Mess around with your powers

Half an hour later, the four of you gather on the field. Dusk is already retreating, leaving the field in the dim purple afterglow of the sunset.

"Okay, me first," grins Rachel, and suddenly you feel your feet lifting off the ground. Looking around, you see that all four of you are levitated in the air.

"Woah, awesome!" Ben looks like a kid in a candy store. "I wonder if anyone could actually beat you in a fight. Like, you just pick them up before they get to you, and drop them. Or you could drop a car on them. Or -"

"Yeah yeah yeah, she's overpowered. But if I do this -" Carly suddenly grows roots from her feet, anchoring her back to earth. The roots grow at lightning-speed, cracking open the ground, to suddenly wrap around Sparrow, totally ensnaring her. You and Ben suddenly drop back onto the grass, as Rachel struggles helplessly against her living cage. "- she's done for," finishes the green girl with a grin. "No enhancement of her actual body, and I can regrow faster than she can rip me apart with telekinesis."

Rachel gives up, and laughs good-naturedly. "Well played. Could you let me go now?" Carly obligingly retracts her roots enough to let your lover float free, then simply sheds the rest.

"Ben, I want to see your punches. I'll grow you a tree, and you hit it as hard as you can." Foxgloves grows another root, which after just a few minutes has sprouted into a solid pine tree, with a diameter of maybe 30cm.

"You {if Futa==true}ladies{else}guys{endif} better back away. I don't want splinters flying into your eyes," warns Woodpecker.

You do as he suggests, though Rachel reassures you, "I can catch anything that comes our way with telekinesis."

Ben nods excitedly, steps back, and launches his arm forwards faster than your eye can follow. You hear a loud crack, and then realise that the eighteen-year-old just punched a hole straight through the trunk. You try to warn Ben as the tree falls towards him, but it bounces off his head like he's made of solid rock.

"I might not be quite as strong as Ultragirl, but I'm nearly as indestructible," grins Ben. "Go on, Carly, grow me a thicker one so I can show you how fast I punch."

The half-plant girl obliges him, and though it takes another few minutes, soon a four-metre wide tree stump has grown in the middle of the field. "I made it as dense as I could," explains Carly, "So it should hold up for a little while."

Now you see why he's called Woodpecker. The man's arms are a blur, pummelling into the solid wood, practically drilling a tunnel into the hardy stump. When he emerges from the other side, without even a scratch despite the jagged debris left everywhere, you applaud him, laughing at his gleeful face.

"Go on, {if Futa==true}Mikaela{else}Michael{endif}, show us yours," urges Ben.

"I dunno," you grimace. "I release chemicals that help subdue people. It's not exactly easy to show. I'm not even sure it'll work on other mutants."

The brown-haired boy is undeterred. "Hey, let's try it. I'll come towards you really angry, like I want to have a fight, and you use your ability to stop it."

"Okay," you shrug. "That might work, if you sure you want to subject yourself to it."

Ben turns away, apparently working himself up, then marches towards you. "Hey, Alpha {if Futa==true}Woman{else}Man{endif}, let me give you a piece of my mind."

You will yourself to start emitting pheromones, directing them all at the approaching mutant. "Are you really sure about that."

"Yeah, of course," he begins - then falters, as the scent of a true alpha hits him. "I mean - no, I... you're totally right. I'm so sorry. I'll go now." Both of the girls start cracking up, amazed at his sudden turn-around. Evidently your pheromones (when directed and fully charged) are enough to subdue other mutants, even if seduction of girls and its normality to guys is a way away. "What are you two laughing at?"

"Well, it totally worked, didn't it?" cackles Carly.

"You tried to confront him, and he just made you back down," giggles Rachel.

"What, are you serious?" says Ben. "Confront {if Futa==true}Mikaela{else}Michael{endif}? No way. Only an idiot would do that."

Carly's laughter slows. "What are you so worked up about? It was just a test, and {if Futa==true}Mikaela{else}Michael{endif} passed, with flying colours!"

"Yeah, well, it was a bad idea. Sorry again, {if Futa==true}Mikaela{else}Michael{endif}."

"Apology accepted," you grin, enjoying the looks on the girls' faces.

"He doesn't even realise!" gasps Rachel. "Even though he knows about your chemicals, he's oblivious that they've had an effect!"

"Well, if they have, they've opened my eyes," adds Ben seriously.

A cold, shrill voice interrupts him. "What are the four of you doing?" You turn, to see Ms Smith striding towards you, a sour look on her face. It turns out to be a rhetorical question, as she follows it with, "Get back to your dormitories, all of you. We'll have to clean up all these trees tomorrow." She gives Carly a look of intense dislike. "Go on, stop hanging around, and get some sleep. You have a photoshoot at 8am tomorrow, and I want you all dressed and ready on the dot."