[URL=https://youtu.be/PEs41sRUgTM][COLOR=ORANGERED][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]A I D E N   M c K E N N A[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][/COLOR][/URL][hr][INDENT][sup][color=silver]That Friday, [i]Orlaith Valley Trail & Park[/i][/color][/sup][/INDENT]

As the sound of tires trampling gravel rolled to a slow stop, Aiden soon felt the rattling of the window against his skull cease as the bus became quiet and its engine claimed well-earned rest. Reluctantly, as the other passengers began to shuffle and gather their belongings, Aiden forced his eyes open. He'd taken little interest in surveying the rolling scenery as it whizzed past, instead doing his very best to disconnect from the present and be whisked off elsewhere; his forehead pressed against the glass in the hopes of its shuddering vibrations making his thoughts numb. 

It had done little to remedy his condition, and images of the dance, of his parents and now even of Belle were burning in the fires of his head; not one of them seeming clear as they were licked by orange tongues and engulfed in dark smokes. Nothing was clear. Nothing made sense. He knew he had to make some sort of discovery soon, with complete madness looming over him and threatening to swallow him whole should he fail. And so, it was with a begrudging sense of defeat that, with Evander's help, Aiden disembarked the bus.

[i]Maybe it won't be too bad,[/i] he tried to convince himself, as he finally allowed himself to absorb the beauty of their surroundings in all its tranquility. [i]Maybe this is just what I need. Calm.[/i]

Alas, it was unfortunate for Aiden that not everyone on the trip was interested in the benefits of the serene valley, and Sebastian Scott showed little interest at all in discovering any sense of equanimity in the forest. This became all too obvious to Aiden about twenty minutes into the trek, when a sudden snagging around his ankles caused the world to blur and for Aiden's stomach to lurch as he hurtled to the ground. Trying to avoid becoming a spectacle, Aiden shuffled around in an attempt to return to his feet, but found his shoes firmly tied together. [i]What the fuck? How--?[/i]

A hand was outstretched for him to take, and Aiden might have accepted the offer had Sebastian's sneering face not been on the other end of it. Everything about the smug expression plastered across his face and the tone of his mocking voice betrayed Seb's responsibility. Aiden knew it was him. He had no idea [i]how[/i] he did it, all he knew was that he [i]did[/i]. His eyes burned, and heat fought to burst free from him via any means of escape it could find. But Aiden refused to let it beat him. He couldn't let Seb win.

He quickly untied his shoes, but the spirit of vengeance within him refused to be left hungry, and soon Aiden felt a rock leave his grip in the direction of Seb's head. Everything was moving too quickly for Aiden to process, he was in the same mindset that he often slipped into when he let his more fiery desires consume him; driven entirely by primal rage and the abandonment of logical thought and reason. As Sebastian turned around, Aiden landed a solid fist into his face, and soon enough the pair were locked in a fight.

The scuffle led them off the dirt track and into nearby woodland, voices that now seemed foreign warning them to cease what they were doing and return to the group. But they held little weight in the mind of either boy, both of whom ended up falling to the earth as a rogue tree root interrupted their duel. The noise Seb made as he hit the ground shook Aiden enough to grant him a fleeting moment of clarity; just enough to realise that something was not quite right. 

And then, before he knew it, Sebastian was on top of him with impossible speed, staring into his core with eyes that were wild and possessed. His breathing and bared teeth were terrifying; he was behaving more like a hungry animal than the harmless jack-ass Aiden was familiar with. Everything in Seb's beastly eyes told Aiden that he was Sebastian's prey. Instinct swiftly took hold, and with a thrust of both arms Sebastian was sent recoiling through the undergrowth as fire clung to his jacket and began to spread. 

[i]Shit,[/i] Aiden cursed to himself with panic as he began to hear the screams of the other students. [i]Shit, shit, shit.[/i]

It wasn't until Aiden heard Winter's rant that the gravity of the situation his Aiden, as the usually composed girl seemed to sob her way through a startling confession about the dance. [i]Aiden can control fire[/i] was the only phrase his brain would focus on, and as it bounced around his brain he struggled to grasp the rest of what Winter was saying. The fundamentals were clear: Winter could remember the dance, and she'd seen a group of the students using powers. Most worryingly, she'd seem [i]him[/i] use his powers. That confirmed Aiden's worst fears: Elroy [i]hadn't[/i] been responsible for the fire that night. It was all him...

He had little time to indulge in his own guilt, not when there were more pressing matters at hand. Aiden could cope with a lot of things, but prison was not one of them... No amount of guilt or conscience would allow himself to be incriminated. Especially not by the likes of a busybody like Winter Carlyle. With a deep, meditative breath, and pulling his lighter from his back pocket, Aiden emerged from the woodland to face the music. 

"[color=ORANGERED]Cool story, Winter,[/color]" he interjected, flicking forth a small flame from the Zippo and then allowing it to die. He did this repeatedly as he continued to speak. "[color=ORANGERED]But if you're gonna get it published, I'm gonna need you to amend a few details.[/color]" The way he played with the lighter was almost threatening as he took steps closer to the girl. The confidence he exuded hadn't been felt by Aiden in a long time; not since before his powers manifested and turned his life upside-down. People who had known him previously might have recognised that self-assured glint in his eye that had vanished when he returned to school. It was as if he was possessed by the ghost of his former self. Not hostile, just... Intelligent, and keenly aware of it.

"[color=ORANGERED]You see, there are issues with defamation of character there.[/color]" He proceeded, his eyes switching from the lighter to Winter almost rhythmically. "[color=ORANGERED]I mean, sure, it's fun to imagine Seb or Rita with fantastic powers. But the fire at the dance wasn't part of your imagination - or any of ours, in fact,[/color]" he added, gesturing to the rest of the group. "[color=ORANGERED]It was real. Elroy and Lou set us all up with the dance. They wanted to watch us burn. And the more I think about it, the easier it seems for someone with such a pivotal position in the school community to spread rumours.[/color]" His eyes scanned the group, knowing that they would all have at some point engaged in gossip about him and his fire-starting impulses. 

"[color=ORANGERED]The problem I have here, Winter, is that I've already been put under a lot of pressure by whispers about me at this school. My family have suffered, but we've persevered if only because we knew the truth. And now it's out: one of the arsonists is imprisoned, and the other is missing. Things are finally looking up for us.[/color]" He paused, shooting Winter an unplaceable look.

"[color=ORANGERED]The last thing we need right now, is for someone to make accusatory suggestions about magical powers of fire. We were all there that night, Winter. Unless anyone else here has any memory of me torching the place, I'm going to need you to keep your mouth firmly shut.[/color]" He said, flicking the lighter and allowing the flame to dance for a little longer than usual, before suddenly and harshly shutting the cap and extinguishing the flame. "[color=ORANGERED]My family can handle no more of this nonsense.[/color]"

He looked over at Seb, whom had somehow been extinguished, leaving his chest exposed and revealing some unsightly scarring across the flesh. Aiden reasoned Seb had likely just picked the wrong person to mess with, and took a modicum of satisfaction in apparently being the second person to teach him a lesson. He gestured towards him with the lighter, before pocketing it.

"[color=ORANGERED]Put your hands anywhere near my throat again, beast boy, and you'll have a lot more to worry about than a lighter. I'll be ready next time.[/color]"