<hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://static6.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/117763/2698759-231136_47484_super.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Name:</strong> Vulcan<br/><strong>Location:</strong>  Lower Atmosphere &gt; Mansion Dining Hall<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong> Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017: Evening<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong> Rahne, Bullies, Open<br/><strong>Content:</strong> Gabriel sees cruelty can be found anywhere, and he decides to put a stop to it.</span><br/><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">Having technically been born in space, and spending so much time in space, and looking out into space, and wondering what beyond Chandilar had in store for him...all of this wondering and contemplation had made the vast, cold, emptiness of space...an immense comfort. So when he could, or when he felt like it, he'd fly up into the atmosphere. Thankfully with his powers he was more than fast enough to reach escape velocity. And since a human wasn't big enough to pick up on radar(especially when that human could alter the energy signatures he gave off), he was basically left alone when he went off on his sojourns.<br/><br/> Today, he had nothing with him but his phone and earbuds. And once he was alone, he looked up and took off into the sky like a rocket. A trail of golden energy streaked behind him for miles until he broke the cloud layer. Finally, once he was surrounded by the cold blackness, the golden glow of his energy shield was the only thing not dimly lit and hundreds of millions of lightyears away. He didn't want to think or contemplate right now, just float. So that's what he did. And he let the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rAv5zgtsmM) flood over him while he took in the grand splendor of Earth, the Moon, stars...<em>everything</em>. He could get lost out here for hours.<br/><br/> Luckily he had a big beacon to guide him back in case that happened. Today was not the day for him to zone out in space however, because when his song was interrupted by an alarm, he immediately knew what it was. Dinner time! Chandilar and the Shi'ar empire as a whole had had amazing, exotic, literally otherworldly food. The kind of otherworldly where the food moves and talks <em>after</em> being prepared. But the human in Gabriel appreciated the simple things too. Like burgers! Who knew cooked cow with condiments and bread could be one of the most delicious things ever?! He didn't know what was on the menu for today, but he <em>did</em> know that since coming to the school, they'd never let him down yet. So he was excited. "I guess I can finish this later. For now...dinner calls me."<br/><br/> Turning back to Earth, his energy flared and he plummeted toward Earth in a fiery contrail (http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/b/ba/Vulcan_Flight.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110801174912). Once he'd gone through re-entry and the atmosphere, he homed in on the school and landed nearly perfectly on the driveway. He did scorch the stone a bit, as his temperature was probably beyond what most vehicles could take without melting at the moment. Once the steam had faded and it was safe for him to be around people, he walked into the school and into the dining hall.<br/><br/> He was no feral, but the delicious smell of the food had him comically floating down the hallway like the cartoon characters he'd fallen in love with since arriving. Instead of going back for seconds, after he got in line he just got two helpings at once to save time. He was still used to eating as much as he could at once, because he may not eat again for a while. Vulcan had made a few friends since arriving. He had cool powers, he was nice, likable, and it seemed he has this huge aversion to bullying. It was almost as if(to those who didn't know his story), like he had a personal vendetta against it. So maybe Markle didn't know he'd come into the hall and sat near the back, facing a window with some of his new friends.<br/><br/> Or maybe he just hadn't met or heard of Gabriel yet. Either way, he'd learn soon. At the moment though, Gabriel was engrossed with his steak, and potatoes, and just talking with people he liked. He almost heard nothing of the first exchange, but the widened eyes from Melody caused him to turn in his seat. The first thing he saw was Markle and his cronies surrounding Rahne the wolf girl. He'd seen her transform once; it was so cool. The first thing he heard was the howl. And from there, he saw it all, heard it all.<br/><br/> He <em>watched</em> them torment that poor girl, he watched them shove her face in her food like they were punishing a dog. He watched them put a collar on her neck and tease her when she protested. He watched her futilely snap at them, but not transform. Why did she hold back? The same reason he had. The same reason this was all so familiar to him. He knew her pain. In this moment, he probably knew far worse, but hers was nothing to scoff at. No one deserved this, and he needed to do something.  He...he watched them manhandle the innocent girl, put a muzzle on her, and melt the key so she couldn't get it off. He hadn't realized how heavy his breathing was getting. Hadn't realized he'd taken a few steps forward and was still doing so despite his friends trying to hold him back.<br/><br/> Then the poor girl was tripped, pushed to her knees and called a bitch. The nail in the coffin was Markus telling her that next time, he shouldn't tell her no. Back in his room, hidden in a box was a small data cube that had video and audio of Emperor D'ken saying something frightfully similar to his parents, right after he'd raped his mother and cut him out of her stomach. It broke something in him. A hidden trigger he didn't know he had. "Leave her alone," he choked out in almost a whimper. Tears freely streamed down his own face as the boys PTSD came on in full. Seeing something so close to the psychological horrors that had been his life up until just recently was too much. <br/><br/>"Leave her alone!" His shout quieted the whole room, as brilliant golden energy poured off of him in waves so powerful the people too close to him were repulsed away from him. He took a few steps toward Rahne, but he could see the panic and fear on her face. Seeing him like this wouldn't help her. Plenty of other people could get the muzzle and collar off. Right now, his focus was Markus. And making him see why kindness was the best policy. Eyes were now either on him, or on Rahne, or on the still smug looking Markus.<br/><br/> He ignored the other two boys, as they'd get what was coming. But Markus ran things. He had to cut the head off this snake. Or just hurt him really, really bad. Either or; it was hard to focus on what was right and wrong at the moment...one of the drawbacks of a waking nightmare. One of them got in his face, and all Vulcan said was <em>"Move"</em>. An energy pulse sent the boy sliding across the floor. He hadn't hurt him, but he was out of the way. Markus was his target, and the youngest Summers had tunnel vision.<br/><br/> "What's the matter <em>golden boy</em>? Don't like seeing a bitch get put in her place? Well maybe next time she should listen to what I say. What goods a mutt with no home training?" Despite his continued trash talk and cool demeanor, Markus hadn't ignored how easily his friend was blasted away. His hands glowed bright red, then white hot. He could light his whole body up, but he wasn't wearing his uniform under his clothes, and that was the only piece of heat-resistant clothing he had. Anymore than his hands right now would leave him as naked as the day he was born. And Markus wasn't <em>that</em> confident. "Apologize," he said.<br/><br/> "Take off the collar. Unlock the muzzle. And <em>apologize</em>!!!" His muscular chest was heaving up and down, not from exertion, but from sheer rage. Rage enough to kill Markus where he stood...if not for the many sessions with Xavier and all the others who were trying their best to help him get past the murderous programming he'd been raised with. He couldn't let them down, but he knew this kind of behavior was not just frowned upon, it was simply not allowed. Markus needed to learn a lesson. Gabriel's outburst caused the rich kid to take a step back, but he'd hold his ground.<br/><br/> "Take a step back glow stick, before you get burned. I don't know what you can do, but I guarantee you can't take beyond third degree bur-huh?!" While he was talking, Gabriel had sped forward and locked his bare hands with Markus'. He didn't grimace or show pain of any sort when he did. Instead, the golden shield faded and he yanked his hands up above their heads. The nearly blinding white light surrounding the boys hands ebbed and died. The heat radiating them ebbed and died. The confident, arrogant grin on his face...ebbed and died. "What I do, is why I'm not burning. I control energy, Markus. I could drain you dry right now as easy as breathing. What I <em>do</em>, is why you probably feel like you're in an ice cave. Your energy? It's <em>mine</em> now. To do whatever I want with it. Like this!"<br/><br/> Ripping his hand free of Markus', he surrounded it with the stolen energy and clocked him in the jaw. The boy went twirling and flying through the air, before slamming into a pillar on his back and bouncing off. He probably had a broken rib, and would definitely be sore for the next few days. But Gabriel had really pulled his punch. He could have done <em>so</em> much worse. What the fuck?! Markus' head was swimming, and throbbing, and pounding, and so many other things it was a wonder he was still conscious. His vision was blurry and his side hurt. He already was bruising from where he bounced off the pillar, and now he was starting to feel the rest of it. "Nnnnng, the fuck's your problem psycho?! Can't take a joke?" He found a laugh through the pain, and tried to stand but stumbled back to the floor. "Get up." Fear was finally starting to take hold in Markus' eyes, as he realized Gabriel didn't intend to stop. "I SAID GET UP, NOW, DROGG!!!"  He had enough control to not kill the boy, but only just. Someone needed to jump in and quick before the lesson, turned into one Markus and his friends would never forget. </span>