Ultimatum Part 1

[John Smith]

Being a ghost is easy when you know how to stay invisible. The trick is not to try and hide you’re there by cloaking your behind, well… A cloak. It is about blending in and doing nothing to arouse suspicion. I knew how to do that. I wore my everyday clothes, nothing fancy about that, I carried a couple of books with me … Heh. Carrying even one book was enough to classify one as a nerd or a teachers pet in this school. Man. Varron had style at least. Varron had the bookworms and the violent types. That was what I liked about that place. But this school. No. This was indeed a barbaric place. I bet that if these students knew what I was going to do, then they would be cheering as I walked through the halls. Rather than thinking whether I was a prey or a predator. But they didn’t know and they wouldn’t even suspect anything.

I blended in the crowd heading for the second floor. But I broke away without anyone noticing. The good thing about modern buildings like these, was that they were still intact. They didn’t have cracks or ruptures in the foundation. I had gotten the idea for my little trick after watching a show on either discovery channel or national geographic. Either way. The concept was quite simple. Explosive gas + sealed basement + fire/spark = gigantic explosion. But the gas in this equation was just to add fuel to the fire. Because the fire/spark was a bomb itself. Powerful enough to blow up the basement plus the first floor above. But the fuel (gas) would tear the building apart.

I took out my Mass Flow indicator. I had reset it out in the fresh air and what I saw on the readings made me crack a wicked smile. It was perfect. Everything was ready here. I just had to check the bomb before I finished at Hircine. The bomb was quite crude. I didn’t have the months of preparation time that some companies got. But it looked like I would get done on time. Actually. I would be done early. I threw a blanket over the bomb. I began working on a simple device that would make the bomb go off prematurely should anyone remove the blanket. Attach some string to both the blanket and the bomb. And voila, you had a simple booby trap.

I just hoped that no one would get the bright idea of removing the blanket before I was away from here. But even there I had a fail safe mechanism that would stall any heroes. I made my way up the stairs and took out a screwdriver from my pockets. Removed a couple of screws from the handle on the door. Removed the handle itself and closed the door behind me. Now, the door would have to be kicked in. With a satisfied smile I left the school’s main building and grabbed a random bike (some punk had stolen my own bike).

Hircine was next.

[Kyukaku]

Today, there was hope.

It had been a few months since the hit was placed on him and a few weeks since the Director gave his warnings. So far, Kyukaku was still standing--on legs that weren't crippled. He wouldn't go as far to say that things were fine and well at Paragon, as they had their usual troubles. But that was all. The usual. No massive riots, no vague threats floating through the air. It was chaos, but it was familiar.

Kyukaku had noticed that Trent hadn't been present for at least the past week. The ex-captain wasn't sure what to make of that exactly. It wasn't hard to imagine what Trent would do in his spare time, nor was it pleasant to do so. There was a feeling in it that didn't bode so well with Kyu, but he chalked it off to paranoia. A place empty of Trent Davis was a safer place.

Walking down the hallway at a casual pace, Kyukaku gazed around him. There was a lot of loitering, but little violence. In fact, the only conflicts around were verbal ones. It wasn't too surprising though, at this point the dominant had established themselves here. It was a school ruled by brute force, and a hiearchy had been established with few anomalies. Back pack slung over his shoulder, Kyukaky went to his locker, planning on putting away his jean jacket as it had warmed up nicely so far today.

Entering the combination, the lock began to vibrate in Kyukaku's hand. There was a loud thud that resounded through the hallways, followed by shouts and yells as students ran towards the front doors.

"Holy shit! Hircine's on fire!"

Kyukaku's eyes widened in horror, barely getting a chance to react before a rapid succesion of more thuds resounded throughout Paragon, only with exponentially increased intensity. The ground shook below his feet, and in the back hallways fire already began to spread. There was another crack, and before Kyukaku could process what was happening his eyes were directed towards his feet, where the ground caved in, and Kyukaku would fall.

Today, there was despair.

[Damien Blaze]

Damien wasnt at school today.

He was at a coffee shop, several miles away, drinking a brew for a lady he had helped get groceries for in Safeway. Why was he drinking coffee for her? Because she owned the building, and wanted him to taste the finest brew in California. He hadnt gone to school from the beginning, having woken up in a sweat knowing something was deadly wrong. He got those, every now and again- those feelings that today was just not a good day to do something. He had gotten up, gotten dressed, and grabbed his keys, ready to head off to school when he realized thats what he needed to not do- Go to school.

Thus, he had gone to the store, met the woman, and we're back to the coffee shop. Of course, within the first twenty minutes of being there, he heard over the news about the sudden explosions at the school and had left his coffee-still warm- on the counter, peeling out of the parking lot and hauling ass to Paragon. He was there in minutes, no cop to stop him, all of them there at Hircine which had apparently been bombed as well. He walked up the school walkway, coming up beside the former captain, his arms covering his face as his clothes billowed with the gusts of wind and roaring heat. He looked to the flames.

"WEVE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

He yelled it over the noise, his voice audible only to him and the individuals around him. There was no telling if there were other bombs located on campus, or who was dead within, but it wasnt safe, and he was sure that the civilians littered around the place should know that. There was really nothing they could do but back away and await judgment. There was one thing that played over his mind- Sadness. He hoped Victoria was okay.

He sent her a text when he was driving and hadnt heard back from her. He tried calling but she hadnt picked up.

He knew this day would come.

He just didnt think it would come in so violent a way.

[Tai Yang]

"The day's filled with Sun Shine and Lolly Pops, and Rainbows and everything that's wonderful when Iiii'mmmm punching your face."

So he changed the words alittle, and technically thought of the song when kicking the student in the stomach. So what? At least he found it catchy, and the sun was shining, albeit dimly, through the clouds. Stepping out of the alley he snapped the collar of his leather jacket, put his red lensed glasses back on and continued to stroll on down the street. Bored with the day he still hadn't made it to school. He rechecked the time on his cell, school having already started, doing so many days of the week without his presence being needed.

It wasn't more then five seconds after he put his phone back in his pocket did it go off, singing part of AudioSlaves: "Be Yourself"

"Hello. Of course I'm fine mom. What happened at Paragon... And explosions at Hircine as well. Terrific. Okay, yeah, I ditched today. I stopped by work first thing, so if the cops come make sure you tell them that. Thanks, Yeah Yeah, Bye."

Closing his phone he slipped it back inside his pocket, then looks left, then right. Left, he'd make his way towards Paragon. Right, towards Hircine High. Choices, choices.

"Damn. I just feel like I'm going to get pulled in for questioning."

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Tiao Lei Shen had been at Paragon for most of the day so far. It was now a free period, and with the break from bullshit classes Tiao made his way to the parking lot. In his car were his text books bought from Hircine before the move, which he still used to cover the subject matter for himself. Just because Paragon didn't teach, didn't mean Tiao wasn't going to learn.

As he neared the front entrance once more books in hand, there was a loud crack in the air, spurring Tiao to fiercely snap his head in the other direction. Behind him a few blocks away Hircine had erupted into flames, a thick black smoke already beginning to smolder in the air. The shock shook the earth below him, though it seemed to grow stronger as time went on rather than begin to dissipate.

The earth began to move in slow motion as Tiao processed what was happening. The moment Tiao turned back to look at the front entrance the doors exploded towards him, the fire sending him and the glass shards backwards. His back would slam into a sedan parked on the curb ten feet away, his text books flying through the back passenger's side windows.

The metal dented as Tiao bounced off it, sending him to the ground. Winded from the impact, Tiao braced himself up with a wince. He looked up in front of him, staring at the fire as he heard the shouts within.

[jayded]

They call it stormy Monday, Tuesdays Just as bad
Jacobe sung quietly to himself while strumming one of the schools remaining guitars, and even this had a human head sized whole in the backing. He preferred the feel of acoustics to electrics, and played semi acoustic when preforming live, knowing that each wooden guitar had its own soul given from the earth, electrics didn't have the same feel.
"but this...it's broken, i'll have to start bringing my own" He winced at the thought, so far his first day had left the impression that any personal possesion he wanted to bring to school would have to be guarded to with his life.

Halfway through the next bar, there was a loud bang, and the ground itself seemed to shake. Upon hearing the first bang, Jacobe dropped the guitar and covered his eyes with his arm, his mind flashing back to the drug raid so long ago, where first came the bang, the blinding white light, the crash, then the smoke, then the cracks, then the pain.
GET OUT!His mind screamed at him, and instinct and adrenaline kicked in, and he started running to the window on the far side of the room, picking up an old music stand on the way, and shattering it a split second before Jacobe dived out head first, not quite managing to turn it into a roll in his hast he skidded along the ground, a massive grass stain spreading across his white shirt.

Standing up and running straight away, he headed around for the carpark and front entrance, where he saw the mob looking up at the smoke and flames billowing out of the schools windows. Shocked faces mingling in with the ones screaming and yelling, no one knew quite what to do.

Panic.
Chaos.
Disorder.
Pain.

Some one had done this on purpose. But why? Jacobe couldn't give a rats ass, all it meant for him was a new school he chuckled too himself
"Varron, now Paragon...We must be cursed!" He fumbled around his top pocket and pulled out a smoke, reaching into his pants pockets, he realized he lost his lighter in his painfully dramatic dive out the window. As this happened a secondary explosion occurred, shrapnel from the blast hitting some students in the ground, some while still on fire. Jacobe walked over to one such piece, lent over and lit his smoke
"What happens next will be interesting" He bluntly stated for anyone to hear, before taking a huge drag of his smoke and watching the school burn.

[Mae-Lim]

Mae-Lim's eyes fluttered opened, realizing slowly that this did not feel like her bed. Her hands reached around, feeling the blades of grass and then stopped when she felt what she thought was pavement. She'd push herself up painfully then, blinking to rid herself of her current blurry vision. Before her, she saw the school. Actually, before her she saw what was LEFT of the school. And when she looked beside herself, she noticed that the pavement she felt was actually a large chunk of the wall that could have caused her a serious ouchie should it have been a few inches to the left.

She remembered the ground shaking of course, but the fact that the wall actually shot out had erased her suspicion of a mere eathquake. Her teeth clenched, and she slowly pulled herself up to her feet, studying the school a bit longer before turning on her heels and heading towards where all the apparent survivors were gathering. Gawking. Staring.

How many had been stuck inside then? How many...dead? Perhaps God was punishing them. Them who were considered the bad apples. The series of texts she received then, however, erase THAT suspicion as well. Hircine had fallen too? Interesting.

At least there was nothing to worry about on that end. Everyone she gave a damn about had texted her to tell her the news so she knew they made it out alright. With no need to go check Hircine out, Mae-Lim simply stood amongst her peers. Her eyes watched as the school burned and crumbled slowly, without a hint of emotion displayed on her face.

'A pity for Hircine. But for Paragon, it was about time.'

[valgios]

Valgios was late for school today because he had to take his sister to the school... a private and expensive school... his parents had already heard of the city's school reputation and decided to put Anna in a school they thought it wont make her like all the others students in the city...

after leaving Anna at her school, he walked to paragon, "my first day... i hope not to get in troble on my first day..." valgios sayed to himself, he should have started school a week ago... but he didnt go to school he stayed with his sister at home... and he chose to start the same day as Anna...

he he was about to enter the school front door... he heard a loud noise near... when he turned to see what happened he saw another school on flames... the people who were going out from paragon to see what happened were talking all loudly... so he learned that hircine high was the school on fire... he turned to see the school... "i hope nothing like that happens here"... and just when he finished saying that... paragon explode just like hircine... valgios flew by the explosion... he didn't get any serious injure... so he got up and saw his new school engulfed by the flames... "damn... troubles always chase me..." he thought... then he remembered about his sister... he called her but when she said that nothing had happened there and the teachers said that the school was safe... he calmed a little. "ok take care... call me if something happens..." he said just before hunging the phone... "this was no mistake, no coincidense, no accident... someone planed this and it's probably watching this now." he thought while running to aid the injured people... "it seems that this place is no exception... there are people that takes pleasure in hurting the others... such a bizarre way of enjoyment... so many dead people... it makes me remember what happened in rome... i think i could get this person... i know how this people think i've seen it a lot of cases like this when mom worked with the police... but as long as he doesn't mess with my family... i'll just stay out of the picture..." he sayed to himself while taking an unconcious girl to the ambulances that were arriving to the school...


(read the bios of valgios to know about the rome incident...)

[Kyukaku]

"WEVE... GET OUT... HERE!"

Kyukaku slowly opened his eyes, shaking his head as he felt the world still spinning. He heard a familiar voice beckoning somewhere above him. At least, Kyukaku thought it was above him. It was hard to tell which way was up. Everything seemed gray where he was...and he didn't quite know where exactly indeed he was.

Rewinding a little bit, Kyukaku tried to figure out what had happened. He was at his locker...and then the explosion. Paragon must have blown up too, and given the fall, he must have collapsed down into the basement. This didn't shed much positive light on Paragon's structural integrity. He was half buried in rubble, and to his best assumption, he believe himself to be mostly sitting up.

Kyukaku pushed some rocks off himself, attempting to push himself to his feet. He fell back down on his ass, letting out a cry of pain as felt a burning sensation up to his knee. It wasn't that long ago when Adam had dislocated his knee, and even with the brace the joint was still weak. It wouldn't be a surprise to find out later than the knee was broken after the fall. Kyukaku looked around, seeing just a bit of light above him to his left, which was still hard to see with all the smoke.

"Agh! Is someone up there!? I can't move!"

[Zeniro]

Zeniro only moments earlier had been watching Hircine burn. It had stirred very little emotion in him, he had seen it before in his time at the side of Stern he had watched many a riot or freak accident drag an institution to its knees leaving it to smoulder and crumble. Zeniro had actually found it quite refreshing knowing that he had played no part in this destruction, this fire also offered the perfect excuse to carry out the one act he felt needed to be completed before he could finally start over. He had turned his back on Hircine and made his way to the halls of Paragon.

Upon arriving he was genuinely surprised to see that Paragon had suffered a similar fate. Unlike Hircine this act actually vexed the young Maori. His claw like black nails had curled into his palms as his fists balled in frustration...No matter, he would press on. Like a fish swimming up stream Zeniro pressed on through the throng of bodies running in the opposite direction as he made a B-line for the entrance to the school. No one had ever eluded Zeniro and he was determined to find his man.

Once inside the school the smoke and the heat hit him like sledgehammer. Zeniro immediately removed his plain white T-shirt and wrapped it around his face like a make shift bandana. His naked tattooed torso instantly prickled with sweat adding a sheen to his muscular torso that was soon matted black with ash. Battling against the heat Zeniro passed many an injured or disoriented person turning one or two limp bodies over to check their faces. He cursed under his breath and headed towards one of the corridoors usually lined with lockers.

"Agh! Is someone up there!? I can't move!"

"Got you."

Zeniro new that voice, and was unphased by the fact that it seemed to be coming from the gaping hole that opened before him. As he looked down there was nothing but darkness. He noted the distress in Kyu's voice had he fallen as the floor collapsed? Zeniro shrugged the thoughts aside and plunged into the darkness landing with a heavy thud and a grunt. Raising himself slowly he felt a slight twinge in his left ankle, it was nothing serious but enough to cause discomfort. Once his eyes adjusted he caught site of Kyu only a few yards away, he was fallen and Zeniro was surprised to see that his leg was in a brace. Zeniro approached Kyu and paused just before him, his dark eyes scanning the injured youth.

"I hear there is a bounty for your head Kyu."

Zeniro eyed the detritus that lay around him. There were plenty of heavy rocks and exposed steel work that could be used with lethal intent. Somewhere deep within him a dark and malevolent past began to stir, there was a glimmer of recognition in Zeniro's eyes as he felt these old emotions stir within him. His eyes left the rocks and he looked toward his claw like hands.

"I imagine I am the last person you wish to meet in such a situation..."

Zeniro took a step closer, his massive frame imposing his emotionless expression half concealed in the shadows. His muscualr frame rippled with tension as he rolled his powerful shoulders.

"However situations change. I'm sure what I'm about to do will hurt like hell. I suggest you grit your teeth and bear it. I'm getting you out of here even if it kills me.....I owe you that much Kyu."

With that said Zeniro's powerful hands would wrap around Kyu's torso and with a surge of power and a loud grunt Zeniro would hoist Kyu up into a firemans lift easing him over his right shoulder as not to add pressure onto the left ankle.

"I do not know this school Kyu...how do you suggest we get out?"

[Kyukaku]

Not holding his breath to await a rescue, Kyukaku took a deep breath. He began looking around, trying to figure a way to get out of here. His head turned to the right, trying to see through the smoke and darkness. He began to make out a certain shape when a thud resounded to his left, causing Kyukaku to shoot his head back in the other direction. Though Kyu couldn't quite make out the face between the smoke an the makeshift mask, the silouhette was a big tip off. However, there was no doubt in Kyu's mind in the least, as no one gave off the same feeling in his gut as this one did.

Zeniro.

Kyukaku's eyes widened as soon as the beastial maori opened his mouth. Here they were, down in the basement of a fiery collapsing school. Kyu wasn't sure if he could take Zeniro at 100%, but he was sure that if Zeniro wanted to collect that bounty now...he wouldn't live through the day.

However, when the decision came, Zeniro chose the righteous one. Kyukaku almost thought himself to be surprised, but with a second thought he knew otherwise. Ever since he, Aryn, and Valencia had found him in the hallway drugged, Kyukaku had hope in the maori. Time and again Kyu would try and help him, giving him Adam's old room in the dorm and even retrieving him from the hospital. Kyukaku always knew there was good in Zeniro, and today it proved to not be in vain.

"Way to be clutch, Zeniro..."

Kyukaku exhaled as he spoke, half out of relief of being assisted, and the other half out of relief once the pain of being picked up began to ease away after being set on Zeniro's shoulders.

"I think I saw a maintenance staircase at 10 o'clock to your left. If I'm right, it should still be intact by being metal. Whether its structurally sound or not, I don't know..."

[Zeniro]

Zeniro's left ankle protested angrily as he put his weight onto it. The added weight of Kyu brought on an unexpected intensity to the pain. Zeniro let out a grunt under his breath and clenched his teeth hard. There would be the faintest hint of a limp to his walk as he fought against the pain determined not to show any sign of weakness even in such a secluded situation.

"Way to be clutch, Zeniro..."

Zeniro raised an eyebrow slightly, not conversing often with people unless threatening them he wasn't sure what exactly Kyu meant by the phrase. In response he offered little more than a gutteral 'Hmmmm'. His dark eyes still scanning the surrounding area looking for any clear way out.

"I think I saw a maintenance staircase at 10 o'clock to your left. If I'm right, it should still be intact by being metal. Whether its structurally sound or not, I don't know..."

"Best option we've got."

Zeniro found the door to said stair well and was inwardly relieved to see that the door although buckled had buckled outward and had swung wide open. The stair case that it revealed was intact, although the concrete walls inside were ominously cracked and as Zeniro took the first steel step the stair case shuddered under the weight, but thankfully held firm such places were said to be the safest places to be during such emergencies. Each step Zeniro took caused a sharp pain to shoot up his left leg eventually he and Kyu were at the door to the first floor and this swung open easily. However the hallway it opened into was thick with smoke and the intense heat of the fire.

"Well this is our floor..."