Although Jennifer Walters often thought as the She-Hulk as being a different person, she never expected what it would be like to actually meet her.  This also felt like the depiction of an out-of-body experience... at least until she looked down and saw her own green hands and arms to confirm that she was still in her own body.

"Do you see her too?" she stage-whispered quietly to Abigail despite not having been formally introduced or had anything resembling a conversation besides the other girl's simple greeting.

It was unrealistic to expect to be the only teenaged girl to have been empowered by gamma radiation.  A long conversation with her cousin after her own transformation revealed how many people that his alter ego, The Hulk, had encountered that had also been affected by gamma rays such as the Leader and the Abomination.  While it should have been comforting to know that there was someone who may have been facing the same difficulties that she had that she could talk to, Jennifer probably didn't realize that it was making her feel less special by taking away the thing that made her unique.  Hopefully, her classmates could find a way to appreciate Jennifer Walters if they had more than one She-Hulk... or whatever the other girl was calling herself.

It wasn't until the other girl got closer that she noticed the similarities extended beyond green skin and oversized build.  This girl was practically her identical twin.

"Hey!" Jen called out in a friendly greeting with a wave of her hand, trying to suppress the She-Hulk side of her personality that might have taken the other girl's appearance as a challenge as if she had to defend her territory.  "Nice to meet you, I'm Jen.  What do you go by?"

"I'm the She-Hulk", the other girl insisted.

"Sorry, that name's already taken," Jennifer informed her.  "If you don't believe me, I've got the newspaper headlines to prove it."  Not to mention the bad reputation that goes with it, she thought.

"No!  I'm the She-Hulk!", the other girl repeated, clearly becoming more frustrated and angrier, which in turn only ramped up Jennifer's defensiveness and threatened to bring the She-Hulk side of her personality forward.

"Yes" the end was drawn out. Abi wasn't sure what she was seeing either. They looked identical. But identical meant two motorcycle bench pressers looking for a fight.

"Umm.. I'm sure your both eager. But do you think we could not destroy campus on the first day. What about basketball, or ... Or..  hockey or umm.. tiddlywinks?"

A short blonde girl walks up to the others, she's got a set of large fabric cases that obviously contain components of a drum set.  They're stuck together with... grey rope?

"Uh... hi.  Actually I understand this one really well, my codename was taken too.  This really... it's an opportunity."  She doesn't really seem sure about that.  "To come up with a super cool new name.  Or you could trade places all the time and mess with people.". This situation is sitcom gold, but obviously real life is not like tv, even if real life involves walking on walls and your good friend turning into a goblin.

Sensing the tension between the two green girls, she asks "Maybe one of you could help me carry this across campus?"  The drum set sags in her hands as if she's just remembered that it's heavy.

OOC:  She-Hulk, you have pegged it!   I thought I might have write the 'understudy' in but you are grokking this situation well enough to continue with both She-Hulks.  Go ahead and keep writing if you wish.  Or I will pick up for the other She-Hulk in a day or two.]


Some hints:  The other She-Hulk is Earth-682's version of a real Mainstream Marvel character who got powers as a teen but is better known for their adult escapades.  More than Mystique, this character can steal powers and memories from others and not just their appearance.

However, they have not had the best of lives and almost anyone's memories are better than their own.  It is easy enough to get confused about the miserable existence that is real and the better life than is experienced if stolen.  Self-hatred makes them feel that the original is the 'imposter', a classic case of projection.

And this copy of She-Hulk is new to all of this power, something the real Jennifer has had some time to come to terms with.  So this new hulk will have no limits to her anger but very little control.  In short, a fight is likely to break out.

As it happened, we didn't quite have the rules in place when this thread started. So I will let all participants simply write whatever happens.

a.  The increasingly angry copy of She-Hulk may cause all kinds of property damage in her rampage.  She is actually not trying hurt people but she might recklessly endanger them.  I will state that she doesn't actually permanently injure anyone this time around.  But it can come close.

b.  The real She-Hulk and Co. should win this fight simply by having more friends, more control and by being the genuine article.  The fake She-Hulk will begin to fluctuate in power, gaining strength through misplaced rage, losing it by having to ad-lib an identity so very fast.

c.  As she begins to fight, her skin will trend towards a bluish hue and her hair to a whiteness, straying from Jennifer's green skin and dark green hair.  This is a clue to the copy's true identity.  A No-Prize to whoever guesses it.

d.  The wrong She-Hulk will fight until unconsciousness but this is a pretty easy given fate given how much she is outnumbered.  At which point, her true identity can be grasped.

e.  It may be more than attacked teenagers can empathize with but this charlatan's outburst can be more explained by pain, confusion and fear rather than true malice.  Although it may not seem so at the time.

f.  One clue to how this might be resolved.  The copy has temporarily absorbed more from the young and truly heroic She-Hulk than she might have realized at first.  There is one than one kind of strength.

g.  And with that, have at trashing the school as two She-Hulks might battle with associated peeps joining in.  Since no one will be hurt by GM fiat (this time), make this the action-movie set piece.

h.  If this is all too confusing, TDM7, just let it go and I will write for the pale copy in a day or two...

Something... was wrong.

Xié Zhèn gazed into the distance as she felt the first echos.

^{_{:{Anger}... {Pain}... {Confusion}... {Fear}...:}}

She stood up, and began walking toward the source.

:{Anger}... {Pain}... {Confusion}... {Fear}...:

She started running.

Rounding the corner of the building, she saw several girls gathered.  The source of the emotions she detected was green-skinned, though she was starting to pick up rising emotions from the others as well.

She slowed as she came nearer, and gently gazed at the increasingly agitated girl as she held up her hands reassuringly.

"Don't be afraid.  I feel your pain.  But everything is all right now.  We're friends."

"You don't have to face your fears alone.  Do you want me to help?  If so, take my hand..."

The younger girl radiates a peaceful calmness as she speaks and gestures with gentle reassurance.

And as she finishes speaking, she gently holds out her hand, seemingly oblivious to how easily the agitated girl could lash out on her unprotected flesh with potentially lethal effect...

Sasha stepped out of the main building, motorcycle helmet under her arm. Though she was headed for the purple sports cycle out front, the confrontation gave her pause. Two She-Hulks? One looked angry. And Levi was close by. She started to approach and did her best to size up the situation.

[I'd like to Assess the Situation before sticking my nose in it.

11:03, Today: Ricochet rolled 6 using 2d6 ((1,5)).

Uh. I don't think the group has any Team to help me with, so that'd be a miss. Oops. Sorry gang.]

Xié Zhèn had chosen trust over caution.  The mental traumas the young girl flared as a raw nerve would even under the most caring medic's care.  A green fist lifted Resonance off of the ground.  The other emerald fist would keep on going through the nearest wall as if calm young woman had not been in the way.

The jade fingers clenched and hurled forward but it was blue ones that landed harmlessly.  The newly blue stranger now stood where an extra She-Hulk had been.  Her white hair blew slightly in the breeze, the only motion in the now still figure.  And then the blue girl was replaced by yet another Resonance.

The second Resonance now hugged the first, drinking in the freely given friendship and calm.  "<Thank you.>" She said.

And then new Resonance was now another Sasha. "Rico!"  Second Sasha said looking at the first.  Resonance felt the change in memory, trauma being recalled.  She didn't feel Ricochet was the cause of the dread and horror just a reminder of it.

Fear was giving way to anger again, Sasha was beginning to go green all over again.

"Fore!" came a voice.  A tiny projectile landed between Resonance and Re-She-Hulk.  It detonated into a cloud of gas.  The shapeshifter had not yet absorbed She-Hulk resistance to the this gas and slumped into unconscious returning to her normal blue self.

A young woman in ordinary clothing walked up.  "Glad I had some ether eggs handy."  In her hand, she held several more tiny metal eggs like the one she had just thrown...

OOC: And kudos to all for great replies.  A No-Prize to Ricochet for gleaning that this is Copycat, at least the Earth-682 version of her.  And, yes, she can be a fellow lab rat IF the experiment can be said to have activated her latent mutation of shapeshifting.  When Copycat responded to Xié Zhèn, it was in her native Chinese.  I don't know whether that is Cantonese, Mandarin or Pinyin (and I apologize for my ignorance of such languages).  The <angle> in her thanks are a particularly Marvel way of specifying a language other than English.

Sasha dropped her helmet to the ground as she rushed to the shapeshifter's side. The pair clearly knew each other, even though the new girl was... new.

"Vanessa!" Sasha was definitely projecting elevated stress levels to Resonance, a mixture of fear and deep guilt. There was also a short spike of anger at seeing the girl dropped by some sort of gas bomb, but that faded quickly on realizing what happened. She looked to the others and spoke quickly. "This is Vanessa. We got our powers together. She's very sensitive. Xié Zhèn, can you stay with her? You're the kind of person she needs right now."

Xié Zhèn prayed silently as she was lifted off of the ground, which turned to a prayer of thanksgiving as she was drawn into the hug.  In response to her Mandarin, she responded in kind.

"不客气，妹妹 <You are welcome, little sister.>"

Beyond the physical contact, the hug was a truly amazing experience, for the embrace was more than physical.  Her mind was drawn to the mind of her duplicate like two magnets coming together.  They... resonated.  For several moments, she was in full telepathic communion with this mirror image.

In those moments, she could trace the imperfections in that mirror, and glimpse beyond to the tendrils of anger, pain, confusion, and fear behind them.

As Vanessa's form shifted into Sasha's, that telepathic connection was not as wide open as before, but the roots of her trauma were also more exposed.

Xié Zhèn blinked back tears as she passed through this brief but intense journey with her.  Then her eyes widened as the gas cloud engulfed, and as Vanessa's consciousness slipped away within the telepathic link.  Thankfully, she was able to take a breath and step forward to help ease the larger girl down as she fell to the ground.

She nodded gratefully at the egg-shooting newcomer, and nodded again at Sasha with an empathetic gaze.

"Yes, I can stay with her.  No need to fear..."

She sat with Vanessa's head gently cradled in her lap, and stroked her white hair as she spoke with calm reassurance.  Through her gaze, Sasha could sense that her last sentence was addressed to both Vanessa and Sasha...
This message was last edited by the player at 05:37, Sun 20 June 2021.

"Well that was... weird." the blond girl says to She-hulk.

Maybe this sort of thing is going to happen at this school all the time.  Maybe you get used to it.  "Resolved without explosions is better, even if that fight would have been awesome.  I saw you on tv, and I am a fan.  Forget all that bullshit that Jameson said.  I'm Gwen, nice to meet you." The school's policy on revealing identities to outsiders had pretty harsh penalties, and Gwen was going to have to trust it enough for first names because she couldn't live 24/7 in the mask while in a dorm with a bunch of other powered kids.

But what if some of these kids were supervillains?  Gwen's mentors were complete opposites on the secret identity spectrum, Spider-man kept his so secret that she only knew his first name by accident, while Spider-woman had been out for years.  With her name.  She was probably straight.

OOC: Not a fan of the NPC coming in to Deus Ex Machina away the threat at the beginning - shouldn't the PCs be the focus of the action?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:50, Wed 23 June 2021.

Xié Zhèn's calm was catching.  The crisis was beginning to resolve itself.  Other nearby students began to return to whatever they were up to before like it was just another day.  Perhaps it was in this crazy school.

The new girl said, "Greetings, fellow heroes!  Most people call me Sally.  But you can call me The Bluebird!"  The cane, slightly out-of-shape physique and homemade gadgets might have belied the confidence the slightly swaying girl was so desperate to project.  "I'm glad my ether eggs were able to save all of y--" 

Moving one of the strange ovoids with just a few fingers for display without dropping the others might have been a challenge even for Spider-Man.   There was slight crack of the shell and the ether egg detonated, covering 'Bluebird' with a cloud of its sleepy smoke.  She crumpled to the ground, consciousness just lasting long enough to hit the ground without injury.  The two team mates of the new junior team were now alike in insensate slumber.

Two flying figures landed, a quick response time since the seismograph detected what would be a tussle between She-Hulks.   All present recognized the figures.  Few wouldn't.  Visiting professor Iron Man nodded sadly to his peer Storm of the X-Men.  "Perhaps this was too much, too soon for them."  He looked at her as if there was something that needed said but it would best if said by another.  Storm sighed and removed a tiny choker necklace from a belt pouch.  The logo was the circled 'X' of the X-Men.  Her finger touched the logo and it glowed with a soft light.

His armored head was bowed slightly in what seemed sadness.  Ororo did not move or speak, her face expressionless.  But the softest and gloomiest of rains began to fall...

OOC:  The threat of Copycat's crazy powers haven't been stopped by a Deus Ex Machina, they have only been introduced by one.  As I have introduced Copycat, only one of dozens of characters I hope to, I am not sure if you as players like the character.  This tease offers enough of Copycat for me to see player reaction to the character.

If she is unpopular, then her story won't be told for some time if at all.  And then I can spend the time introducing other characters.  If she is popular, that little power inhibiting broach of hers won't be much of an obstacle and her story will continue.  Even if Copycat and the school want her to gain control of herself, a shapeshifter with the power to imitate both thoughts and powers is too much of a prize for nefarious groups to pass up.

I had thought about having Copycat be introducing as seeming to be one of the other PCs (with that player's permission and cooperation) and then be revealed as a friend suddenly changing into a blue imposter.  But this game is already too chaotic for such a trick.

And sometimes more story mileage can be gained from the threat of a perfect imposter more than the reality of one.  If Copycat is missing, are you sure who you really dated last night?

Finally, should Copycat ever make full character status, she would be an interesting take on the rarely-used Joined Playbook.  Anyway, if some players like Copycat, she will return.  Otherwise, another odd character will take up her story space.

Regarding this post, both of the young women, Bluebird and the now revealed blue Copycat, are now unconscious.  If they come across as unstable and not yet hero material.  That is intentional.

Iron Man and Storm are visiting campus today and were able to respond so quickly being some of the quickest fliers.  Although I haven't yet had time to get to the details, you can assume that any hero might be at least visiting the campus at some point.  Also, soon enough you will get to choose your mentor or sponsor.  But for now, Iron Man and Storm are available.

Storm will explain that the X-Men choker necklaces are power inhibitors and very short-range mutant detectors (like a very tiny Cerebro).  The only way the X-Men would even tolerate such a device was if the necklace detected a mutant trying to activate it (such as Storm herself in this post) and if the choker was currently able to be removed and/or disabled by the wearer (Copycat, detected as a mutant by the choker's circuitry).  For some, to even have to use such a device is a sign of failure, a loss of control.  The choker will keep Copycat into her usual blue-skinned, white-haired form for now.

Both girls will be taken to the school infirmary to sleep off the ether gas.  The impression will be that perhaps the junior team is a mistake or at least premature and that the first class (you guys) was a rare and lucky fluke.

And that is where we will leave this scene for now.  You can post some more if you want but if this was a movie, this would be a perfect time to cut to another scene.  Potential and challenge have been revealed and let to ferment in the reader's minds.  That is good enough for now.

All those who participated in this thread now have Influence over Bluebird and Copycat for their grace and understanding in helping them both through one of the worst days of their lives.  If you like these characters and the idea of the junior team in general, express that in your character's thoughts and actions.  Just a throwaway sentence or so will do.   I will get the hint.

The younger girl regarded the well-known figures with a gentle and encouraging gaze.

"The path is challenging, but they will not walk it alone."

After ensuring that the others were all right, particularly the real She-Hulk, she departed with the two sleepers as they were taken to the infirmary, so that she might be there for them when they awakened...

Sasha tried to leave Copycat with Xié Zhèn to catch the falling Bluebird, but there was no way she could get that far in time, and she simply moved to her and made sure she was safe. When the two established heroes arrived, Sasha was looking to them for help until Iron Man spoke. That's when she stood in a defensive position against the pair.

"Too much, too soon? What are you talking about? What did you do to Vanessa?"

Storm's explanation about the collar got some suspicious glares, but another glance at Copycat softened her enough to stand down. "A mutant muzzle, gross. But... I guess it's the only way to help her right now. I'm sorry, ma'am. Sir. If you're sure they're going to be okay now, then I'm going to finish moving my bike." She turned to go back and grab her helmet from the ground, giving a wave to Ghost-Spider and She-Hulk as she did. Her face was still pensive. It had been a lot for one morning.

The younger girl regarded Sasha's pensive face quietly, her own visage empathetic.

"I'm going with them to the infirmary.  Would you like to come by and talk a bit before they wake up?"

Sasha nodded with a small smile and gestured with her head toward the sleek purple motorcycle parked in front of the building.

"Sure, I'll catch up in a minute. Thank you."

Two beds.  Two sleepers.  Two chairs.  Two visitors.

Once they had settled, the younger girl turned her empathetic gaze to the older, still exuding the same gentle calm.

"So... you know Vanessa, and asked me to stay with her, and said that I am the kind of person she needs right now."

"Please... tell me more."

Without her helmet and leather jacket, Sasha looked much more like the teenager she was rather than some action movie star. Her eyes rested on the face from her past, before she nodded and gave her attention to Xie Zhen.

"Everyone here knows I'm a mutant. I control my body and the kinetic force applied to it. Well, I don't really talk about it a lot, but I didn't just wake up one day to these powers kicking in. They were kickstarted. There was this place, hidden, where they were collecting kids like me and experimenting on us, putting science stuff into us to see if they could make super soldiers, because obviously. Vanessa was one of them." Again, Sasha turned to gaze sadly down at the sleeping Copycat.

"I'd already had years of training my body to help me figure out what I could do and how to control it. She wasn't so lucky. That's how I got cocky." Tension in her voice rose, and she couldn't keep talking while looking at either of them, so her eyes went to the floor instead.

"I rounded up the other kids and tried to lead them in an escape attempt. It didn't... I got out. I didn't think anyone else made it. Maybe they did, or maybe this is what happened because I screwed up and left her behind. No idea what she's been through since then. I don't know how to begin apologizing to her."

"Whoa!" Iron Man said, switching his helmet to slight reverb to emphasis.  "I think what these kids need is rest." For all his great qualities, Tony Stark still liked being the center of attention.

"Perhaps comfort and camaraderie is the best kind of rest." Storm countered softly but the was the slightest rumble of thunder.  Not always the most subtle of men, Stark took the hint.  Lightning could play merry hell with his armor.

Copycat was strobing through nearby forms, even when unconscious.  Wind blew and abated in the same rhythm when Storm approached the young girl.  Clasping the pendant around her neck, Ororo activated it, one crossbar of the iconic X (⊗)faded away, leaving only a barred circle glowing (∅).  The nearest mutants themselves felt a slight decrease in their power within a foot or so of the pendant.  It seemed the tiny bit of jewelry had some power over the adjacent as well as the wearer.

Copycat, now just plain Vanessa, had returned to a stable blue skin and white hair.  Storm asked for help getting both young women to the infirmary.

OOC:  This encounter is pretty much done but this story will continue if desired.  Think of it as movie, this is a perfect time to cut to another scene and let these developments perk in the viewer's minds.

All present have Influence over Bluebird and Copycat.  They will recover in the infirmary and return to their dorms. Copycat will keep her pendant on for now but it is like asking a cat to stay indoors.

Soon enough, the Board of Trustees will be convened to see if the Junior Team was a little too ambitious for such a young campus.  Your characters may be called as witnesses.

The pendants will only work on and for mutants.

Oh, forgot to acknowledge our first Move in this game.  Ricochet's attempt to Assess the Situation.  I will try and catch that in the future.  It has been too long since I have got to just run the game. :-)

This message was last edited by the GM at 08:08, Sat 26 June 2021.

The younger girl reached over to gently lay her hand upon Sasha's arm.

"Sasha...  She already knows."

She glanced downward for a moment as well, before looking back up to meet Sasha's eyes.

"Being an Empath is a mixed blessing.  Let me try to explain with an analogy..."

"When we eat in the cafeteria, we are aware of the other conversations around us, even if we are not trying to overhear.  We pick up nearby phrases, or distant laughter, or people yelling from outside, even without meaning to."

"I do not feel that it is my place to invade the privacy of others, unless there is permission or compelling need.  I do pick up nearby phrases of emotions or thoughts, or more distant ones of greater intensity, but I do not generally try to pry."

"However, when Vanessa took my form, our mirrored minds... resonated, and we were drawn into a close telepathic link."

"So I had a clear perspective on just how much her ability mirrors others, not only physically but also mentally.  When taking my form, she did so inside and out.  She had all my memories, though the mirror image had imperfections from her own underlying struggles and trauma."

"Then, while closely linked to me, she changed into your form, inside and out."

"Therefore, I know that she already knows your thoughts, and memories, and emotions.  She knows your fear and guilt.  She knows your regret.  And... so do I."

"It was not my intention to invade your privacy, but since I was linked to her when she took your form, I perceived everything that she did."

"I ask your pardon for intruding upon your privacy... but I hope that some good can come of it.  For I know that she knows your heart already."

"As to your own guilt, I suppose it is natural to struggle with such feelings if you escaped and others did not."

"But should you?  Did you really plan to involve her and then leave her behind?  Or did you do your best to help yourself and others, even if you made mistakes along the way, in very challenging circumstances?"

"Feel free to apologize, if you wish.  But she needs us, and she needs us strong.  To the degree that you are hindered by your own fear and guilt, you will be hindered from helping her."

"I am here for her... and for you as well, to help however I can.  And I am thankful that you chose to come talk with me, and to share your heart."

Usually physical contact got more of a reaction out of Sasha, being that she tended to flinch away. It was much easier to stay relaxed with Xie Zhen, though. Young as she was, she still had a calming way about her that made her feel very safe to be around.

Sasha looked up to meet the girl's eyes and gave a small smile.

"Thank you, really. That means more coming from you than it could from anyone else. But I need to apologize to her. And make amends, you know? Even if she understands, it's still something that she shouldn't have had to put up with in the first place. I decided to protect her and I failed, so I'd like to make sure she's okay from now on. She's my responsibility." Again, she looked to Vanessa, this time more focused on the collar inhibiting her powers.

"I really hate that she has to wear that thing, too. It makes my skin crawl just being close to it. It's been giving me a rough time holding in my powers. Isn't it supposed to do the opposite?"

The younger girl was touched by the words of the older girl as she was thanked, and nodded at her desire to care for Vanessa.

Her own eyes then followed Sasha's gaze to Vanessa's collar.

"As we learn to control our powers, I think we reach a certain balance as we shoulder the weight.  Being near the collar partially interferes with that balance, and destabilizes it."

"I know how you feel.  It is hard for me to see her like this.  But I understand the need, and it may actually help her."

"Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of thoughts and emotions around me, and need a quiet place.  How much more so for her?"

"She doesn't just empathize with those around her, but she actually becomes them, inside and out.  Her path has been a traumatic one, and almost anyone's memories are better than her own.  It is already hard enough to learn to control our powers, but the only refuge she has found has been in not controlling them."

"This collar will give her a quiet place, and a chance to come to terms with her own memories.  But it won't be easy.  She will need us."

Her gaze moved over to the other bed.

"Sally will need a friend as well.  Perhaps I should try to get to know the new arrivals better.  Last year, we were the trailblazers.  This year, we can try to help the new ones along the path..."

OOC:  I am enjoying your character's interaction and don't actually want to interrupt it.  At some point, Iron Man and Storm want to take Bluebird and Copycat to the Infirmary where they will wake up in about an hour.

If your characters are not objecting to this, they can accompany the heroes and sleeping students.  Or you can protest their treatment.  Or, even sneakier, you can at least play along for now.

At some point, a meeting of the mysterious Board of Trustees will be called to discuss how unexpectedly 'problematic' the new Junior Team has become.  Your characters may be called as character witnesses.  This subplot can happen 'in the background' or your characters can take an active part in the debate and this will be an actual IC scene sometime in the near future.

If the time seems right, I will introduce the new and differently problematic third member of the Junior Team.

Y'all have put more life into this scene than I expected.  That's quite impressive.  So I am going to Marvel Method this and just sketch out the broad beats (as I have done above) and let you fill in the details for now.  This is what Stan Lee did with Jack Kirby (and with others) so it is very Marvel.  Of course, claiming the lion's share of the credit was also (arguably) very Stan Lee..

[Way ahead of you, boss, we were just having this conversation in the infirmary itself. There was a transition you missed. :P]

Sasha gave an acknowledging nod to her friend, her spirits definitely lifted.

"Looks like we're going to have to step up more than just our field training."

[And I think that's all I've got for this scene, myself.]

OOC: Yes, I took the liberty of jump-cutting us into the infirmary starting with msg #20.

I'm also good with this scene as is.  Thanks, Ricochet!  :)

I would be up for an actual IC scene dealing with the problematic junior team subplot.

For that matter, I would also be up for an actual IC scene here in the infirmary once Vanessa and Sally wake up.

However, all that takes GM time and effort, so feel free to either run or background such scenes as needed.  :)

OOC: I am sorry for this very delayed post and for missing that the scene had already switched to the infirmary (you guys are very good at intuiting how story threads should play out).

I've now started IC Scene 4: Idle Hands...  This is the now single and linear thread for the game.  Essentially, your characters are free for the weekend.  It takes place a few hours after this thread and this is how the this thread and the new one will merge together.

Your characters can start the new thread in the Study Hall, eating pizza and wondering what you will do with some free time.  Or your characters can be at the hospital, still with Bluebird and Copycat as the new thread starts.

The two new girls are now cleared to leave the hospital.  They are dispirited at how they have disappointed their school, team and themselves.   They are worried about whether they will be allowed to be 'active' students (that is, being trained how to be superheroes when they are not learning algebra) or inactive students (when they are more trained not to be heroes and to suppress their powers).   They have been very touched by everyone who participated in this thread and can be considered to be Influenced (as in the game term) by the older students.  Copycat will keep her power-suppressing pendant but it 'itches', like a tight corset.  Mutations want to be used.

If the girls are invited along for whatever happens tonight, they will go and be tagalongs with their new friends this thread.  If they are not invited, they will go back to their dorm, chug down tubs of ice cream and watch sad, sad movies on TV.

If the girls are invited along, the actual interaction and invitation can be written out or they can all be at the Study Hall, the invitation happening off-screen and  just before the new scene begins...