Palooza: The Uprising

Chapter Six

I stood at the top of the roof, looking up at all the trees as I felt the ring pressed into my left ring finger. I haven't slept a good night’s sleep in days. I constantly thought about home. Home as in the midnight anti-security shock outbreaks. Home as in Jarvis. Not this crazy Cerebro who always was helping this bald brainiac creep its way into your mind. Home happened to be where one way or the other I was cared for directly even if it was by my father or not. Home was also the place where I didn't have to share a room with someone I absolutely despised. 

Oh, and this certain someone at this particular moment just happens to be jabbering on and on about how pissed she is about people at this school; like she's the only person who hates it. This particular someone at the moment also was yakking about how much she's better than me at everything. Sure she can read minds sorta, move things with her brain, and string a bow a little faster than me. What she doesn't know I could fry her like a fish and decide her fate whenever it sounds appealing. 

"Oh and Stark, I forgot to mention. I have friends." She snapped, picking up her clothes scattered on her bed and stack them in a variety of assortments. 

"Ha. Your side of the story is drastically different than mine. At least I don't have friends that expect me to fly." I laughed back, hopping down from the roof and swinging myself onto my bed. I took my IQ test results paper and began to crease it. After a couple seconds, it formed a shape of a paper airplane. I launched it at Mara, who caught it in the air. She rolled her eyes and opened in a hurry. Her face depressed looking at me, and then hers pinned up on the bulletin board next to her bed. 

"Well, mine is outdated. Nice going mastermind." Mara exclaimed, crumpling my results into a paper ball and hurling it at me. I let it fly out the window as I pulled out my bow from under my pillow. 

"You know Barton, not everything is based on our superhuman abilities. People can be better or whatever you call it because of certain characteristics. Not being a total bitch is one of them." I said, chuckling mid sentence. There was an awkward sentence until I watched as an arrow struck the thick glassed window separating our dorm and the roof. 

"Don't make yourself be the five-hundredth- and..." Mara began to speak. The wind blew through her hair and Storm walked through our room. A stern looked crossed her face as she saw the crack in the window. She looked towards Mara, innocently organizing her clothes. Then towards me. My bow was still clutched inside my hand- even though I didn't shoot. Her face got even tenser, walking up and taking me by the wrist and dragging me outside. 

"STARK. Last time was your last chance. Follow me." Storm spoke, turning around pacing down a hallway and to a sleek, silvering hallway. The hallway got less and less crowded. She opened one to our left. Inside were a bed, table, and chair. Everything was metal. There was a small screen on the top of the ceiling. "In. Now. Stark. In four hours we will decide your punishment. It is unsafe to have complete trouble makers like you in the Institute until you learn to behave." 

I twisted my face, leaning in farther and looking in the room. "An all metal room? You really want me in a metal room?" I spoke quickly, hoping to dodge this. Storm gave me an ignorant glare, pushing me inside. I stumbled onto the bed, regaining my balance and sitting up straight. Storm looked at me once more, and then slammed to door shut. 

"Great, Barton. Got me into the mental room. F*** you too." I yelled in the room, hearing my exact echo. I banged on the metal walls. They made no sound. "S...T...O...R...M! YOU’RE AN IDIOT! I'LL JUST END UP KILLING MYSELF!" I screamed again, slamming my shoulder against the door. The door clicked, locking even tighter. "Like you'd care." 

I leaned my head back on the floor- looking onto the blain, dull, reflective ceiling. Little sound beeps rang against my head. "Professor, are you there?" Silence. I looked towards the spot in the ceiling the screen once was; seeing it disappeared. I rolled my eyes, adjusting my ring on my finger. 

A little evil, hormonic, vibe spread over my brain. I took my pointer finger and aimed it towards the ceiling. Nothing. I sighed wiggling it on my finger again then resting my arm towards the floor- shutting my eyes. 

While I rested, I thought again about everything horrible. My father leaving everything for a mysterious woman. My mother who I never knew. Mara and I's past. Evil things trying to control me, although I almost already did allow it. This stupid Institute. And my superhuman abilities; so to say. They were the things controlling me all the time- whether or not I wanted them to or not. 

I rouse my pointer finger up to the ceiling again- squeezing my eyes shut thinking about everything horrible. I took in a deep breath; opening my eyes dead open and thrusted all my energy towards my finger. 

I long and powerful streak of electricity shot out, catching onto the ceiling and began to gather on the metal. Electric vibes and shocks sounded loudly through the room. A nasty scent of ozone snaked its way through the room. After the lightning corrupted the walls and ceiling, it began taking on the bed, chair, and finally the table. From the farthest right table leg the electricity zoomed its way over to the floor, lifting me up in the center of the room- veins of electricity extending my arms out and connecting them to the left and right wall. My legs outstretched too; lifting me up off the floor. 

I felt powerful. I clenched my fists, my eyes turning solar blue and pain streaking them. My heart pounded- those same black blood veins streaking throughout my chest. My hair stuck up straight into the air. I thrusted my left arm towards the door; a powerful bolt of lightning shooting towards it then evaporating back to me. 

I heard alarms sound, a flurry of footsteps face down the hallway. I forced my head down- more and more blood veins circling my body. I filled with energy, the feeling I could climb a mountain overpowered me. The door flung open, the Professor sitting in his wheelchair his eyes full of shock. 

"STORM!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as Storm rushed down the hallway. My vision got fainter and fainter. My breaths got shorter and shorter. My pulse increased as did my heart rate. My body felt tired, but I was still living. The electricity got much stronger zoomed through the room once more. I couldn't begin to feel my legs, but they were upholding. Same with my arms- which were pointing dead center towards the two walls on my right and left. 

I barley watched as Storm came into the room- her eyes lighting up with fear. She walked further into the room and placed her hands on my waist; taking all her force and slamming me down to the ground. I sniffed in the last bit of ozone then dropped to the ground like a dead bug. My eyes shut completely, my heart giving up at last. Was I still living?  

I awoke seemingly an instant later. I wasn't dressed in my newly burnt black skinny jeans and hoodie. A long white hospital gown was fitted onto my body. Instead of my medium length locks that hung to my shoulders; I now felt like I didn't have any hair. I felt the back of my head some more- a pixie cut style now dominated my skull. 

I felt my finger- and my ring wasn't there. I banged my feet towards the bench, looking across to a tray sitting three meters away from me- and on top was my ring. I raised my hand trusting all my might towards it. I felt a little electric buzz then a chord restricted me from going any farther. I looked towards my forearm; a blinking restraining monitor was zooming inside my skin. 

"NOT AGAIN! BARTON THIS IS YOUR ENTIRE FAULT!" I screamed, my echo sounding throughout the room. 

Now I am mad.