Intertwined Genes (Griselda Banks + Akira.S)

[Akira.S]

((It’s alright, sorry it took me so long! I forgot to check >.<))

Trying to get some air into her lungs she found it no use as the flames kept eating away at the oxygen she needed. Even her teammates were starting to worry, Oliver eve made it a point to ask if she was alright as a polite thing to do. She tried to answer him but ended up coughing even more, while trying to stand as Gerald explained that they had to move quickly as there was another way out.
With some help from Miata, Anna was able to stand and drag her body over to the window on the other side of the floor.

Helping her towards the window, Gerald busted it open as a cool breeze blew in to counter the flaming haze that was approaching them. As she felt the wind currents filling her body and lungs once again her empty eyes almost filled with a cloud of silver lining. This was just what she needed to feel better and as long as this window was open and the flames didn’t get near they’d be alright. There was no way they could leave the building or that would potentially mean failing the course. Hearing Gerald’s suggestion about creating a barrier of still air or something, Anna chuckled to herself and removed her yellow protective gloves as if letting her fingers and hands breathe for the first time in a while. “You mean make the air around us thinner? You wouldn’t be able to breathe if I did that. No, we’ll be fine right here.”

Anna walked in front of the group with the window open and the slight breeze blowing in as the flames approached, she stood ahead all of them, and in front of Oliver, turning her head back and smiling at him gently, “you might want to hold onto something...” she chuckled once again while turning her body so that she was slightly sideways, waiting for the flame to draw closer. Her right fist closed at her side while her left just sort of dangled there. Miata wasn’t sure what she was thinking of doing but if she was going to do something she better do it now, “Roads what are you waiting for us to get fried if you’re going to do something do it!” she exclaimed as the flames drew closer and closer but Anna stayed in the same position. “ROADS!”

With that final shout, Anna shifted her body as if she was punching someone really, really hard in the face. Of course she was punching thin air but instead of punching nothing, a heavy gust of wind like a fast jet or gun flew from behind the others at an incredible speed and through the extension of her punch, doused the flames leaving only small tiny ones to sit and calm themselves as the path was finally cleared. After the flame was gone she put her gloves back on and turned to the rest of her party, “that made me feel better...now I’m pretty sure we should get going cause there’s a lot more we haven’t seen of this place yet.” She instructed and lead them off, back to the main hall they couldn’t get past because of the flame and saw what appeared to be the next door to lead them to their next challenge.  

[Griselda Banks]

((Hey, that's fine. Our "new" computer had to go back to the shop stressed Seriously, what is wrong with every computer we buy?!))

Oliver gaped at Anna for several minutes after she'd blown the fire away. Even as they ran through the cleared hallway, he couldn't stop staring at her. She was so powerful! Would he ever be able to do something like that? Not with plants, stupid, he chided himself, and forced his eyes to turn away from Anna.

The hallway through the door was stiflingly hot, but quiet and devoid of flames. Oliver hurried along, hoping they wouldn't run into any more open flames. "Where's the fire department when you need them?" he muttered to himself.

After several hallways and staircases that only went up, they found themselves on the roof of the building. They could see a city stretching around them, but no sirens split the air, no one was rushing to help put out the fire that blazed out the windows several storeys down. "Great," Oliver said, crossing to the edge of the roof and looking down at the ground. Why did it have to be so far away? "Now we're even worse off than we started. We have to get out of here somehow, right?" He turned back to the others. "Think we should go back down?" Maybe there was some corridor they'd passed up.

"Hmm." Gerald hovered to the edge and looked down as well, looking odd without a ceiling to glide along. "Or I could try lowering us all down to the ground."  

[Akira.S]

Now that they finally made it to the rooftop things seemed easier...but there was nothing there, no bad guy, no villinaous machine....nothing to stop them. What was the point of this exercise, Anna wondered while sighing to herself a bit. Walking over to the edge she looked down, ALL the way down and doubted Gerald would really be able to levitate them all, all the way down...of course Anna could easily with the another of fresh air in their simulation but that would have been to easy.

"Oliver you can make plants grow, I'm sure there some spots of earth down there in civilization, make a beanstalk grow or something so we can climb down." Of course that would take much longer but everyone had to help out at least a little bit. Teamwork as their professors liked to remind them daily. Of course Miata hadn't done anything yet but her time to shine would come later on.

She hoped he didn't think she was picking on him but it was best to learn about your powers in the field than slowly trying to learn on your own. People easily surprised themselves when they learned on the go...and usually it turned out better in the end. "It may be far down but just try, I know you can do it..." she looked over at him with a confident look in her clear eyes, smiling slightly before turning away.

This was no time to get all soft and mushy, even if it was to encourage your teammate of his or her powers! She had to focus on the mission and not get all soft just because she had...like one social friend outside of class.  

[Griselda Banks]

"Me?!" Oliver asked, genuinely astonished that any of them would ask him to help, when they knew what a useless power he had. He much preferred the idea of Gerald lowering them all down, since at least they knew he could. "But...I can't even control my power!"

Gerald poked him in the forehead (a bit more sharply than was necessary, Oliver thought) and said, "Just try. I might drop you if I tried lowering you down, but a plant's going to stay there all the time."

"But...But I don't know how to do it!" Oliver spluttered, knowing he sounded like a whiner but unable to help it. He was scared; he couldn't even deny it to himself. He didn't want to bring the power out of himself again.

"Well, it's different for everyone, isn't it?" Gerald asked, looking at the girls. "How you access your power? For me, I just think of faith and trust and a little bit of pixie dust." He floated a few inches higher as he said this, his large eyes staring into space.

Oliver gave a nervous chuckle. Peter Pan, the animated Disney version. Make a beanstalk. Jack and the Beanstalk. Fairy tales, and I'm living in one. Oliver stared over the side of the building, confused thoughts racing through his head. The ground did look rather brown at the foot of the building; he hoped it was dirt. He stared hard at the ground for a full minute, silently begging it to grow a beanstalk, a bush, he'd even take daisies, as long as something grew! He started to glare down, feeling the others' eyes on his back, waiting for something to happen. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he snarled over and over to himself. You're so stupid you can't even make your stupid powers work. You're so stupid you should go all the way back to mutant kindergarten.

He almost didn't notice it when it first started, but gradually he became aware that something green had appeared in the ground. He kept calling himself names in his head as he watched, feeling the anger and shame surging through his body. He could almost imagine flinging it out into the air and into the ground, where it grew roots and shot upward. He didn't even know what he was making, but when it grew taller he saw that it was a tree - a huge, gnarly, ugly-looking tree, but a tree all the same. Looked like a good climbing tree, too. When the branches grew taller than the rooftop they stood on, Oliver let his anger fade away at last, and he almost thought he could feel a sort of power fade into dormancy as well, like when adrenaline stopped rushing through your veins.

He looked up at his creation, then turned to his comrades. "How's that?" he asked with a shaky smile, still trying to figure out how he'd managed it.  

[Akira.S]

It was very common to be unsure about how to control your powers and what made them activate, but Anna knew he’d figure out a way no matter what means he’d have to do it. If they had to stand there for twenty minutes and fail the test, the point was to get his powers to work. And so they waited...waited for a miracle to happen, “Roads do you know what you’re doing?” Miata asked while standing beside her team captain, holding her teddy bear and waiting for Oliver to make something grow out of the ground so many feet below them. Silently, Anna smirked to herself while watching him and Gerald have a private conversation, “Absolutely no idea.” She reassured her team mate while he stood near the edge of the roof and was...what it looked like – concentration on making something grow out of the ground.

Slowly but surely something was beginning to make its way up; a couple of tree branches and some leaves began to emerge from a trunk that began to grow. Much better than a beanstalk or something but at least he had a shot at using his powers for something that wasn’t destructive or cowardice. When he turned to them and asked them how it was, Miata walked past him and began to climb down while Anna followed and put a hand on his shoulder with a gentle smile, “that’ll do.” She said softly while hoping down the roof and beginning to climb down with the others.

They were almost done the trial...or at least should have been. It had been an interesting day from earth quaking buildings, to fire filled halls, climbing down trees...what could have been next. The only person who hadn’t used their powers yet was Miata and her power was certainly hard to demonstrate, depending on the situation of course. Once they had all gotten to the bottom, safely jumping down the branches, some uninvited guests seemed to join the party.

Some police men and swat team figures had arrived with tanks and guns and the works, surrounding the four and threatening to shoot. “I’ll let you handle this.” Anna stated to Miata while standing back with the rest of her team and letting the young girl do her thing.
“Like you have a choice.” Miata said stepping forward as the police men readied their guns. She held out her teddy bear in front of her, closing her eyes for a second and then opening them sharply, having them glow brightly.

The bear she was holding at arm’s length grew to about ten feet to the point where Miata was now dangling from the top of its head, the bear standing on its own and limbering up. But just as the police men began to shoot their guns seemed to have stopped working. “Ah Ah Ah...I like hand to hand combat, don’t you Mr.Bear.” she asked while the police then dropped their guns and tried to run and attack the giant teddy bear head on. It seemed like the creature had a mind of its own, swiping away at officers and running around with Miata holding on, focusing while her eyes were still open wide and glowing brightly.

“That’s the power of controlling inanimate objects, she may be small but she can be very deadly if she wants to be. She’s only holding back because this is a simulation, but I head she prefers fighting with that bear as a weapon instead of turning human weapons against people.” Anna watched and waited for her to finish up, though it seemed like Miata was having too much fun, practically riding her bear while it did all the work.

Once she finished all the officers unconscious, the tanks turned over and people scattered everywhere the large teddy bear wandered back to the group with Miata still riding it. “All finished.”  

[Griselda Banks]

Oliver climbed laboriously down his own tree, feeling an odd sense of...kinship, or something, when his fingers touched the bark. It was like he could feel the tree, as weird and crazy as that sounded. Just watch, he said glumly to himself. I'll be saving the environment in no time.

Oliver was glad to see that he wasn't the last one down; climbing trees had never exactly been his forte, for some reason. Maybe it came from growing up in the city, where what few trees grew along the sidewalks were so skimpy they looked like they'd fall over if you breathed on them. Anyway, Gerald was frowning in concentration as he bounced upside-down from tree branch to tree branch. Looked kinda funny, come to think of it.

Then the swat team came in- Wait, swat team?! Oliver leapt back and put his back against the tree bark when one of the soldiers pointed a gun right at him. The roots of the tree began coiling protectively around Oliver's legs without him even realizing it.

Then Miata went and did her thing, and Oliver could only gape at her. She didn't look too intimidating at first glance, but he could see now that she really was powerful.

The roots retreated from around his legs and he stepped away from the tree's protection again. "So...is that it?" he asked, just as flames burst out of a window high above them.

"Help!" came a thin cry wavering through the air.  

[Akira.S]

“Yup that’s it.” Miata said jumping off her teddy bear causing it to shrink back to normal size and gone back to being lifeless. “Now can we please get out of here, I need a shower.” She stated while tapping her foot on the ground like an impatient child.

Just before Anna could say something some flames burst out of a high window above them, then came a shrieking cry for help. That was a little bit odd; all of them had successfully used their powers to get out of a situation why would they still have to continue? It was a little weird... but she was never one to speak against the professors and removed her gloves while air began to swirl around her, encasing her in a sphere of wind and lifting her off the ground. “I’ll have to put out the fire, Gerald and Oliver you help...whoever that is down.” She explained while flying up into the air to be at eye level with the burning floor.

They’d been in the simulation far too long, were they being picked on or something? What more training could they possibly have...besides it was too soon for a rescue mission with Oliver and Gerald being rather newbies at controlling their powers...what was the professor thinking?
While flying in the air trying to see through the fire Anna called out, “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” she yelled while moving her arms left and right to try and clear the smoke path in front of her to be able to see inside the building.

((I got that guild message that we have to be more active...o.o...))  

[Griselda Banks]

((I think we're okay. I mean, we're posting right now, so that makes us active, right? They're probably referring to people who never post anymore.))

"I'll go up," Gerald said, already hovering higher than before. He turned his bat-like eyes on Oliver and said, "You should make a net or something."

Oliver nodded as Gerald moved upwards swiftly. He frowned at the dirt by the side of the building. Are you going to give me trouble? he asked it sternly.

Meekly, some kind of plant with vines and huge leaves began to grow and flourish, the vines creeping up the side of the building and the enormous leaves forming a sort of step ladder. Oliver nodded, satisfied, when it was done and looked upwards to find Gerald leading a frightened-looking girl out the window.

As soon as the girl stepped onto his plant, everything around them seemed to flicker, then Oliver couldn't see anything at all. Then light spilled out from behind them as the door to the Danger Room hissed open.  

[Akira.S]

((I noticd you're posting more frequently I better check everyday once again lol ^^ and yeah I think I mean we post every few days...maybe not CONSTANTLY but still))

The simulation had ended and everything around the four disappeared. Anna was still floating in the air, Gerald and Oliver were standing near each other and Miata was just pretty much supervising which was ironic.

"Well done you four, a little inarticulate but you still passed. You're dismissed." Their professor called from the command center above them and then they all left.

Miata said goodbye and walked off continuing to talk to her teddy bear leaving Anna, Oliver and Gerald though he probably wasn't going to hang around for long since they mostly had one class left. Anna on the other hand took her sweet time walking to the change rooms beside Oliver. "So...what did you think? It's different isn't it?" she questioned while removing her gloves and exercizing her finger joints.
Stopping in the middle of the futuristic tunnel looking hallway she turned and spoke softly, "thank you...for worrying about me back there."

It's not that an apology was rare from her it was just that there wasn't really anyone to apologize too. Sure Anna talked to the twins, that other guy from lunch but not really anyone else on a social level. It was either the world wanted nothing to do with her or she didn't want anything to do with the world...it's hard to tell these things.  

[Griselda Banks]

((Lol, famous last words. Right when I start posting semi-regularly, I have to go off for a check-up out of town. Sorry, I got behind on everything because of that.))

The abruptness of the change in environment left Oliver feeling slightly dizzy. He followed the others out and watched Miata walk calmly off with her savage teddy bear cradled harmlessly in her arms again. Gerald waved and said vaguely, "See ya," while he hovered backwards up the hall.

Oliver discovered he was pleased to be alone with Anna again, relatively speaking. The hallway was still filled with chattering students, but nobody was paying the slightest attention to them. "Yeah," he said in answer to her question. "It was...pretty amazing." He was going to say something else, but then she thanked him and he forgot what he'd been about to say. Her eyes looked so big and sincere and....

Heat rose in his cheeks, and Oliver was glad they weren't around earth anymore, or there would surely have been flowers sprouting up all around them. "I, um...kinda got carried away, I guess," he said awkwardly as they paused before the separate changing rooms. He pretended to be fascinated with the smooth lines running down the arms of his suit. "I sort of forgot it wasn't real a couple times. They sure make it realistic."

He stood there awkwardly for a moment or two, then a bell ringing somewhere above them saved him. Oliver used the general rush into the changing rooms as cover to make a speedy getaway. Never could talk to girls, he thought glumly as he changed back into his normal clothes. She looked so cute all of a sudden, and then...yeah, well, no use thinking about that anyway. Don't want that boyfriend of hers thinking I'm trying to get too friendly.  

[Akira.S]

((That's okay no worries sorry for being pretty slow myself))

Anna was once again back in her regular school clothes instead of her uniform that they made everyone wear. She also looked like a normal human being with her black hair and black eyes thanks to her contacts. As if she wasn't enough of an outcast in real life she had to be one in a school where everyone was different...she just didn't fit in.

While waiting outside for Oliver, rather waiting outside in general she leaned against the wall and watched other students pile out and head to the elevators. Some of them ignored her while she was standing there all lonely looking. Some even whispered things to their friends while piling into elevators, while she had a free study period others had class. She mostly spent her time in that lonely piano room playing instead of doing homework.

This afternoon though she was waiting for Oliver...maybe to walk him to his next class or something. Well, she didn't want to seem like some sort of stalker...or whatever but she did very much enjoy his company...better than most of the people here anyway.
What am I doing?...she asked herself.  

[Griselda Banks]

Oliver consulted his schedule as he swung his bag back over his shoulder. Looked like he had a free period, and then supper and that was it. At least one thing is going right today. He had some homework to do from his earlier classes...maybe he'd go up to his room and do that now. Wasn't really anybody to hang out with anyway.

Oliver nearly crashed right into Anna as he swung around the door of the changing rooms. "Oh, sorry!" he cried, hastily stepping back. "I didn't see you there." He noticed the way she'd been leaning against the wall, as if she was waiting. "You didn't have to wait for me," he said - then forced a laugh to make it seem like a joke, in case she hadn't been waiting for him at all. Had that black boy been in the changing rooms? He hadn't thought to look around.

I need to find out who he is, Oliver thought grimly. Then wondered why he was stressing so much about this boyfriend person. Just forget her, you idiot, he told himself as he tried to keep his face blank. She's nobody for you.  

[Akira.S]

While Anna was waiting patiently, leaning against the wall in the middle of the white futuristic hallway, the boy’s change room door opened and sort of slammed into her harm. It sort of hurt but she was fine after she let the blood flow down her arm, "It's my own fault for being invisible, don't worry about it." Anna tried to laugh it off nervously, trying to play it off as he had while looking away...awkwardly for a second.

"I figured you might need some help getting to your next class so I decided to-"

"Awwww Oliver you're so sweet trying to get along with the social outcast, I'm sure you're the first one to have thought of that!" Jill had been watching the from down the hall and decided to quickly make her way over to interrupt their little private talk. "You're better off with me, I don't think people are going to take you seriously if you hang out with her. No offence." Smirking while clinging to Oliver's arm, she eyed Anna slightly with a definate fight look in her eyes.

Fixing her messenger bag on her shoulder, Anna glared slightly but released a sigh, deciding she wasn't going to waste the effort of arguing with Jill afer a long training session. "Maybe I'll see you later then." Deciding to ignore Jill she waved to Oliver slightly and turned around and walked towards the elevator by herself, leaving Jill with a safistied smirk on her face.

"You don't need to hang out with people like her. She's such a hopeless romantic you know, always waiting for something to happen, reading, or sitting at that gloomy piano in the entrance hall. She doesn't go out into the city on weekends, doesn't hang out with friends, she eats lunch alone. You don't need to feel sorry for her - nobody does." Who knew people like that still existed...maybe it was the way Anna grew up having to work hard for herself and being tired all the time. Some people found the transition into 'mutanthood' difficult and relied on others or like Anna relied on no one but themselves.  

[Griselda Banks]

Oliver was about to explain that he had a free period, and his mind was just flitting to suggestions for what they could do together - maybe sit outside and enjoy the weather while they did their homework? - but before he could say more than two words, he heard a voice behind him that was all too familiar. He closed his eyes for a moment as Jill's frilly voice cut through their conversation that had really been delightfully comfortable, he realized. Why did she have to come and...? Oh well. Anna was already leaving.

Oliver looked sidelong at the girl hanging onto his arm like they were going to the school prom or something. Wait...did this school have a prom? It wouldn't be for a long time, of course, but still.... What would a bunch of mutants look like dancing around under a disco lamp? Blinking hard to get rid of the mental picture of Gerald doing a solemn upside-down waltz with a dubious-looking Anna, he tried to pay attention to what Jill was saying. She talked like that one girl he had had a crush on for half of his sophomore year, and spent the rest of the year running away from once he actually talked to her and realized what she was like. What was that girl's name? Stephanie or something?

At least the last thing Jill said permeated Oliver's reluctant mind: "You don't need to feel sorry for her - nobody does." A wave of sympathy surged through him. He hadn't realized she was ostracized like that. What about her boyfriend? Maybe he and Oliver were the only people who bothered talking to her. On the verge of telling Jill to lay off and stop bugging Anna, Oliver got a better idea. Starting to walk towards the elevator and pretending he didn't mind that she clutched his arm as if he was being arrested, he asked casually, "So...she doesn't have many friends?"  

[Akira.S]

((I just realized...I hope this isn’t getting boring for you...cause I’m trying to keep it sort of realistic. It’s the only rp I’ve had in a while that hasn’t died because you left or something so I’m really grateful. But at the same time I feel bad! Like do you want it to be more exciting? Do you want things to move faster! Lemme know please! And like if you wanted to throw your characters in to give them more of a background, like those sisters or that other guy be my guest please! ))

Anna had already entered the next elevator as Jill and Oliver continued talking down the hall. Luckily, no one had entered in before or after her so she was sharing that technologically advanced alone with the lights. Leaning against the back as the elevator slowly brought her up from the underground, she sigh heavily to herself while looking solemnly at the white flooring and possibly her shoes. “Can’t blame a girl for trying...” Once the elevator stopped and opened up she stepped out into the mansion like school setting once again and took off for the Drawing Room near the front entrance. There were only a few classrooms there so it was great for peace and quiet since no one really bothered to go there because it was in such a secluded part of the school.

When she entered the familiar room, nice and quiet as it usually was, she set down her bag on the couch and took out her small contacts holder. Carefully pulling out her brown contacts from her eyes she placed them into the container and stuffed it back in her messenger bag; eyes now pale white as if she was blind. Walking over to the piano in the top left corner of the room, she pulled open the large curtain to let in the beautiful sunlight before grazing her finger over the piano bench. Seating herself down neatly, she lifted the cover and gently placed her fingers on the keys and began playing softly and in a sense, very sadly.

As Jill was certain Oliver was going to follow her, she pulled away from him and cart wheeled and rounded off down the hall and into the elevator, waiting for him as if trying to show off her amazing sense of hand to hand combat, flexibility and talent in gymnastics.
“Anna Roads? Have friends? I mean sure we’ve got our share of outcasts and strange mutants who are like her, but I mean it’s not like she has a physical mutation that freaks people out other than her eyes. No one like really talks to her, like I said she’s weird and old school, not like the rest of us. She plays piano all days, keeps to herself and her crazy books. She likes to stare into space as if she’s waiting for like a miracle or something. She’s just so distant; it’s like ‘we’re not weird enough’ or something.” Jill obviously seemed to know a lot about Anna...maybe there was more to her story than a lot of people knew about.

“Okay I admit, we used to be...sort of friends. She was my guide when I first came to the school but after spending time with her and finding out about her freakiness...I didn’t want anything to have to do with her, we were just different people. Face it Oliver, she’s a hopeless romantic. Sure she’s got good powers and could be a possible elemental if she really wanted to but nobody likes her. Besides you’re above that, when you learn how to control your powers you’ll be one of them, and who’s doesn’t want to be one of them!” It seemed like Jill’s entertainment came from making fun of Anna and some of those others who were seriously beneath her...but even if Anna could potentially prove problematic in a fight against her no one really dared.

“Anyway, why so many Anna questions? You really don’t need to concern yourself about her it’s a serious waste of time? Besides, it’s not like she’s making any effort to talk to you right?” clinging to his arm again, Jill looked into his eyes, staring at him with her deep light indigo eyes.