Disclaimer: Don't own victorious or any of it's characters.
:}
Tori quickly found the office she'd been looking for, hidden in a back hall, where teachers who needed them had their offices, as long as they met certain requirements. As the head of student activities, Sikowitz was due his own office. Tori knocked.
"Enter." Sikowitz called out. "Ah, Tori, ready for today's lessons?"
"Sure." The singer said.
"Now, before we begin, I'm gonna go over how your powers work, again, cause you need to know if you're gonna be able to use them." The teacher started. "What you have is an odd ability to manipulate probability in your favor, shifting the odds, so to speak. In short, luck. But it can also be used to make things harder, which you've seen, both for yourself and others. Frankly, when it lashed out, and it did, it's a miracle no one got seriously hurt before now. But, with training, you'll focus the good and the bad, creating a variability matrix around yourself where the laws of probability shift in your favor, and shift quite a bit. Not saying that alone is enough. A determined opponent can find a way to get you, even when the odds are on your side. But this way, things will be easier."
"So how do I turn this into a weapon?" Tori asked.
"Simple, you don't." The teacher said. "Luck abilities like yours are a defense, and a shifting of the odds. You have to know when it's working, and know how to go with it. To attack, you develop your fighting skills, strength and weapons and what have you, so that you can take advantage of the openings when they happen. And, when you do, those openings will provide you with the maximum possible results."
"So, how do I train this ability?" Tori asked. "Some special obstacle course that makes me use my luck powers?"
"Yoga." Sikowitz said. "And Tai Chi. Tori, the reason I'm teaching you is your powers, while not mystical, will require an odd understanding of how things work in order to train up. Yes, once you have the whole thing working, there will be obstacle courses, and fights, and everything else. But, for now, what you need to do is build both your physical strength and endurance, as well as your spiritual strength. You only have so much of this energy, and the more radical the change in the world has to be, the more of that energy it takes up. You'll recover the luck, assuming you live, but until then, you're out of luck."
"And mediation helps." Tori noted. Then, she started explaining, to show she remembered how her powers were supposed to work. "Because this is a form of spiritual power we're talking about. I'll grow stronger across the board, and be better able to use my luck to help me win. Also, as I do build the background muscles, more and more good fortune will slip my way, even when I'm not all charged up with my luck."
"Very good." Sikowitz said. "Now, lets get meditating, and we'll work on your Kung Fu later." He smirked. "After all, that training goes well with Tai Chi, and will help you catch up with what your sister knows."
Tori pushed any arguments out of her mind, settling down to meditate. 'Jade, I have to be ready, in case you come after me or mine...'
"Let go of your thoughts." Sikowitz reminded her.
'Jame it!' Tori thought, before pushing all thoughts away.
The gang soon was back to what was considered normal, and to the world, the morning passed with minimal fuss. The only real news was the queen was dead, something that still somehow bothered the goth. 'Not so much dead as dethroned, but same difference.' Jade thought bitterly. She'd continued to follow the rules she'd been given, and was finding it hard to keep her promise knowing that Masters had no desire to let her just do the program. 'He wants to control me, and I'm hurting over losing a little status? What the holy fuck is wrong with me? Still, it hurts, and I have to find a way back, if not on top here, then at least to feeling like I have a future. That means I have to find someone who believes in me. Sikowitz? No. I mean, yea, he believes in me, I think, but he's on the outside, and I need someone with pull in that hellish program to stand up for my abilities. Maybe if I tell them I control the magics with my will? Or would saying my untamed spirit make better sense? Either way, I doubt they'd believe me. After what I showed them, they're not gonna want me just running around. They want to control me, my every move. But, if they did, if he did, would he really use me like the police use Blue Steel? Or would he have other idea about how to best use my magics?'
The distractions were already interfering with her work, keeping her from finishing as much homework as she wanted during the day. Worse, she knew people were watching her. Jade tried to ignore the feeling that she was constantly under watch, but it never left, and at one point she almost walked up to Trina, just to ask the girl if she'd seen anything unusual. 'But hay, Trina hanging with her loser friends is unusual enough. But she has that lame show now, so I guess she feels she can be seen with the D team and not lose any popularity. Poor girl, she hardly has any, and that's only cause she's hotter then the boys are willing to admit. Gods, if she had a decent personality, she'd be burred in horny penis.' Jade, for the first time that day, almost laughed. 'What am I thinking, all penis is horny. Nature of guys.' She shook her head to clear it. 'Oh well, back to this homework. It's not gonna get done by itself.'
Jade's grades would take a slight hit from the pressure she was under, something her mentor would eventually notice. That day, however, Sikowitz contacted her as she was eating lunch and reminded her they would not have a normal mentoring relationship. 'Jade, I need you to realize that I can't teach you what you need at school. I doubt anyone would realize whats going on, but if I called it an acting exercise, then others would want to try, and none of them should be doing some of the exercises I'm gonna have you doing. However, I can set some of my time aside, in a form of limbo, and instruct you while you sleep. I mean, as is, I think you've almost got that perception filtering spell I was teaching you. Once you have that, you can get away with all kinds of flimsy masks, or even just a veil, and no one will ever connect your face with Black Dahlia's.'
'You know, if you wanna talk telepathically, you can do that.' Jade sent back. She was still using his link, since she'd never learned this particular use of magic. She had, however, learned that some things weren't spells so much as talents, or knacks, and as she learned those, they'd become second nature to her. Minor uses of her magics to help her out, but not generate the massive alterations spells created. Even the telepathy had to be established with a spell, and willingly accepted, but once done, the one who'd cast the spell could contact the one's they'd linked to almost at will. Just as long as the other was a willing participant, or didn't know enough to stop the link.
'No, I don't feel like spending my lunch staring into space. I have things to do. Besides, I have an old acquaintance who wants to become reacquainted, and I need to get ready for her.' The teacher sent. 'In the meantime, why don't you find yourself some friends. I hate the thought of you going through this all alone. I mean, didn't you tell me you parents have all but disowned you?'
'Yea. They want some of the money grandpa John may still have, so I live with mom, but now I get really strict rules, and lots of space.' Jade griped. 'I'm left wondering if they'd be sad if...'
Jade was cut off by an urgent sending. 'Hold that thought, I have to go.'
'Just great, all alone again.' She thought, not lost in the irony of being desperate for human contact after only two days. 'Maybe it's my weakness, wanting someone to give a damn about me. Not gonna let that get in the way of my succeeding in this program. That is, assuming there is a way to succeed...'
The end of the day saw Jade once more picked up by Eric, once again in that small subcompact car. They rode in silence, Jade ignoring his attempts to be friendly. "Jade, FYI, I'm in a happy relationship, and even if I weren't, you're not my type." Eric said. "I'm sorry, but being under eighteen, major turnoff."
"What the hell?" Jade snapped. "Why tell me?"
"Because I needed you to know I'm not gonna try anything." Eric said. "I just wanna help. I know, I can't do much, but I can be here, on our daily drive, to listen as you vent. Maybe that'll help."
"And the whole gift from god chiz?" She asked, venom edging her voice.
"A lot of girls have been used by someone." The probation intern said. "I figured we could clear the air now, so you know I'm just a court ordered set of understanding ears. I can hear you, maybe give advice..."
"And then go running to Mister Masters and let him know whats going on with me?" Jade finished for him. "And don't tell me our conversations are confidential, cause I bet you'd be required to report it if I even hinted that I might do something against the rules, even if I was just venting and obviously didn't mean a thing by it."
"I wouldn't run straight to him." Eric said, but his voice was defeated. "It would, however, have to be in my written report, and I would have to tell someone if I felt the threat was credible."
"See." Jade said, enjoying the momentary victory.
"I just thought you'd like a friend." He tried again.
"Only problem is, our respective positions in life mean we can't be friends." Jade said. "I am, however, hoping for ally. That is, assuming I make it through the training."
Jade's training turned into an endurance test, including being shot at by beanbag guns until she fell from the impacts, just to test how much protection her armoring spells gave her. Then she was shot, in the shoulder, to see if the armor would stop a bullet. They'd next move up to heavier and heavier rounds. By the time Jade was allowed to go home, she was half expecting to die from all the blunt force trauma she'd endured. Later, she'd realize the healing was as much a part of the testing as anything. 'Lucky they didn't pierce my protection, even thought they should have. Repeated shots in near the same place, that destroys body armor. And they wanted to shoot me, point blank, with a shotgun. In the face! Just to see if I could enchant the veil to withstand the impact.'
Unlike the day before, Jade was driven home by a probation intern. This one wasn't at all like Eric, talking the entire drive about what a shame it was such a pretty girl as her had to go to probation, and with no one to pick her up. Like Eric, he offered to be her friend, but Jade felt like maybe she'd prefer not being sexually assaulted.
The rest of the week, and the week that followed, went about the same, with Jade slowly getting the worst of things, while her friends continued with their lives. For Tori, it was a slow burn towards getting stronger, as Sikowitz was helping her focus her luck powers and learn how to use them. She was learning how to find a single point in her body to charge with her will, set it as a shadow entity, and allow it to focus the luck she was building so as to protect her. The singer was learning that the reserve of luck had to be charged, though meditation and related activities, and she'd only have so much energy. But while the reserve lasted, probability warped heavily in her favor, and she felt like she could accomplish anything. She even figured out how to push a random set of numbers on a keypad, and just by chance, unlock it. However, the laws of physics would not bend for her, no mater how much she was changing the probability, so she had to rely upon herself and her training to achieve anything.
"Now Tori, I have to warn you, there will be odd side effects as you learn to use this power." Sikowitz warned as the weekend approached.
"Like me getting a whole lot of bad luck?" Tori asked.
"The funny thing is, luck doesn't balance the way people think it does. Not on a metaphysical level." The mystic explained. "For you, the changing of the odds is about expending energy to shift them, one way or another. There is no karmic balance saying you'd had too much good luck, and now you were owed some bad. In fact, your attitude will have a lot more to say with the side effects then your previous actions. A positive attitude, and you'll find things work out better for you. Not just in obvious ways, but that pocket full of change you get might help out when you discover you have to feed a machine. Or maybe you'll find something that doesn't seem important, yet feel obligated to keep it, and weeks later it'll be something you'll need. Just, a positive attitude, for you, will lead to a lot more good fortune. Some bad will slip in, cause that happens. But good things will head your way. On the other had, should you focus on the negative to much, say after a baby costs you a song writing contest, then more bad luck will find you. Just think about that as you go about your weekend."
"So maybe I'll finally find a boyfriend who isn't a user or loser?" Tori asked.
"Yea, about that…" The mystic teacher started, only to stop. "Gotta go now, I need to look a few things up..."
"And just like that, my attitude is a little more negative." The Latina groaned, but tried to maintain her usual positive attitude, even as she started her day at school.
The rest of the gang was doing normal, some good, some not, except for Cat, who was starting to miss Jade. "Whens she coming back?" The dyed redhead asked. Then the gang would, once again, explain how Jade couldn't come close until the probation department decided they weren't a bad influence. That would lead to her current roommate, Sam, and the blonds extensive arrest record. Cat would then be depressed for a bit, until someone figured out how to cheer her up.
Jade, however, was still being tested. Masters had deduced that they could do mostly live fire testing on the goth, seeing if her magicked clothing would protect her from the various threats that she was likely to face, as well as assessing weaknesses the police could use should she get out of hand. They'd already discovered her defenses were far weaker then her offense.
Jade was subjected, in turn, to electricity, cold, fire, and other elements to see what she could take. The near total covering of her cloths made a lot more sense as they tracked where she burned, froze, or otherwise suffered from the tests. Then, Jade would be expected to heal herself before leaving the secret base, because Masters didn't want anyone wondering how she has such deep burns on her arm and face, or other questions he wasn't ready for her to try to answer.
Jade, for her part, would cry, suffering the pain, before the spells she could muster would start healing the damage flesh. It would sometimes take hours to remove the scars that the testing was accruing. Jade found her grades continued to slip, partly because she no longer had the time or energy to do anything after school. She did know that the pain she'd endured would only increase as her energies depleted, faster and faster, while Masters tests put her in more and more danger. Jade suspected she was going to die, and while she was scared, she also had a large part of her wanting it, just to end the farce they'd been putting her in. 'Hell, if I die, I never violated my part of the agreement, so they can't punish Grandpa John.' That voice would reason with her. It helped her stand up again when she wanted to curl up in a ball and give up. Jade, despite being near the breaking point, somehow managed to appear to be standing defiant, not letting the pain and humiliation break her down.
"Jade, we'll need you here by eight am tomorrow." A female guard named Rose told her. Rose never warmed to the pale girl, often enjoying the torment the goth went through during the testing.
"Whats up?" Jade asked, none the least surprised she wouldn't be getting her weekend off.
"The police are doing some special training for those officers we think will have to deal with various threats, and we're gonna have you be one of the volunteer villains." Rose said. "Mister Masters said it's better this way, cause with you, they can do live fire drills and not worry about accidentally killing you. But I wouldn't worry too much, since most of the training will involve tackling you, putting you in cuffs, frisking you, that kind of shit. Best part, because you don't have a choice, they can be as rough as it takes. Makes it easier to figure out the best way to take a perp down. Also, if one of them gets a bit handsy, who are the uppers gonna believe, them our a known criminal?"
"Any chance I'll have the time to do my homework?" Jade asked.
"You do homework on your own time." Rose spat, right before Masters came in, almost as if he'd been listening, waiting for the right moment to make this announcement.
"Jade, it's early, but it seems your grades are slipping." The man said. "If they fall too much, it breaks your deal, and we'll have to pull you from that school and handle your education here. I assure you you'll get a fine education, as much as a criminal like you needs, anyways."
Jade groaned, realizing she wasn't going to be getting much sleep in the next couple of years. 'Worse, sleeps my only mentoring time with Sikowitz.' Her eyes hardened, no longer willing to give these monsters tears. 'Guessing I'm alone in this, at least for the next couple of years. Worse part, they control the narrative, and if I die, they'll just say it was while trying to escape.'
Her actual weekend was about as bad as she expected, with a few minor exceptions. Usually, it was like Rose had hinted. Jade found that the officers who had volunteered for this training, taking on a real meta-threat, where gunge-ho cowboys who didn't much care about the rules. The exceptions tried to be nice, at least during the resets when she was given a few minutes to rest and recuperate. But the tackling was brutal, and her body ached from the way to many shots fired at her as the police learned how little effect their guns could have in subduing a super. Adding to that was Jade's lack of sleep. trying to catch up with her school work, as well as the depleted energies and built up stresses, until finally she finally missed, letting an attack break her weakened concentration, finding a place in her magical armor where the repeated shots had worn her down and she'd failed to notice in time to reinforce.
To their credit, the police freaked. Officers stood and watched, mesmerized by the crimson flowing from the chest wound the goth had receives. Others reacted, and the supervising officers reacted almost immediately. Jade was treated by paramedics on hand for the exercise, cause while most of the officers wore body armor, it wasn't perfect. Accidents happen, and when dealing with a metahuman, accidents can be deadly. So the Black Dahlia was treated, stabilized and brought to consciousness, and would have been taken to a hospital, except Mister Masters was there, and demanded she heal herself, then apologize for all the drama.
"Honestly, Dahlia, if this is how your gonna act, we may have to take another look at your deal." The man said. "Now, you've ruined the exercise for the snipers, and maybe scarred them for life. I want you to apologize, then stay here and help clean up. You can go home after we decide you've made up for your mistake."
"O-Okay." Jade said, immediately realizing she'd made another mistake. "I mean, yes sir."
"And tomorrow, we're going to start you on humility training." The senior probation officer said. "It's past time you leaned your place. I have my experts coming up with all kinds of training to help you learn your place. So, get busy, cause we have long day tomorrow. Hell, I may even have to pull you from school, just to make up for the time we lost today."
The officers left to supervise her were heartless, making her do the majority of the work despite how close she'd come to dying just a short time ago. They'd have done more, except the sergeant in charge wouldn't let them molest a minor. Instead, Jade worked until well after midnight, then headed home with no hope of getting what was left of her homework done. Knowing she had a tests the next day, and she'd fail it, Jade went to bed dreading what was to come. She didn't expect much in the way of sleep.
:}
So, Jade's time in Project Redemption isn't as much fun she she's have hoped. Thinking things will kinda change from here. However, thoughts on Tori's powers? I think those are the most spot on ever, if we look at the first season of the show.
So, thoughts, reviews, what have you, go for it. The button is calling.