B3 (Blue Beetle X OC): The Unchangeable

Chapter 10: Meta teens can be meta mean

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Chloe's POV

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"Why, out of all people, would you pick me to work with kids?" I asked Ed as we walked down the halls of the Meta Human Youth Center in Taos. He had definitely gotten taller, because we were the same height last time I saw him. Or close anyway. "Because you work great with kids." Ed answered, and I raised an eyebrow. "Well enough, anyway. Besides, they're not kids, they're teenagers. And from what I remember, you did great with us the first time." Ed said as I remembered the first time I met him and the three other meta teens. "From what I remember, Asami was blasting herself all over the place, you were teleporting like crazy, Virgil was zapping things, and Tye was a yellow giant. And after all of that, my boyfriend temporarily broke up with me." I said describing the time I met them. "Eh, it was a little more organized?" Ed tried, and I rolled my eyes and smiled. "If I could have everyone's attention, please?" I heard Eduardo Sr.'s pleading voice as soon as we entered the room.

"And this is already going great." I muttered as I looked at everyone out of their seats. I noticed a girl with a blue shirt walking towards us. "Running away was my first instinct too." Ed said as she noticed us standing by the door. "Trust me, it really was." I whispered, and he nudged me. "Trouble is, you can't run from your powers anymore than you can run from yourself. So why not give us a shot at helping? You can always take off later." Ed said. Blondie narrowed her eyebrows. "Who are you guys?" She asked us both, and I noticed her thick Australian accent. I liked her. "Stick around and find out." Ed answered, and then teleported away. I groaned as the girl gasped. She looked at me, expecting me to do something exciting. "Yeah, I don't really teleport, but same. Stick around." I said as I ran up to the front, after Ed.

"Guys, you wanna get started, we wanna get started, so let's get started!" Ed said as everyone in the room exclaimed at the sight of him teleporting to the pedestal next to his dad. Then they shut up. "Thank you, Eduardo. Hello, and welcome to the Star Labs Taos Meta Human Youth Center. I am the director of the facility, Dr. Eduardo Dorado Sr." Eduardo Sr. introduced. "And I'm just Ed, peer counselor." Ed added. "I'm sure you all have questions, and I'm here to give you answers." Eduardo Sr. began. "And I'm here to translate from adult speak." Ed threw in. "You have been through registration, it is time for orientation." Eduardo Sr. said. "Let's face it, you've been to hell. So this won't be quite as painful." Ed said bluntly, and I suppressed my laughter very well. "First things first, you are not prisoners here. You can leave anytime you want, and you can stay as long as you need. You set the pace." Eduardo Sr. began to explain.

"You'll all receive counseling from Dinah Lance or Megan Morse, who are experts in Meta Teen issues." Eduardo Sr. said as he gestured to M'gann and Dinah, who sat behind him. "They're crash, er, great, you can really talk to them. Or to your peer counselors, me, Newt, and Chloe. We've both been through this, and want to help." Ed said, and I tried to think of how my childhood trauma was a related topic. "You will also receive training on how to deal with your new meta abilities." Eduardo Sr. added. "You all feel like freaks, believe me, I know. But that feeling doesn't have to last forever." Ed simplified. "Control is the goal here at Taos. Which is why you will have the option of wearing an inhibitor collar. This can turn off your powers completely if you like." Eduardo Sr. said. "Full disclosure, these collars were originally invented for meta prisoners in Belle Reve Penitentiary." Eduardo Sr. explained.

"The difference is, you're in control. You decide when to put the collar on, when to take it off, or whether you want one at all." Ed added. "Either way, the ultimate goal is to safely reintegrate each and every one of you back into society." Eduardo Sr. finished. "Without this. Trust me." Ed added as he held up the collar. The room let out a small applause, and I looked at the blonde Australian girl smiling and sitting.

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"Oh please, like you've ever been forced to wear an inhibitor collar." A girl, Leslie, said to me and Ed as we sat in what I like to call a therapy circle. But Ed said it's called group circle, so we have to go with that. Also, very rude Leslie. "No one's forcing anyone to do anything here. Some of you have met my buddy Newt, our other peer counselor. He doesn't have his meta powers anymore, but he told me that if they ever came back, he'd want the collar. Better safe than sorry. Uh, his words, not mine." Ed said, and my eyebrows went up. I didn't know we could do that. "Uh, yeah, but isn't he the guy who nearly blew up Central City?" Leslie asked. I let out a small smile as I thought of the day we met Bart. I wonder if he and Ed have gotten together yet. "Well, it wasn't his fault, but yes." Ed answered. Now I wanted funnel cake. "What about you?" The girl dressed in blue from earlier, Wendy, asks Ed.

Now I wanted to hear this excuse, or story. "Me? I used to pray to get rid of my powers. Still don't see myself as a hero type, but I've learned to accept, even love, my meta abilities." Ed replied. Well, who doesn't like teleporting? "They're part of me now, and I wouldn't want to pretend they don't exist, so no, no collar." Ed finished. "And you?" Leslie asked me. "I like mine, no collar." I replied as I held up a yellow orb. "My sentiments exactly." Wendy agreed as she made a mini tornado. "Besides collars are for pets, I'd never put one on." Wendy added. "Damn right." I agreed as Ed smiled.

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"Control your abilities, do not let them control you." Eduardo Sr. said from behind the glass control room. Currently, we're testing abilities. The best part of being a peer counselor. "What is this, remedial meta powers 101? Mist and Livewire are so beyond this." Leslie, er, Livewire I guess, replied as she made some lightning in her hands and Mist, well, turned into Mist. "Mist? Livewire? You guys have hero names?" Wendy asked. "Hero names? Sure. Yeah, let's go with that." Leslie replied, in a snobby way. "Then call me... Windfall!" Wendy exclaimed excitedly as she made a giant tornado. "Not bad." I muttered. "Better than Volt." Ed whispered as he nudged me. "It was last minute!" I whispered back, and we turned our attention back to Wendy. "Baby steps, Windfall. You have solid control there but-" Ed began, but then Mist was sucked into Wendy's growing tornado. "You idiot, stop!" Livewire exclaimed, and then she shocked Wendy's tornado with her lightning, stopping the tornado and releasing Mist.

"Hey, careful!" I scolded, like the good peer counselor I was, as Livewire ran over to Mist. "Andie, you okay? Did this little meta brat hurt you?" Livewire asked as she turned to Wendy. "Oh, I'm the brat?" Wendy snapped back. "Now settle down, we are all friends here." Eduardo Sr. exclaimed from the control room. "I don't think so!" Wendy fired back as she made another giant tornado. "Aw shit." I muttered as Livewire flew back into the wall and was knocked out. Then it got really hard to breathe. Wendy was sucking the oxygen out of the room. I dropped to my knees as I began to cough. "Wendy, stop! You're sucking the air from the room!" Ed exclaimed in between breaths. "I'm trying, but I can't turn it off!" Wendy exclaimed in a panicked tone. Great. My world was starting to get very fuzzy, and I felt really dizzy. Then, I could breathe again. I looked up to see Ed and Wendy gone.

"Are you kids alright!?" Eduardo Sr. exclaimed as he ran it. "Just peachy." I answered as he helped me up. "What happened?" I asked as I rubbed my throat. "Eduardo teleported her out, outside presumably." Eduardo Sr. answered, and I nodded. That didn't go well at all.

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"So you haven't had any luck at all?" I asked Ed over the phone. "No. She won't even take off the collar now." He replied sadly, and I sighed. So much for dog collars. "We've got to do something." I muttered as I took a bite of my apple. "I'll think of something. I have... other stuff to do tomorrow, Newt is gonna take over for the day. Are you gonna be there?" He asked. "If I can stop by." I replied as I took another bite. "Alright, I'll talk to you later. Adios." He said. "Adios." I replied, and then hung up. I took another deep sigh, and then finished my apple. Then it hit me. A wave of dizziness, and a sickening feeling in my stomach. I leaned against the counter as I placed my hands over my face. I sat there for a few minutes in pain, before it went away. I took a few deep breaths, and then straightened back up. But my stomach was still in knots. What the hell was that?