The colossal steel doors of the Aegis Academy's testing facility slid open, exhaling a draft of air that was unnaturally cold and sterile. Rey, Ez, and Elara stepped across the threshold, their footsteps instantly absorbed by the quiet, cavernous space.
They entered a long, high-ceilinged corridor—the shadowed interior of whispers and legend. The walls were unadorned, industrial, dark gray concrete, lit only by severe, recessed fluorescent strips that hummed with a low, oppressive frequency. It was a utilitarian space, designed to intimidate and strip away any frivolous ideals. Rey felt the air pressing in, the complete lack of warmth feeling like a metaphor for the HLB's indifference.
The line of hundreds of aspirants moved in a collective silence broken only by the squeak of shoes, or gear. Rey scanned the faces around him, cataloging potential threats during the exam. Some were dressed in expensive, custom-fitted uniforms. They radiated disciplined intensity; their bodies honed for perfection. They shot proprietary, judging glances at Rey's and others basic training pants and shoes.
"Don't worry," Ez whispered beside him, adjusting the pristine collar of his own jacket. His voice forced slightly too bright. "My Gift is already absorbing every photon in this corridor. If they stare, they stare at the brightest hope of our generation. Besides," he leaned in closer, dropping his voice, "statistically, half of these people will wash out in the first hour."
Elara, walking with her trademark quiet grace, didn't need to whisper. "Their focus is energy wasted," she hissed, her hearing picking up every shift in the room. Her eyes glowed in the soft, luminescent light as they were fixed on the floor ahead. "Conserve your attention, Rey. Your Gift's only flaw is your attention span."
Rey said nothing, he could feel the eyes on him—judging his slight limp from last night's training. The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly, the atmosphere compounding the tension until Rey was certain the very air would crack.
The corridor finally ended, opening abruptly into a vast, rectangular chamber. The space was barely large enough to accommodate the hundreds of hopeful candidates now filing in. The air immediately grew warm and stifling with the scent of sweat, heightened adrenaline, and sweaty clothes. Rey found the congestion unnerving; the density of the crowds making him nervous.
They fought their way toward the center. At the far end, raised above the rest on a modest, concrete platform, a figure waited. He was lean, middle-aged, and wore a simple pair of jeans and button up shirt as he sat on a beach chair, without a care in the world.
Whispers immediately rippled through the congested room.
"Isn't that Shift-Lock?" "Top 100, four years running, before retiring and teaching at Aegis." "He's proctoring the entrance exam? Isn't that overkill?"
The hero, whose reputation as Shift-Lock one placed him in the Top 100 globally, looked utterly exhausted. His eyes were bagged, and the way he leaned heavily into his chair suggested systemic fatigue—he would clearly rather be anywhere else than proctoring the Aegis entrance exam.
Shift-Lock stepped forward, quietly questioning why the principle forced him to take this role. "Welcome, aspirants," he said, his voice monotonous. "My name is Shift-Lock. My Gift is Positional Swap—an ability I honed after a decade of paying the price in the field." His tired gaze swept over the crowd, dismissing their ambition instantly.
Shift-Lock ran a hand through his short blond hair. "We're short on time. This is the practical exam. Your goal is simple: retrieve and stabilize all three designated civilian targets in the scenario."
He looked around the room, his gaze tired but pointed. "You will be scored on three criteria: Speed, Success Rate, and, most importantly, Safety." He paused, the word hanging in the air, an invisible force settling on the room. "Safety means not going into a compromised area recklessly and endangering both yourself and innocent lives. Aegis doesn't need hot-headed bruisers who rush in without thinking. Your success in the field is dependent on if you can follow this criteria. That doesn't mean we'll penalize excessive force."
Shift-Lock finished, sighing deeply, and leaned back against the podium, looking every bit the disillusioned hero. "You have five minutes before the exam starts, talk to someone, panic, I don't care. Do not speak after the timer begins. Your failure here is irrelevant to me, but it is terminal to your career."
The room burst into nervous, low-toned activity. Rey shut his eyes, trying to clear out the noise and focus on thinking back to Elara's training, and Vanguard's lingering memory.
A heavy shoulder slammed into Ez's back, jolting him violently.
"Hey! Watch it man!" Ez snapped, turning around to face the offender.
The person was massive, easily two heads taller than Ez, with a lean build and a annoyed look. His body pulsed with contained, raw heat—a manifestation of some high-tier energy projection Gift.
"Oh, sorry," the larger student, clearly too bothered to care. "Didn't see the tiny light bulb back there. Too busy looking for actual threats."
Ez's hand twitched, a faint golden glow flickering at the surface of his skin—a sign of his Gift on standby.
"Let it go, Ez," Rey muttered, resting a firm hand on his shoulder. "He's not worth the disqualification."
The student scoffed, his gaze sweeping over Rey's physique before resting on his shoes. "You should listen to your support system, light bulb. At least he knows how the ranks work. Good luck surviving the Aegis Academy, low-tier." The antagonism clear, before turning away and finding a spot near the corner of the room where he could stare down others.
Rey ignored him, letting the rest of the five minutes pass without anymore interference. Elara stood there, running her eyes over the nearby walls and people around them, sizing up the competition.
Shift-Lock pushed off his chair, standing back upright, looking genuinely ready to be rid of them all.
"Time's up," he announced, his voice snapping back to authority. "Good luck to those that remembered the rules and try not to die." The last part confusing the examinees as they started to panic.
Before they could ask any questions, he raised a singled, scarred hand. His Gift, Positional Swap, was silent. There was no flash, no sound, no wind. The hundreds of examinees and the proctor vanished instantly. The sickening lurch in Rey's stomach returned—the entire world snapping from one position to another in zero time—before his feet hit uneven ground. The practical exam had begun.
He blinked, his vision adjusting to the dappled sunlight filtering through a dense canopy of green.
He looked up. Far above the treetops, the sky was distorted—a hexagonal grid of translucent panels shimmered in the sun. A bio-dome. They had been teleported into a simulated environment.
"Impressive range for a Teleportation Gift," a voice sneered from behind him. "Shift-Lock hasn't lost his touch, even if he looks like a corpse."
Rey turned. Standing ten feet away, brushing dust off his combat coat, was the same student that had bumped into Ez from earlier in the hallway. He yawned, as if there wasn't anything to be worried about, his expression one of boredom.
To Rey's left stood another person. He was slightly shorter than Rey—still making him relatively tall—with dark hair falling over his eyes and a stillness that felt unnatural. He wore a plain black hoodie and stood with his hands in his pockets, seeming unbothered by the teleportation.
Rey checked his wrist, a small device Shift-Lock had given out earlier flickered to life, displaying a holographic map of the forest dome. Three red dots pulsed in the northeast quadrant: The mock civilians they were tasked with protecting and rescuing.
He looked around again, no Elara, no Ez, this was his team. The Jackass, and Mysterio over here was all he had.
Miles away—or perhaps just next door in a different sector—the air was dry and hot.
Elara landed in a crouch, grunting as her tail snapped out to stabilize her balance on the shifting sand of the desert below her feet. Her ears twitched, swiveling to filter out the sound of the wind from the breathing of her teammates.
"Well," Ez's voice wavered slightly as he shielded his eyes from the harsh, artificial sun. "At least it's a dry heat?"
Ez stood beside a tall, broad-shouldered girl with metallic skin—the result of some Gift. She looked formidable.
"Formation," Elara commanded, wasting no time. She didn't care that she wasn't the strongest in the room; she just had to be the smartest. "Metal-girl, you take point. Ez, you're midfield support. I'm scouting."
The other girl didn't seem to care what she said as she rushed over pulling Elara into a tight hug slightly crushing her. "OMG! You're so cute!" She held onto Elara like she would run away the moment she let go (she would). Elara tried to escape but couldn't escape the iron tight grip of the girl. "I've always wanted to meet someone with cat ears. Oh, you're just so adorable." She hugged Elara as she cuddled into her soft hair. Elara on the other hand was just as confused as Ez, not knowing what to do, nobody had ever been this open with her beside her mother.
After a few seconds the metal-girl put Elara down, "Sorry, where are my manners." Adjusting her clothes she put on a wide grin before holding out her hand for a handshake, "My name's Alicia Turner, ready to help however I can." She gave a thumbs up as Elara was still trying to figure out what just happened.
"Whatever," Elara muttered, "lets just get on with the exam, we can't stand here forever." She looked down at her wrist seeing the flashing red dots in the distance on the map. Looking up into the distance they started their trek.
Back in the forest, the atmosphere between the group was already fracturing.
"Alright," Rey stepped forward taking the role of strategist, a role Elara usually filled. "We have three targets about two miles northeast of us. We should move in a wedge formation. I'll take point to absorb any attack or traps we encounter, you guys flank—"
"Cute," the Jackass, Varek, interrupted, stepping past Rey, without sparing him a glance. "But I don't take orders from anyone. I'm getting the targets. You try not to trip over a root."
Varek started walking briskly toward the objective, his body glowing slightly as waves of heat rolled off him.
Rey moved to intercept him, stepping in his path, hand on his shoulder. "Stop. You can't just rush in. We don't know how strong the threats are. Plus, if we split up, we risk failing if we don't work together as a team."
Varek stopped, towering over Rey. The heat coming off him was palpable. "Let's get something straight, Rey—I heard that's your name. The 'team dynamic' score is a crutch for weak links. If I secure the targets solo while you two are playing in the mud, they'll see who the real hero is. Now move"
Rey held his ground for a second, the tension thick enough to snap. He wanted to argue, to explain that a real hero, like Vanguard, would never leave a teammate behind. He looked at Varek's eyes—dismissive, hard, unreachable. Arguing any more would burn time they didn't have, and he wasn't sure he would be able to take on someone like Varek.
Rey exhaled, letting go of his hand on Varek's shoulder. "Fine."
Varek smirked, stepping around him. "Smart choice."
Rey turned to the other person with them, who was quietly watching the leaves rustle with mild interest. "We have to follow him," Rey said, resignation in his voice. "If he runs into a threat he can't handle, we fail. We stick together, whether he likes it or not."
He just shrugged, a small, almost imperceptible nod, and fell into step beside Rey.
They walked together to the targets for twenty minutes. The forest was quiet—too quiet. The device on Rey's wrist beeped faster. They were getting closer.
They broke through the tree line into a small, artificial clearing. In the center, three dummies dressed as civilians were shackled to a metal pylon.
"Too easy," Varek announced, striding into the clearing, confidence oozing out of him. "See? No threats. Just—"
Snap.
It wasn't a machine. It was a blur of motion from the canopy. Two figures dropped from the trees, landing silently between Varek and the targets.
They were dressed in tactical sparring gear, wielding electrified stun batons. They moved with the fluidity of veterans. They were most likely the threats they were told about earlier.
"Targets acquired," one of the guard's said, his voice modulated by a helmet. "Neutralizing."
"Finally! Something to hit!" Varek yelled. He didn't hesitate. He launched himself forwards, his hands having gone ablaze. Varek feinted, throwing a punch straight for the guard's face.
The guard ducked with practiced ease, smirking, thinking this one was in the bag. But before he could see it coming another fist came crashing into his side, sending him sliding across the ground before he got back up again, wincing. However annoying Varek may be didn't mean he was incompetent.
Varek scoffed before walking closer to the guard, "here I thought I would get a real fight." Just as he was about to knock out the guard, he moved, swiftly kicking Varek off his feet, stunning him.
Rey, seeing that Varek was in trouble sighed, he looked towards their other teammate, "Do you think you can hold off the other guard while I help out this numbskull?"
He didn't say anything and just gave a nod as he rushed in, intercepting the guard before he could neutralize the targets.
Rey turned his attention back to Varek, just in time to see the guard raising his electric baton to attack Varek. Rey kicked off the ground, rushing in to help Varek.
Before the baton could reach Varek, Rey stepped in front of him throwing his left arm up, bracing his muscles. The baton struck Rey's forearm with the force of a sledgehammer.
Absorb.
His Gift's ability engaged instantly. The kinetic energy of the swing didn't break his bone; it was sucked into his marrow. Rey gasped, his eyes widening as the energy flooded his system. It was a heavy hit—these guards weren't holding back. The veins in his left arm instantly bulged, turning a violent shade of violet as he took in about 40% of his Gift's capacity in a single second.
His muscles screamed, the familiar burn of the overload threating to buckle his knees. But Rey held. He acted as a living shield, taking the damage meant for an ally.
"What are you—" Varek sneered, still on the ground.
"Move!" Rey gritted out.
Rey didn't hold the energy. He twisted his hips, using the stored power in his left arm to fuel a short devastating right hook. He didn't aim for the guard—not knowing if he could handle the impact—he aimed for the guard's shield.
Redirect.
Rey's fist connected with the proctor's shield. The absorbed energy released in a compressed shockwave.
BOOM.
The proctor was launched backward, skidding twenty feet across the dirt, winded but unharmed.
Rey stood panting, clutching his throbbing left arm. He had prevented the attack from hitting Varek, but the cost was written on his face in sweat and pain.
Varek stared at him, the flames on his hands having dimmed. There was confusion in his eyes, a crack in the arrogance. "I… I had that," he lied, but his voice lacked conviction. "But… thanks." The last part much quieter.
"Watch your left," Rey gasped, straightening up. "There's still one more."
He turned, ready to engage the second guard—but the fight was already over.
Their teammate stood over the second guard. Faint electrical sparks ran across his body, and the guard was twitching on the ground.
He looked at Rey, then at Varek. "Clear," he said softly.
Rey looked at the subdued guards, then down at his own shaking arm. They had beaten the guards and freed the dummies from their restraints. Now all that was left was to take the written exam then wait to see if they passed.
Back in the desert.
They moved in a loose formation across the scorching dunes. Elara took point, enhanced senses allowing her to pick the safest paths where the sand was packed the hardest. Ez stayed in the middle, gathering ambient sunlight into small, floating orbs that hovered around him illuminating the shadows of the dunes. Alicia brought up the rear, humming a tune, seemingly unbothered by the weight of her gear or the oppressive heat.
"Targets ahead," Elara whispered, dropping low as they crested a massive ridge.
In the valley below, a rusted, industrial oil rig that looked like it came before the Dark Age rose from the sand. Shacked to the central pylon were the three civilian dummies.
"It looks too easy. You think it's a trap?" Ez whispered, looking at Elara as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Definitely," Elara confirmed, her tail twitching in agitation. "The sands around the rig is too smooth. No wind ripples. Something is waiting under the surface for something to step into its range."
"I'll trigger it!" Alicia announced.
Before Elara could hiss a command to stop, Alicia leaped over the ridge, sliding down the sand dune like a surfer. "Hello there, little targets! Here to save you!"
As soon as her boots hit the valley floor, the sand exploded.
Two massive, mechanical shapes erupted from the ground. They looked like monsters modeled after trapdoor spiders—six armored legs, hydraulic mandibles, and a metallic carapace designed to deflect attacks.
"Subterranean Automata," Elara analyzed, forced to slide down the dune with Ez close behind. "Armored. Heavy hitters."
One of the spiders lunged at Alicia. It's hydraulic fang, the size of a spear, rushed towards her chest.
CLANG.
The sound was deafening. Alicia didn't dodge. Her skin had instantly rippled into a dark, lustrous organic steel, a result of her Gift. The Automata strained as she held the fang with her hands, sliding back slightly.
"Nice try, but you're gonna need more than that to bring me down." Alicia grinned. She tightened her grip on the fang, her strength amplified by the density of her form. With a grunt of effort, she heaved, throwing the machine off balance. "Ezequiel! Pin it!"
Ez didn't hesitate. He thrust his hands forward, his face calm. "Photokinetic Structuring: Prism Cage!"
Beams of solid, golden hard-light shot from his palms. He didn't the spider; he created thick, glowing stakes that drove into the sand around the machine, locking its legs into the ground. The machine screeched, thrashing against the light constructs, but Ez held the structure firm, veins popping on his forehead from the strain.
"One down!" Alicia cheered.
"Behind you!" Elara yelled.
The second spider had bypassed the tank and the support. It erupted from the sand directly beneath Elara.
She didn't have Alicia's durability or Ez's shield. She had speed. Elara kicked off the rising metal head of the spider, backflipping into the air. The spider snapped its jaws where she had been not even a second ago.
Mid-air, Elara twisted, her tail acting as a rudder. She landed lightly on the rusted beams of the oil rig, directly above the trapped dummies. The spider turned, preparing to ram the rig and crush the targets along with it.
"Alicia! Catch!" Elara yelled.
Elara didn't attack the spider directly. She attacked the rig. Using her claw like nails she slashed the cables holding a suspended steel beam. The beam plummeted toward the spider below.
Alicia saw it coming. She sprinted forward, her metal skin shining in the sun. She didn't catch the beam; she punched it mid-fall, deflecting its angle so it slammed directly into the second spider's sensory cluster with the force of a wrecking ball.
CRUNCH.
The machine slumped, sparks showering the sand.
"Targets secure!" Ez yelled, his light-cage flickering as his energy drained.
Elara landed gracefully beside them, slightly winded. She looked at the destroyed machine, then at Alicia, whose skin was fading back to normal flesh.
"You're reckless," Elara stated.
Alicia beamed, giving a thumbs up. "And you're a genius! We make a great team!"
Elara sighed, her tail flickering with reluctant amusement. "We secured the targets. That's all that matters."
The world lurched again. The blinding sun and the sand vanished in an instant blink as they were teleported.
They were back in the cramped, gray hallway of the Aegis Academy. The transition was nauseating. Ez stumbled, gripping Alicia's arm for support.
"Note to self," Ez mumbled, looking green. "No eating before Shift-Lock teleports us."
Rey was there, waiting near the wall. He looked battered—his left arm was cradled against his chest.
"Rey!" Ez pushed off Alicia and hurried over, looking a little green around the gills. "You're alive! We got spiders. Big metal ones. I think I'm gonna be sick."
But before Rey could answer, Elara was there. She moved past Ez, stepping directly into Rey's personal space. Her amber eyes narrowed, laser focused on him.
"You overloaded," she said instantly. It sounded like an accusation, but the sharpness in her voice was blunted by a tremor of genuine concern. She reached out, her hand hovering over his injured forearm before thinking better of it and resting her palm gently on his uninjured shoulder instead. "We were gone for forty minutes, Rey. Did you really find a way to break yourself that fast?"
"I had to protect a teammate," Rey defended, though his voice was rough. He winced as the adrenaline faded, leaving on the deep, throbbing ache in his bone. "It worked. We secured the targets."
"A teammate?" Elara raised an eyebrow, looking past him where Varek stood. His eyes catching Rey's before giving a stiff, grudging nod—an admission of a debt owed—before turning away to join his own crowd.
Elara looked back at Rey, and her expression softened. The worry in her eyes melted away, leaving only relief. She let out a breath she seemed to have been holding since they teleported away.
"You reckless idiot," she whispered, but there was no bite to it. "You took a hit for him?"
"I took a hit for the exam," Rey murmured.
Elara shook her head, and then, unexpectedly, she smiled. It wasn't her usual smirk or grin of triumph; it was small, soft, and completely unguarded. "Well… I'm just glad you're still standing."
She squeezed his shoulder, her hand lingering there a moment longer than necessary. Rey looked down at her, caught off guard by the warmth in her expression. Up close, he could see the speck of gold in her eyes and the way her ears twitched slightly, relaxing now that he was safe.
The noise of the crowded hall seemed to fade into the background. For a heartbeat, they just stared at each other, realizing suddenly how close they were standing together.
A soft flush of pink rose on Elara's cheeks. She cleared her throat, her eyes darting down to his chest before flicking back up, looking suddenly shy. Rey felt his own face heat up, a warmth spreading through him that had nothing to do with his Gift.
They stepped back from each other simultaneously, breaking the magnetic pull, though neither looked away.
"We finished the practical exam," Rey said, his voice quiet, a little breathless. "That's what counts."
"Yeah," Elara breathed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's what counts."
"Ugh."
A groan shattered the moment. Ez slid up beside them, leaning heavily on Rey's uninjured shoulder. He waved a hand between their faces as if clearing away smoke.
"Get a room, you two," Ez drawled, looking significantly less green now that he had a target to tease. "Seriously, the tension is thicker than the gravity in there. All lovey-dovey and starry-eyed." He rolled his eyes, gesturing vaguely at the space between them. "Just kiss already so I don't have to keep watching this awkward staring contest."
"Ez!" Rey choked out, his face going from flushed to crimson within a second.
Elara let out a groan, her tail puffed up to twice its normal size, bristling with indignation, and her ears flattened against her head.
"I will shave your eyebrows off while you sleep, Ezequiel," she threatened, looking straight into Ez's eyes ready to keep her promise.
Ez just grinned, unrepentant. "Worth it."
Before Rey could stammer out a defense—or Elara could actually follow through with her threat—the sharp whine of feedback cut through the room.
Shift-Lock stepped back onto the podium, rubbing his temple, looking every bit ready to leave. The interruption saved the trio from further meltdown.
"The practical exam has concluded," Shift-Lock announced, his voice cutting through the tension. "Medical teams are to the south. Go home. The written exam will be tomorrow, and results will be out in a week."
The written exam had been… surprisingly manageable.
Rey sat at his coffee table in the living room a week later, drumming his fingers against the wood. He had expected advanced math or science. Instead, the written portion had focused heavily on Heroic Ethics, Disaster Management, and Historical Precedent. Thanks to Elara's relentless quizzing during their training week and his obsession with Vanguard's history, Rey had breezed through the essay questions.
But confidence in the written exam didn't stop the nausea from churning in his gut now.
On the table in front of them sat three cream-colored envelopes. They weren't digital notifications. The Aegis Academy, unlike other schools, sent physical letters to their applicants.
"Stop drumming," Elara murmured. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, her tail wrapped tightly around her ankles like a safety belt. "You're vibrating the table."
"Sorry," Rey muttered, stopping his hand.
Ez was pacing the small length of the living room, muttering to himself in a low, frantic stream of consciousness. "It's fine. It's fine. Even if I fail, I can just… become a lamp. People like lamps. Lamps are useful."
The tension was broken by the sound of the oven timer going off.
Adam bustled in from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his flour-dusted apron. The smell of cinnamon, brown sugar, and warm yeast immediately flooded the room, overpowering the scent of anxiety. He carried a tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls—his specialty.
"Alright," Adam said, his voice feigning a cheerfulness that his worried eyes betrayed. He set the tray down in the center of the table. "Sugar first. Results seconds. That's the house rule."
"Mr. Sterling," Elara said, eyeing the pastries, "do you really think sugar is going to calm our nerves?"
"Eat the roll, Elara," Adam said gently, sliding a plate toward her. "And call me Adam, I insist."
She took it, taking a small bite, and her ears immediately perked up. "These are good," she mumbled, taking a bigger bite.
Adam rested his hand on Rey's shoulder, giving a squeeze. "You three did the work. You survived the exam. Whatever is in those envelopes, we figure it out together. Okay?"
Rey looked up at his father, seeing the new strength there. "Okay."
"Together?" Ez asked, stopping his pacing.
"Together," Rey confirmed.
On the count of three, they tore the wax seals.
Rey unfolded the thick cardstock. The header was embossed in gold leaf: THE AEGIS ACADEMY. He skipped the pleasantries and scanned for the bold text.
Candidate: Rey Sterling Written Score: 94/100 Practical Score: 92/100 Assessment: ACCEPTED Placement: CLASS 1-S
The room was silent.
"I got in," Ez whispered, staring at his letter. "Class 1-S."
"Same," Elara breathed, her eyes wide. "The Sovereign Class."
Rey stared at the letter. Class 1-S. It wasn't just the top class; it was stuff of the legends. It was the class that produced Vanguard. It was the class that produced Shift-Lock and many other top heroes. It was a designation reserved for the students the Academy believed had the potential to become Global Pillars.
"S Class," Adam read over Rey's shoulder. His breath hitched, a mix of immense pride and renewed terror. "That's… that's Vanguard's old unit designation."
"We're in the same class," Rey said, a grin breaking through the shock. He looked at Ez and Elara. "We're actually doing this."
Ez let out a whoop, grabbing a cinnamon roll and shoving half of it into his mouth. "Top Tier! No lamp life for me!"
The first day of the Aegis Academy was a sensory overload. The campus was a city unto itself, but the S-Class facility was a fortress within a fortress. Located in the central spire, it required three separate bio-metric scans just to enter the hallway.
Rey, Ez and Elara walked down the pristine, white corridor. The walls were lined with holographic displays of past S-Class alumni. Rey paused briefly by a display from twenty years ago, seeing a younger, two-eyed Vanguard staring back.
"Don't fanboy in the hallway, Rey," Elara chided, though she was nervously smoothing her skirt. She had modified the standard uniform, cutting slits for movement and ignoring the regulation socks. "We need to be ready for the first day."
They reached the massive double doors labeled 1-S. Rey pushed them open.
The classroom was cavernous, designed more like a tactical briefing room than a school. The desks were set up in rows with five rows with four seats each—most were already taken.
"Elara!"
A pale blur launched itself from the third row.
"No, no, no—" Elara tried to backpedal, but she was too slow.
Alicia slammed into her, tackling Elara into a hug that lifted the cat-girl off the ground. "We're in the same class! Can you believe it?! S-Class! We're basically celebrities!"
"Can't… breathe…" Elara wheezed, her tail thrashing.
Alicia dropped Elara, beaming at Rey. "Hey! Shield-guy! You made it!"
"Yeah," Rey said, returning the smile.
He walked up the steps, settling into a desk in the back row next to Ez and Elara. He looked around. The room was a pressure cooker of talent.
The door slammed shut.
The room went silent instantly. Walking to the podium was a familiar face. It was the man who had looked ready to retire a week ago.
Shift-Lock.
He wore casual clothes ignoring the fact that he was teaching the top class at Aegis, bags under his eyes. He dropped a stack of tablets onto the desk with a heavy thud.
"I am not a teacher," Shift-Lock announced, his voice flat. "I am a retired hero coerced into babysitting the most dangerous teenagers on the planet."
He tapped the holographic board behind him. A seating chart appeared.
"I don't care about hobbies or your dreams," Shift-Lock continued. "I care about what you bring to the table. When I call your name, you stand. State your Gift. Sit down. Do it fast."
He pointed to the front row, left side. "Varek."
Varek stood slowly, arrogance radiating off him. He wore his uniform jacket open. "Gift: Starfire." He sat down, smirking.
"Kaelen."
Kaelen, the quiet one from Rey's exam team, stood next. "Gift: Lightning-arc." He shared a brief, silent nod with Varek.
"Jett."
Next was a boy vibrating with restless energy, wearing goggle on his head. "Gift: Velocity Burst."
"Marina."
A girl with blue hair stood, her form seeming slightly fluid even while standing still. "Gift: Aqueous Form."
"Brock."
A massive student, even larger than Varek, stood up. His black skin seemed to shine in the rooms like. "Gift: Terra-Skin."
Shift-Lock moved to the next row.
"Vanya."
A girl with a gothic style stood. From her back, two translucent, purple spectral arms floated menacingly. "Gift: Phantom Limbs."
"Nyx."
Beside Vanya sat a girl completely shrouded in a hood, the shadows under her desk seemingly stretching toward her boots. "Gift: Umbra."
"Riff."
A guy with massive headphones around his neck leaned back, popping gum. "Gift: Sonic Pulse."
"Talia."
A girl with a sharp, calculating gaze stood up. "Gift: Phase."
"Tek."
A student wearing a visor that covered his eyes stood up, tapping his temple. "Gift: Technopathy."
Shift-Lock moved to the third row.
"Reed."
A lanky boy stood up and casually stretched his neck—literally stretching it two feet to the side to look around Brock's head. "Gift: Elasticity."
"Sol."
A quiet boy with gravity-defying hair stood, his pencil floating inches above his desk. "Gift: Telekinesis."
"Kira."
A girl with sharp features stood, her hands twitching as they stood by her side. "Gift: Suture."
"Fang."
A boy with yellow eyes and sharpened teeth grinned, showing off claws that dug into his desk. "Gift: Bestial Morph."
"Luna."
A girl with pale skin and silver accessories stood. "Gift: Crescent."
"Orion."
A boy with glowing veins pulsing with starlight stood rigidly. "Gift: Star-Bolt."
Shift-Lock finally pointed to the back row—Rey's row.
"Alicia."
She leaped up, doing a mock salute. "Gift: Metallization!"
"Ezequiel."
Ez stood, flashing a charming, confident smile that made half the class look twice. "Gift: Photokinetic Structuring."
"Elara."
She stood gracefully, her tail flicking behind her, amber eyes straight ahead. "Gift: Apex Instinct."
Shift-Lock's eyes landed on the final student. "Rey."
Rey stood. He felt the weight of nineteen pairs of eyes on him—some curious, some dismissive. He remembered the feeling of the alley floor. He remembered Vanguard. "Gift: Kinetic Absorption and Redirect."
He sat down.
Shift-Lock nodded, seemingly satisfied that no one had exploded during introductions.
"You are Class 1-S," he said. "As you may know the 'S' stands for Sovereign. It means the school expects you to handle threats that standard heroes run from. It also means you'll be put in the most dangerous situations out of every group."
A few students shifted uncomfortably. Varek just smiled.
"Look to your left. Look to your right," Shift-Lock commanded, his voice hardening. "These are not your friends. They are your partners, people you'll be relying on your entire career. If you can't rely on them then you won't be able to rely on anyone."
He tapped the podium. The holographic board behind him lit up with a single word: ADAPT.
"Welcome to the Ascent," Shift-Lock said, a ghost of a smile touching his scarred lips. "Your first practical assessment begins in ten minutes. Get changed."
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A/N:
Just wanted to say that Gift names may change cause for some of them I just chose what came off the top of my head so if I come up with any better ideas I might change it. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter!