IKAG Opening Attempt 2

Another attempt at the opening story. If it's too long or maudlin or tone-deaf compared to the rest of the stories, we can just keep it as reference for the backstory. Maybe.

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Gainsborough Middle School, Motown City. Rudy and Hayleigh are ostracised for being the children of 'villains', even though their parents have long retired. It gets to the point that other kids are throwing stones at the Nevermind children on the playground. Conner responds by taking their bags and throwing them on the road outside school grounds, or in a creek. When he's sent to the principal's office his father laughs after hearing what happened, while his mother is outraged at said laughing, at Conner's actions, at the children throwing rocks. His appearance has trimmed, soft hair and a navy-blue school uniform.

Conner is brought over to the Nevermind residence, his parents are friends with George and Barbara. They have a serious discussion while Conner watches TV with Rudy and Hayleigh; he's excited about high school and hoping the other kids will make a lot of friends there. The next day Conner's parents tell him they'll be going away for a while, he can stay with George and Barbara. Conner doesn't see his parents again.

Conner's formroom teacher at Motown High is Ms Mallory, while Rudy and Hayleigh have Mr Carous. Conner sees more people being abused/shoved around, including himself, and finds the teachers are still ignoring him like they were in middle school; now the students are stronger, more numerous and from all across the state. Because of his incompatibility Conner falls behind most others and finds out how many systems both at Motown High and even around town [vending machines, shopping, security, deliveries, traffic crossing etc] don't work for him as they did for his parents. Most stores and departments still have antiquated trolleys or lifts or cashiers, though they're rarely used and cause more slowdown for other customers. His appearance has haggard spiky hair and a dark-grey t-shirt.

Rudy and Hayleigh are expected to be positive role models - a mixture of their outgoing positive behavior, and their unintentional half-succubi nature, causes them to rocket to new heights of popularity. They both want to hang out with Conner again but the new crowds and social caste separate them, and they grow apart despite being in the same household.

George and Barbara complain to the principal over the phone and attend a meeting with a school advisor. Their depressed step-son is transferred from Ms Mallory's class to Mr Carous'. The intention is to provide him a progressive and empowering environment with positive-minded students. He's sandwiched between his two 'golden god' siblings who are surrounded by vacuous admirers, and people with terrifying powers who inadvertently condescend to him at every turn. The passive-aggression and bullying in Ms Mallory's class seemed downright tame by comparison - at least there Conner's desk wasn't taken up by other peoples' asses. Here people are surprised or confused or disappointed that Conner is technically related to the Nevermind teens. He believes if he is to survive in this new environment, he needs to somehow adapt and evolve.

Conner attends the school's Weird Science Club and Mechanics Club. Initially scoffed at for hypothesising on the nature of Newman particles, Conner throws himself into research on the once-alien organism and conducts trial-and-error experiments on systems that could create Newmans like a 'regular' human body is intended to. Although he writes notes on the process, the actual reason the system works is through a series of contrivances [Newmans from various materials like cloth or soda cans etc exposed to the circuitry in the system, the glass tubes used to store test chemicals, etc etc].

Conner further joins the Sewing Club to try and get an understanding of the school's uniform ordering and embroidering systems. The subterfuge does not go off without a hitch, but he procures an augment-uniform and takes it to the backroom of the Mechanics Department to reverse-engineer. The main differences between the stolen uniform and the prototype are a mechanism to create Newman particles to inject into the wearer's bloodstream, and a faulty connection in the power so the uniform can be toggled 'on' but not 'off'.

Conner realises too late he didn't think ahead. He won't find any volunteers willing to test it, he won't find anyone who'll keep quiet if told about this kind of project. Would it really work if it were tested by a person who already naturally produced Newmans, how would anyone know? Would it risk the life of a person who did produce those particles, or someone who couldn't? Conner doesn't feel comfortable potentially endangering another person. It seems like it was inevitable he would have to be the one to test it; the alternative is letting it be confiscated and destroyed.

The councillors are well aware of Conner's erratic behavior and the stolen uniform, and try to decide how best to approach him as they're outside the Mechanics Department, alongside Rudy and Hayleigh worried for their estranged step-brother. They all enter and see Conner with the original stolen uniform, as he's glad to hand it over and glad to be expelled. He's already wearing the prototype and refuses to hand it over. Daughter sees fear/regret in his mind - he learned about the faulty connection too late, and has sit awaiting the inevitable for twenty minutes, with a system designed for five minutes use at a time.

Princess Daughter sees Conner's mind in a void of hate, self-hate and regret, confusion over the reason he was born to begin with. The last coherent thought in his mind before the building seemingly explodes -- "I just want to be useful".

In the hospital bed Conner can only lie paralysed and be lectured to by his foster parents, his step-siblings and the student councillors, trapped in a hell-cage of his own design. Perhaps he has a different purpose in life? He can devote himself to a hobby to take his mind off of things.
Frank: "We're not here to hurt you or lecture you. We just want what is best for you. If society says you're unfit by their standards, don't let yourself be ruled by those standards. Find something that will make you happy."
Conner: "Protecting people would make me happy."
Frank: "...have you considering protecting your family by opening up to them?"
Conner pulls a face. His recovery is protracted since recovery-uniforms won't work his body - Newmans by themselves are a very temporary breed.

The prototype is recovered, confiscated, and brought to the R&D department of one of Queen Mother's many businesses. It brings up findings that could revolutionise the field of augmentations entirely. It's the sole reason Conner is kept on at Motown High.

Conner returns to school and to his classroom with the same group of admirers crowding Rudy and Hayleigh, but they turn puce and run when they see his new appearance, modelled after some combination of an escaped convict and Frankenstein's monster. He's brought a box with him that he dumps on his desk. It has a pamphlet of the school's many clubs and a pile of books on sports.