Lord Wraith

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{| Tuesday, September 5th, 2028
| 0500 hrs}

Waves crashed against the sand as the lone figure ran up and down the beach. Steam rose off his bare back while sweat threatened to cause Lorcán’s earbuds to slide out of his ear canals. The faint din of a heavy bass track topped with squealing guitars and a mournful ballad could be faintly heard coming from the headphones. Glimpses of flames licking the night’s sky while a pair of cold blue eyes stared at him flickered faintly in his mind’s eye as Lorcán pushed himself for another sprint down the sandy terrain.

As the song finished, Lorcán paused for a breather, while looking out over the crashing waves. A proud member of the ‘Dawn Patrol’, he was out here every morning until the temperature dropped too low for even him to surf. Though the winter brought its own fun in the form of snowboarding, the island had little in the way of good hills. His parents had taken him to Whistler a couple of years back and while snowboarding and surfing weren’t a one-for-one translation, it had still been a lot of fun.

Looking towards the sky, Lorcán watched the sun fight to peek over the horizon, crimson light casting an eerie glow across the Pacific while dark clouds moved in overhead. Gone was the summer sun of yesterday, replaced by the ominous storm front that threatened to downpour over the island at any second. But the storm wasn’t about to get him down, not after last night. The memory of Aurora asleep on his shoulder had been enough to keep Lorcán far too ecstatic for a restful sleep of his own. But something else had happened that sent shivers down his spine.

In the fire, someone’s abilities had intertwined with Lorcán’s own. A primal, destructive force that first fought against his manipulation of the heat. They tangled and fought for dominance, one unstoppable and all-consuming, the other immovable and uncontainable. Continuing to struggle against one another before eventually, the two indomitable energies found a way to coexist, mating together and breaking down the wood as the fire flared with a surge of raw power emitting a wave back over Lorcán that curled his toes.

The wind suddenly howled, interrupting the memory while whipping what loose sand there was into the air before carrying it off to sea, the tall grass dotting the outer edge of the beach flailed about in a dance of submission to the primordial force. Lorcán was immediately brought back to the present, spotting the enticing whitecaps that appeared on the tossing waves and elicited a smile on his face. Putting away his earbuds, Lorcán looked around before shrugging and stripping out his sweat-drenched physical training uniform. The morning breeze coming in over the ocean wicked away the beading sweat that hung over every inch of his body.

It was always refreshing against his bare skin.

Not that Lorcán had any intention of ‘hanging eleven’, at least not so close to his last demerit for being caught surfing in the buff, but his physical training uniform did not afford him the freedom of a good pair of board shorts let alone being nude. Thus, despite enjoying the cool breeze, Lorcán opted not to start Canis in a deficit of House points this semester and after folding away his workout clothes, pulled his shorts from his bag. Stepping into the familiar pineapple-covered blue board shorts on, Lorcán stowed his phone and headphones into the saddlebag before grabbing his board from the holder hanging off the side of his motorcycle.

The motorcycle had been a sixteenth birthday gift from his Dad. A vintage scrambler that Lorcán had spent most of that summer fixing up and converting to a bobber. After countless hours of pleading with a tech over on the Alpha Base, he managed to secure the engine off of a wrecked Harpy to perform an engine swap making the vintage motorcycle capable of running off a battery or even his own abilities. Adding an electronic kick start and emulated muffler sound to keep the bike feeling ‘authentic’ and Lorcán was off to the races. He still hadn't yet convinced Aurora to join him for a ride.

Dropping the board in the water, Lorcán kept his eyes on the horizon while paddling out towards the epic swells. This was the time of day he most looked forward to. Offshore winds, deep groundswells; the surf was always best in the morning especially here on Dundas Island. Despite the dark skies, it was still in prime condition to catch some peeling green waves.

The surf was just what Lorcán needed to clear his head. The highlight of last night was of course Aurora falling asleep on his shoulder, but Lorcán couldn’t help but feel underwhelming compared to the other members of Blackjack. So many of them had such firm plans, Calli was going to start not only a family but a civil moment, Haven had her plans all laid out, while Gil had never been shy about his. Katja had multiple ambitions to pursue beyond the island.

Even Banjo of all people knew exactly what he was going to do after graduation.

But despite all the positivity, Lorcán couldn’t help but shake Amma’s words from his head. Those pale blue eyes, staring through the fire, it was as though of all them there, she had been speaking directly to him. Unlike Aurora’s there was no smile behind them, there was power with no hesitation. Lorcán had felt like a deer before a wolf.

The world outside of this perfect little bubble is cruel and it is dark and it is afraid,

Standing up on his board, Lorcán began to chase a wave, struggling to find his center and balance on his board. The board slid under his feet, prompting him to curl his toes around the edge, trying to relocate it underneath him. Amma’s voice continued to play in his head, taunting Lorcán with fears he’d been trying to bury. Fears that were first awakened by Hyperion so few years ago.

Afraid of you.

The wolf lunged, downing the deer. Lorcán found himself hesitating, the words reverberating over and over in his head. The air around him superheated suddenly, a crack of lightning illuminating the swell in a bright flash. He faltered, the distinct squeak of skin sliding on fiberglass cut through the din of the crashing waves as Lorcán went over, into the side of the swell. Gasping for air before hitting the surface.

And then the wave crashed over him.

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Mess Hall - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.042: Trapped

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): @Melissa - Aurora Mitchell, @Roman - Gil Galahad, @webboysurf - Rory Tyler}

Previously: Shoot for the Stars

^{| 0800 hrs}

Spotting the others already gathering outside of the Mess Hall, Lorcán ran forward silently before coming to a sudden stop between Gil and Rory. Swinging both of his arms back, hands fully extended and open palmed, a loud ‘SLAP’ interrupted the ongoing conversation as Lorcán made contact with his friends’ behinds. Gil in particular jumped, startled by the sudden hard slap to his rear only to turn to see a smug Lorcán cracking out an energy drink from his bag.

“Hopefully, you dudes don’t have to sit down too soon, but man, bros, you missed out on some legen-lactose heavy’-dary swells this mornin’.” Lorcán leaned toward Rory and Gil, his hair still wet from his morning surf and hastily groomed. The telltale tropical aroma of Lorcán’s board wax could be smelled coming from the slicked hair. His bangs however refused to be tamed as the wavy hair hung over his forehead.

“I am totally going to get you both out on a board before we graduate.” He stated while flashing a typical trademarked Lorcán smile. Realizing his shirt was hanging over his belt, Lorcán attempted to tuck it into the waistline of his fitted slacks. Struggling to get it right, he opted instead to loosen his belt, the buckle flying open and causing his pants to drop to his knees in front of the assembled team. A quick flash showed everyone in the nearby vicinity of the Mess Hall that Lorcán’s boxers were as red as his House dress shirt while he tucked it in and re-fastened his pants.

Several gasps could be heard when his pants fell.

“C’mon dudes, nothing you haven’t seen before,” Lorcán added before pulling his blazer on and promptly pushing the sleeves up to his elbows.

“Alright Blackjack, looks like everyone is accounted for. Any stragglers can catch up, you all know the drill by now.”

Tad interrupted any further conversation, pushing for the Team to make their way over to the stadium for the opening ceremonies. As far as the ceremony went, it was a fairly standard affair, nothing that Lorcán hadn’t seen seven times prior. The only twist was that this was the year they would get to partake in creating the trial for the freshmen.

He sat on the edge of his seat, excited to be dismissed. Then Jim’s face fell and Lorcán’s outlook on the upcoming year suddenly changed.

“Given the current societal climate, circumstances beyond our control have conspired to invalidate our accreditations. To be straight with y’all, Pacific Royal has recently lost its accreditations for our degree programs in the engineering, law and medical fields. Students currently completing those will graduate with a degree not recognized for career certifications.”

Do you really think any of that is going to happen. Do you think they'll just simply let you go.

Amma’s words from last night echoed again in Lorcán’s head as Jim continued to speak. The sparks of anger started to ignite inside of his chest. He wanted to graduate, he wanted to leave the island and everything the raven-haired girl had said last night was coming true.

His hand curled into the seat beneath him, barely registering his own father, lighting the torch as he did every year. Lorcán couldn’t handle sitting in the stadium any longer. Everyone around him suddenly felt so close. He felt trapped.

Why hadn’t his father warned him this was coming, the sting of what felt like betrayal turned Lorcán’s cheeks red. He felt a lump forming in his throat and knew he had to move.

“I think I need some air.” He muttered to Aurora while standing. Shuffling past the rest of the team, he hesitated before moving past Amma, his mouth opening, before deciding against it as he tripped into the aisle and ran out of the stadium.

His home had become a prison sentence.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{| Zayas Island - The Former Black Site}

A hush fell over the gathered group of black-robed individuals as the last few stragglers entered the abandoned prison on Zayas Island. The H.E.L.P. Black Site had fallen into disuse following the Alexandria Foundation’s acquisition of its former inmates. Very few resources were spent to maintain it and over the past year, security patrols had become essentially non-existent allowing some new inhabitants to move in.

If you stopped a random student on campus and asked them to name off the Pacific Royal houses, they would likely give you an answer consisting of eight distinct names; Alces, Canis, Gulo, Lutra, Lynx, Myotis, Strigidae and Ursus. But there were those on campus who knew of a ninth house, a house founded in secret that had an ideology separate from the school’s equalitarian beliefs. Founded by the Children of Hyperion, House Orcinus continued to operate and flourish undiscovered even after Hyperion’s defeat four years ago.

In Hyperion’s stead, House Orcinus was led by the individual known as Hyperion’s Voice or simply the Harbinger. The Harbinger had led the cult-like sect for the last four years and thus far managed to evade the detection of the school’s faculty leading many among the House to speculate that the Harbinger themselves was a member of Pacific Royal’s staff.

Looming over the assembled House Orcinus, the Harbinger’s eyes narrowed from behind the mask that obscured their face beneath the oversized hood and robes.

“Interlopers have come to P.R.C.U.” They stated, addressing the equally robed and masked attendees.

“I cannot stress enough how each of you must exercise extreme caution in attending these meetings and whispering of House Orcinus outside these walls. That said,” The Harbinger paused, smiling beneath their mask.

“I do believe the Alexandria Foundation's goals align more with our own. Yes, I am not oblivious to the fact they are currently running operations against our brethren across the globe. But, they are simply placating the powers at be, I know the Foundation valued Hyperhuman strength. In your masks-” The Harbinger stated, referring to the students’ everyday lives.

“Befriend the Foundation, infiltrate them from within and we shall use our strength for ourselves. We are House Orcinus, we are the punishers of H.E.L.P.’s broken oath to Hyperhuman kind.”

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Pacific Royal Collegiate & University - Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean}

Welcome Home #1.041: Unprecedented Whiplash

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

All across campus, the trumpet sounded rousing the students to a new day and a new semester. Done were the casual days of summer as the campus grounds became filled with uniform-clad students carrying out their community contributions before moving to the Mess Hall for breakfast with each task completed.

The Mess Hall was abuzz with excitement and chatter as the students who opted not to dine privately within their dorms, reunited with classmates from their team and house alike while meeting the new students who had spent the last few nights in the Administrative building’s temporary rooming.

The masses moved across campus, though numbers were notably diminished compared to previous years as more students had graduated in the past few years than new enrollments had come in. Still, several hundred students were attending Pacific Royal and all were moving unanimously towards the same location.

As they had in previous years, Team Blackjack had been instructed to meet their faculty representative, Thaddeus ‘Tad’ Finch outside the Mess Hall before formally moving to the Chimera’s Lair together.

One by one, each member of the team arrived, with the last member being no surprise to the others due to their history of being perpetually tardy. Steeling his expression as several remarks arose from the team’s peanut gallery, Tad beckoned the team to follow him as they made the short journey from the Mess Hall over to the stadium.

“Alright Blackjack, looks like everyone is accounted for. Any stragglers can catch up, you all know the drill by now.”

Formerly the student advisor to the Team, both Tad and Blackjack had outgrown that role. As a senior class, they too were now expected to act as Student Advisors to younger teams while they themselves no longer required a person in said role. Tad instead now operated as their faculty representative, advocating on their behalf in academic disputes. Tad’s mentor and now School Chancellor, Jim O’Neil had built a repertoire with the team over the last couple of years and had both the patience and a method for dealing with some of the Blackjack students that Tad himself was yet to master.

The Chimera’s Lair was alive with elevated energy as students new and old piled into the stadium seats. Coming from their breakfast, whether from the mess hall or their dorms, the students were eager to kick off the semester and nothing did that quite as effectively as the Opening Ceremonies.

Finding their assigned seats, Tad motioned for Blackjack to file in quickly as the team rearranged themselves for optimum seating. Couples pairing up while the inseparable friends likewise made sure they were seated beside one another. It was almost predictable at this point how Blackjack would arrange themselves, even with new additions like Amma, Gil and Harper among the team.

"ATTENTION!" A loud voice came from the podium centred on the stage in the middle of the field below them. To the right side of the stage, a small orchestra was situated, while in the center of the stage was a large bronze statue of a Chimera. All along the back of the stage were the eight house emblems, emblazoned on large banners while chairs waited for the House Faculty Representatives. The empty chairs were quickly filled by the school’s faculty who emerged from behind the stage. Flanked by two bagpipe players, the orchestra's conductor stood up signalling for the orchestra to join in as the opening notes swelled, filling the stadium.

"All rise for the national anthem!"

As the anthem finished, the band continued to play while several students emerged from behind the stage parading flags from all around the world, acknowledging that not everyone gathered here was Canadian.

With the anthems done, the crowd took their seats again while Winter Caspian, the Director of H.E.L.P. itself took the stage. Addressing the crowd before her she thanked each one of the students for their efforts in continuing to challenge the world's opinion on Hyperhumans for the better and expressing her excitement in working with the most recent graduates. Ending her piece, Winter turned toward the faculty behind her.

“It’s my pleasure now to welcome to the stage your newly elected Chancellor, a man instrumental in defeating Hyperion and a dear personal friend, James O’Neil!”

Applause could be heard across the stadium, though far less enthusiastic as in previous years. James ‘Jim’ O’Neil had been a teacher and student faculty representative for years prior to his appointment to Chancellor, though arguably the man was most famous for partaking in the defeat of Hyperion and his predecessor.

“I have to say, I didn’t reckon I’d ever be the one addressing y’all from this podium when I first came to Pacific Royal,” He paused to flash a wry grin, “Let’s just say a few years ago.” Subtle laughter could be heard rippling across the bleachers surrounding the green the podium stood on.

“I was just a boy when I first stepped off that ferry. Soon after, I became a member of both Team 21 and House Lutra.” Cheers came from the students dotting the stadium bearing the blue coat of arms as Blackjack added a couple hoots of their own.

“It was here on this island that I found not only a family, but also a home. This island, this school and its campus, it is my hope that each of you find it just as welcoming now as I did then. I hope that you look at the people beside you, the people you share a dorm with and you see not only friends, but people who you can rely on and trust indiscriminately. Sure, families aren’t perfect, you might not see eye to eye with each of them; I know some of you probably have a member on your team that’s a bit different from everyone else, or someone who intentionally stir the pot.” Jim seemed to pause for a second, his eyes darting towards Blackjack before continuing.

“With that in mind, I’d like to bring y’alls attention to a special visitor.” He continued motioning to the members of the Alexandria Foundation lingering around the podium.

“As a part of our ongoing efforts to improve the school and do best by each of you, Pacific Royal is looking at collaborating with the Alexandria Foundation. Now, I know we’re used to sending them packing on the Hyperball field.” Jim chuckle, raising a fist as he did so.

“GO CHIMERAS!” He yelled which elicited cheers from the stadium.

“But, we’re looking for your cooperation in making Ms. Torres and her fellow Foundation members feel as welcome as you would a new student. The Foundation will be auditing classes and learning how we do things at Pacific Royal. Be sure to sure them why our Chimeras are the best.” Jim explained, taking a pause while shuffling a couple cards in front of himself. He cleared his throat before continuing.

“Sadly, this isn’t all pomp and circumstance, I do have to rain on this parade.” He could feel the weight of the announcement in his chest while he continued to speak. Beside Jim, Miranda steeled her expression, but he could hear her telepathically reassuring him.

In all his years, he had never seen Jonas; or was it Kowalski, make an announcement that could have had such a profound impact on the student body.

“Given the current societal climate, circumstances beyond our control have conspired to invalidate our accreditations. To be straight with y’all, Pacific Royal has recently lost its accreditations for our degree programs in the engineering, law and medical fields. Students currently completing those will graduate with a degree not recognized for career certifications.” He took a moment to gather his words, already hearing the murmurs moving through the student body like wildfire.

“Rest assured, we are working around the clock to get approval for credit transfer to several distinguished universities in both Canada and the United States. We do not want your hard work to go to waste. The Bureau has agreed to pay tuition for any student who chooses to transfer along with helping relocate students to their new campus. I understand going to another school is not ideal-”

Watching as Jim delivered the news to the gathered student body, the Alexandria Foundation’s representative suddenly had a shift in body language. Her stoic demeanour turned smug as she gestured for her aid to step closer. Obliging Torres’ request, Miss Almassian stepped forward and extended a finger in front of her boss’ mouth as Torres spoke over Jim.

"Provided Pacific Royal and its Bureau are amenable to our conditional terms, the Alexandria Foundation has authorized me to extend our certifications to the students of the affected programs." Torres' voice echoed across the stadium, its volume boosted by Maya’s abilities. A surprised look crossed the Chancellor’s face who was just as caught off guard by the interruption as the rest of the student body. Shock turned to anger as Jim looked to Miranda, who subtly shook her head while Torres continued to speak.

“As many of you are already aware, the Alexandria Foundation is here this year to audit Pacific Royal and to bring it up to our standards. We’re interested in acquiring this school and helping it move past that, what would you call it Mr. O’Neil? Little faux-pas with your previous Chancellor.” The corners of Torres’ mouth twitched upwards momentarily before she continued.

“The Foundation holds the students of Pacific Royal in very high regard and we want to ensure each of you is allowed to succeed this year. So far, we’ve been met with resistance from your administration, but we’re looking for your support. So please, tell your Team Advisor, your Faculty Representatives, anyone who will lend you an ear that you want a new path forward for P.R.C.U.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jim caught Miranda’s gaze.

Tact, Jim. Remember we want to remain diplomatic.

Miranda’s warning echoed inside of O’Neil’s head as he adjusted the microphone in front of himself.

“Continuous improvement, that’s exactly why we have allowed the Foundation here this year.” Jim interrupted, taking back his platform while raising his hands to clap. “Students, let's give a good ol’ Pacific Royal Welcome to Ms. Torres and her aid, Miss Almassian.”

The tension between O’Neil and Torres was plainly visible to everyone in the stadium, but Jim wasn’t one to back down.

"...And as our returning students know, today signals the start of the Homecoming Trials. For our incoming students, y’all will get the full Pacific Royal experience as you compete in your assigned teams for the weekend for the honour of being the Homecoming Royals. These trials will also determine your house placement, so be true to yourselves and give them your all."

There was little applause as Jim turned to accept a torch that was handed to him to signify the start of the semester. Behind him, the House Canis faculty member; Aiden Roth, suddenly ignited the flame with his heat vision. With the torch lit, the Chancellor turned towards the bronze Chimera, lighting a flame in each mouth of the statue.

"Let the 2028 Homecoming Trials commence!" Jim shouted into the eerily quiet stadium "All incoming students! You are to return to the Intake House before proceeding to the Southern Plateau. New students should proceed in their assigned teams. Graduating class, you are to report to the Plateau immediately for further instruction. Once there, assemble your campsite and make your way to the construction site for assignment."

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.030: Shoot for the Stars

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): All}

Previously: Coarse, Rough & Irritating

“Hey, are you okay?” Hazel eyes looked down with genuine concern between a frame of golden hair that outlined the other woman’s angular features.

“Oh hey, Calli” Lorcán smiled nonchalantly while laying on the ground, accepting the outstretched hand as the blonde helped him to his feet. To most people, Calliope had a cold demeanour that was hard to get past, but for some reason, Lorcán had seemingly bypassed that fairly quickly when he had graduated onto the University inter-house team three years ago.

“Oh god, uh, Rory, I…” Aurora stuttered in the background as Lorcán earnestly tried to eavesdrop from behind the growing crowd of teammates. But Aurora’s words were lost to Lorcán’s ears as Calliope offered her own sage perspective to him.

"Hey, I couldn't help but overhear,” She started, leaning in towards Lorcán, “But it also didn't take much to see what Rory did got to you. You and I both know he meant well.”

Lorcán listened, smiling as Calliope spoke. He shook his head slightly as she mentioned Rory’s words bothering him. It wasn’t necessarily that Rory had upset him, Rory should want to ask out Aurora. Why wouldn’t Rory want to?

Why didn’t he?

Lorcán didn’t really have a good answer to that question. Maybe he was afraid to ruin what they already had. After all, what more would he gain from asking Aurora out? She was already his closest friend in the world, they spent more time with each other than with any of the other members of Team Blackjack. He wanted more, but he didn’t want to put pressure on her either.

Behind Calliope, Lorcán could have sworn he saw Aurora move towards him but then she hesitated, turning to speak to Rory instead.

“You should ask someone else though, I’m sure whoever you ask will say yes… I mean, I didn’t say yes, but someone other than me will! And I didn’t not say yes because I don’t like you or anything-”

She was telling him to ask someone else, Aurora had said no. Lorcán hadn’t even noticed he had been holding his breath until he breathed a sigh of relief, returning to the conversation at hand with Calliope.

You're smart, you're attractive, and you are one of the sweetest guys I know. Whether or not Aurora sees through this thinly veiled attempt to get the two of you together, she likes you too. It's a girl thing, trust me."

The boy who ran hot suddenly felt much more warm than usual as Lorcán’s cheeks became flushed.

“Thanks for saying so, Cali, but the lady dude and I are just friends, ya feel? I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize that or upset Rora.”

Calliope patted Lorcán’s shoulder before turning to the group.

"All good. Let me fix this."

“-I’m uh, just going to stop talking now.” Lorcan heard Aurora’s defeated tone and took a step forward before Gil suddenly shoved a soda into his hand.

“Oh hey, orange, my favourit-” Lorcán started before suddenly finding himself spun around as Gil threw an arm around the younger man’s shoulders and guided him away from the center of the commotion. Looking back over his shoulder, Lorcán’s ember-like eyes met Aurora’s baby blues apologetically as Gil pulled him away while she once again stepped forward to chat.

“Can someone tell me what just happened?” Her voice hung in the air as she addressed those around her while Gil began to expel his own advice to Lorcán.

²”Rory’s trying to help but being a bone-head about it. He’s not asking Aurora to the dance, and if he is we’ll beat him up for it later, 3-on-1 style.” Gil2 explained in a low tone, trying to maintain a balance between warm and authoritative.

²“Listen, I’ve watched you two - you and Aurora, that is, not you and Rory - dance around each other for the last year…give it a couple days for the awkwardness to blow over, then just sidle up nice and subtle and drop a suave invite. Don’t need to be extravagant, just a… ‘So, how about that dance, then?’ kinda thing. She’ll be swinging on your arm all week, guaranteed.”

“I’m not sure, dude.” Lorcán responded, “Situation is pretty gnarly, Rora didn’t exactly seem stoked to be asked by Rory. Whole sitch has kinda been an epic bomb. Total wipeout if you catch me.” He continued, down playing his disappointment.

“Think it might be best just to go stag, bro, hang out with the boys and maybe try to snag the last dance of the night with her.” Lorcán’s voice trailed off just as Haven yelled out towards the collective group.

"Thanks, mom and dad." She teased, intentionally calling out Calliope and Gil as the latter reapproached the group with Lorcán in tow. It was only now that Lorcán pieced together how well Calli and Gil did work together, shame there wasn’t much of an opportunity for them to explore it further.

"Maybe get a water for Lorcán, too. He might have had enough drinks for the day." Lorcán’s brow furrowed some at Haven’s odd remark. Trying to shrug it off, he took a sip of the rapidly warming soda before calling out a response.

“Sky Betty, dude, I don't drink and surf.”

Making himself comfortable in a nearby chair, Lorcán leaned back and allowed the heat of the sun to recharge him. The day so far had been a confusing one, hopefully that wasn’t the precedent set for the rest of the year.

As the last piece of driftwood was placed atop the circle of blackened ash, Lorcán focused his ability. A snap and a crack echoed across the darkened beach before a glow emitted from within the circled Team 21. While the fire roared to life, Lorcán allowed himself a moment to reflect on events of the day before broaching the wider topic of the future with his assembled friends.

“Alright gentle-dudes and lady-brahs, where does everyone see themselves once they graduate?”

Looking towards the clear sky, Lorcán always felt in awe of the stars. They were so numerous across the night sky, some brighter than others, some larger and some barely a twinkle in the void of the night. It always made him feel like a grain of sand in the vastness of a desert. To have abilities like Haven or Aurora would have allowed Lorcán to see the world, to see the stars from different cities, countries and continents. He ached to see them from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.

Friends would be made along the way, but Lorcán sure would have loved to be able to bring along one friend in particular as he looked fondly to his right, raising a hand absently to brush away a bit of sand that had somehow come to rest upon the arch of Aurora’s ear.

“Sorry, you just had a little sand there. Stuff gets everywhere.” He muttered nervously, his arm hovering as though he wanted to place it around Aurora before it fell back to Lorcán’s side as he fiddled with his knife while fashioning a stick to roast marshmallows.

“I think I just want to take things slow, on my own time after graduation, y’know? Been tossed around by wave after wave, it’d be nice to just float and see where the current takes me.”

It was hard to believe they were heading into their final year, but they had made it this far. There definitely was nothing stopping them now.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

Deleted

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Deleted

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.019: Coarse, Rough & Irritating

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_{Interaction(s): Rory Tyler - @webboysurf, Aurora Mitchell - @Melissa}

Previously: Claws Out

Lorcán watched as Aurora helped herself to the cooler before briefly glancing down at the seltzer in his hand. His nose crinkled with a minor expression of dissatisfaction, he didn’t drink these; instead, he had been hoping to give the seltzer to the girl now standing in front of him complete with a drink she had selected herself.

On the plus side though, Lorcán applauded himself for picking the same flavour that Aurora selected for herself; raspberry. It was the same flavour she had requested the day Lorcán had offered to grab her some ice cream from the Mess Hall to try and cheer her up after another nightmare. Since then it had become customary whenever Lorcán could tell Aurora was upset for him to make a detour to the Mess Hall and return with her favourite sweet treat, a bowl of White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl, complete with a hearty helping of fresh raspberries arranged in a smiley face.

No longer requiring the beverage currently clasped in his hand, Lorcán realized he either needed to drink it or get rid of it. Since the former wasn’t about to happen, Lorcán would have to sneak it back into the cooler before Aurora saw he had tried to bring her a drink. Swinging his hand around behind his back, Lorcán attempted to drop the can back into the cooler, only for it to hit the side and bounce on top of his bare foot.

His nose wrinkled again, this time in protest of a suppressed wince as Lorcán tried to play off the pain so as not to appear weak in front of Aurora. She was talking to him now, he needed his brain to work again.

Ignore the pain, dude!

Aurora’s left hand absentmindedly moved up to her necklace as she began to fiddle with the heart-shaped charm along the gold chain. Lorcán’s eyes followed, the scent of her perfume being this close was intoxicating. The faint scent of rose drifted to his nose, unlocking memories of seeing her for the first time just outside the rose bushes in front of the Administration building. Watching Aurora’s fingers twirl the gold chain before they moved downward towards the pendant, Lorcán’s eyes absentmindedly followed before realizing they were going into her valley. Immediately raising them, his eyes met Aurora’s own blue irises, and his pulse began to quicken.

“Hi Lorcán,”

She looked up at him with a smile, her tone practically melodic to Lorcán’s ears as she smiled in the way that only Aurora ever smiled at him.

“Catch any good waves this morning?” She asked before taking a delicate sip from her drink. “And what about Ripley, is she here yet? I can’t wait to meet her.”

Before Lorcán had a chance to answer, Rory leaned into their conversation, lifting his elbow high to rest it on Lorcán's shoulder. He looked at Aurora, smiled, and made his opening move.

"Hey Red, Hot Shot over here just reminded me... there's this senior dance after the Homecoming Trials. You want to go?" Rory looked over towards Lorcán with a knowing, smug look.

“Bro, _{I don’t know what you think you’re doing}-,” Lorcán began in a hushed tone to the other young man currently resting on his shoulder, “-_{But I’m pretty sure you’re doing it wrong.}” He added.

“You didn't even offer her a gift.”

Shaking his head in solemn disapproval, Lorcán’s eyes darted from Rory to Aurora while the question hung in the air. Though he didn’t know why he was lingering. Lorcán had no interest in hearing this particular answer.

“Uh, we’ll definitely talk later,” Lorcán smiled apologetically, “I’ll be sure to find Ripley to introduce you,” He added.

“And like totally save me a dance, dude!.” Lorcán playfully said while putting a hand on Aurora’s shoulder that lingered before starting his exit. He had aimed to beat a hasty retreat, but Lorcán was rapidly realizing he was blocked by Aurora in front of him and Rory to the side.

Taking a step backwards, he suddenly was greeted by a frigid chill that raced from his heel through his spine. A soft hissing noise became audible as Lorcán's immediate area was dosed in a light fog from the rapidly melting ice in the cooler. Toppling backwards, Lorcán fell over the cooler, landing on the other side in a cloud of sand and evaporating steam.

Throwing both of his arms up in double peace signs, Lorcán let out a bemused sign and he resigned to just lay there for a second, staring towards the sun hoping it chose now to swallow the Earth.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.010: Claws Out

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Rory Tyler - @webboysurf, Aurora Mitchell - @Melissa^Indirectly}

Previously: Life's A Beach

The ball released from his hand, flying true back to Rory as Lorcán jogged closer to the rest of the Canis boys. Chatter about taking the Intramural Laurels for themselves this year and putting an end to House Alces’ four-year winning streak. Competition wasn’t much of a motivator for Lorcán however, and winning wasn’t all that important to him. The last four years of Intramurals had been some of the most fun he’d had in his time at Pacific Royal. Their teammate and arguably, the champion of Alces; Katja Krueger, was incredibly skilled on the field, even without her abilities.

A match against Alces was always sure to be an enjoyable one if only with the side effect of some minor soreness the following morning.

With his disinterest in the topic at hand, Lorcán allowed his eyes to wander the beach. Faces he had met in passing, acquaintances and friends alike had gathered to blow off steam and frolic among the fleeting summer temperatures. They’d barely be halfway through the first semester before the campus would see its first snowfall.

The cold didn’t particularly bother Lorcán, his abilities allowed him to maintain a comfortable internal temperature, if only with a little more effort once the temperatures started to dip into what he affectionately referred to as ‘Calli-Weather’. The first snowfall of the year was almost always beautiful. Delicate flakes silently falling over the campus, melting on noses and outstretched tongues. Smiling blue eyes danced in front of Lorcán’s mind’s eye as the thought of snow brought forth one of his favourite memories, walking to class, a hand brushing against his for warmth amongst the falling snow with…

Aurora.

The distinct red hair derailed the memory as Lorcán’s neck practically snapped, turning to look toward the girl. His heart began to beat a little faster, its pace increasing as she removed her coverup, revealing the soft blue two-piece beneath, the fabric accenting her natural figure perfectly. It wasn’t like this was the first time that Lorcán had seen this much of Aurora, the pair spent a lot of their time on the beach. But the sight of the beautiful girl never ceased to send butterflies flurrying through his stomach as thoughts of asking her to the senior dance began to crash over him like waves of the ocean.

And then he was snapped back to reality.

The sound of leather slapping against skin echoed over the open water that bordered the sandy beach. A dull thud followed the unintentional assault as the senior classman was dropped into the sand.

A drool-splattered ball landed beside his head.

“Ow.”

"Shit, Lorc, sorry about that. Figured you had your hands up, so I was going for a tight spiral, and..." Came Rory’s apology, the older senior suddenly trailed off mid-sentence as his distracted scan of the beach spotted Aurora and Harper speaking to Gil a ways down the beach. He looked back to Lorcán slowly, his cheery smile transforming into a knowing grin.

"I see, I see... something else catch your eye, Hot Shot?"

“Yeah, all the swells I’m missing lying here because of you, dude.” Lorcán laughed before propping himself up on his elbows. He looked back over toward Aurora, only now noticing Harper, Gil and Mei for the first time. It looked like most of Blackjack was out today, he even saw Amma wading into the shallows.

That had to be a good thing right? Her making an effort to join in on the fun.

Lorcán couldn’t blame anyone for being stand-offish with Amma. She certainly wasn’t a warm person. However, something was enticing about her. It was the mystery of her arrival, the nature of her abilities and her overall demeanour. Maybe it was a hero complex within Lorcán that a part of him wanted to rescue her.

“Dude, did you iron your dress uniform?” Lorcán asked before kicking his feet into the air and jumping upright again. “I totally forgot about the senior dance after the Homecoming Trials, you think you’re going to ask anyone?” Lorcán fished, his fiery eyes darting back towards their redheaded teammate. His arm shot up to wave towards the gathered members of Blackjack while his mind began going through all the things Lorcán knew Aurora enjoyed.

His father had always said that you don’t ask someone out empty-handed. You need to bring a gift. But what gift could possibly say enough, while simultaneously playing it cool to lowkey ask a girl to the Senior Dance?

“...How do you go about asking someone?” The question escaped from between Lorcán’s lips, but his words weren’t directed at Rory. It was more like a thought meant to be kept inside rather than suddenly out there for the Canis boys to hear. The smile on Lorcán’s face continued to grow.

“Bro, can you pass me one of those 'Claws?”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

Deleted

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.002: Life's A Beach

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Gill Galahad - @Roman}

Previously: TBD

^{| Monday, September 4th, 2028}

The surfboard cut through the glassy surface of the Pacific, following the waves with a rapidly increasing pass. A gout of fire shot from the hands of the bare-chest male as he rocketed himself forward. Still, it wasn’t fast enough as the tube closed in on the teen, dousing his flames and sending him under.

The surf crashed over the head of the sun-bleached tawny brown-haired teen. Taking a quick gasp for air, he emerged from beneath the waves, steam rising off of his hair and face while his hesperidium-hued eyes tried to find his bearings. Playful laughter could be heard from the busy shore, as Lorcán looked towards the student-crowded beach.

The weekend before the Semester kick-off was always the busiest weekend at Pacific Royal. Students new and returning were arriving at the island and enjoying everything the campus had to offer.

Having lived his whole life on the island, none of it phased Lorcán, if anything he took it for granted. But one thing he never tired of was watching the smile grow on the face of a new student the first time they stepped off the ferry.

Climbing aboard his surfboard, Lorcán paddled toward shore.

"For someone who has been on a board since he could walk, you wouldn't know it,” The playful voice of none other than Pacific Royal’s resident movie star called out over the crashing waves through the din of the busy beach.

"The waves are gnarly my dude, guess the water just isn't my element today," Lorcán replied with a smirk before he dismounted in the shallows and picked the board up under his arm. The water droplets continued to evaporate from Lorcán’s torso as he walked up on the sand, seemingly drying before Gil’s eyes.

“Are you looking forward to putting together the Homecoming Trial for this year’s freshmen? It’s tradition for the graduating class to work together creating a new obstacle course.” Lorcán explained before standing his board up and plopping down beside Gil.

“With any luck, maybe the Chancellor will let us run the course before the new class.”

“I find I’m more equipped for emotional labour compared to physical,” Gil said with a smile, “but you know what they say - many hands make light work. You hear a lot of good sayings in the industry, but that one particularly seems to follow me…”

Gil looked up, trailing off and shielding his eyes from the sun as a young girl approached nervously from behind Lorcán; Lorcán followed his gaze before noticing her and welcomed the girl before beginning introductions.

“Gil, this is my ‘baby’ cousin, Ripley Jones,” Lorcán said with a smile, embracing the petite brunette with a side hug. “She’s starting her first collegiate year this fall.”

“Hi,” Ripley replied shyly, before brushing her bangs away from her face, before turning to whisper to Lorcán, _{“You didn’t tell me you knew Gil freakin’ Galahad!”}

A confused look came over Lorcán’s face for a second before bursting into a wide smile.

“Oh yeah, he’s-” Lorcán paused, turning back towards Gil, “-You’re a movie star or something, right?” Lorcán chuckled softly, “Y’know, she actually lives in Crestwood Hollow.”

Gil beamed, standing and brushing off the sand to offer a hand to shake. “Always nice to meet a fan. You know we actually shot on-location for a few episodes. It’s a beautiful town. Would you like a selfie?”

“Of course, she wou-” A sharp elbow to the ribs stopped the words mid-breath as Lorcán was forced to sharply exhale.

_{“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”} Ripley began to whisper frantically, _{“This is so not the way I wanted to meet Gil Galahad.”} She pleaded, tugging at Lorcán’s hand.

“I am so going to get you back for this the minute I find out which one of these girls is A-”

“I think we were leaving after all,” Lorcán said with a smile, cutting Ripley off before tucking his surfboard under his arm. “If I don’t see you before the kick-off ceremony, enjoy the rest of the holiday.”

Turning back to Ripley, Lorcán continued to chat as the pair walked along the beach. All around them students excitedly spent the holiday Monday blowing off steam while they frolicked on the beach. Above them on the seaside cliffs, Lorcán could see even more taking advantage of the island’s numerous trails.

“So, excited for your trials and house placement?” He asked, looking at the young girl.

“Terrified actually,” Ripley replied, “What if I don’t get placed in Canis? Won’t Uncle Aiden be disappointed? The whole family has been Canis.”

“Nah,” Lorcán shook his head, “Mom was in Myotis. Just because Dad, Cass and I are all in Canis doesn’t mean you need to be. You’d be an asset to any House.”

“You’d be a schway Lutra.” Lorcán added with a playful wink, “Speaking of Cass, where is your brother?”

“I believe he said something about getting all the wrinkles out of his dress uniform before the senior dance after the trials.”

“Oh yeah, dude, that totally slipped my mind.”

“Are you going to ask…” Ripley smiled, “Well, you-know-who?”

“I don’t know if she’d say yes,”

“And you won’t until you ask,” The younger girl replied, “Besides, the worst she can do is say no, you’ll be fine either way.”

“See, look how smart you are,” Lorcán replied tousling Ripley’s hair, “Told you, you’d be a rad Lutra.”

“Plus if you’re really concerned about getting into Canis, senior class gets a vote and I know you’ve got two voices on your side.”

“Heads up!” A voice suddenly yelled over the din of the beach as Lorcán looked up just in time to move Ripley out of the way of the stray ball. Watching it hit the ground nearby, Lorcán took a couple of steps towards it before picking up the football at his feet. Looking back towards the familiar face who threw it, Lorcán flashed a smile before he spiralled the ball back towards its owner.

“If I don’t see you at the ceremony, I’ll catch up with you on the Plateau before your campfire trauma dump.” Lorcán replied with a smirk as he turned to take off after the ball.

“My campfire trauma what?” Ripley asked, “But I, what? I don’t have any trauma!” She protested before Lorcán turned to yell a reply.

“You live in Crestwood Hollow! Haven't you seen the show, everyone has something!”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

^{| Crestwood Hollow - 1991}

"Would you like a slice of cheese with that, hun?"

Yoshi Nakamura looked up from the plate of warm pie, the aroma of cinnamon and apple rising steadily into his nostrils while he looked at the waitress in stunned silence.

"Cheese with pie?"

"Oh yeah, folks love it. An apple pie without some cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze. 'Course if that's not your poison, we can always just throw a dollop of ice cream on there if that'd be more to your liking, sweet cheeks."

"Ah, I see." Yoshi bowed his head and shoulders forward slightly, "I will have the ice cream please, I have a bit of what you Americans call a sweet tooth."

"'Course you do, Sugah." The waitress winked, "I'll be right back with this." She stated before lifting the plate from the table and taking it back behind the counter.

Interlocking his fingers in front of him on the table, Yoshi turned his grey eyes towards the diner's window, watching the rain streak down the large pane of glass. Outside, a black sedan pulled into the parking lot, stopping before two men stepped out of the back seat. The driver stayed put, his crimson-lensed sunglasses looking a bit ridiculous on such an overcast day. Entering the diner, the pair of men dusted the water droplets off their long overcoats, the first of two removing his hat before the second followed suit.

Despite fully knowing that Dr. Jonas Lehrer and Director Yakob Kowalski were not related, Yoshi couldn't help but notice the similarity between the two men as they approached the booth.

“Mr. Nakamura?” Lehrer asked, approaching first, “Would you mind if we take a seat?”

“You were invited were you not?” Yoshi gestured towards the bench on the other side of the booth. “Please take a seat, I am told by the waitress that they serve pie with squeezed cheese here.”

Kowalski raised an eyebrow while Jonas was unphased.

“I understand you want to propose a satellite campus for our school.” Jonas started while signalling the waitress to bring coffee for himself and Yakob.

“Yes, if we worked together, I believe we could build something great. Another school would extend accessibility for other Hyperhumans.”

“And you would be running this school?” Kowalski interjected while thanking the waitress as she dropped off a pair of still-warm mugs from the dishwasher before filling them with the piping-hot black liquid.

“Ideally, yes. Although I would have some changes I’d like to make.”

“Such as?” Jonas peered eagerly over his mug while Yakob massaged his temples before cleaning the steam off his glasses.

“My understanding is that at Pacific Royal, you have the students sorted into various houses based on personality is it?” Yoshi began.

“Is that not limiting for the students? Your school should encourage individual growth, not limit them to two or three defining traits. At my school, we would be abolishing such a system and encouraging the students to develop and mature during their time to come into a true identity of self.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Kowalski interjected. “We train the students to work together, to see the commonality in one another. In addition to the House system, students are placed in teams to learn to work with people different from themselves.”

“I understand it's a military model, but not all of us are trying to train our own private army.” The cold reply was followed by a prolonged silence as Yoshi continued to enjoy his pie while waiting for a response.

“Clearly,” Kowalski started, clearly his throat aggressively before he looked at Jonas waiting before the pair exchanged a knowing nod.

“We are at an impasse. I don't see how we can allow a satellite campus to be run by someone whose ideology is so different from our own.”

“I understand. Though I do wish you would reconsider. I have many resources at my disposal. I assure you, my offer is most generous.”

Jonas stood first, placing a couple of bills down on the table to cover both Yoshi’s meal and the coffee.

“Money has never been a motivator for me. I wish you luck though, you’ll need it in this world.”

Yoshi watched the pair of men exit the diner, climbing into their car before their driver pulled away.

“They lack your vision.” The voice of Miguel Ramos said from the booth behind Yoshi. Taking his last bite of pie, Yoshi continued to watch the door while replying.

“They do not know it yet, but one day when their guard has fallen, everything they possess will be mine.”

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Nature Trails - Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean}

Welcome Home #1.001: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: None

"I suppose y'all wonderin' why I asked you here."

Jim barely held a straight face as the sentence left his mouth. He shook his head in disbelief before tugging the reins and steering the horse between his legs onto the coastal path. Beside him, Miranda offered a reassuring smile.

"Just because Jonas did that, doesn't mean that you need to. Sometimes the best way to embrace change is to break the expectations."

Jim nodded appreciatively in response.

"I still don't know what y'all were drinking when you nominated me to the big chair. I'm not exactly the paperwork type."

"Director Caspian loved the idea, she agreed almost immediately. After the last five years, everything with Hyperion, I think this is a great chance for the school. We desperately need one with the Foundation breathing down our neck right now." Miranda replied.

"It was going to be between you and Aiden. We both know that with Roth's connection to Jonas and Crestwood Hollow, it would have been a PR nightmare to elect him as the new chancellor."

"Oh," Jim had a wry smile on his face. "So I'm the-"

"-Safe choice?" Miranda interrupted with a smile of her own. "Doesn't take a telepath to know what you were about to say, old friend. And no, you're not the safe choice."

She smiled, pausing before reassuring Jim.

"You're the right one."

The sound of familiar engines overhead signalled the approach of an Albatross. Steadying his horse, Jim looked skyward, watching the bird. He had expected it to turn towards the Eastern island, heading towards the Alpha Base, but instead, its rotors tilted upwards as the Albatross landed in front of the two riders.

From the belly of the vessel emerged a familiar figure. The current director of the Bureau of Hyperhuman Enforcement, Logistics and Protection, Winter Caspian exited, flanked by her security personnel and followed by a pair of women, both dressed in business formal.

“Chancellor O’Neil,” Winter called as Miranda and Jim both dismounted from their horses and guided the pair of animals by their reins.

“I’d like to introduce you to Teresa Torres and Maya Almassian, they’re the representatives from the Alexandria Foundation who have been sent to audit our lovely institution.”

“Mr. O’Neil,” Torres added, extending a hand, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet in person. Your Director has spoken highly of you, I shall hope we don’t find her to be hyperbolic.”

“Ms. Torres, I’m sure y’all find everything the Director told y’all to be hyperbolic, but I assure yous I am more than capable of running this here school.”

“Miranda Rivers, I’m also a teacher here.”

“And acting Vice Chancellor by my notes,” Torres retorted. “Miss Almassian is my personal Hand. I’ll need her granted with the same privileges and security clearance that you supply me with.”

“I’ll ensure that’s done,” Jim replied, before turning to Winter. “I’m sure you didn’t fly all this way solely to introduce our guests here.”

“Your intuition serves you well, Chancellor,” Winter replied with a weak smile. “I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news, Pacific Royal has lost several of its accreditations. I’m afraid students in the law, engineering and medical degree programs won’t have their degrees recognized upon graduation.”

“Y’all can’t be serious, so what are they working toward then?”

“We’re doing our best, in the meantime, you’ll have to announce that at the opening ceremony to give them a chance to attempt a transfer. But for the time being, degrees in those departments are essentially just a piece of paper.”

“Well, Ms. Torres,” Jim dryly responded, “Welcome to Pacific Royal.”

“Thank you,” Torres replied, “I believe I am going to like it here.”

---

The atmosphere was tense.

Salt-laden mist hung in the humid air above the pier as the crowd continued to chant their protests. Hastily scribbled signs painted with messages of hate towards Hyperhumans and calls for Pacific Royal Collegiate and University to be shut down were shoved in the faces of the students assembled for the school ferry. Emotions were high on both sides as new and old students alike had to fight to keep the stress of the situation from accidentally setting off their abilities and creating an escalated event.

"Hypes go home!"

"P.R.C.U. is nothing more than an indoctrination camp!"

"Stop funding a private Hype army!"

"Bring back registration! No more Hyperions!"

The Hyperhuman terrorist formerly known as Hyperion had left scars for the Hyperhuman community as a whole that would likely never heal. Public faith in the Bureau of Hyperhuman Equality, Logistics and Protection had all but disappeared following Hyperion's public unmasking as none other than Dr. Jonas Lehrer. It had of course been a ruse, Dr. Lehrer's life and likeness had been stolen by none other than his former colleague and the once head of H.E.L.P., the thought dead, former director Yakob Kowalski.

"No more dead kids!"

"No more Hyperhuman attacks!"

In the wake of this, the Alexandria Foundation seized a foothold in the public's favour. Despite a dodgy reputation in the Western Hyperhuman community, the Alexandria Foundation, its institute and its agents had a nearly flawless reputation with the rest of the world, so much so that their offer was unanimously accepted when they offered to replace H.E.L.P.

"Take back Dundas Island!"

"Hypes have taken enough, it’s time to make them give back!"

The United States was all too happy to unleash the Foundation on the scattered remnants of Hyperion's Children. Despite their leader being gone, the splintered sects of cult-like followers that Kowalski had gathered continued his mission of Hyperhuman Supremacy. With Hyperion and his beliefs intrinsically linked to Pacific Royal, it continued to paint a poor image of the recovering school.

Alyssa Townsend eased her way through the excitable crowd, her brother Oliver watching her back as the pair attempted to move their luggage towards the loading area for the ferry. The redheaded young woman's eyes met a familiar pair belonging to Cassander Charon, his hand tightly wrapped around the arm of his young sister, no doubt the same age Oliver was when he first started at Pacific Royal. Cassander nodded quietly toward Alyssa, picking his fellow member of Team 78, or Firebird, out of the crowd. The pair left their reunion as a quiet acknowledgement to one another, fear keeping their voices silent lest it incite the protestors further.

After what felt like an eternity, the ferry's horn sounded, announcing it was boarding time for Pacific Royal Collegiate & University students. Shuffling up the ramp, Alyssa sighed a breath of relief as the students made it onboard without incident. Other boarding times had been less lucky and more than a few students had to be airlifted directly to the island due to their injuries.

Odd that despite the Foundation’s interest in the island school they couldn't spare a Force member or two to protect the students. The rest of the journey went smoothly as the ferry made good time across the open Pacific.

Sun shone brightly over the blue sea through a clear sky only to be disturbed by a sudden bombardment of mist as the ferry approached the artificial sea wall produced by the island’s defenses to shield it. The wall of coursing water parted, the surface of the ocean rippling from the sea wall retracting to allow the ferry to pass through.

Alyssa breathed a sigh of relief, smiling as she looked at Cassander, Ripley and Oliver.

It was good to finally be home.

---

The Foundation Force waved to the adoring people cheering as the Hyperhuman heroes stood for the crowd. Behind them, a H.I.T. Unit dispatched by the Bureau of Hyperhuman Enforcement, Logistics and Protection cleared up the scene. It took the source of the disturbance into custody under the watchful eye of the Foundation.

Walking the perimeter, the agent suddenly heard a scream. Running to the source of the sound, the agent rounded the corner, spotting a woman crouching on the ground.

“Ma’am?” The agent called looking down the alley, before approaching. “Are you injured?”

There was no response as the woman continued wailing.

“Evans to Scott, I’ve got wounded at my location, I need an EMT over at Bloor and Bathurst.” Harrison radioed to the Senior Agent as he continued to approach the woman.

“Ma’am, I need your consent to help you before I proceed, do I have that?”

A wave of nausea suddenly washed over Agent Evans as the woman clenched her right fist together, the wailing stopping cold.

“No.”

Evans didn't even have time to draw his weapon before an object appeared in the woman’s left hand. A click and a whir echoed through the small alley as a blade materialized in her hand before severing Evans’ head from his body.

Smiling, the woman retracted her weapon while retrieving the agent’s badge and weapons before disappearing up the fire escape.