No Heroes, Part 1: New to the neighborhood by Null0trooper

Saturday morning, January 7, 2016,
Dunwich, New Hampshire, United States.

At the Dunwich Arms Hotel, Benjamin needs to learn to stop staling. Colombine shows up and says it is -14, not -40 outside. He has gear rated for worse than that and isn't going outside, Benjamin, you better explain why. Ah, don't know how to be a student, just think of it as undercover work and you will adapt in time.

A new tailor, and in Dunwich, so he is seeing Miss Rogers. Ouch, dark memories related to snow. Why is that big man giving Benjamin dirty looks? Military school and not shot at, Benjamin has lived a strange life so far. Rescued by the MCO when he went to buy a jacket, I forget if that story has been detailed.

Rogers Fabric Boutique, Dunwich, NH.

Hehe, I forget how young Miss Rogers still looks after over a decade since Gen 1. That is some business card. Oh boy, right out front and on the phone with her now because she thinks he is too old to be a high school freshman. Confirmed his identity, chatted over the clothes he would need, and dang, she was good to notice the concealed ballistic vest he was wearing.

Twain, please don't let idiots pick a fight with him. Huh, so Miss Rogers was Whitman, class of 2001. Benjamin might be the first to note all those details about her shop. Eep, that office of Benjamin's doesn't sound too comfy. Ah, the cabinet of scanners and all those things to remove, questions to answer, just to ensure it works right.

Yikes, you forget how bad of shape he is in until you see him without all the makeup to hide his injuries and such. 3 years and 2 months since he manifested, can manifest those things, and it leaves Cecilia wondering why he is going to Whateley. What did he do to peeve off the Iron Dragon that badly?

Great options for protection in his clothes. Oh boy, now Miss Rogers thinks he is a Poesie or halfway in the club. Dang, I want clothes made of those fabrics. A silver-impregnated variant of kevra, she has such great options for clothing. Ouch! I hope Benjamin got paid well for being a scratch test monkey.

Listen to Cecilia, a good utility belt can save your life. Silta practice, I wondered what form of martial arts he practiced. Street clothes next. Target practice with Yuki and Reg, no wonder Miss Rogers is giggling. In pastels, looks like he is sitting alone in the front row at a getai, and one of something he doesn't remember at all, oh boy.

"Nothing new. Miss Rogers needs to know how much death and destruction your clothing will be required to survive. I pulled what I judged to be a representative sample without compromising your colleagues or clients."

Yeah, I don't think even Team Kimba or MMM have faced as much death and destruction regularly as Benjamin does.

Wait, please say what Benjamin is seeing in the picture isn't part of some implanted memory or hallucination. Evidence, Benjamin was wearing clothes that had evidence linking him to a criminal incident on them, oh boy. Yes, please get Benjamin to change his clothing style before someone who is a fan of old shows calls him Magnum P.I. Sure you will outgrow those clothes, Benjamin, just keep telling yourself that.

Ouch, the hard truth of what some kids escaped to get to Whateley.

"With bells on!"

Something about him suggested he might just do that.

"Leave the bells at home."

You aren't wrong, Cecilia, he would have shown up with bells.

Saturday afternoon,
Twain Cottage, Whateley Academy.

All AIs have to be registered, Benjamin, even Colombine. Blame Palm for that. Oh, if you only knew what viewing Lord Paramount's painting was really about. Oh god, he is being roomed with Max, Mr. Filbert was smart, I would have tried to escape too.

Best friends going way back, including Yuki Takenaka in the Second Platoon. She has a nickname of 'Chromed-out Acid Bitch', yup, that is Yuki.

"Sir, I thought it was my name until the oxygen-sucking bastards hired a nanny to supervise their biological mistake."

Good lord, Max's parents are monsters.

I swear, Max is going to be the death of Benjamin with trying to 'expand his horizons' so much. Max, people with strong senses of smell do not want to sit near others who neglect their hygiene.

"See? But you're right. Icejack's mother said I should check in on him now and then so he doesn't forget to shower or eat."

*facepalms* I understand getting lost in work but forgetting to eat, good grief. Bloodhound lives in Twain, you had better keep yourself clean, Benjamin, or he will let you know how much he doesn't like it.

Colombine introduction and Max thinks she is just a VI, oh brother. Ticked Benjamin off with that one, he sees Colombine as a person. Well, that sunk in really fast that she is real.

"Colombine, what exactly do you do?"

"We're partners. I mostly stay out of the way of the oncoming insanity and watch the resulting fallout. You could say it's a learning experience."

"Damn. She knows you pretty well, dude."

"I should be feeling attacked now, shouldn't I?"

The truth hurts sometimes, Benjamin.

Sunday,
Outside Twain Cottage.

So, Benjamin doesn't care to ogle Exemplar hotties, and can't figure out who has GSD due to the heavy winter clothing most have on. He is right about not wishing to be stared at. Ground-truth some mapping data, I wonder how well that would work on the lower levels of the sub-basements. Seesh, already planning that far ahead, Benjamin, Cee is right, you are being a bit paranoid.

Be careful around Poe, for there are secrets to maintain and those who don't like being spied up. You have expensive taste in coffee, Benjamin. Melville cafe for coffee, you like to live dangerously, Benjamin. Dang, got two of the cottage empaths to order the same things, that must be some good coffee.

Afternoon.

Cee knows where Peter is and read on one of the school's internal forums where he posted about his trip. Ouch, his maternal grandparents still be jerks.

"I'm requesting your medical appointment be moved up. 'Impending doom' is still a symptom of multiple disorders."

Everyone with mental health disorders should have someone like this to help them out.

Monday morning, January 9, 2017,
Second Floor, Schuster Hall.

Ryan Wilson doing all that work to get kids who need it to be sent to Whateley by their parents. Ouch, and from what it says about students who transfer in late he has a hard job watching out for the kids.

Dina Radford is being escorted to Poe Cottage by Pat Barnes, and yes, Pat is "It's Complicated" category. All those complications depend on which cottage the new student is being placed in. Telekat, please don't mess with the new freshmen like that. Isabella, Carmen, Gwen, Lily, Clover, Anneliese, and Missy Mathers, boy, that is some group.

Isabella needs KAFO braces, a kid is in rough shape. Carmen Melendez, ferret-based GSD, please don't fall in with the worse parts of F3. Gwen is like a Magical girl, Lily more of a normal girl look it seems. Hard to forget Clover, her plant-based physiology is going to have it rough in the winter. Anneliese is a tall girl, not sure how tall, but tall enough to note.

Good read on Clover, the poor girl is shy and will need help coming out of her shell. Benjamin shows up, ears and cheeks turned olive-brown from the cold, interesting. Crystal Hall is just the biggest and best cafeteria at Whateley, but how many others are there?

What they all have in common is that rich or poor, for better or worse, Whateley Academy is neutral ground. Leave your vendettas, grudges, and prejudices behind you at the gates. Please do not try to bribe the gargoyles to take care of those vendettas while you are in class!"

After a theatrical pause, Wilson added, "Some of our past students have been capable of doing that. Not all of them survived to become alumni."

Wait, I thought the gargoyles were just statues, is he teasing them or is he serious? Eep, last term's fiascos, were some doozies. Good warning about the folly of assuming things about others, Mr. Wilson. The Cally outing and bullying should have never happened.

"As it is, Miss Effingham, you will be tasked with studying the Whateley Canon of Psychic Ethics in detail. You aren't the only person here who needs to learn how to handle things you shouldn't know."

There is a reason for the saying "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." Ugh, the old Poe being the Nut House cover story, one of these days it is going to have to end.

The old introductions and learning about each other. Dina Radford, her older brother Dylan sounds like he is going to be an MCO target if he keeps abusing his psychic powers like that. Her boyfriend, Pat, started school here last fall. Does she mean Pat Barnes? A warper who can change her mass to be lighter or heavier called Featherweight, a good codename.

Isabella Altilia.

To shorten a long story, manifesting as a mutant gave me my life back, even though I didn't get all the benefits." The boy twitched at that, but she paid it no mind. What could he know about being betrayed by his own body?

Boy, you are going to feel like an ass if you learn even a fraction of his history and what he is going through. Bodymod can manifest those things she has committed to ink, cool power.

Anneliese Effingham aka Serenellla, a PDP. Mind-reading anyone she is talking to, and her next comment sounds like the ESP part of her package is the Paragon power.

Clover Rozic, plant powers like her parents, Weed codename, and don't touch her vines, eep, that last part is scary.

Carmen Melendez sounds like Exemplar 2 abilities, an internal energizer for speed, endurance, and reflexes, but ferret GSD.

Gwen aka Maiden Starlight, main power is healing, but can mimic some powers as well, interesting.

Lily Pond aka Tresse, high-level regenerator with fast-growing hair. They need to put on a Rapunzel play now.

Melissa Mathers is known as Missy to friends, Crybaby codename, and a siren, ouch.

Rats, Benjamin almost got away without introducing himself, but Ryan recalled he was there. Born with black blood and two hearts thanks to mad science, eep.

"I've got a trick or two for getting people and things to ignore me..." He ignored Wilson's muttered "We noticed", saying, "but I'm classified as a close range, limited-duration, limited-durability manifestor. Maybe not as good as Isabella, but that's okay. Watch."

Even with that trick Mr. Wilson still noticed him. He does a coin trick using his manifestor powers, and Wilson isn't impressed. Then he demanifest his makeup, oh boy. Yes, Isabella, you don't want to know how Benjamin got that way.

"I'm told that a third of the students here are the techie love-children of Nikola Tesla and the National Rifle Association. On a good day, they show all the restraint of a Peruvian Wonder Llama. Wearing a flak vest increases my chances of surviving to graduation."

"And the real reason?"

Keeling shrugged, "I'm used to it."

The first explanation isn't a bad one, some of the techies from the Workshop are a little too trigger-happy sometimes. Where did Dina come up with that scenario, she has some vivid imagination. Ah, the Artemis Fowl books, so it was from there. Anneliese knows how to tease someone. Ah, the Homer Gallery, and of course Wilson knew who Benjamin got his clothes from. She is famous for a reason.

Homer Gallery, Schuster Hall.

Ack! Poor Sergeant Wilson, Ms. Hartford told him things about her times together with Lord Paramount she shouldn't have. Ouch, those poor people in Wallachia. Dang, over a decade later and Wilson still has nightmares of Halloween of '06.

Dina was closest to what the pile of gold was making a statement about. Tresse is right, 'heroes' always come after dragons to get their treasure hordes.

"Whatever potential you think it has, it's worthless just sitting there unused, hidden away."

Another good observation. Yikes, Benjamin, that is a little too cold analysis there. Yes, best not to ask when such things are brought up by Benjamin, it will help save your sanity.

The Workshop.

No complete maps of the complex provided, out of date the following week, good grief.

Le Bistro wasn't the only underground full-service restaurant anymore, but reservations still had a waiting list measured in weeks and solid favors.

I knew that place would get more popular over the years, but that is ridiculous. Hehe, even non-techie students would love the fabrication lab, build your toys.

The Cafeteria at Crystal Hall.

Dina eating with her bf, goes to grab a table for them while she waits. Oh god, the Breakfast Club. Chosing roles from the movie to play and Benjamin as Emilio Estevez, oh boy, a little on the noise. Missy as Ally Sheedy's character, the freak; Isabella as the geek.

"He was also suicidal."

"Been there, done that," Isabella said. "I still have the scripts, wasn't kidding about my mutation giving me back my life.

Yikes, no wonder she thought Benjamin wouldn't know about being betrayed by his body earlier. Dina as the Princess. And I knew they would think Benjamin's codename of Belfry was based on that saying.

FairyFire is there to recruit from among the new freshmen for her dance troop. Missy and Isabella pass, though why was Missy so quick about it? None of the girls go for it. Benjamin has a card for this situation.

"BECTU. The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union. My roommate's been an Equity member for a couple of years now."

Just what doesn't Benjamin have a card for?

Becky returned his cards to a suddenly pale Benjamin, "What about it? Unlike Ms. Dennon's Exemplar Grace class, the final doesn't require you to spar with an opponent, in heels, without spilling a drop of your tea."

The sudden gleam in the guy's eyes didn't bode well for this Max person future class selections. Becky made her retreat as soon as she politely could after exchanging contact information.

Would he put Max in Ms. Dennon's Exemplar Grace class? You bet Benjamin would!

Monday afternoon,
Laird Hall.

Benjamin rushing to get to an assessment for Basic Martial Arts. Sensei Tolman and Sensei Beaumont, and Benjamin is right, they both outclass him by a lot. I like Sensei Beaumont, straight and to the point. Tolman knows about the injury that cost him his left eye, dang.

"Mister Keeling, you will be at Doyle Medical Center at nine tomorrow morning for a complete physical evaluation. Students have, do, and will get hurt in our martial arts curricula. Some have died as a result of training accidents. I will not have a student injured or killed because of untreated pre-existing trauma. That foolishness is not acceptable in my dojo. Do you understand?"

And this is why Tolman is one of the best teachers at Whateley, imo.

"The left frontal lobe is more damaged than the right. The temporal lobes seem largely spared. I would bet that his teacher extends practice to avoid short-term memory problems. Call it a gut feeling, but a full medical examination is dangerously overdue."

"Is that all?"

"Non. Did you notice he was grinning like a maniac the entire time you were leading him by the nose? This could be good therapy for him. We merely need to find methods that work to the best advantage."

She figured all that out from observing him spar with Tolman for 5 minutes, highly impressive. Sparring with weapons and powers, Benjamin made Tolman ignore he was there but for a moment, uses manifested batons, and fights using distractions.

Judo class in the Spring term, good, he needs to learn techniques to help him in a fight.

"Welcome to Whateley Academy, Mr. Keeling. These are academic subjects. After our colleagues put you through your survival skill paces, they'll hand you over to the Ranges. Then, you have an evening Q&A with Powers Theory, Home Economics, and anyone else still awake. Here's Mr. Anderson, right on time, as always.

They are putting him through the wringer. Kurt Anderson and we finally know where they hold Survival 1 classes, in Arena 77. *facepalms* I should have known Benjamin would do something to get detention on the first day.

Range Four.

Basic Firearms Safety exam, I wonder how many freshmen fail it the first time? Crap! Opening another lane for target practice and Benjamin has flashbacks due to PTSD. And wakes up on the floor of an office, being asked by Tyson where a kid his age saw action.

"No one is hurt. You don't recall setting your rifle down and flagging the Range Master?"

"... No."

"You understand how that might present a problem for me?"

At least in this state he stopped himself from harming anyone. Not back on the Ranges until cleared by Doyle, Physical, and Psych, a reasonable decision by Tyson after what just happened.

"I'm talking before your spazz-out, while you were taking the Glock out for a spin. Now, to most people on this planet, making yourself someone else's problem is useful. They see, but don't care. To those who actually pay attention to themselves and the universe, it's a big red flag. That includes me, likely the Oni, possibly Hikaru and the sword nut she's babysitting, maybe Reilly in the Magic Department. So, doing it intentionally?"

"No. Only an idiot would intentionally do that on a Range!" Tyson could practically feel the gears grinding in the boy's head. "Totally defeats the purpose. Lots and lots of pushups if I was back at school. My old school was before, though."

In other words don't do that around those who can sense you despite the power and would perceive it as a threat. Plus on a Range, it could get him killed by someone who doesn't know he is in their line of fire, terrifying to think about.

Dreamer wrote:

Military school and not shot at, Benjamin has lived a strange life so far. Rescued by the MCO when he went to buy a jacket, I forget if that story has been detailed.

We'll be getting to it, but that's going to be the bright spot in an otherwise rough patch.

Dreamer wrote:

Wait, please say what Benjamin is seeing in the picture isn't part of some implanted memory or hallucination.

It actually was Mrs. Huang's grandmother and as he was accompanying a guest of honor, he was sitting where he belonged.

Dreamer wrote:

.

"Sir, I thought it was my name until the oxygen-sucking bastards hired a nanny to supervise their biological mistake."

Good lord, Max's parents are monsters.

That was Benjamin's "parents". Yet people wonder whatever happened to the boy's self-esteem.

Dreamer wrote:

Wait, I thought the gargoyles were just statues, is he teasing them or is he serious?

I like to think of them as Schroedinger's gargoyles, for certain values of "Schroedinger" and "gargoyle".

Dreamer wrote:

Benjamin has a card for this situation.

"BECTU. The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union. My roommate's been an Equity member for a couple of years now."

Just what doesn't Benjamin have a card for?

A valid concealed-carry card, valid driver's license under his own identity, AARP.

Dreamer wrote:

They are putting him through the wringer. Kurt Anderson and we finally know where they hold Survival 1 classes, in Arena 77. *facepalms* I should have known Benjamin would do something to get detention on the first day.

Most folks would worry more about the "incorrigible staff member".

Dreamer wrote:

In other words don't do that around those who can sense you despite the power and would perceive it as a threat. Plus on a Range, it could get him killed by someone who doesn't know he is in their line of fire, terrifying to think about.

Everyone sees practical invisibility as an overpowered ability. Few realize that bullets, bomb blasts, and oncoming traffic don't care if someone's there or not. Then there are the times it results in you not being able to get out the way you came.