The Dawn Of Ability

"What is the meaning of this?" he demands, his voice dripping with authority.

The students exchange panicked looks, unsure of what to say. Ethan steps forward, his voice shaking slightly. "We...we were just...experimenting with some chemicals," he stammers.

Principal Harding's eyebrows shoot up in disbelief,his eyes are cold and calculating as he takes in the scene before him,Experimenting? In my school? "That's quite the explanation, Ethan," he retorts, taking a slow step forward. His eyes dart between the students, sizing up each one. "I don't think that's all that's going on here, do you?"

Maya, seeing the tense situation escalating, tries to diffuse the tension by blurting out, "We were just doing our project sir,It was an accident, we didn't mean to..." Her voice trails off as she sees the skepticism in the principal's eyes.

Principal Harding's face hardens. "Well,your project has caused quite a mess, Ms. Thompson," he says, gesturing at the water still pouring from the ceiling and the frozen pipes. "It seems we have more to discuss than just a little 'experiment'." He turns to Andrew and Ethan as they seem to be more scared than the others, his voice low and dangerous. "I want both of you in my office, now. The rest of you will remain here until further notice."

Andrew and Ethan exchange a fearful glance before following the principal out of the room

Back in the lab, the remaining students are left to wonder what's happening with Andrew and Ethan. Maya, still trying to process what's happening, turns to Chloe and Madison. "What do we do now? He's gonna know something's up, especially if Andrew and the other guy start telling him about our powers which we don't even have an explanation for," she whispers, casting a worried glance towards the doorway.

His name is Ethan! shouted Madison. Chloe, still floating slightly above the ground, puts her hands on Maya's shoulders and replies, "ok maddy,we've got to stick together. If he suspects something, we're all in trouble.

Maya, Chloe, and Madison all exchange uncertain glances. Maya, still reeling from the shock of her newfound shapeshifting abilities, retorts, "I don't even know you guys that well. We can't just rely on each other like this."

Madison, her hands starting to glow with the heat of her pyrokinetic powers, steps in. "Yeah, why would we want to stick together? I don't even know if I trust you blonde haired"

Chloe, still hovering above the ground, responds calmly,"her name's Maya and look, I understand your hesitations. We're all in confusion here. But think about it,we're the only ones who know about each other's abilities. If anyone is going to understand what we're going through, it's each other."

Madison hesitates for a moment before speaking again. "She's got a point. Plus, we don't know what Principal Harding's up to. If he finds out about our powers, who knows what he'll do."

Maya, still uncertain, glances over at Chloe.

As the three girls discuss their predicament, Ben speaks up, his voice still slowed due to his ability. "We all have powers, whether we like it or not. But the principal doesn't know the extent of what we can do. That gives us an advantage. If we work together, maybe we can figure out what's going on and protect ourselves."

Maya, still skeptical, but remembering Ben's with Madison, asks, "err...." Ben,he says. "Yh,Ben Why should we trust the principal?" She casts a quick glance at Ben, as if to suggest that he might hold some answers.

Ben lets out a slow sigh, thinking carefully. "I don't think we can trust him, or anyone for that matter. But we have to stay together, at least until we figure out what's going on."

Sensing the group's increasing anxiety, Chloe cuts through the tension. "Let's put the trust talk on hold for now. We don't have much time before the principal comes back, and we need to figure out our next move. Do we stay here and try to pretend nothing happened, or do we make a break for it?"

Maya, thinking quickly, says, "We can't just wait around. We need to get out of here and figure out what's going on. Otherwise, we'll be sitting ducks."

Madison nods in agreement smiling at Maya's joke. "I agree.

As the group begins to plan their escape, Chloe glances at Maya, recalling her consistent talks about her parents' high expectations. "Wait. Before we do anything, we need to consider our families. If we disappear, they'll be worried sick. Maya, how will your parents react if they find out you're gone?"

Maya freezes at the mention of her parents. "They'll probably ground me until I'm 40. But if we stay here, the principal will definitely call them, and that'll be even worse. I think it's better if we run."

Madison turns to Chloe, realizing that they know very little about each other beyond their newfound abilities. "You're right. We all have families who are probably going to freak out. Chloe, what about you? Are your parents strict too?"

Chloe shakes her head, causing her hair to float around her face. "Not really. They're kind of laid back, but they'll definitely be worried if I go missing. But, like Maya said, if we stay, we'll be found out for sure.

Madison sighs. "I live with my aunt, and she's not exactly the most understanding person. If she finds out I was involved in an explosion at school,she's going to flip. And Ben, you mentioned living with your grandparents?"

Ben nods slowly, his expression pensive. "Yeah. They're all I have left. I lost my parents a few years ago. If they find out what happened today, I don't know what they'll do."

A somber silence falls over the group as they come to terms with the weight of their situation.

With their families at the forefront of their minds, the group realizes that disappearing is not a decision to be taken lightly. Maya, always the level-headed one, speaks up. "We need to come up with a plan. Maybe we can leave a message for our parents, letting them know we're okay and that we'll be in touch. That way, they won't panic."

Madison nods, her eyes darting to the door nervously. "Yeah, but we need to make it believable. We can't just write 'I'm off saving the world, love you, bye!' We need to be convincing."

After a few moments of tense deliberation, Maya says, "We can't leave Andrew and Ethan behind. We need to get them out too. So, here's what we do. We leave a note for our parents, saying we're all going to Ben's house for a study session. We get out of here, and we meet at Ben's place.""why my place" Ben asks as Madison's answers him saying "your place is obviously the safest hideout

Chloe nods in agreement. "Okay, that's a start. But what about our powers? We can't exactly walk around like this. We'll stand out like a sore thumb."Madison thinks for a moment, her eyes darting around the room. "Maybe we can borrow some clothes from the lost and found? And we'll have to figure out how to mask our powers until we get to Ben's. We can't risk drawing attention to ourselves.As the group starts to rummage through the lost and found bin kept at the back of the science lab in case an accident like today happens. Ben pipes up, "I can distract the principal so that we can make our escape. That should give us enough time to get to my place without being seen."Maya nods, already thinking ahead. Maya can't transform into the principal, but she can use that opportunity to enter the principal's office and then call Ethan and Andrew out.

While Maya calls Ethan and Andrew, Principal Harding is busy talking to the school security guard, who arrived when the fire alarm went off. They are discussing the incident and what to do next, so the principal doesn't notice Maya's ruse. Meanwhile, Ethan and Andrew follow Maya to the back of the school but they're still wary and unsure of what's happening.

When the principal realizes that Ethan and Andrew are missing, he becomes suspicious and annoyed and decides to search the school and alo let their parents know. However, the group manages to sneak out through a back entrance and make their way to Ben's house as the closing bell rang almost immediately.

This provides some temporary relief, but the principal remains uneasy about the situation as he was still bothered about the first incident that happened in Mrs Helena's class this morning.The students arrive at Ben's house, breathless and on edge. Ben's grandmother, a small, lively woman with curly white hair, opens the door with a welcoming smile, but it quickly turns into a suspicious frown when she sees the group of students.

Benjamin, why have you brought home so many friends? And at this hour, too? What's going on?" she asks, checking the clock and realizing that it's past 4 already,but there's an edge of suspicion in her voice as she decides to welcome them in,"Hello, you must be Ben's friends. Do come in. But tell me, why are you all here? Don't you have your own homes to study in?"

Ben, caught off guard by the question, stammers, "Uh, yes, but we were working on a project together and..."

The grandmother cuts him off with a raised eyebrow.

"A project, you say? At this hour?

As the group enters the living room, the grandmother turns to Chloe, her eyes lingering on her levitating feet. "And you, young lady. I can't help but notice you're not quite standing on the ground. Care to explain?"

Chloe quickly lowers her feet to the floor, her cheeks turning a slight shade of red. "It's, um, it's just a trick. You know, like a magic trick."

The grandmother's gaze lingers on Chloe for a moment longer before she turns to the rest of the group. "Well, I may be old, but I'm not naive.

The grandmother motions for the group to sit down, and they take their seats on the sofa, which groans under their combined weight. "Now, I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. You can start by telling me exactly what this project is about."

Madison,realizing that they're running out of time, says, "Mrs. Harding, we can't tell you everything, but we promise we're not doing anything illegal or dangerous. It's just... complicated."

The grandmother leans back in her chair, her eyes narrowing.As the conversation stalls, the grandmother reaches for the TV remote, muttering to herself. "You kids these days, always so secretive. Well, I guess I'll just catch up on my shows then." She flicks through the channels until she finds her favorite show, a daytime news program.

The group, still wary of being discovered, exchanged glances anxiously as the news anchor appears on the screen. "We're receiving reports of strange creatures roaming the hallways of Thomas Jefferson High School and also Vale Academy. While no one has been hurt, several classes have been evacuated as a precaution. As the news anchor continues to describe the events at the school, the camera zooms in on a grainy, security footage clip. In the blurry image, a shadowy figure with sharp teeth and long claws can be seen dashing through the hallways, just feet from where the group was standing not long ago.

The grandmother, shocked by the footage, turns to the group, her eyes searching for answers.

The group, stunned by the revelation, can only stare back, their silence speaking volumes.

Just then, the front door opens, revealing Ben's grandfather, a grim look on his face. The grandfather, who has just entered the room, fixes his gaze on the group, his expression hardening. "I just heard the news about the school. What do you know about this?" His words hang heavy in the air, like a silent accusation.The group, their nerves already on edge, starts to squirm.

Just then, a loud banging noise is heard from the front porch. The grandfather moves towards the door, his hand reaching for the doorknob As the grandfather reaches for the door, the banging grows louder, more insistent. The grandmother calls out, her voice tinged with fear, "John, be careful!"

With a deep breath, the grandfather swings open the door, revealing a chaotic scene. Three large, dark figures with glowing eyes and sharp teeth stand on the porch, their heads turned towards the open door.

A split second of silence follows, broken only by the sound of the group gasping in unison.

The grandfather, his jaw dropped in horror, lets out a single word, "Run."