No Heroes (Part 4) by Null0trooper

Friday afternoon, January 13, 2017,
Theory and Practice of the Escape.

Aww, don't be so hard on yourself, Morgana. I'm sure Benjamin doesn't hold the fire against you. Oh crud, Morgana's PTSD and having to be handcuffed for this week's class. Belfry, please don't say those things to Morgana. He should have been briefed on her PTSD and past incidents.

Dang, on the floor that fast, but Belfry gives good advice and helps her stand up with a technique I've never seen myself. Bianca! No teasing of Morgana right now, this is a serious matter she wishes to discuss with Belfry.

"Exactly that. No one saw you start to lose it. No one saw the takedown."

"Why?"

"No need to see it, right?" He turned to fully face her with an 'I know something you don't know' smile, saying, "Besides, I'm pretty good at escaping notice."

Okay, he is the perfect training partner for Morgana in this class. Benjamin knows being terrified of handcuffs, he has the scars to prove it.

"What got you past it?"

"Learning how to escape." Benjamin paused to choose his words and banish bad memories, before settling on "...bad situations, among other things. I'll admit that learning not to blame myself for all that took longer."

No, Morgana, learning not to blame yourself isn't that simple a decision.

Benjamin isn't fireproof, he manifested something to protect his hands.

"Yeah, stuff like that. A carbon fiber welding blanket might be easier."

She shook her head. "Not nearly fireproof enough. If I lose it, get clear, I wouldn't want to burn you."

1,650C wasn't enough? He had to be wondering what kind of fire she controls.

3002 F isn't enough!

"I was chained up and handcuffed. So, if you use either on me, be very careful and very ready to move away. Oh, and shock prods. NEVER come near me with one of them."

He nodded. "No amateur ECT. Got it!"

Benjamin, take this seriously for Morgana's sake.

"Sorry, my life isn't that interesting. I've got a gimmick for making me and one or two others completely disinteresting or nonexistent to an observer. Works on psychics, wizards, and droids, so maybe? Not so much on those who've mastered their chi, or the dead who lack it, but that's life. I've got powers testing scheduled for next week."

I can't wait to find out what the power wonks will rate Benjamin's powers and abilities as.

"Your left eye?" Morgana asked. Whatever was going on with his eye both was and wasn't magic. So, maybe that was what counted as a 'yes'? "I can see magic, and that's not a normal prosthetic."

Was and wasn't magic, no wonder they didn't have Eldritch try to mess with it, might be outside even an Artificer's ability to figure out. Seems to interact with chi, oh crud, green, don't tell me it is some ancient Chinese artifact that is so ancient they have no records of it.

Ah, the tale of why Morgana looks so much like Thulia. Benjamin, dragons do need to go to school despite what D&D has led most to believe. Says Thulia is her leman, her lover. And tells Benjamin her boobs are down here, bwahaha.

"Fine. I'll ask. The scars you showed me..."

"It's easy to panic when you're eight years old and don't know if anyone's ever going to make them stop hurting you that way. Now I have people I can talk to. You ought to as well."

Those creeps if the boys didn't cooperate beat them until they submitted, now I want to see the whole lot of those 'Fathers' suffer before they die. At least they both have people to talk to and now they know someone with similar experiences to talk with them about if needed.

10 PM, Friday night,
Twain Cottage.

Yikes, that kind of English homework gave me a headache as well. And a scroll on the Handmaiden of the Tao, I hope he learns how to read it soon, I'm curious. Bwahaha, the reason for sound-dampening panels in the dorm room, only Max could warrant that. Eleven and a half on everything, including studying, no wonder Max is a good student despite his fun-loving attitude.

Benjamin, omitting the truth by posting only part of the story to make Max look good, how could you. The point is you got Benjamin home safely, Max, thinking about doing something and actually doing it are completely different. Whoa, just how many times has Benjamin gotten close to death in his life?

The thing is — you were the first person in a long, long time to see me as a person, not a freak show, a mark, or a GSD case. Even here, dude. Serious."

Okay, the school needs a class on treating those with GSD or any of the other things mistaken for GSD the same way you would any other classmate. New K-pop and somehow so loud it disturbs others despite the sound-dampening panels, good grief.

Saturday morning, January 14, 2017,
Crystal Hall Cafeteria.

Peter 'Icejack' Raiford used to the Crystal Hall, trying to ignore the morning crowd as he has breakfast and juggles code. Benjamin eating rice and shredded chicken, yum.

"So... one of the big topics in Psycho Intro was ethics and some of the many, many ways to piss people off."

Spoken like an expert in pissing people off.

Peter replied, "It could just be me, but I don't think that was the intent. I'm sure that that's something I'd remember from Powers Theory."

"Good. I don't think I want to go over that stuff twice. We've got the Xavier Act for homework. Things like 'exerting subtle mental control' and all that."

Named after a fictional character, should rename it after Gen 1's The Don.

I didn't know 'subtle' was in your repertoire."

Benjamin scoffed, "That's why I keep it hidden in a dictionary, chained and buried out in the backyard!"

Benjamin, people listen in to conversations in the Crystal Hall just to get potential blackmail material. Ack! That subject, I know why it is in the homework, but yikes. A bus to Dunwich for an appointment at 1, who is he seeing?

"I asked Menehune if he could hook me up with an out-of-the-way area for testing gear. Just a heads-up, he might be interested if your C&C suite can work with naval drones."

Eh, just a typical day at Whateley then.

Annaliese Ellingham froze, and Felicia "Crescent" Lincoln said she needed to stop avoiding him. Oh boy, still avoiding Benjamin due to what she saw in his mind. Thank you, Felicia, for making sense of the whole situation.

Time for more practice and Annaliese ask if they have room for one more. Oh brother, Annaliese, get your head out of the gutter. Peter, listen to Benjamin, he has experienced crashing from not eating. Ooo, Peter is acting jealous of how Annaliese knows Benjamin. *facepalms* Benjamin, just because something isn't stipulated in a contract doesn't mean you don't do your best not to get sent to the hospital!

Annaliese has a good read on Icejack already. Drone tag sounds fun.

That and an unspoken rule to 'make sure there are guys on both teams, so it only gets rough, not violent.' Weirdly enough, girls' teams were freaking cut-throat when playing against each other.

Now that's scary. Benjamin brings up Annaliese is a telepath, Peter thinks she would be a snob because her brother is in Emerson.

A couple of hours later,
Tactics Range.

Ouch, trying to see in those conditions even with a polarized lens is rough. Oof, Benjamin runs into Peter and they fall down with Benjamin on top, they need to have a chat already, though with Benjamin's past trauma thanks to his father and father's friends it gets more complicated.

Thank you, Colombine, for ending that, it was uncomfortable to watch. Ride to Dunwich waiting at Twain Cottage, huh, I thought he was taking the bus. Morning Tai Chi is a good thing for Benjamin, anything to help with his physical, mental, and emotional state. The simulator experience at Whateley is certainly unique, you have to try it, Benjamin.

Twain Cottage.

Tabitha Turner remembers her time in Twain before her change. A follow-up appointment in town, ah, it is about his clothes. Detention assignment, what did he get stuck with? Max shows up and tells them where Benjamin is, he thinks it is okay despite the doctor's orders since he is just piloting drones. Conrad Filbert has Tabitha come to his office to wait for Benjamin to arrive.

Good grief, Benjamin, you are supposed to be taking it easy. Tabitha is taking him so he isn't back late for detention at 5, Benjamin thinks he could take the bus and get back in time, he don't know Miss Rogers very well, do he.

"It also shouldn't be done without a recent shower. And for the record, I'm not asking."

Belfry shrugged it off, "Back in five!"

Smart move, if you had argued she would have dragged you to the showers and tossed you in herself.

Second Floor, Twain Cottage.

Seesh, Colombine is a danger to Poe's secret. Lily is in her mid-20s now, dang, how time flies.

"We don't have time for a rundown on the whole dorm. Disregarding Lapin and Calliope, there is a correlation between the public members of the Whateley Transgender Support Alliance that Mrs. Turner co-sponsors and Poe Cottage."

Colombine, keep that to yourself because Mrs. Horton is not above putting the same spell she does on Poe cottage students on you to keep the cottage secret.

Great, he knows more about Tabitha's powers than even most of her fellow staff now. Something to prevent sensory overload, without a doubt, but you don't have time to figure that out right now. A blind fighter, great, he knows that about her as well. Eep, 3 minutes late.

En route to Dunwich.

Red flag right now, no wonder he took his time. Barred from taking the school bus to Dunwich, uh oh. Behave and follows instructions as if she were his parent, ooo, a bad choice of words with Benjamin.

"As I recall from in-chamber discussions, the judge who signed my emancipation order was of the opinion that the world would be better off if both my birth parents were burning in Hell on a slow-turning spit. If you wish to go on record as their agent, based on a signature on forged paperwork, I should point out that this conversation is being recorded. By now, I would not be surprised if my employer's legal department is already taking an interest."

Tabitha, he isn't lying or bluffing.

A call from Sam Everheart as they get into Dunwich, a warning about what provoking Benjamin can do to late-model cars like she is driving right now. They are trying to see how much pressure they could put on Benjamin before he loses it, where has the common sense in these adults gone!?! He has a price on his head for that job and only has that much protective gear on right now, Benjamin! Unarmed and he knows about headshots all too well. Tabitha is going to need everything possible for a stress headache after they get back to campus.

Rogers Fabric Boutique, Dunwich, NH.

All those things staining his new rugby shirt, Benjamin just likes to push the envelope sometimes. Benjamin, we all know there was more contact than needed for drone piloting and why.

Great, brought in early to protect Cece, Benjamin, and the school. Ah, so that is how Tabitha got stuck with this job, every other faculty member basically pulled a "Not it!" by being busy that morning.

"I can see how you'd get that impression. Mr. Keeling has a nasty habit of underselling himself. Speaking of which, I think we'll start with a casual ensemble."

Nice casual ensemble, this is why Miss Rogers is a pro. And good reasoning on no pure white. New clients, I like her attitude toward students with GSD needs and good thinking about a fireproof outfit.

Gear for practicing silat, cool.

"They're not as much fun as reproducing top-shelf traditional silks without a nanoforge or a Star Trek replicator. Don't forget I'm in competition with Jermyn Street, Hong Kong..."

Dang, that is some tough competition. Dang, she made some impressive protective wear even by Whateley standards.

Scrutinizing the back, with its strikingly Uzbeki pattern, Benjamin said, "More of a calculated insult to certain parties. This is not something I would normally wear in certain parts of the world."

"My source advised me to say that the pattern might serve as an intelligence test for those who wish to curry favor."

"Remind me never to piss your source off."

Rats, I wanted to know who her source is too.

Close manifestor with A and B modifiers, interesting. Whoa, Cece noticed that Benjamin has been using manifested hair dye for so long he doesn't even notice he is doing it anymore. Aww, she made him something to wear for the Valentine's Day formal dance. And he tries to make excuses including no one to go with. Miss Rogers teaches ballroom dancing, that sounds fun.

Mrs. Turner pointed out that "most of them won't be pretending to have earned medals. You'll want to take those off."

"No. He won't."

Tabitha, you have no idea of the life he has lived, nor the hells he has survived so politely shut up.

"Whoever it is that you think you can't ask, you can. You never would have made it through those missions if you didn't have it in you. You wouldn't even be here. I think we both know that you owe that much to the people who trusted in you."

Once again Miss Rogers proves why she is one of the best people for the kids to talk to or get advice from.

Benjamin is sent to take the clothes out to the car while Miss Rogers talks with Tabitha.

"Is there something your 'sources' have for me?" she asked. "Mine waited until we were on our way to suggest that he posed a danger to himself."

"Ophelia's going to be pissed off that he skipped lunch. I'm betting he cowboyed his meds in the bathroom. If he falls asleep, let him wake up on his own and wait for him to orient himself. That's all that I was warned about."

Trust me, that information will save you a lot of hurt and pain in the future. Never startle Benjamin awake unless you are a regen 5 or higher, maybe 6 at least just to be safe.

The mean streets of Dunwich.

Half a block back towards Miss Roger's Boutique and Benjamin slips on meltwater slush, hurting his knee. I hope he didn't hurt it too badly, not after what happened in Powers Testing.

Sunday morning, January 15, 2017,
Ground Floor, Crystal Hall Cafeteria.

Ow, walking with a limp, been there. Someone trips him from his blind side while he is already limping, who the hell does that? A guy with canine ears and nose helps him up, always some idiots who think it is funny to pick on others. Bloodhound, a fellow Twainie. Ouch, Max needs to learn to respect others more and tone down his music, sensitive hearing, and superhuman hearing are no joke.

Benjamin, you need to learn to let others help you, I know it is hard to learn after all you have been through, but open up and you will find friends. Yes, someone would call themself Dodo, this is Whateley. Tabitha aka Homely, explains where she is from, but doesn't believe Benjamin is from anywhere in England.

"For the record, my passport's the same colours as yours."

"Yeah, sure. Let's see the leg, guvnor."

So he shows his messed up knee, yikes. Appear at Doyle later, I hope they can patch that up.

"Well then, if you're being honest about seeing a doctor today, I'll let you get on with it. Otherwise, I'd have to drag you over to Airys or Care-Bear. Except in a dire emergency, it's best to have medical procedures done before sending for a healer."

"What about a dire emergency?"

"Hit the deck and carry on, or so some mad lad of a guest once told me. You almost remind me of a younger version of him."

I wonder who Benjamin reminds them of.

Twain Cottage.

Oh god, they updated Sara's Little Purple Book with a new edition in 2016.

"...No, seriously! Some dog breeds are trained as seizure alert dogs. It's completely scientific. I mean, I noticed last week that you normally smell a bit weird."

Benjamin replied from the shower, "Remind me to file a complaint with my doctors. My blood must be past its sell-by date."

"That could be it or the perfume oils you use."

Heh, any number of things could make you smell weird to Bloodhound, Benjamin. Max, you are the ultimate annoying little brother to Benjamin sometimes. Max, did you have to describe that, especially about blowflies? Benjamin comes out of the shower looking like that, better than I do.

Max decided that he could withhold knowledge of comments about an adorkably cute British TA in the Get Out of Jail Free class for a while longer.

Oh no, the girls in the class have bondage fantasies about Benjamin.

Dang, that many photos of Benjamin being tripped, if there are bully busters on campus like in Gen 1 I almost pity the creep who did it.

"Japanese turning out to be a little tougher than you expected?"

"One of the language lab assistants is a fan. I can't let them down!"

*facepalms* The staff needs to keep a closer eye on Max. And told about what Benjamin said on the plane, darn, no secrets at Whateley.

Benjamin doesn't want to retaliate against the guy who tripped him, hhm.

"Maybe, but let's break it down. If it was meant to get me mad enough to do something stupid, it failed. In that case, whoever wanted me to screw myself over will try again. My old school wasn't all spitshine and field days, either! Now, if it was random bullshit, then the jerk will figure he's gotten away with it and maybe not be so careful next time. That's a chance to score back on him."

Knowing bullies at Whateley I think Benjamin is right. Even if he is wrong, so much happens at Whateley it will be forgotten about in a day or two at most.

Yes, join the Underdogs, and get attention off you as a potential threat.

"I'm going to kill me a holographic ferret someday. Tavi's more annoying than you've ever managed to be."

"Is that a challenge, my sweet turtledove?"

Oh lord, she has been dealing with Tavi. Colombine needs an AI spa day just for dealing with that.

"Baaawwk! Polly gimme cracker?"

"Ow!"

Why couldn't they have let the sabotaged AIPA terminal's neural inducer stay disabled? Cooked bait was worse than no bait.

Did Colombine shock Benjamin for the bad joke?

Examination Room, Doyle Medical Center.

"I know we didn't send you home with a knee brace and crutches yesterday."

Benjamin said, "Super-Dance-Party and Bloodhound out-mass me. Then Mr. Filbert took their side."

"Their side?"

"To be fair, Bloodhound did see me go down at breakfast."

"Go down?"

"Not like that! I tripped. Doesn't that happen all the time at schools like this?"

Good grief, Dr. Gutierrez, don't you know about high school bullying? Oh god, the devisor chocolate, I think Benjamin might have broken down if he had even the usual reaction to that.

"Half-blind" might explain the bright Hawaiian shirt over the green long-sleeved tee in January.

No, that is because he let Max help pick out his clothes. Benjamin, you suck at bluffing sometimes. *eyes bug out* Good lord, that trip made it a lot worse.

Benjamin volunteered, "It looks worse than it really is."

I'm not sure how that could be possible. Cracked patella, bring in the mutant Healer! Hawthorne, I wonder what Benjamin will have as detention duty in Hawthorne.

Slender, white-haired girl and the ghost image of a unicorn with her, oh boy, is she an avatar with the spirit of a unicorn attached to her?

She put the feeling of brushing past something large and old out of her mind.

Okay, maybe not a spirit, but could a girl become attached to a unicorn and it be invisible to others? Confirmed it is a spirit and it doesn't trust Benjamin for some reason, while he is scared out of his mind of it.

Samantha is told to step out for a few minutes, Dr. Gutierrez is going to give Benjamin some drugs to calm down. He saw the unicorn, knew it didn't like him, and felt it press its horn to his chest. Unique and a manifested spirit, mild GSD with a horn-like growth on her forehead. Unicorns eat virgins, boy, the legends he read are different from the ones I've heard. Colombine, he is probably a virgin and he does have a soul despite all he has done. And your teasing isn't helping the situation.

Sunday afternoon,
Assigned Detention, Hawthorne Cottage.

Pumped full of drugs so Unique could heal his knee as much as possible, still in a brace for a few days. Mrs. Bardue assigns tasks for detention, so happy she and Gunny finally married. I still remember the prank the students pulled on Sara Waite, getting her to take Puppet's toxic blood down to the sub-basement toilet with the demons inside.

Benjamin shows up through the tunnels from Doyle and with a hospital orderly as an escort for him, a first time for everything. Benjamin, stop acting like this is military punishment duty and risk falling down just to salute. Hopped up on pain drugs and too late to defer his punishment, the system needs more refining. Green flag and Benjamin drops his makeup, oh boy.

The most recent updates included an acute case of monokerophobia. Other than that? Traumatic brain injury, seizures, PTSD, MATD, the issues already raised against housing him in Hawthorne now that Louise was gone, etc.

Hey, it isn't a phobia if the only one he met didn't like him and came near him to poke him in the chest with its horn, that is a reasonable fear. Figure out what she is going to do with Benjamin, oh boy, she has her work cut out for her today. All those warnings from people, it is like they think he is a one-man wrecking crew or something.

15 minutes later Mrs. Bardue is introducing him to Friedrich Schnöring, code-named Thundrous, emphasizing that Benjamin just came from Doyle. Instructions on how to mop the floor properly and Benjamin is out of it due to the meds.

Such language from the housekeeper. Singing a Madonna song and getting the lyrics wrong, a Hawthorne girl knows the song as it was her mother's favorite song. Celine aka Acid Queen has acid sweat, I wondered about her unique outfit. Nice manifested gloves so they can shake hands, plus a test of Miss Rogers' clothes to see if she was right about acid and stain resistance.

Oh brother, Benjamin is showing off and going to wax the floor doing a trick. That is one trick to wax a floor fast. Next wing and Celine says to call Friedrich first as it is for the best.

Benjamin sleeping or trying to on one of the Common room couches and Max just has to tease him.

"Now, now. None of that! We've got to get you to dinner before they decide to keep you here."

Having been warned that the two boys might be a carefully mismatched set, Mrs. Bardue wasn't having none of that. "Child, that is by no means going to happen."

Yeah, even if Louise was there I don't think they would want Max visiting often to see Benjamin. Ooo, dirty pool, pulling the old "blackmail for your own good" bit. Gah! I felt that when Benjamin tried to stand on his injured knee, that hurt! Someone give this boy more common sense, please.

Sunday afternoon,
Pranksters Chat, Hawthorne Cottage.

Yikes, fireball, how did Benjamin do that?

"I want to know who sent that maniac down to clean the sub-basement bathrooms."

"So does Mrs. Bardue."

"But those bathrooms are a classic! We even locked up the supplies like she asked."

"Not. Well. Enough."

Great, they did send him down there. I wonder, did the demons leave him alone because they saw the green orb and sensed what it really was? Or have the demons left the subbasement toilet after all these years?

Dreamer wrote:

1,650C wasn't enough? He had to be wondering what kind of fire she controls.

3002 F isn't enough!

Yeah, supernatural elemental fire is well outside most folks' wheelhouse. Makes a person wonder what the cultists would have done had they succeeded. Likewise, Morgana wouldn't have reason to know that tasers and seizure disorders don't mix well.

Dreamer wrote:

Okay, the school needs a class on treating those with GSD or any of the other things mistaken for GSD the same way you would any other classmate.

There are a couple of winter term classes, but they're focused on teaching the mutant how to fit themselves to the workplace. Benjamin and Max would certainly have unique perspectives on the topics.

Dreamer wrote:

The simulator experience at Whateley is certainly unique, you have to try it, Benjamin.

Dreamer wrote:

Once again Miss Rogers proves why she is one of the best people for the kids to talk to or get advice from.

She's had years of experience with teens at their highs ("I have a date!"), their lows ("Who could ever care for a freak like me?"), and their in-betweens ("I don't even know what happened!").

And yeah, some manifestors cannot be disarmed unless they're completely unconscious.

Dreamer wrote:

"What about a dire emergency?"

"Hit the deck and carry on, or so some mad lad of a guest once told me. You almost remind me of a younger version of him."

I wonder who Benjamin reminds them of.

Well, there was that policeman who was on-hand around the same time as Tabbie's manifestation. something Keeling or something.

Dreamer wrote:

"Half-blind" might explain the bright Hawaiian shirt over the green long-sleeved tee in January.

No, that is because he let Max help pick out his clothes.

That is all Benjamin as a civilian. Picture a goth like Penny Dreadful. Now take the inverse of that.

Dreamer wrote:

He saw the unicorn, knew it didn't like him, and felt it press its horn to his chest. Unique and a manifested spirit, mild GSD with a horn-like growth on her forehead. Unicorns eat virgins, boy, the legends he read are different from the ones I've heard. Colombine, he is probably a virgin and he does have a soul despite all he has done.

His memory of being given a unicorn plushie is somewhat distorted by trauma. Even back then, he wasn't a virgin.

Dreamer wrote:

Yikes, fireball, how did Benjamin do that?

theultimateguidetothefashionofdoctorwho....vqe1rloiyjo4_250.gif

Dreamer wrote:

I wonder, did the demons leave him alone because they saw the green orb and sensed what it really was? Or have the demons left the subbasement toilet after all these years?

Or, did they know about the fireball?