Partly Cloudy (Sprinkling). Arc 2: Confluence.
Josh McDaniel hated school. He, like most high school students, felt that there was little need for him to learn calculus, trigonometry, or British literature. However, unlike most students, his opinion was mostly fueled by the fact that he was guaranteed a full, government-sponsored, scholarship to virtually any college he wanted, and guaranteed a well-paying, full time job afterwards with the HLA. His hatred for high school was somewhat abated in his Parahumans Ethics and Parahumans Studies classes. Technically electives to other students, they were a required class for him, unbeknownst to his teachers but known to school administration, because he was in the THA. Each class took half of a semester, and combined they gave students an elective point in either Science or Art, but most students joined it because they were mildly interested in parahumans, vainly wanted to learn how to become parahumans, extreme cape geeks, or just thought it'd be a fun class or an easy A. Josh didn't think the college style lectures were fun or that the multi-page essays were easy. Nevertheless, the class was interesting.
Josh enjoyed the class, and so though there were good and bad qualities about it, it was the one class that he ever spoke aloud in, whether to other classmates, or to answer the teacher (who called himself "Professor P" even thought it's not a college class). Josh was quiet, reserved, and had very few friends, though he was not the edgy loner type that many of the school's emos or goths would try to play off. Josh used to be a popular kid, even what some might consider a jock. He was on the school's football team, had multiple girlfriends, lots of friends, and made good grades. Then, when his trigger event came about, Josh became reclused and isolated afterwards, losing most of his friends, dropping the ones that remained with him, leaving the football team, and breaking up with his girlfriend. It left him traumatized, and it only worsened the fact that rumors spread. Josh attempted suicide. He would hear whispers about it in the halls, teachers would act nicer to him, and the world felt a lot more condescending. Things got worse when he joined the THA, and though he started making friends with some of the team, it was a far cry from what it used to be. Annoyed, Josh found himself zoning out in the one class of the day he somewhat enjoyed, and turned his attention back to Professor P's lecture, after hearing a student ask a question he didn't quite catch.
"You know, it's just human nature. Chaos in a system, selfishness, mistakes, stupidity, people doing the wrong things with the tools they have at their disposal. I once met a powerful parahuman, she was an animal biokinetic. She could change any animal's biologies, and she used it to sell hybridized animals to circuses and zoos. I asked her, 'Why don't you make a mosquito that cures malaria?' It was a simple question. She had a fix on the tip of her fingers that could do what scientists have been trying to do with genes for years. She could fix ethical dilemmas by making domesticated cows not have the ability to feel pain, and make their milk contain all sorts of important things like vitamins and antibacterials safe for human consumption. She could make GMO's that seem perfectly natural with no mess ups, no drawbacks. Now, a lot of people trust parahumans even less than they trust scientists doing genetic modification, and some companies wouldn't accept that even if it meant a possible profit turn. But there'd be a company or two that would, and she'd make money off of making things better. So, why didn't she? It's simple. Parahumans are humans, but they are also humans who have had the worst happen to them. About 70% of parahumans, according to studies, have powers related to their trigger events. These powers remind them of the worst aspect, part, or day of their lives, every day. A parahuman who's trigger event was being ignored by everyone, including family, ironically gained the power of self-invisibility. Things like that. Some parahumans repress this, or even better, overcome their trauma and become heroes. But even more chose not to work for the greater good, to instead be rogues, pursue their own small goals or dreams, or instead not use their powers at all. It doesn't always pay to be a people-pleaser, and these parahumans can't be faulted for their choices in life, just as each of you in this class may not be faulted for not wishing to become a doctor, surgeon, or EMT to save lives.
Now, everyone turn in their assignments about a famous parahuman who's faced ethical dilemmas in their careers, and... Mr. Dalton!" Professor P. raised his voice, and Josh turned his head to see one of his classmates, Alexander, jerk his head up as if he'd just been asleep on his desk. "Please don't sleep in my class." Professor P requested, before going back to telling the class to turn in their assignment that was due today. Josh himself had done his assignment on Dr. Charles Manton, the man who "discovered" the Manton Effect, because it made it easy for his assignment to tangent off onto describing the Manton Effect to give a higher word count with less effort. There could have been other choices, like Suit, the Tinker member of the Triumvirate, basically the real-world Iron Man, but better. Or maybe someone like the parahuman villain who's cape identity name was literally "God," but parahumans have done worse than defile religions. In the end, Manton seemed like an easy choice for his assignment, and probably a choice more than a few other students would have chosen as well, causing Professor P to not have too much interest in Josh's own paper.
He passed his paper to the person sitting in the desk in front of him, then turned to Alexander, "Not getting enough sleep last night, man?" He didn't know why he asked, in particular. He and Alex hadn't really communicated much before, maybe if Alexander had been around before Josh's trigger event, Josh might have tried to be his friend just like every one else, but as far as Josh knew, Alexander moved to Capetown High from somewhere else, and he hadn't seen Alexander in middle school. He was startled from his train of thought when his phone buzzed, a group text with a couple dozen numbers attached, saying "Cape bank robbery in progress, PCRT members down, requesting HLA backup. THA members to stay in school." His pulse slowed, and he hadn't even realized that his heart had been pounding in his chest. They were expecting an Abhorrent attack within the week, and that was four days ago. Every text or call he got got him scared that this would be the one. It was inevitable.
Overcast. Arc 2: Confluence.
Jasmin Lehtinen
woke up with one of the worst headaches she's had in a while. The dull throbbing of her heartbeat wracked her brain constantly, as she struggled to muster the strength to get out of bed, and drew shaky breaths with each movement. At least the quiver in her voice as she was close to tears made her phone call to work believable, and somewhat justified. Now I just have to go fight a bunch of powerful parahumans. No biggie. She sarcastically thought, grabbing her car keys.
When she arrived at the hideout, she was no longer Jasmin, she was now Sähkö, and Mark, or rather Sandstorm, was already there. However, unlike last night, he was now in his costume, a black costume with a sand-tan top, gloves, boots, and a sand-tan cowl-scarf that hung down his back like a small semi-cape. Brown bandoliers were on his belt, and Jasmin could only guess that they were filled with various powders, or a lot of sand. Lucas, or Chrysopoeia, showed up next, in his red armor with scales of various materials, and red sunglasses and bandana. Lastly Ray, or Seraphim, showed up uncostumed, because her power created a costume for her. Sähkö checked the time, and it was ten minutes after ten o' clock. They would be striking the Adept Mages at noon. In every one of their last jobs, the HLA had been occupied elsewhere, Lucas had once told her, so they never met with the HLA and the HLA knew little about The Congenial, so it was usually lone vigilantes The Congenial fought, if there was any fight at all during a job. Lucas had suspected Recall had always set up the other distractions for their jobs, but Sähkö wondered if it was mere coincidence and that today would be their unlucky day.
So, they spent the next hour talking strategy. Sandstorm and Sähkö would take Sandstorm's car, and Chrysopoeia would follow close behind on his motorcycle, Seraphim riding bitch, both vehicles with the licence plates covered. Then they talked about who they'd be fighting. Their leader, Myrlyn (who Sähkö pictured as an old wizard dude until Seraphim mentioned it was spelled fucking weird), was a dressed in intricately blue-runed black armor with a black cloak-like cape and skirt that was open in the front. He also had a nearly-blank white ceramic mask with a hood thrown over it. Sähkö's mental image of it was weird, but Chrysopoeia said he looked like a Lord of the Rings villain or something. Apparently he had telekinetic powers that caused blue flames to appear around whatever he was using the telekinesis on, but the flames were intangible and didn't hurt or burn things. he applied this in many ways, as it was a particularly strong form or telekinesis, able to throw large things, make things float, push or pull people, or even make himself fly. He also had the secondary power of limited precognition, that apparently stemmed from a mental power telling him what people were about to do, or what action they'd take. This combination made him very deadly in a fight, though he didn't have as many powers as some of his underlings. Jeu, apparently second in command of the Adept Mages, wore black armor with red highlights and a black cape with a red inside, he also had a similar ceramic mask to Myrlyn, and a frame that made him look almost like an evil jester. He had many powers such as enhanced timing, enhanced balance, enhanced accuracy, and illusory flames, making him deadly in close quarters melee, and good at battlefield control by tricking people with flames. Third was Drow, named after the dark elves from Dungeons and Dragons, she was a super-pale girl with jet black makeup and snow white hair, wearing the same black armor as the two before her, but with green highlights. Drow was capable of creating constructs of green energy (like green lantern) except it was mostly limited to small constructs, and the energy appeared to be both wispy like smoke, and crackly like green electricity. She mostly made weapons out of the energy, but could sometimes create battlefield obstacles. Alchimyst (who Sähkö was informed also spelled his name retarded) was fourth in command, and didn't share the same theme as the three before him. He wore a drab grey hood, gas mask, and more modern apocalypse-looking gear, and he was a chemical Tinker, who made concoctions of "potions" and poisons with varying affects. Sähkö hated the utility Tinkers brought to a table, as they were usually unpredictable even with simple specialties. There were twelve more, but they didn't have time to go over a strategy to dealing with each and every one, so they tried basic general strategies of dealing with the main four, and hoped that winging it in the heat of battle would help against the rest.
Sähkö, for her part, was pretty nervous. She'd never actually been in a cape fight before, and she wasn't intent on killing anyone, even in self defense. I'm so screwed.