anything else."

"Do you ever do any hiking?"

"A bit. My friends and I went on a hike in Arkansas this summer."

"Where is that again?" Asked Hadrian as we walked to an empty table. "My geography isn't the best.

"It's in the southern part of the US. Beautiful mountains, great trails."

"Still don't know where it is, but I hope to see it someday." "What's your quirk?" I asked as we sat down.

"I call it Magma. But that doesn't really explain it very well." He answered. "I can heat up metal to a molten state and control it. But only if it's within a certain distance of me. And it wears me out easily."

"That's pretty cool." I nodded before taking a bite of the burger. The beef was cooked just right, with a little bit of seasoning. The cheese was perfectly melted, and I could feel the crunch of good sliced pickles and onions. "And damn, that burger is great."

"I know right." Agreed Hadrian before taking a bite of his own. "I always try to get it once a week. Oh, and what's your quirk." I let a blue flame burn on the end of my pointer finger before pressing it against his cup, flash freezing the root beer.

"That is bloody awesome." Cheered Hadrian

I left my burning finger there and watching as the frozen soda thawed. I extinguished the blue flame and let the root beer continue to thaw naturally.

"So, what do you call it?"

"Freezerburn." I answered. "It comes in handy. But I still have a long way to go in terms of controlling it."

"You'll get there." Encouraged Hadrian. "Just a matter of time."

"So, what classes do I got?" Asked Ayden with a mouthful of burger. 'I've known the guy for all of half an hour. Who needs manners after that long?'

"Well, it's academics right off the bat." "Is math first?"

"No, maths isn't first." "Oh thank the Heavens." I sighed.

"But Physics is."

My eyes went wide. I hated Physics, with a burning passion. "You're kidding."

"Nope." He shook his head.

"Damn." I swore.

"Ah, so the girls got a mouth." Chuckled Hadrian before taking a sip of his now thawed root beer. "I thought the daughter of a pro hero was supposed to be all proper."

"Like Hell." I laughed, raising my glass in a mock toast.

"Chur." Cheered Hadrian before throwing back his glass.

I shrugged and threw back my glass as well. "So, what's the hero class like?"

"They're great people. It's small. Ten people, not counting you."

"Only ten?" I asked, confused, our classes were twice the size.

"Yeah. They're nice and small." Nodded Hadrian. "The teachers say it makes training the kids easier, getting to really know their quirks."

"We have twice the amount at Defender." I said. "We even get to build some parts of our hero suits. My friend Alyss built a mechanized suit that runs off of her quirk. Rei builts a whole helmet. Johnny basically made a plane." "Wow." Whistled Hadrian. "The engineering course usually makes out stuff for us. It's part of their credit for the class."

"Who do you see as the strongest member?" "Well, that would have to be either Astraea or Yodhi. Both are packing quite a quirk."

"Like what?" I asked before taking another bite of the, unfortunately, almost gone burger.

"Where's the fun in coming to a new school if I don't let you find out for yourself?" He teased with a sparkle in his mismatched eyes.

I let out a sigh before taking the final bite. "Now, do you have my schedule for the next two weeks?"

"Yes I do." He answered, pulling out a piece of paper. "We already discussed your first period."

I read over the paper, the bell schedule was opposite that of Defender. All my academics were first. Thankfully, Math was right before lunch, with English followed by History in between Physics and Math. The last three hours of school were for hero training, under a hero called Geometrix. "Isn't Geometrix the hero that can see angles and all that stuff?" I asked.

"Yeah." Nodded Hadrian. "He can see angles, mass, density, height, depth. It's crazy."

"Great." I sighed. "More math."

"Eh, he's a great teacher. Really helpful."

"But shouldn't he be teaching the engineering course?" I asked, confused.

"What do you think he does in the morning." Chuckled Hadrian.

"Busy man. Now, where's my dorm room?"

He slid over a map. "This is the campus map. You're in Fort Courage, the large co-ed dorm in the middle of the dorm complex. It's impossible to miss." "Co-ed dorm?" I asked

"Yes. It's the only co-ed dorm on campus." Confirmed Hadrian. "It's split in half, girls on one side, boys on the other."

"That's interesting. We don't have a single co-ed dorm at Defender."

"It works out fine." Shrugged Hadrain.

"Wanna lead me there?" I asked standing up.

"Sure. I know your room number."

We walked out into the balmy evening. The half moon was bright, accompanied by a few bright stars.

"You know," Began Hadrian as we walked down the sidewalk. "When I first came here and looked into the night sky, the first thing I said was: 'The stars are in the wrong spot.'. I couldn't find a single constellation that I knew, but Astraea was able to help me out. I can name more up here than I can back home."

"Huh. I guess I never really thought about that." I mused, wondering what it would be like to look up at the sky and see something different.

We entered the large dorm compound. Around the edges were wall-like buildings. The outside edge flat and sheer, while on the inside, the buildings had long hallways jutting out like spokes to the center, a stairwell was at the end of each spoke. There were four entrances to the compound, one at each corner, with large heavy metal gates presses against their respective buildings In the center was a massive structure that was built like a fort. I could see eight high watchtowers that formed the octagonal structure. In the center rose a high pointed roof, three levels of walkways surrounded the roof, a large American flag flying over it. The entrance was a large metal door, a blue and orange snarling bear was emblazoned on each door.

As we walked through we metal gate, I let out a whistle. Inside the watchtower and walls was another separate central building, which was the pointed roof we could see from the outside, was a common area. Tables were scattered all over the place, hammock racks were set up under some trees that were tall enough to provide shade during the day. The common green was illuminated by various soft electric lights and many fire pits. The students were milling about in the common area.

"I know. It's quite impressive." Said Hadrian.

"Yeah." I agreed. "It's cozy."

"Here, you're room's up these stairs." Hadrian began to climb up a set of stairs that led into one of the watchtowers. "If I may ask, what does the number on your shirt mean?"

"Oh, this was from the sports festival at my school last year." I answered as I walked into the building, Hadrian holding the door. "The numbers helped to differentiate us from everyone else. Like someone in class two would have the number two-oh-four. It's based on your overall class and seat number." "Interesting. What's your number now?"

"Three-oh-five. We had several new kids join our class after all the mess that happened last week, and I was moved down a seat. But the seats are all alphabetical, so it doesn't really matter."

"Interesting." Hummed Hadrian as he led me to a ladder that hung from the wall. The two adjacent walls angled away from the one where were facing. This was a watchtower corner. "Well, here's your room. Watchtower Four."

"It's up the ladder?"

"Yep." Confirmed Hadrian. "It's a two person room. You got your own bathroom and everything. It's nice. Just climb the ladder to the platform and open the door." "Isn't theft a problem?"

"Not with your roommate. If anyone tried to steal from her they're most likely suicidal."

I was scared now, could feel a worried look creep onto my face.

"Don't worry." Said Hadrian. "She's a great girl. Just very protective of her stuff, and her friends. Well, I'll let you meet your new roomie. See you tomorrow in class."

"See ya then." I waved as he walked back out to the common area.

I grabbed onto the rungs or the ladder and climbed into the watchtower, after about ten feet of ladder, I came across a platform.

I stepped onto the platform and looked at the dark oak door. There was a whiteboard with the name Dian Tailor hanging next to the door.

'I wonder why she's in a room on her own?' I pondered as I knocked on the door.

"Comin'." Came the answer. I could tell just from that word that Dian had a Southern US accent, but it was mixed with an Asian accent.

The door creaked open, and I was greeted with a cheerful smile. "Hey." Said the girl. She had dark black hair that was pulled into a spiky bun, a little bit stuck up in the front. Her eyes, unlike Hadrian's, were the same color, but stood out nonetheless as a shocking shade of dark red. Her skin was semi-dark, tanned but not too much so. I could see a tail dragging behind her, it was almost as long as her body, and had a little flame burning on the end. She didn't seem bothered by it so I assumed that it was her quirk. "I'm Dian, Dian Tailor, but most people call me Dee."

"Nice to meet you. Ayden Clark." I said, as my hand was pulled into a firm handshake.

"I'm guessing you're the girl from Defender who is supposed to be staying with me?" She joked walking back into the dorm.

"How'd you guess." I joked stepping through the open door. The room was decorated quite nicely. Pushed against one wall was a small grey couch, a TV sat across from it. In between both was a squat square table with a few cushions scattered around it. Over the hardwood floor was a blue and yellow colored carpet, the yellow sat in small nodes while the blue flowed like a wave, and reflected over itself after each line, all with a beige background. Off in the corner was a small wooden table, a candle was burning on it, letting the faint smell of jasmine waft over the room. There was a small kitchen in one corner, which included everything from a microwave, a small oven with a stovetop, a decent sized fridge, and a few cabinets overhead.

"Your shirt helped out a bit." Chuckled Dee as her tail pushed the door closed.

I felt a smile creep over my face as I walked farther into the dorm.

"Your room's just down there." Dee thumbed down towards a dark wood door. "Bed's just got the basic sheets. But I'm guessing that you brought your own stuff, all of your bags are in there, too. I'll let you get settled in while I fix up something for myself."

"Thanks." I said walked towards the bedroom door. "Oh, can I ask a question."

"Yeah, sure." Nodded Dee as she moved towards the kitchen.

"Why were you in a dorm all to yourself?"

"Oh, it's because everything in here is custom made to be fireproof." She answered, motioning to her tail. "They don't want to fill up a specially made room in case they get a new kid or temporary transfer, like yourself."

"Ah." I said with a nod. "Well. I'll be out in a second." I opened up the door to my new home before letting out a slight sigh. The room was nice, warm light cream color coated the walls, the bed was low to the ground, and had a soft orange comforter. The bathroom was off to the side, and a closet was close by. I opened up my suitcases and began hanging stuff up in the small closet. I picked up my hero case, the large gold 'oh-five' shimmering in the light.

"Hey Ayden." Called Dee. "Do you like peaches?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked walking back into the main room. Then the smell of peaches filled my nose. "Dear God what is that divine smell?"

"That would be my grandmother's secret recipe peach pie." Answered Dee as she set two plates of pie down at the table.

My mouth started watering as I watched steam curl off the pie.

"Sorry if the seating is a little unconventional." Apologized Dee. "I'm usually on my own this time of day, and most of my friends are used to this by now." She gracefully knelt down on one of the cushions around the table.

I shrugged and sat down cross-legged and inches up to the table. "This'll work." I grabbed the fork and cut into the pie. I took a bite, the flavors exploded in my mouth, I felt like I was melting from how good it was. "That is the best damn pie I have had in awhile. This rivals my mom's home cooking."

"I know right." Agreed Dee. "My grandma jokes that I make it better than she does."

"Thank you." I said before taking another bite. "You really didn't have to do this.""It was no trouble at all." Dismissed Dee with a wave of her hand.

"So, where are you from?" I asked. "You're obviously from the southern US, but where exactly?"

"Western North Carolina." She answered. "What about you?" "Vancouver, Canada." I answered.

"So you're not that far from home right now, are you?"

"Not really. If you count my house in Seattle I'm even closer."

"You have two houses? What are you the daughter of a pro hero or something?" She asked with a laugh.

I let a devious smile creep across my face.

Dee gave me a confused look. "No. you aren't." She began before letting out a giggle. "You are, aren't you. You're a hero kid." She let out a deep laugh. "So, who is it? Which hero is your parent?"

"Stormbreaker."

"Stormbreaker." Exclaimed Dee, her tail wagging slightly, and a broad smile across her face, her red eyes lit up.

'Okay, that is too cute to be legal.' I thought before answering. "Yeah. Stormbreaker's my dad." I answered, scratching the back of my head.

"What's your quirk then?" Asked Dee. "Cause they wouldn't have stuck you with me if it wasn't fire related."

"These cushions are fireproof, right?" I asked.

"Yeah why?"

I laughed as Dee's eyes went wide. I casually made my entire body burst into blue flame.

"That was awesome." She cheered as I extinguished myself.

"Thanks."I said with a smile.

"Now, what kinda movies do you like?" Asked Dee as she stood up and moved towards the TV.

"What do you got?" I asked before taking another bite of pie.

"Well, I have the Marvel movies, you know, all the comic book heroes before quirks popped up."

"Eh, that's what I've lived through the past year."

"How 'bout a classic Sci-Fi flick?"

"Heck you. You got Spaceballs?

"No, but I have Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." "That'll do just fine."

Dee put the old DVD in before running back to the table.

'I think I'm going to enjoy my time here.' I thought as the long opening spaceship crawl began.

--

Zach Wright

There was only one thing I hated more than long plane rides, and that was stuck up people, and I was two words away from slapping the ever living crap out a kid with a cast iron skillet, thankfully, my quirk made that extremely easy. All I had to do was turn my hand into a skillet and slap him.

"Come on man." Teased a tall and skinny white kid. He was wearing the Baltimore Private Hero Academy uniform. Black dress pants, a pressed white shirt and dark green tie, and a dark green matching blazer, the Spartan helmet like logo of the prestigious school emblazoned on the breast.

We were in the opening hall of the male dorm building. To say that the place was trying to be modest is like trying to say that a rooster wouldn't crow at daybreak, it was a big fat lie. The entire place was extravagant to the extreme. The floor, and most of the buildings on campus were polished marble. Everything was built in a mix of European and Roman styles, grand vaulted ceilings like a cathedral, elegant statues and art lined the wall, the bridges between buildings and over the little streams and ponds of the campus were all built with arches. The Catholic Church that I saw on the way in had flying buttresses as supports. I made a mental note to thank my history teacher when I went back to Defender.

Students were crawling everywhere, rich white boys and girls here on their parents' money. I wondered how many were the children of half rate pro heroes working as sidekicks in small time agencies.

"Loosen up a bit." He said, clapping me on the shoulder. "I'm just trying to welcome you to Baltimore Private Hero Academy. You should already be able to tell how superior our school is. We haven't had a single villain attack in the school's history. We continuously turn our more pro heroes than Defender. And we'll even accept people like you. You sound like you're from some hick town down in good ol 'Bama."

'At least he didn't bring up Alana or Kiarra.' I said to keep myself under control. "At least I got to where I was without help from daddy's money." I said with a sneer.

That made him mad. "I'll have you know that I got in here on scholarship."

"Yeah, after your dad paid off the school board." I said casually, and to make him more annoyed I looked down at my shoes before dusting off a scuff that wasn't there.

"At least my school can keep their students from dying." He shouted.

That was it. That's all it took. I raised my hand, feeling flesh mold to iron. I swung my arm forward, watching as his confidence melted into fear. I relished in that feeling.

Then it dawned on me, I was no better than those villains, no better than him. I stopped my swing, mere millimeters from his face.

I let my hand go back to normal before pulling it back down. I let out a sigh. "Look, dude, I'm sorry." I apologized. "You can make fun of me, of my school, but never, never come at my friends, especially not Alana or Kiarra."

He nodded vigorously before slowly backpedalling.

The students had stopped walking to watch us. "What." I called. "You never seen a kid from Arkansas with a quirk?"

I grabbed onto my bags and walked deeper into the dorm. I had already spoken with the dorm advisor when I arrived, so I had my room key and number. I was on the first floor, room sixteen. The only thing I didn't know was my roommate, all I could do was hope that it wasn't String Bean from back in the lobby.

The halls were just as grand as everything else. The ceiling was high, the lights were mounted in fake braziers along the walls, and all the doors were wood that fit into the pointed archway door frame.

I arrived at my room and pulled on the large black iron handle, the heavy door opening slowly.

I peeked into the room, and considering the school, the room was modest. Two beds pushed against separate walls, one was made, while the other was unkempt. Each bed had a nightstand with a light. Towards the left was a larger living area. A large couch faced a massive flatscreen TV. A decently sized kitchen was closer to the door.

"Hello." I called setting my stuff down on the well made bed.

"Hey think fast." Called a voice as something moved out of the corner of my vision. I caught the oblong object with two hands. And I dropped it almost just as quickly.

"Why in the world am I holding an arm." I demanded my voice getting louder with each syllable.

"That would belong to me." Called a chipper voice as he stepped forward.

I threw the kids arm back to him.

"Thanks." He said as he just slapped his arm back into place.

"I'm not even gonna ask." I shook my head before brushing some loose hair out of my face.

"Good, cause I got no clue either." Admitted the boy with a chuckle. He was of shorter build, with a slightly darker complexion, except for his hair, which was a stark platinum blond. He was wearing the base parts of his uniform.

"I'm Zach, Zach Wright." I said, extending my hand for a handshake.

"Jeremiah Weston." He said, taking my hand and giving it a good shake.

"Well, Jeremiah." I began. "How much money does it take to make sure you don't get kicked out for almost slapping a kid with a skillet?" I asked holding up my frying pan hand.

"Depends. Who did you almost slap?"

"A string bean of a kid. Real stuck up attitude, darker blond hair, classic douche."

"That could be a lot of people at this school." Joked Jeremiah, crossing his arms. "But I know who you're talking about. His names Preston Worthing. Real daddy's boy. But be careful, he packs a nasty quirk."

"Great. How important are his parents?"

"In the hero world, they're a pretty big deal. Ever heard of the company known as Lightgate?"

"Yeah. They're one of the biggest suppliers of custom clothing for people with mutant or special need quirks. Some of my friends buy from them."

"Yeah. well Lightgate is owned by the Worthing family."

"Oh crap." I swore.

"Yeah. They have a lot of money, and they know how to use it."

"At least I'll be headed back to Defender soon then." I joked.

"Good luck surviving till then. Cause Preston has several 'friends'." He made air quotes around friends.

"You're telling me there are cliques in this place. I thought everyone would be too snooty to even make decent friends."

"Everyone here is filthy rich." Said Jeremiah. "Playing politics and cliques is the name of the game. And if you aren't careful, you'll get crushed. But don't sweat it. You got me now."

"And what do you have? More money than Preston?" I asked.

"Better." Said Jeremiah with a gleam in his eyes. "I have power."

'This school is absolutely insane.' I thought to myself. 'How am I going to survive.'

--Donovan

'This is going to be interesting.' I thought to myself as I stepped out of the airport in Nassau. I could feel the sea breeze blowing through my hair as the palm trees swayed. The distinct scent of salt hung in the air.

I remembered the last time I was here was for my internship under the pro hero Living Missile, now she would be one of my teachers, well an advisor at the least.

I looked down at my watch, the ship would be here in twenty minutes. They would be easy to recognize because of its unique design that I remembered from last time.

I took a deep breath in before letting my Sagittarius form, a centaur form, take over. I was allowed to use my quirk as transportation. After sling my backpack over my human portion and draping the duffle bag across the horse body and securing it with some special tie, I began running down the streets, loving every minute. The sound of my hooves striking the pavement was soothing in its rhythm. Before I knew it, I was running down the street towards the meetup spot, an inland marina.

Everyone here was so cheerful. I got kind waves and a few laughs as I made my way through the island.

I jogged into the marina and let my form wear off of me. I was still ten minutes early. So I shrugged and walked into the marina bathroom. I changed into a short sleeve dark green fishing shirt and a pair of grey swim trunks with a pair of slip off water shoes.

When I came back outside, I sat down at the end of an empty boat slip, letting my feet dip into the clear water. That was something that shocked me even more, the clarity of the water. Back home in Nebraska, the water never looked like this unless it came from the tap. But comparing tap water and the majestic clear water below was like holding a candle next to the sun.

I heard a boat engine begin to enter the marina, prompting me to look up from the water.

I felt a smile come across my face as the ship came in. There she was. The ships hull looked like any other ship. It was longer than most ships that were similar to it. At the bow was a large foredeck high above the waterline, the main structure of the ship rose gently, a tinted ballistic grade glass curving with the hull that wrapped around the corners, offering a full view of the ocean to the bridge and deck forward decks below. The main structure had supports that served as ladders down to the lowest deck, which ran under the main structure and had a large aft deck. A long mast protruded from the top deck, but instead of sticking up, the mast was laying down. On top of the ship were a mess of antennas and sensors like any other ship. A Bahaman flag was flying off the side of the top of the main structure, heralding its country of origin.

I smiled and waved as one of the crew members hopped up onto the foredeck. He had dark hair that was pulled back into a bun. He was wearing a light green tank-top and blue swim shorts. On his upper arms and shoulders were patches of light blue material, they shimmered and almost looked like scales.

He waved back when he saw me at the end of the slip before turning and signaling to the helm to turn in to this slip.

The water under the boat churned as the helm turned the boat just enough to get into the slip, two more crew members ran out, one went to the aft deck while another ran to the fore. The one who had run to aft was a girl with long, thick stranded, flowing hair that looked almost like a sea anemone. Another guy was on the foredeck, quickly pulling out rope. He had red skin that was plated like a crustacean, he was shorter and stockier, and moved quickly.

The boat's engine shut off, drifting into the slip as the three crew members threw lines around the pylons, securing the ship.

The crew set up a ramp jutting from the lower deck to the dock, angling towards the dock. The crew gradually emerged from the ship, till all six were walking towards me.

"I'm Alessa Antilles." Called the frontrunner in a Scottish accent, a girl with short cut brown hair, on her crossed arms were hard growths that traveled up her forearm. They seemed to be folded like fan blades. She had dark tanned skin from hours in the sun. She was wearing a set of short shorts that were almost covered by a loose hanging peach colored shirt. "Captain of the Sagittarius." She thumbed to the ship behind her.

"Donovan Settler." I said shaking her hand.

"Welcome aboard, Donovan." She said with a nod. "I'll let you get settled in. I've got some provisions to pick up."

She sauntered off towards the marina store as someone else stepped up, the boy with dark hair. I looked at his upper arms, and sure enough, the material on his arms were fish scales. "I'm Dillion Cavanaugh. First officer." He said with a Bahaman accent.

"Nice to meet you." "Now if you'll excuse me. I need to make sure that Cap doesn't buy all the alcohol in the store." He said before running off towards the store.

"Is that even legal?" I asked to no one in particular.

"It is for Capn'." Answered the next in line, the girl with sea anemone hair, who was a little shorter than I was, and carried a South African accent. "She's eighteen, legal age both on the high seas and in the Bahamas, as well as Scotland. I'm Annie Boatswain, engineer. Welcome aboard."

"Don't worry, we're not as crazy as we seem." Laughed the next crew member as he rolled up in a wheelchair. Instead of legs, he had a tail like a moray eel. His hair was a buzz cut style with a scar through one of his eyebrows. "I'm Alejandro Anguila, navigator."

"Inaaya el-Qudri." Said the next in line, her soft voice had an Arabian accent, her hair was covered with a red hijab. "I'm the medical officer."

"Good to know who to see when I need some ibuprofen." I joked, getting a light chuckle and a thin smile out of the girl.

"You saved the best for last." Joked the final crew member. The shorter guy with plated skin. His voice seasoned with a European accent, though I couldn't place it. Maybe Greek? "I'm Julian Andross, helmsman."

"Here, let me show you to your quarters, I'll let Cap give you the full tour later."

I followed Julian up the ramp and onto the aft deck before he walked into the main structure. I noticed a line of flags hanging from the back of the main structure. From right to left it was Scotland, Bahamas, South Africa, Cuba, the UAE, and lastly Greece.

"So, Donovan, where you from?" Asked Julian as we navigated the inside of the ship. We passed four rooms of crew quarters before heading down a central stairwell. I could see the galley towards the forward of the ship, set even with the foredeck.

"Nebraska." I answered.

"Isn't that one of those really flat states in the middle of the US?" Asked Julian as he walked forward.

"Yep." I answered with a chuckle.

"How did a kid from a landlocked area get picked to come spend two weeks out at sea?"

"I dunno." I answered with a shrug.

"Well, here are your quarters." Said Julian as he opened the hatch. The room was right at the bow of the ship, and I could see the slip out of a porthole. The quarters weren't much. A bed, a little desk and a small sink.

"I know it isn't much, but hey, the only one who gets it any better is the Captain." He shrugged. "I'll get an American flag strung up for you out on the banner. See you later." He said before walking out and shutting the hatch.

I threw my bag on my ned and let out a raspberry sound. These next two weeks would be quite the adventure.

—————

Fin

'These two weeks are going to be interesting' I sighed internally as a bubbly girl led me across the school grounds. The buildings were built in a wide circular style, the tall buildings forming almost an outer wall around the dining hall, several courtyards scattered around it. Off to the sides were practice fields for soccer, rugby, and lacrosse, along with an ice rink for hockey. Compared to Defender, it was quaint. The dorms were two buildings, the main campus was six other buildings used for classrooms, plus one more in the center. Some students in the small school milled about outside.

She had long, deep red hair that was pulled into a crown braid, the excess falling well past her shoulders, pointed ears peeking through the curtain. She was enjoying the light breeze blowing across the campus in short sleeves and shorts. I was thankful that I had used some bobby pins to hold my kippah on my head.

She skipped along before spinning around with a cheerful smile, a few runes illuminated across her skin before a similar pattern appeared below her feet and she jumped into existence beside me.

"Can I ask you a question?" She said, a slight tilt to her head.

"Yeah, sure."

"Do you ever make jokes about your quirk?" I knew immediately what she was referring to. I let out a hearty laugh. "You bet I do." I answered. "I'm Jewish and I have a quirk that makes me look like Satan incarnate. Of course I'm gonna makes jokes." "Hmmm. Do you play any sports?"

"Nope."

"You any good at ice skating?"

"Decently enough."

"Maybe you should try your hand at hockey." "And get my tail sliced, no thanks." "Rugby?"

"Same problem." "Football?"

"Nada." "Swimming?"

"Triple no."

"No sport works for you." She complained.

"One does." I said with a smile. "How's your hand at chess."

"That isn't a sport." She laughed.

"It's all a mind game. Analyzing, thinking ahead several moves. It's a very demanding game, mentally anyway." "Hmm." She pouted. "I've never played chess."

"Well I'll teach you." "Ok. One sec." She ran off in a random direction and I went to call her name, but then realized I didn't know what it was.

'How do I not know her name?' I asked myself. I ran over the last few minutes in my mind. 'I met her, then we started walking.' Then it dawned on me. 'She erased her name from my memory. If she can do that. I'm horrible with names.'

"Hey," I called, hoping that trying to say her name would make me remember it. 'Come on remember.' "Sāga." I called. 'Wait, did I really just remember that?' I asked myself.

"Yes?" She said, appearing right next to me in a faint flash of blue light.

I let out a sigh. "I'm glad that was right. Did you erase my memory or something?" "Possibly." She answered with a devious smile.

"You can do that?"

"It's extremely hard, and takes quite a bit of mental effort. But yes, I can cause a person to forget certain events, for a time anyways. They might remember if their mind forces them to. It's weird." "Ok." I said, drawing out the ending syllable.

"But hey, you passed one test already."

"Remembering your name was a test?" I asked, confused.

"Yep." She chuckled with a smile. "The headmaster uses it to test transfer students. But I've already said too much."

"Oh come on." I sighed. "I want to know more."

"Nope. It's not for me to say." She stopped us in front of a building, just a blank brick wall. "Well, this is the headmaster's stop. Just walk right in, you'll find it." Saga pushed on the wall, a door opening up to a long hallway with no end.

"Thanks." I said walking forward, before the wall shut, with no evidence of a door. I began walking down the hall, step after step, and it just kept going, and going. It felt like I was going in circles.

"This isn't right." I said, stopping. I looked around, before looking up, seeing that the ceiling was just another hallway.

I walked towards the wall and took a tentative step, placing my foot on the brick. I carefully placed the second foot on the wall.

"This is trippy." I shook my head. I looked back to see the old floor, now a wall. I took another step and advanced to the next wall. I stepped up and began headed back the way I came.

I saw a junction, where the floor fell down on. I took and step and teetered over the edge, balancing between different planes of gravity. Something was clearly amiss with this building.

"I wouldn't recommend standing there." Said a firm masculine voice. It was deep and powerful, and one I recognized instantly.

I stepped forward into the office of the headmaster: Sebastian Crowe, otherwise known as the pro hero Mindscape.

"Welcome, Mr. Blake." Said the hero. Dressed in a black suit with a red tie, a white stallion emblazoned on it. The office was rather quaint. Small, but not too much so. Behind him hung his diploma from California School of Heroes, along with a certificate to teach. Some awards and various pictures hung around the office. On a shelf was a model of Mindscape Dorm, named and created by the man sitting in front of me.

"Please, just call me Fin." I said taking a seat, making sure to sit further up to look more professional, but to also keep my tail from getting smushed.

"If you so say, Fin." He looked me over. He wasn't a very impressive man by societal standards. He wasn't strongly built, he wasn't pale, but not tan either, he didn't have a physical quirk that was easily noticeable. He seemed average. But assuming that he was average was a deadly mistake. "May I ask, why do you go by Fin?"

"It's an abbreviation of my middle name sir, Fintan." I answered. "I don't really like my first name."

"What is your first name?" "Esh-ban." I answered.

"Hmm. What an interesting name."

I nodded. "Uh, sir. What was Saga talking about when she said that remembering her name was a test. That seems really odd."

"Ah. You did remember. Excellent."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I use Saga's abilities to test the mental capabilities of others. She puts a small block in a person's memory and they forget her name. Those that remember it have a much easier time getting here than others."

"But why use it?"

"It helps me know where to slot my transfers and new arrivals into classes."

'Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut about not understanding the test. I might have gotten a high placement.'

"But because you remembered, you'll be placed quite high." He praised.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Go right ahead."

"How do you make the hallway warp like that? It's crazy."

"I would love to say magic." He chuckled. "And it is. Not real magic of course. The closest thing we have to that is Saga and her late mother's power. It's all in the mind," He tapped his temple. "Affected by my quirk. As you figured out reality is often not what it seems."

"But how can you change gravity?"

"I don't change gravity, per se. Yes, I had a little help in the past from Saga's mother. She used some runes to create gravity altered environments, but it takes more than that to change a perception, it takes some careful manipulation of the inner ear to trick the brain completely." "That is amazing."

"As is the world we live in. Filled with wondrous powers. Now, please, show me what my dear friend Vendetta has chosen for me this year." I raised my hands, feeling the heat flow through my fingers, watching at the claws of fire came out of my fingers. "Well, here you go."

"Marvelous." Said Mr. Crowe in a whisper like voice. "Truly marvelous."

I powered down my quirk, making sure to keep my hot fingers away from anything flammable, including my clothes. "Thank you." "Thank you for stopping by, Fin. I'll let you get settled in. We're having lamb gyros tonight in the mess. I thought you might like them?" I felt a smile creep onto my face.

"Thank you." I stood to leave, headed back the way I came.

"Before you go, do you happen to know a female student named Siku Morin?"

I pondered for a second. "What's her quirk?"

"Topaz. Quite powerful and destructive. She can cause topaz veins to appear from the ground in jagged rows." "I know who you're talking about." I answered with a snap. "But I don't know her personally."

"That's a shame. I was really hoping you would. She mentioned you in her last message. She was writing about the recent events, and that the reason you made it to the top four was because of the traitors, and the two students?"

"Yes sir." I said with a slight nod. If it wasn't for the traitors, if it wasn't for Alana and Kiarra dying, I wouldn't be standing here. "So I don't take my being here lightly."

"I hope you wouldn't. Especially after the praise Vendetta sent my way. You're a top notch student. If you ever need another school to turn to, or a favor to call in, call us up. Your sister school will be there in a heartbeat to help any way we can."

"Thank you." I said, taking my leave and marching down the corridor. After walking straight for a few seconds I came to the wall once again. I pressed on the brick, the invisible door opening to the outside world.

I shaded my eyes stepping out into the sun.

"So, how was the meeting with the headmaster?" Asked Saga, appearing next to me in a flash.

"Interesting." I answered.

"Figured so. Now come on. Let's get you settled in."

"Right behind you." I called as Saga led the way.

'I think I'll be alright here.' I thought as I followed the bubbly girl with deep red hair and pointed ears.

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Betaread by Scottken