"Mr. Steely! Are you ready?"
Blake looked over at the man. He didn't get the man's name earlier, but he was a coordinator for the ceremony."
"I believe so."
"Alright. We start in twenty minutes. Your speech will begin after the dean's speech. After you are finished, the ceremony should only take about another ninety minutes because of the class size this year."
"Ninety minutes?"
"I know! You would think that since the sitting president is getting a degree, there would be more to it, right?"
"Yeah," Blake sighed. "Sure."
"Go ahead and get into place. OK?"
Before Blake could answer, the man walked off between some of the professors and into the crowd.
"You know, Danny, every second I'm here my project seems to be calling back to me even louder."
"I'd say it's your imagination, but it may be that you have a screw loose and you are actually hearing something."
"Yes. I do hear something. I do. I hear that sexy graduate's voice over there. Her mind is telling me 'I need you tonight. Come to me.'"
Danny smacked him upside the head.
"Get your head out of her pants and focus. I know you don't really care about this a whole lot right now, but you need to get through this."
"I'd rather have her head in my pants…"
Danny began glaring at him. Blake looked back to her. A serious look adorned his face.
"Semantics aside, I know this is a serious matter. I was interested in this anyway because of the historical precedence this is setting. It is only the second time this is happening. However, it will also be one of the first degrees ever handed out for the specific purpose of magic. The fact that magic is being recognized by the scientific educational foundations of our world is an enormous step forward for the study, application, and progression of magic itself. I might be the most powerful wielder of magic in the world as of now. However, with no other peers, my study into magic was limited by my inability to correlate with others in my field.
"Until this program started, I was one in only a dozen people who could understand the more intricate nature of magic in a way that could be harnessed. Most of the others failed soon even with that knowledge. Professor Douglas Haawkins and Professor Emily Lompris were the only two, other than me, who made successful progress in creating useful applications for magic in terms of being beneficial for all mankind."
"I know they did some good things," Danny interjected, "but those two were funded by governments more interested in military applications than humanitarian applications."
"They didn't have a choice, Danny. I was the only one who didn't require funding in any regard. I had personal assets that gave me all that I needed. They had to get it elsewhere. Of course, they also didn't see much return after it was done, while I now have patents on several dozen creations."
"Yeah, that's great, Moneybags."
"Of course it's great! Do you know how much world hunger and disease have been reduced thanks to me? Over sixty percent. Over sixty percent of people who were starving can now eat thanks to me. Over sixty percent of people who had diseases that were incurable or controllable but couldn't get the medicine are now able to get that medicine thanks to me. Not to mention the fact that I cured cancer."
"I can imagine that horse spitting on you from the grave considering how you've ridden its carcass so long that it's a skeleton now."
"Ha ha Danny. I suppose you're right about that. It's just too bad there isn't a way to cure the common cold without turning it into a deadly virus."
Danny visibly cringed hard.
"Please don't bring that up again. I don't want to hear about how that virus is half of the code to making real zombies."
"I won't. I am only saying, in a very long manner, that magic can be used in positive and negative ways, and now with more people certified in proper application in the field, we may see a path down the righteous use of magic for all of us."
The coordinator returned from the crowd and made his way to Blake.
"Alright, Mr. Steely, go ahead and take your place on stage."
"Sure. Danny, keep your eye on the crowd."
"I know my job, Blake. Don't lecture me on it."
"But we're at a university. What better place is there to give a lecture?"
Danny grumbled and just walked away.
Blake shrugged playfully and walked out to the stage. He did a quick survey of the crowd on his way. There were easily five thousand people there. He knew there was going to be a large crowd, but this seemed larger than even he expected. He chalked up the increase in numbers to the possibility of the new diplomas that were being handed out this year. It would make sense in that regard. However, the more he mulled it over, the stranger the scenario seemed to him. After all, the abnormalities usually meant danger wherever he was concerned. He decided not to worry too much about it, but he kept his guard up none the less.
Coming to his seat, he looked at the other attendees on the stage. Most were, of course, professors in various courses at the university. Other than himself, there was only one that wasn't.
"Glad to see someone else I actually know."
The woman looked up to him.
"Blake! I knew you would make it!"
"Of course I would, Tanya. You know me well enough."
Tanya got up and gave Blake a hug.
"So, Blake, I know you don't want to hear it, but your mother wanted-"
"I know what she probably wanted," Blake interrupted with a stern look, "but I'm not going to go."
"He's been dead for five years now. You haven't even been to his grave once."
"I doubt I will ever go there. Well, I guess I probably will end up there when I bury mom."
"You shouldn't talk like that, especially about your mother. It's bad luck and bad manners."
"Alright," Blake sighed. "Anyways, I'm just glad someone I know is here. It always feels like I have a modicum of support when you're around."
"It's good to see you too Blake."
Both of them sat down. Blake looked over to Danny again. She was surveying the crowd from a position just off stage.
"So, have you gotten anywhere with Danielle yet?"
Blake shot a glare at Tanya.
"Come on now, Blake. I know you like her."
"Maybe I do. However, she isn't interested in me in that way."
"Perhaps if you didn't resort to childish antics you might be able to get her to go for a date."
"Yeah," Blake said as he rolled his eyes. "That's what's stopping me."
"Look, we both know you're feigning confidence. What do you think-"
The nearby band started to play.
"We'll finish this talk later, Blake."
As the precession began, Blake started thinking to himself to pass the time. He was probably going to avoid her afterwards. It would be difficult considering that he was sitting right next to her, but he was confident that he could find a way. He wanted to get back to his work after the ceremony. He would offer some words of congratulations and get back to his island soon after. His speech would probably take fifteen minutes in all. So, adding it to the dean's speech and the ninety minutes the organizer estimated, then he would be out in about two hours. He needed to make sure that Tanya didn't hang onto him when it was over.
As the students finished taking their seats, he decided to prepare for the speech he was going to deliver. It was a thoughtful speech about the usage of magic, as well as its' future with the guidance that these new graduates would give it. He would also mention the endeavors that not just those specific graduates, but indeed all the graduates would make towards creating a future that would make everyone's lives better.
"And now, introducing the newly appointed dean for the University of Yale, Professor Robert Newgate."
Blake applauded politely with the crowd. The ceremony was going faster than the coordinator had told him. He didn't mind. The faster things went, the sooner he would get back. It was exactly what he wanted.
Blake paused. It was exactly what he wanted. When had that stared happening for him lately? He had been to eighteen graduation ceremonies and in every one he had seen the people there had dragged on to absurd levels. It was to the point where he wondered sometimes if they loved the sound of their own voice. For things to go so quickly, it brought up a red flag in Blake's mind.
The sound of applause broke him from his thoughts. The dean had just finished with his speech and was headed back to his seat. Blake looked at his watch. His speech barely lasted over seven minutes. It was much too short for a speech at a college. He, himself, may have a short speech as well, but even it was reasonably short. This speech was about the length of a middle-schooler's speech. This was the new dean? It made no sense. As the emcee returned to the podium, Blake steeled himself for his speech.
"And now for our commencement speaker. A rare event for out illustrious institution. He has contributed to the fields of medicine, physics, art and perhaps most notable of all, his work in the study and practice of magic. His contributions in this area make him the only person I would consider giving an address on this inauspicious day. So it is with great pleasure that I present our commencement speaker, Blake Steely!"
As the applause began, Blake rose and waved to the crowd. His unease at the situation was well hidden from those nearby. The more he thought, the more things stood out. As he walked to the podium, he surveyed the crowd once more. There weren't any noticeable distinctions between anybody there.
He reached the podium and shook the emcee's hand. He then waved to the audience again waiting for the applause to die down. If anything was going to happen, it would most likely happen now. As the applause finally finished, Blake steeled himself for his speech and anything else that might happen as well.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the wonderful welcome. I am honored to be giving the commencement speech for the Yale graduating class of 2039. It is a momentous occasion for all those who are graduating as well as those in attendance today. In the past, some of the greatest minds have come from this illustrious institution. I have no doubt that many more are from the people leaving with their diplomas today. It gives me great confidence in the future seeing these fine people leaving with such great honors. It fills me with great faith. Faith that our greatest moments are just ahead of us."
As the people started to applaud during the break in his speech, Blake suddenly felt a vibration in his right ring finger. It was the ring that detected imminent danger. Without warning, Blake activated his other ring and teleported over to Danny. As he did, he was treated to the sight of the back of the stage splintering. A bullet, and most likely meant for him.
As soon as that happened, all hell broke loose. People started to panic. Everyone started to run from the stage. Danny had drawn her pistol and was covering Blake from any potential follow-up attempts.
"Do you know where that came from?"
"No. I sensed something with my ring and just teleported to you. I would need to look at the projectile to determine where it was fired from. Not that I'm going to go back out there right now."
"There isn't exactly a great many places that could have come from."
Blake's ring started to vibrate again. With Danny there, he had to choose a different option than simply fleeing. He willed the ring on his left ring finger to activate. Instantly, the two were encased in a transparent dome of magic. Almost immediately afterwards, a bullet impacted on the dome outside.
"That was close."
"Indeed. It was also convenient. The impact on my dome will give me the trajectory for the bullet."
With the trajectory of the second bullet determined and the placement of the first bullet as well, Blake easily figured out where the shooter was. Of course, that was also a problem.
"Danny. There's more than one shooter."