Training Team: Heatwave Archives

37: F. Wadia // Fade

Power: Age Others

Wadia was being groomed for a political career. Their family are a famous dynasty: sometimes loved, sometimes feared, always in power. Wadia had accepted this destiny and duty: what other option was there? Frazer College, with its mix of students and its complex social landscape to negotiate, was intended to be an important step in their political education. But then Wadia’s Mark came, followed by terrible powers. First, touching a friend, and seeing the awful ageing effects; then, realizing it was their fault; then, being persuaded to use the power as a threat, to ward off harassment. The destruction of the school meant a new start, but what has really changed? – how is life at Mistry Academy any better? Wadia feels like a monster: no more caresses, no more hugs. No chance of love.

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38: A. Peterson // Sialuk

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Salik's Boxing Club, Greenland, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Relieving Pain

Even before their powers emerged, Salik said that Peterson had a healing touch. Peterson is deeply empathetic, with an innate sense for what people need to feel better, whether it’s a hand on the shoulder, a tight hug, or – as is appropriate in a boxing club – a solid punch on the jaw. Preferring to spend as little time as possible with parents who fought constantly, the boxing club became Peterson’s true home. Arriving at Mistry Academy, they are desperately homesick. As hard as their life could be in Nuuk, they felt like they belonged. Carving out a place for themselves is proving harder than Peterson thought.

Content warning: Domestic abuse

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39: V. Cloudburst

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Noasha Outreach Laboratory, Berlin, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Water Control

The hydrokinetic Cloudburst comes from a insular little Marked community that lived in peace along the coastline of Britain. There, Marked chose their name after their powers revealed themselves, an occasion which Cloudburst also used to come out as transgender. They lived happily there, occasionally trading their services with the nearby pure human communities. These trades caught the attention of Noasha Labs, who thought that Cloudburst’s water-manipulation powers had great potential for global benefits, and convinced Cloudburst to sign up as a show of goodwill from the community. After the collapse of Noasha Labs the community is being picketed by hateful Beacons of Purity supporters. Cloudburst, who is very used to living alongside like-minded individuals, is been kept at Mistry Academy for their safety. They’re worried about these strangers, even worried about the lab, and most of all they’re worried about home…

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40: S. Dedlock

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Circus of Human Wonders, United States, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Stone Form

S. Dedlock came from a God-fearing family, deep in the Alabama backwoods. Though middle-class, Dedlock’s parents were keenly aware of how recently the family had lived in poverty. They never let their children forget it, always watching for any backwards slide into “trash” behavior. Religion was the main method of control for the Dedlock family, and S. treasured the Bible so much, they wanted to be a priest. Nevertheless, though, there was a longing within them that they didn’t quite understand, and Cameron Redlaw saw it in them. Dedlock learned how to transform their body into living rock, performing strong-man stunts. After leaving the circus, Dedlock gave up on that life, joining a traveling tent revival with Tox as snake handlers and hiding their abilities. Tox soon left and, on their own, Dedlock felt that familiar undefined longing rise up again. Now at Mistry Academy, they feel they are called to a higher purpose, but wonder what it could be.

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41: D. Rautenbach

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Wonder Park Vigilantes, Alaska, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Crushing Grip

In Wonder Park, D. Rautenbach was the last Mark to manifest, late to the party as always. D. Rautenbach is a military brat, their parents both working at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, flying jets and doing… military stuff. Compared to their friends, they had a stable, happy life. Rautenbach was a well-regarded multi-sport athlete for the Bartlett High Golden Bears, a decent student, and an aspiring musician. All that came crashing down with the arrival of their Mark. Rautenbach’s Mark manifests in the form of a crushing grip; something that can only be controlled with supreme effort. A typical casual grip exerts 10,000 Newtons of pressure but no upper limit has been found; with extreme effort D. Rautenbach has exerted ten million Newtons of crushing force. It was this grip, at the urging of T. Joseph and the others, which spectacularly killed a man. It was this grip that put D. Rautenbach in prison. They will never play guitar again; they will never touch a lover. When Mistry’s legal team got them quietly released on an age-related technicality, they weren’t sure they deserved it. Rautenbach still isn’t. They want love and affirmation and forgiveness.

Content warnings: Murder, guilt

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42: A. King

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Body Snatchers, London, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Taking Harm For Others

King has an addictive personality – the things they love, they love fiercely, whether that’s gambling, alcohol, parties, or even other people. Just about any activity that can be engaged in results in King wanting more and more of it until it makes them sick. Abandoned by their parents when they were young King has been told their whole life that they are spoiled, greedy and immature. When King ran away from home they decided to own this criticism and took this self indulgent lifestyle to an extreme. An endless procession of drinks, parties, addictions and problems all paid for with the kindness and gullibility of strangers. A new start at the Mistry Academy could change all that. This could be the opportunity to put the past behind them and start again afresh. King thinks this could be the time to find a way to give something back or maybe appreciate just how much they already really give.

Content warning: Addiction

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55: H. Ruan // Remembrance

Age: Staff, Origin: The Original Marked Alliance, Training Team: Heatwave /

Subject: De-escalation and No-powers Self Defence
Power: Unlock Memories

You were an aspiring actor training at drama school. When doing emotion memory exercises you discovered that you were able to see people’s memories and will them to remember more. When you explained this, your friends just thought you meant you were particularly empathetic. It wasn’t until you caused a classmate to have a nervous breakdown by unlocking their past trauma that anyone thought you were dangerous. All the classmate would say was “Ruan was inside my head!” You were committed to a hospital close to where your family lived, where you met McDonald. Dr. Mistry tracked you down and brought you both to live with her and the strange, brooding teenager Dias. You respected Dr. Mistry, but you would always get drawn into mischief with McDonald – they were your best friend after all, plus it was fun! Fighting crime as part of the Alliance was an important duty, and one which you would have continued if it was deemed necessary. But you were relieved when Dr. Mistry said that it was no longer an option. Your new duty was to train a new generation, to make sure the same mistakes didn’t happen again and for you this is a better way to succeed in shaping a future for the Marked. That’s why you stayed on at the Academy to teach ‘De-escalation and No-Powers Self Defense’. You enjoy teaching, but sometimes you long for the old days, especially getting up to mischief with McDonald. In Dr. Mistry you have lost a mentor and a close friend, and you know that now more than ever it is important to uphold the ideals she taught you.

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