While everyone gathers their bags and gawks at the facility, Thunder and Grandmother talk to Empath for a few minutes while Titan and Sanchez chat amiably with various students. Nova lands on the driveway, fire crackling about her radiating noticeable heat, even from a distance.
*tap tap tap*
The familiar sound of Grandmother's cane echoes through your head, stopping your conversations cold and drawing your attention to her. Thunder steps just past her and addresses you all.
"Alright, a few things to get out of the way first. It's glass because it was a gift from a rather creative and thankful architecht and the design is rather cool," he says with a grin at Sanjay. "It's also not exactly glass. Nova?"
"Right on, baby! I wondered when I'd get to play!" she says in her heavy british accent, excited. She launches into the air and moments later starts lobbing immense fireballs at the school. The fireballs explode with enough concussive force to rock you back on your heels and nearly completely blind you. When the lightshow clears you see the glass completely unharmed. "Bah," Nova says as she lands. "I didn't even scratch it."
*tap tap tap*
Grandmother brings your attention back to Thunder. "Second, you are completely free to move around the compound, including EPIC HQ. But if a door is locked, it is locked for a reason. Third, nobody is a prisoner here, but if you feel the need to leave the compound, you make sure you tell us first, and you do not go alone. Except you," he says, looking right at Vincent. "You don't step foot outside the compound until we clear up this "monster" bull the media is stirring up.
"Now, I know you are all tired and sore, but before we get you to your rooms, I think a quick trip to show you a few highlights are in order. So if you'll all follow me," he says, then pauses as he looks at Jackal. "Titan, can you take Jackal to his room? I think he'll be better off resting. Everyone else, follow me."
Titan picks up Jackal and flies off to the dorms behind the school. The rest of you follow Thunder into the glass school. "The main floor and up are the school classrooms. But that can wait until school starts in a few days, once you've all recovered fully. Down here," he says, leading you down an escalator. It stops in a very wide hall. From your orientation, you'd guess the hall leads to beneath the dorms and the other way to beneath EPIC HQ. A bit down towards the dorms, another hall splits off towards the huge building outside. Another escalator goes down further.
"Down that way," Thunder says, "is EPIC HQ. But most importantly, it's the cafeteria! It's staffed 24/7, so if you get hungry, head down there and the chef will make you something. Downstairs is the gymnasium and pools. That hall that branches off leads to Sanchez's lab. That is strictly off limits unless she or Empath are there. It is also rather well protected with a security system that you don't want to mess with. And that concludes the 30 second tour," he says with a chuckle.
He leads you towards the dorms. As you get what you figure must be roughly midway between the dorms and the school, you pass through a door into a large common room. It has a pair of huge tv's on either side, pool tables, dart boards, a few video games and a rack of snacks and soda. "This stuff in here, is yours to use as you like. Ours too, because just down that hall," Thunder says, pointing down a carpetted hallway, are rooms reserved for EPIC members. Some are in use, some are only used while we're working since most of us have families we spend time with outside of this place. Now, ladies follow Empath, guys come with me. Your dorms are not co-ed," he adds with a grin at some dissapointed looks.
You each have your own room that is completely furnished. Your rooms contain a complete bathroom, bedroom and living room. Each room is tailored to your particular needs. Michelle's room has furniture made primarily of metal backing; Rebound's room has virtually no breakable items. You do notice some things distinctly missing. There is no television, no computer and no phone. It seems you are intended to use the common room for such things. You have several openable windows with blinds and curtains. There is a stereo system in the living room and a smaller one in the bedroom. In the closet are school uniforms, made to fit you.
The lads uniforms are comfortable dark blue pants with white cotton shirts with collars. There are ties, socks and shoes in the closet as well, along with swimwear and gym clothes. The girls get dark blue pleated skirts that come down below the knees, high socks, white blouses that do up to the neck. Similarly, you find swimwear (one piece) and gym clothes in the closet, along with comfortable shoes. The clothing is surprisingly stylish, especially given the fact that it is, well, school uniforms.
After a few minutes exploring your surroundings, that bed is starting to look mighty good and you can finally get a much deserved rest.
