It was a murky and gray day. The sunlight was struggling to poke through the thick blanket of clouds covering it and chills from the north had rolled in which meant it was coat and hoodie season. The crunch of frosted grass underfoot echoed through the silent clearing as we made our way to the Coloso. We met up with all the other second-years.
"I thought it was just going to be our class... have we made a mistake?" Poland whispered to Germany.
I took a seat on the smooth marble top of the Colosseum walls, a dangerous spot, but it stopped everyone from gathering around me like usual and balance was no problem for me. Everyone had pretty much settled down by the time NATO stepped onto the platform.
He raised his arms, commanding for silence, then began, "Last class, we discussed the topic of famous Awakeners. Am I correct?"
We nodded and he continued his lecture, "If that is the case, then I think you will be able to easily answer this question: Who is the current bigshot and why is this individual recognized by the world?"
I felt a small smile creep onto my face but no one saw since I was laying on my back, facing the sky. Oohs and ahs echoed throughout the structure as the students practically jumped for a chance to answer.
"It's America isn't it?"
"Yeah! And he is recognized because he has a crazy strong Awakening!"
"He was ranked number one on his first try!"
"He's in a lot of movies and commercials too!"
People began to call out their answers, hand-raising was completely forgotten and a vein in Mr. NATO's temple started to throb. It was a sure sign that his almost-non-existent patience was almost up.
"Germany... would you like to give us an answer?"
Of course he would turn to Ger.
"America is the one of the newest Awakeners to make history. Yes, many of your other points are correct. But ultimately, he is recognized as the youngest Awakener to ever be recorded. The average age of Awakening is 17, but America awakened at the age of 13. Early Awakeners, also known as Primo Awakeners, are extremely rare and are usually the most powerful. One may notice that Famous Awakeners are very likely to also be Primo Awakeners. America is no exception."
A slow round of applause started after Germany had finished. He was a human encyclopedia and no one could say otherwise. I got to my feet and sprang off, using the wall as a diving board, flipped through the air and did my favorite hero landing right next to Mr. NATO.
"Dude, you're awesome. Really know your stuff." I praised, "But Primo Awakeners are not as happy as you'd think. 99.9% of the time, they are triggered through some sort of extreme pain. Mental or physical... or both. Personally, I discovered mine during the War of Independence with old Teabag. To be specific, just after he stabbed me with a bayonet."
Memories of that day began to flood back into my head, "I think I almost gave him a heart attack when I started glowing. The expression on his face was priceless."
"The point is," NATO interjected before I could ramble on, "we will be continuing with our Awakening session. But like a Primo Awakener, we will be using... a trigger to speed up the process."
People turned to one another, with curiosity and fear.
"Wait... a trigger?" Canada inquired, "It won't be painful... right?"
Leave it to my brother to ask about safety.
"No, Canada. It won't be painful. There will be someone coming to help us. He's not here yet so let's take this time to get our hearts pumping before we start with the real work," then he wheeled on me, "Stop smirking America, at least your brother has a sense of self protection!"
Mr. NATO took over from there. People got into pairs and warm up began.
I stood at the side. I was not going to participate unless I was asked to. Just another limitation given to me as a precaution. Instead, my job was to observe.
I was here to find a teammate for the upcoming tournament.
"At the moment, only Germany has Awakened. He has much potential," a melodic, almost metallic, voice whispered behind me.
I spun around to find none other than Headmaster UN.
"Oh dude! You should wear a bell. When did you get here?"
He shook his head slowly and gave a small, amused sigh, "Dear America, only you would speak to me so informally."
"So?"
"Nothing," he gave me a gentle smile. A chill raced up my spine. If I were to be honest, nothing felt right with this guy.
Mr. UN was a tall, slim man with a very elegant and flowing visage. He wore a shining white suit that dirt could never seem to touch. A golden wreath crowned his sky blue hair. His eyes were pitch black, like doors into deep space. To top it all off, he has five floating extra hands that disappear and reappear whenever he sees fit.
"Are we ready to begin?"
"UN! Glad you could make it, we were just wrapping up warm up," NATO exclaimed as he jogged up to us. UN smiled and turned to face the student body.
"Children! Attention please," he called spreading his arms wide. An eerie calm swept through the Coloso. A shudder ran up my back, this was a familiar feeling. It was a feeling I hated.
"I will be overseeing your session today. Please note that this is a new method, one we have not used before but it will hopefully speed the process up."
Austria raised his hand and said, "Sir, could you explain this new process? And why are we using this... possibly more efficient method now?"
He reached into his pocket and extracted a small note, "Due to some concerns, the Tournament has been moved forward. So we are pressed for time. As for your first inquiry, I am one of the 3 Powers, along with Mr. EU and ASEAN, and we are defined by our... unique ability. We amplify Awakenings and by doing so, it will be far easier to trigger them. Think of it as hitting the ground running."
"So... like steroids?" someone called.
UN's face twisted with discomfort, "My dear child, couldn't you find a better comparison?"
Mr. NATO and I were writhing on the floor, shrieking with laughter...
After we had settled down, UN began to work with the others while Germany and I were escorted to the other side where Mr. NATO would work with us.
"We saw what you could do last time and I don't want to deal with Amplified Germany. Not to mention America here," NATO joked.
And just like that, our first experiment began.
Flashback: Nobody pov
Smoke blanketed the night sky, blotting out the stars. Beneath it lay the aftermath of The Incident. A laboratory situated on a small island was now nothing more than smoke and ash. In the middle of it all lay a young boy with a body made of fire. His three pitch black eyes stared blankly at nothing. As absurd as it sounds, this fire boy nearly caused the earth's destruction.
Just a few minutes ago, a grand laboratory held him in a fireproof chamber where he unwillingly unleashed his power. His screams of agony rang through the entire building as he burned in his own fire. He was fireproof. It was part of his abilities. But this was no normal fire. It was a golden color with deadly corrosive fumes. The fire was so hot that it burned just fine in almost Zero Kelvin temperatures. It was nicknamed The Unquenchable Fire, for no substance was able to extinguish the fire. It was an element unmatched in power. The scientists scribbled notes and questions, no plea for help from the test subject reached their cruel ears. All they saw was a specimen, so very intriguing.
Unparalleled, and uncontrollable.
The boy began to flicker, flames began to dance and gather creating a single concentrated point so bright that it rivalled every star in the solar system.
The scientist's eyes widened as they realized what was about to happen. But it was too late.
The experiment was called, 'Project Sunfire.'
Author's Notes: God I need help... writer's block is kicking me in the face and I can't seem to focus. I'm going to take a break to focus on other tasks. I might update a few random times in the next 2 months but I will go to sleep now.
*country's age does not =country's look/physique (America was 13 during the War, but looked like a young soldier)