Intertwined Genes (Griselda Banks + Akira.S)

[Griselda Banks]

Oliver looked over at the group Valon indicated, all of whom seemed to be wearing very cool clothes and bored expressions, as if their power to manipulate things had allowed them to see secrets no one else had. It occurred to Oliver that Anna was probably one of them, since she could manipulate air, but he didn't see her in the group. He paused a moment, trying to figure out why this thought disheartened him so much, but after a few moments he gave up. Maybe he was just surprised someone like her, who'd seemed so nice, would be part of that stuck-up group.

Oliver squarely turned his back on them. "I don't think so," he said to Valon. "I doubt I'd be cool enough to join them. It's one thing to manipulate air or something; it's another to make flowers grow." He grimaced, but somehow his heart felt lighter than it had for a long time. This Valon guy seemed to understand what it was like to not be too enthusiastic about your own powers.

-----

((Lol, you saw right through me!))

The dark boy sat down promptly, dropped his backpack at his feet, set his water off to one side, and sat down with his hands spread out on the table, palms up right in the middle of the beam of sunlight. He closed his eyes and a serene expression covered his face, almost as if he was praying. He breathed deeply as he sat in the sun, practically drinking in the light through every pore.

He sat there, hardly moving, for almost fifteen minutes before he stirred himself again. When he opened his eyes, they blazed with a white-gold light; he blinked slowly, frowning in concentration, and when he opened his eyes again they were normal. Then he promptly opened his bottle of water, downed it all in one go, and stood up again. "See you around," he called to Anna, and left the cafeteria, drawing one or two admiring looks from girls he passed.  

[Akira.S]

Valon laughed at his new friend's non-aspiration to join their group but knew it was probably only temporary that he thought this way. "They are the coolest group in the school everyone 'ants to be like them, and you will be one of'em when you control your powers...well unless you're like Anna over there." Valon jerked his thumb over across the large cafeteria to the girl, with long straight jet black hair that sparkled in the sunlight. She seemed very calmed and relaxed, especially sitting across that dark boy that Valon hadn't recognized.

"To be 'onest, she's the only elemental to 'ave rejected the group offer. Probably thinks she's better than the others. No one really talks to 'er though, say she's sorta creepy..oooooooooo." Valon joked around, obviously another one of those who avoided the strange; while making faces like a ghost before picking up his tray and throwing out the empty contents - keeping the apple and taking a bite before he sat down across from Oliver once again. "Although..." he began propping an arm on the table and looking over, "I've never seen her talk to anyone before, much less sit beside 'im, could he be her boyfriend?"

-----

Watching him leave from the corner of her eye, Anna finished her fruit bowl and packed her water in the black messenger bag she carried around, throwing out the empty contents on the tray before leaving the cafeteria. How strange... she thought about the dark boy who sat across from her to bask in the light and air coming through the open window. She hadn't recognized him to be an elemental...then again the school was large but other than that one meeting she hadn't seen him before, either way she decided to shrug it off and leave as soon as possble. On the way out she passed the table where the elementals and sprites were; some of the males getting up and blocking her way practically trying to scare her down with their powers.

"I'm in a hurry could you not..." Anna said softly keeping her gaze away from them, and just as quickly as she spoke the lunch bell rang as students began to shuffle out of the cafeteria, including the group standing in front of her. "Men..." she muttered softly to herself before joining the cluster of students who were now headed off to her next class.  

[Griselda Banks]

((Sorry for not replying in so long; I got swallowed by a black dragon and fell into a twisting vortex and was only spit out five minutes ago...ImeanIwasreallybusy. sweatdrop We're going to my grandparents' tomorrow; we'll be staying there while I'm recovering from my surgery (which has been moved to August 4). So, everyone's been swamping the only computer that has internet access, and I've been racing around like a headless chicken trying to get everything pulled together in time. I'm really sorry I haven't been able to post in so long, and I'm even sorrier I won't be able to post again for a few days! I'll try to get another post up by the end of the week, but as ever, no promises.))

Oliver was just about to interrupt Valon with a well-placed "Fat chance," when he mentioned a familiar name. Forcing himself to turn around slowly and casually, Oliver looked behind him in the direction Valon was pointing. He saw Anna in a window seat, the sunlight streaming in through the open window and glistening on her black hair. The way she was positioned caused sharp shadows to throw themselves across her face, and from this angle the effect was rather pretty. Funny. He hadn't thought of that before.

But Valon's words gradually drew his eyes across to the good-looking black boy sitting across from her. He was just sitting there, but Anna looked happy. Was she happy because of the boy? Or did she just like sitting in the sun with a bowl of fruit? Was it natural to- But no. Valon had said she was kind of antisocial, that she usually didn't sit with anybody. But she had talked with him the day before. She'd been friendly. He hadn't pegged her as someone who didn't have many friends. Someone like him....

But there was that boy. As he watched the pair of them sitting quietly together, Oliver decided that must be her boyfriend. His heart sank to his shoes, but he angrily jerked it back up again. He barely even knew her, and it wasn't like he'd been hoping anything, and why would he anyway, and she was perfectly free to have a boyfriend, to have ten boyfriends; it wasn't like he'd known her for very long. Biting his tongue, Oliver turned his back on the two of them. He just needed to get her out of his mind. It wasn't like he couldn't get some friends of his own. He looked at Valon. This was his friend. They could hang out, and who cared about some piano-playing girl anyway? Then Oliver realized that Valon was waiting for a reply, but before he could think of something to say to cover up that he'd been watching them silently for several minutes, he was spared by the bell ringing throughout the cafeteria.

Hurriedly throwing away the remains of his meal and slipping his uneaten apple into his bag, Oliver pulled out his slightly crumpled timetable and consulted it to see what his next class was. "Where are you headed?" he asked Valon as they left together with all the rest of the kids - one of which was crawling along the ceiling to avoid the crowd, but he tried to ignore that. "Looks like I've got a practical lesson next." His insides squirmed at the thought. Now everyone would know about his stupid sissy power.  

[Akira.S]

((awwwww dat makes me sad...*tears* what are you usually really busy with? and I'm working this entire week, and then next week is back to normal...so I'll miss you then and then the 1-2 I'm going away so mer...makes me sad this rp turned out to go so slowly!!! but that's okay))

While the two began shuffling through the immense crowd of students, either trying to leave the cafeteria through a normal manner, and others who were using their powers, it was still very challenging. "Me? I'm headed to Miss Grey's class to learn about the physics of using our powers." he said taking out a text book and showing it to him. It looked like a bunch of university stuff that regular teenagers would never understand. "Good luck with that practical lesson though, and don't worry 'bout your powers. It'll wash away a week o' two from now," reaching the end of the hallway Valon punched his shoulder playfully and headed into the more institutional part of the building while Oliver and some other students were making their way to the elevators that would lead them to the basement/sub-levels of the place.

Wait-what....this school had a basement? had sub-levels? well there was training outside and there was training inside, it all depended on the teacher and the lesson of the day. Another part of the basement was the uniform room, everyone was given a generic uniform to wear during training sessions to, a, look cool, and b, make sure their real clothes weren't really damaged in combat if any. There was obviously a men's changeroom, and a women's changeroom, none of the men really talked to Oliver like Valon did, and all the girls did was just giggle and whispered, wondering what his powers were somewhat like how annoying Jillian was. However, among the unfamiliar faces was a very familiar face.

Anna was standing alone on the side, stretching before their session. Not like most people noticed but Anna's eyes were back to their regular clear almost blind like pupils instead of her chocolate brown ones which were really just contacts she used in order not to look anymore weird than she already was. Most people in the class also had friends to talk with or fool around with...Anna did not. She mostly stood alone like the pretty little wallflower she was waiting for the teacher to arrive and class to start.  

[Griselda Banks]

((Gaaah, just shoot me in the head, why don't ya? x.x I am SO sorry for the huge delay! It seems like every time I sit down to write up my post, we've got to go rushing off to some doctor's appointment or a lunch out or a family reunion or something. And I'll be going to the hospital on Monday, and who knows how long I'll be there!
*sigh* What was I busy with before? Well, just random stuff, mostly. Packing and such (we're staying with my grandparents until I recover), and I was also finishing the first draft of a novel. :/
I'm sorry this rp is going so slow! I know it's mostly my fault. Maybe once I get back from the hospital things will slow down a little because I won't be able to go much of anywhere for a long time.))

Oliver raised his hand in farewell to Valon, and glumly followed the directions on his papers to an elevator that brought him to the basement floor of the school. He decided he was either late or had picked the less-frequented elevator, since the only student sharing the elevator was a boy who sat calmly on the ceiling and watched him with large, round eyes. Oliver tried to ignore him. Were eyes normally that huge? He reminded Oliver of a bat. A big, humanoid bat without wings, whose T-shirt looked strange, tucked into his jeans and hanging loosely about his ears, giving him a hunched appearance. Well, at least sissy powers didn't make him look like that.

Oliver quickly stepped out of the elevator when it came to a halt, and took several paces before he even looked around himself. Anything to put some distance between the two of them. Then Oliver's footsteps faltered. Most of the school just looked like a fancy-shmancy house converted into an upscale school, but down here everything was made of shiny metal. It looked like something out of Star Trek or something. Well, maybe not quite like Star Trek. It had been a long time since he'd watched that....

Following the sounds of chattering (and the boy who hovered cross-legged down the hallway, but he didn't want to admit that), Oliver came to a corridor where students milled about, goofing off, going in and out of the changing rooms, or attempting to get a little homework in before class started. Oliver trailed after the hovering boy into the boys' changing room and swiftly pulled on a suit that looked like one of those tacky space suits. Star Trek, it's all Star Trek. Glancing around self-consciously, Oliver stowed his bag and normal clothes in a free locker and returned to the corridor.

Oliver felt like a complete idiot in his suit, and it was little comfort that everyone else was wearing one too. After lingering around by the door for a while, he spotted a familiar face. He started forward eagerly, and was halfway to Anna before he remembered the scene he'd just witnessed with that black boy. Oh well, it wasn't like there was a rule against talking to someone who had a boyfriend, right?

"Hey," he said in greeting as he leaned against the wall next to her, trying to calm his nervously pounding heart. "Neat place down here, huh?"  

[Akira.S]

((At least you're sincere about it, don't worry I understanad if you're really that busy it's no problem))

While standing by the wall streching slightly and getting ready for class, her clear blind like eyes drifted towards a figure that approached her. Oh great...she thought more trouble as if she didn't have enough of a hard time already fitting in...Glancing up to the figure who'd leaned against the wall beside her, she saw that it was just Oliver, phew that was a relief. It was sort of lucky they had at least two classes together, one academical based class and one more practical when it came to using their powers.

"Hello," she said softly after standing, turning so she could face them as they spoke, "you get used to it after while like you do everything else around this place, trust me you might even come to hating this room." Anna smiled ever so faintly and couldn't help but giggle at herself.

The first time for anyone in this room was usually one of the most difficult and most rigorous things they'd have to do in their life, ever. But that was the real world and it was definately cruel. "My first year of class here was definately hard, I remember almost passing out a couple or times or waking up in the nurse's office. It happens to everyone. You're overwhemled by the technology and it just makes you forget the point of being in here is to survive." oh wait...crap...had Anna just started talking, in public? it really rare to see her socialize with anyone much less talk with them. She hadn't realized she was on such a personal level and started to blush, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to ramble." she was definately not used to having friends or being very social - not that she was anti-social of course.

Looking away quite embarassed she tried to shake away the thought and recompose herself in time for class...how embarassing hopefully no one saw her. But the minute Oliver had walked over there were eyes all over the two - yay gossip and unwanted attention, more things that she wished she had less of. If only she wasn't so weird and so outcasted this wouldn't have been such a big deal, was it wrong of her to enjoy Oliver's company and be a friend like the professor asked?

Not too long after Oliver had joined the class their teacher stepped in to start the lesson, "try to keep up." she whispered so softly so only he could hear her while putting a hand on his shoulder and leading him to the circle.  

[Griselda Banks]

((I'm able to get one last post in before hospital time!))

Oliver's sense of uneasiness increased tenfold as Anna described the upcoming class. It had never crossed his mind that some of these kids - maybe even most of them - had powers that could be very dangerous, lethal perhaps. Even his own sissy flower power had turned Xavier's office into a jungle in a matter of minutes.

Oliver almost missed Anna's blush and hasty apology. What was she so upset about? She hadn't said that much...unless.... Oliver followed her glance around the room and noticed several curious students watching them. Well, what was so weird about a little chat before class? Unless it had something to do with her boyfriend. Maybe that was it. Oliver decided he probably shouldn't have struck up a conversation with Anna; it would send the wrong impression.

Well, I'm just making a real splash of things today, aren't I? Oliver thought glumly as the bell rang throughout the school. The students were split up into small groups that each went into their own training room. Probably because they'd cause too much chaos if they were all in one room at once. As far as Oliver could tell, each group seemed to be made so there were two more advanced students, and two beginners. To his slight surprise and pleasure, he discovered that Anna was in his group. He wondered if she was one of the advanced ones. Unfortunately, the hovering boy was also there, which did no wonders to Oliver's comfort level.

Oliver glanced at Anna as he waited for instructions. At least he knew of one person in the room who wouldn't laugh when his amazing powers were revealed for all to see. If they'd even work. He wasn't sure, what with all this metal everywhere.

((What exactly is this lesson going to entail, anyway? *feels like we should have discussed this earlier*))  

[Akira.S]

((Well for when you get back, I was just going to have them run through a training course one of the teachers programed into the danger room to see if they could work as a team and use their powers properly. You weren't on as much as you used to be...so it would have been really hard to discuss...))


Once the teacher had divided the class into smaller groups, which entailed six groups of four, two more advanced and two beginners to make things fair, he left the advanced students to tell the beginners how training was going to work then would call them, one group at a time to train in the danger room. Within Anna's group was Oliver, their newest beginner, the hovering boy who's name she did not know, also considered a beginner, finally a little girl who looked like a 12 year old holding a derranged teddy bear (with sitches, an eyepatch, and glued on plastic claws), who was the other advanced.

It was a very odd team indeed, very uneven, but the groups were set to be fair so the other girl Anna looked upon who was holding the teddy bear to her chest must have been really very good. The girl kept staring off into space as if looking at something deeper rather than being down to earth...it was sort of weird...Instead of breifing the group she looked at Anna and let her do the honours, either because she was preoccupied with something else or she just didn't feel like it.

Clearing her throat a little bit Anna decided to explain what was going to happen in the danger room when their group was called. "Afternoon to you all, my name is Anna Roads and I guess...I'll be your group leader for today's training session. Since we have a new student among us I thought I should just debrief you on what happens in sessions like these." she was very quiet in her explanation but still very explanatory and precise with giving orders. "These training sessions allow us to use our powers in different enviornments that could potentially be scenarios we could face in real life. As a team it's our job to get through the assigned level...without anyone dying or getting injured so to speak...Now, we should all go around and explain our powers so we can get to know our team a little bit better." she knew this part was going to be uncomfortable for Oliver but he had to let it out sometime...they were going to find out anyway during the training session whether he liked it or not.

"So I'll start then, umm to easily classify myself without throwing around stereotypes I'm an elemental, I can manipulate the wind around by extention of by body and mind." she explained before looking at the little girl beside her. There was definately no way she was in high school.

"My name is Miata Krow and I'll be second in command, and my powers is that I can bring innanimate objects to life and control them. I mostly bring Mr. Bear to life as a guardian totem and have him fight for me." Most people would have thought that a very useful power...if there were innanimate objects to control like statues or something but a teddy bear who was barely half her size? not too many people saw the appeal and questioned her sanity. At least, until they saw her fight, then their comment was completely withdrawn.  

[Griselda Banks]

((Phew! Finally back! Sorry it's been so long; I had to stay in the hospital a bit longer than I was expecting.))

"Gerald Matthews," the hovering boy said calmly, his large round eyes watching Oliver without blinking. "I can control gravity...some of the time. Still working out the kinks."

Oliver wondered if that was why he was upside-down - he couldn't make the gravity around himself normal again. Gerald didn't seem too worried about it, though. Suddenly Oliver realized it was his turn, and he reddened. "Oliver Harding...I, uh...make flowers." Stupid, you should've said, 'I can make plants grow' like it's something special! He wished Gerald would stop staring at him like that. It was making him feel dizzy, like he was the one upside-down.

Tugging his eyes away from Gerald's, Oliver looked back at Anna. "So this training...it's like an obstacle course?"  

[Akira.S]

When Miata was evaluating her other two team member's abilities she found herself at quite the disadvantage. Sure having an elemental on the team was great but these two barely seemed to know how to use their powers. Sure controlling gravity was useful but it also depended on the trial and how well he could control it, same for flower-growing boy...she assumed he could grow more than just flowers and wondered if he was a potential elemental. Well, the girl was young or at least seemed rather young so she was in no position to lead or pass judgement on her members, so for the time being she let their team leader decide on what to do, playing with Mr. Bear whom she carried around with her practically 24/7.

Depending on the course the teacher gave them, it would either be difficult or very challenging, of course almost any course would be extremely easy if the more advanced students like Anna and Miata were allowed to use their powers to the full extent, but the point was to learn and act like a team! Hopefully they wouldn't completely fail at this...

When Oliver asked if their training was something like an obstacle course, Anna answered promptly, also trying to evaluate how well both of them could control their powers. Miata she had no problem with, but Oliver and Gerald weren't too...assuring.

"It's something like an obstacle course but not exactly, the outdoor courses are more like that. Inside and around the outside of the school is where we do our survival training which is something like this. The Danger Room where we are provides simulations of perphaps real life situations we may encounter if we ever leave the school. An example off the top of my head would be..." she had to pause to think of a realistic one that wouldn't scare him, "common things like a forest or jungle fire, a building collapsing, terrorist attack, or even the capture of another evil mutant. They're all just simulations and our task is to well - get through them in one piece."

Well they couldn't spend all their time talking and briefing...one by one the groups were called into the danger room while the others were excused into the waiting room where they all sat or stood together, talking about battle strategies. "There's only one strategy I believe in..." Miata said confidently patting her teddy bear's head while looking towards the door, waiting for their group to be called, "don't get hit." a definate fighter and a definate confidant one this twelve year old looking child.

((You can make up the scenario since I want it to help Oliver ^^))  

[Griselda Banks]

((Sorry for the delay; on top of computer troubles it took me a day or so to come up with a scenario for them. I think this'll work, and hopefully be surprising too. Am I right in thinking that they can have "holograms", so to speak, of people in the Danger Room? Like, people they have to fight or save?))

Oliver stood around awkwardly with the rest of his group as two groups were called into this 'Danger Room' ahead of them. They should've come up with a better name than that, he fretted to himself distractedly. Something less intimidating. There's no real danger in there, surely? There didn't seem to be a fixed amount of time for each group to stay in there; the first group was finished after barely ten minutes, but the second was in there for nearly twenty. Most of the other students he could see were using their time to catch up on homework, but all Oliver could think to do was watch Gerald frowning in concentration and slowly descending, then zipping back up towards the ceiling.

At last it was their turn. Oliver followed Anna into the Danger Room, which seemed to be completely dark, and paused while Miata and Gerald came in as well. Then the door hissed shut and he couldn't see anything. All he could hear was Gerald breathing on the top of his head, and he was about to ask if something was supposed to happen, when he realized that it was starting to get lighter in the distance. Oliver squinted, then noticed that his eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness.

Looking around, he saw that the four of them stood in a hallway of bare concrete, with no windows or doors, but a faint light came from the far end of the hallway. It seemed pretty obvious what they were supposed to do, so they all headed towards the light. When they reached the end of the hallway, they found themselves at the foot of a stairwell, lit by a bare light bulb on the landing. Oliver looked around at the others; Gerald shrugged and began eerily floating up the stairwell, the others following him.

Oliver watched Gerald bob along the inverted steps on the ceiling, listening to how loud the echoes of their footsteps sounded in the utter silence. When they reached the second landing, identical to the first, Gerald paused. "Do you hear something?" he said in a low, unconcerned voice.

Oliver froze and strained his ears. Yes, there was some faint sound...like distant thunder. Slowly it grew louder, nearer, and as it did Oliver thought it sounded awfully familiar. He thought it almost sounded like... "Explosions!" he cried out, flattening against the wall.

"Bombs," Gerald said at the same time, his calm voice lost in the thunderous roar that grew increasingly louder as it neared them. The building shook as if in an earthquake, and then the light bulb shattered on the floor. Oliver threw his arms over his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

((Obviously, feel free to make anything you like happen at any point in this little adventure. I have ideas, but I'm welcome to yours as well.))  

[Akira.S]

((Yeah anything you want can happen in here))

Entering the Danger Room, walking down the hall and towards the stairs, Anna found this training session a lot more different than the ones she was used to - then again she didn't question her Professor's intentions or simulations and headed up the stairs with the rest of her team. So far they hadn't encountered anything dangerous, they were just going up a bunch of stairs...something wasn't right....it was way too calm. Anna and Miata exchanged looks while keeping on guard as they headed up the stairs, it seemed way too quiet for the time being - until Gerald pointed out something.

They all seemed to stop a moment to listen to the crashes of thunder like sounds in the distance. Looking up the staircase wondering what it was, Oliver announced that the strange thunder like sound was that of an explosion. Gerald also added that they were being made my bombs dropping into the staircase or around it. The building they were in shook like an earthquake as everyone had to hold onto something to try and regain balance.

"This is no time to be acting like babies! Oliver get a grip, it's not like there are bombs dropping on top of us!" Anna exclaimed to her group while holding onto the railings, "Gerald, form a force field around us to neutrailize the earthquake's shock." hopefully he'd be able to do a simple thing like that. If he could change the gravitational pull on himself why couldn't he do it in like barrier form. At least this way they'd be able to walk a lot easier on the staircase, and if bombs dropped....well they'd get to that when the time came for it.

((Sorry it's kinda short...I'm sick and my brain isn't functioning well))  

[Griselda Banks]

((That's okay. Hope you're feeling better soon!))

"Good idea," Gerald replied calmly to her suggestion. After a moment or two, the shaking seemed to stop for them, though they could still hear the building rumbling all around them.

Oliver hastily straightened, feeling his cheeks burning in the darkness. I'm not acting like a baby! he retorted in his mind. Excuse me if I'm not used to buildings blowing up all around me! He soon forgot this as they heard a crash somewhere nearby. Oliver's eyes had become adjusted to the latest change in lighting, and he saw that the light from the bulb on the next landing was still intact, though it flickered and swung wildly in the quake.

Then a part of the wall seemed to collapse, and just as Oliver was about to cry out, the chunks of concrete stopped in midair. He turned to see Gerald frowning in concentration, one hand held in front of him, cupped as if to catch the pieces of the wall. "We should find a way out of here," he said in a tight voice, and when the concrete dipped a little in the air, Oliver scrambled out of the way.

The other three hurried up the stairs, Gerald hovering at the foot till they were at a safe distance before letting the bits of the wall crash down. He quickly caught up with them, remarking calmly, "We should find a door as soon as we can. These stairs seem to be unstable."

"Duh!" Oliver muttered to himself, taking the steps three at a time and hoping Gerald would catch him if they started collapsing beneath his feet. He hated having to depend on someone who didn't seem at all worried to find himself in a collapsing building.

Finally they found a heavy metal door on the third landing. Oliver dragged it open and held it for the others before bounding in himself. They ran down the straight hallway...until they all slowed down, suddenly becoming aware of an unmistakable scent. Smoke. They turned a corner, only to find the hallway wreathed in flames.  

[Akira.S]

Miata looked over at Anna again wondering what sort of simulation this was, even though neither of them would fight it. "Alright let's go..." Miata instructed while heading up the stairs to search for a door as fast as they could. Even with Geralds Gravity field around them the stairs in the building were still pretty unstable and difficult to walk on. So they all quickly hurried up the stairs, finding a large heavy metal door on the third landing. Oliver volunteered to grab it open as it held it open for the others before allowinghimself inside.

"This is obviously a survival test, but isn't this a bit much." Anna conversed with Miata a bit, the two exchanging glances. So far the only one who was of real use was Gerald, Miata had her doll but there weren't any other inanimate objects to control in the building and it was a building...what use was Oliver going to be. This was completely unfair.
"I have no idea what the professor is thinking." Miata continued on while they ran down the hallway for a while until they slowed down slightly.

As they did slow down to examine the change in air scent, Anna seemed to lean against the nearest wall for balance, her eyes getting dizzy and her body getting heavy, but she still followed - as their leader she couldn't be seen as weak. When they turned a corner they found the hallway wreathed in flames and the closer they got to it the weaker Anna felt, to the point where she collapsed onto her knees while panting heavily - trying to breathe.

"We have to find another way around this, we're too close to the fire and there isn't enough oxygen." Since Anna was an elemental she was energized by the air and oxygen around them, but since the fire was eating it all up the fumes and lack of oxygen was making her weak. "Gerald is there any chance you can make another forcefield to walk us through it?" it was a different kind of force field which probably wouldn't work but could they go back?  

[Griselda Banks]

(( crying Sorry for the super-long delay. We finally bought a new computer and have had lots of issues trying to get things all fixed up correctly.))

"That's an idea," Gerald replied calmly to Anna's suggestion. He stared at the fire for several excruciating moments, the flickering flames reflected in his enormous unblinking eyes.

Oliver waited impatiently for his verdict, watching Anna with concern. He hadn't thought about fire using up the air she needed for her powers. "You okay?" he asked worriedly, putting a hand on her shoulder though that almost seemed to make it worse. Stupid, of course she's not okay. Can't you see that?

He glanced apprehensively at the flames eating up the wooden doors and licking up the drab, peeling wallpaper. The walls here seemed to be made of wood too. Normally, he'd be fairly nervous around fire anyway, but it had just occurred to him that even if he was somehow able to use his power inside this building, it wouldn't do any good. His plants would get burned up in a second.

Finally Gerald said, "No, I don't think that'll work. I can control gravity, that's all. Fire's not really connected to gravity. I could make the ceiling collapse and smother the flames, but that wouldn't really do us any good, would it?"

"Well, think of something!" Oliver snapped angrily. Why was he so angry? Why did the sight of Anna looking so weak make his gut hurt?

Gerald rotated on the spot, the thick smoke beginning to curl around his crossed legs. Gerald absently lowered himself a few feet so he was out of the worst of the smoke on the ceiling, then pointed down the hallway in the opposite direction from the flames. "There's a window there. We could probably get out that way."

They hurried to the window, Oliver increasingly conscious of the flames creeping their way. Looking out, they saw they were on the second floor of what appeared to be an apartment building or something. "A bit too far to jump," Gerald commented as he began tugging at the window to open it. A breeze floated in through the widening crack, cool on their cheeks after the heat of the blaze behind them. "You should probably try to make a barrier of still air or something if you can," Gerald continued, glancing at Anna. "We don't want to feed the flames any more."