Benjamin Oliver O'Brien had never considered himself to be unique in any way. His life screamed normality in every sense. His father had an average job, an average house, an overall average life. His mother was almost equally normal, having a rather normal job herself, and what seemed to be a normal family. Benjamin had always found it strange that they lived right across the street from his mother's brother and his family, but the companionship of Luke, his cousin, allowed him to dismiss the matter altogether. The Laytons appeared every bit as average as any American family on the outside, but hid a dark secret from the O'Briens.
When Lizzy O'Brien, Benjamin's mother, found out her young nephew had developed an ability beyond anyone's comprehension, she became curious if her only son would follow in his footsteps. Power Replication was something the Laytons had carried for some time, although they kept it well hidden from those not born with the gift. Luke's mother had been somewhat of a blabber, spilling the secret to Lizzy without hesitation. She sometimes wondered if she was trying to boast, saying her child was better than her sister-in-law's.
Years had gone by without any signs of an ability, and Lizzy began to give up hope. As her son reached his 15th birthday, he came across a transfer student in his school who immediately took a liking to him. The moment Benjamin had met his first "girlfriend" was the moment his abilities surfaced. She was gifted with pyrokinesis, something dangerous in itself, but as Benjamin went to hold her hand on their first date, the floor beneath them burst into flames as they shot out of the boy's hand. She, along with the very few bystanders that saw, threw a fit. While to most it looked like he had merely dropped a cigarette butt, she knew the truth. Startled by the suddenness of his gift, she quickly ran away, only to confront him about it a few short days later. Benjamin had no answer, stating that he had never done such a thing before. After a few failed attempts at testing his "ability" again, the girl went to console him, only to have her gift activate once more through the contact.
It occurred to them that his ability was something of its own. Benjamin, although fearful of being called a freak, confessed to his mother, who screamed with delight that her son was just as special as Luke. Elated, she shipped him off as soon as she could to Beata Academy, giving him a few quick summaries of what his ability entailed.
The flight from dreary, rainy Washington to North Dakota was a long and grueling one. The boy had never been a fan of flying, but he thanked his lucky stars that there were no boat rides involved with his trip. His mind had wandered on the plain ride, flashing back to the calm and quiet days of his childhood. It was normal, and normal was good. Now, as if suddenly called off to war, he was whisked away from his family and friends and sent of to a boot camp for the strange and unknown. Benjamin didn't know what to think, nor what to do when he arrived. Everything was changing so quickly, and it was almost too frightening to handle.
The cab ride was silent and awkward as it drove him to the small town of Rosebury. The brunet carried a town map, a school pamphlet, and his transfer papers in his hands. He could feel the perspiration start to grow on his forehead as they winded down a long and empty road. The few signs that indicated their destination were burned into his memory by this point. There was something about being in a strange place with even more strange people that caused him to sweat more and more.
The cab pulled to an abrupt stop in front of the large entrance. Ben gave the driver a visibly forced smile, handed him the appropriate money, and pulled himself and his luggage out of the car. Swinging his duffle bag over his shoulder, he gave a deep sigh of worry and took a step towards the school.
Glancing down at the pamphlet, he noticed in bold letters that an escort was to be assigned to any new students on their first day. His blue eyes flicked back up and scanned the area. There didn't seem to be any signs of life nearby. Return his gaze to the papers, he furiously read, wondering if perhaps he was mistaken. He was so consumed in rereading the pamphlet that he didn't notice approaching footsteps.
