The Talents of the Fallen - 6. Part Six: The Headmaster

Chapter Six: The Headmaster

Once back at Lakes, Jon left Sam behind to meet with the headmaster. He didn’t want there to be any witnesses to what he might say to the head of the school. He already had a bad enough of a reputation for mouthing off.

He was ready to burst into his office when he found the way blocked by Dr. Balthazar’s pet goon. “Out of my way Ryan.”

“May I ask what business you have with the headmaster?” Ryan Harper might be an Untalented but he was also a Liaison and therefore carried with him the authority of the Council of the Elected. In fact he was the Chief Liaison for the entire Chicago area. Rumor had it that he and the headmaster were lovers.

“Elected business; which makes it none of yours.”

“As Chief Liaison anything to do with the Elected is my business. Anyway the headmaster is in a meeting with another student.”

“I don’t care if he’s meeting with the Master. I have to talk with him.”

“Then you will just have to wait until he is done because you’re not going in.”

“You’re a turpe. You know that?”

“I might be but I’m also the one who can send you to the Reformatory.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Ryan’s stoic stature was replaced with sadistic cockiness. “Try me.”

Just by mentioning the horrific institution caused Jon to pause. The Liaison was speaking the truth. If Jon were to attack a Liaison, Mr. Harper would have the authority to send Jon to the prison of the Elected. Rumor had it Ryan had been a patient/prisoner there. How he managed to survive let alone get out was still a mystery.

Jon growled in frustration. He wanted to punch something, especially Mr. Harper, but knew it would only make him look as immature as his teachers thought he was. He had to do something. He got in Ryan’s face and shouted out a long list of obscenities. No matter what he said he couldn’t wipe away the man’s smug smile.

Though Jon was shouting as loud as he could Ryan heard a soft rapping on the other side of the door. Continuing to ignore Jon he reached back and opened the door.

Stepping out was a young man not any older than Jon and Sam. He had pales skin, blue contact eyes, and dyed brown hair that at the roots were turning blond.

When Jon saw who was exiting the office he nearly went into a true rage. He might have gone as far as attack the youth but before he could leap he felt a heavy kinetic force freeze him in place. “Damn it Andrew !”

“Damn it? How about damn you. I hear you’re still trying to get me expelled.”

“You have no right being here. You’re contaminated, a threat to every student here.”

“Admit it… you’re just angry you will never be able to screw me.”

“Shut up…. Shut up, shut up shut up!” He shouted each time louder than the last.

Ryan saw Jon straining against the field holding him in place. “I think it would be best if you were to leave now Mr. Balthazar.”

“He can’t break through my field.”

“Wanna bet.” Though Jon legs moved as if loaded down with lead he took one step towards his tormentor.

“What? He can’t do that?” Andrew was shocked. No one but a stronger kinetic could be able to break free. Could Jon’s physical Talent be greater than his kinetic?”

“I would leave now if I were you.” Ryan warned a second time. Unlike Andrew he had a good idea how powerful Jon was.

Andrew stared at Jon for a moment. He sniffed on what he found. “Alright but please make sure he doesn’t wreck the place. He backed out of the office and headed out.

“Relax Jon. If you don’t, you will wreck the entire building.”

“I don’t care… I’m going to kill the bastard.”

“I know you hate him. I know you don’t want him converting your friends but you should feel sorry for him. He can no longer be with another person without destroying them.” Dr. Balthazar had entered the room. Unlike his much younger brother, Dr. Gregory Balthazar was a true mixed Talent. He was strong in all but physical Talents. It was his ability and skill with the three main Talents that he had been given headmaster position at the Lakes School.

Jon felt the headmaster empathic Talent calming his anger. While maintaining the kinetic barrier he led Jon into his office.

The room was well appointed with dark antique furniture made from ancient redwood. The elongated length or the room, as long as the length of a bowling alley, six lanes wide, had been designed to with intent of intimidating his students.

Once behind his desk he let go of the kinetic field holding Jon in place. “Take a seat Mr. Omicron. I will be with you in a moment.”

Much to Jon’s annoyance he was forced to sit quietly while the headmaster reorganized his desk. He greatly suspected Dr. Balthazar was intentionally taking his time to teach him a lesson in patience. “Are you done yet?”

The headmaster closed a folder and stuffed it in a drawer. He made sure to lock the drawer. He then looked across his desk with his pale blue eyes, sighed and said; “Yes… what is it this time.”

“I, well…” Jon was flustered. He had been so focused on getting into the headmaster’s office that he never thought on what he would say.

Dr. Balthazar leaned back in his leather chair, crossed him arms over his chest and glared at his pupil. He was less than pleased. “Can’t be all that important then.”

Afraid he was about to be dismissed Jon jumped to his feet onto the desk. “But it is!”

If Jon had meant to intimidate Dr. Balthazar he failed. “Be that as it may, could you please get off my desk and sit your ass back in the chair.”

“Uhmmm sorry sir.” Jon hopped down and sat. He did his best to seem calm.”

There was silence that only the headmaster could break. “Well?”

“You see there’s this kid…”

“Oh… now I understand. You’ve found this Untalented and want him to join the Liaisons so you can screw him.”

“Yes… I mean no. I mean to say is that I found a Blip who should become a student here.”

“And you want to screw him. Listen Jon, I know you have this uncontrollable urge to have sex with every person who strikes your fancy. Being a physical Talent that should be expected…”

“But he is a Talent… a real one. Yes I think I like him but he’s real messed up in the head and really needs our help.”

“How about you tell me what you know and let me be the judge of that.”

Jon went over what had happened today doing his best not to leave out the slightest detail. Dr. Balthazar tended to ignore most of it. As a physical Talent Jon could not help but want to screw every teenager in sight. What he did pay attention to was Jon’s physical description. “You said he had white hair and wore tinted glasses?”

“Uhmmm, yes I did. Is that important?”

“Give that is how I would describe one of the pre-converted you weren’t the least concerned he could be infected.”

“Oh that. You know I can tell the difference between a follower of the Master and a non-convert.” Jon tapped his nose for emphasis. He could intend smell the presence of the Coven Virus in those infected. Whenever Andrew was near he felt like vomiting from the stench and he hadn’t completely converted. His nose had detected no such stench from Aaron.

“I see… but still we’ll need to be sure.”

“Sure of what sir?”

“Several things. We need to determine if he is a true Talent. To make sure that it is as you said, he is not infected by the virus. Most importantly is he what I suspect he is.”

Jon was not the strongest mental Talent but he knew whatever the headmaster suspected had to be some sort of amazing secret. He could not leave the office without known. “And what is that sir?”

“Tell me what you know about the Coven.”

“The Coven is the organization lead by the Master who seeks to rule the entire planet.’

“And how does he plan to do that?”

“By making everyone worship him.”

“That is what he wants them to ‘do’ not how he will do it.”

“Oh, that. He plans to use the Coven Virus.”

“And what does the virus do.”

“It turns people into cannibals.”

“It also turns normal people into Talents. Given what they might gain the Master has never been short of willing converts. At least most of the time…”

“You’re talking about your brother.”

“No… a part of him knew what he was doing. In the case of this kid you meet… he, well, he is what we call a pre-covert.”

Jon leaned forward in the chair. He was more than curious to learn more. “What is a pre-convert?”

“A pre-convert is someone raised from birth to become converts. They are the most loyal of the Master’s followers.”

“I didn’t know the Master allowed his followers to have kids?”

“Most of the time they’re kids who’ve been kidnapped from families with proven Talent. He does allow it, no, encourage his strongest followers to have as many children as possible. He hopes they will breed strong Talents. Those children are taken from their mothers at birth and raised in near total darkness until it is time for them to be converted.”

“You mean Cake Day?”

“Yes… Cake Day. I suspect your new friend witnessed such an event which is why he reacted the way he did when he saw your hand bleed. That leads to bigger questions. First, why he didn’t convert, and more importantly how did he escape?”

“He couldn’t do so on his own?”

“Of course not. If you paid attention to your studies you would know that the Coven only requires a child be over the age of seven before having them experience their first Cake Day. This suggests your friend was around that age when he escaped.”

“Does that mean he was six or seven?”

“We can only suspect that is the case. If he is indeed fifteen then he could only have come from one place.”

“Where?”

“You really haven’t paid attention to your lessons. What great terrible event took place when your friend was around that age? I’ll give you a hint it was around 2021.”

Jon did know that date and berated himself for not making the connection first. “The Fire?”

“Yes, the Fire. Most of the Master’s youngest followers were killed in the blaze. In fact there hasn’t been a sighting of a pre-covert since. That is until now it seems. If he is a survivor of the Fire he must have had extraordinary help escaping. Though there were those who didn’t die in the fire, each one was a full Convert. The pre converts who lived in the deepest parts of the complex never stood a chance. Yet this child did. Just as amazing he wasn’t hunted down like the other survivors.

“Your friend seems to have the knack for escaping the worse of all situations. It is very rare for a pre-covert to escape at any time. Even more so for him to remain free. This child is a living symbol that the Master is not infallible. Why the Master has let this one wander free is probably the most interesting question of all.”

“This is why he needs be here. We’re the only ones who can protect him.” Jon hadn’t liked what he heard. For some reason knowing what the kid had gone through made him want him more. Yes he had a history of being a bully but as a physical Talent that was expected of him.

“That is yet to be determined. It is possible that bringing him here will cause the Coven to take a greater interest in their runaway. I will also not allow the presence of one student to threaten the safety of the school.”

Jon couldn’t believe what the headmaster had just said. “Safety of the school? Ha! After all the times the other students and I have said we don’t feel safe with your brother around you think a kid who jumps at his own shadow is a threat? Come on. You’re a complete hypocrite.”

“Be that as it may the decision is mine. Now if you don’t mind I have other matters to see to.”

“What? That’s it? You’re not even going to tell me what you plan on doing.”

Dr. Balthazar rested his arms on the table and leaned forward. Dealing with a hot head like Jon could be exasperating. “I am going to take your request for him to be admitted to the school under advisement. The matter will need more investigating before I reach a decision.”

Jon stood up stiffly. Glowering he hissed; “Do what you want but I at least will try to protect him from the Coven.”

“Don’t do anything rash. You have great potential. Don’t go throwing it all away over a kid you barely know.” He opened his drawer and took out a different file.

Seeing he was dismissed, Jon nearly ripped the door off its hinges storming out.

Ryan, who had been standing guard on the other side, poked his head inside. Given the way Jon had left he was surprised to see all the furniture was all intact. “I take it that didn’t go well.”

“It could have been worse. Physical Talents like Jon follow their hearts more than their brains. In this case we can use it to our advantage. Come in. I got a job for you.”

Ryan stepped inside and did his best to shut the door. With it slightly out of line with the frame it took more force than usual. “I’ll have someone fix the door.”

Greg walked around his desk toward the regional Liaison chief. “You and I have more pressing matters to deal with than that.” He wrapped an arm around Ryan’s narrow waist and pulled the two of them together. With his other hand he grabbed a fist of Ryan’s curly hair and shoved his face forward until their lips met.

The two made out for a long while. With his mastery of all four Talents Greg could make his lover experience things that not normal man could share with him.

It could have gone further than that if Ryan had let it but his well-disciplined mind was able to control his more primitive urges.

As the two caught their breath Greg fed into his lover’s mind all that had been said between him and Jon Omicron. With such direct telepathic communication bringing him up to speed took a fraction of the time it would have between two Untalented.

“So… you want me to send an Inquisitor to check the boy out? They hate Blips you know.”

“I know but I have to follow protocol. To balance things out I will be sending one of my students as well.”

“Not Jon I take it?”

“God no. As things are he is barely in control of himself. I’ll be sending Andrew .”

“Your brother!” Ryan knew he shouldn’t be surprised but still he couldn’t stop from being shocked. The Balthazars and Omicrons had a long history of bad blood but still, sending Jon’s arch-nemesis in his place was a sadistic form of punishment.

“I know what you’re thinking but no… this has nothing to do with the differences between our families. Jon is not known for his discretion. He’s proud of being a showoff. The situation requires a more subtle approach.”

“Your brother is not the most subtle person either.”

“But he has been through much of what this Aaron kid has. That is if it’s true he is a pre-covert. It’s amazing really. Ever since the fire there hasn’t been a sighting of a single one but here we find one practically under our nose.”

“Then he will be admitted?”

“It depends on the final Inquisition report. As a Blip I have no choice but to heed their advice.”

“Who you’re kidding. You don’t give a damn what they say.”

“In this case I will have to. Letting a pre-covert into the school is not the same as Sam. His case was not among the easiest to deal with. Dealing with this Aaron kid will be worse.”

“But look at Sam now… he’s one of your best students.”

“True… as I said the matter needs looking into.”

“How soon?”

“At once. I want everything in place before the start of the school year. You can start by figuring out which school the boy goes to.” The headmaster transmitted the boy’s address into Liaison’s brain.

“Should not be too hard to figure out. I will need the help of a mental Talent to arrange things with the school.”

“Not a problem.” He would send one of his better students with Ryan. “Will Mike do?”

“Sure. Want me to set up a student transfer for your brother?”

“Please. I need a break from the constant hounding of the parents who want him expelled.”

“Will do.” Ryan headed for the door.

Before he left Greg said; “Don’t take all day with it. I promised to take you out to dinner tonight.”

“Will there be dessert.”

“A hot and luscious dessert will indeed be served.” Greg could not help but imagine what he would do to Ryan back at his place. His father and the Elected are damned. He didn’t care that the law forbid him taking on an Untalented for a lover. So long as he didn’t try to start a family they could not stop him from bedding any woman or man with or without Talent he wanted.

“Then I better move quickly. I don’t want to miss out.”