in another life, he’d commanded fear and respect by something as simple as being in a room. a lifetime ago, he’d been able to make people wither with a glance, beg and plead as he walked toward them through the flames he moved through as though they were a part of him. people have maintained a healthy fear of him even in prison- the guards had a hilarious tendency to scuttle and scramble like roaches should he have even moved too quickly- power dampeners or not.
but something about the sight of his boy reduces him to a puddle. maybe it’s the fact warren had been a squishy-faced little baby the last time he’d gotten to see him, that he’s now taller than him, that every missed birthday and milestone seem to hit him in the chest at the same time and leave him struggling for breath- his tears are nothing but steam.
he surges forward like the tide, arms firmly locking around his son, his beautiful boy who he’s missed so much it feels like an ache somedays.
Jay quirked a brow, studying the other guy carefully. How he kept hiding his hands, tucking them away, as if he were extremely wary, or almost as if he were readying himself in case this turned into a fight. Which Jay could understand, given the island prison where he’d grown up. Always having to watch your back, keep your eyes on the shadows, brace yourself for an attack.
But this guy had some serious attitude. Like, what was his deal? He was giving off some angry vibes, and made Jay wonder what kind of thorn was stuck in his side. He was acting as if this whole thing was extremely inconvenient for him, that he clearly would rather be anywhere else right now. But how was that Jay’s problem? He was the one who’d been transported into a different world! If anyone had been seriously inconvenienced here, it was him.
He felt himself making a face, his forehead wrinkling in confusion, as the guy spoke again. Comic books? What did that have to do with anything? Sure, Jay had read comic books (when he could sit still long enough), and they were pretty cool (better reading than regular books). But still.
“Comic books?” he said, frowning. “What does that have to do with–” Suddenly something clicked. “Wait–” His eyes widened slightly. “Are you talking about people with super powers?” The corners of his mouth lifted in a wide grin. “Do you mean super heroes?” he asked, growing more excited. “Are super heroes a thing here?” How awesome would that be!
He sighed. Boom goes the dynamite, as they say.
“Yeah.” He nods, keeping his eyes closed just a bit more than a blink. Alright. Got that. “Superheroes are real. Cool.” He tossed some hair from his face. “Can you keep it down, for like. Aminute?” Jesus. This was getting harder and harder to keep under wraps. Should he bother trying? Well, yeah. He knew the pros of it. But goddamn. He swallowed back another complaint.
“Look, just–” He pauses. Just for a second, just long enough to put thoughts together. “Just. If we’re talking about this stuff, we should go somewhere else.” A pointed glance towards the road. Yes, it was dark, and yes, there weren’t a lot of people here at the moment, but that could easily change. Especially in this part of town. And, even if it didn’t, just standing in the open made them look weird. People noticed stuff like that. People didn’t just linger in the inner city.
(He didn’t need the cops called on him again, especially not because of someone else.)
He gave the stranger a pointed nod and started walking. An invitation to either leave, or to follow; either one. He was pretty sure he knew what the answer would be, though. Where to have this conversation, then? The park? No, not this late. And most places would be closed - at least, all the ones that would let someone their ages in. Not gonna take a weird stranger home. Even if Mom probably wouldn’t be there. (Gotta be smart about these things.)
“So, yeah. Superheroes are real, and they’re everywhere. Next question?”
“I dunno.” It’s an honest answer, not an eloquent one. He thinks for a moment, pressing his lips together. She deserves a better answer than that. He could come up with one, too. Just give him a moment.
“I guess-” He stops. Chews the inside of his cheek. Shrugs again. “I dunno. You’ve done a lot for us. I don’t want you to think we don’t appreciate it.”
“Yeah.” Had he meant to sound so bitter? He wasn’t sure. Maybe. Probably. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides. He doesn’t realize that they’re blazing.Not until he looks down. … He doesn’t bother extinguishing them.
“Yeah, I’m sure you didn’t!” He snapped as he turned to face her. Yeah, he was angry. He was damn furious. Maybe he’d regret this later. He probably would. But, no. Not right now. That was a problem for Warren to deal with in the future. This was a problem for Warren to deal with now. And fuck, it was a problem he was gonna deal with.
“But guess what? You did! And now, just like always, I have to clean up your mess!”
It looked like it was pretty hard for this guy to actually admit out loud what they were both thinking, but, hey. Jay didn’t blame him for not wanting to say aloud something that made anyone sound like a lunatic. It was all totally crazy. But then again…maybe it wasn’t necessarily as crazy as he’d first thought. Being accidentally transported to an alternate universe was on an entirely different level, for sure, and it was a new one, but when he really thought about it…. Was it really that much of a stretch from any of the other crazy, magical things that happened on a weekly basis back home?
Jay held up one gloved hand. “Hold up a sec,” he said. “We might be able to figure this out on our own. I say we at least give it a try before we drag anyone else into this. Besides, it’s probably smarter to keep this on the down low.” Jay was wary of the idea of ‘asking for help’ from some other stranger here, particularly when he didn’t know anyone there or know who he could and could not trust. He didn’t particularly know anything about this world he found himself in, other than that it appeared to be similar to his own.
He needed to know what he was working with, so he could get a better idea of where to start from here. He lowered his voice. “I’m from a world where magic is a daily occurrence,” he said. “As bizarre as this whole thing is, it’s not that much of a stretch.” He paused, studying the other guy. “What’s the norm for this world?”
Great. He was stubborn. This guy was weird, and stubborn. What a great combination! … To be fair, though, the adults were kind of useless. That was a constant in his life. (Except Mom. Love you, Mom.) After all, what help had they been with Pain? None, that’s what. Same with life. So, like… Why bother? Why bother at all? Might as well just go along with how weird this all is. Seemed to be his lot.
“Fine.” He huffs. He’ll go along with it, but he won’t be happy about it. Warren Peace is never happy about anything.Ever. Especially not crazy hijinks. (He had a reputation. And, you know, common sense. Common sense that said this was a terrible idea. Common sense that said, best case scenario, he’d never want to think about this again. Worst case? He dies. Day in the life.) “Fine. If you wanna get killed.” He’s also gonna roll his eyes and toss his hair out of his face. Gotta make sure his displeasure is known. (When was it not? The number of people who’ve seen him happy is in the single digits.) He crosses his arms, tucks his arms over his chest, hides his hands away. Just in case.
“… Magic.” He sighs to himself. Magic. Right. Again, at this point, why not. At least it’s not mad scientists or evil robots again. Could be a change of pace. He shook his head, then shrugged. At least his own life couldn’t be that weird by comparison.
“Do you have comic books in your world? It’s like that. But, you know, real.”
Messy hair was readjusted before a low sigh left lips. “This is the fourth time he’s made this attempted… as long as Aisha manages to keep her claws out of him and his progress, he might get better.” David’s alcoholism was always a weird topic for the boy to talk about. It was nowhere near as bad as everyone made it out to be, but at the same time it wasn’t great, though Jamie’d never really voice this because he loved his dad too much and was doing what he could to defend him. “So, here’s to hoping?” If he had a glass of something he would have raised it, but he settled for a simple shrug.
“How’s everything with you guys?” He glanced around the living room, then headed towards the couch only to sit on the floor and lean against it with his legs crossed. “How’s your mum?”
“Hey, at least he’s trying.” Warren shrugs. He crosses his arms loosely. Lets his head tilt to the side. It’s nice to see Jamie feeling better. Nice to know things are going well. He won’t admit it often, but he worries.People tell him it’s not healthy; that he has enough to worry about. Don’t add any more stress. And, yeah. They had a point. Studies did show that stress was really bad for you. But he couldn’t help it - Jamie was basically family. Basically his brother. And he was in a really bad situation, so, Warren couldn’t help it. Call it force of habit.
He looked up again at the question. Raised a brow. He thought for a second, settling back in his seat.
“We’re fine.” He said, brushing some hair from his face. “I mean-” He stopped. Paused. He didn’t have to lie to Jamie. He knew that. And it wasn’t like anything bad had happened. Or anything good, for that matter. It was normal. But ‘fine’ still felt like a lie. Huh.
My dash icon was made by Mouse. My gif icons were made by Katy. My 'normal' icons were made by this darling right here. All of these were given to me as gifts; If you'd like to use them, you'd have to ask the respective creators. Theme background was made by me, and I'd appreciate if it wasn't used. Thanks!
Basics
☠ Hi! Thanks for reading these. My name's Jay. I'm 22 years old and Canadian, use they/them/their pronouns, am set in the EST timezone, and I have about 11 - 12 years of roleplay experience across various sites. ☠ The headcanons on this blog are mine. While I'm happy to discuss them with duplicates, I'd rather they not be copied. ☠ That being said, I will write with other Warrens! Twin verse, alternate timelines, whatever. We can work it out. ☠ I'm fine with pre-established relationships, but keep in mind, those take work. If this is something you're interested in, it's got to be something we work out OoC. ☠ No godmodding, guys - Respect that Warren is controlled by me, and I'll respect your muse is controlled by you. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU REALLY WANT TO HAPPEN, like, say, your character has some psychic power that can knock people out, just hit me up in the IMs. Something like 'Hey Jay, is it cool of [muse name] uses their power to knock Warren out in our thread?'. Chances are the answer will be yes, but I appreciate the heads-up either way. ☠ Don't be afraid to message me! I promise, I don't bite. Just remember to be polite, and I'd be happy to chat with you! ☠ I do format my posts with smalltext, and a bit of stylised bolding and whatnot. If this makes it difficult for you to read, just let me know! I promise, you're not bothering me by telling me you can't read smalltext, or the random bolds make it harder for you to follow. Roleplaying is only fun when it's fun for both of us. ☠ Anon hate and drama won't be tolerated. If I find out you're spreading it, you'll be blocked. If you've gotta post something, at least tag it. It skeevs me out, personally. ☠ Warren's thoughts and actions are not my own. Just because he's being rude, doesn't mean I (the mun) don't like you or your character. ☠ Warren canonically speaks Mandarin. I do not. While I'll do my best in this regard, understand it's gonna be a lot of googling and probably won't be perfect.
Interactions
☠ This blog is semi-selective and semi-private. That means I won't necessarily write with or follow back everyone who follows me. This is for my own comfort, as well as just keeping things in order for me. ☠ On a related note, I'm a full-time student with a part-time job and another blog, so I'm not always gonna be here. If I'm not answering something, chances are I'm AWOL. If it's been a week or two and you haven't heard about something I owe you, feel free to give me a poke! Just, be patient. ☠ While I might have mains, I'm not doing exclusives. This might be subject to change later, it might not; For now, I just wanna be able to write with everyone. ☠ I'll do oneliners, multipara, novella, anything. I also do not expect you to match post length. I tend to ramble, I get it. But, if I write a few paragraphs and you give me a sentence or two, that's not going to fly. I need something to work with, you know? ☠ If you want to continue an ask as a thread, feel free to! I find it flattering. Just, move it to its own post, okay? ☠ If you want something plotted or have an idea for a thread, please let me know in advance! ☠ While I do look for partners who've got a good grasp of spelling and grammar, I make typos, too. I also understand if English isn't your first language, or if you have a disability that makes writing hard. Don't sweat it. You do your best and I'll do mine, right?
Shipping
☠ For starters, my main ships for Warren are Warren/Will, Warren/Layla, and the OT3 of Will/Warren/Layla. If you play a Will or Layla, I'm not gonna make you ship with me. If you ship it, too, great! If not, I love the platonic best-friends vibe these two/three have, too. But even for these pairs, if it's a ship, I'm gonna want to have some build-up to it. ☠ PLEASE don't force ships. This is a big pet peeve of mine. Unrequitted feelings are not forcing ships. Assuming Warren's going to have a crush on your muse and they're going to get along great and be the perfect fluffy happy couple is. As I mentioned above, I prefer ships to develop organically. It also helps if I know the mun! ☠ Keep in mind that, in movie canon, Warren's a minor (15 years old). I'm not shipping him with an adult in that period for obvious reasons. Really, any big age gap is a no-no for me, but that's a big one. ☠ Again, because he's a minor, don't expect to see a lot of smut on this blog, if any at all. Any that did happen would be set in his adult verses, but given that neither of us are especially fixated on the subject, it probably won't happen, period.
NSFW, Triggers, and Tagging
☠ IF YOU NEED SOMETHING TAGGED, PLEASE TELL ME. It takes 0.5 seconds for me to tag a post, I promise it doesn't bother me. ☠ I don't do noncon/dubcon or pedophilia. Just don't come to me with that. ☠ Due to Warren's home life, personality, and abilites, the following triggers will be present on this blog: Fire, violence, mentions and discussions of poverty and incarceration. If you need these tagged, again, let me know, but they will be recurring themes. ☠ When it comes to any NSFW topic, be it smut, violence, or anything of the sort, message me first. This is for my comfort as well as your own - I feel way better when I have established boundaries with a writing partner, so I don't step on any toes and we don't accidentally make one another uncomfortable. It's also useful in fights to establish the outcome/who wins/etc first. ☠ Going off of that, I don't do autohits in fights. I'd appreciate if you extended the same courtesy to me.
AGE 15
TIMELINE MOVIE CANON
POSITION ONE OF TWO DEFAULTS
(Set during the events of Sky High.) Warren Peace is a Freshman at Sky High, though he's been spared from the typical hazing by his father's reputation. This has also caused the student body to keep their distance from him, which suits Warren just fine. In fact, Warren's biggest complaint about his new school? It's got a Stronghold problem. When he's not at school, Warren can usually be found at the Paper Lantern - a local Chinese restaurant where he works as a waiter. The few people who've run into him there thinks he seems very different from the guy who nearly burned down the cafeteria. It generally doesn't make School-Warren seem any more approachable, though.
AGE 15-19
TIMELINE POST MOVIE CANON
POSITION ONE OF TWO DEFAULTS
(Set after the events of Sky High.) Homecoming is over; Royal Pain has been defeated. Warren can safely say that this is not how he expected his first year of high school to go. He also didn't expect to have a solid friend group, and yet, there he is: Running with the Stronghold Support Group. He's not sure if that's weirder, or if the fact that pretty much nothing else has changed is, but, either way, he has to admit: High school's a lot easier to handle when you don't have to do it alone.
AGE 15-19
TIMELINE DURING AND POST-MOVIE TIMELINE
POSITION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Baron Battle was a villain. In fact, some would say he was THE villain. Past-tense, because eight or so years ago, he dropped off the map completely. Most people assumed his crimes had caught up to him, one way or another; These people failed to notice the correlation between Battle's disappearance, and the untimely demise of the superheroine Monsoon (KIA, the media reported. Teamed up with The Commander to take down the villain Voltage, and never came back). After his wife's passing, Baron stepped back from the forefront of villainy to raise their son (Still working from the shadows, of course). Eight years later, in the present, Warren has spent the majority of his life growing up as his father's protege. Having learned the ins and outs of villainy, pyrokinesis, and revenge from one of the best, he feels adequately prepared to take on high school. ... Adequately.
AGE 6-14
TIMELINE PRE-MOVIE CANON
POSITION AVAILABLE UPIN REQUEST
Warren Peace is a young boy who lives with his mom and dad at 127 Pinegrove Crescent in Maxville, California. They may not be anywhere close to normal, but they're able to pretend well enough that nobody notices. Overall, Warren is happy. Warren Peace is a young boy who just had his life ripped apart. He lives with his mother, now, while his father had been taken far away. He doesn't understand what's going on. He isn't happy any more. Warren Peace is a teenager who lives with his mother in the poor end of Maxville, California. It's been so long since he's seen his dad. He's supposed to be starting high school, soon, and he dreads what that means (he hopes he'll be able to keep his job without his grades suffering). He's so tired. Sleep doesn't help.
AGE 20+
TIMELINE POST-HIGHSCHOOL/ADULT
POSITION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Highschool is over. If he's being honest, Warren's amazed he survived. The challenges haven't ended, though, and neither has school. Warren's now pursuing a psychology degree. He still keeps in close contact with his friends, though, both because he cares for them, and because of his job. And, if the vigilante Hellraiser makes an appearance saving the world the night before Warren makes an appearance in class looking dog tired? Well, that's just a coincidence, isn't it? Further down the line, Dr. Warren E. Peace works to make the world a better place. His office has seen all manner of people come through its doors, and he does his best to help every single one of them however he can. He specialises in working with children, and with helping criminals rehabilitate into society... Which gets very awkward for him, when they happen to be the same criminals his alter-ego put behind bars. (They don't need to know that, though.)
About.
main.
appearance.
interests.
personality
abilities.
biography.
General Information
NAME Warren Edward Peace ETYMOLOGY
- Warren: German/English/French origins; Loyal / Protecting Friend / Protector / Gamekeeper / Park-Keeper / Defender
- Edward: Old English (Anglo-Saxon)/German origins; Rich guard / Guardian / Strong as a boar / Happy guard
- Peace: Anglo-Norman-French/Middle English/Latin origins; Of mild manner and even temper / Someone born around or otherwise associated with Easter / The son of Pece NICNKAMES War, (Mr.) Peace, Hothead, various fire related names/puns AGE 15 GENDER Male (he/him/his) ORIENTATION Bi/Grey-Asexual Bi/Demiromantic MARITAL STATUS Single LANGUAGES SPOKEN English and Mandarin (fluent); A smattering of largely useless Spanish from school. ACCENT North American D.O.B. August 18, 1990 ASTROLOGICAL SIGN Leo CELTIC SIGN Hazel RELIGION Agnostic athiest. BIRTHPLACE Maxville General Hospital, Maxville, California CURRENT RESIDENCE 13 St. George Street, Maxville, California, Complex B Room 3D SPECIES Human, Super EDUCATION Currently enrolled in Sky High Secondary School CLASS Hero OCCUPATION Busboy/Waiter/Sous Chef at the Paper Lantern FINANCIAL STATUS Lower class FAMILY Penelope Anne "Penny" Peace/"Monsoon" (Mother); Baron "Barry Peace" Battle (Father, currently incarcerated; Born Matteo Julius Marcantonio); Staff Sergeant Saul Jiangou Springfield/"Scout" (Godfather, AWOL); Millie Katrina O'Brian/"Nyad" (Godmother); Priscilla Lucille Peace/"Torrentia" (Great-aunt, maternal, deceased); Percival Timothy Peace (Grandfather, maternal, estranged); Colleen Peace (Nee White; Grandmother, maternal, estranged); Nicholas James Peace (Uncle, maternal, estranged); Tabitha Renee Peace (Nee Johnson; Aunt, maternal, estranged) Kirsten Rebecca Peace (Cousin, maternal, estranged); Peter Johann Peace/"Riptide" (Great-grandfather, maternal, deceased); Mercurio Raffaele "Mercury" Marcantonio/"Heatwave" (Grandfather, paternal, estranged); Danielle Jeanette Marcantonio (Nee Damiani; Grandmother, paternal, estranged) BLOOD TYPE O+ HANDEDNESS Right ALLERGIES None PETS None
Appearance
FACECLAIM Steven Strait HEIGHT 6'2" / 1.88m WEIGHT 170lbs / 77kg BUILD Athletic, muscular EYE COLOUR Dark brown EYE SHAPE Hooded HAIR COLOUR Black, two streaks of red on the right-hand side HAIR LENGTH/STYLE Shoulder-length, straight, usually worn down; Pulled back when working. FACIAL HAIR None. SKIN Warm-toned, fair COMPLEXION Even, clear, no freckles. ETHNICITY 1/2 Italian / 1/2 English SCARS Thin scar along the edge of his left knee, mostly faded. TATTOOS Stylised flames tattooed on both arms, starting at the base of his wrists and terminating a few inches up his forearms. PIERCINGS None. WARDROBE Blacks and reds; Durable, comfortable, practical clothing; Simple designs/patters, if any at all (Usually none); Fingerless gloves typically worn outside of work; Layers. EQUIPMENT Faded, black backpack; Pad and pencil, apron (when working)
Interests
HOBBIES Reading, cleaning, cooking, listening to music, playing darts. COLLECTS Books, comics. FAVOURITE MUSIC GENRE Alternative. But also likes musical soundtracks. (His favourite musical is RENT.)
FAVOURITE BOOK GENRE No preference; His favourite comic series is 'Punisher', he'll read nonfiction (especially in relation to chemistry and psychology), he'll read classics, graphic novels, YA, really anything he can get his hands on. FAVOURITE MOVIE GENRE Action/adventure. Superheroes, especially. GUILTY PLEASURE Singing and musical theatre. FAVOURITE CLASSES Mad Science and Phys Ed. IDEAL WEATHER Warm, sunny, dry. FAVOURITE COLOUR Red. FAVOURITE FOOD Anything spicy, especially curry, chili, and kimchi. Also, anything high-protein. Cheese burgers with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, and a dash of hot sauce. Steaks cooked rare. Fresh-baked bread. Reese's peanut butter cups. Caramel ice-cream. Salt-and-vinegar popcorn. Peaches. Pizza with mushrooms, black olives, sausage, bacon, and extra sauce. Buffalo wings. FAVOURITE DRINKS Black coffee. Cherry coke. Cranberry juice. Cream soda. Ginger ale. Hot chocolate. Caramel or chocolate milk shakes. Lemonade. Red powerade. FAVOURITE HOLIDAY Chinese New Year FAVOURITE SMELLS Fresh leather, new books, food cooking, coffee brewing, campfires. FAVOURITE SEASON Summer. FAVOURITE ANIMAL Dogs. FAVOURITE SPORT Dodgeball
Disinterests
LEAST FAVOURITE CLASS Costumes. LEAST FAVOURITE WEATHER Cold and damp, especially if raining. LEAST FAVOURITE SEASON Winter, with late Fall being a close second. LEAST FAVOURITE MOVIE GENRE Romcom. He's not especially fond of Westerns, either. LEAST FAVOURITE COLOUR Cyan.
LEAST FAVOURITE HOLIDAY Tied between Christmas and his birthday. LEAST FAVOURITE SCENT Chlorine and cleaner. LEAST FAVOURITE COLOUR Electric cyan. LEAST FAVOURITE FOOD Cauliflower and asparagus. LEAST FAVOURITE ACTIVITY Swimming. LEAST FAVOURITE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION His personal life.
MTBI ISTP SIN Wrath, Pride, Envy VIRTUE Diligence, Justice, Kindness INTELLIGENCE TYPE Intrapersonal. FEARS Incarceration, drowning/suffocation, abandonment, homelessness, Steve Stronghold. INTRO/EXTRO Introvert. SHORT TERM GOALS Graduate high school, keep up with rent payments, finish his latest choice of book(s). LONG TERM GOALS Get into university, take care of his mom, gain better control over his powers. SOCIAL NICHE Loner/'tough guy'
Abilities
PYROKINESIS
- Defined as the psychic ability to produce and manipulate heat and fire.
- Largely regarded as Warren's 'primary' ability.
- Inherrited largely from his father.
- Strongly tied to his emotions, especially anger, fear, and anxiety.
- Interestingly enough, manifests more frequently as a defense mechanism than a strictly offensive ability.
- Offensive aspect involves hurling fire balls. (Range is currently unknown/untested.)
- Flames start at hands with no effort; The higher up his arms they climb, the more effort it takes.
- The hottest his fires have burned to date is 500F / 260C.
- This power makes it impossible for Warren to be burned by any fires. (He can still get sunburn or radiation burns; boiling water depends.)
- An active power - Warren has to try to use this power. (It also burns a decent amount of calories.)
INVULNERABILITY
- Defined as being incapable of being wounded, injured, or harmed; Immune to or proof against attack.
- Largely regarded as Warren's 'secondary' ability.
- Inherrited from his father.
- Warren has been thrown through two stone walls and shattered a stone pillar upon impact, with the only result being that he was angrier than before.
- The limits of this have not been tested.
- He does not wish to test them.
- A passive ability: Warren does not have to try to use it. In fact, he doesn't know how to turn it off.
ENHANCED STRENGTH
- Defined as having greater strength than should be possible, based on size and physical condition.
- Inherrited from both parents.
- Not even close to the degree at which Steve and Will Stronghold possess this power; However, Warren was strong enough to effortlessly toss away a concrete barrier during his Save the Citizen match with Will, Speed, and Lash, so he certainly is stronger than the average teenage boy.
- A passive power, much like Warren's invulnerability.
- His tertiary and least-prominent power. Warren isn't even really aware he has it.
Biography
Warren Edward Peace was born to Penny and Barry Peace (Also known as the superheroine Monsoon and the infamous villain Baron Battle, respectively) on August 18, in the year 1990. He was taken from Maxville General Hospital the next day, and spent the early years of his life at 127 Pinegrove Crescent, Maxville, California, living with his parents. For the most part, they were able to live a normal life. Sure, sometimes he'd see Mom and Dad on the news, sometimes he'd see their powers at work around the house, and there were times when everyone was really busy for reasons he wasn't allowed to tell anyone, but, it was a good life. He loved his parents, and they loved him. They lived in a relatively nice house in a relatively nice neighbourhood, there was always food on the table, and Warren was never starved for attention or affecion. He attended Sunny Hills daycare, then Bayshore Public School when he was older; He didn't like eating his veggies, asked for a puppy at least once every birthday, and ran to the door to greet whatever parent had just come home. His pyrokinesis first showed when he was six years old; His parents were very proud. Baron used to joke that Warren having his powers meant that he was the favourite parent (Penny liked to splash him in response). A few days before his seventh birthday, Warren lost almost everything.
August 14, 1997, Baron Battle was brought to justice. August 14, 1997, Warren lost his father. Not long after that, Penny had to quit her job (August 21, 1997), they lost their house (September 4, 1997), and they began a long, hectic series of moves. Penny did her best for her boy, but it's hard, being a single mother. It's worse being a single mother of a young boy who just lost his father. It's even worse when that boy can catch fire when emotions run high. Of course, Penny loved her boy, and told him that it wasn't his fault. It was harder to explain the constant smoke alarms to the various landlords they had across the multiple shelters and apartments they lived in, without outing them as supers. School was difficult, both because of the loss of his father and because of the near-constant moving.
When Warren was eight years old, he broke his leg. About a year later, his invulnerability finally set in. He hasn't been to the doctor's since, but it was still an unpleasant situation. He still has a scar on his leg from the resulting treatment. They moved out of Apartment Number Four not long after that. Warren started that school year in a cast. Not many people signed it.
After graduating from Bayshore, Warren attended Trinity Prep Middle School ('Go, Titans!', as the teachers would say). He spent most of his free time at school in the library, with his nose buried in a book as he avoided everyone and anyone. Teachers worried about him. He was a smart student, very quiet and well-behaved, but also very antisocial. He got into a few fights, especially around Career Day, when neither of his parents showed up and rumours began to spread. In spite of this, Warren would say that Trinity Prep wasn't so bad. The school breakfast and lunch programs at least promised regular meals, the library gave free books, and he did enjoy some of his classes. Plus, it was a new school. People knew him at Bayshore. Students, teachers, guidance councillors. They'd known him since before things got bad. That meant they saw how it affected him, and they worried. While he appreciated the sentiment, it got old, fast, and suffocating faster. It's way easier to fade into the background when you're a stranger.
He started working at the Paper Lantern when he was twelve years old. It started as an after-school thing, where he was a dishwasher for Mr. and Mrs. Chai. As he got older, he started handling more responsibilities, and worked weekends and later evenings, as well. It was a way to make money, and keep himself and his mom under a roof. Busboy, waiter, and, after a long series of lessons, sous-chef, were all titles he could claim. A year after he got his job, when he was thirteen, Warren and his mom settled into what they've come to consider as their permanent residence. Apartment Number Seven, otherwise known as Condor Place Apartments ('The Condor', to residents), isn't ideal for living in, but they can afford it. The landlord is a rather oily man named Jonathan J. Pierce. Warren does not like him.
One of the benefits of having a permanent residence was that it made sending and recieving mail a lot easier. Warren was able to send letters to his father before, of course, but getting a reply had been near impossible with how often they moved around. Most would say the increased correspondance was good for the both of them. Checking the mail became a ritual for him, after he got home from school. That was why he was surprised when his mom woke him up one morning to alert him to the presence of a letter he'd missed. Not from his father, though. It was an acceptance letter to Sky High. Honestly, Warren's pretty sure his mom was infinitely more excited than he was. He sucked up his apprehension as best he could, and, when the year started, he boarded the bus like everyone else, nearly felt his soul leave his body when liftoff was acchieved, just like everyone else, and went through pwoer placement - again, just like everyone else. He was sorted into the 'Hero' class without much fuss. It's a weird school, he'll admit. And people know him, here. They know him, and more importantly, they know his dad - or, at least, what Baron's done. ... It makes people leave him alone, at least. Silver linings, and all.
