1 Chapter 1 - Pilot

--Jerome Akarui wakes up to the sound of his alarm. It's 6:00 am and Jerome needs to get ready for school. Jerome only sleeps in pajama pants, no shirt. He is slightly overweight so he has a bit of gut. He has fairly clear brown skin, about 5 feet and 11 inches tall, and weighs about 245 pounds. He has a very typical African American hairstyle, short, curly, and afro-like. Jerome lays on his back, in his bed, and stares at the ceiling and lets a large yawn. Today is August 17, 2014. Today is the first day of high school and Jerome is not exactly excited about the occasion. He sees school as a place to further his knowledge of the world. The knowledge that will lead him to his future goals and help create his aspirations. The thing is, He doesn't exactly have the urge or need to talk to other students or participate in extracurricular activities. That's just how he lived life at any school, no matter what grade level. The most he would do is just read about other world cultures and just play video games or watch cartoons when he isn't in the whole schooling mindset.--

--Jerome sits up from his bed, yawns, gets up, and sluggishly makes his way out of his room to the bathroom. He makes it to the bathroom and goes to the toilet to pee--

*At this time, I'm usually still asleep and I would probably wake up around 10:00 am or 11:00 am. Not exactly a healthy lifestyle, but that's the price I pay for being a massive nerd.*

--Jerome finished peeing, goes to the sink to wash his hands and face.--

* As I said before, I am not into school. Don't get me wrong though, school is very easy for me. I just don't "love" or "like" school at all. *

-- Jerome sluggishly walks out of his bathroom and back to his bedroom. He goes to his closet and begins looking through his clothes.--

* I passed elementary and middle school without any issues, I got on the honor roll, and I did have the opportunity to become the valedictorian, or at least the salutatorian, but I didn't try to reach that level. I just don't like being in the spotlight.

-- Jerome grabs a red uniform shirt, that had his school's logo on the right breast, and a pair of blue jeans. He places both the shirt and the pair of jeans on his bed. He walks over to has a dresser and opens the top drawer, begins grabbing a pair of boxer briefs and a pair of socks. He begins packing school supplies into his book bag.--

* I like keeping to myself. I really only consider myself to be my own best friend. I like watching people and because of that, I noticed people generally don't trust each other. Whether you're five years old or fifty-five, someone has a reason to distrust someone. So I decided to skip all that nonsense, I made it clear to myself that I would only trust my judgment and no one else's. That's why during my elementary school and middle school years I decided not to speak to anyone. A lot of kids thought I was mute because of that but that was far from the truth. All Relationships of any kind starts with one word.*

-- Jerome put his bag on his bed, picked his clothes, and went back to the bathroom. He closed the bathroom door and you here a shower going and see steam coming from under the door. --

Unfortunately, my philosophy was proven ineffective due to the fact that I was able to make some acquaintances during those years of middle and elementary school. So I learned I needed to change my mindset. Now, trust from me must be earned.*

--About ten minutes pass and the shower goes off. Jerome steps out, grabs a dark blue towel and puts it around his waist to cover himself, begins walking back to his room, then closing and locking his room door behind him. He walks to his bed, drops his towel and grabs his clothes and begins putting them on.--

*The only person I'm not so despondent with is my mom. Only because I have no choice in the matter. She is Jamaican after all. Yes, a good majority of my family is from the Caribbean so they have strict values and policies when it comes to respect and discipline. She might be harsh sometimes, but I know good and well it's all out of love. Her childhood was pretty grim and unpleasant so I understand, well I mean sort of. I don't live a grim or unpleasant life, It can be annoying and depressing, yes, but for the most part I enjoy my life.*

-- Jerome puts on his school's uniform shirt, puts his supplies in his backpack, tuck his shirt into his pants, and began looking for his pair of glasses.--

Jerome thought: 'Now, where did I put my glasses? Maybe there? Guess not. Here…..nooo. Ahh, there they are.'

-- Jerome picks up his glasses off the floor because it seems they have fallen off his nightstand. He cleans them, puts them on, and goes to grab his backpack. He throws it over his shoulder and begins walking out of his room. --

Viv Akarui: "Jerome! Come get ya food before it gets cold!"

-- Jerome stops in his tracks. --

Jerome: "Coming mom!"

Viv: "Hurry up! Yo gunna make mi late fi work!"

Jerome: "Yes, momma!"

-- Jerome walks to the kitchen and sees his mom making breakfast in her work clothes. She is an elementary school teacher with her Master's degree in STEM. She is fifty-five years old with black and white hair in the form of dreadlocks. She is about 5 feet and 6 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds. It seems like she is making some cornmeal porridge, whole wheat toast, boiled dumplings, ackee, saltfish, and fried plantains. All the foods that Jerome's mom was making were all his favorites growing up so he was very happy with this breakfast spread.--

Jerome: "Wow, what's the special occasion?"

Viv: "Wat ya mean?"

Jerome: "You don't usually make this much unless it's a special occasion or something bad happened and, as far as I know, nothing bad has happened."

Viv: "You serious Jerome? You forget it ya birthday?"

Jerome (unfazed): "Huh? Really? Must have slipped my mind. Anyways, you know I don't care much for my birthday."

Viv: "You talkin nonsense. How you foget ya own birthday?"

--Jerome walks to the dinner table and sits in a chair with an empty plate and utensils set for Jerome to use.--

Jerome: "I don't know. I just see today as an average day. Nothing more, nothing less. The only difference is that I have been alive for 16 years. Either way, I appreciate the food Mom. It looks absolutely gorgeous."

--Jerome's mom walked away from the stove and began serving some food on Jerome's empty plate.--

Viv: "Well of course ya do. Dat ya favorite breakfast so mi have to make it fo ya birthday."

Jerome thought: "Damn this food looks so good! My mouth is watering so bad! I can't wait to tear this up!"

-- Jerome grabbed a fork and used it to pick up a boiled dumpling and took a bite out of it. After that and started scooping up some ackee and saltfish and started eating it up like a starving child.--

Viv: "Keep dat fast and ya gon choke, you know Jerome?"

Jerome with his mouth full: "Yes mo-*cough**cough*"

Viv: "What mi tell you!? Drink some wata."

--Jerome drinks some bottled water to avoid choking on his food. About 5 mins later, Jerome was almost finished with his food. As of now, he is working on his cornmeal porridge and he noticed that his mom out a box on the table, right in front of him.--

Jerome: "Hey mom, what's that?"

Viv: "Ya birthday gift."

Jerome: "Mom, you know I don't like surprise gifts."

Viv: "Jus open it, Jerome."

Jerome: "..fine.."

--Jerome opens the box and sees a necklace. The chain looked like it was made of real silver and the chain looked like it was holding a prism made of glass. The prism looked like it was holding something bright, something that looked like a small sun shining a light blue color.--

Jerome: "Woah...it looks really cool."

Viv: "Take a look in di glass case."

--Jerome looked in the prism and he saw something extraordinary.--

Jerome (Wide-eyed): "What!? It looks like there is an entire universe in there!"

Viv: "Mi glad ya like it son. *Looks at the time* Lawd ha mercy, get ya tings Jerome! The bus gonna reach soon!

Jerome: "Oh snap! Yeah, mom, I'm heading out now! See you later!"

Viv: "Have a good day! And gwan make some friends alright!"

Jerome: "Yeah, no promises!"

-- Jerome grabbed a handful of food, stuffed his face with the food, and quickly grabbed his backpack and ran out the front door. As soon as Jerome shut the front door, his mom began cleaning up the dining table. She packed some of the leftover food into some plastic containers to keep in the fridge and packed some into her lunch box for work. After she zipped it up, she stood in silence for a moment.--

Viv thought: "Everyting be aight...at least mi hope so. Doesn't look like anyting come up yet."

--Jerome's mom picks up her cellphone that is on the dining table and looks at the time and the date. For a moment, she looks relieved.--

Viv thought: "At least, I'm confident enough that nothing will go wrong for him today."

--Jerome's mom puts her phone in her pocket, grabs her lunch box, purse, and teaching materials then walks out the front door. She shuts it and begins making her way to work by car. As soon as she drives off and begins heading down the street, she sees Jerome in the distance running to the bus stop. As she passes him, she smiles and waves at him and Jerome does the same. Jerome makes it to the bus stop and sees his mom zip past him while he waits for the bus. When she was out of sight, Jerome sat at a bus bench and just began thinking to himself.--

Jerome thought: "Wow, today is the start of my academic high school journey and what am I about to worry about now? Where in the hell am I gonna sit when the bus comes!? I am not about rub elbows with a complete stranger. I don't care if you are the same age and grade as me! I'm gonna just sit in the front, nobody sits in the front. Everybody always tries to get the back seat for...whatever reason. I want nobody in my bubble. Anyways, I think I hear the bus coming."

--Not too far from Jerome, he can hear the rumbling of an old bus. He gets up and looks in the direction that it's coming from and sees the bus coming. It was big and yellow with a black stripe on the side of it, but the paint looked old and the bus itself looks like it was covered in dust. When the bus came up, it felt a cloud of dust got shifted off into Jerome's direction that he had to cover part of his face with the collar of his shirt.--

Jerome thought: "What the..? Is this even my bus? My bus number is 2071 right? Screw it, I'll just ask. My bus is supposed to be here around this time anyways."

--The bus doors open and Jerome goes up the stairs of the bus and sees his bus driver. His bus drivers was a dark-skinned woman with a very friendly smile who seemed to be heavy set and fairly short.--

Jerome in a low voice: "Excuse me Miss, is this bus 2071?"

Bus driver in a strong voice and with a smile: "Yes it is baby. Sit wherever you like."

Jerome: "Thank you."

--Jerome turns and sees that bus is filled with about six students. Jerome doesn't react until he sits in the very front of the bus. After he sits down and lets out a big smile. Then the bus driver turns and begins speaking to everyone on the bus.--

Bus Driver: "Alright everyone! Let's head straight to the school! This was our last stop!

Jerome thought: "Yes! Yes! I get to have my space! No Ingrates crowding my bubble!"

--Jerome picked up his backpack and laid it onto the window, rests his head on it, and kicked his feet up on the bus seat and took a nap for the rest of the bus ride. About an hour later, the bus started pulling into the school. Jerome woke up before the bus stopped. He felt groggy, but he started to get his stuff together so when the bus stops, he will be ready to get off. As the bus stops and the bus doors open, Jerome gets up from his seat, gives his thanks to the bus driver for the safe journey, and starts walking down the long hall that leads to the school's patio. When Jerome reaches to the middle of the hallway, he decides to stop in his tracks.--

Jerome thought: "Alright...don't get nervous. Only people with weak resolve get nervous. You can push through this on your own. This is another stepping stone in your life. Just take a deep breath...relax...and never forget the rules. Other than that, everything should be alright."

--As soon as Jerome finished his thought, he heard a voice not too far from him that was yelling. It kinda shocked him for a second.--

Voice: "Hey! You wanna get out of the way!"

--Jerome didn't realize but he basically zoned out, blocked out his general surroundings when he was thinking to himself. He didn't realize that while he was thinking to himself, other busses started pulling up to the school and a large crowd of students was converged around him and the next thing he knew he was standing right in the middle of a thick river of students heading to the school patio. Jerome stumbles a little after making this realization and begins heading to the school patio as well. The patio was a very wide open space covered from the roof to the floor with concrete. The place is littered with red, round lunch tables with benches attached to them plus the occasional normal red bench. Right in the middle of the patio is a small square area that had large palm trees, some bushes, and a small waterfall that's surrounded by a short brick wall with a small plaque on the wall that said, "The Cube." Jerome decided to sit on a red bench that was right next to the Cube, took his bag off and began looking through it.--

Jerome thought: "Alright let me figure out where my first class is. Like hell, I'm gonna get lost here on the first day."

--Jerome pulled out a folded piece of paper out and unfolded it. It shows his class schedule.--

Jerome thought: "Looks like my first class is with a teacher named Mr. Ishi. Now, what's the class? Human Perspectives? What the hell kind of class is that? It sounds like another way to say 'history class.' Whatever doesn't matter anyway."

--Jerome folds up his schedule and puts it in his pocket. He takes a moment to lean on the back of the bench and decided to look at what's in front of him. He sees a building with walls that held large, transparent windows. He saw a kiosk that looked like it belonged in a restaurant.--

Jerome thought: "Wow, I know this isn't a typical high school, but are you kidding me? A kiosk! It looks like it has a menu too. Damn, I wonder what they serve there. They better not have that usual free or reduced lunch plate as an option. That crap always makes me feel sick."

--Jerome looks around the area he's in and looks down a hallway that leads to a 2-story building. The building was complemented with a metal, turquoise cover that followed along the hallway and seemed like it was also supported with multiple thin pillars with the same color and made with the same material. Jerome did a quick scan of the building.--

Jerome thought: "That must be where the classrooms are. Some on the ground floor and some on the top level. I think my class is on the ground floor. Speaking of that, what time is it?"

--Jerome pulls out his phone and checks the time. He notices the is 7:30 and class starts at 8 am.--

Jerome thought: "Alright, I got thirty minutes. I'm still kind of tired from waking up so early. It wouldn't hurt to take a little nap."

--Jerome leaned back on the bench, crossed his arms, stretched his legs out and closed his eyes. He could hear all the students walking around him and heard the indistinct chatter between them as they passed by. After a couple of minutes, the voices and footsteps began to fade and Jerome began to feel himself falling deeper into sleep. Then, Jerome heard a soft voice in the distance call his name.--

Voice: "Jerome…"

--The voice began to get louder and more voices started to call Jerome's name--

Voices: "Jerome ...Jerome ...JEROME!"

--The voices made one loud shout of his name and Jerome quickly opened his eyes. Jerome just saw darkness everywhere, he could only see himself. He looks around and tries to call out, but his voice is cut off. Jerome, for a moment, looks right in front of him and sees a door with dim white light coming from it. He starts walking towards it and begins hearing the voices again. The closer he got, the louder the voices became. As Jerome got to the door, he began covering his ears but he could still hear the voices louder than ever. Out of frustration, Jerome violently grabs onto the doorknob of the door and as soon he does that, Jerome violently wakes up from his dream. Jerome felt himself sweating and breathing heavily.--

Jerome thought: "Uhh...damn it. It's that stupid dream again. Why the hell does it always come around this time!? Whatever, forget it."

Jerome rubs his face with his hands and regains his composure. Once he does, the school bell rings. Jerome picks up his backup and puts it on his back and begins walking towards the classes. While walking there, Jerome began to feel strange. He stops in his tracks.--

Jerome thought: "Wait a minute, something isn't right here."

--Jerome looks around him and notices there are no students in front of him, beside him, or even behind him. Jerome frantically looks for his phone and checks the time. It is now 8:05!--

Jerome: "Oh shit!!"

--Jerome begins sprinting to the classrooms. He frantically began searching for where his first class is. Lucky for him, the teacher's name was placed on the outside of the classrooms. Jerome ran up a flight of stairs and after a minute of running, he found Mr. Ishi's class. Jerome quickly pushed the door open and saw that the class was mostly full and Mr. Ishi saw that Jerome was winded and out of breath.--

Mr. Ishi: "Excuse me, young man! Are you in my class?"

Jerome: "Ye-Yes Mr. Ishi s-sir."

Mr. Ishi: "Hmph, name please."

Jerome: Akarui...Jerome Akarui…"

Mr. Ishi: "..Hmm...ahh yes, here you are. Why are you late for my class Mr. Akarui?"

--Jerome slowly begins to catch his breath.--

Jerome: "Fo-Forgive me, sir...I uhh...took a nap...before classes started and I...I uhh must have overslept."

Mr. Ishi: "Are you usually this tired Mr. Akarui?"

Jerome: "No..no sir."

Mr. Ishi: "Well you're lucky it's the first day of school so I'm going to let this slide once. After today I expect to see you here before the second bell. Do I make myself clear Mr. Akarui?"

Jerome: "Yes Mr. Ishi."

Mr. Ishi: "Good, now have a seat before you pass out."

Jerome: "Thank You."

--Jerome stumbles to the closest, open desk in the classroom and properly begins to catch his breath. After he does, Mr. Ishi begins to start the class.--

Mr. Ishi: "Good Morning everyone! As you know, I am your Human Perspectives teacher. In this class, we will learn about all the different cultures and how we humans have come to create those cultures and how they are perceived then to now. One thing about me is that I enjoy an open dialogue. We are going to talk about a wide variety of subjects. Therefore, if you have input about a subject or a question, don't be afraid to ask. Now we are going to start off with an ice breaker- "

Classroom: "Ugh! Really!? Do we have to!?"

Mr. Ishi: "Quiet! Yes, whether you like it or not, you're all gonna be stuck with each other for the next four years so get used to it."

Jerome thought: "Haa! Jokes on you, I can easily drop out of this place and I won't have to see any of these mouth breathers ever again. Too bad my mom would murder me before I even think about doing that so I'm stuck here."

Mr. Ishi: "Now, all we are going to do is this. Each one of us will introduce ourselves. Say your name, what's one of your aspirations, and what motivates you every day. Oh, and I'm randomly selecting students for this too unless we have any volunteers."

--Not one student puts up their hand.--

Mr. Ishi: "Alright, I guess I'm picking then. Now...who am I...picking first."

Jerome thought: "Quit being a wise guy and pick me. I know you want to Mr. Asshat. It would be great...nah it be fantastic if you didn't pick me, but guess what!?"

--Mr. Ishi points to Jerome--

Mr. Ishi: "How about you Mr. Breathless? You go first."

Jerome thought (sarcastically): "Oh no! I didn't see that coming!"

Mr. Ishi: "Stand where you are and introduce yourself."

Jerome: "..um ok Mr. Ishi."

--Jerome stands up at his seat--

Jerome: "Well..um my name is Jerome Akarui. Umm...one of my aspirations...is to simply be there for my family and to repay them for raising me. And I uhh...I get motivated just by living I guess."

--Jerome finished his introduction and he overheard some quiet whispers and laughter around the room and decided to slowly and nervously sit back down in his seat.

Mr. Ishi: "Thank you Mr. Akarui. Also, no disrespect to you Mr. Akarui, but I hope one day you find something greater than living for motivation.

--Mr. Ishi gave Jerome a warm and confident smile after his statement. Jerome appreciated it, but he still very sheepish when he responded back to Mr. Ishi.--

Jerome: ..okay...and thank you?"

Mr. Ishi: "You sound uncertain, my boy. How come?"

Jerome: "I'm not really uncertain...more confused...by what you said."

Mr. Ishi: "What do you mean?"

Jerome: "A greater motivation?"

Mr. Ishi: "I don't mean any offense in my words Mr. Akarui. You will understand throughout the year that I like making my students reach their full potential."

Jerome: "A-Alright.."

Jerome thought: "The hell is he talking about? I hope this guy isn't some kinda pedo or something."

-- Jerome sat down and began slowly toning out the other students as they did their introductions. After the introductions were done, Mr. Ishi began to go over what the general material he would be going over in class. Mr. Ishi spoke of history and cultures from all over the world that seems to be part of his lesson plan. Almost an hour has passed and the class period is almost over. All the students introduced themselves and Mr. Ishi just finished his overview for his class and some of the rules.--

Mr. Ishi: "Alright, that should be everything that I want to talk about today and it seems we have about five more minutes left before the period ends. You may use this time to quietly talk among yourselves.

-- Mr. Ishi retreats back to his desk, sits in his chair, and begins reading a book that he took out of a drawer in his desk. Throughout the classroom, Jerome heard small and indistinct chatter. Although Jerome felt the need to talk to some people, so he could make some friends, but he chose to pick up his backpack, put it in his lap, and rest his head on it like a pillow. Jerome grabbed his necklace and began staring at it, admiring it."

Jerome thought: "Wow...it looks like there is a whole galaxy in this. Must be a 3d picture of some kind, but damn does it look good. I will treasure this…"

--Suddenly the bell rings and everyone begins getting up to leave the classroom, but before anyone could leave their seats, Mr. Ishi spoke in a booming voice that made everyone stop in their tracks.--

Mr. Ishi: "Excuse me! Did I excuse you!?"

Student: "But, the bell rang. If we stay here any longer, then all of us are gonna be late for class."

Mr. Ishi (condescendingly): "Then all of you better get y'all butts in your seats because I won't be letting anyone out until everyone is seated AND when I give you permission to leave. Understood?"

All Students: "Yes, Mr. Ishi"

--Everyone moves back to their seats and all the students begin to sit down back in their seats. More than half of the class were anxious and were literally hanging off the edge of their seats so that Mr. Ishi could dismiss the class. Only Jerome and a handful of other students were calmly waiting for Mr. Ishi's dismissal. After a minute passes, Mr. Ishi decided to dismiss the class.--

Mr. Ishi: "Alright! Everyone have a good day."

--Almost every student started rushing out the classroom, bumping into each other like cattle. Only a select few, including Jerome, calmly left the classroom and began heading towards their next class. After the last student left and the classroom door closed, Mr. Ishi picked his book up again, but he started speaking into the empty classroom as if someone were there.

Mr. Ishi: "*Sigh* You do realize you don't need to do that. There are cameras everywhere.

-- Out of nowhere, A quick, but strong, gust of wind rushed through the classroom. Some books flew off their shelves, two desks got turned over and the pages of Mr. Ishi's book turned rapidly where Mr. Ishi promptly slammed his book closed in frustration. Soon enough the wind continued swirling until it took the shape of a person, then, in a flash, a man appeared suddenly in front of Mr. Ishi, but he wasn't surprised. This man was tall, about six feet tall, pale-skinned, and had a beer belly. He also had short brownish-blond hair and a thin beard that was the same color as his hair. --

Random Man (seems a bit exhausted): "Phew...heyyy! If it isn't my good ole' friend Patrick!"

Mr. Ishi: "What did I tell you about calling me, Patrick? Besides, I knew you were there the whole time Scott."

Scott: "Yeah..I guess you did. Woah."

Mr. Ishi: "Now I have to find where I left off in my book again, thanks to you. Also, why are you so sweaty? You know this is the beginning of the training period, right?"

Scott: "Of course I know that!"

Mr. Ishi: "Mmm-hmm, sure you do. Anyways, do what you came here to do before my next class comes. Stop wasting time."

Scott: "Fine. I have the list for the coming extraction."

Mr. Ishi: "So the list is done then? We don't need any mishaps happening again."

Scott: "Yes, of course. Everything is going to be fine."

Mr. Ishi: "Yeah, we said that last time too until-"

Scott: "Dude, don't even bring that up. It happened. There was nothing any of us could have done, not even you."

Mr. Ishi: "I know. I just can't help thinking that…"

Scott: "That something could have been done, I know. Look, we all feel the same way. Just focus on the new extraction and just hope for the best.

Mr. Ishi: "Yeah, you're right."

Scott: "Of course I am. Now I'm going to head back to my classroom, the next period is about to start. Just look over the list and we can start the meeting after school is out.

Mr. Ishi: "Sounds like a plan. Oh yeah, and Scott."

Scott: "Yeah?"

Mr. Ishi: "Don't call me 'dude' ever again. You're not a mindless teenager."

Scott: "Haha you got it Pat Pat."

Mr. Ishi: "Damnit Scott, get out!!"

-- Scott, with a mischievous grin and a clasp of his hands, he was engulfed in a quick gust of wind and began leaving Ishi's classroom. --

Mr. Ishi (shouting): "And use the door, you idiot!!"

-- As soon as Scott vanished and the room was once again being filled with a small vortex of wind. A student opens the classroom door and gets hit with a gust of wind.--

Mr. Ishi (under his breath): "Why..just why.."

Student (Confused): "Ugh, Mr. Ishi?"

Mr. Ishi: "Huh? Oh, Ignore that. That happens sometimes. Come take a seat."

-- Meanwhile, Viv, Jerome's mother, was writing up a lesson plan since she has a free period at this time. While writing, she got a queasy feeling in her stomach and got a sudden feeling of anxiousness. She tries to let the feeling subside on its own, but over time it got worse. She starts to break a cold sweat and starts to feel light in the head. She lays back her chair and lays her arms her eyes, hoping the feeling doesn't get any worse.--

Viv thought: "What's...ugh what's...going on? Why do I feel so…"

--Her breath began to grow shallow and short. --

Viv thought: "A-Am I...having a...panic attack?"

--She slowly gets to her feet, but couldn't leave from behind her desk because she felt so weak. She was getting close to passing out. Then she got a slight feeling of something that could be someone's breath and, at that moment, she heard a voice something under that breath.--

Voice: "I want...I want it...I will find it...can't hide it from me forever.."

--She felt surrounded by the voice. She looks up from her desks and sees a shadow in front of her. She was petrified and felt a high sense of danger. The shadow slowly began to move closer, it looked like it was walking with the frame of a large man, and with every step the room got darker and darker. Viv tried to scream at the shadow to stay away, but it felt like her voice was stolen from her. The shadow stopped close to the front of Viv's desk, it slowly rose up it's hand.--

Shadow: "Now. You thought soon, but...no. It begins....now"

-- The moment the shadow stopped speaking, it let out a loud shriek and then disappeared. The room regained all its light and silence no longer filled the air. Viv was able to regain her breath and began heavy breathing. When she was able to think straight she franticly looked for her cell phone and began calling someone.

Viv (Panicked): Pick uuuup….pleeease….Oh yes! Hey! I think it's happening now. Yes right now! Just trust me! Get what you need to be done now!!

*Viv hangs up with a petrified look on her face*

--Back to the school in the teachers' lounge. Its lunchtime for the teachers and students.--

*Mr. Ishi walks into the teacher's lounge. Four other teachers were also in the lounge: The gym teacher, Kathrine Iolrú, the physics teacher, Girare Beams, the biology teacher, John Pistola, and Scott Raffica, the teacher that was in Ishi's classroom before. He is a math teacher.--

Scott: "Patrick? Your lunch period doesn't start until another hour. What are you doing here?"

--Ishi turns around and closes the lounge door behind him. He slowly turns back around with his head down slightly. He seems to be facing Scott.--

Ishi: "Scott...you're a damn idiot…"

Scott (confused): "Huh? What's wrong?"

Ishi (angry): "You were supposed to be watching their movements...report any indications…"

Scott: "Um yeah...and they have been quiet lately...right?"

Ishi: "You're asking me?"

John: "Patrick, calm down. What the hell is going on?"

Ishi (with heavy concern): "I just got a call...she says…"

-- On all the teachers in the room, worry began to grow in their facial expressions as Ishi explained the situation.--

*Meanwhile Jerome was in line at the school's cafe about to pay for his school lunch. As he is about to pay for his lunch at the cashier he notices a flash of white light from his peripheral vision. He turns his head to look out the window of the cafe. He notices that outside has gotten considerably darker. It seemed like something was covering the sun.*

Jerome thought: "Hm? Seems like there is going to be some real heavy rain today."

Cashier: "$5.25 please."

Jerome: "Hm? Oh, I'm sorry. Here you go."

--After Jerome pays for his lunch, picks it up, and begins looking for a spot to eat his lunch. In the cafe, there are some long rectangular tables with about six seats, three on each side of the table. There are also booths near each window of the cafe. Jerome leaves the cashier counter and stops to scan the area. He notices a bench, outside of the cafe, that's by the window. As Jerome was about to exit the cafe, someone yells."

Voice: "Hey, you! You are not going out there to eat by yourself are you?"

--Jerome stops in the doorway.--

Jerome thought: "Is someone talking to me? Nah it can't be …"

Voice: "Yes, I'm talkin' to you Mr. Breathless."

-- Jerome turns around and sees that he was passing a booth to his left. There were four guys in the booth. Jerome recognizes that the guys were in his class with Mr. Ishi. One of the guys generally motions to Jerome to come to the booth. Jerome timidly leaves the doorway and makes his way to the booth. He walked to the edge of the table of the booth."

Jerome: "H-Hey."

Guy 1: "Hey bro. Take a seat."

-- Jerome sits next to the guy that called him over. He was a very short guy, but he had a very solid figure on him. He was very fit and had a buzz cut. Also, whenever he spoke, he had a slight lisp.--

Guy 1: "What's up bro?"

Jerome (nervously): "Not much."

Guy 1: "Sorry, I would have called you by your name, but I honestly forgot it hehe."

Jerome: "J-Jerome...my name is Jerome."

Guy 1: "Well Jerome, my name is Alejandro. My friends sometimes call me Alex or Ale."

Jerome: "Nice to meet you Alex."

Alejandro: "Likewise"

Jerome: "So..um...why did you call me over here?"

Alex: "You just seemed like you could use a friend."

Guy 2: "Yeah, plus some people were kinda taking shit about you during class and we all have been there. We just wanted to help."

Jerome (saddened): "People...were making fun of ...me?"

Guy 2: "Oops! I guess you didn't realize huh? Hehehe, sorry."

Jerome thought: "Great...the the school year has only begun and my social standing is already shattering."

Alex: "Mr. sensitive over there is Tristin."

Jerome: "Whatever…"

Guy 3: "Oh get over it, who cares. Don't be so concerned about what others think. Also, why were you going out there knowing good and well that the skies look like they are about to unleash hell?"

Jerome: "I just thought I would eat alone. I always eat alone on the first day of school."

Alex: "Not today, you're not. Oh, this serious guy's name is Unmei."

Unmei (turns his head to look out the window): " Osu."

Jerome: "O-Osu?"

Alex: "Oh yeah, real quick. That's how he says 'hello' and 'bye.' Supposedly it's a martial arts thing."

Jerome: "Oh, I see."

Unmei: "Some martial art-!? You know what, I'm just gonna ignore your ignorance."

Alex: "Finally, the guy next to me, a man of a few words, Itami."

Jerome: "H-Hey Itami."

-- Itami looks at Jerome and nods his head in acknowledgment. --

Jerome thought: "Very true. A man of few words."

Alex: "Now you know everyone here...kinda hehe. If you want to come back here tomorrow, maybe you want to be part of our little friend group. I know this is sudden and all that but-"

Jerome: "W-Why wait. I accept. I would like to talk to you guys now. While lunch is still going on. Plus, I'm kinda hungry and there is no point in moving now hehe."

Alex: "Hmph. Of course!"

--Jerome was very uncertain with this group of guys, but he took the moment to actually talk to them.--

*Transition: Teacher's Lounge*

--Ishi had Scott to the wall and held him up by his shirt collar.--

Ishi: "How many times have you told you to think of EVERY possibility! Don't leave any openings!"

Scott: "I did-"

--Mr. Ishi shoved Scott when he tried to speak.--

Ishi: "Of course you didn't know! You half-ass everything and we have to pay for it!

John: "PATRICK! STOP, WE ALL WERE WATCHING! NONE OF US SAW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! SO PUT HIM DOWN!"

--Mr. Ishi slowly puts down Scott. As he put him down and turned to all the teachers."

Ishi: "I-I'm sorry Scott. I didn't mean to…"

Scott : *cough* cough* "Forget about it.."

Ishi: *Takes a deep breath* "I got a call from Viv. She says that there has been a breach or there is going to be one very soon. Therefore, our plans have to kick into overdrive. We are nowhere close to the strength we once were. We must be ready to leave everything we built here."

Kathrine: "E-Everything…?"

John thought: "My family….my daughters?"

Ishi: "Yes, everything. That is what we agreed upon. I have no desire to leave behind my sons, daughters, and wife, but we all knew that this was eventually going to happen. Maybe not this level, but we know the possibilities."

--The bell rings indicating that lunchtime has ended for the day. At this time all students and teachers should be heading to their respective classes.--

Ishi: *Sigh* "Look, guys, let's head back to classrooms and reconvene when school has ended."

The other teachers: "Yeah, good idea."

--As the teachers opened the doors out of the teacher's lounge and went outside, they were met with even darker skies and fairly wild winds. Leaves were flying everywhere and the surrounding trees on the campus sounded like they were fighting the wind. All the teachers showed visible concern, but they hoped it was a typical storm and headed towards their classes. Mr. Ishi got into his class and saw all his students were already inside from lunch. He closed the door and immediately felt that his room felt extremely hot. He looks at his students again and sees that all of them are sweating profusely. He quickly checked the classroom's thermostat and the classroom's temperature was 99 degrees and increasing. Ishi ran to the classroom phone and called other teachers' rooms and a lot of teachers were complaining that their rooms were unbearably hot, cold or sparks flying inside the rooms. Ishi stumbles and tries to get to the classroom door. When he tried to grab the door handle and got badly burned. The room was at about 105 degrees now and students began passing out."

Ishi thought: "N-No...t-they can't...be h-here now...need to...get out. Gotta...save..t-the students."

--Ishi struggled, but he reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a small ball and put it into his mouth. It looked like a gumball. He began chewing and, almost instantly, the classroom door got blasted open by a boulder of ice. Ishi stepped out of the classroom with frost in his eyes. He had a slight winter aura around his arms and hands. The cool winds from the outside began to fill the classroom. Ishi checks the temperature and it begins to gradually fall. He stepped back outside and let out a small breath into the classroom. Suddenly, a loud crash of lighting sounded near the back of the school where there was a small open field. Ishi looks back at the classroom with concern. He turns toward where the sound came from and prepared to head in that direction."

Ishi (under his breath): "Alright asshole. Let's talk."

-- Ishi uses his new frost abilities to create a small ice cloud to carry him to the field. As he landed onto the field, three lighting strikes hit right in front of him, sequentially. Three massive snakes were summoned, one was red, blue, and purple. All three of them connected at their heads and tails to surround Ishi. One final lighting stick landed in front of him, but it kept striking and began moving toward Ishi. It started to morph into the shape of a man the closer it got to him. When it was about 5 feet in front of Ishi, it was fully in the shape of a man. Ishi could still hear the intense crackling of lighting from the male figure, but he was unimpressed."

Ishi: "How about you stop stroking your ego. Quit wasting my time."

Electric Figure: "Hmm.."

--A strong shock of thunder vibrated through the whole field that came from the male figure which lifted a large cloud of dirt and dust. Ishi covers his face. As the dust begins to settle, small, thin strands of electric power are emitted from where the figure stood. Ishi says the face of a large man with all-around white hair. His hair and beard were outrageously long and his physical figure was similar to an Olympic sprinter. He wore a white jacket and slightly loose white slacks. Ishi puts his hands down after the dust settles. When the man spoke, he had a heavy, deep voice and he spoke with a calm grin on his face.--

Strange man: "Long time no see brother Ishi."

Ishi: *Sigh* "Zeus..."