《Me and 199 other kids got superpowers could I be the strongest one?》 Chapter 1: "What is Happening?" Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Chapter 2: “We Need You to Come with Us.” My little cousins faces also fill with worry, but to shield them from what just happened, my mom and aunt quickly put on poker faces. I try my best to as well, but I see that it is really hard for my aunt and mom. I wonder if this is what they had to do for 9/11. Whats happening? my younger cousin Winston asks. My mom and aunt look like they want to speak up, but their voices catch, and they worry that theyre going to have to explain. But I step up. Its nothing to worry about. Its just that we might never see something happen like this ever again. All my cousins faces turn to me. Aww, really? they all ask with faces filled with disappointment. But my moms and aunts faces now have slight relief that I stepped up. Maybe. We never know what could happen, I say, noticing my aunt about to say something. Alright, guys, ready to head home? You still have school tomorrow, so lets get yall all to bed. There is a slight hesitation when saying theres school tomorrow, but my younger cousins all get up and start following my aunt back to their SUV. My mom comes up behind me and holds my shirt. Are you okay? I ask her my voice is weak, but I must be strong for her. Yeah, Im fine, just a little shaken. She says like shes out of breath. Hey, are we sure its real? She nods her head. Yeah, I think its real. I rub my moms back. We just have to hope everybody is okay. Maybe its not as bad as the news said. Hopefully she says quietly as we both start walking back to the car. My aunt and cousins are already driving off further down the road. I hop into the passenger seat, and my mom hops in the drivers. Then, when my mind slightly clears, I feel it againthe pulling sensation just above my right shoulder. I shift uncomfortably as my mom starts to drive. What is this? I mutter to myself. My mom picks up on it. What is what, sweety? I put my hand on my shoulder and try to brush it off. I dont know. Its nothing. Dont worry about it. I sit back in my seat and bring out my phone, trying to forget about it. My mom turns her attention back on the road, and we keep driving home. I look out the window. The trail of the meteor is completely gone now, and the moon is a lesser shade of red. I let out a sigh, the weird feeling still above my shoulder as we pull into my houses familiar driveway. My mom parks the car, and we both enter the house silently. The thought hits memost of my family is asleep. They dont know the news. I look at my mom, and it seems she has the same thought. I think its best we tell them in the morning. I nod, agreeing that waking them up would just cause a worse reaction. I bring my mom in for a hug and kiss her on her forehead. Love you, goodnight. She kisses me back. Love you too, sleep well. With that, I walk upstairs and hop into my shower thats connected to my room. I dry off and put on some clothes to sleep in. I find Lana and give her some pets before I turn off all the lights and slide into bed. I pull out my phone and go on social media, and sure enough, every single video is about the fires that are still going on. I want to put my phone away, but the feeling above my shoulder is still there, making it increasingly difficult to fall asleep. I keep pulling out my phone, and around 12:13, a video shows up. It was posted a few minutes ago and already has a good bit of likes. It shows the New York streetsthis person is right in the firesand it captures an individual throwing fire out of their hands. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. So, it is caused by a person. Weird but thats not possible. No way someone has powers I look at the persons profile and see that theyre live streaming. My eyes light up, and I tap to join the livestream, and sure enough, its the same individual. But now, theyre in a standoff with what looks to be SWAT. The livestream goes on for a few more seconds but then suddenly cuts off and ends. What?! Come on I let out a disappointed sigh as I put my phone down and roll over in my bed. The pulling above my right shoulder is still there, but my mind is now on the person in the livestream. Could someone really develop some sort of powers? I say as I let out a yawn. My eyelids start to get heavy, and soon enough, I fall asleep. It was loud. I didnt know what was going on, but I jump up. My cat runs across my room into my closet, and heavy footsteps just across the wall can be heard. Not a second later, my door is busted down. HANDS UP! A man in full black gear shouts, guns trained on me. I can do nothing but quickly comply. We need you to come with us, a more calculated man states as I am soon grabbed. I look over into my brothers room, and he is going through the same thing. I see my sisters room is already cleared out, and she isnt there. If anything, thats what makes me mad the most. I am confused, scared, and worried. What the heck is going on?! I am moved downstairs and out the front door. I see my mom, dad, and younger sister, along with dozens of cars with blinding lights flashing in front of our house. The sounds of multiple helicopters hover overhead. I know its still nighttime, but it doesnt seem like it with all the lights around. I am put next to the rest of my family, and my older brother is soon placed with us too by another person in gear. I am still in a daze, but I cant help but overhear and notice the confused looks on what I can only assume are SWAT members faces. Are you sure we got the right people? one SWAT member asks another. Theres no big fire or toxic gasses flowing from any of them. My dad seems ready to fight the whole force gathered outside our house. He says, Fire and toxic gasses?! What are you all talking about? I need you to tell me what in the world is going on right now! Some of the SWAT team seem on edge at my fathers aggression. Some calmly turn. We have readings to believe that someone around here has developed supernatural abilities. My dad just shakes his head and lets out a laugh at how stupid it sounds. But my mom and I look at each other, knowing they arent joking and that we could be in danger. The SWAT team waves someone over, and out from a van in the sea of cars comes a man in a lab coat with a device in his hand. My family and I watch as the man receives a respectful nod from the SWAT team. My little sister then asks, What is that in your hand, mister? The man in the lab coat turns to her. This here is an oscilloscope, and its readings visualize electrical signals. A few hours ago, one of my colleagues was at the scene of the fires in New York City, and the readings were off the charts. After the individual was apprehended, it flared even higher. So, would you like to be tested first? His voice sounds more like a demand than a question. He approaches my sister, and my dad tries to step up and stop him but is immediately held down by SWAT. My sister pulls back, unsure of what will happen. The man turns on the device and holds it to my sister. Nothing. Hmmm the man mutters, then turns to my mom. Again, nothing. He moves to my older brother. Nothing. A slight disappointment crosses the mans face, but it quickly switches to anticipation as he starts walking toward me. I let out a shaky breath as he stands over me, holding out the device. Then, he turns it on. A quick moment of silence Then, a high-pitched ringing noise erupts from the device. A look of different emotions flashes across the mans face. Before I can read any of them, he quickly waves SWAT to take me. Chaos erupts I stand up but am quickly restrained before I can do anything. My dad struggles in the arms of two SWAT members. Dont you dare take him! My father yells while My brother steps up but is quickly dissuaded from doing anything by another SWAT member. My sister starts crying, and my mom is left in silent shock as Im dragged down my houses driveway. Let me go! I dont have-. I try to put up some sort of fight, but Im Soon throw into car that quickly locks. I look around for a way out, but its like the back of a cop car, just more comfortable. I look out the window and see my family still being held back, but a few seconds later, the front passenger and driver''s door open. The man in the lab coat sits in the passenger seat, and a woman in a fancy suit sits in the drivers seat. You need to tell me whats going on right now! Or Ill I know that powers are real if what I saw on the livestream is true, and if they did all this to capture me Ill blow up this whole car! Their faces flash with worry, as if theyve seen the damage that could be caused by a person with powers, even though its quite obviously an empty threat from me. The lady in the drivers seat quickly hits a button, and then gas starts to fill the back. Wait, please, you have the wrong person! I dont... have... powe---... My eyes become too heavy, and I fall asleep from the gas. Chapter 3: “Please State Your Name.” My eyes slowly open to the sound of driving on smooth pavement. I push myself off the comfortable seating that supported my sleep. Im still in the same car, and the man and woman are still in the front seats. I stay silent at first, not wanting to alert them that Im now awake. Looking out the window, I see that we are on what seems to be an airport runway. The car soon comes to a stop in front of a huge airplane. The man in the lab coat turns around and says, Oh, youre awake. Please comply. I turn to face him. It depends. Will you tell me what the heck is going on? I ask. His face then turns calculating. If you dont cause any problems for us, then we will fill you in on some details. Does that work for you, Christian? Im uneased at the use of my name, which I never gave them. Works fine with me He nods his head. Great. Then please step out and follow us. "Im going to comply for now, since running would likely get me caught quickly, and even if I had powers, my chances of fighting my way out are low." I think to myself. The woman and the man in the lab coat step out of the car and unlock the back door. I push open the handle and step out onto the runway. What are we here for? I ask. Already asking questions, huh? Well, I guess you havent caused us any problems so far, so Ill say thisyoure going on a little vacation with some people like you. Like me? My mind goes to the pull above my shoulder. It has become stronger, but the feeling of it being there has become natural, like putting on a hat. The woman and man soon lead me to the bottom of the stairs leading into the plane, and I see a small group of people there. From them, I hear a shout. Please! I swear I didnt mean to do all that! Please let me go home! I take a look at the one causing the commotion, and then it hits meis that the person from the livestream? We reach the group, and I get a better look at all of themfive SWAT members, two other people in research clothes, two people in suits like the woman who drove me here, and, most importantly, two other boys who look to be around my age. Good work, Professor Ian. I knew youd be the one to find one of these kids, the research-looking person for the boy I didnt know says to my research person. Yes, I did, and I bet I had a much easier time than you did from what I saw in the reports. My person has shown no signs of abilities, but his readings indicate otherwise. The research-looking person eyes me up and down. Well, if you say that the readings were correct, I cant argue. I just dont want to waste the limited resources we have. While the conversation is going on, I cant help but have my eyes drawn to the other boys. The first onethe one I saw in the livestreamis on the shorter side with brown hair. His clothes are a little burnt around the edges, probably from what he did. Now, the other boy is more interesting. Hes taller than me, with black hair and a colder expression. If I piece things together, I think he has toxic smoke powers from what I heard during the SWAT raid. Theyre both looking at me the same way, but as far as everyone here knows, I dont have powers. I would love to keep chatting, but I think if we delay any further, we risk one of these boys attacking, and we could lose oneor moredepending on what happens. Me and the other boys all look at the woman in the suit with slight annoyance, all thinking the same thing: Were not dangerous. The research people all slightly jump, and mine says, Oh, right. Apologies. All of you, onto the plane, please. He gestures to the three of us. The tall black-haired boy then says, Why should we? Were not sure what youll do to us when we get on there. The fire boy nods in agreement, and I give a slight nod. My researcher shakes his head. Please, just comply. Rest assured, your safety is secured. At the wave of his hand, a SWAT member grabs and forces the black-haired boy up the stairs, then turns to me and the fire boy and says coldly, Please make your way up the stairs. The fire boy shudders and begins making his way up. I let out a sigh and soon follow. As I enter the plane, the SWAT member who dragged the black-haired boy in leaves. I turn back to see that nobody else is coming on the plane except me and the other boys. My mind runs through a few reasons why, but I dont dwell on them for long as I enter. The inside is stunningnice seats line the rows, there is a bar near the back, and the lighting is a soft, warm glow. The black-haired boy is already seated, probably forcefully by the SWAT member. The fire boy walks up the aisle, trying to find a seat. I walk through the plane, passing him. He gives me a quick glance before sitting far from both of us. I sit near the very back. Once I do, I notice the door at the front closing. Soon, over the intercom, a voice says: Please ensure your seatbelts are fastened and remain fastened for takeoff. Turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. I put on my seatbelt and think about turning off my phone, but I rememberits still on my bed back at home. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The plane starts rolling on the runway, soon lining up for takeoff. I cant help but notice that the black-haired boy looks nervous. I guess hes scared of planes I say, not bothering about my volume, thinking I couldnt be heard. No, I am not! the black-haired boy shouts just as we start gaining speed. We are soon off the ground, climbing in altitude. A chunk of time passes before the intercom crackles again. We are at cruising altitude. You are free to move around. Arrival time: 8 hours and 14 minutes. The black-haired boy immediately unbuckles and starts heading down the aisle toward me. He waves for the fire boy to come too. Sitting across from me, the fire boy soon joins him. Im uncomfortable, unsure what theyre thinking right now. Whats your name? he asks, extending a hand. Mine is Ivan. The fire boy then says, And mine is Simon. I nod, my nerves easing. Im Christian. Its good to meet you both, even in these circumstances. They also seem more at ease after my introduction. If you dont mind me asking, what powers do you have? Ivan asks. I think for a moment. The pull is even stronger than before on the ground. I have this weird pull above my shoulder. I dont know what it is. I cant make fire or toxic smoke clouds like you two. They tilt their heads at my answer, and Simon asks, Maybe gravity powers? My eyes light up at the thought. Thats a good idea, but I dont think I can try it right now. Were on a planeit might bring the whole thing down. They both nod. Good point, Ivan says, leaning back in his chair. So, where do you think theyre taking us? Simon speaks up. My best guess? Somewhere in Europe. The U.S. government has a lot of bases there, and it matches up with the arrival time the pilot mentioned. Ivan and I nod in agreement. What we should really be asking is why theyre doing this, I add. Sure, they have usbut why? I then turn to Simon. Hey, no offense, but were you the one who caused all those fires in New York? Simon''s face turns grim. Just for the record, I didnt mean for it to happen. It happened right after the meteor crossed the sky. Fire started erupting from my hands. I freaked out, fell over the railing of my parents apartment, and was about to hit the ground, but a rush of fire stopped most of the impact. And then the fire kept coming out, and I couldnt stop Simon becomes quiet, not wanting to talk about it. Ivan suddenly blurts out, Dont even ask me what happened. Im not talking about it! Me and Simon are taken aback by the sudden outburst. The conversation goes quiet after that, with only occasional small talk as the flight continues. We will be descending now. Please take your seats and have your seat belts fastened. The three of us all jump up, our attention snapping back from whatever we were doing. I buckle up, and they do the same as we slowly begin descending. Coming through the clouds, I can see out the windowbeautiful rolling green hills and a quite large city below us. A few gasps can be heard from the three of us as we touchdown on a runway. But this doesnt look like an airportit looks more like a base. As we taxi over the runway, the first thing I notice is that there are a few other planes already here. We soon come to a stop, and the plane door opens. We are left with no instruction. Ivan sits up and asks, Do we just go out? I guess so, Simon says, standing up and walking to the front. We soon follow behind him. Stepping out onto the runway, the first thing we notice is a group of other kids. I count thirteen of them. Should we go over there? I ask, turning to see what Simon and Ivan think. Do you think they have powers too? Simon asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice. I dont think theyd be here if they didnt, Ivan replies. Lets go find out. He steps up and walks toward the group. I follow behind him, and Simon trails behind me. As we approach, the group notices us, and it seems like our arrival confirms something for them. One person from the group steps upa tall, brawny male with an English accent. You guys speak English, right? A collective, Yeah, can be heard from the three of us. Can any of you speak Russian? I think He turns and points to a single girl huddled in a corner of the plane hangar. Shes been freaking out ever since her plane landed here, the brawny man says. Me, Ivan, and Simon shake our heads. He lets out a disappointed sigh. I wish someone could explain what is going on. And as the brawny guy says this, we all hear a door slide open. A woman in a suit steps out, followed by two people. She walks forward and says, I might have some answers. The two people behind her immediately begin translating into multiple languages. The sound grabs the attention of all the kids thereeven the girl in the corner lifts her head, now focused. There are more kids to come soon, but for now, please follow us, the woman says. The translators relay the message, and the three of them turn to head back through the door. It leaves us all looking at each other, wondering who will move first. A girl from the group walks toward the door, and soon, most of the group follows her lead. Now, its just me, Ivan, Simon, the brawny guy, and the girl in the corner. Im about to follow the rest of the group, but I look over my shoulder and see the girl still sitting there, looking unsure of herself. Do you think we should go get her? I ask the others. She cant understand us, so I doubt she will, the brawny man says. Ivan and Simon seem indifferent about what happens with her. Go on without me. Ill catch up, okay? I say. They all nod and walk to the door while I make my way toward the girl. She looks up at me as I approach, unsure of what to do. I stop a few feet away, put on a smile, and wave for her to come on. She looks away for a moment, but then slowly pushes herself off the ground and starts walking toward the door. I follow closely behind her, and we finally enter. Inside, the rest of the kids are lined up in two rows. The room is freezing. Damn, its freezing I mutter, rubbing my arms. The girl nods in agreement. Does she understand English? I wonder. Or is she just reacting to the cold? But I dont have time to ask, because we are suddenly separated by two armed guards. She is taken aback by it but quickly moves into a line. I step into the other and quickly notice that were split by gender. I guess that makes sense, I say to myself. I look down the line toward whats happening at the front. It seems to be some sort of check-in processtheres what looks to be a receptionist at a desk, interviewing each kid. The lines get shorter and shorter, each kid walking through another set of doors beyond the receptionist. When its almost my turn, I try to overhear the questions, but I cant quite pick up on anything. So, I decide to drop it and just wait. Simon, the one in front of me, soon walks through the doors. His expression is neutral as he heads through. I step forward, and the woman at the desk pulls out a couple of documents. Lets get started. Please state your name. Uh Christian Grine, I respond. She looks over the documents, then asks, It says here in the reports that you have explosion powers but also states that you claimed to have gravity powers. Could you please confirm your abilities for me? I shift uneasily at the question. I dont have powers. Not that I know of, at least. Her eyes widen slightly at my answer, and she writes something down on the paper. Are you being honest with me? she asks. I nod. Okay then, you can head through those doors. You will be staying here for a few weeks while we build a more suitable place for all of you. With that, I step forward. Chapter 4: “I’m starting to miss home.” I step through the door, and it looks like a prison. Rooms line the walls, and what appears to be a cafeteria can be seen on the other side of the room. The door shuts behind me, and I just stand there for a second, watching other kids start to claim their rooms and taking in everything that just happened. "Where am I? Why am I here? I dont have powers, only this weird feeling above my shoulder, so why am I here?!" I say to myself in my head. I manage to collect myself and see Ivan and Simon approaching, which calms me the slightest bit. Yo, Christian, have you checked out the rooms yet? They each hold three people, so we thought you could be the third, Ivan says, pointing to a room on the bottom floor, close to the front where were standing. Yeah, sure, thanks for offering. Im glad I could be in a room with people Im at least a little acquainted with. Simon nods in agreement. Same here. It would be a shame if the people I shared a room with couldn''t speak the same language. The three of us make our way to the room. A few people check it out and the rooms around it but quickly realize our claim and back off. The room at least looks somewhat cozyit can comfortably fit the three of us. Theres a table with a lamp at the side of each bed, and beyond that, theres not much to it. I move over to the bed in the back left corner and lay down, letting out a sigh. Simon and Ivan both take their beds too. A few weeks here dont seem too bad, Simon says, attempting to lighten the mood. I just hope they change their minds and let us go, Ivan says, sprawled out. But you seem comfortable here, I say, pointing out how he looks on his bed. Okay, well, Im not! Im starting to miss home, and it''s pissing me off! Simon and I are taken aback by the outburstone similar to the one Ivan had on the plane. We are too, Ivan, but its no use yelling at us about it, Simon says quietly, trying not to make Ivan mad again. Youre right, sorry gu Ivan is cut off as a speaker crackles overhead. All boys, please report to the cafeteria for an assembly. The rest of the guys poke their heads up. Should we go? I ask Ivan and Simon. They both nod, and we all push ourselves off our beds, heading out of the room and down the hall to the cafeteria, seeing all the other boys doing the same. The brawny kid from earlier sits down at a table, and everyone else follows, sitting at that same table. Small conversations can be heard from the group. What do you think theyre going to talk about? a voice louder than the rest asks. The culprit is a boy with a Canadian accent. Everyone looks in his direction, even kids who I dont think understand English. But before the question can be answered, a womanthe same one who led us through the doors earlierwalks in. The same two translators follow behind her, and they soon stand in front of us. The group quiets down as they begin to speak. Thank you all for your cooperation, and we hope that you continue it. With that said, from this point on, you are property of the United States government. When that is said, I see almost every fist clench in the room. I cant blame themIm also angry. You are all here to be held as we build VANGUARD, which stands for Variant Ability Next-Gen Utilization, Assessment, Research, and Development. This is going to be a school where we prioritize students'' independence to grow their own power while also giving them the framework to do it well. Theres a hint of curiosity flowing through all of us as she continues. We will tell you more about the school when youre there, but lets talk about whats happening right now and over the next few weeks as its being built. First, those who do not know English will be taught it. Second, in a week''s time, there will be an area opened up to you for interacting with the girlsthis will be explained shortly. Third, more of you are still to comewe are in the process of finding them and making deals with their host countries. Lastly, if you step out of line here, swift punishment will come to you, so it is in your best interest to hold yourself back. This is my only warning. Most of the group seems to be following along well so far. As for accessing the neutral zone with the girls, this is for one reason, and you can start doing it nowto form connections and alliances. I highly recommend doing this, because if not, your time at school might be significantly more difficult. That is all. Thank you for your time. With that, she turns and leaves without giving us any time for questions. I look aroundsome boys are nervous, some are thinking, and some are already standing up, heading back to their rooms, their expressions quite neutral. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Me? Im a mix of every single one. --A week passes-- Over the past week, Ive gotten to know Ivan and Simon better, and we''ve become pretty good buddies. We stick together when its time to eat and pass the time playing games in our room that were provided on the second day. And what the woman said was truethe people who couldnt speak English were gone a couple of hours a day and then came back with more progress each time. I could tell because, on the fourth day, I was just walking through the hall when I heard a broken sounding Help~. I looked over and saw someone who had dropped their plate of food looking at me. I helped him, and after he thought for a moment, he said, Thank... you.... I gave him a nod, and he seemed happy that he got it right before I continued walking. Some other notable things happened. At 12 PM every day, more kids arrived, and each time, we explained to them what was said to us and got them comfortable in the hallit was the least we could do. I also tried making more connections beyond Ivan and Simon, but it wasnt really successful. A good bit of the kids didnt speak English, so I basically already had every English-speaking kid there. Oh, and the brawny kids name is Preston. We talk whenever we see each other, so I guess thats a winbut were not as close as I am with Ivan and Simon. Yesterday, on the sixth day, I tried a bunch of different things to activate any powers I had, but nothing came of it. Ivan and Simon just laughed at me while I flailed my arms around. Now, to the presentthe number of new arrivals has dropped significantly. Only four kids walked through the door today. From what me, Ivan, and Simon have tracked, there are now 76 kids in the male hall. Were unsure how many are in the girls hall, but we assume its around the same number. But it seems we dont have to wait long, as we hear the overhead speaker come to life. Attention, the area where boys and girls are both allowed will now be unlocked. I hear the opening of a door in the cafeteria and look down the hall, seeing people in the cafeteria react with surprise. I decide not to help out the new arrivalsweve got enough people to cover that now. Instead, I head down the hall. As I enter the cafeteria, most people are still in their seats, standing up and looking at whatever just happened. Then, I see it. I freeze in shock for a second. A whole wall is gone. It opens up into a courtyard-like area, and we see sunlight for the first time in a week. As our eyes adjust, we look across the courtyard and see girls having the same reactions as us, standing in an identical-looking cafeteria. Footsteps echo behind me as a bunch of other boys come to see whats happening. I fully step into the cafeteria to get out of the way of the incoming crowd. A few brave boys take the first steps into the courtyard, followed soon after by a handful of girls who cautiously explore the space. The area itself is simplethere are a couple of flower beds and benches, but its mostly just pathways and grass. I look up at the sky. Its the real sky. The sunlight would feel nice if there werent concrete walls enclosing the entire space. Then, it startslight conversation spreads through the courtyard as the boys and girls meet for the first time. "How was your week?" "Are you going through the same thing?" I smile slightly. This brings some normalcy back to everything. But before I can get too comfortable, I feel a tap on my shoulder. Hi! Do you speak English? I turn around and see a short, orange-haired girl with a slight Australian accent. Yeah, I do. Why ask? She smiles at my answer, her energy almost jarring compared to the mood thats been filling the past week. Great! My name is Melody! Whats your power? Shes high-energy, the opposite of the atmosphere Ive been surrounded by. Oh, uh... its good to meet you, Melody. Im Christian. And, uh, my power? I dont have one. She frowns at my answer. Dont lie to me, Christian! I can see the aura around you, and youre pretty strong! I immediately give her my full attention. Wait, what?! Im strong? But I havent even used a single power yet! She seems taken aback by my response. She can tell Im telling the truth. Really...? Because the only reason I came over here to talk to you is your aura is impressive. Its a soft yellow, while... She looks around before pointing to Simon, whos in mid-conversation. His is pretty strong too, but wild and red. She turns back to me, her expression serious. Yours is like perfectly controlled. Its almost scary. I dont know how to feel about that, but it sounds like a good thing. So... whats your power exactly? I ask. She perks up. Oh, right! So, you know how I can see auras? Well, I also have a little clairvoyance. I must have looked confused because she quickly adds, Oh, right, thats just a fancy word. I was confused when I first heard it too. Basically, I can see distant places and a little bit into the future. "But... Im really bad at it, and it hurts my eyes. Whoa. Thats really cool. My jaw drops slightly, but my mind starts racing. Shed be a good ally to have. Well, Christian, I hope we can be friends. I blink, surprised she just said that so outright. Yeah, of course! Id love to, Melody! She smiles warmly. Great! If you ever want to talk, just come find me out hereIll come right away! I nod at the idea, and she walks off back into the girls hall. I take a seat on one of the benches, watching as more people meet and talk. A few minutes pass, and Im about to head to the boys cafeteria to get some food, but I cant help the feeling that... Im being watched. I stay seated, scanning the area, and finally, I spot something. A head with long, dark blueish hair poking out from the girls cafeteria entrance. Isnt that... the Russian girl I helped on the first day? The moment she realizes I noticed her, she jumps and quickly hides away. Curious, I get up and walk toward the girls cafeteria entrance, but before I even have time to look inside A sharp, rude voice cuts through the air behind me. What do you think youre doing? Youre not allowed to go in there. I turn around. A girl with long platinum blonde hair stands there, flanked by two other girls. Shes staring me down with a glare. Sorry, Ill step back. But when I think about it... I havent heard any rules about going into the other genders hall. Its just common sense. Or are you too stupid to figure it out! I look like I want to say something, but Im stunned by this girls Rudeness. Hopeless You''re not going to go anywhere at VANGUARD. She scoffs and pushes past me into the cafeteria, her two followers trailing behind. I let out a sigh. So much for that. I wonder if that Russian girl has learned English yet. I turn back toward the boys cafeteria, grab some food, and return to my room. I find Ivan there, but not Simonhes probably still in the courtyard. Have you seen the courtyard yet? I ask Ivan. Yeah, but theres not much to do there. You dont want to chat with anyone? You know thats not my thing. Suit yourself. I toss myself onto my bed. And stare up at the Celling what am I going to do for 3 weeks and more Importantly after that... ---3 weeks pass--- Chapter 5: “Quite an impressive power.” So, are you ready to finally see the school?" I ask Melody as she sits beside me on a courtyard bench. For three weeks, weve been stuck in this facility, hearing whispers about a place none of us have seen yet. But now thats about to change. "For the past week, rumors have been spreading that one of the girls in your hall got a worker to tell them about it, and they said its one of the most stunning pieces of work theyve ever seen. The past few weeks have been interesting, to say the least. Melody and I kept our promise and started meeting in the courtyard every day. By the end of the first week, Simon and Ivan joined us, and we all started eating lunch together. Preston, the brawny kid, also decided to pop in and out of our group from time to time, and I got to know him better too. About midway through the second week, I was standing at the front of the boys hall, waiting for the new kids to come through, but no one did. Then, a crackle from the speaker could be heard. All people with supernatural abilities have been found. There will be no more entry from now on. I kind of felt relieved because, day by day, fewer people were helping out with introductions, and it was starting to weigh on me. But during the second week, the pull on my shoulder became unbearable. It felt like something was dragging me upwards but at the same time, something was about to come crashing down on me. Sleep became impossible I tossed and turned every night, my mind drowning in discomfort. By the third day, Simon and Ivan had had enough. In a daze all I saw was them waving down a staff member. Next thing I knew, I was knocked out by medication and slept for the first time in days. It took me a few days to adjust, but the feeling soon stopped being a problem, and I was able to sleep just fine again. On the first day of the third week, rumors about the VANGUARD first started. My group was in the courtyard discussing me still being powerless when the snarky, sharp voice of the platinum haired girl pierced through the conversation. Oh, so he really is powerless? Ha! I knew it. Hes not going anywhere in this school. She pauses, tilting her head as if struck by a thought, then smirks. Ill be seeing you around, Christian. Before we could argue back, she walked off, the same two girls behind her following. God, I really hate her... Melody muttered, her fist trembling at her side, nails digging into her palm as she stared after the platinum haired girl. From then on, I had a bunch more people come up to me, asking if I was powerless. I gave mixed answers sometimes saying, Yeah, I dont have powers, and other times saying, No, I do, but I havent done anything yet. At first, the questions were harmless. Are you really powerless? Did they make a mistake bringing you here? Then the stares started. People whispered as I passed. Some stopped sitting near me in the cafeteria. Even the ones who barely spoke English started asking. It wasnt curiosity anymore. It was doubt. Speaking of that, hey Melody, the boys that didnt speak English have gotten pretty proficient at speaking English. How have the girls managed? She gives a thoughtful expression before answering. All the girls are doing well too if I think about it. But there is this one girl with bluish-black hair She looks over to the girls cafeteria. Speaking of her, there she is now. And of course, it''s the Russian girl peeking around the corner, and see takes a step forward my eyes lighting up because this is her first time doing it, but she quickly ducks back out of sight when she notices that weve notice her. Maybe see finally gotten some confidence because it''s the last day in this place. I think to myself. Almost every day when me and the group are out here in the courtyard, I see her poking her head out. A couple of times, I''ve tried to talk to her, but she goes further into the girls'' hall a place I cant go unless I want to get killed. Ive tried talking to her before, and she seemed to understand but didnt talk back. I wonder why? Melody frowns as I look over to my left and see Ivan and Simon walking up. "Christian! Hey man, we need to go. They''re gathering us all up," Simon says with slight urgency. "You too, Melody. I think the girls are having to do the same!" I look around and see the courtyard starting to clear out, leaving just us and a few stragglers. If there''s one thing Im going to miss about this place, it''s the courtyard. Melody and I stand up. "Alright, Christian, Ill see you at school, I suppose!" Melody says, giving me a fist bump before walking toward the girls'' cafeteria and disappearing from sight. "She is quite something," Ivan says in a deadpan voice. "Come on, guys, there''s no time to chat. We need to go," Simon says, tapping my shoulder. Ivan and I nod, and the three of us make our way to the boys'' cafeteria, where I see the entire boys'' hall gathered. We take our seats, and I catch a few glancessilent questions about whether Im going to be in this school or not. It bothers me a little, but thats not where my focus is as the woman who brought us here a few weeks ago begins her speech. "First of all, thank you for all of your cooperation. This has been noted, as well as other actions youve taken herewhether good or bad, its been seen and recorded." Murmurs begin in the crowd before she continues. "You are all about to be flown to Miami, Florida, where the United States of America has built the previously mentioned Vanguard." I dont know how to feel, but I cant help but feel a little anticipation. "You will all be told more about the school when you get there, but before we put you on your flights, we need to test your abilities. Faaris Alawi, please step to the front." A young boy with tan skin steps up. "Please make your way with these men," she says, waving for two people in tactical gear to direct him through a door. The crowd of boys slowly dwindles as time passes. Ivan and Preston are already gone, and Simon and I sit together, trying to keep each other sane. Im worriedwhat if something bad happens because I dont have any powers to show? And Simon hes still dealing with the trauma of what he did to New York. Thats when I suddenly hear my name called. I let out a sigh and stand up. "Please report to the girls'' testing facility." "Huh?!" Im soon met by a person in tactical gear and asked to follow him. I comply but glance back, seeing Simon''s confused face and curious stares from the other boys. I''m led through the facility I''ve been in for the past few weeks. The guard takes me through parts that were never meant to be seen pipes and technical equipment line the walls as we enter a large room. I look around and notice a wall of glass on the left side, with a team of researchers behind it. Then my attention turns to the one theyre researchingand its the Russian girl! She watches me walk in, gives me a small wave, and mouths the word: "Hi," she says, looking happy to see me. "Ive brought Christian Grine as requested," the guard states before stepping aside. A speaker overhead crackles on. "Christian, please make your way next to Katenka Votyakova." She flusters at hearing her name but stays silent. The speaker crackles on again. "Katenka, are you ready to start your test?" She looks over at me, unsure, but then nods. "Wait, Im a part of her te" Before I can even finish the thought, a loud bang hits my ears, and they start ringing. My body collapses to the ground, my vision hazing. "Wha... whats happening...?" My breathing is heavy. I finally look down and see a pool of blood. "Whose... blood... why is there... blood..." I turn my head toward Katenka to see if shes hurt, but shes just staring at meshocked and hesitant. And then, I finally feel it. A sharp pain in my upper thigh. Ive been shot. No why? Am I going to die here?! My mind races, thoughts crashing into each other too fast to count. They brought me here just to shoot me? I didnt even get to see my family one last time! Did they use me as fodder, Because Im powerless?! Through the haze of my vision, I see Katenka rushing toward me, her hands glowing with a bluish green light. As suddenly as the pain came, it begins to fade. "ArAre you okay?!" A soft voice, one I can only assume belongs to Katenka, reaches my ears as my vision starts to clear and the ringing subsides. The energy in her hands disappears. "What...? What happened? What did you do?" Her face is full of regret. As I sit up, she speaks. "I said that I had healing powers, and they asked me to choose someone to test it on... I chose you, but I didnt know they would do this! Please dont hate me." This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I look over at the guard who brought me herethe one who shot me. His expression holds slight regret, but also relief that I was healed. My head is still dazed from being shot, but the fog begins to clear. And thensomething else fills my mind. A pull. An overwhelming force weighing above my shoulder. I glance at the wall, where the researchers scramble in a panic. I can only assume the oscilloscope is going off the charts right now. Once they all settle into position, they sit and watch me. Katenka watches too. "Whats going on?!" she yelps. I just sit there, trapped under the crushing weight of the force, with all eyes locked on me. Seconds pass. Nothing happens. The stress and adrenaline from being shot begin to fade, and slowly, so does the pull. I push myself off the ground and help Katenka up. The researchers continue to watch us, anticipation still lingering in their eyesbut one by one, their expressions shift to disappointment when they realize... Nothing is happening. The speaker overhead crackles to life. "Katenka Votyakova, please move forward. And Christian Grine, please make your way back to the boys'' cafeteria for your testing." A door opens, and Katenka starts to walk toward it, but I stay put and yell, "And what about me being shot?!" Katenka flinches, taken aback, regret clear on her faceprobably because she was the one who chose me for the test. "Your participation has been noted and appreciated. Now, please make your way back to the boys'' cafeteria." My breath shakes. No way was this just let go... I almost died... I say in my mind as a guard steps up and leads me back. As we walk, I finally notice that my pants are still stained with blood. I feel like I reach slight safety as I see Simon is still in the cafeteria, waiting for his turn to be tested. The moment he sees me, his eyes widen. "Oh my God, Christian, what happened?!" Simon yells, drawing the attention of every last boy in the room. Im about to explain, but before I can, a womans voice cuts through. "Christian, please make your way to the boys'' testing area." I sigh again and start walking forward. Simon just looks at me with worry as I pass him, and the rest of the guys silently watch as I step through the door. Its exactly like the girls testing areathe same glass wall, the same large open space. I walk to the center of the room, and soon enough, the speaker buzzes overhead. "Christian Grine, could you please state your power for us?" I grimace. I knew this question was coming. Opening my mouth, I answer, "Im sorry, but I dont have any powers. The only thing that I could think of as a power is this pull above my right shoulder." On the other side of the glass, the researchers reactsome typing, some putting things down, others reading graphs and relaying information to their colleagues. Then, the speaker crackles on again. "Okay, then. We would like to run some tests." A few moments pass before a door behind me opens, and a guard steps through. "This guard will shoot you in one minute. Stop him from doing so." My heart drops at the researchers words. "Are you crazy?!" I yell, snapping my head toward the guard. His gun is already raised, trained directly on me. The feeling above my shoulder intensifies. I catch a glimpse of the researchers facespleased reactions spreading among them. But still, theres nothing more to it. Just the feeling. The seconds tick down. I wont let them shoot me again. I decide to do something crazy. I sprint toward the guard. He hesitates, lowering his gun slightly, trying to gauge what Im doing. I reach him and Thud! I punch him. He stumbles to the ground, reaching slightly for his gun. "Stop the test." A commanding voice comes over the speaker. Its different from the researcher who spoke before. "Christian, you may go forward." I turn toward the glass, trying to see who issued the order. The guard brushes himself off, gets up, and walks away without a word. A door opens. Without hesitation, I walk through. Im immediately thrown out onto a runway, and my eyes widen in awe as I watch a plane take off. Two women approach me. "Please follow us, and we will bring you to your plane," one of them says. Thats when I notice it. Rows upon rows of planes lining the runway. "Is every kid getting one?" I ask, shocked. "Yes, sir. Now, please follow us." As we walk, I see more and more planes taking off. We reach the bottom of the stairs leading to the plane. The assistant''s step to the side, allowing me to board. Inside, the plane is luxurious, but I dont have time to admire it. Im quickly ushered to my seat and told to buckle up. "We will be departing shortly from Nuremberg, Germany, to Miami, Florida," the pilot announces overhead. I stare blankly ahead. "So thats where weve been this whole time..." I murmur to myself, finally getting an answer to the question that no one in those halls could figure out. The plane takes off quickly. Once were in the air, I glance around and notice a screen on the seat in front of me. I tap it, and it lights updisplaying the date: April 14th. That was the second burning question in my mind. But after confirming the date, I realize this screen has access to a lot more. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I decide to search if anyone knows about us having superpowers. What I find shocks me. The top news story, posted 24 minutes ago: "Kids with supernatural abilities are now set to arrive at VANGUARD this afternoon in Miami after construction finished yesterday morning." The next headline makes my stomach drop. "Crowds are already growing outside VANGUARDs wallsmixed reactions from individuals after outcry from families missing their kids." My heart sinks. "Is my family going to be there?" I whisper to myself, shutting off the screen. I lean back in my chair, my fist trembling slightly. Time drags on during the flight. I survive off the snacks on board to hold over my hunger. I try to sleep, taking a few naps, but I cant rest for long. Something feels wrong. Up in the air, the pulling above my shoulder weakenswhich only makes it feel more unnatural. It gnaws at my mind. What is this sensation? What could it possibly be? No superpower Ive ever heard of matches this. As I stare out the window, I see somethingsomething bright. A light, as blinding as the sun but separate from it. Like a piece of the sun had broken off, forming a much smaller star. The feeling on my shoulder feels like it has a direct line to this thing, Its almost... Refreshing. "What is tha" I begin to say, but the planes speakers crackle to life. "We will begin our descent soon. Please take your seats." I quickly sit down and buckle up. The endless expanse of water that has dominated my view for hours slowly gives way to land. It must have been quite the sightplanes landing one by one in an organized fashiontouching down on this massive runway. My plane door opens, and I finally get to see it. VANGUARD. The first thing I notice? Were on the water. The second? Were cut off. High chain-link fences line the outskirts of the school grounds. Just like the news said, crowds of people are pressed up against them, shouting. I cant pick up a single coherent word, and even if I could, I doubt Id be able to understand them. From where Im standing, they must be at least a mile away. I glance down the runway and see other kids stepping out of their planes, all with similar reactionsstaring in awe, confusion, maybe even fear. But then, my eyes lock onto the main eventthe school itself. A collection of massive buildings sprawls across the island. Some look like shopping centers, other dormitories, and then, of course, theres the actual schoolwhich, honestly, I almost forgot existed in this whole process. Then, over the speakers, a voice rings out: "All students, please make your way to Building A-1. I look up and spot speakers mounted on the light poles. Thats not the only thing I notice. News helicopters circle the school, but they remain just outside the walls. Must be a no-fly zone. But past all that, I see it again. That bright light. Somehow, it overpowers the sun. "What is that...?" I mutter, but Im snapped out of it by the deafening roar of the crowd as they react to the announcement over the speakers. I glance around and see the other kids starting to move. I follow. Its a long walk. Annoyingly, my plane landed far from the school buildings, so I have to trek for nearly ten minutes just to reach the entrance. I stay behind the flow of students and eventually step into Building A-1, which is clearly marked. Im not the last one to arrive, but as I walk inside, Im quickly ushered into an auditoriummostly filled already. I take a seat and glance around. No one I know well enough to talk to. The final student steps in and takes their seat. The lights dim. The stage remains bright, and from backstage, a well-dressed man steps forward. "Welcome to Vanguard. All of you possess extraordinary power. You will need it." As he speaks, beams of colored light shoot down from the ceiling, illuminating each of us. A blue light shines over me. A ripple of unease moves through the room as students shift in their seats, murmuring. The man continues: "These are your team colors. Please find the rest of your team members and group together. Relax, dear studentstheres no need to worry if you''re powerful." I scan the room. Its easy to find the other blues, especially compared to the subtle shades of red, orange, and yellow. Some of my team members glance at me with clear distaste when they realize were in the same group. Then, a soft voice speaks behind me. "Christian, you''re in this group?" I turn and see Katenka, also under a blue light. I nod quickly, relieved that at least one person on my team wont resent me. I want to ask her a few questions, but before I can "Now, please look up here to learn where to report." I glance up at the screen. Blue Team: Report to Room AC-4. All the students move out of the auditorium, filling the halls. Somehow, even the hallways were pristinespotless, sleek, almost too perfect. Lining the walls, TV screens display information. One screen in particular catches my eyeits showing the highest-ranked students in the school. But no names are listed. Strange. Despite the crowd, everything feels organized, and it doesnt take long for us to find Room AC-4. We step inside. The room looks eerily similar to the testing site back in Germanyexcept significantly larger. The door locks behind us. A boy with light brown hair glances around before speaking. "So, what are we meant to do?" As if in response, the screens near the reinforced ceiling turn on. "The Rank Trial will begin in 60 seconds. Please prepare yourselves." The group shifts uneasily, glancing around. I take a moment to size up my teammates. Theres me and Katenka. Then, two other girls and one other boy. I know this trial must be important if its being broadcasted all over the school. "So can we use our powers?" one of the girls asks hesitantly. We all nod. She visibly relaxesfor the past few weeks, we havent been able to use them at all. At 25 seconds, another message plays. "Injury could occur during this trial. Medical staff will be on standby." Again, we shift uneasily. At 15 seconds, the silence shatters. "Great. Of course, I get put on the team with the unpowered kid," the other boy scoffs. The room falls silent. Everyone turns to him in shock. Then, Katenka speaks up. "Dont say that! We need to work together if we want to pass this trial!" Before anyone can respond The clock hits 0. The ceiling opens up. Six massive drones descend, humming with power. We freeze, unsure of what to do. Then Energy gathers in a cannon attached to one of the drones. It fires. We barely dodge in time. Hitting the ground hard, I quickly push myself back up. "I cant fight these things unless theres a way to get up close." I mutter, scanning the battlefield. A rock flies through the air, striking one of the drones. It barely leaves a scratch. The boy who insulted mehe must have been the one who threw it. Crash! Before I can react, a pulse of energy slams into me. I go flying. The wall stops me. The air is knocked out of my lungs blood is carried with it. My vision blurs. Then, I see itanother drone is charging its cannon, aimed directly at me. Ive already been shot today could this get any worse? My final thought before my mind begins to fog. "Christian!" I hear Katenka yell. But I notice something. A drone is pointed at her. She doesnt see it. "Watch out" I try to warn her, try to movebut I cant. Then It crashes through the ceiling. Metal bends and warps in its wake, twisting to its will. A beautiful streak of light slices straight through the drone before it can fire. My eyes widen. The pulling above my shoulder surges. Filling my body with energy. Whatever it isits reached me. I quickly command it. Come in front of me. Block the hit! It moves. Soaring through the air, it intercepts the blast just before it reaches me. The shockwave brushes past me. For the first time, I see it clearly. A sleek metal disc. White-hot edges. I push myself off the wall, still dazed. Without warning, the disc flies toward me. My heart stops. Is it attacking me?! I brace myself Nothing happens. Cautiously, I open my eyes. The disc is orbiting me. Slowly. Controlled. I turn toward my teammates. Their shocked expressions tell me everything. Then, I look at the battlefield. The drones Each one is cut cleanly in half. This is mine? I control this...? And wait could this be the light in the sky?! I try to look through the hole in the roof. But as I try to the screen flashes green. "Trial complete. Evaluating ranks now." And my attention turns to the screens. Names and rankings appear on the screen. Saurabh Ashtikar: B- Amandara Kayal: C- Katenka Votyakova: D+ Olinda Ferrando: C Christian Grine: D- I stare at my rank. I have no idea if its good or bad. The ranking system is still unknown to me. "So you DO have powers!" A collective voice rises from my teammates. "And quite an impressive power at that." A new voice enters the room. The man from the stage steps inside, looking impressed. "Let me formally introduce myself. I am Matthew Grant, your principal here at VANGUARD. I hope the five of you werent too injured by our training dummies." He pauses, glancing up His expression shifts. Surprise. Confusion. His eyes lock onto the massive hole in the ceiling. "It seems the five of you were the first to finish." He shakes his head, refocusing. "The five of you, please make your way to the SENTRY room to collect your watches and begin your schooling. Chapter 6: “So what are the rules to this place?” Something comes over our principal''s earpiece, and he quickly moves out of the room. Katenka quickly runs up to me. Are you hurt?! And why have you said you were powerless this whole time?! This is a crazy power! I brush myself off, the sting of the impact on the wall still present. Im fine for the most part... My attention turns to my new companion, now still circling around me. And this, I have no idea where this came from. Katenka studies it for a second while the rest of Blue Team walks up. Olinda is talking to Saurabh, saying, See! I told you he wasn''t going to be useless! He slightly turns to her. Yeah, shut up, I get it. Then he turns to me. Sorry for being rude to you earlier. I thank you for taking out those drones. I think we would have done a lot worse if we didnt have you. I nod, accepting his apology, and start to thinknow that I have a power, does this change things? We all exit Room AC-4. I start walking through the halls of Building A-1. I notice on the screen people with ranks are now up there. There aren''t a lot, but I notice that Im at the bottomgreat... but Saurabh is 3rd place, behind someone with a B rank and then someone with an A-. I''m taken aback by such the high rank. My mind begins to racewhat they did to deserve such a rank. As we walk, more names appear, but another thing I notice is that there is this node underneath each TV, and it looks like you can scan things there. Finally, we find the room labeled SENTRY, and as we approach, the door slides open. The room is filled with state-of-the-art, never-seen-before equipment, and the main show is rows upon rows of these slick, clean, high-tech watches. Collective Woahs... could be heard from all of us, but when we look around the room, it''s empty and we dont know what to do when Helloooooo~! A woman in a lab coat comes rolling out from a back room on a rolling chair. Hmmmm...? She looks curiously at me... well, more at the disc orbiting me than me, but she quickly refocuses. Hello students! I am Zaina Kline, your head researcher and scientist at VARGAURD. You are all here... for the SENTRYs, right! We all nod, and she quickly stands up and grabs a watch and comes before us. SENTRY stands for Surveillance, Evaluation, Navigation, Tracking, and Response for Youth. It''s personally my finest piece of work, so Im really excited to finally put it on one of you! So, who wants to try it first? There''s a little hesitation in the group because we might be signing over more of our freedom if we put it on. But I slowly raise my hand, and she seems super pleased that I was the test subject. Ohhhh~ Great! You''re already my favorite studentOops, I shouldn''t say that! She moves over and puts the watch on me. I wait for a second, and nothing happens, but then I feel a prick and slight pain from behind the watch face, and then it lights up. It draws a little blood to make sure it gives the most accurate readings and properly builds the structure to best build the students. The interface lights up, and its best described as a video game menu screen. There are multiple tabs: Profile, Apps, Leaderboard, Assignments, Map, Vitals. I can swipe and control it like a screen, even though it has no physical properties. Truly a fine piece of work, isnt it? Then I guess I should tell you what each one does, then. She clicks on the Profile, and a picture of me and a bunch of other info pops up. This is your Profile. It shows who you are, and your rank, and what your power is, and your physical propertys. I look and see that my power is listed: Body Energy Control and Solar Weapon Control. Then my eyes are drawn down to the physical property''s: Strength: 11. Agility: 9. Vitality: 10. Power Output: 18. Control: 5. But I cant look at my profile long as Zaina continues the presentation. The Apps are all of your other needs, like social media or planning or putting reservations for around the school. She taps the Leaderboard, and a huge list of names appears. This is the Leaderboard. Right now the only thing influencing it is your rank, but things you do in this school can change your placing on a dimeeither it be good or bad. My ranking shows up as #188, and I can feel the room and eyes on me, knowing thats pretty bad. But she quickly taps Assignments. This is where you will get school-mandated lessons, but also you could be given tasks by a teacher, and completing them could help you in multiple areas. We all nod, and she clicks on the Map, and a huge layout of all the school grounds is laid out. This is a map of the school, so none of you should get lost. And to see inside a building, just click on it, and it will show the map and insides of the building. Then Vitalsa screen of a bunch of health-related things appears. This is Vitals. This gives us researchers more about what''s going on inside of you and also tells referees when to stop fights if it gets too far. She clicks a button on the side of the watch, and the hologram goes back into the watch. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. And that''s about it. You are now free to go about the school... Oh wait, one more thing. She walks over to another part of the lab. We all follow, and we see the node things I noticed earlierthe slick metal square obelisks under the TVs. Then she begins to explain. The rankings in this school decide what you have here and where you can go. If you havent figured it out yet, the ranks go: F, E, D, C, B, A, S. And they have a plus or minus added to them to show if one is a better one in that rank or a worse one. Your watches allow you to scan them on these nodes. Each node has a certain rank you need to be to access that zone. The higher the rank, the more access you''re allowed. We all nod, and we head back to where all of the watches are. Zaina gives the rest of the kids watches. Their faces pain slightly as the watch breaks the skin, but their watches all light up and they soon relax. Alllright! You five are all good to go. Come see me if you have any problems with the watches, or... just come see me. I get lonely in here... Her face darkens but quickly gets back on track. Oh, sorry! Anyways... the school wants me to tell you one last thing. At Vanguard, the school holds the students'' self-determination above all else. You will have help here, but it''s on you to thrive here. With that, our group turns around, and automatic doors slide open. We are met by a crowd of the rest of the students all waiting outside the door. And I hear Zaina yell from behind, Oh great, my lab is soundproof and I didnt hear all of them. I have to explain all that againnnnnn... Im amused by how Zaina acts. It''s like Melody, who draws out her words. We push past the crowd. I see Preston near the frontI guess his group finished pretty fast. But I dont see anyone else I know and decide not to stop to talk, and I go and explore the school. That night Im lying in my dorm room, messing around, checking out the apps on my watch. Theres the wallet app, which I had 50,000 dollars in it when, after I left the SENTRY room and was wandering around the school, I realized I was starvingthe snacks from the plane wore off. When looking for the cafeteria on the map, I saw each rank has their own cafeterias and dorms and training grounds. I make my way through the, right now, empty school grounds and enter Building B-2. Its eerie how big the school is for the amount of students that are here. When I reached the door labeled DrC for the cafeteria, there was a node there, and I scanned my watch, and it slid open. It was almost completely empty, but she stuck out like a sore thumb because of that factKatenka was sitting all alone, eating what seemed to be a nice tray of food. She quickly notices me entering, because the sliding doors arent exactly quiet. She seems embarrassed by being found sitting alone, but I walk up to her and ask, Hey Katenka! Do you know how to get food? She hides her face and shows me something on her watch. You can call me... Kat~ Huh? You can call me Kat! I look at what she is showing me on her watch, and its an app called Contacts. And shes on a page where it shows a number input spot. Do you mind if I have your number?! she stammers, still hiding her face. I turn on my watch and go to the Contacts app. I have no one there yet. So, I find my number, and its #13. Yeah, of course. You''re my friend, after all, Katen... Kat... She uncovers her face and seems happy I called her by that name. I put 13 onto her app, and I get a notification on my watch that Katenka wants to chat, and I accept, and I send her a Hi! and she smiles. We eat together, and by the time we are done, more people have entered the cafeteria. Me and Kat go our separate ways for the time being, and my mind lingers on the Contacts app. I should go get Simon, Melody, Ivans, and maybe even Prestons numbers. But how could I find them? This school is huge, and I havent even seen them since we were in Germany. I get an ideathey will most likely be in the area in the zone of their rank. I turn on my watch and bring up the leaderboard. One of the first things I notice: Preston is near the top with an A- rank. I then search for Simon, Ivan, and Melody. Simon is C, Ivan is B-, and Melody is C-. I let out a sigh. This is going to be kind of difficult. I spent the whole rest of my day trying to find my friends. Around 6 PM, I find Melody and Simon together in Building B-3. They said they were looking for me too, and we all exchanged contacts. They then joined me for the search to find Ivan. We went to Building S-1 at the other side of the grounds and found Ivan sitting alone in a recreational area, right before the B-rank lunchroom. I couldnt help but notice him slightly light up at our presence, and we all exchanged contact info. We had a conversation on how our trials went with our teams and our ranks and, most importantly, the disc that slowly hovers by my side. Can I touch it? Melody asks with wide, crazed eyes while being held back by Ivan. I think you will get sliced in half if you do, Simon says, looking at Melody, thinking she has a death wish. We were having a good time in that small recreational spaceuntil that all-too-familiar, sassy voice cut through the mood like a knife. Whats a D-rank like you doing here?! We all turned, andjust as expectedthe platinum-haired girl stood there, flanked by the same two girls. Her expression twisted the moment her eyes landed on my Disc. Oh, so you do have powers, she sneered. But I guess theyre not that impressive if youre still a D-rank. Still... I suppose passing the Trial counts for something. Back off, Charlotte! Christian has nothing to do with someone like you! Melody stepped in front of me, her voice firm, shielding me from her glare. Seriously, what is your problem with me?! That made Charlotte hesitatejust a flicker, the first crack in her ice-cold exterior Id ever seen. Like you deserve an answer, she muttered, quickly recovering. But I didnt come here to waste time. She tapped her SENTRY watch, navigating through the interface. A moment later, my watch lit up. Charlotte wants to chat with you. Accept. Decline. Youd better accept that, she added, her tone dark and threatening. Then, without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked away again leaving with the last word and leaving us with that same bitter aftertaste in our mouths. How did she even get my number...? but with that Id like to see where this goes, I click Accept. I swear, shes like a flyjust coming in, bugging everything, and then at the first sign of trouble, leaving without being caught, I say, as Im still checking every single app, thinking about what happened an hour ago. Christian, you should challenge her to a duel, Ivan says, like its the only option. A duel?! Me, Simon, and Melody turn around to Ivan, wondering if we heard him correctly. I dont know about you guys, but once I got this watch, I wanted to learn every single thing about this school I could, and that led me to the dueling section, which states: people of a lower rank can challenge people to a duel that have a higher rank. Depending on what happens in that duel, both peoples rank will be reevaluated. We all consider it for a moment before Ivan says, Then again, there are a bunch of other parts to it, and I havent even read all of it myself yet, so take what I say with a grain of salt. After that, we all got a notification on our watches. Mandatory intro lesson for D-ranks at 8 AM. Simon and Melody got one for C-ranks, and Ivan, B. We all said our goodbyes, and I checked the map for D-rank dorms. Building F-5. It''s not that far, I say, and I begin to walk. Thats where Im at now laying in my dorm after a shower, and a change from the bloodied ones I had on all day, checking through all the apps. The wallet and contact ones were the most important, and unnoteworthy ones like a Clock or weather app. Until I reach an app called Skills. I open it up, and it showed something that completely stunned me. It was my disc, and I clicked on it, and it had a pop-up. Most kids have it built into them. You? Youre different. I stare wide-eyed at this app. It was showing a bunch of complex and hard-to-understand interfaces, and I mutter to myself, There are duels allowed in this school, I have a custom app for my disc, self-determination is above all else, so... so, what are the rules to this place?