Battle Royale

Government Internal Memo No.1351:

TOP SECRET

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Security breaches regarding the Genetic Purification Enforcement Experiments.

FROM: CENTRAL COMMITTEE FOR GENETICAL PURIFICATION

TO: SUPERVISOR IN CHARGE OF NO. 12 BATTLE EXPERIMENT NO. 23 PROGRAM FOR GENETICAL PURIFICATION ENFORCEMENT

Recently there was evidence of a breach of security concerning the 'Guadalcanal' and its systems. This intrusion was not detected until after the date of occurrence, March 12^th. There is currently an investigation underway into the possibility of someone re-entering the system. Though at this stage that scenario appears to be highly unlikely, but the Committee for Genetical Purification is taking no chances and leaving no prisoners.

In spite of this, the Committee for Genetic Purification believes that this year's experiment may go ahead. The likelihood to the intruder being one of this year's test subjects is highly unlikely to nigh impossible, as the intruder is suspected to be a hacker of the highest calibre, with computer system knowledge beyond that of an average MIT Honours student, let alone a Junior High School student.

We suspect that the culprit may be traceable back to Genosha, and are investigating the possibilities of international or national information leaks. But due to the calibre of the culprit's computing skills, we must anticipate a significant delay in producing a profile for the culprit.

However, for security and information reasons, we will be implementing design changes for Guadalcanal for future Battle Experiment Programs.

As the overall supervisor in charge of this program, you have been warned to proceed with the most extreme caution.

Furthermore, this infiltration incident is classified top secret information and is to be treat as such.

Yours sincerely,

Henry Guyrick.

Secretariat to Prefectural Senator David Kelley.

Ps- I have included in this memo the Candidate list for this year's Game. I believe that you will find it... most interesting.

Male Students -

1. Todd Tolensky
2. Colin Creevey
3. Lance Alvers
4. Peter Rasputin
5. Logan
6. John Allerdyce
7. Ronald Weasley
8. Warren Worthing the 3^rd
9. Victor Creed
10. Vincent Crabbe
11. Robert Drake
12. Kurt Wagner
13. Carter Ghazikhanian
14. Jean-Paul Beaubier
15. Harry Potter
16. Pietro Maximoff
17. Neville Longbottom
18. Cain Marko
19. Cedric Diggory
20. Draco Malfoy
21. Scott Summers

Female Students

1. May Parker
2. Antoinette Stark
3. Parvati Patil
4. Jean Grey
5. Amanda Sefton
6. Jubilation Lee
7. Paige Guthrie
8. Lorna Dane
9. Katherine Pryde
10. Tessa Sage
11. Emma Frost
12. Marie Rogue
13. Stacy X
14. Ororo Munroe
15. Hermione Granger
16. Wanda Maximoff
17. Ginny Weasley
18. Lavender Brown
19. Cho Chang
20. Amara Aquila
21. Elisabeth Braddock

Prologue: Before the Game

It had all started out on a summer's day. You know, one of those really warm, sunny ones. It was a perfect day for a school trip.

As it happened, there was a class on a school trip. It was Third year Class B from Hogwarts Junior High School for Genetic Missteps.

Before we continue with the story of Third Year Class B, maybe I ought to explain to you, dear reader, what the exact definition of a 'genetic misstep' is exactly. At least to Muggles' ideals anyway.

You see, humans were very intimidated by the rise of mutants into their world and society. Humans never did agree with the idea of being out-classed as a species. And when the Magic community went public about their existence, the world - wide Human community was completely shell-shocked. Not only was there a third contender for supremacy (in their eyes), but it had existed for so long, and right under their noses! They took this news in an even worse manner.

There were riots and widespread violence; a lot of anti-evolutionary groups cropped up. Eventually governments had to segregate humans from mutants and wizards. Hard-liners in government, who followed anti-evolutionary policies, were the ones who coined the phrase, 'genetic missteps'. These so-called 'missteps' were shunted to the edge of society and practically confined to ghettos. The Wizarding Governments were toppled and even Azkaban was forced to close its doors.

But as human extremist groups for humans cropped up, so did ones for mutants and wizards. The most prominent was the Brotherhood, led my Erik Magnus Lensherr. Eventually he managed to build a megalopolis in the middle of the Savage Lands. It was a haven for mutants, where they didn't have to live in fear, but he soon opened its doors to wizards and witches as well.

There were those - namely Professors Charles Xavier and Albus Dumbledore - who preached intergrationalist ideologies over separationalist ones. But their pleas for peace were ignored and they were forced to go into hiding. There were never any official transport or commerce links developed between humanist countries and Erik's little haven...

The haven he christened Genosha.

However, now you the dear reader know what a genetic misstep is, and the little drama behind it. And we can finally get back to the tale of Third year Class B, the story I'm supposed to be telling you.

They had set off in a big coach bus, on their annual field trip, They were supposed to be going to a seaside resort, to relax after their school exams. Everyone was just chilling, chatting with his or her friends.

Sitting in his seat, Harry Potter (Male Student no. 15) reviewed the scene. Beside him was his best friend Ronald Weasley (Male Student no. 7) usually called Ron. They had been friends for forever and a day; they both lived at the same orphanage, a Church-run joint called the Charity House. It was a place for orphans or kids who couldn't live with their families due to 'circumstances'. Both were wizards.

A few rows in front, there were some of the girls who hung out with the female class representative. Girls often created little cliques, but in their class there were no proper factions: you could call this lot the 'neutrals'. There was Antoinette Stark (Female Student no. 2) who was class representative, an intelligent stylish girl, with long blond hair and blue eyes. Her powers lied in controlling computers and technology. And her best friend, Marie Rogue (Female Student no.12): she had long brown hair with a skunk-like strike of white through it and dark eyes. Marie's powers denied her bodily contact with anyone, as she absorbed people's life forces when she touched them - powers as well, if they were mutant or wizard. It was the reason why she always wore long white opera gloves as part of her uniform; but on a happier note, she was the star attacker of the volleyball team. Beside them, Ginny Weasley (Female Student no. 17) a shy, red - headed witch; Cho Chang (Female Student no. 19) another witch who was reserved and pretty, and wore wire rim glasses. They were chatting to their insane form teacher, Mr 'Mad-Eye' Moody, a wizard. The 'Mad Eye' was due to his lazy eye with lolled around in its socket.

Up at the back of the bus, there was the rebel - or more correctly delinquent - girls: Emma Frost (Female Student no. 11), Elisabeth Braddock (Female Student no. 21) and Tessa Sage (Female Student no. 10). They were each of them powerful telepaths, though Elisabeth had had a great deal of ninjitsu training as well. Rumour had it that they all belonged to a gang of telepaths known as the Hellfire Club.

Not far from them were the delinquent guys, laughing about some dirty joke. Vincent Crabbe (Male Student no. 10) and Neville Longbottom (Male Student no.17) were both wizards, whereas Victor Creed (Male Student no. 9) was a feral mutant with sharp claws and a healing factor.

But Harry was very surprised to see a certain boy with dark, slicked back hair with them...

He would have assumed that John Allerdyce (Male Student no. 6) would have skived off some stupid little school trip. There were rumours that the young pyrokinetic mutant had faced off yakuza and emerged victorious - he was the leader of that little gang.

Scott Summers (Male Student no. 21) and Jane 'Jean' Grey (Female Student no. 4) were off in a world of their own. They were Class B's most intimidate couple - in English, they were probably the first ones to have done "IT". She was a telepath; he shot concussive blasts from his eyes - was why he wore ruby quartz wrap-around shades 24 - 7.

Directly behind Harry sat his other best friend, Cedric Diggory (Male Student no. 19). He was the handsome star of the basketball team, with his dark spiky hair, and that ultra - cool elaborate ring in his left ear.

The guy all the chicks wanted to get with.

Kurt Wagner (Male Student no. 12), one of Cedric's other good friends, must have made a very funny joke, as Cedric was laughing hysterically. Cedric had Wizard blood, but Kurt was a mutant. With his blue fur, golden eyes, pointy ears and a pointed prehensile tail, you could hardly miss him. Oh, and he could teleport too.

"Would you like one?"

Harry jerked and sat up as he snapped out of his reverie. It was Hermione Granger (Female Student no. 15) a witch who was sitting across form Ron and himself. He hadn't noticed her offering them a brightly beribboned cellophane bag.

"Huh? Sorry... Pardon?"

Parvati Patil (Female Student no. 3), another witch and one of Hermione's friends, giggled at Harry, and gave her a nudge of the arm.

"I asked if you wanted one; I made cookies the other night and there some left over. Would you or Ron like one?" she repeated earnestly.

"Dude, sweet!" Ron exclaimed, snatching up the bag.

As Ron began to munch on one of the cookies, Harry grinned.

"What is it? Why are you smiling?" Hermione inquired.

"No reason... you just don't seem like the type home economics types... that's all," Harry replied.

"Hey, these are great!" Ron told Hermione happily.

"Really?" She was blushing.

"'Course they are! You made 'em!"

Harry shook his head. God, but Ron could be so obvious sometimes.

She smiled sweetly: "Thank you Ron; you're so kind and nice."

At this Ron's eyes lit up, and he proceeded to scarf the cookies down, like the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street on speed.

Come to think of it, it had only been a month and a half now. Harry remembered, he and Ron had wandered off and gone fishing at the old defunct reservoir. They had been talking about everything until...

"Hey, Harry, I got a crush on someone..."

"That's good for you. You gonna ask that someone out?"

"Nah... I'm not as brave as you are. Still can't believe you asked out Chang though..."

Harry gritted his teeth: "Yeah. She likes Cedric."

" So that's why you've been acting so weird... Y'know, just don't take it personal. It's not Diggory's fault. It's cool you made a new friend since Cain quit hanging with ya. Don't screw it up."

Harry changed the subject.

"So who's the girl?"

"Um... It's Hermione... Hermione Granger..."

"No kiddin'?"

"Nope."

"Do you think he'd like one?"

Harry's mind jumped back to the present as Hermione pointed to a boy lying across the seats behind her, napping. It was Logan, (Male Student no. 5) who had transferred to their school in the spring.

He had longish dark hair, that was spiky and feral. He smoked and almost never talked to anyone. There had been many rumours about him. He got into a big fight at his last school. One that left him hospitalised for so long, that he had been kept back for a year. The school expelled him. He was a thug. He was gonna duke it out with Allerdyce any day now.

But they never talked to one another.

So he remained a kind of mythic figure - like something out of an old John Ford western. The unknown loner who had just moseyed on into town. He didn't even have a surname.

"He doesn't look like the type of guy who'd eat cookies," Harry commented.

Hermione laughed: "I guess so."

It was much later: Harry blinked. He didn't realise at first that he had fallen asleep.

He looked around the coach. It seemed like EVERYONE was asleep. Ron's head lolled on Harry's shoulder. Neville had collapsed across Vincent's lap. Parvati was snoring loudly.

For some reason, Logan was fumbling with the window catch, trying to open it. When that failed, he battered his fists against the window. Eventually, he fainted backwards, into the aisle on top of the body of Todd Tolensky (Male Student no. 1).

Harry could hear him whispering, "So... stupid..."

Now that he thought of it, Harry DID feel a bit tired. His lids were so heavy... he slumped over in his seat, as the coach rolled, to an unknown destination.

42 STUDENTS LEFT.