AAOOOSC! United

"Nope, No Flowers."

Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
July 10, 2017
Early Afternoon

Connor takes in a deep breath. His focus is on the surging course of his powers swirling in his palms. His tense hands are aimed ahead of him, glowing a misty yellow. His narrowed eyes are fixed on a lonely terracotta-coloured ceramic vase.

The vase is staring back at him innocently.

I want flowers to come out from this vase!

Rapidly, Connor builds the energy between his palms as he brings them up to his face. He then shoots them out ahead of them, emitting the flow of energy straight at the vase.

The vase gets taken out by the stream, flying off from its pedestal and across the air.

Suddenly, a quaking explosion erupts from behind Connor as it casts a hazardous light on him. Rubble and debris spew everywhere while thick smoke and flames billowing from behind.

Connor stays still, his eyes wide with fear and shock.

Beyond him, the vase clatters harmlessly on the laminate floor by a pair of feet. A hand scoops up the vase and brings it to the owner's view, revealing the holder to be Carter.

Carter has scrutinizing eyes on the vase while sitting behind the countertop. "Nope, no flowers." He perks up as he hears Connor growling.

In front of him, Connor has his back on him as he is spraying torrents of water at the small flames licking the charred kitchen.

Sitting next to Carter is Auston. He holds his hand out at the vase. "Let me see."

Carter hands the vase to him. "Don't get your hopes up high; there's no flowers."

Auston takes it and begins rotating it in front of his eyes, taking in every detail. "Well, it didn't shatter."

Connor slowly turns around to face the two, breathing heavily with a crinkled nose and a glare at the scorched kitchen. "That. Was not. Supposed. to HAPPEN!" He faces them with fists by his sides.

Carter holds his hand out at the vase. "At least it didn't shatter!"

Auston agrees by tapping against the hard, rough side of the vase, creating a hollow knocking sound.

"But I wasn't thinking of that!" Connor roars, his rigid hands out from his sides. "I can't have my powers doing one thing when I command them to do another thing! Bad things can happen—" He holds his hands out to his smouldering kitchen. "—like blowing up my kitchen!"

Auston sets the vase back on the countertop's surface and interlaces his fingers. "It'd take time, Connor. Have patience and practice, then it'd come."

Connor flashes up to the countertop, his hands clutching onto its edge as he leans over it. "I CAN'T wait! If I wait any longer, I'm giving the GHP a better chance to succeed! I don't want that!"

"Well, if you do the same thing you just did, you can blow up their headquarters!" Carter holds his hands out at the seared scene in front of him.

Connor smacks his hands against the countertop and spits out, "They're unpredictable. I tried to do the same thing yesterday, but I ended up creating a mess in my room."

"Ohhh..." The goalie scratches his jaw. "...so that's what happened."

"And that's why" —Connor pushes himself away from the countertop— "I need to master my powers!"

Auston nods his head. "I have faith you will master them."

"Can you stop time?" Carter narrows his eyes at him with curiosity. "You can practice your powers without the fear of the GHP ganging up on you."