Thoughtspeed

[KnightDisciple]

Table of Contents

 

->Reputation Chart

->20Q

-???

Edited July 31, 2014 by KnightDisciple

[KnightDisciple]

Twenty Questions

 

William Cline, dressed in slacks and a slightly ruffled polo, flopped down into a chair opposite the rather more reserved Vice-Principal Martha Dugan. The rather stern looking administrator was as much an institution at Claremont as the founding Headmaster, though most agreed she was almost as stubborn about aging and retirement as the totally-not-a-retired-vigilante Headmaster Summers was. 

 

"Thank you for joining me, Mister Cline. Please understand this is an informal interview and evaluation as we begin preparations for the next full school year."

 

"I know the score, Missus Dugan. That's why I'm not freaking out!"

 

She shuffled papers and raised an Eyebrow. In a subtle blur of motion, Will was sitting fully upright. His overall demeanor was still fairly relaxed, though. The vice-principal just smiled slightly.

 

"Indeed. Well then. First off, what do you think of Claremont?"

 

Will grinned.

 

"This place is great! I mean, not only do I not have to worry about hiding my powers, not only are there plenty of awesome crime-fighting-training ladies around, but the school itself is really top-notch! You folks run a good place around here."

 

Glasses adjusted.

 

"Yes, we've heard some comments about how you can be a bit...flirtatious. No complaints, understand. But it does make us curious. Why do you seem to flirt with many of the students?"

 

Will's gaze lost focus a bit as he smiled crookedly.

 

"Some of it's me being a typical teenage boy, sure. But when I came here and saw what you guys are trying to do, and how some of the other students have had some hard times, I thought, hey, why not try to give at least some folks some cheery words? I'm terrible at flirting with guys, no real motivation behind it, see. But unless she's trying to gut me like a fish or burn my brain up, there's always something you can find to compliment a girl on. I'm still working on my methods, see. But I've noticed that a lot of times, it doesn't irritate them too much. Or if it does, it's that sarcastic eye-roll thing where they just shake their head and move on, despite having been in a visible funk earlier."

 

"So it's something of a charity effort?"

 

"Kind of? I dunno. I just like being nice and friendly by default with people. Use what I got, I guess. I mean, you've probably read plenty of those articles that talk about body image or whatever. Well, seems like that can't be less true here. If I make a girl feel like someone thinks she's genuinely good-looking, which so far all the girls here are, isn't that a good thing?"

 

"Perhaps. But are you trying to seriously pin yourself down?"

 

"That feels maybe a bit personal ma'am, but no, not yet. My folks get jittery when the talk of me dating seriously comes up. Which with my dad, is a sight, let me tell you."

 

"Speaking of them. How do you feel about how often your parents are in the public eye?"

 

Will gave one of those non-committal shrugs.

 

"It's...well, it can be tough. They keep weird hours. And now that I'm training to be a hero part of me is nervous about someone putting all the dots together and risking my family's life and mine. But my folks are smart, smart enough to do everything they can to keep this from turning into a cluster-mess."

 

"But?"

 

"But bad things still happen. My mom's dad is still dead thanks to the Atoms. I've still gotten mixed up in weird stuff. They can't do everything. So I gotta make sure to watch myself as best as I can."

 

"You mentioned your grandfather, Professor Psion. It sounds like you blame the Atoms for his death?"

 

"Yeah. I mean, Jack Wolf was the one who brought a freaking gun in that place. Whatever anyone says about Grandad being the one to pull the trigger or not, Jack brought a gun. If he hadn't, maybe someone could have done something different, maybe Grandad wouldn't have been able to pull himself down in a blaze of glory or whatever."

 

"So do you think the Atoms are bad people?"

 

"Bad as in like villains? Bad like "mwahaha we will rule you peons"? No. But they have the same problem the Psions do, at least most of them: They think they're untouchable. They sit in their tower above everyone else and do...I dunno, space stuff or science experiments? About the only time they come out to do "hero work", it seems like it's to fight the Psions. I mean, the Freedom League isn't perfect but they still do stuff, you know?"

 

"Do you think something needs to be done about the Atoms?"

 

"I think some of the League folks need to read them the riot act about going in guns blazing and worrying more about their feud than the hostages trapped in a stadium. I think they need to decide whether they're about science stuff or hero stuff, or even if it's both, try to at least put up a token effort to do the hero stuff more often."

 

"What about the Psions?"

 

"Well. Uh. That's a tougher question. They all pretty much grew up in, what, like a cult basically?  Mom doesn't talk about it a bunch but she doesn't lie to me. Grandad kept everyone pretty sheltered. Made himself out to be the one and only authority kind of thing. That's bad enough. But a lot of the stuff they've done in the name of "genetic purity" or whatnot is pretty bad too. At this point I'd like for none of the rest of them to die, and for as many as possible to go into Witness Protection or something and go lead a normal life. Raise kids that are normal. As normal as any of us metahumans are, I guess."

 

"Do you think you are normal?"

 

"Well, I'm not studying psychology or anything, but I think I'm pretty well inside the normal or average behavior range for a male human of my age. I have powers that put me physically outside the norm, but the way I think and act isn't. Besides, "normal" is kind of relative anyways."

 

"So, do you think the sorts of things your grandfather did are okay?"

 

"See, there's a difference between "normal and not normal" and "right and wrong". The first one is mostly just social pressure or whatever. How all of us look around and judge each other. The other one is about whether you're hurting people or not. I mean, a lot of folks use religion as the measuring stick on that. Some don't. But see, there's plenty of heroes who aren't "normal" in a lot of ways, who still do the right thing. That's the big difference, really."

 

"I see. Do you have any plans for after you graduate?"

 

"Maybe? I don't really want to go into television. Much as I like showing off, I don't like cameras following me around. I'll probably go into regular hero work and...honestly, I don't know what sort of civilian job I'd hold down. I don't think it would be fair to go into athletics. Delivery boy could put me through college. We'll see where the road takes me, I guess."

 

"I've noticed you've been taking some summer school classes. Why is that?"

 

"I kind of want to graduate next year. I could stretch it out a year more, but why wait? I mean, I can study way faster than everyone else anyways, but I'm still learning the material. Might as well use that to my advantage, right?"

 

"You mentioned doing hero work after graduation; do you think you'll change your name or costume?"

 

"I might get some duds that keep me from freezing or overheating too much and that give a bit more protection, but I like my look, and I like my name. Don't see a reason to change it. I'm not making a break with my past like my dad did; I'm not anyone's sidekick, after all."

 

"You've mentioned your father a few times. Do you try to measure up to him, measure yourself by his life?"

 

"Well I'm not stoned off my butt on weed and cocaine all the time, so I think I'm already doing better in the life choices department than he is. My dad will be the first to admit he did some stupid, stupid things when he was younger. He and mom never lied to me about that, and made it clear they were trying to help me end up in a better place in my life. So in that regard, no, I don't measure myself against what he was, except as what not to do. I do try not to genuinely disappoint him."

 

"What about in your hero work?"

 

"Well, power-wise, I have tricks he doesn't, but he's still faster. I'm competitive enough to want to end up faster than him, yeah. Hero-work-wise, he does the show as much as anything. I already touched on that, I think. I like being a hero for heroing's sake."

 

The vice-principle smiled slightly at that before asking her next question.

 

"What about your mother?"

 

"Geeze, pop psychology quiz day? Mom's the one who keeps the rest of us in line, no mistake. But...that's good. She's kind of our calm center most of the time. See, I'm a hot-headed hormone-addled teenager right now, but I do know that one day? I want what they've got. Plus, have you seen her "I am so disappointed in you" face? I think it's scarier than the Headmaster's, and that's saying something."

 

"That could be bias talking, though. Still, do you think you're trying to measure up to her on the hero front?"

 

"It's both the same and different as with Dad. I mean, I run fast, Dad runs fast. That's an easy thing to measure. But my mental powers are mostly way, way different from hers. I can talk to people's brains, which is cool, but I can't read them. And most of what I do is...how'd the doc here put it...The manipulation of ambient and generated kinetic energy shaped into a photon-like structure, then further refined into hand-held combat implements. Plus I can either go invisible or make everyone else blind. All cool, but not much like her. Except kind of the invisible part."

 

"I think we're about done here, Mister Cline. I just want to know something. What will you do if you meet a Psion or an Atom in the field, whether as hero or villain?"

 

"Help them save lives if they're a hero, and take them down non-lethally if they're a villain. Whichever family name they claim. That doesn't mean they're getting invited over for punch and cookies, but I'm not going to refuse to work in the field with either if it comes to that. Definitely not going to be actively seeking them for team-ups, though."

 

The administrator gave a nod, tucking away her notes.

 

"You may leave, Mister Cline. Enjoy your afternoon."

 

"Sure thing, Ma'am!"

 

With a rush of air, he was gone.

Edited July 31, 2014 by KnightDisciple