Curio stared down at his desk, trying to get his eyes to stay focused on the work. The professor’s voice droned on and on. He could hardly keep his eyes open. Slowly his eyes closed.
An elbow in his ribs made him jump, eyes snapping open.
“What the heck?” he growled and looked over at Shaun. His friend only gave him a pointed look, but did not say anything.
Curio sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. After last night, he did not have the energy to stay awake in class. He felt that if he closed his eyes even for a second he wouldn’t be opening them again. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the shadows moving oddly.
“You really need to stay awake, buddy” Roland whispered on his other side.
Curio nodded, ignoring the shadows. They were all used to strange things happening at the school. “I know” his whispered back “I’m trying alright. It’s just really hard”
“I know that” Roland “You’re the one that insisted that you’re fine. You’ve had four attacks in the last two weeks...”
“Because you’ve been using mimicry after I told you to stop” Shaun chipped in, sounding angry.
“I did not have another choice” Curio growled annoyed.
“Excuse me, but am I boring the three of you?”
Curio’s head snapped up and his vision blurred for a moment. He blinked rapidly at the professor, struggling to understand what the man just said.
“Sorry Sir” both Roland and Shaun said at the same time.
“Curio?”
“Uhm.... I’m sorry Sir” Curio muttered and looked down.
“If you do not start paying attention, I will send the three of you to the principal’s office”
“Yes, Sir” all three of them said.
The professor nodded and turned away from the three. Curio breathed out, dropping his head into his hands.
“I’m dead...” he muttered. He glanced at the professor and paused. Something caught his eye and he turned to look out the window. There was a glint and something flashed. The classroom started trembling.
Everything shook.
An explosion ripped through the building, throwing everyone to the ground.
***
Curio blinked a few times as he started coughing, rolling onto his back. He stared at the ceiling for a moment struggling to understand what just happened. Coughing again, he slowly sat up.
“Is every one alright?”
He blinked, looking around. It was Shaun. Good old Shaun, taking care of everyone again.
“I’m fine...” Curio managed to croak.
“Good...” Roland’s voice sounded through the dust.
“What... just happened?” Curio asked as he got to his feet. The rest of the class was also getting to their feet. He stumbled over to Roland and pulled his friend to his feet, before going over to Shaun, doing the same for him.
After that he just stumbled to the window, looking outside. Frowning he stared outside. Yells drew his attention back and he spun around. The shadows on the walls and on the ground twisted and moved and surged forward and back.
“Kade...” he breathed before his attention snapped towards the window again.
The building trembled and Curio almost lost his balance. He grabbed the window to keep his balance.
“Shaun, Roland” he called, eyes still focused on the outside “Get everyone out of the building”
“What are you planning, Cure?” Shaun asked, narrowing his eyes at his friend.
Curio jumped onto the window ledge and looked at the others over his shoulder. The corner of his mouth pulling up into a smirk.
“I’m going to defend the school” he said as he jumped through the window.
***
Curio stepped onto the ground, eyes narrowed. He couldn’t see the people that attacked them. A crash sounded from the other side of the school building, the sky darkening on that side of the building.
He breathed out and turned his attention back to the open yard in front of him, eyes focusing on the wall that surrounded the school.
For a moment he closed his eyes, fingers spread as he felt for the electrical currents. His eyes snapped open and a smirk pulled on his lips.
“Found you” he said slowly and started walking towards the gate.
Four figures stepped out of the shadows, cloaks hiding their faces. One of them glowed slightly. That would the one that he sensed. They used a type of electricity, it seemed.
“Turn around and leave this place” Curio said “Then we don’t have to fight”
The group just stared at him and Curio sighed. He really hoped that they’d make the smart choice and leave before things turned ugly.
One of the men lifted into the air. The wind played with his cloak. Another one burst into flames, scorching the ground around him. The third one lifted his hands slightly and the ground shook, rock monsters ripping themselves out of the ground. The last man just stared at Curio, the one with the glow.
Curio sighed and balled his hands into fists. Small flashes of lighting appeared around him, focusing around his hands.
“I really hoped that we did not have to do this” he muttered and shook his head.
Without warning he shot forward, lighting flashing in the sky. Thunder clapped and clouds started to block out the sun. He would need to clouds if he wanted to keep on fighting. It would be easier for him.
Screams sounded from the other side of the school.
Curio allowed the lighting to burn through him. He held out one hand and the lightning sword form against his palm. First he turned his attention to the rock monsters, throwing his other hand out, towards the two others.
The lightning streaked toward them as he attacked the rock monsters.
Attack after attack, landed on Curio. They kept on pushing him back, further and further. If it went on for to long, he would be forced to use Mimicry.
That was not something that he wanted to do.
One of the rock monsters pushed his sword out of the way, its fist slamming into his chest.
The force drove the air from his lungs, leaving him to gasp for breathe.
For a moment his vision blurred at the edge and his knees buckled. With a growl he got back onto his feet.
The man that controlled the the rock monsters, crumbled to the ground, his monsters going down along with him.
That made things a bit easier for him.
Three of them left. He still had no idea what the last man’s power was. That was something that really bothered him.
He flinched as fire almost scorched his hair. His eyes flickered towards the sky. The sun was blocked out, clouds packing together and lightning flashing through the air.
The corner of Curio’s mouth lifted slightly.
Now he needed to get rid of the rest of them. Power filled him as he closed his eyes for a moment.
“Mimicry...” he muttered and for a moment he felt the power bursting through him.
His lightning body formed and he shot forward, disappearing into the lightning.
The thunder crackled as Curio stepped out next to the burning man. He slammed the man with a bolt of lightning. Without missing a beat, he moved again, ripping through the rest of the people.
When he finally stopped, rain was pouring down, shadows twisted strangely, almost as if they were angry.
Slowly he turned towards the darkness on the other side of the school, towards the southern gate. There should be someone fighting. He could feel it. For a moment he closed his eyes and stepped forward, disappearing into the lighting.
Lightning flashed and Curio stepped out into pure darkness.
He could hear growls and snarls and screams from the darkness. A voice whispered in the dark. The voice sounded familiar. He knew it.
An ear-piercing scream sounded through the dark and the shadows slowly started pulling back. One spot in darkness became darker and darker. It took the form of a person.
“Kade...” he said, the corners of his mouth pulling into a smirk.
The figure moved, head tilting to the sides. Green crystalline eyes watched from the darkness.
“Welcome to the party, Lightning Speed” the dark figure said as the last of the shadows disappeared, forming a cloak around Kade’s shoulders “Did you take care of the others?”
Curio nodded. “There’s more of them coming” he said, eyes following the gates “We’re going to need some help”
“We’re going to more than just a little help” Kade smirked and for the first time Curio could see his face. His green eyes gleamed, blood ran down the side of this face from claw marks over his forehead.
An article in the San Francisco Call from September 4, 1912.
It is beyond me why this incident only seems to exist in this California newspaper because I have searched up to a week after the date in both German and Austrian archives and found not a single mention. Without further details, ones which I suspect have been reported incorrectly, this is all the information I can share about this interesting case for the time being!
