Chapter 2: Monkey Business


    <hr>


    Axel Mercer: Certified Loser


    Axel had imagined a lot of scenarios for his first day at Helix Academy.


    He had imagined standing proudly on the Bonding Platform, his Cipher Beast roaring beside him, the whole school in awe of his power. Maybe some teachers would even say he had potential—maybe even one of the strongest bonds of his generation.


    What he hadn’t imagined was standing there while a tiny blue monkey drummed on his head like a street performer.


    “Oh man, this is gold,” Ryder wheezed from the crowd. “I’m actually crying.”


    Axel wasn’t.


    He was dying inside.


    Tempo, his so-called battle partner, hung off his shoulder like a living keychain, tail curled around Axel’s neck for balance. He scratched his ear lazily, then patted Axel’s cheek.


    "Heh. Heh. Heh."


    Jace Stroud—the academy’s golden boy, heir to a bloodline of war champions, and all-around rich-kid jackass—crossed his arms, grinning.


    “I mean, it makes sense,” he mused, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Mercer was always a joke. Now he’s got a Cipher Beast to match.”


    More laughter. More whispers.


    Axel forced himself to stay still. If he lashed out now, if he lost control, they’d just laugh harder.


    Tempo, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered. He just tilted his head at Jace, then—


    He made a fart noise with his mouth.


    PFFFFFFFT.


    The room went silent.


    Then Ryder wheezed. “Oh my god. I love him.”


    Jace’s eye twitched. “What did it just—”


    Tempo doubled down.


    "PFFFT. PFFFFT. PFFFFT-PFFFFFT."


    Axel stared at his Cipher Beast. “Dude. Stop.”


    Tempo looked at him. Then at Jace.


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    Then back at Axel.


    And slowly, deliberately, he raised one tiny hand—middle finger extended.


    The room exploded.


    <hr>


    The Fall from Grace


    Axel barely remembered how he got through the rest of the induction ceremony.


    One minute, he was on stage, bonded to the world’s least-intimidating Cipher Beast. The next, he was sitting on a bench outside the main training hall, watching Tempo swing from a streetlamp like an acrobat.


    “Well,” Ryder said, still grinning. “That was humiliating.”


    Axel groaned. “Thanks, Voss. Real helpful.”


    “I mean, it could be worse.” Ryder leaned back. “At least your monkey has a sense of humor.”


    Axel glared.


    Ryder held up his hands. “Hey, I’m just saying—Jace looked ready to pop a blood vessel.”


    Axel exhaled. Okay. Yeah. That part had been hilarious. But it didn’t change the fact that—


    He was screwed.


    Cipher Beasts weren’t just battle partners. They determined rank, future career paths, everything. And his?


    His was currently hanging upside down, trying to lick a raindrop off a window.


    Axel buried his face in his hands.


    “Alright,” Ryder said. “So what’s the plan?”


    “Plan?” Axel peeked between his fingers.


    “Yeah, man.” Ryder leaned forward. “You’re not just gonna roll over and let Jace be right, are you?”


    Axel frowned. “What am I supposed to do? Train this thing into a killing machine?”


    As if on cue, Tempo lost his grip on the streetlamp, hit the ground with a thud, then immediately rolled back onto his feet, throwing his arms in the air like a gymnast who just stuck a landing.


    “Whoo!” he cheered.


    Ryder wiped away tears. “This is the best day of my life.”


    <hr>


    Tempo: A Walking Disaster


    Later that night, Axel sat in his dorm room, staring at his Cipher Beast.


    Tempo sat on his desk, tail curled around a lamp, munching on a protein bar Axel hadn’t given him.


    Axel narrowed his eyes. “Where did you even get that?”


    Tempo stopped chewing. He slowly turned his head.


    Then he stuffed the entire bar into his mouth.


    Axel groaned. “Unbelievable.”


    Leaning back in his chair, he let his eyes drift to the digital display above his desk. Every student had one—showing a breakdown of their Cipher Beast’s stats, abilities, and potential growth.


    He pulled up Tempo’s file.


    <hr>


    <blockquote>


    Cipher Beast: Tempo (Primal Virtuoso)


    Class: Unorthodox / Support Hybrid


    Primary Affinity: Sound & Rhythm


    Status: Unranked (Unassessed Battle Potential)


    Evolution: Unknown / Undiscovered Pathway


    </blockquote>


    <hr>


    Axel frowned. Unassessed Battle Potential?


    Most Cipher Beasts had a clear growth trajectory. Their data would outline their expected evolutions, combat role, and strengths.


    But Tempo?


    There was nothing. No projected form, no baseline stats—just a blinking “Unassessed” marker like the system didn’t even know what to do with him.


    Tempo, still chewing, noticed Axel staring. He tilted his head.


    Axel sighed. “Look, man. No offense, but… you don’t exactly scream ‘combat powerhouse.’”


    Tempo swallowed. Then he grinned.


    And then—he started tapping on the desk.


    Axel blinked. “What are you—”


    Tempo’s fingers moved faster, rhythmically drumming out a pattern. The sound vibrated through the desk, humming in the air, syncing into an actual beat.


    Axel felt it in his chest.


    It wasn’t just sound. It was… something else.


    The air around Tempo shimmered for a second—like the rhythm was altering the space itself.


    Axel leaned forward.


    “...What are you?”


    Tempo just grinned wider.