A looooooooooooooooooong chapter. More hints for Landon's power...but you'll have to keep guessing. Sorry, ..thunder. :D Split into four sections: girls-girls-boys-girls

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the third part :P BTW, the Chris mentioned here is Abeley. Cam's group is the equivalent of BB, and Massie's is TPC (without the cheesy names).

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I don't own this either: "It's the mark of the inexperienced and the deluded."

AND CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? MY EXAMS ARE OVER!

Shoutouts to: ..thunder, ThePeregrine - amazing author, guys. you HAVE to read TSWOTSG, RosewellPhah, and .SeDuCtIvE (hope I did that right)

It has nothing whatsoever to do with this chapter, I'm just addicted to this song after listening to it for a whole week. Inspiration and all that, you know.

So I say it in a breath
Hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue
To see you once again my love
All the seas go coast to coast
Find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green
To see you once again my love

-Westlife, My Love

"HART-Alert, three o'clock," whispered Massie.

The girls all turned to look.

"Triple HART-Alert, five o'clock!" squealed Alicia.

"Ehmagawd!" whispered Dylan, her emerald green eyes wide and dreamy.

"Dibs on Landonnnnnn!" giggled Alicia, singing his name, running over to him in an obvious attempt at flirting.

"Hey, you're Landon Crane, right? New kid. I'm Alicia Rivera, but you can call me Leesh, cos' that's what my friends call me. I can show you to your next class…"

No thanks. I already know where to go." His aloofness didn't seem to put Alicia off.

"Come awn. I insist," simpered Alicia, with a sickeningly sweet smile. She started to walk towards him, but he left abruptly, his expression cold.

Alicia bit her lip, then sat down on the hard ground and tried not to cry.

Meanwhile, Massie was having more success.

"I like your confidence," she giggled, "it seems to be misplaced, but I think it's sexy."

Derrick winked.

"Believe me, gorgeous. You haven't seen me in a real fight before."

"I hope you're not being overconfident. It's the mark of the inexperienced and the deluded."

Derrick laughed. "I've got to go now. But I'll see you around, right?"

Massie grinned. "Right."

"Hey, new kid!"

Derrick whirled and found himself staring at Cameron Fisher, who was sitting comfortably on one of the couches. His cocky grin suggested a challenge.

"You see, I don't usually make offers like this, but I was wondering if you wanted a shot at getting into our group. Beat us, and you're in."

Two boys sitting on the adjacent couches stood up. One cracked his knuckles.

"Chris Abeley," he said, as a way of greeting.

"Josh Hotz." the other one grinned confidently.

Derrick snorted.

"Hotz? That sounds just about as gay as you look."

Josh scowled.

"Let's get started already."

A blast of fire suddenly burst out of Cam's hands, and Derrick ducked to avoid getting fried on the spot.

"Chris, if you help, I can take it from here." there was quiet anger in Josh's voice. He was obviously still seething from being insulted.

Suddenly, Derrick felt himself being propelled forwards, almost as if he was a magnet being pulled towards Chris. Quickly, he reached forwards and caught Chris on the arm, sending him onto the couch, unconscious.

He tried a quick swipe at Josh's leg, but to no avail. In his haste to retreat, Josh really knocked over Cam, who was standing near the couch and watching the fight with evident amusement.

"You're a coward, Harrington," taunted Josh, "look me in the eye and fight like a man!'

Derrick straightened up and stared arrogantly into his eyes. Big mistake. Suddenly, the world around him blurred and his mind was cowering under the weight of a crushing force. The force slammed down again, and Derrick fell onto his knees in front of Josh, his head bowed. He could feel the searing heat of a fire burning, but he couldn't move, a prisoner inside his own mind. The pressure disappeared abruptly and left Derrick on the floor, dazed, and he heard quick, angry voices talking.

As his head cleared and the world around him stopped spinning, Derrick saw that another boy had entered the room. He recognized the cold, grey eyes and the livid gash down the side of his left jaw in the face of the other new boy. Landon Crane.

"It's a rather inconvenient time, you see," Cam explained smoothly.

Landon's eyes swept the room, then, noticing Derrick, he smiled frostily.

"No, actually, I think I came at the perfect time. Derrick, why don't you and I finish these jerks? Two on two. It's only fair."

Josh laughed.

"You want to fight me?"

"Unless you're too scared?"

Josh's smile broadened.

"I admire your confidence. Let's hope it isn't misplaced."

Landon's mind lay out before Josh like a field of ice, cold, bleak, and grey. Josh was amazed at the delicate tracery of thoughts and feelings as they flitted across his mind in a wide web. Everything was meticulously organised, stacked away in neat piles like the complicated layout of a computer's motherboard. But if Landon was the computer, he would be the virus, breaking down his defences and controlling him from the inside. Quickly, he reached for Landon's consciousness and thought out his commands.

You will obey my command.

You will let go of all your mental defences.

Josh loved the feeling of power and exhilaration that filled him when he controlled someone. They were nothing more than tools that were made to obey their master. But surprisingly, this tool had thrown up a mental defense wall.

Draining his energy, Josh slammed repeatedly against the wall but failed to gain entry.

You will not put up a fight.

You will let go of all your mental defences.

Still, the wall would not budge. Then, as an obvious answer to his commands, Landon's voice spoke, clear in his mind.

No.

Josh snarled with fury, and renewed his attack on Landon. Already, the last dregs of energy were fading rapidly. With a final effort, Josh crashed into the defenses again. Suddenly, the world listed to one side, and with his energy spent, Josh fainted.

Cameron stared at Josh's slumped form on the floor, shaking his head in disbelief. But Landon saw the attack coming from the blazing fury in his eyes, and sent the shield out to block his attack. The flames disappeared as soon as they hit the invisible three feet from where Derrick stood.

Now Derrick advanced quickly, hand outstretched. Cam backed away hurriedly, both hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Okay, you win. You can join the group."

Cam turned and fled the room.

"So you're Kuh-laire."

"Nice to see you again, Massie. I see you've recovered from the, er, incident in the gym." Claire smirked.

A pretty Spanish girl with glossy brown ringlets stepped up from behind Massie.

"I'm Alicia. Be careful of who you mess with in this school, new girl."

Claire nodded, bored with the conversation already.

"I'll be fine, thanks."

A blonde girl beside Massie grabbed her and whispered into her ear.

"Three…elementals…powerful…missing…imagine if…found…dangerous enemy."

Massie nodded, then smiled fakely.

'So, Kuh-laire, what I've been trying to say, is, would you like to join us?"

Alicia smiled her friendliest smile.

"Why not?"

Any guesses for Landon? Freaky Josh, right? Review and tell me.

Landon's power is NOT a mental shield. Keep guessing!

If I can clarify something:

Josh is NOT a mindreader. He can just sort of see where everything is kept, not what is inside. For example, he knows that this part of the brain controls motor functions, but he can't read what Landon is telling himself to do. It's sorta like he's looking at a computer's motherboard but he does'nt understand computer language (thoughts). Sorry. That explanation sucked.

Maybe I'll reveal some background info for Landon. It might help you guess. And tell you where his scar came from, and why he's so cold to everyone, and also why he can block Josh without being a mental shield.

Or would you guys prefer a girl's common-room fight/catfight/talk?

Vote/review.