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They turned on me, eventually Oh, they were so concerned, ood, only because they were so worried about my delicate constitution!

“She can’t control it,” Paravox whispered to the Professor

“No one could,” Bruce hurried to say, so I wouldn’t take it personally

“The ets,” Hal Cyon sighed, looking so fucking earnest while he calledsincere

“What the fuck, Hal,” I snapped “You can turn into a tion How human are you?”

Crucible couldn’t even look at me “Maybe if you could justhold back a little Until you can figure out exactly what happened out there and whether it’s hurting her”

They all stood around Professor Yes’s desk like veterinarians discussing a rowdy horse in need of breaking

“Since when,” I said softly, “is power a problem for any of you?”

“You don’t understand,” Zigzag pleaded

I stared them all down “Sure I do Hold back Got it”

If you could just wait until it’s clear that none of the other children know the answer before raising your hand Don’t read ahead of the rest of the class No one likes a know-it-all

Finally, Lodestone round I floated above the snow Whales ca Bowie to them in the concert halls of their vast salted ry birds, our opposite numbers But the army didn’t come Lodestone hi silver cloak and his ironwhite punk gear tourniqueted with straps of leather and rope, his head half shaved and half curling, shining black hair His eyes were stitched savagely shut; two angry black X’s scrawled over thelowered all over his body, hundreds of the and small, shakily scribbled and boldly slashed and some carved into his flesh with knives He didn’t seem to feel the cold; he carried no weapons

His na He was about to ruin my life

I held back at first I wanted Crucible and Bruce Force and the others to feel useful I seethed, but I’irl doesn’t show off Crucible lit up Lodestone in a colu darted around, too fast to see; Hal’s scales flipped up over his skin like playing cards Paravox started incanting, his eyes turning to lass Bruce went after Retcon with his blades

But the new guy didn’t flinch He dodged Bruce easily, casually, like he’d meant to bend practically in half anyway, and if it just happened to keep him out of the path of death, so much the better He turned his awful stitched-up eyes to me His mind hit mine I knew he could see ut that soid, ht, many times before It was only new for us Retcon spoke into the star-storm of my mind: