[color=indianred][CENTER][h1][b]N O A H G A L L A G H E R[/b][/h1][/CENTER][/COLOR][SUP][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][hr][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/SUP] [URL=https://open.spotify.com/track/6hSeLZlVeGDIkzCHtKeqzu?si=GvJkFFwUTQqnbKBIbNYk8A][COLOR=INDIANRED][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]C R E S T W O O O D F O R E S T:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][sup][COLOR=SILVER]Tuesday, August 21[SUP]st[/SUP], 2018 - 06:52 am | Mather Park[/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT][/URL] [INDENT][INDENT]The greenery of Crestwood Forest flew past the black dog as he leaped over a fallen log, landing hard on the ground as the leather bag hanging from his mouth fell against the mossy undergrowth. Tossing up leaves and dirt as the animal skidded to a halt, it turned around, open jaws scooping up the bag before it circled around again and continued to run. Dashing between the alternating oaks and maples, the canine skirted the base of an evergreen before emerging into Mather Park as it came into its second wind and bolted towards the school on the far side of the park. Circling around the back of the school, the dog lowered itself, pushing through a thick shrub until it fell into the building’s boiler room. Landing roughly, the dog spread its limbs as it landed, staggering before it dropped the satchel in front of itself as it sat panting. Turning its head, the animal began to growl before being replaced by a faint whine as the room echoed with the sound of cracking bones. Paws began to spread out the toes lengthening as the fur receded, claws becoming nails as hands appeared. The face compressed in on itself as the form of the black dog was replaced by the shivering naked body of Noah Gallagher as he quickly reached for his leather bag and pulled on a pair of boxers before continuing to dress. Gasping for breath, Noah slung his messenger bag over his shoulder as he braced himself against a nearby guardrail as he hobbled towards the door. Reaching behind the heavy metal door, Noah wrapped his hand around his hidden crutch as he pulled it out and tucked it beneath his arm before making his way up the stairs and into the school’s main level. At this time of day, the school was mostly empty with only the instructors and the overzealous roaming its halls. Noah, however, was required to arrive early due to his commitments to the school radio. It would have been a lot harder to pull off his little stunt this morning had Noah not been granted early access to the school yesterday in order to run the radio booth through its pre-startup inspection. Sliding into the booth, Noah placed his bag on the ground beside his chair before sitting down and placing the headphones over his head. Flashing a quick smile as his co-host, Kim Carlisle, took a seat beside him as Noah queued up the first of many playlists that would echo through the school’s hallways as the student body made their way to their lockers. [b][color=#b7b7b7]“How was your summer, Noah?”[/color][/b] Kim asked as Noah looked up from his laptop. [b][color=#cd5c5c]“Never long enough, how about yours?”[/color][/b] [b][color=#b7b7b7]“It was alright but like you said, never long enough.”[/color][/b] Kim replied as she batted some loose curls away from her dark eyes. [b][color=#cd5c5c]“Did you see that Kaitlyn is still missing?”[/color][/b] Noah asked pointing towards the list of approved discussion topics from Principal Fitzgerald. [b][color=#b7b7b7]“That’s really too bad, I didn’t know her that well but I mean she was still one of us.”[/color][/b] [b][color=#cd5c5c]“Yeah, I just wish there was something I could do to help.”[/color][/b] Noah lied, memories of the previous night floating to the forefront of his mind as he recalled searching the forest as ‘Shadow’. He hadn’t found anything yet, but he also wasn’t quite sure on how to make the best use of the dog’s senses. [i][color=#cd5c5c]If he could maybe get his hands on something that had belonged to Kaitlyn…[/color][/i] [b][color=#b7b7b7]“You okay?”[/color][/b] Kim’s voice asked as Noah snapped back to the present. [b][color=#cd5c5c]“I will be,”[/color][/b] He answered looking at the time in the corner of the screen before turning back to Kim. [b][color=#cd5c5c]“Duty calls.”[/color][/b][/INDENT][/INDENT] [hr][INDENT][sup][COLOR=SILVER]Tuesday, August 21[SUP]st[/SUP], 2018 - 02:30pm | The ‘Loft’[/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT] [INDENT][INDENT]Taking a seat amongst his peers in the previously abandoned classroom, Noah took a look around at the unusual seating arrangement as he tried to sit as close to Ivy as he could without sitting directly beside her. Listening as Jonas introduced himself, Noah pulled a leather-bound book from his back, opening it as he began to joint down a couple of notes. Copying the question from the board to his book, Noah started to write an answer beneath it. [i][color=#cd5c5c]Why would I want anything but what I already have?[/color][/i] Most of the students remained silent, one had even decided to read a book of his own choosing as Noah looked around the room. Allowing his mind to wander, Noah quickly found himself distracted by an enticing aroma as he realized he was smelling Ivy’s perfume. Shaking his head, Noah tried to refocus as Ivy opened her mouth to answer Jonas’ question. [Color=hotpink]”Uhm… if I could pick my own ability, it would be able to change into an animal.”[/Color] Noah felt his ears go hot as his face went flush. Did Ivy know that he was ‘Shadow’? Was this her way of calling him out. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Noah opened his mouth to answer the question only for another student to beat him to it. [colour=2D9677]"Isn't the whole idea that no one wants to be hype in the first place?"[/colour] It was hard to argue with the girl’s point but Noah had to admit that despite the harm his abilities had brought upon his body, he never found himself regretting them. Adjusting his glasses with the back of his hand, Noah moved to answer but paused as he watched another girl hold up her notepad to communicate a counterpoint to the previous girl. She was cute and Noah couldn’t say he had noticed her before which led him to assume she must have been in one of the younger grades. He quickly found himself nodding in agreement to her written sign as a smile crept across his place as he watched her silently express her desire to fly. He couldn’t help but agree. While he hadn’t spent near as much time in the form of a bat as he had as a dog, flying was a sensation that Noah didn’t see losing its appeal any time soon. Opening his mouth to finally answer, Noah quickly found the words trapped in his throat as the Prince of Hyperhuman Destruction himself joined in on the discussion. Sneering at Marcus’ answer, Noah retorted with a thought of his own. [b][color=#3d85c6]“I guess the Hypes can count themselves lucky that you’re not a technopath.”[/color][/b] He muttered, [b][color=#3d85c6]“Your dad would have turned you into a weapon.”[/color][/b] [b][color=#3d85c6]“That sort of talk isn’t productive towards acceptance.”[/color][/b] Jonas intervened, [b][color=#3d85c6]“Did you have an answer of your own, Mr. Gallagher?”[/color][/b] Jonas asked as Noah felt his face flush further. [b][color=#cd5c5c]“I don’t know,”[/color][/b] He muttered, [b][color=#cd5c5c]“Uh, what Ivy said sounded good to me.”[/color][/b] He hastily added as Jonas looked back to the rest of the class, his gaze quickly focusing on Benjamin as he cleared his throat. [b][color=#3d85c6]“Mr. Hope, if you aren’t interested in participating then perhaps there is a better use of your time.”[/color][/b] He snapped as he massaged a temple. [b][color=#3d85c6]“Otherwise, perhaps you’d like to answer the question on the board.”[/color][/b] Jonas added, tapping a finger against the board. [b][color=#3d85c6]“And I don’t it’s an issue of nobody wanting to be a Hype, Miss Bronse,”[/color][/b] Jonas continued as he turned towards Chloe. [b][color=#3d85c6]“I believe it’s an issue of no everybody being a Hype. We live in a world that is obsessed with inclusivity and creating equality where it can’t. But the minute society feels insecure they create walls to exclude that which it does not understand.”[/color][/b] He ranted. [b][color=#3d85c6]“We’ve done it for years, the Crusades, the Witch Trials, the Holocaust, the list goes on and on.”[/color][/b] Taking a deep breath, Jonas paused. [b][color=#3d85c6]“So we need to be better.”[/color][/b] He continued. [b][color=#3d85c6]“Social Conscience is defined as being a sense of responsibility or concern for the problems and injustices of society. As Hyperhumans, you more than anyone else have to be responsible and more than anyone else in the last fifty years, you have suffered the worst of society’s injustices. I’m hoping this program can be the first step in changing that.”[/color][/b] Turning to the class, Jonas addressed them again. [b][color=#3d85c6]“If just one rule surrounding Hyperhumans could change today, what would you like to change and why specifically that?” Jonas asked before looking directly at Benjamin. “Mr. Hope, as I so rudely prevented you from answering the previous question, why don’t you start us off?”[/color][/b][/INDENT][/INDENT]