Morning Assembly (PLOT)

[Director Troutman]

(OOC: Just like the Hircine counterpost, this is my sole post for the time being.)

By half past ten, the many late stragglers of Paragon Institute were likely to have arrived. Along with them came a black 2009 sedan, pulling up directly in front of the school. The driver got out, moving around to the back seat passenger door, stepping back as he opened it. Black dress shoes to match the dark blue suit stepped out onto the pavement, the Director carrying his briefcase in his right hand as he nodded to the driver as he got back into the car, driving off to return at his designated time.

Director Troutman's eyes would turn back towards the front of the School, meeting with the eyes of Principal Davis who stood outside in anticipation of his arrival. The Director gave another nod, signalling for the Principal to lead him to auditorium where (most of) the students would be waiting.

Now standing at the podium in his navy blue suit and red tie, the Director heft his briefcase atop it, unlatcing the clips and opening it. He waited several minutes before speaking, instead taking the time to observe the animals in front of him. Very little of them were sitting still, let alone quietly. It seemed everyone was shouting and most of them throwing something, but it was certain that everyone was rowdy.

It's for this very reason that God chose only two of each kind.

"Quiet down." The Director's voice was simple and demanding, his voice overhead actually causing a good deal of stoppage to the ruckus. It took the students by surprise, as it was the first command given to them since entering this school. Looks were exchanged with mocking smiles. Did this suit really think he could tell them what to do? Of course, the answer was yes.

"If you choose to be foolish enough to ignore me, you will lose the haven that has been created for you." This time, more ears perked up, and it was as quiet as Paragon had ever been.

"I am Director Troutman of the San Fransisco School Board. While that in itself means very little to most of you right now, I assure you that it will mean more to you than anything you've encountered before." The Director paused briefly, gazing over every student before continuing again before further speculation began.

"I'm not here to speak with big words, most of which will fly right over your heads, nor am I here to my own benefit. You see, Paragon Institute... a dilemna has made its way to your doorstep. Once again, the funding for your education has been cut. The bureaucrats in Washington feel that the money would be better spent elsewhere, despite my objections. To most of you, this obviously means nothing by the gauge of your test scores. However, you'll learn that a cut of budget means a cut of a school."

The Director paused more steadily this time, the actual point finally flowing through the majority of thugs and hooligans within the seats.

"I'm here to be blunt with you. Between the few schools said to be cut, this one is number one. It's no secret that this school was held back in expense and technological advantage. After all, monkeys would rather swing on the bars than read a book. By the end of the term, this school will be shut down. At that point, you'll have to re-assimilate into the other schools, following the less artistic curriculum than the approach here." The Director spoke coldy, shouts and object beginning to be thrown directly towards him. He remained where he was, the paper balls at his feet doing no harm, and aware of what would happen to any student rash enough to charge him with Principal Davis at his side.

"However. However..." The Director began once more, pushing his palms down as he urged to students back to their seats, which they would reluctantly do so. "There is something you can do to keep the free enterprise you've created amongst yourselves.

"Paragon Institute is considerably in worse condition than its counterpart Hircine High. Now, you could clean it up, beginning to fill the holes in both the establishment and your education...or we can be realistic. The school that's in better condition gets to stay. If you can't make this one better... I'm sure you can improvise elsewhere."

The Director's otherwise blank expression would form the smallest of smiles, probing smiles out of the students as plans already began to form. He'd turn to face Principal Davis, speaking into his ear telling him to meet back in his office. The Director would exit the rear of the stage, moving his way back to Davis' office where they would speak privately, following anything Trent would chose to say, or not say. Then, they'd leave Paragon to soak in its juices for a while.

Outside, it would begin to rain.

[Ayal Nissim]

Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.

This quote by Malvolio from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night seemed to ring in Ayal's head as he walked into the auditorium that day, and he could not figure out why. Of course, Ayal's brain was not entirely fine-tuned and orderly right now; Per advice of Lechandos and Vyse (See "The...Beach?" Thread in the beach), Ayal had looked into the meanings of words and phrases he had heard yelled at or told to him the good old American way:

Ayal went to Wikipedia.

Over a couple hours, Ayal typed in phrase after phrase into the search box on his computer, finding out exactly what he was saying to whom. Apparently, "Get a room!" was not a compliment, a middle finger was not a signal of greeting, and Vyse really was an accomplished movie star, and his new movie was indeed happening. After he had looked up these basic phrases, Ayal turned his monitor off and pulled out one of the books he had brought from Israel, one of which was Twelfth Night. After reading for thirty minutes and ten pages, Ayal was sound asleep, back against the chair, head up, and dead to pretty much the whole world.

However, on the moring in question, the loud moaning of Ayal's alarm clock sprung the youth to his feet, almost immediately. After Ayal looked back over at his alarm clock, he quickly thought back to the night before; he had stayed up untill three in the morning, a lot later than he had expected. Turning to his bathroom mirror, it was obvious his body was reacting to it. His hair hung lazily over his head, sprouting off every which way it felt like. His eyes looked bloodshot and dulled. His face shone with a light layer of grease, and a small beard had began to appear on his face.

While Ayal was a morning person, he did not exactly look like one.

A shower, a shave, a change of clothes, and a leftover burrito from last night later, Ayal was walking through the schoolyard. Dressed in his usual attire of black combat boots, combat pants, an old Israeli counter-terror T-shirt, and a silver necklace, Ayal didn't look too much better, but he did smell better, and for the purpose of efficiency, that was all he cared about.

Suddenly, the loudspeakers blared, calling the entire school in for a meeting of some sort. With that, Ayal walked into the auditorium as he withdrew a small bottle from his military-surplus backpack; a simple 5 hour energy shot he had picked up at a gas station. Ayal quickly unscrewed the top and tipped the strange liquid into his mouth as he found a seat in the auditorium. Apparently, the seats in American auditoriums are entirely a formality; from Ayal's perspective, they were not being used. However, Ayal was more interested in efficiency than courtesy right now, so he took his seat.

Apparently the situation was thus; this Director Troutman and Principal Davis had just told the students that either the school shapes up or it is destroyed, a prospect that Ayal did not understand.

They only close down schools in Israel if the school's blown up, Ayal thought, these Americans don't know the first thing about real destruction, or there's a deeper problem here.

As the Director left, whispering to Principal Davis, Ayal remembered that quote again, and suddenly it seemed to make sense.

I have my objectives, and I have my means of accomplishing them:

I can either grow this school into some kind of order, which would require me relieving this Tai Yang character of his captainship or making him see reason and crack down on these free radicals.

Or I can take down Hircine. I don't know who's in charge or anything else about them, save the geographic location.

Either way, It seems greatness is required here.

[Vince]

Vince was in the usual business of beating on and getting beaten when the announcement blared of the PA. A small fight was just ending, with him standing along with a pair of Genaht and the two causing the disturbance on the floor.

Vince would instantly send out a text to gather all the Genaht in the assembly room. The would arrive in force, the main group consisting of ten men, with two that had made it ahead and another pair that would arrive abit afterwards. They would take the area nearest the stage and keep it as stable as they could. Aiding in keeping the rowdy fools in control.

When the Director arrived and began speaking they would listen, and then more closely at the idea of closing the schools. Vince could only be happy with the idea, Paragon was a waste at best, and a death trap at worst. Then the alternative was given, and Vince only need to look into the crowd to see the mass plans of destroying Hircine. He would turn and shout out to the Director.

"You Arrogant man! To cause such disorder is insane and idiotic! But you have been seen before you spoke, Ein has followed your thoughts till this point! Genaht will slow your destruction and halt this ignorance!"

[John Smith]

I was in Paragon Institute. I know you're wondering what a Hircine student would be doing in this school. Especially after the clash between the two school captains. The way Tai Yang had decided to react to Alkaiser visiting the school was a clear example of what should be done with Hircine students should they decide to visit Paragon. I had been here a couple of times before but this was the only time I felt a disguise was not only recommended, but necessary for my well being. I might be an accomplished fighter, but I was far from a one man army. Discretion was perhaps my best weapon during this mission.

Now that I mention a mission, that is perhaps an exaggeration of what I was doing. It was not like I had been hired to do anything or I was planning to sabotage anything. Purely a trip to gather information. Sources had told me about the public announcement here and strangely enough then I had also heard rumors of a similar event being planned at Hircine, just later. It couldn't be a coincidence that both schools decided doing it on the same day.

It might just be my paranoia pulling in my nerves, but I had a bad feeling about it.

It was cold outside, so my choice of disguise was rather simple, a black hood from my black jacket and a pair of black leather gloves. My right shoulder was against the side wall and both of my eyes were fixed upon the director and the principal. More than ever I was considering to make my identity known to the latter of the two. Perhaps the principal could be of assistance in what was going to happen. My eyes occasionally went out of the students, their behavior reminded me of Varron Academy.

The director was finished talking and my bad feeling had been fulfilled and to make matters worse, I would be stressed to prepare things for what would happen. I had roughly an hour or more to work with before the, probably, similar announcement would happen at Hircine. I made a motion to leave the auditorium before I heard someone call out. Turning my face to see who it was that was making all the ruckus I noticed Vince. A smile crept up on me. If Genaht was slowing down the war, then I would have more time to work with. Still, I could not linger around here much longer. I would fish out my cellphone and send a text to three people. The first would be for Keith. The boy would probably threaten to beat the living shit out of me for disturbing his stalking of someone random.

"Hey Keith.

Not sure if you are at Paragon or not, if you are then you know there is a situation, if not then you can hear the Hircine version in an hour or two. And if I am not mistaken, then you get to have some fun with this event.

- John Smith."

The second text was for Aden. Perhaps our deal would change after this, but perhaps it wouldn't.

"Hey Aden, I trust you are here in the auditorium and have heard the news. This have put our plans in a risky place. The thing I need to know is, can I count on you?

John Smith.

PS. Could you keep me informed on any ideas the people get here? I will keep you informed about how Hircine reacts.

PPS. I already left."

The third text message would be the shortest and probably the one with the biggest impact on the receiver. I'd love to see the expression he would have when he read the text.

"Can I count on you?

- Kvist."

The boy, or rather, man this text was sent to was no other than Principal Davis. If he checked his cellphone now, he might get to see my back when I left the auditorium. Much against my will, I had to find one of the most intensely hunted man in Paragon history. But my odds of finding the boy was probably near zero. Unless I decided to check out his dorm room. ... Which I probably would. But did I have time to walk to the dorms and then over to Hircine to make sure that the info I had heard was correct?

Probably.

With a single glance back, I left the school in a fast pace.

[Tai Yang]

Starting the day just like any other Tai Yang did his morning run, work-out: which he revamped and increased throughout the last few weeks, returned home to his parents apartment in the slums of San Francisco. He showered, re-dyed his hair, got dressed in his usual genre, the all black, jean and leather look that he pulled off so well. Finally, to top it all off, he put the patch over his right eye.

After the fight with Conner his sight was still blurred, but he was told that after another week or two of the patch his eye would be back to normal. Besides, the patch seemed to attract even more attention to the Paragon Captain, especially by all the girls wishing to rebel against their over protective fathers. It was a plus and minus, plus with the girls, minus with his violence.

Having not woken up especially early for his morning routine, and spending the extra time to 'spruce' himself up, he was late for the morning bell at school. He arrived just moments before the 09 black sedan, and as he was still outside at the time he watched the relatively unknown figure-head exit the vehicle and make his way towards the school. Following him would be amusing, but before that.

*Crack*

It sounded like lightning was fading into the background as the rock that left Tai Yangs hand connected with the back window of the car driving away. The sight brought a smile to his face as he turned away from the nearly-gone vehicle and made his way back toward the school. He ran up the sidewalk and through the door, seeing the back of the suit as he turned the first corner. He followed and watched the suit as he took to the back entrance into the Auditorium.

'What's going on in there? Following him now would be counter-productive... Guess I'll head in through the main doors.'

Turning back he headed to the main doors, prying one open and slipping inside. As soon as he did he heard the ruckus arised from all of the other students. That made things easier on him, he'd hear the speech while blending in with the crowd, after that perhaps he'd revert back to following the man. But that came after hearing what was so important. Standing against the side wall he crossed his arms and waited silently for the man to begin.

'Director Troutman? He must've been made fun of as a kid, probably has a few issues about it. Rainbow pants, Brown Trout Streaker, eh... I guess he was mostly just called fish-face... Wow, he must've been an ugly kid.'

Throughout his inner ramblings on making fun of Director Rainbow pants he only vaguely listened to what was being said. He caught the last part though, about how the school in a better condition would remain in the system. From that he pieced together the rest of the speech and came to one conclusion:

It was Paragon's time to end.

It was true he was the Captain of Paragon, and that he wanted nothing to change from this paradise, but things were slowly changing in his mind. As warped as he was he was growing a tad bit bored with the same old routine. The teachers feared him, the Principle didn't seem to care what he did, and the students tried their best to stay away from him as best they could - to no avail. It was time for a change, if he was forced to go to Hircine High then it would be like restarting from the beginning, all new challenges to conquer. In that way it was just like a sequel to the movie of his life.

'Tai Yang, the self-made warrior, part 2. Need to work on the name, but it has a certain appeal to it.'

Pushing off the wall he turned around, seeing a rather large man in black moving out of the Auditorium. He was more concealed then any other guy in the hall, meaning he was trying to remain unseen. A hard task for a large guy such as himself. Regardless, he wasn't as interesting as what he was planning to do, but what remained is how he was to do it.

'Guess I have to work a bit harder to make my paradise crumble.'

[Valencia Donahue]

((OOC: Obligatory awareness post.))

Many people mistakenly believed that all of California consisted of sunny weather and movie stars. The truth is, all that can be easier found in southern California than in the cold north where San Francisco was, even though it got its breaks. It was another cold and dark-ish gloomy day in San Francisco and Valencia wasn't too phased by this. She preferred fog over freezing breezes though. Like any other day at Paragon, she handled the library shift for this school 'til noon. As a member of the faculty, she had to attend the assembly with not only Principal Davis up front, but also the Director of the School Board, Director Troutman. This man indirectly paid every single “regular” paycheck she got while working for both schools and since Valencia applied for scholarships while in highschool (while taking college classes to get ahead), he's also very responsible for her educational future. If the two had more positive outlooks on the educational system they were associated with, they might've gotten along... If things didn't become the way they did, of course.

Valencia was at the back with the rest of the staff during the meeting and fortunately, the students were more likely to make a ruckus amongst themselves than bother the teachers they've bothered every day of their life. The austere director quickly gained the floor, then said his say.

Either pretty up Paragon or uglify Hircine, if logical progression follows. This... Isn't good, but at the same time... I can see something coming of this if I play my cards right.

As his words sunk in and the two highest ranked adults left the room, the auditorium reacted. The one that first got her attention was Vince. Kinda wordy, but the meaning was there and Genaht was going to take action. The second one looked a lot like someone she saw in one of her Hircine detention shifts, but she wasn't too sure as he left in a hurry. The third was pirate Paragon's School Captain Tai Yang, whom she finally saw in person, but the most she was able to do was identify him based off of rumors and such from teachers. Like John taking his leave, she had to get somewhere to get started on her plans(?) and her shift was almost over anyways. Break, then from noon onwards, she ruled Hircine's roost. No harm in leaving before the students get rowdy in the auditorium again, but for different reasons.

[Tiao Lei Shen]

If Tiao Lei Shen remembered correctly, this was the first assembly called since Paragon's first day. If for no other reason, Tiao had come because of it. If the administration would put any effort into trying to collect all the idiots and thugs here, it had to be for an important reason one way or another. Keeping this in mind, the former Pillar of Hircine High splayed his legs over the chairs in front of him, resting each arm wide over the seats next to him.

Chewing on the end of a sipping straw, Tiao's eyes gazed over his peers. Unfortunately, the only faces really noted were that of Vince and his Genaht and the currently one-eyed captain. The latter of the pair piquing Tiao's interest, making the mental note to find out if it was from a red rider BB gun, or something else. He wouldn't catch sight of Valencia, as the blonde girl was amidst the rest of the small staff of Paragon, blocked from view.

As the Director and Principal made their way on stage, Tiao's eyes narrowed in on the less familiar of the pair. Tiao couldn't explain it, whether it was body langauge, a bad aura, unpleasant chi flow...but whatever it was it gave Tiao a bad feeling. Something about this man was off, giving reason for Tiao to believe the following words were going to be lies. When the Director was more or less straightforward...Tiao felt even more unsettled.

Its damn sure that this place is a lost cause. He's raising hell and point it towards Hircine...why?

Tiao's thoughts were interrupted as his eyes trailed back towards the Mouth of Genaht, as he shouted futile slanders towards the men leaving the stage. Following Vince, several voices would raise, some yelling at Vince, some at the Director, and many others towards God knows what. Everyone found themselves at their feet either complaining or plotting amongst themselves. Several bodies began to leave the auditorium, yet Tiao Lei Shen remained seated alone with his thoughts. It was obvious he hated Paragon...

But did the Tiger of Hircine still give a damn about his former establishment?

[Zack Richardson]

(OOC: OK! I'm back now. Eugh I'm rusty )

Zack didn't care much for Paragon, he wasn't like the others who were mainly hellbent on destruction and pain. No, Zack was just terrible at keeping grades up, at least that's why he thought he was here. The fact that people were fighting all the time didn't bother him, he kept out the way and nobody really bothered him.

The Black Sedan on the other hand did catch his attention, enough to make his rise from laying in the floor anyway. He decided to wait for a little while after he walked off before following. Zack would find himself walking a bit behind Tai, chuckling slightly after he threw the rock at the car that left.

After entering the Auditorium Zack found himself a seat at the back and made himself comfortable, having a quick scan of the room before this Director Troutman spoke, and noticed a few familiar faces, one of which being Valencia. He would have to catch up with her later.

There was a lot of mixed emotions as the director gave his announcement. The only thing Zack picked up on was the whole "Dirty up Paragon, get a ticket somewhere else" This appealed to Zack, and he ad already began forming plans. He would wait for most of the crowd to leave before getting up and removing himself.

"Time to make some allies."

[Trent Davis]

As he'd been instructed, Principal Davis remained silent and impassive throughout the director's speech, though he remained in casual clothing in a stark contrast to his employer. He wasn't expected to support or codemn the new plan of action, merely be present for it, as it was the first he was hearing of it as well. Trent scanned the room with his eyes, knowing full well the sort of animals kept in this particular zoo; it wouldn't surprise him in the least for one to storm the stage in an attempt to make a name for themselves.

This announcement is almost the perfect opportunity for such a thing, too.

Truth be told, Trent had no real preference whether Paragon remained open or not. As long as he remained protected, he would serve in whatever capacity required of him, whether it be principal or otherwise. Of course, running a school and corrupting the youth of today was entertaining in its own right, but business was business. When the director mentioned for them to speak in his office, Trent nodded in acknowledgement, opting to stay behind for the moment and gauge the reactions of his students for himself.

Predictably, most enjoyed the idea of preserving their freedom, and forcing Hircine to close down. A particularly vocal group of dissenters voiced themselves near the stage, mentioning "Genaht", and as a result, the principal attempted to memorize the faces of the loudest, giving him an idea as to who would make the most trouble. His roaming eyes were cut off by the vibrations of his cell phone, something that struck him as odd considering the few who had access to the number. Once he read the message, he found himself growing excited, and had to close his eyes in order to calm down.

Kvist... You're a hard man to kill. I suppose that's what I like about you.

His thumb worked quickly to reply to the message.

"I'm sure you know my answer."

He considered adding to what the director said, but thought better of it. Anything he mentioned would have already been gone over, in far better wording, by the director. Instead, he turned away from the crowd, mumbling towards the other staff to get back to work as he walked out of the auditorium and back towards his office, where the director waited. Since he had left afterwards, the other man would have been in the office already, so Trent would close the door behind him as he entered.

"I take it, then, you're not pleased with Paragon."

[Director Troutman]

The Director exited rear of the stage, paying no heed to the exclamations thrown his way. There was one threat that stood above the others, though the Director would heed it just as much as the rest. Really, it didn't matter what any of these kids chose to do. No matter what, the Director's plan would succeed. Error was impossible.

Making his way to Davis' office, the Director would let himself in. Awaiting Trent's arrival, Director Troutman began to rummage through his office, taking note of the room around him. Not much stood out, a few books here and there. There was, however, a noticeable bloodstain on the carpet in front of Trent's desk. He wondered which poor student that belonged to. Wondered, but didn't particularly care.

By the time Trent would make his way into the office, he would find the Director gazing out the windows, watching as the rain repeatedly hit the pavement. There was a moment of silence following the Principal's question, the Director taking a moment before turning around to face him. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, his same monotonic features upon his face.

"Things could have gone better, yes." The Director started, showing a hint of dissapointment in his face.

"You did your job accordingly, but in the end we overestimated these students. We expected them to nourish in this environment and spread the chaos. Instead, they grew comfortable and acted upon nothing. That's why this time I'm going to give you a more...active role. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Mr. Davis?"

[Damien Blaze]

Damien's fists curled into balls, his white hoodie pressed around his head as he stood with the other students, eyes on the front as the "director" made his way out of the auditorium. A body, broken at his feet, was the remainder of a student who decided to turn to him and blame him for this problem while throwing a punch to Damien's face. Obviously, the kid hadn't thought to well of his plan, for it had failed, and a few students back off after the kid crumbled under Damien's fist. He was angry. Angry at the teachers, angry at this establishment... At the whole damn situation. What good was there in trying to save a place that was set up by the people who built it to die?

Damien was no fool. he knew that if Paragon took matters into its own hands, that a full out war would break out, and BOTH schools would be destroyed. But he was just one man, with no friends, and a silent claim to a title he had yet to earn. He couldn't save a place when it was unwilling to save itself. The best he could do was try to find others who felt the way he did, who just wanted to finish school and move on with their life. The task was daunting, and seemed impossible from what he saw. He saw familiar faces: Taio, A blond girl he once met on the beach, the smart mouth from an earlier meeting, the School Captain- Everyone he could see who mattered all seemed calm about it, like they all knew what was going on.

The rest of the school seemed in pandemonium, on borderline hysteria, one kid, the loud mouth, yelling up at the stage about his broken gang and an oath to prevent the directors actions. The kid needed to grow up. Damien wiped the blood from his knuckles onto the pant leg of his jeans. He felt cheated. Why send everyone here if you only planned to shut the place down? He was at a total loss, and knew that this, among other things, would be a reason for his hopeful interaction with the school Principal of Hircine within the next few days. He turned, stepping over the body at his feet as he made his way to the door, silently pushing it open as he left, eyes down.

'Guess my hopes for a good, peaceful school year are finally dashed... I suppose its only a matter of time before psycho's like Taio and Tai decide to brutalize everything in their hunger for destruction.'

He sighed.

'How disappointing.'

OOC(( Damien is open for interaction, but due to the fact that another thread takes places after this one time-line wise, no fighting for him.))

[Trent Davis]

While the director's face may have held disappointment, however minor, Trent's would hold anything but. He had no doubt that he had done his job to the letter, and in fact, had kept himself from stepping over that line even if it meant the plan would succeed. Dropping his hands into his pockets, the principal made his way over to his desk as Director Troutman spoke, sitting in his chair and putting his feet up on the desk, crossing his legs at the ankle. The last point the director made caused him to shiver with delight, in a manner he hadn't done so since working with the Hand of Fate.

"I hope so. I was beginning to wonder why you had picked someone like me for this, since anyone could just stand aside and let the students govern themselves. But if you're letting me do things my way, I'll have to admit: I'm excited."

The psychotic principal let out a giggle, allowing the old familiar rush to flow through his body. He could already taste it, not just the pain, but the actual blood on his tongue, and it was so wonderful that he-

Not yet. We're not finished here yet.

With a sigh, he willed himself to calm down. There would be time for such... euphoria, later. Instead, he needed to clear up a few things first, and finish this meeting.

"I'm curious, though. If things have truly come to this, and I'm allowed this... freedom, how far am I allowed to go? I'd imagine that if Paragon's students were to make any real impact against Hircine, it would truly be an impressive, and loud event. I'd hate to have it ruined by something so petty as police, or ambulances..."

[Aden Allett]

Aden’s sat down in one of the assembly room chairs, another used, to elevate his feet as he slouched down. Having made his way into Paragon, black clouds in the sky, the PA immediately ordered the students to make their way to the auditorium an event Aden wasn’t aware. An eye brow raised, he made his way to the room, passing through small groups of students before hitting the main crowd trying to fit through the doors, pushing and shoving in an oh-so-rude fashion that truly showed the ‘elegant’ personality of Paragon students. He took his seats, a few followers sitting around.

He looked around for familiar faces, a needle in haystack task he soon found as student after student appeared to fill up the surrounding area. He caught a quick glance of familiar faces, Tai-Yang with a nice little patch, Vince around the area, and the Ayal Nissim student. More were sure to be on their way or were already here, but Aden’s interest found itself drawn to the old suit making his way to the stand. It wasn’t the first statement, or much of the second that caused him to glance over. No, it was the sudden silence of the auditorium. It took something incredibly important to tame the Paragon population and Aden couldn’t help but find a brief look of surprise on his face.

Listening with a perked ear, Aden sat with interest as the man talked about current official events involving the surrounding establishments. It wasn’t a shock that Paragon was looked down upon, an Academy that the higher ups were looking to ‘put down,’ in a sense. It was all economy and money and he found it hard to believe Paragon offered any kind of benefit other than more room to keep schools less crowded. The odd students would stand up to object to such a claim, wanting some way to keep the ‘haven’ that Aden could no longer see as anything but mere rubble. The grounds were in bad shape from the constant aggression that ran through the halls. Lockers ripped off the walls, dented, broken into; walls broken, scratched, chipped, windows smashed, doors broken off and the occasional ceiling tiles falling off; Paragon wasn’t pretty.

The Director seemed to calm down the students once more in order to continue. Two options laid out: one being to fix up Paragon to an acceptable place of learning, a hardly likely event to take place in an Academy of delinquents; the second left to the imagination, but as smirks rose on surrounding students faces, it was clear what the good man was insinuating. If you want your school to thrive, get rid of the competition, no? A brief sigh escaped from Aden’s mouth as the Director finished his little tale of Paragon’s future. It seemed, he was planning to do what Aden had wanted to do himself. A War against Paragon, the only reason he was working with John smith to begin with. The lately bore that the Academy had offered was being covered by that sweet smell of opportunity; the one you never really want to pass up, because it offers so much raw excitement.

A small vibration could be heard coming from the student next to him, a follower of the pillar. The student pulled out a cell phone from his deep pocket, looking at the caller display before handing the device to Aden for further inspection. Upon flipping open the phone, he was met with the brief text from John smith. “Oh, I was just thinking about you.’ The thought ran in his mind. As he began typing, half of his attention was drawn to the uproar of a small group of students, the most noticeable being Vince, the Genaht member Aden had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting. The phone closed and the message was sent, an alert to soon reach John.

The war between the schools will take place. I see no reason to deal with Tai Yang as of now, other than for your own gains in this. I assumed all you were looking for was something out of the apparent fighting to take place, as was I. If you truly need Yang dealt with, then you’ll need to explain yourself more clearly, but I don’t see any problems helping an ally.

Aden’s prospects had changed. From wanting the war to lead to the downfall of the captain and the rise of a new power of no real authority, true anarchy, Aden had found himself more and more drawn into other aspects. He was tired of the needless fights that he had to deal with every day upon every hour he found himself standing in those disgusting halls. Too much of a good thing. He had lost interest and what became of either school, well, he couldn’t say he cared anymore. No, he was in this for the final showdown. Whoever won, won, and he would merely be taking part for that excitement and thrill he always felt at times like these.

No, neither school offered any real enjoyment out of the time anymore. Hircine was always normal and Paragon became predictable. The man that had stood before them before making his leave was obviously trying to stimulate the minds of the students, leading them to the most appropriate course of action for whatever he had planned or whatever was on his agenda. Aden was fairly happy with that decision though, not so curious about what was really going on. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

Of course Aden still had those pleasing thoughts. He’d love to see the students of the Academy, the ones who had failed to offer him the pure joy he had wanted, demolished by this war. The arrogant bunch hadn’t been as much long-term entertainment as he was gambling for and now he found himself not in an Academy or haven for chaotic students, but more of a dump. Somewhere they store all the trash until it was time to pour I back onto the world. Pollutions a killer thing. He wanted the war to happen and now it seemed almost guaranteed. Edging on such violent students that, thereafter, they wouldn’t listen to any form of pathetic reason. Vince, however, seemed to share opposite views. He along with his Genaht allies vowed to stop these good times. And, while Aden was one to stand on the sidelines, taking part in the occasional taste, he found Vince’s words falling on deaf ears.

“Either school could win and I’d be happy,” He muttered to himself with a grin, slouching further into his seat. “But who favors who?”

[Director Troutman]

The Director pivoted to face Trent as he went behind the desk, his face refusing change despite Trent's demeanor towards him. Usually the Director's presence sparked more...proffessional attitudes towards him. However, Director Troutman knew all he needed to know about Trent Davis, and was quite aware that his proffessionalism was directed towards much more unique areas than manners. In this, the Director remained pleased.

"The students weren't the only ones needing incubation. I'm sure you can't deny you yourself have grown more hungry in the absence of your extracurriculars."

The Director remained vigilant as Trent's mind wandered elsewhere. To the lands that flowed with blood and filled with goat mutilation, or whatever people like him thought about. It was best to not wonder such things. His thoughts were better spent elsewhere. Judge not lest ye be judged.

"As of now, the leash has been removed, Davis. However, this is only in effect under the condition that you somehow bridge the gap with your full student population. If you manage this, I assure you that you will not find yourself pestered by the reaches of law enforcement or hospitals for a few hours."

[Trent Davis]

"Finally."

With his "official freedom" in place, so to speak, the principal of Paragon couldn't help but giggle to himself. The plan before had obviously been a failure, and quite frankly, hadn't been much fun at all. Now, however, that was all about to change, and the psychopathic rapist knew exactly how to do it.

"There's hardly a gap to bridge between myself and the students. I've given them their freedom, and now you've given them a threat to that freedom. At the very least, we have the same enemy, and at the most, they trust me completely. I'll guess it's somewhere in between."

Trent slid his feet off the desk, letting them hit the floor. The vast majority of Paragon, being made up of the worst students of the surrounding schools, would take very little prodding to put them in the right mindset. The only matter that would take any real effort, in fact, would be giving them the opportunity to act upon it. Trent eyed the Director once more, knowing full well the power the School Board managed to wield in San Francisco.

"You know... I don't think many of our students have been able to go to San Fran's zoo. Delinquents usually are punished by being denied their extracurricular activities. Of course, I'll need extra buses to transport every Paragon student for this mandatory field trip. Might need to borrow from a sports team or two. I'll make sure they're loaded properly."

Smirking, Trent rose from his seat, taking a few steps towards the door as if to check for eavesdroppers. Old habits died hard, it seemed. Satisfied, he turned back to the Director.

"How long do you suppose it'll take for the paperwork?"

[Director Troutman]

"My thoughts exactly."

Principal Davis spoke in accordance to what the Director had already known, therefore needing little to be affirmed. That was the entire basis of this plan from the beginning. However, if Paragon didn't feel enough of a threat, it was the Directors job to provide that threat. If they want their freedom, they're going to have to fight for it in their own twisted ways.

Or more entertaining: in Trent's twisted way.

The smallest trace of a smile made its way back to the Director's face, providing only the briefest acknowledgement that he approved of the Principal's plan. This would be almost too easy to cover up, assuming things went well. Of course, there was no scenario at this point that could not be worked out to be beneficial. The biggest dissapointment would be a sheer lack of action...though inactivity would bring about its own school's demolishment.

"In the top right drawer in your desk you'll find the dozen papers required with my signature already brandished. Fill in the blanks for what you need, no expense spared. After all, we have a whole school's budget at our disposal."

The Director's lips would curl up in a grin, quickly fading as he'd walk towards the door. Hefting his briefcase back in his left hand, he'd open the door with his right, making his departure regardless of whether Mr. Davis had anything to add or not.

"Remember, above all, do not dissapoint me Davis."