As Kazama left his stalkers behind, a siren blared on the other side of the United States. Throngs of buff men in jet black suits and sunglasses hustled to their stations. One-by-one, screens flickered on, each displaying their own cryptic statistics and locations. Amidst the uproar, the distinctive clang of steel-toed boots could be heard. The men raised their hands in a rough salute as their commander approached.

*clang, clang, clang*

The noise stopped as the Commander reached his station. His men looked to him for guidance, their faces a mix of admiration, respect and fear. The Commander ran a hand over his blonde flattop. His black clothes and nearly-tanned skin strained as his muscles surged. The Commander’s lips broke into a ferocious grin. His cigar trembled between his powerful jaws.

“Seven times in under four hours…” There was a certain electricity in his voice, like a man who’d suddenly found a fish on his line. “So, this is the real-deal, huh?”

“Yes, sir!” One of the suits spoke. “With these unusual spikes in psi-energy, there can be no doubt about it. A new psychic has awakened.”

“Have you narrowed down the location? Where does our new friend live?”

“W-We haven’t pinpointed their location yet.”

The Commander lowered his sunglasses to reveal a displeased glare. His subordinates shuddered.

“The search area has been narrowed down to Washington State, sir!” Another suit jumped in. “Every time they use their power, we’re getting closer to an exact location.”

“Good.” The Commander nodded. “Look alive boys! I want this psychic found A.S.A.P!”

The suits quickly turned back to their stations. The Commander’s grin strained even further. He bit off his cigar and let both pieces fall into his outstretched palm.

“Once we do, I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse. Or my name isn’t Dirk Action.”

Dirk balled his hand into a fist, crushing the cigar bits.

In the deepest part of the pentagon, there exists a special team. Unknown to the media, and even most presidents, these patriots work to handle what science cannot explain. Psychics, sorcerers, and even aliens are studied, controlled and sometimes recruited. The U.S Central Unknown Neutralization Taskforce, or C.U.N.T, is such a group.

~ ~ ~

First Period

Belle scribbled furiously as she tried to keep up with her teacher’s lecture. Their history sub, Faust, initially came off as an amiable, yet stiff, man. But once he got comfortable, the pace of his lectures began to rise drastically. Faust spat out names and dates like a machine gun while his students hurried to record what they could.

Belle glanced at the board, but she couldn’t see a thing. Her vision was blocked by a trail of smoke. She stared down at her pencil, which had been reduced to a smoldering nub, and scowled. Tossing it aside, Belle retrieved another pencil and kept writing. She had resorted to using pens by second period.

Second Period

Students and teachers alike looked out the windows in panic. The hedges at the edge of school grounds had begun to move. Leaves flew in every direction as the hedges thrashed like raging bulls. After a few minutes, they settled down just as suddenly.

With no wind, the animated hedges became a popular mystery among the student body. Two girls had been seen fleeing the scene, and so the teachers labelled it as a prank.

Third Period

Beads of sweat dribbled onto Belle’s desk for the umpteenth time. The adolescent girl might have felt very self-conscious about her perspiration, if the entire class wasn’t sharing in her woes. On her way to school, Belle realized something unpleasant: Her powers activate naturally when she loses focus. If she wasn’t careful, emotions like stress and anger could trigger a very literal meltdown.

To make matters worse, third period started off with a pop quiz. This sudden and unexpected event was the catalyst for the heat-wave that was now afflicting her class. The feverish temperature caused students to lose focus, prolonging the test. The longer the test went on, the more frustrated Belle became. The more frustration she felt, the hotter things got.

This hellish cycle ended with two students passing out from heatstroke and several more crawling out of the classroom in a dehydrated stupor.

Fourth Period

While Kazama was destined to either be loved or hated by everyone he met, Belle usually spent her days in anonymity. The only time people took note of her was during P.E.

“Orya!” Belle let out a battle cry as she spiked a flaming ball over the net.

Her opponents cowered at the edges of the court. No one dared block her. As her scrimmage partners examined the newly formed scorch marks on the court, they reaffirmed their cowardly instincts.

After that day, a new legend began spreading through the high school volley ball community. It would be months before a fool appeared who could answer Belle’s spikes. But that’s a story for another day.

Meanwhile, Kazama was experiencing a similar feeling of untouchability. Although, in his case, the cause was much more literal.

“Bullshit!” A student cursed, raising the class total to fifteen bullshits and four fuck you-s.

As the boy’s dodgeball game progressed, it had devolved into a one-sided assault against Kazama. This had nothing to do with his unpopularity. For once, their animosity had a perfectly reasonable cause.

Another ball sped towards Kazama, and he didn’t even bother to move. The ball simply curved around him and continued its flight. Kazama retaliated with his own throw, and another victim was laid out before he could even react.

“I’ve never seen a man so loved by the balls.” Coach Muller mused while nodding in approval. “This kid could take us to nationals.”

Just like Belle, Kazama’s powers were activating on their own. His fear of getting hit translated into a shield that deflected any attack. His fleeting desire to hit a target was enough to turn a ball into a guided missile. Ultimately, the resentful glares from his peers damaged Kazama more than any ball ever could.

Please, someone, just get me out! Kazama screamed silently.

Fifth Period

Lunch consisted of mystery meat and bruised fruits. Reviews were mixed.

Sixth Period

Physics class suddenly ground to a halt as desks and books began to float through the air. Panicked screams wrenched Kazama from his afternoon nap. As he roused, everything immediately fell back down. Students continued to eye their desks warily, but they remained inanimate.

The remaining lecture was forgotten in favor of a heated discussion on the theory of gravity.

Seventh Period

The entire class was on edge. No one paid attention to the material. Instead, they furtively discussed the strange happenings that had taken the school by storm. To Kazama’s right, a group raved about living hedges. Behind him, a couple muttered about zombies crawling out of a math test. In front of him was his teacher, who met Kazama’s gaze before he could pull away.

“Kazama, can you answer this question on the board?”

“Yes…” Kazama droned as he pushed out his chair.

The fledgling telekinetic had nearly reached the board when his foot hooked around a desk leg. Kazama quickly thrust out his arms to block his fall.

*KSSHHHHHH*

Every window in the classroom shattered. Fortunately, no one connected the event to Kazama’s fall. They mistook cause for effect, and assumed Kazama had dove down to protect himself.

When news of broken windows combined with rumors of floating objects, a new mystery was born. Now the school was reportedly infested with monstrous hedges, zombies and poltergeists.

Eighth Period

“Belle, what’s going on?”

“I-If the school was suddenly cursed, you’d tell us. Right?”

May and Lia caught Belle in the hallway before their final class. The pink-haired girl stayed silent as they bombarded her with questions. Eventually, Tammy stepped in.

“Girls, like, chill. Even if something weird is going on, Belle and her brother can handle it.” Tammy turned to Belle and smiled. “Right?”

Belle slowly stepped back. She wouldn’t meet her friend’s eyes. This gesture only confirmed what the trio had already noticed. Belle wasn’t exuding her usual confidence. While Belle’s expressions were still too nuanced for the girls to decipher, they could clearly sense her unease.

“Listen, Belle…” May suddenly took a more formal tone. “If something dangerous is happening in the school, then it’s our responsibility to let people know. Even if you can’t explain it with logic, there’s got to be some way we can help.”

“I don’t think it’s anything that dangerous.” Tammy shrugged.

“But two people are already in the infirmary.” Lia muttered. “They passed out during that math test.”

Belle winced.

“There’s a bunch of rumors going around, but everyone’s overreacting.” The pyrokinetic spoke in a low tone. She still refused to look up at her friends. “Nothing supernatural is happening.”

She could have told them. She could have explained that every rumor was about her and her brother. But what would be her reward? In Belle’s experience, it would be fear. Rejection. The supernatural always seems interesting, fantastical even. Belle knew that sense of wonder would disappear the instant things went out of control.

With her lie complete, Belle chanced a glance upwards and was met with expressions of relief.

“Thank goodness!” Lia let out a heavy sigh. “I get wrapped up in rumors and gossip all the time. Now I’m kind of embarrassed.”

“See, I told you!” Tammy grinned.

“Well, I’m glad nothing dangerous is inside the school.” May nodded happily. “It’s reassuring to hear that from you.”

“Y-Yea.” Belle replied, mimicking their smiles as best she could.

The trio suddenly remembered the time and ran off to class. Belle stayed rooted in place, her expression downcast.

“There’s nothing dangerous in the school…” She mumbled. “Besides me.”

A pang of guilt hit her like a spark above gasoline. Negative emotions flared up and, though it was only for an instant, Belle lost control.

School closed early that day. Worried parents who came to pick their kids up were muscled out by fire trucks arriving on the scene. Firemen and police searched every inch of the building for evidence of a bomb, but nothing came of it. Absolutely no one could explain the pillar of flame that was seen towering over Pritchard’s in the late afternoon. They could only be thankful that there were no injuries among the student body.

~ ~ ~

When Kazama and Belle returned home, they went straight to their rooms and locked the doors. Adam and Shelly waited patiently, but they didn’t come down for dinner. Morning came and the twins still refused to leave their rooms. Arguing could only accomplish so much, and eventually their parents left for work. After their societal responsibilities were taken care of, the adults of the Noh family returned with a vengeance.

“KAZAMA! Open the goddamn door!” Adam yelled, slamming his fists against the door with all his might. “I didn’t raise a pair of hikikomoris!”

When it became clear that Adam wouldn’t yield any time soon, Kazama cracked open his door.

“Please just say shut-in, Dad.”

“Please stop hiding in your room and tell us what’s going on.”

Kazama looked away. His glowering face was the definition of defeat. “Belle and I talked it over. We just want to wait this whole psychic thing out.”

“Fine.” Adam folded his arms. “School’s closed anyways. They’re taking a few days to investigate this whole bomb thing.”

Kazama nodded and began to shut his door. Adam’s foot shot out to block him.

“In the meantime, I want you and Belle to come downstairs. If you aren’t comfortable using your powers at school, then I’m going to make sure you learn to control them.”

“And how are you going to do that?” Kazama’s voice ran thick with skepticism.

“Don’t underestimate how many training montages I’ve watched.”

Adam moved his foot out of the way just before Kazama slammed the door.

“Fine!” Adam yelled. “I don’t need to convince you anyway. You’ll open your door the instant Belle agrees.”

“Good luck with that!” Kazama yelled back.

Meanwhile, Shelly had been having a similar talk with Belle.

“Just leave me alone!” Belle yelled from behind her locked door.

The results were similar as well.

“Shelly, step back a bit.” Adam ordered.

“Yea…I guess we need to give them some space.”

“No, I mean literally step back.” Adam explained, holding up an axe. “Those two have dealt with so many unreasonable things, and I’ll be damned if this is what breaks them.

Adam took a batter’s stance and raised the axe behind his head. Once he was steady, Belle’s father swung without hesitation. He certainly didn’t have his daughter’s strength, but the axe tore a sizeable hole in her door.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Belle’s startled cry was followed by a three-degree temperature shift.

Adam placed his head over the hole and grinned. “Yea, I can make non-Japanese references.”

A hand plunged through the splintered wood and unlocked Belle’s door from the outside. Adam stepped into the room. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

“On a more serious note, I’m dragging you out of here. You’re going to learn how to use that power.”

“WHY!?” Belle’s voice cracked as she shouted. “This is all going to blow over soon. Why can’t you just let us ignore this?”

Belle sat at one end of her bed. She drew her legs close to her body while leering at Adam.

“Have you considered that ignoring your powers is making them more difficult to control?” Adam spoke in a level tone. “Do you know why the two of you are so amazing? No matter how strange a situation is, you two accept it instantly. You accept it and find solutions no one else can think of. Don’t get tripped up by this because you can ignore it. Is letting these powers walk all over you really your style?”

Belle slowly let her legs droop over her bed as Adam caught his breath. Even after he could speak, Adam waited patiently while Belle placed her feet on solid ground. The fledgling pyrokinetic stood up and glared at him. There was a familiar sharpness in her eyes.

“That had better not be a quote.”

“There are plenty of quotes about people wrestling with special powers.” Adam grinned. “But I went with an original.”