A/n:

Okay, so I get the feeling that most of you are confused about this story/Landon, so I'll explain - or try to. You'll find out a bit more in this chappie cos it contains a flashback-premonition type thingy (Join Me In The Thunder, some more Landon-bashing for you!)

So, in short, the story so far:

Claire, Derrick and Landon are the new kids at the School for the Endowed. Landon's ability is an enigma because he won't tell anyone anything about himself (not even the principal). His ability is supposed to be a physical shield, but Skye Burns thinks there's something more, and she's rarely wrong. People are wary of him because he seems invulnerable and because he defeated Josh, the mind controller. There is some specualtion about him knowing how to use the Reichenbach shield (see 'Lectures&Announcements'). Massie is on a mission with TPC to find out as much as they can about him.

Theory:

When two opponents with directly opposite abilities stand too close to each other, the natural core of their abilities repel and create a physical bubble of negative space around them while their abilities drain away temporarily; when they move apart, their abilities will return and the bubble will disappear. (See 'Null&Void' and 'Win&Lose') These two examples show Landon's direct opposite abilities.

And here is the list of abilities so far:

Landon - unknown/Reichenbach shield

Derrick - knockout touch

Claire - ice elemental

Cam - fire elemental

Josh - mind control
Chris A. -magnetism

Massie - telekenesis

Alicia - phase

Dylan - plant elemental

Kristen - superspeed and superstrength

Kori - flyer

Olivia - echolocation

Meena - invisibility

Layne - emotion attack

Principal Burns - supression on contact

Skye Burns - determing abilities

Coach -

Mrs. McKay - mind reader/Reichenbach shield

Mr. Avery - tracker

BTW, the Reichenbach shield is not an ability. It's just a skill you can learn through time and experience.

Okay, I'm done rambling.

'No! Mama! Papa!' he scrambled over the broken scrap metal to touch his mother's face. 'Mama! Wake up!'

'Hey! The little brat's still alive!' a rough man's voice sounded from outside, accompanied by the sounds of running footsteps.

Landon leapt out of the car with fright, and plunged into the dense thicket that lined the sides of the road. He fought his way through the branches that ripped and tore at him, gounging a long, bloody gash onto the side of his left jaw. He could still hear his pursuers running after him, hacking their way through the thick undergrowth.

Suddenly, two strong hands grabbed his shoulders, wrenching him around to face him. A cruel, twisted face leered at him, and the man laughed harshly.

'Gottim!' he yelled triumphantly. 'Boss is gonna be happy with this 'un!'

Another man emerged from the trees. He looked smarter, and more refined, as if he came from a wealthy famiy, though his brown eyes were piercing and ruthless.

'Landon, come with us. We need to have some business sorted out.'

The handsome man spoke gently and quietly, but there was a menacing tone behind his words.

Landon struggled fiercely but the man held him still.

'Ah, I see this will be difficult.' th man's friendly expression vanished. He drew a knife out of his pocket and looked down at Landon again.

'Come with us. Now.'

The man began to drag Landon out of the forest but he dug his heels in, kicking and screaming.

'NO! LET ME GO!'

'Mr. Avery, I think we should just beat him-'

'Quiet, John.'

Mr. Avery advanced slowly.

'I'm giving you one last chance, Landon.'

Landon's only response was to kick John in the crotch. Hard.

John fell to the floor, clutching his pants. Before Landon had any time to think, he'd been pinned to the ground by Mr. Avery, who had the knife in one hand.

'You'll have to learn it the hard way, then. Just like your parents did.'

The knife slashed open the scar left by the branches, and the pain flared. Heat washed over his face and neck, as the blood flowed readily.

Landon felt hot anger pulsing through him. Ignoring the pain, he threw Mr. Avery off himself and stood up.

'YOU KILLED MY PARENTS?'

Ire burst out inside him, and suddenly, both Mr. Avery and John were thrown backwards.

Landon glanced around quickly, scanning the forest for a silhouette that might reveal a danger. Then he saw it - a trampled pile of leaves, with footsteps marking the way to the nearest tree. He pretended not to see anything, but readied himself for an attack.

Sure enough, a second later, a boy burst out from behind the trees, his expression angry and his hands literally on fire. Cam. He hurled a fireball at Landon, and it exploded when it met the barrier.

'L...Landon?'

Cam seemed to be trying to think of something to say.

'I...uh...sorry! I did'nt mean to do that...I was looking for Claire...'

Landon stared at him.

'Common room, last I saw her. With the girls.'

Cam backed away hurriedly, holding his hands up.

'Sorry...that was stupid of me...sorry! I really did'nt mean t - AH!'

He screamed in an embarrassingly high voice, as Claire appeared behind the tree, her expression frosty and holding what appeared to be a giant snowball in her hand. Cameron's behind seemed to have frozen up.

Cam's eyes blazed.

'Bring it, bitch. Time to finish off what I started.'

He hurled a few fireballs in quick succession, then sent a wall of flames at her. Landon could'nt see what was happening behind the fiery wall, but Claire seemed to be managing quite well. An icy, glassy wall appeared and the fireballs all exploded in a flurry of bright sparks, like a fireworks display on a cold night. Fire and ice raged around each other. Infernoes and snowstorms appeared in the middle of the forest, and when the smoke cleared, Cam was holding a fiery shield and Claire an icy knife. Then the fight started again, with the sounds of yells and sizzlings echoing around. When Landon could see clearly again, Claire was on the floor, exhausted, and Cam was holding a fiery sword. He smiled cruelly, and stabbed down towards Claire's face.

The knife never got to its destination. It exploded halfway and Cam jerked backwards. Claire's eyes fluttered open, wide with shock.

She pointed a shaking finger at Landon, then Cam, then back at Landon again, as if connecting dots.

'You - shield - Landon - fire! But why?'

Landon stared Claire in the eyes as she got up warily.

'Why?' she persisted.

Landon sighed inwardly.

'Because Cam is a big bully.' but there was something off about his voice, something in it that Claire could'nt quite understand.

Cam got up off the floor and left, scowling in Claire's general direction.

Claire's voice shook slightly.

'I want to know, Landon. Why did you do that?'

He ran a hand through his hair, staring off into space like she was'nt there.

'When he attacked - it reminded me of something I experienced. Let's just say it was'nt very pleasant. I just felt...protective of you, because I knew I had the power to stop it.'

Claire could hear the sincerity in his voice, and nodded quickly.

'Thank you.'

DUN DUN DUN DUN! Budding romance? You tell me about it.

And now we finally know the origin of that mysterious scar. Rather tragic, but whatever.

Review?