Delving Deep Beneath the Earth [Private] [Training]

Blake stood still, glaring attentively at the clump of dirt gripped within his palm. He had never before tried to push the limitations of his power beyond the reaches of what he had already accomplished. Yes, mutant powers had their benefits, but he never really felt like exploring the depths of what he could do with his abilities. He focused his concentration on the clump of earth in his hands as it began to gently levitate an inch off the surface. This had always been the extent of Blake’s powers. He could manipulate the physical direction of earth and minerals, but now his mind had pondered onto a different question. “Could I do anything else?” What else he could use his powers for were beyond him, but he recalled a moment of his childhood. As a young boy, he adored molding clay into different shapes and designs. Now he asked himself if the same could be done through the manifestations and evolution of his mutant powers. He closed his eyes and focused all his attention on the task at hand. Through the manifestation of his mutant abilities, he has since felt an almost spiritual connection to the earth. Although this connection has been somewhat faint, he has noticed an increase in connectivity since pursuing and developing his powers. As he closed his eyes, he visualized every aspect of the dirt now clinched firmly within his palm: the smell, the texture and the shape. He slowly released his grip and left the dirt laying calm on the surface of his hands. With his eyes closed he focused all of his energy and his attention to the earth on his skin. He pictured himself molding and shaping the clump of dirt into different shapes. He molded the dirt into a circular ball, then into a thin sheet and finally a caterpillar. The caterpillar developed into a cocoon and metamorphosis developed it into a shell. The shell eventually broke free and descript brown butterfly broke through the boundaries of the cocoon and flew freely through the sky. He took a deep breath in as he slowly opened his eyes. When the barrier of his eyelids cracked open to allow light through his eyes, he took a glimpse at his wonderful creation. Unfortunately, sitting in the palm of his hand was the same clump of dirt that he had started with.

There was no butterfly, no cocoon, not even a ball. He slammed the dirt on the table as he took a moment to recollect. He had never before tried to push the boundaries of his abilities and he honestly had no idea what to do. He had tried to apply the same principles that manipulated the physical direction of the earth to this reconstruction of shape, but it had no effect. He wasn’t even certain, was this possible? If it was, how do you even go about discovering new powers? It’s one thing to practice and gain control over something you already know how to do, but it’s completely different to try and learn something so abstract with no direction. He picked up the dirt again, the grit clumped between his finger nails. He closed his eyes and pictured the transformation of his earth once again. This time, however, he avoided using the same energy that he applied to the physical manipulation of the earth’s direction. Instead he tried to apply something abstract, something intangible, something that might not even exist. He pictured the soil as a vibrant living component. He felt the earth’s heart beat as he began to shape and chance its physical disposition. The clump in his hand was no longer a compilation of dirt; it was an extension of Blake himself. He pictured the dirt transforming from its hilltop shape into a round sphere. He could feel the particles of dirt contracting from the palm of his hands into a focal point. He opened his eyes and there it was, although crude, it was a start. He started twisting and churning his creation until he eventually grasped firm control over his newly found ability. He tried to use both of his abilities simultaneously, lifting his morphed earth. The first hundred times the earth crumbled back down to his palm, but eventually his control increased and the dirt would slowly rise while maintaining its adjusted shape, one inch at a time. Time had become an anomaly and sleep was non-existent at this moment. Blake had finally delved into the depth of his mutant genes and discovered something new. An adrenaline rush that only pushed him to pursue is powers further as he created a spectacle of art with his newly found powers.


Ability Developed:

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He had, for the first time in his life, developed his mutant powers beyond what he thought was possible. There was always a sense of resentment associated with his abilities, as he felt that they could hinder his ability to live a normal life. He was pleased to no longer be an outcast or nitpicked for having a disheartening trait, but now in spite of all that he felt a sensation that he had never felt before. He spent the last several days learning to hone his newly sought powers, yet he grew wary of that rush. It was like an adrenaline rush and now he would do anything to maintain that level of excitement. He took a seat in his chair and pinched a large rock from within the pocket of his hooded sweater. He placed the flat end of the rock on the surface of the table. He moved his fingers along the sides of the stone, feeling every groove and jagged edge. It seemed that being accustomed to the texture and properties of his earth was a key factor of his powers manifestations. What he had learned from his previous attempts, however, were that no two powers worked the same and that the process to discover new abilities were an absolute mystery. Since finding a way to shape and mold the properties of Mother Nature, a plethora of new innovations sprouted within the mind of the young man. He had been able to freely move and shape solid objects through his powers, but now he began to wonder if he could break them down into smaller pieces, as well as mesh several solids into one larger frame. Blake was never one for the sciences, but he did well to keep himself informed. He really had no idea what he was talking about, but his hopes were that he could change the molecular composition of solid matter to form different pieces out of a whole (and vice versa). This way, a boulder could easily crumble into a heap of pebbles with nothing but his thoughts and the manipulation of his planet. He placed the rock back into his right hand, clinching it firmly to analyze its touch before loosening his fingers and leaving his palm flat. He wanted to see if he could turn this rock into a compilation of little stones, almost crushing it with nothing but a thought. He closed his eyes and focused his attention to nothing but the palm of his hand and the rock between his fingers.

He did his best to separate the energies required to perform other tasks and tried to discover the unique properties of this ability, if it were even possible. He pictured in his mind, every atom and particle of that rock as an individual compiling the whole – each was breathing and each had its own soul. He imagined slight cracks forming within the grooves of the rock, slowly fracturing more and more as he focused all of his energy into the rock and his palm. Each individual soul within that rock was beginning to make its descent towards individuality. More and more cracks would appear beneath the jagged ends and through the flat bottom of the rock. Blake could almost feel the texture of the stone change as broken sectors of the rock stimulated the different nerves in his palm. With one final push of strength and amalgamated energy he pictured the rock explode into a pile of rubble clustered and covered by little pebbles that once formed the whole. He took a deep breath in as his mutant powers began to settle. He took a moment to recollect his thoughts as he slowly peaked through the openings from his eyelids. There, sitting comfortable between the boundaries of his palm were three large stones. It wasn’t nearly as spectacular or bountiful as he had expected; however, it was progress none the less. He had once again proven his abilities to be potentially limitless. It was also quite evident that the rate at which he could develop these powers were beginning to increase with comfort. What had previously taken almost a day’s work to accomplish had now been completed in a matter of hours. Yes, it only took half a day to discover a new power but it would take days and weeks of practice to evolve the potency and ease of his new found ability.



Ability Developed:

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With the sudden growth of his mutant abilities, Blake started to recognize things that he had never notice before. He began to sense the different attributes surrounding the earth and associated with his powers. It was no longer just the earth that he could feel, but a different energy surrounded the objects that he focused his energies on. There was a force pulling down on not just the earth that he controlled, but the entire earth as a whole. It was distinct, but when manipulating a piece of earth Blake could feel that gravitational pull on that sole object. It was distinct, because it pushed the same force on the object as on the rest of the earth but it was there. With his last several weeks of practice, Blake had learned to alter the molecular disposition of the object he controlled. This led him to believe that he could potentially change the earth farther. If he could change their physical form, why not change their physical state? Why couldn’t he make an object thinner or thicker or change the transparency? On that note, what is stopping an individual who can manipulate the earth from change the physical properties of an object to the extent where it’s mass and density differs. Blake was certain that this was practical, yet it was more intangible than anything that he had tried to discover before in regards to the manifestation of his mutant abilities and powers. Could a pebble weigh as much as a brick and could a boulder weight as much as a grain of sand? Both seemed unlikely; however, if the world we now live in has proven anything to Blake is that the unexpected is far more expected than the norm. He took a step outside and walked several meters before stopping and placing his foot over a small skipping stone. He bent over and picked up the jagged rock, weighing no more than a pound. He threw the pebble up and down in his hand before clinching his fist and making it back into the small room that was sheltering him. He sat down in the same, described and lightly dimmed room that had been the safe-haven of his practice. He placed the stone on the table and gave it a quick glance. He took in every sense and every attribute that the small sediment possessed: the scent, the touch, the sound (although there really weren’t any), the sight and the taste (yes, even the taste). Blake chuckled for an instance at the fact that he had just licked a rock.

“Ahaha, I’m going crazy”, he said to himself. He followed the same ritual that had led him to discovering the previous two adaptations of his power over the earth element. He clinched the pebble firmly between his fingers before releasing it and allowing it to restful peaceful within the confines of his palm. He allowed ever nerve in his palm to analyze the pebble before closing his eyes and placing his attention on nothing but the flow of his energy and the stone laying on his hand. At first he pictured the rock growing in exponential size, but he could feel the stone getting bigger in his hand. He quickly recognized that he was trying to avoid expanding the physical rock and only altering the mass of the object. He quickly resized the stone as he attempted to discover a new aspect of his mutant power. He took in a deep, calculated breath. Hours had passed, but in this instance there was no value for time. He imagined the rock laying heavy in his hand. In his mind, it slowly grew denser and began to overwhelm the strength of his arm. He felt a clinching pain as he suddenly opened his eyes. He looked down to find his hand caught firmly between the surface of the table and the weight of the small stone. The pain seared through his hand as he clinched his teeth. He once again closed his eyes as he attempted to regain his composure. He began to conjure the thought of the stone lightening in mass to the point of a feather. He slowly opened his eyes as he felt the sudden release of pressure. There it was, the pebble brought back to its original weight and mass. The introduction to a new ability had been recognized and now it was time to focus on the evolution and practice of this ability.



Ability Developed:

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Satisfied with the exponential growth of his newly developed mutant abilities, Blake Harolds’ decided to take a walk outside midnight New York City. Blake took in a deep breath of hair. It was incredible, he could now sense every inch of the earth transmitting through the soles of his feet. Now Blake was never one for spirituality, he was much more apathetic towards beliefs and would prefer to pursue his own life as he saw fit. This, sensation though, it was unlike anything Blake had ever felt before. Every inch and every aspect of the earth had its own unique presence and Blake Harold’s could identify every individual one. Now, he was never one for confrontation but he knew that if he sauntered into the ‘right’ areas he might just find himself in a predicament where he’d be forced to resort to his powers. He found himself crawling up and down a backstreet ally until he was approached by a particular group of people. “Well look what he got here, boys” the apparent ringleader of the group stated. He was a small slender individual, clearly the ‘brains’ and the ‘voice’ of the operation, well at least in comparison to the other buffoons Blake Harolds’ thought to himself. There were about five of them, each clad in ragged clothing and clearly looking to be hopped up on one substance or another. “So you’re one of those cliché Yankee brats I always here about. I’ve seen less oil in a greaser movie” Blake declared, clearly mocking the appearance and condition of the gang members. Without warning the small scrapper flung himself at Blake, well aware that his cronies would soon follow. Blake suddenly lunged forward and leaned down, using his limited high-school wrestling experience. With one enemy clearly incapacitated for the time being, Blake turned his head to the sight of the largest brute with only two feet away from his face. With an instant thought, a large cement wall sprouted up from the alleyway below and absorbed the impact of the brute’s first. As the brute flinched in pain, Blake punched his fist through the wall, expanding the cement out in a fist shape and caught the thug dead center on the chest, hurling him back several feet.

The three remaining scrappers, all lengthy individuals, were clearly concerned with the revelation of their opponents’ unnatural powers. They looked as if they were about to retreat, before the ringmaster still laying helpless on the floor titled his head and commanded them to attack. Blake looked over and caught the leader in the chin with a sturdy kick, leaving him dazed and with the taste of blood circulating through his mouth. He quickly disposed of the first two thugs that launched at him by running up the sides of the alley wall, using his powers to mend the earth to his feet as he stepped. He dropped down with force and momentum as he grounded their heads into the pavement. As he turned his body one-hundred and eighty degrees to contact the final individual left in the skirmish, he stepped back in concern as the man had a sturdy knife clinched within his hand. As Blake took the appropriate stance to disarm the man, one of the other thugs lying nearly lifeless beneath Blake’s feet grabbed him by the ankle to provide as a distraction. With eye-contact broken for only an instance, the aggressor lunged at him with a knife. Typically, this wouldn’t have been a difficult situation to diffuse; however, Blake had been both off-balanced and distracted and he found the tip of the blade only an inch from his kidney. With no recollection of what or how, the earth sprout up from beneath him and covered his body in a suit sturdy armor. He quickly grabbed the thugs arm and pinned it to the ground as he removed the weapon. For the first time since his powers first manifested, Blake had achieved a new ability of his earth manipulation through circumstance as opposed to practice. He focused his attention as the almost sentient earth around his body diverged slowly from the top of his head and back into the ground below.



Ability Developed:

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