《Diamond Hope Academy》 PEMBROOKE CANIN - WEAKLING ¡°This. Is. The. Best. Day. EVER!¡± Brooke yelled, pumping her fists into the air. ¡°Take it easy, Brooke,¡± her older brother said, pulling her hands down. ¡°They do this every year.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I never get to come, Sabir.¡± Her eyes scanned through the fairgrounds. Everywhere she looked, there were stands selling food, drinks, and souvenirs. All of that was good, but it wasn¡¯t what had Brooke so excited. She was excited by the students fighting in small arenas, each vying for only a few spots in the Sentinel schools. Even though there were a lot of great schools, everyone was secretly hoping to be accepted to Diamond Hope Academy. ¡°Keep your head in the game,¡± Sabir said quietly. ¡°You still have to fight.¡± Brooke¡¯s stomach dropped. She shrugged the feeling off and stuck her tongue out at her brother. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± The siblings continued across the grounds. A casual observer might not recognize they were related. Brooke was only two years younger than her brother, but Sabir looked significantly older. He had a wispy beard, but it was more a product of laziness than style. His clothes were excessively simple, a black t-shirt and jeans. Everything about him screamed to leave him alone. He brushed his hair out of his eyes, which had gotten a little too long. It was a dark black, although hints of gray were already starting to settle in, despite him being only eighteen. Brooke¡¯s entire existence looked like she was asking for a hug. She walked with a giant grin on her face, in stark contrast to her brother¡¯s neutral face. Giant, bright eyes took in every sight like it was the first and last time she would see it. The only similarity the two had, if you could call it that, was that neither seemed to care much about style. Where Sabir went for simple, Brooke obviously dressed for comfort, with simple jeans and a soft sweater. The only thing that didn¡¯t look comfortable on her was the pair of metallic goggles on her head, pinning her bright red bangs in place. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Sabir asked. ¡°So ready.¡± ¡°Do you remember your stances? And the advanced Wolf Style forms? You always stumble halfway through form seven. And your ground rolls are still sloppy. Maybe if you try to keep the fight higher it¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Sabir, breathe.¡± He exhaled slowly. ¡°Feel better?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Good. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. You¡¯ve been training me all summer, and I¡¯ve been working on my own for like a year now. I¡¯ll ace this.¡± ¡°Most people train for a few years before they¡¯re ready to apply,¡± Sabir said. ¡°I trained for four years.¡± Brooke¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll use my secret weapon.¡± ¡°You have a secret weapon?¡± She nodded. Sabir leaned in. ¡°What is it?¡± Brooke looked around, keeping an eye out for any potential spies. ¡°My secret weapon is¡­ my A+ winning attitude.¡± Before Sabir could say anything, she flicked him in the nose and sped away towards the arena. She walked quickly up to the testing area before Sabir could catch up. A woman sat at a desk with a smirk, like she was always on the inside of a joke. The desk was set up with a number of small electrical appliances that would help her monitor the fight. Each one shone with polished bronze and a small crystalline battery. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Pembrooke Canin,¡± she replied. The woman checked something off. She held out a device that looked like a miniature computer. Brooke looked at it in confusion. ¡°Have you never used an Analyzer before?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Analyzer,¡± Brooke said, realizing she should recognize it. ¡°My brother uses one. I think he showed me a few times.¡± That was generous, and Brooke knew it. Sabir went over using an Analyzer at least a dozen times, but she never wore one regularly. And she didn¡¯t remember how to use it. ¡°Strap it onto your wrist,¡± the woman said, a slight concern forming in her eyes. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready to try out for Sentinel school?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Brooke replied as the Analyzer clicked into place on her wrist. As it clicked, she felt the technology link with her body, like tiny wires were swimming through her arm. She held it up, and a screen projected into the air. Analyzer Status Report: Name: Pembrooke (Brooke) Canin Current Potential: Level 15 Core Ability: Dangercore Proficiencies: Brooke nodded at the results. She had to admit that she was a lot less impressive than Sabir¡¯s Status Report, but she also knew her brother was a lot stronger than she was. She could only hope that those numbers were comparable with the other applicants. She was confident that she was. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready to compete today,¡± the woman at the desk asked again, a pressing look of fear in her eyes. ¡°Maybe another year would be better for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Brooke assured her quickly. The woman hesitated for a moment before shrugging. Brooke was quickly ushered her inside the arena. She looked across the arena and saw her opponent, a girl with nun chucks. The official looked them over. ¡°The fight starts in thirty seconds.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got to say,¡± Brooke¡¯s opponent said, ¡°I¡¯m excited to see what you can do. You don¡¯t look like much, but I¡¯m not one to judge a book by its cover.¡± ¡°I¡¯m excited to see you too,¡± Brooke said, falling into a martial arts stance. She felt the two white Cells growing out of her forearms ignite with energy. They looked like elaborate batteries, with metallic weavings that grew directly out of her arms. In the center was the source of the bioelectricity, the crystalline core. As soon as she tapped into it, Brooke felt it energize her body like she just drank a dozen cups of coffee. Having a Cell allowed people like Brooke to fight stronger and faster, heal at superhuman speeds, and do feats that people born without a Cell simply couldn¡¯t do. ¡°I think this is going to be fun.¡± The girl laughed. She had similar cells on her biceps, except hers were a deep orange. ¡°I think so too. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going easy on you though.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on you either.¡± ¡°Begin!¡± The fight lasted all of ten seconds. Brooke took several hits to the head immediately, tried to go for a kick, fell short, and then blacked out a moment later when her opponent¡¯s weapon clocked her in the side of the head. She found out later her opponent had a Potential at level 25. ¡°Good work!¡± Brooke congratulated her opponent a few minutes later as Sabir helped her out of the arena. The other girl tried to smile, but she clearly felt bad. Sabir let his sister fall onto a bench a short distance away. She rubbed her head, a bruise on her skull slowly healing as she pulled energy from her Cell. Normally the healing would be almost instant, but taking so many hits so quickly had depleted her Cell¡¯s battery. If she took any more damage, the Cell would have shattered. If that happened, Brooke would have to spend the next few hours growing a new one. ¡°That was not your best work,¡± Sabir told her. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t my worst work, right?¡± ¡°It might have been your worst work.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± Sabir lowered himself next to her. ¡°They¡¯re not going to let you into any of the schools if you can¡¯t show them that you can fight. Especially not Diamond Hope Academy.¡± ¡°I can fight!¡± Brooke shouted defensively. ¡°I can be a Sentinel!¡± Brooke spoke as confidently as she could, but there was a lingering doubt in her mind. Sentinels were some of the best warriors in the world. Their ability to use their Cells was incredible, both to stop dangerous criminals and other threats to the safety of others, like the robotic warriors that would attack cities. However, just being born with a Cell wasn¡¯t enough. The Sentinels only took the best, and Diamond Hope Academy trained the best Sentinels. ¡°I know you can, but it didn¡¯t look like it back there.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Brooke stammered. ¡°You know I can¡¯t fight unless I¡¯m in danger.¡± Sabir frowned. ¡°I know. When you¡¯re in danger you can tap into your Cell¡¯s Core Ability, the most fundamental part of its core, and then you get scary and can fight better than ever, but that isn¡¯t going to work here. You¡¯re not really in danger. Maybe you can trick yourself into thinking you¡¯re in danger. In danger of not getting into school?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡± ¡°Maybe we should just go home. Another year of training might be what you need.¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯ve got three more fights today. Let me just rest up. I¡¯ll show them I can fight!¡± Over the course of the next few fights, Brooke definitely ended up showing them. She showed them that she could take a hit, that she wouldn¡¯t withdraw from a fight until she couldn¡¯t get up, and that she could congratulate someone who came close to breaking her bones, but she did not show them that she could actually fight.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Maybe next year,¡± Sabir consoled her as they left the final match. A cut was bleeding down into her eye, but she¡¯d burned through so much energy that it wouldn¡¯t close. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°What do you mean I didn¡¯t get accepted?¡± someone yelled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but we cannot extend an invitation for you to attend our academy at this time. Perhaps next year.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t fair,¡± he muttered. A man strode up to the young man. He wore a black cloak with accents of red and a tall top hat. He looked like a cross between a magician and an old-fashioned gentleman. ¡°It isn¡¯t fair,¡± he agreed. ¡°Not fair that you¡¯re asked to risk your lives, to break your back slaving away, to obey their every command, only to be told you aren¡¯t enough.¡± Sabir¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± the boy asked the man. ¡°You may refer to me as Leopold Iculus. I come bearing the offer of a lifetime, from my benefactors, The Call.¡± As soon as Brooke heard that name, she felt a bolt of fear. The Call was a small group, but they were already making their name as a bunch of terrorists. ¡°I¡¯m looking for gifted young people, just like you. People that have been thrown away by the big academies. People looking for¡­ revolution.¡± He ended on the last word with a tip of his hat and a dark smile. An official walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Here is a guardian of the system which oppresses you. Hear the call! Reject the Sentinels, who ask you to fight and turn their backs on those who don¡¯t meet their standards. Take refuge in our shade.¡± With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a series of colorful balls. The balls flew through the air smoothly, exploding in the official¡¯s face with the force of a bomb. She collapsed to her knees, badly hurt. Clearly, she had been brought in for logistics, not because she was trained to fight. Thankfully, she had a Cell on her back, which shattered the instant the balls exploded. If she didn¡¯t, she would have died on the spot. Brooke didn¡¯t decide to move; her body did that on her own. It was the moment that would change her life forever. In an instant, it felt like her every molecule had been energized. The screen on her Analyzer lit up. *Analyzer Updating* Core Ability activating¡­ Dangercore at 15%. Current Potential Increasing: 15 -> 23. Proficiencies updating: Basic Combat (Moderate -> Advanced) Instinctual Reactions (None -> Advanced) Fallen Leaves Style (None -> Moderate) Pivot Forms Style (None -> Moderate) Closed Fist Style (None -> Moderate) Brooke dismissed the notifications as she let her steps carry her forward. With the surge of power she felt, it only took a moment to close the gap. Behind her, she vaguely heard Sabir. ¡°Brooke! Don¡¯t!¡± She didn¡¯t slow down. The Cells on her sleeve started glowing a bright white as she pulled back her fist. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this?¡± Leopold asked. He waved his hand, throwing a shower of playing cards into the air. Brooke¡¯s fist hit the wall of cards, which blew apart under the force of the impact. In the chaos of cards, Leopold weaved away. ¡°A new challenger?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you hurt anyone,¡± Brooke said through gritted teeth. Her arms shook from the power surging through her Cell. Power she could barely contain. ¡°Dear girl,¡± Leopold chuckled, ¡°I saw your performance today. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not quite the material that the Call is looking for. We don¡¯t take weaklings.¡± He flexed his arm and a magician¡¯s wand emerged from his sleeve, tipped with a small knife. He swung at Brooke¡¯s throat. If this had been another spar, Brooke wouldn¡¯t have even seen it coming; thankfully, this was real danger. She ducked, grappled Leopold¡¯s arm, and elbowed him in the chest. He grunted, but as he did, a flash of light erupted from the Cell on his breast pocket. It absorbed part of the impact. Leopold switched the wand to his other hand, taking several more swings at Brooke. Each one she weaved to avoid, refusing to let him put any distance between them. With an explosive leap, she tackled the magician, flipping over him as she pummeled him into the dirt. The look of shock on his face told her he hadn¡¯t seen it coming. Brooke was winding up for a kick that would knock him out for good, when there was another explosion from Leopold¡¯s chest, most likely him reaching for his own Core Ability. This one wasn¡¯t just light. In fact, it looked more like a puff of confetti. The tiny reflective shards blinded Brooke, and Leopold took the opportunity to jump to his feet and jab forward with his wand. ¡°I should have put the goggles on!¡± Brooke cried, reaching for the eyewear she was still wearing above her bangs. She was still rubbing glitter out of her eyes when she heard the sound of metal on metal. She took a blind step backwards, cracking her eyes open, although she wasn¡¯t confident she could dodge an attack. She watched in awe as Sabir spun a spear, holding Leopold off. Leopold struggled to stop Sabir from stabbing forward. He pulled another deck of cards out and threw them in Sabir¡¯s face. A few cards cut across his check, but it didn¡¯t do much more than distract him as they scattered around his feet. Sabir took the opportunity to fall back beside Brooke. ¡°What do you think you were doing?¡± he demanded. ¡°I was just trying to help.¡± "You could have gotten killed.¡± Brooke grinned. ¡°Not with you watching my back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play cute. You had no plan, did you?¡± Leopold straightened his jacket and laughed. ¡°You know, she wasn¡¯t doing half bad. Most fully trained Sentinels would struggle against me. I¡¯m surprised she got some hits in.¡± His eyes locked on Brooke. ¡°Bold move, by the way. I didn¡¯t expect you to hide your true fighting potential at an entrance exam.¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I said that wasn¡¯t my plan?¡± That just made Leopold laugh even louder. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting one. Brooke Canin, correct? I may have to keep an eye on you. Still, I¡¯m not interested in drawing out this fight.¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± Sabir growled. ¡°I might not be a full Sentinel, but I¡¯m a fourth-year student at Diamond Hope Academy with the authority to put you under arrest.¡± ¡°You misunderstand,¡± he replied, taking his top hat off with a flourish. ¡°I¡¯m not particularly afraid of either of you. I haven¡¯t really given this fight my real attention. But it seems our little spat has attracted the attention of more¡­ aggressive law enforcement.¡± His eyes flicked to the side, where a small group of Sentinels were approaching. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be heading out now.¡± ¡°And what makes you think we¡¯ll just let you?¡± Brooke asked, falling into her fighting stance again. ¡°Nothing.¡± He took a bow. ¡°You know, most people are so easily distracted.¡± While still bent over, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a playing card. ¡°All it takes is a little wave of the hand, and no one sees the real trick.¡± With a twist, he revealed a fuse on the playing card, already lit. Brooke gasped as she heard the sizzling fuses of a dozen playing cards scattered around their feet. Sabir was slower to respond. His eyes flicked from Leopold to the ground a second too late. Brooke jumped forward, tackling her brother to the side just as they detonated. The explosion carried her off a short distance, but other than that, her Cell was able to absorb the damage. The moment she landed, she looked for Leopold, but he disappeared.
A half hour later, Brooke and Sabir were resting in one of the medical tents. The medic looked them over, but, other than a few cuts, they were totally fine. She was still sitting on the examination table, with Sabir in the chair beside her. As soon as the medic left, Brooke smiled at her brother. ¡°Well, I might not have gotten into Diamond Hope Academy, but I got to fight my first villain, so that¡¯s pretty cool.¡± ¡°Why do you say that like it¡¯s a good thing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous because I got to him first.¡± Even Sabir couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize just how strong you are when your Core activates. Or how fast.¡± Brooke just laughed off the compliment. Everyone with a Cell had a Core Ability, but she knew hers wasn¡¯t normal. Most people could use their Core whenever they wanted, but hers packed much more of a punch. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you had that much energy after getting beaten up all day,¡± Sabir added. The Cell on Brooke¡¯s arm flashed. The white light coming off of it had been slowly dimming ever since the fight ended. A quick glance at the Analyzer confirmed that her status was back to normal. Her potential dropped and her proficiencies were like they were at the start of the day. ¡°One second I didn¡¯t have any energy left in my Cell, and then as soon as that wizard guy showed up, it felt like my Cell was supercharged. And it felt like my body knew how to fight in ways my brain didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he was a wizard.¡± Brooke decided that she didn¡¯t hear that part. She sighed. ¡°Still, it would have been nice if I could have used that power during the exam.¡± Motion in the corner of Brooke¡¯s eye pulled her attention towards to the front of the tent. She heard a muffled gasp. ¡°Fala, wait!¡± A young man was thrown forward into the room, with a tall woman following close behind. ¡°Come on, Gyr, we don¡¯t have all day. I¡¯d like to meet this girl.¡± The woman had silver hair that looked like it could act as a mirror, despite not looking a day over twenty-five. In her wake, a mousy man struggled to keep up with her confident steps. ¡°Miss Pembrooke Canin?¡± the man asked. ¡°That¡¯s me. Can I help you?¡± The woman pursed her lips and scanned Brooke over. ¡°Very interesting,¡± she muttered, nodding to herself. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Brooke was about to repeat her question, when the woman snapped her fingers at the man. ¡°Give it to her.¡± The man pulled out a piece of paper, but the woman snatched it from his hands and practically threw a piece of paper in her face. The sudden movement startled Brooke, and she toppled backwards off the examination table. In the chaos, Sabir snatched the paper out of the air. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked, glancing at it. ¡°Just an acceptance letter,¡± the woman said causally, already walking away. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Gyr. We have places to be.¡± ¡°What!¡± Brooke was on her feet faster than when she was fighting Leopold. She took the paper from Sabir too quickly, and it tore in half. ¡°Wait, no! Please!¡± The woman sighed, seemingly torn between genuine annoyance and comical joy. Before she could say anything, the man pulled an identical paper from his binder and handed it to Brooke, much gentler than the woman did. ¡°Try not to destroy that one,¡± the woman suggested. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Brooke struggled, her eyes flicking between the confusing pair in front of her and the piece of paper that was about to change her life. ¡°I didn¡¯t pass the entrance exam.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± the woman yelled. ¡°Do we have to spell it out for you?¡± ¡°A little bit,¡± Brooke agreed sheepishly. The woman was about to say something else when the man took hold on her arm. She looked at him, and something silently passed between the two before she backed down. The man smirked and turned back to Brooke and Sabir. ¡°Hello, Miss Canin. Please excuse my wife,¡± he said, much calmer than the woman behind him could have ever managed. ¡°My name is Professor Gyr, and this is Professor Fala. We¡¯re Sentinels and professors at Diamond Hope Academy. Pembrooke Canin, we¡¯d be thrilled if you would attend this coming semester.¡± ¡°I thought you looked familiar,¡± Sabir said. ¡°You¡¯re the combat strategy professors.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Brooke struggled with what she was hearing. ¡°I didn¡¯t pass the exam. I failed really badly.¡± ¡°And then you fought Leopold Iculus to a standstill,¡± Professor Fala said. ¡°If a student could do that when they graduate, I¡¯d consider them a success.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Brooke babbled. ¡°But he said that he wasn¡¯t really trying. I just caught him off guard.¡± Professor Fala pointed in Brooke¡¯s face before Professor Gyr could stop her. ¡°Okay, first thing we¡¯re doing is working on those confidence issues,¡± she barked. ¡°Fala,¡± her husband admonished. She let out an exaggerated groan, like she was a teenager who wasn¡¯t getting her way. ¡°Fine. Here¡¯s the facts, Brooke. No one else made a move against Leopold. Every student who ¡®passed the exam¡¯ hesitated. Fully trained Sentinels hesitated. Even your brother,¡± she pointed at Sabir, who did not look like he wanted Professor Fala¡¯s attention on him, ¡°who¡¯s one of the best in his year, hesitated.¡± She turned back to Brooke. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± Professor Gyr put a hand gently on Professor Fala¡¯s back, which seemed to make her pull back. ¡°Miss Canin,¡± he started, ¡°it would be irresponsible of us to not offer you a position at the academy after everything we¡¯ve seen here. Especially after we learned how your Core Ability works.¡± Brooke looked at the duo and back to her letter. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°If you say one more problem, I will tear that letter up myself,¡± Professor Fala snapped. Brooke¡¯s mouth clapped shut. ¡°Better.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Brooke said. She passed the paper to Sabir, who was still scanning it over with a look of shock and pride. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet, sweetie,¡± Professor Fala said, walking out of the tent. ¡°If you thought today was rough, you¡¯ve got quite the storm coming.¡± ¡°Take care, Miss Canin,¡± Professor Gyr said, falling in step behind his wife. ¡°We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.¡± For a few minutes after they left, Brooke didn¡¯t do much besides gape at where they left, unsure if she had hit her head and imagined the whole thing. She didn¡¯t come back to reality until Sabir punched her on the arm. ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯ll be going to school together after all,¡± he said, neatly folding the letter into his pocket. ¡°Whatever,¡± Brooke said, trying to maintain some modicum of coolness after everything that just happened. ¡°You¡¯re a fourth-year. I¡¯ll probably never even see you around.¡± Sabir just smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± His face slowly went back to his classic Sabir serious face. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready for this?¡± Brooke clenched her fist. The memory of fighting Leopold was still fresh, as was the terror that she wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him. But more than anything, the feeling of protecting someone else rang through her brain. For the first time, she made a real difference. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± WELCOME TO DIAMOND HOPE ACADEMY ¡°We¡¯re going to die.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to die.¡± The first girl rose a questioning eyebrow at her partner, who returned the look with an exaggerated smile. ¡°I think we¡¯ve got this.¡± "Brooke, you cannot be serious.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Savannah,¡± Brooke beamed. ¡°I personally guarantee we won¡¯t die.¡± Savannah groaned, putting her face in her hand. She probably wanted to put her head in both her hands, but her left arm was broken, held in place by a shoddily constructed sling. The sight of her partner¡¯s arm did bring the slightest bit of doubt to Brooke¡¯s mind, but she decided not to linger on it. ¡°We¡¯re trapped in a Ruin,¡± Savannah muttered, ¡°surrounded by killer Mechs, whose only goal is to destroy mankind, I¡¯m exhausted, I have a broken arm, and we have no idea where the rest of our team is.¡± She glared daggers at Brooke. ¡°Am I missing anything?¡± ¡°We still have each other?¡± Brooke tried hesitantly. For some reason, that didn¡¯t reassure Savannah, whose head immediately fell again. Brooke mentally braced herself for more harsh words, but Savannah didn¡¯t speak to her again. For a long time, she didn¡¯t make any noise at all. When she did, it was a tiny noise, although Brooke recognized the brokenness of her voice. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to die,¡± Savannah cried. Brooke wanted to make a joke to cheer her up, but it was obvious that it wouldn¡¯t help. Instead, she steeled herself, put on her best serious face, and placed her hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± she asked. Savannah looked at her with a look that clearly answered that question. ¡°Right, fair enough. I know I haven¡¯t proven myself to be the strongest person, but I really can protect us until we find the others.¡± Savannah wasn¡¯t convinced. She didn¡¯t say it, but Brooke knew it. The clinking of metal interrupted her thoughts. Brooke spun, stepping in front of Savannah. She lowered herself into a fighting stance as three Mechs rounded the corner. The shiny bronze of their bodies reflected the harsh glow of the Cells in their cores. Without hesitating, Brooke launched herself at the robots. Her fist knocked one down, metal denting inward from the force. She turned to deal with the second Mech. Her arm was ready to deal another devastating blow when she felt pain erupt in her back. It only took one glance to realize that she had a blade digging between her ribs.
A month earlier, Brooke Canin stepped off the train at Diamond Hope Academy with a smile on her face. She took a deep breath, savoring the moment. ¡°Today¡¯s the first day of something beautiful,¡± she whispered to herself. She managed one step before a group of boys rushed past her. The sudden motion knocked her backwards, and she fell back into the train. The boys didn¡¯t even acknowledge that she fell. She winced, both from the pain of falling and because of the immediate failure upon arriving at school. Before she got up, someone else walked past the train¡¯s door. The girl was very short, with bleach blonde hair. Her outfit was made up of muted colors, although there was a red sash across her body. She and Brooke met eyes as the girl scanned her over. Brooke gave her a hopeful look. She had seen enough TV shows to know how this was supposed to play out. After starting off down on her luck, now it was time for her to meet her best friend. Any second now, this girl would help her up, and they¡¯d start to school together. The girl just shook her head and kept walking. ¡°Alrighty,¡± Brooke sighed, pulling herself up on her own. She took an extra second to peer around the corner and make sure that no one was coming before she hopped out of the train again. ¡°Second time¡¯s the charm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly one way to kick off the semester,¡± a boy said. Brooke turned towards him. The boy was alone, although he didn¡¯t seem uncomfortable with it. He wasn¡¯t very tall, although he had a slender, almost lanky body. His hair was black, with a streak of blond running through the side, slicked back with a lot of gel. He wore a trench coat that was buttoned from top to bottom and seemed to have more pockets than it should have. ¡°It could be worse,¡± Brooke replied. She stuck her hand out to the boy. ¡°My name is Brooke Canin. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Gibbs Hylobat. Did you know you¡¯re the first person to introduce yourself to me?¡± he asked. His tone was difficult to place. The pitch was low and somewhat unwavering, kind of like how Sabir talked, that sounded dead-serious. But there was something underneath, like every sentence was actually meant to be a joke. ¡°It seems like most people are coming with a group already.¡± ¡°No group here,¡± Brooke shrugged. ¡°My brother¡¯s somewhere, but he said he had stuff to do before we got on the train.¡± The two fell into step beside one another. Gibbs took in his surroundings silently, his eyes glancing at everything, like a fine appraiser. ¡°So¡­¡± Brooke tried to keep a conversation going, ¡°what brought you to Diamond Hope?¡± ¡°Court mandated,¡± Gibbs said, as if it was a normal reason to become a Sentinel. ¡°It was either this or jail.¡± Brooke recoiled. She briefly wondered if he was kidding. ¡°Well, I think you made the right choice. School sounds better than prison. Does that mean you¡¯re good at fighting?¡± Now it was Gibbs turn to flinch. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ yeah, I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°You okay?¡± Brooke asked. ¡°Sorry,¡± Gibbs replied, shaking his head. ¡°You were just¡­ very accepting. I¡¯m not usually the one caught off guard.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Brooke just shrugged. ¡°I figure you must be a good guy if you¡¯re going to be a Sentinel. Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll get the chance to work together.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± The two stepped into the largest building on campus, the main student center. People were already bustling throughout the building, getting books, sharpening weapons, or just grabbing a cup of coffee with friends. Brooke stared wide-eyed at the room. Plastered across the wall was the insignia of Diamond Hope Academy, an intricate design built with a Cell made of various gems. While she was still admiring the decorations, Gibbs tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got to get some last-minute registration stuff done. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Brooke said, a little more disappointed than she meant to. She was secretly hoping her first friend would stay with her a little longer. She knew she did a bad job hiding it, but she tried to cover it up with a smile. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan, Brooke,¡± Gibbs said, giving a small salute.
Gibbs had a pretty standard method of dealing with people when he was uncomfortable: don¡¯t let anyone realize you¡¯re uncomfortable, say something to catch them off-guard, and then control the flow of conversation. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the best way to make friends, but Gibbs had never felt more out of place than the moment he got off the train. As soon as Gibbs separated from Brooke, he rubbed his forehead. That was¡­ weird, he thought. He was used to keeping people second-guessing, always on their toes. That was why he told her about how he almost went to jail. Brooke seemed like a nice girl, but she seemed na?ve. One mention of his court mandate was supposed to knock her off-balance. Not only did she immediately roll with it, but she turned it on him by encouraging him. Gibbs felt himself disarmed the entire short time he talked to her. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. Vaguely, he wondered if that was what it was like talking to him normally.
Brooke weaved through the crowd, silently taking in everything she saw. It was pretty obvious who the first-year students were, as most carried too much luggage, paperwork, and generally looked out of place. Her older classmates were lounging, preparing for the upcoming year, and generally taking in the younger students. The thing that caught her eye was one such student. At least, she assumed he was a student. Truthfully, if he didn¡¯t have such a young face, she might have mistaken him for a professor or a professional Sentinel. He was huge, easily standing over six and a half feet. His light brown hair was brushed neatly to the side, in a style that clearly took a lot of care, even if it didn¡¯t look great. His clothes were business casual, a striped button-down shirt and dress pants, all lightly colored. The crowds seemed to part around him. A few people whispered about the boy, and more than a few sent odd glances in his direction. The boy just ignored them, hanging in the center of the room, parting the sea of students like he was a giant rock. He didn¡¯t pay them any mind as he looked through a folder. Several thoughts passed through Brooke¡¯s mind, thoughts just like the ones in most of the other students¡¯ heads. This guy must be a serious Sentinel, I better leave him alone. He looks intimidating, I should just move around him. He¡¯s got a lot of guts, standing in the middle of the room like that, I don¡¯t want to mess with him. Despite all those thoughts, one thing stuck in Brooke¡¯s mind that no one else thought. He looks scared. She made a beeline for him, her arm ready for a handshake before she even could reach him. ¡°Hello!¡± she greeted, hoping this could be her second friend of the day. ¡°My name is Brooke Canin. Are you looking for something?¡± The boy blinked at her, like he was surprised to see her. Once he did, Brooke knew she was right. Despite everything about him, his face looked like he was more intimidated by the girl half his height than she was of him. ¡°Ibsen Egre.¡± He shook her hand. Despite his size, it was a weak handshake. ¡°I¡¯m not lost or anything, I¡¯m just¡­ not sure what to do.¡± ¡°Are you all ready for school?¡± Ibsen nodded. ¡°Well, you¡¯re a step ahead of me,¡± Brooke admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what¡¯s going on today.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re supposed to meet our teams,¡± Ibsen replied, ¡°but that¡¯s not until a little later.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, my brother mentioned something about teams, but he said I¡¯d figure it out when I got here.¡± She paused a moment. ¡°Does it say who¡¯s on your team?¡± Ibsen shrugged, reaching into a folder they gave him earlier. He flipped to his team page and showed it to Brooke. As soon as she saw it, her eyes went wide.
Sabir enjoyed the first day of school. A lot of people (his sister included) would say that he didn¡¯t enjoy anything except training, but that wasn¡¯t true. Unlike Brooke, he just preferred to keep his happiness internal. Still, the first day of school was always a good time. Everyone was refreshed and ready to learn, excited for the new year, making plans that would inevitably fall apart after the first week. It was a time for a lot of excitement, especially from the first-year students. No matter how much he enjoyed the first day of school, Sabir was secretly dreading one thing. As soon as his phone started ringing, he had a feeling his moment had come. He pulled the phone out, lowered the volume, and put it to his ear. ¡°YOU¡¯RE MY TEAM LEADER!¡± Brooke¡¯s voice was piercing, even with the volume down. ¡°Most people start phone calls with a ¡®Hello.¡¯¡± ¡°Most people tell their sister that they¡¯re going to be their team leader.¡± ¡°I take it you just found out,¡± Sabir asked. ¡°Yeah, but only because I saw it on Ibsen¡¯s paper,¡± she said. Sabir was impressed. He had a feeling Brooke would get into some kind of hijinks, but even he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d find one of her teammates before their meeting. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I wanted it to be a surprise,¡± Sabir responded. A little quieter, he added, ¡°And I didn¡¯t want you freaking out about it for the last few weeks.¡± ¡°Well, consider me freaking out.¡± Sabir realized too late what was about to happen and didn¡¯t have enough time to lower the volume again. He pulled the phone away from his ear, and the noise that came out sounded like it was on speaker mode. ¡°I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE WE¡¯RE ON THE SAME TEAM! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fun, Brooke,¡± Sabir said as monotone as he could, his only hope of balancing out his excitable sister, ¡°but it¡¯ll be hard. I won¡¯t go easy on you because you¡¯re my sister. If anything, I¡¯m going to push you even harder.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Brooke replied. ¡°Are we meeting soon?¡± ¡°In an hour. It¡¯s all in your welcome packet.¡± ¡°My welcome packet?¡± Sabir vaguely heard a man in the background, who he could only assume was Ibsen. ¡°Oh, apparently I need to get a welcome packet. I¡¯ll see you later, Sabir¡­ I mean, team captain.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be late,¡± Sabir warned, but Brooke was too fast, so he was just speaking to a dial tone. As soon he realized she was gone, he let out a breath. ¡°This is going to be a weird year,¡± he said to himself. Every first-year team was led by an upperclassman who could guide them as they started their training and help them navigate Diamond Hope Academy. In all honesty, Sabir was on the fence about becoming a team leader at all, but he wanted to be able to keep an eye on Brooke. Most first-year team leaders were nice enough, but with Brooke¡¯s lack of training and her unreliable Core, he could easily see some of the less friendly leaders giving her a hard time. Even more than protecting her from bullying though, he needed to make sure she was ready the first time she went into a Ruin, which were overrun with Mechs. A pit opened in his stomach. That first trip was never fun, but it was a wakeup call to most of the first-year students. He wouldn¡¯t forget his own, even two years later. Shaking his head, he decided it wasn¡¯t a problem for today. They had a few weeks before they were even eligible. Team Bonding Brooke was bouncing in her seat. All things considered, this day was going better than she could have hoped. She met Gibbs, who later turned out to be on her team. She met Ibsen, who was apparently super nice and helped her get her welcome packet and guided her to their team meeting. Her team leader was her older brother, which opened up a whole world of adventures over the course of the year. Even the last member of their team, Savannah Serval, seemed like a cool person, even if she did walk past her on the train. Now, they were just waiting for Sabir. The four of them sat in a loose circle at their meeting spot, a shady park a few minutes¡¯ walk from the main campus. Ibsen was still standing like a statue in the middle of their circle. Gibbs leaned against a large tree, smirking as he silently took them all in. And Savannah was standing with her arms crossed a little off to the side. Over the last few minutes, Brooke tried to get them talking, but it wasn¡¯t quite catching on. Ibsen clammed up once the others showed up. Gibbs answered in short sentences, but he didn¡¯t seem up for talking for some reason. And Savannah directly told her that she didn¡¯t want to make small talk yet. So, they waited for Sabir. Brooke¡¯s brother was nothing if not punctual. They saw him coming from far away, but he just smiled and continued approaching at a leisurely pace. ¡°Good to see you all,¡± he said, putting his backpack down. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Sabir Canin,¡± Savannah said. Her tone was formal, although it came out pretty softly. The others echoed much more casual greetings. Sabir smiled, which Brooke recognized as a show immediately. Sabir didn¡¯t smile. ¡°We have a lot to cover, but I figured we should start with some introductions, since we¡¯ll be working together as a team for a while.¡± He paused, taking in their reactions. ¡°My name is Sabir Canin,¡± he started awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m a fourth-year student. I use a spear to fight, and I¡ª¡± ¡°Can we do something else instead?¡± Gibbs interrupted. Sabir was caught off guard for a second, but he recovered almost instantly. ¡°I mean, I understand the whole introductions thing, but this is a Sentinel school. Maybe we could try something a little more exciting.¡± Sabir nodded. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± ¡°How about some sparring?¡± Gibbs proposed. Off to the side, no one noticed Ibsen¡¯s face go pale. Savannah instantly perked up at the suggestion. ¡°I would like to spar,¡± she admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard really good things about your fighting abilities, Sabir. I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing them in person.¡± ¡°Yeah, sparring sounds awesome!¡± Brooke jumped in. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Sabir shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want. Brooke, I guess you can go first.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to start as well,¡± Savannah said. Sabir agreed and let the two of them square off a few feet away. Now that they were ready, Brooke fell into her typical Wolf Style stance. Across from her, Savannah actually took on a very similar position with no weapon in hand. The only difference seemed to be their hands. While Brooke¡¯s hands were spread out for grappling, Savannah¡¯s were narrowed, like she was ready to stab. Brooke clicked a button on her Analyzer. After the entrance exams, Sabir refused to let her go around without it, so she was more used to it now. Unlike during those tests, her Analyzer was already connected to Savannah¡¯s. She glanced at her new partner¡¯s status. Analyzer Status Report: Name: Savannah Serval Current Potential: Level 24 Core Ability: Staticcore Proficiencies: Alright, Brooke thought with a nod. She¡¯s got a higher potential than me and better proficiencies in just about every field, but I¡¯m the better cook, so that¡¯s something. ¡°Are you two ready?¡± Sabir asked. He looked them over, although his face visibly cringed when it landed on Brooke. Trying not to let that vote of non-confidence bother her, she nodded. Potential and proficiencies were good predictors of who would win a fight, but they weren¡¯t everything. Savannah nodded too. ¡°Begin!¡± Instantly Savannah moved forward. Brooke¡¯s specialty was never speed (what was her specialty again?), but Savannah was much quicker than she could have ever expected. The girl was probably faster than even Sabir. So, it took everything Brooke had to just dodge Savannah¡¯s first strike. She just barely made it, only feeling her hand gently graze the side of her right arm. Feeling confident, Brooke decided to return with her own attack. She pulled back her arm, grabbed onto Savannah¡¯s shoulder, and threw her to the ground. It was a devasting attack. Absolutely flawlessly executed. At least, it should have been. Instead, Brooke¡¯s arm just refused to move. It hung limply at her side like a worthless appendage. Brooke spared a glance at her numb limb, but it turns out that was a mistake. Savannah had a follow-up attack, which was planted directly into Brooke¡¯s neck. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t hurt, but that might be because everything went numb around the time everything went dark.
Ridiculous. That was the only word Savannah had to describe what just happened. When she first saw the other girl on the train, she kept walking because she knew how many things she¡¯d have to do that day. Besides just getting her welcome packet, she had to talk to a counselor about making plans for after Diamond Hope Academy. She just didn¡¯t have time. Once she realized that the girl was on her team, Savannah almost felt bad. That was, right up until she realized what kind of girl Brooke was. She¡¯d dealt with girls like Brooke before. Bubbly personality, too much energy, excessively popular. She already had Ibsen following in her wake like he was a bodyguard. No, Savannah knew exactly what she was dealing with. It was one of the reasons she was excited to show the rest of her team exactly what she could do. When she saw Brooke¡¯s status, she thought there might be something really special going on. There were always things Analyzers couldn¡¯t quantify, and she made her way into the school somehow. And then she found out that Brooke couldn¡¯t even fight. For a moment, Savannah wanted to scream. The thought crossed her mind that Brooke somehow sweet talked her way into the school. It was the only explanation for that abysmal performance. Somehow, she managed to hold her tongue. Credit where credit was due, Brooke didn¡¯t stay down for long. Less than half a minute after getting taken down, she staggered her way back up. ¡°Imokay,¡± she slurred. ¡°Wait. Why can¡¯t eh tahlk right?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Sabir walked over and started to guide the girl to a place where she could sit. ¡°Savannah¡¯s Core allows her to produce electricity,¡± he explained. ¡°It might take a little while for you to get feeling back.¡± ¡°Goodtoknow,¡± Brooke replied, although it came out like a single word. As she sat down, she shot a smile in Savannah¡¯s direction, followed by a thumbs up. Neither her mouth nor her hand worked well enough to properly do either. ¡°Alright,¡± Sabir clapped his hands together, ¡°how about another spar? Savannah, would you like to go again?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to.¡± ¡°Ibsen,¡± Sabir said, turning to the larger boy, ¡°how about you give it a shot?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not much of a fighter,¡± the boy replied timidly. ¡°You¡¯ll do gweat!¡± Brooke said. Although she didn¡¯t say it, Savannah could read the subtext: ¡°You can¡¯t do worse than I did!¡± As much of a disappointment as fighting Brooke had been, Savannah was secretly hoping to take on the giant. She had to prove something to her teammates: she was the best. Despite going to a school for Sentinels, Savannah had no intention of being a Sentinel. She would train, but soon her skills would be noticed, and she would join Apex, an elite group that trumped even the Sentinels. But the only way she could do that was by proving that there was no one at Diamond Hope Academy better than she was. Starting with the most intimidating person was the fastest route to proving that. Ibsen looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, the boy took a few steps forwards and squared off against Savannah. Savannah dropped into the same stance she used before, while Ibsen just curled his fists and held them in front of his face. It looked almost like a boxing stance, but not like any stance Savannah recognized. This could be interesting, she thought briefly. Analyzer Status Report: Name: Ibsen Egre Current Potential: Level 24 Core Ability: Damagecore Proficiencies: That status took her off guard even more than Brooke¡¯s. His potential was the same as hers, so he wouldn¡¯t be weak, but his proficiencies were almost blank. She ignored the fact her Analyzer was displaying his cooking ability, which was probably due to Brooke messing with the settings. The fact that he had no basic combat or boxing proficiency was worrying. But maybe his moderate proficiency in medicine partially explained it. Sabir called for them to start, but Savannah didn¡¯t press the attack this time. Against someone his size, she could easily be walking into a trap. It was smarter to let him make the first move and react, allowing her to get some idea of what to expect. Except he didn¡¯t move either. The two stared each other down for the better part of a minute. If the lack of action bothered him, he didn¡¯t let it show. He didn¡¯t even lower his guard for a second. From the sidelines, she could hear Brooke whisper, ¡°Is this tense, or is this just boring?¡± Unfortunately, Savannah had to agree with the sentiment. Against her better judgement, she realized the fight wouldn¡¯t progress unless she made the first move. Still being cautious, she made a feint to his side before jabbing him in the shoulder. Ibsen just took it, which horrified Savannah. He made to block both but didn¡¯t retaliate. Instead, she felt electricity sink into his shoulder, which felt as thick as her entire body. For a moment, she was too surprised to take advantage of the opening. What is he planning? Shaking away any distracting thoughts, she attacked again. Like last time, Ibsen just blocked. This time, she shocked his other arm. With both of his arms hit, he should be defenseless. Sighing internally, Savannah went for his leg, hoping to just knock him to the ground without fully paralyzing him. To her amazement, Ibsen could still move his arms. It was sluggish but more than enough to block the next attack, which he forced to go wide. In all her years of training, she had never met someone who could recover from a direct attack from her Core. Whatever he was made of, it was tougher stuff than most Sentinels. Deciding not to underestimate him, Savannah pressed the attack. She exploited every opening but couldn¡¯t get more than a few glancing shots on his arms again. In return, Ibsen just blocked everything, taking steps backwards when necessary. Never once did he press an offensive or take a step forward. After the twelfth solid hit, which still didn¡¯t paralyze the huge student, Savannah felt her frustration start to build. Was he just hoping he could survive the onslaught until she ran out of stamina? The scary thing was that he might be right. She could feel energy draining from her Cell quickly, and her body was getting heavier. She could keep going for a while, but Ibsen didn¡¯t look like he was about to fall either. ¡°Fight back!¡± Savannah yelled despite her best effort to keep it in. He was toying with her, she could just tell. If he really was better, she wanted to get the fight over with. And, if he attacked, she might be able to exploit it. His rigid defense was the worst thing she could fight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ibsen muttered, but he didn¡¯t change his style. It felt like Savannah was fighting against a brick wall, but defense wasn¡¯t always the best offense. Despite his ridiculous endurance, eventually the culmination of all her attacks wore Ibsen down. His arm sagged and Savannah managed to jab both her hands into his neck. No matter how tough he was, that much electricity to the head was enough to bring him down. ¡°Good fight,¡± Ibsen said weakly. Even though he went down, he didn¡¯t fall unconscious. In some ways, that only made Savannah angrier. Her best attack to his weakest area still wasn¡¯t enough to actually take him down. ¡°It was not a good fight,¡± she spat. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± Ibsen curled into himself, but he didn¡¯t answer. He merely offered another apology and hauled himself off beside Brooke. The girl offered him a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Alright,¡± Sabir said, rubbing his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t think this sparring session is going quite the way any of us hoped. Maybe we should just call it quits until we can sit down and talk about a few things.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Savannah said. She felt her hands clench in frustration, but she controlled her breathing and brought her temper down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to be rude or a bad teammate, but I would like some explanation now. Brooke,¡± she said turning on the girl, who yelped in fear, ¡°you went down after my first attack. And Ibsen didn¡¯t even take a swing at me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a few things that I need to explain,¡± Sabir said weakly. ¡°I know you¡¯re a good Sentinel, Sabir,¡± Savannah continued. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you and your old team.¡± Sabir winced. ¡°Is there a reason I¡¯m the only one on this team that can actually fight?¡± ¡°I can fight,¡± Gibbs said. He took a leisurely step forward, his entire body swaying with each step. ¡°And, honestly, I don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re talking about our teammates. ¡°Fine,¡± Savannah said. ¡°How about we spar then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think¡ª¡± Sabir¡¯s concerns were ignored when Gibbs kept walking. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Gibbs stood across from Savannah again as the girl fell into her same stance. Gibbs didn¡¯t even bother to adopt a stance. He kept his hands in his pockets, bouncing lightly on his heels. For a moment, Savannah wanted to demand he take the fight seriously, but decided against it. Instead, she ran forward, ready to end the fight quickly. She was only halfway across their arena when she felt a sharp impact on her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she realized it was a knife. That was all she was allowed to realize, because the next second, a dozen more blades were flying towards her. Gibbs seemingly pulled the knives out of nowhere, and once they were in his hand, he threw them with pinpoint accuracy. Savannah suddenly had to spend all of her effort just to avoid the metal storm. No matter how much she tried, she couldn¡¯t get away from all of them. She had trained with people who used throwing weapons, trained to read their movements and predict their throws, but she couldn¡¯t read Gibbs at all. When it looked like he was going to throw left, it went right. When it looked low, it went high. Trying to follow his eyes was no use because they drifted lazily in every direction. Once she thought she had a pattern figured out, it flipped and suddenly a throw to the right actually went right. Savannah partly hoped she could last long enough for her teammate to run out of weapons. That hope was dashed when halfway through the fight, Gibbs opened his coat, revealing a second jacket underneath. This one wasn¡¯t made of cloth though. Instead, dozens of throwing weapons, from knives to kunai to shuriken lined his person. It was at that moment that Savannah realized she lost. A minute later, Savannah was forced to concede. She felt the Cell on her arm running low on energy. Any more damage and it would shatter, leaving her at the mercy of dozens of pointed objects with no protection. Savannah fell to her knees panting heavily. A part of her mind wondered who this kid was that could beat her so easily. She looked at his status page, but it just raised more questions. Analyzer Status Report: Name: Gibbs Hylobat Current Potential: *Hidden* Core Ability: *Hidden* Proficiencies: She was about to press him on it, but Sabir decided that it was time to take control of his team again. ¡°That¡¯s enough sparring for today,¡± he announced with a loud clap. ¡°We were supposed to do a few other things, but how about we skip to the end of the tour and talk about what just happened?¡±