disclaimer: We know what we are, but not what we may be. (if you know who said it, you get a cookie)

an: for now it's gonna be about establishing Maria as a character, and if anyone would like to help me out with order of events, it would be helpful. my sister/beta and me are arguing about what happened when. and Shakespeare may or may not play a role in this story, it all depends on the reception.

Cináed: Born of Fire

As I'm getting off the bus I find out that, yes my mother had called to say that yes I had gotten my powers over the summer. Gee thanks for calling Ms. Powers and saying I had developed them mom(note the total sarcasm).

So, Power (Re)Placement with the freshman. I went here last year, sure enough, but as my powers had not yet revealed themselves, I was a sidekick. Life wasn't all that bad as a sidekick though. Nobody expected anything great out of you. And I like to do as little work as possible, that's gonna change when Boomer finds out what I can do now.

Most of the incoming freshman look pretty goofy, especially that kid who glows… he's just so happy about glowing, and then Boom crushes him. Nobody ever accused him of being the most sensitive person ever. And that hippie girl, in the green nice job trying to stick up, I tried that shtick last year too.

Oh, looks like he wants me to come down. Says he wants to see what the puny whiner-baby sidekick can do now. Oh, he wants to see now does he? He'll get the show of his life, well, non-show.

You see I can control the elemental properties of fire. That means I can, as far as I know: Withstand pretty much any high temperature, like, I could stick my hand into a diesel or incinerator, and come out perfectly fine. Create and eliminate fire at will. Control the intensity, temperature and colour of fire, ex; make an aubergine fire the size of a pinhead that's 20 F°. Cover any body part in flames I want. I can also control heat, meaning I can super heat an object, or pull heat out of an object. And you know that little trick fire has? Where the air just seems to shimmer above it? I can make my body do that, so I'm basically invisible, hence the non-show aspect of it. Oh, and on top of all that, I have super-strength. Go figure.

So, as I'm walking down, I snap my fingers and start a blazing inferno, about 450 °F, and step right into it. That gets some gasps from the ickle freshman. He he he, evil laugh. Then I say bye-bye to the fire, and in plain sight of everyone, start to shimmer. That's what I call it, because I'm not really invisible, you just can't see me very well. Then I make my aubergine fire and tell Boomer to hold his hands up to it. His first reaction: "It's green… and cold." Well duh. Then I suck the heat out of his whistle and put it into his clipboard. He then proceeds to throw them both away with great speed.

Next in my bag of tricks, I asked Boomer for a car. Resigned, as if the thought there was anything more I could do exhausted him, called for a car. I stood right off to the side and flicked it away with one finger. More nervous gasps from the audience. More evil laughter in my head. I walk back to my seat, half way there unshimmer and cock an eyebrow as if to ask 'need any more convincing?' Needless to say, coach croaked out a small "Hero", obviously relived I was finished.

Now, onto Mad Science class with Medulla. And his perfect little princess student aide, Gwen Grayson. Please pardon me while I vomit. It's not that I don't like the girl, It's just that I loathe her. With every fibre of my being. She's just too perfect to be real. But of course, no one listens to me. I'm just the unpopular loner girl. Second only to that one guy, I never did bother learning his name, what with the whole, I'm a loner he's a loner but there's the sidekick/hero taboo. Better get on with disarming this Chromium detonator for class…

English class. I've always wondered something, in other countries like Greece, do they take Greek classes like we take English classes? What are we doing this year? Well Maria, it seems as though we are reading Shakespeare's classic Hamlet. Ah, yes. "Frailty, thy name be woman" and "That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs." Quite possibly my favourite of Shakespeare's plays. I do hope we get to act it out. I rather fancy being Ophelia.

Yay, lunch. What kind of food substitute will we be served today? Seems to be mush masquerading as Salisbury Steak and mashed potatoes. Huh, there seem to be rumours dealing with me and a certain Warren Peace. Possibly the guy I sat with on the bus? Maybe. You'd think I'd remember a name like that from power placement last year, you know Warren Peace, War and Peace? Meh, I thought it was funny. Then again, I was reading throughout the whole thing. And didn't I once hear a rumour that his dad was some kind of super-villain? Oh well, it's not like my dad's that great either.

Oh, yay, Math class. Goodnight.

And now, time for PE. Lash and Speed are today's villians, big suprise there. I wonder who they'll pick to be the hero. Not that it matters anyway. They're seniors and have been undefeated since sophmore year. Just once I'd like to see somebody beat them at their own game.

Time to go home to mommie dearest. I wonder, is hot bus guy going to try and sit with me again? If he does, you'll hear no complaints from me, he's got a very nice rear end and I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

thanks to all who reviewed: Emily; diosa de noche; Espantalho; WARREN'S BABY GIRL!; Midnight Rebel13; lt. commander richie; and No More Words(that's kinda what I had in mind:D)