"Can I borrow a dollar, Eddie?"
"Ezra. My name is Ezra." The girl sighed, looking up at her friend. Kay was an Alpha Command, and Ezra was eternally grateful that she didn't find it worth her time to make boys buy lunch for her like a self-centered Beta Command two classes below them often tried to. On the other hand, Kay was constantly 'borrowing' small amounts of money and never returning the favor.
"Yeah, whatever, Eddie." Kay sat on the edge of the table. "Who's that dude over there?"
The Beta Somnambulant looked up from her egg salad sandwich and followed Kay's finger. "Him? That's the janitor. Wait, you've never seen the janitor before?"
"I guess I never noticed him. He looks familiar..."
"He was a student here like forever ago, maybe you've seen pictures of him in records or something."
"Scruffy-lookin' fella, huh. Looks like a wuss, too."
Ezra shrugged, stuffing the rest of the sandwich into her mouth gracelessly as the bell rang.
"Ezra. My name is Ezra." The girl sighed, looking up at her friend. Kay was an Alpha Command, and Ezra was eternally grateful that she didn't find it worth her time to make boys buy lunch for her like a self-centered Beta Command two classes below them often tried to. On the other hand, Kay was constantly 'borrowing' small amounts of money and never returning the favor.
"Yeah, whatever, Eddie." Kay sat on the edge of the table. "Who's that dude over there?"
The Beta Somnambulant looked up from her egg salad sandwich and followed Kay's finger. "Him? That's the janitor. Wait, you've never seen the janitor before?"
"I guess I never noticed him. He looks familiar..."
"He was a student here like forever ago, maybe you've seen pictures of him in records or something."
"Scruffy-lookin' fella, huh. Looks like a wuss, too."
Ezra shrugged, stuffing the rest of the sandwich into her mouth gracelessly as the bell rang.
---------------------
"Okay, class. Now, we've all - Arden, you've just earned yourself trash duty for a week." A scrawny tan-skinned boy in the back of the room groaned deeply, the desks in his nearby vicinity rattling slightly in response to the noise. "As I was saying... We've all discussed the importance of the element of surprise. For example, Ezra's ability grants her full consciousness while asleep or even comatose, making her a decent decoy night guard as her need to rest doesn't interfere with her work the way it does most of us. By appearing - or actually being - asleep, intruders will not expect her to behave in a prompt and organized fashion."
"It also makes panty raids pretty much impossible!"
"Make that two weeks' trash duty, Arden." The professor sighed, shaking his head. "Moving onward... Several of you have abilities that can assist - or even provide - the element of surprise, but most of you have abilities that cannot be relied on entirely in most situations. Today we will have a guest in to teach you how subtle things like a change of clothes and accessories can provide a surprising costume."
As one, the students turned their heads as the door opened and a middle-aged woman walked into the room. She was a brunette, with deep blue eyes and slightly crooked glasses. She was dressed modestly, and casually, in a loose t-shirt and what appeared to be men's shorts. Her sneakers looked like something that had been hanging from telephone wires for a month.
"Hey there, kiddos!" The woman smiled, pushing her glasses up. "My name's Cassandra. Now, as I'm sure has been explained, I'm here to teach you about the element of surprise. So to aid in the 'surprise' factor we're going to play a little trivia game. I'm gonna name some folks, and I want y'all to summarize what they are within our little community here, 'kay?" She blinked a few times, smiling at the half-hearted nods. "Right, let's start off simple. Who's this guy here?" She jerked a thumb at the professor.
Immediately Arden's hand shot up. "Quake Alpha, triggered a minor volcanic eruption when he manifested."
"Good!" Cassandra adjusted her glasses. "Now, somebody tell me about your English professor."
"Flash Beta," Ezra volunteered. "Makes a lot of porn jokes outside the classroom." This statement was met with laughter.
"Well with a talent called 'flash' it's no wonder. Alright, somebody tell me about the janitor."
"He's a miserable f**, who wishes he could be a man like me!"
Cassandra raised a hand, stalling the professor's retort. The woman's throat spasmed, and suddenly a new voice came out of her mouth. "Sweetheart... I want to have a d**k, not be one." She smiled wickedly at Arden's shocked expression. "Surpriiiiise."
The professor nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you for coming in, Fred. Arden, see me after class, please."
"It also makes panty raids pretty much impossible!"
"Make that two weeks' trash duty, Arden." The professor sighed, shaking his head. "Moving onward... Several of you have abilities that can assist - or even provide - the element of surprise, but most of you have abilities that cannot be relied on entirely in most situations. Today we will have a guest in to teach you how subtle things like a change of clothes and accessories can provide a surprising costume."
As one, the students turned their heads as the door opened and a middle-aged woman walked into the room. She was a brunette, with deep blue eyes and slightly crooked glasses. She was dressed modestly, and casually, in a loose t-shirt and what appeared to be men's shorts. Her sneakers looked like something that had been hanging from telephone wires for a month.
"Hey there, kiddos!" The woman smiled, pushing her glasses up. "My name's Cassandra. Now, as I'm sure has been explained, I'm here to teach you about the element of surprise. So to aid in the 'surprise' factor we're going to play a little trivia game. I'm gonna name some folks, and I want y'all to summarize what they are within our little community here, 'kay?" She blinked a few times, smiling at the half-hearted nods. "Right, let's start off simple. Who's this guy here?" She jerked a thumb at the professor.
Immediately Arden's hand shot up. "Quake Alpha, triggered a minor volcanic eruption when he manifested."
"Good!" Cassandra adjusted her glasses. "Now, somebody tell me about your English professor."
"Flash Beta," Ezra volunteered. "Makes a lot of porn jokes outside the classroom." This statement was met with laughter.
"Well with a talent called 'flash' it's no wonder. Alright, somebody tell me about the janitor."
"He's a miserable f**, who wishes he could be a man like me!"
Cassandra raised a hand, stalling the professor's retort. The woman's throat spasmed, and suddenly a new voice came out of her mouth. "Sweetheart... I want to have a d**k, not be one." She smiled wickedly at Arden's shocked expression. "Surpriiiiise."
The professor nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you for coming in, Fred. Arden, see me after class, please."
