Arc II
Chapter 1
Yukinoshita
Universal Year 335 before Age (alternatively: 1918)
Through productivity and the pursuit of vast intellect, the community prospers. Decoding the mysteries of the universe and solving the truth that is life itself—this is the process in which we find mutual happiness and universal harmony.
"That is the creed which we, the Tsufuru-jins, have followed for millennia, having just recently discovered the means to survive and expand our population outside our finite world."
Various note-taking could be heard as the Director lectured his daily group of pupils on planet Colu, on behalf of their treaty with the Coluans for having collaborated with their project to solve the impending issue of overpopulation. Said solution was highly criticized, as the means to satisfy the requirements called for utilization of highly unstable processes that which was theorized to shrink molecules and mass by interacting with a parallel dimension. Of course, since it was their leader, the well-respected Scientist Supreme: Ovi Voreps, who as head of the project, didn't bother looking into future issues that could possibly befall.
Only one individual actively tried challenging Ovi's ethics: his nephew Julian Voreps. Said young man was his apprentice, and a well renown member of the community. However, the other members saw Julian's kindness and compassion as weakness, expendable even. Hell, Julian's twin brother: Ivo, even tried to make him the pariah of their society by savage, but that ended up backfiring on him when Julian found out how he was messing around with culture samples.
For that reason, they hadn't bothered listening to his warning of an impending mutated cerebral virus struck up by them messing around with the radiation from the parallel dimension that Ivo had exposed the culture to. With their populations dwindling, Ovi had to pay his debts to keep the two societies from resorting to mass genocide; in exchange for his life, the Coluans would allow their neighbor species to leave in peace, leading to another 65 years of drifting from solar system to solar system in suspended animation. At the time, the Tsufuru-jins were gradually becoming anxious of who was responsible for their exile, and so they planned to exact revenge on the Voreps family.
"Had they tried other means, we wouldn't have been in this mess!" The outcry stirred up a riled conversation.
"I'm not so sure. I mean, Voreps has been the family who's kept us intellectually superior to every species we encounter. Getting rid of them now would simply kick us into a disadvantage," reminded another.
"That Ivo's a demon, I tell ya. Greed 'nd spite full 'n the lad's eyes, seems like n'thing seems impossible for his path to conquest. We should handle him before he kills us all." Spoke an old elder of two generations prior.
"NO. THAT... is not how members of a civilized society would behave." This time, it was a young male, not much older than a child to them (teenager by human standards), and speaking words beyond the wisdom of what Ovi Voreps had. This man...was Johnstonii, Arlo Johnstonii. Although none of his community members knew, Johnstonii was an advocate for Ivo's cause and what he believed in. However, in order to do so, he'd have to aid Ivo survive the execution they wanted to instigate by suggesting an alternative.
"We can release him of his physical shell, and imprison Ivo for an extended period." His proposal had many skeptics, but Arlo knew how to play with their minds. "We're close to a suitable solar system, entering a planet that our ship's indicated as a prime hotspot of bio diversity. If we don't do this now, Ivo could very well use those resources and suck them dry before we have a chance of maintaining our population numbers again. I, for one, don't wish to have to resort to Dr. Mykota's mental extraction program in order to survive. It's bad enough, knowing how our senses are still connected to our minds even though the reports state that neither body nor consciousness were in the same room. Seems a lot like a prisoner's sentence to me."
Arguably, he made a good point. They agreed unanimously that such resort to measures was a great idea, especially since it wouldn't sabotage their future if they simple got rid of one member of the Voreps family.
"Yeah, I think Julian would make a good leader in the mean time." A large murmur of agreement went around, but Arlo was neither with nor against their decisions...outright in the open.
'Yes, but who's to say which of the two is Ivo?'
2005
The day was like every other. As listless as she was from having to put up with her jealous fellow classmen, Stephanie couldn't exactly say she was having the time of her day when her mother found her laying—face towards the soft recesses of her comfortable queen sized bed. Exactly why her mother came was obvious to her; the routine was the same every time: she'd greet her warmly, ask about her day, then slyly shift into the topic of where she was going to attend for secondary school.
'Why would I attend anywhere she recommends? All mother wants is for me to accept my engagement to Soren, but I...' Her thoughts went towards the sweet generous boy from nine years ago. '...that's right, we're espoused.' After he had left Chihaba, Stephanie was astounded by the realization of reading the definition of espoused. Although the thought of marrying at a young age was frightening, she felt peaceful having known that they have done so, even if neither knew what they were doing.
"Stephanie. You need to choose a school; you graduate in a month and the deadlines are coming up. So maybe you won't like the atmosphere of the Acadia Institute; they're prestigious, I know, but I guess you should take it down a notch."
Rolling over her bed covers, Stephanie stared into her mother's eyes. It was a wonder whether she was being considerate or really planning on informing Soren's parents of her decision. It seemed genuine enough concern was motivating Kaede, but that changed when she saw the silver memento her daughter had been attached to. It seemed to have suffered some damage, but not serious enough to need repairs as they were nothing more than scratches.
"Did they bother you again?"
"What do you mean, Okaasan?" She knew what her mother meant; like any good mother would know, they had the intuition of figuring whether their child was stressed over something. It was painfully obvious to Kaede that her youngest daughter was bullied again for that pendant she wore. And Stephanie knew exactly for what reasons too—she had been reading people's emotion filled thoughts lately—which she still considered them speaking ill of her. Fortunately, the thirteen year old shouldered the ordeal and kept to herself when ever the truth became obvious to her.
"You know what I mean. They figure that's a gift from your boyfriend, and naturally, since they see how close Soren is to you, they'd assume its from him."
"It isn't." Stephanie angrily spat. "That's only because of how he's friends with Clarinda. We just happen to have one degree of separation, so it's obvious I have to be kind to him while in school. If anything, we're just acquaintances, nothing more."
"Stephanie," Kaede began calmly, countering the negative feelings her daughter was riled up about. "They simply do not understand, and neither do I. But... if you insist that that boy is your boyfriend, then I must respect your wishes. Just so you know, if you spend all your youth chasing after a boy who may or may not exist at all, then it's just going to hurt when you realize—it's too late." She held her daughter's head with her hands under the 13 year old's cheeks.
"So please do yourself a favor and give Soren a chance."
"I can't exactly do that, Okaasan." It was the one thing she would not do. Anything else her mother ask, it was perfectly fine. After their travels to Sagratia, Kaede Chandler was more lenient on her daughters, but it was a mystery as to when that had begun. However, the sisters didn't mind her sudden increase in familial affection as it was what they had always wanted.
Sighing deeply, Kaede got up and went for the door. As she left, she told her daughter one last thing, "Whether you find me irritating or not, I will ensure that you have a perfectly safe future."
Groaning as her mother's grim words echoed in her mind, Stephanie got right back up and turned on her computer. She did her routine email check, then went to her favorite website. Today's top feature was of all the ordinary news people would be interested in, but the one that caught her attention the most was of a certain bluenette speedster. Seeing the blurry images people had caught of him, she found one in high definition, although his size made it a bit of a challenge to tell how he looked.
'Sonikku...' Reading the article, her fascination grew as the detailed accounts were similar to what she remembered of her childhood friend. Reading more into the story, she found out he was in Jesong, the same city her sister was two weeks ago. She wondered whether it were possible, and decided the best was to confirm it herself.
"Hello?"
The sound of Clarinda's voice was strained, as if she had been recovering from illness or something. Feeling bad, Stephanie did her best to sound less demanding than how she had played it out in her mind. "Clari, mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Go ahead. I don't mind at all." She could manage with the call while she waited for her father's appointment with the Kairne Environmental and Infrastructure Services to finish up. Besides, she needed fresh air since the facility had recently been cleaning the workplace, so a lot of dust was still polluting the air.
"Well... when you were in Jesong, did you happen to see... Sonikku?"
Brief silence hung between the two's conversation, until Clarinda recovered her memory of that day in a perfectly sound answer. "Hoh? Does little sis have a crush on the superhero? Believe it or not, I happened to catch a conversation with him, until he went off and did what he needed to do. But yes, I did see him... why?"
"It has to do with my suspicions." Now Clarinda was interested. Had her sister began recovering her memories from four years prior?
"Ahh, so you believe this has something to do with having seen him in the past? Don't worry, it's true."
"Oh... then he's the same one." 'Kyousuke's a superhero? But since when has he had the time to do that if he has school?' "Clari, if you don't mind, can you somehow help me meet him?"
"Sorry sis. He's been on the move lately. There's other things he's dedicated to, and that includes doing what all teenagers your age have to do. And shouldn't you be more concerned with high school entrance exams?" It was a gamble; Clarinda knew how much security her mother had on the two, but it was out of her concern for the two. If Clarinda had deliberately told Stephanie the knowledge she knew, her mother would immediately reject the proposal.
"...that's the thing actually. I don't know where to apply."
"Euphie, dear sweet Euphie. Look. I'll text you the top institutes known around the world, unless public recognition is what bothers you. How about I find you one overseas?"
An overseas academy scared Stephanie. Her early middle school education took place overseas, and it was then that she learned how much people would pick on her for being an overachiever. "No, I'm fine with schools in the mainland. Tha~
"So this school in the Srolst isles seem nice. Tropical and wonderful weather year-long. Says here that the typical years to completion is five, and it's on par with university education. There's also rumors that it trains heroes; in fact, they say an individual—there's no documentation of the legal name, but they refer to this one as Wall Crawler—aided in creating most of its programs, but that's mere speculation. What's far more certain is that the benefits you'd get are an early chance at being independent—since you'd get your degree just a few months after the legal marrying age. Heck, maybe the rumors are true and would even meet Sonikku yourself."
She reconsidered her earlier statement and retracted it. A chance to see her beloved childhood friend? Why not? "Could I get more information on that?"
Everything was menial to Anthony while his partner was busy at his task. From the angle he was sitting at, he could see that the boy had a journal or a diary, written in the handwriting of The First Rutabaski. Considering as they had not properly gotten to know the other, and how might the boy benefit him, so Anthony saw it as the perfect moment to strike up a conversation.
"So... what feats have you accomplished?"
"Eto?" 'What are my accomplishments anyway? I haven't kept track...' Having spent the majority of his childhood being a condescending know-it-all, Taritsu had kept a fine demeanor of laziness when it came to anything he saw routine. As such, despite being a fanatic of his favorite type of science, the boy had little knowledge of what he had done, other than specific accomplishments that involved someone he knew personally.
Looking at Anthony's nonchalant and half-drowsy eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if it'd matter telling him the best quality examples or just ordinary things he easily accomplished. 'Eh... doesn't seem like he'd mind either way.' "At age five: I learned swordsmanship, by seven: I graduated from primary~
"No, not that, you simpleton. I meant anything extraordinary, which makes people wish to be like you—or what sets you apart from everyone else. Any prodigy can do what you have done with proper dedication, but it takes breakthroughs—eureka moments—to draw the line between genius and people like us." He was getting at something.
"'Us?' What do you mean Anthony?"
"We—because of exceptional talents, skills, and achievements—are considered far greater than that of regular... humans—for lack of a better word." 'Likewise, I can't think of a perfect insult to use at the moment, but a majority of these idiots call themselves human while dehumanizing everyone else. Our binomial name may be derived from our ancestral species: H. Sapien Idaltu and the older H. Sapien Luminous, but that doesn't mean jack shit when they call themselves H. Sapiens.' It was common knowledge that the scientific community was divided upon the proper term for their species, but the most accepted was H. Sapien Eudorus, so it was imprudent to call themselves human when it encompassed every hominid in the natural world.
"However, because we are so admirable and dedicated to what we do, our friends and families fear that we may fall off the deep end at some point. This world is bitter, illogical, and all the less deserving of whatever these people whine about. They wish to save themselves from their situations, but can't give into the change needed. It is for that reason, that when people like us, the ones who seek the truth and aspire to gain more knowledge, that our close ones grow concerned at the thought of us losing ourselves. Honestly, I could care less about what they think; it isn't like changing my perspective wouldn't do anyone any favors. It's just a delayed punishment to themselves."
The boy spoke of worldly wisdom that philosophers and theologians would take decades to understand. From what he let on, Taritsu could see an illustration off the clues provided, but not entirely. For Anthony—had at a young age—saw his father walk out on them to protect innocent lives, causing the child to frantically search for solutions to that dilemma. The boy soon discovered that no matter what decisions or methods he could take as alternatives to the less desired, kept drilling into his mind that there must have been some way to save people without losing the lives of others, only to finally break when the realization came. 'Why do they not care? They see people suffer all around them, but do not stop and aid. They speak of grievances, but find themselves perfectly situated with loss of rights for a bit of security. This isn't a world deserving of my concern, as they don't wish to help themselves. Therefore—the best action—is to let them... suffer themselves.'
It was heartbreaking to know that Anthony had given up on the good qualities humanity had to offer, and that prompted him to keep all his intellectual gifts to himself. Hiding away in a storage room of his father's the child had grown up learning more and more of culture and philosophy, concepts and connections between topics, but found that they had nothing to offer in the modern world. The only known literature he appreciated that worked was the autobiography of Xetsu Rutabaski of the late 10th century C.E. from the letters he had written addressed to their founding ancestor: Johnathan Jonah Sparks. That man was incredibly wise, developing a moral society and having them lead themselves for ever self improvement, but society found ways to foil the best systems, choosing to follow what the Rutabaski Family found moral themselves, rather than being autonomous. This wasn't to say Kairne was corrupt, but rather it led to dark periods in history, such as the Retrogression War, that destroyed 600 years of progress as a result. Technically it was 400 years of advancements, since the Rutabaski family was able to recover 200 years from what they had lost, but it was still regarded as devastating.
"...so? From what you are telling me, we're paragons." Taritsu was doing his best to get his acquaintance to see it at a new angle. "Doesn't that imply that we're also the embodiment of what they strive for."
"You... don't get it do you..." He said in a monotone voice, making the teen jump at the automated response. "They hate you. Ordinary people are jealous of what you and I can do, for we're not out there solving their problems. Although in my case, I am constantly reminded of being the key instrument to change, with you they fear what you could do. That's why you haven't done much with your degree, correct? We're in the same boat, you and I, but where I choose to do nothing, you seek happiness." He went on mumbling, "I envy you just as much as I pity you. Neither of us deserve this, but you can do better; maybe even help me in the process."
"I'm sorry about what must be going through your mind every waking moment." Taritsu kept silent when his associate looked him in the eyes. Daggers seemed to aim right at him, so naturally he was intimidated, but a warm feeling emanated from them as well. "If you really want to know, I created a multi-purpose vehicle."
"Transformer?"
"Huh? No, not the sentient mechanical beings from the series. More of an ecology tour vehicle; say, like an all terrain vehicle, but literal in this sense."
"That's actually practical. It should make field work 80% faster, considering you made it run on biofuel."
"How did you know that I used Biofuel?" He never said that in the description, and Anthony didn't seem like a mind reader type.
Pointing at his forehead, Anthony reminded him. "I have powerful memory, allowing me to analyze clues and tics. From how your personality matches up, I assumed you care a lot about the environment; the fact that you also have Doctorates in Biology and the life sciences just proves that there exists a degree of global awareness. Plus, you used 'ecology', which means you are familiar with how delicate the ecosystem is." He said whilst briefly looking at the portable digital encyclopedia.
"...You really are something." Anthony had done a quick search on the web in a new tab, as he had been messing around with the idea of a video sharing website, to pull up the boy's listed resume from the scientific community, finding an interesting section that corrected a previous scientific belief. "You happened to have found an ancestral species more viable to ours than the Homo Sapien Luminous, didn't you."
Homo Anthropoidus, the simian man, was theorized to have lived near the age of the first emerging H. Sapien Idaltus, and definitely more likely than the Luminous species, with notable tail structures and larger skeletal structures, to have been the oldest known genetic ancestor. Most of the bone density was composed of collagen, as evident of the osseous bone tissue being incredibly resistant to fractures, and the boy had pointed out that the tail held a lymphatic system within it, giving it an advantage over predators. However, it was strange that the species died out; did it have health issues, or was their end guaranteed by behavioral issues?
"Yeah, and I was fortunate enough they couldn't debunk my findings, thanks to the tails that individuals still have around the world. I'm not sure why, but the east has a higher percentage of tailed beings who inherited the gene, but I wasn't able to get a proper gene sequence on it to test out my theory until recently. It is likely they cross-breeded with Luminous, just as some communities said Luminous cross-breeded with Idaltus. Perhaps a little of all of them may have been inherited amongst our numbers." He said the ending as he felt his phantom limb where his tail used to be. There was more to that anatomical structure that held their specie's mysteries, and he intended on finding out, even if he didn't have it anymore.
The room grew quiet once more before Taritsu asked him what he had accomplished.
"If you really want to know, I invented a Space-based interceptor system. I call it the ASADI." Seeing his counterpart scoot forward, he elaborated. "AeroSpace Attack and Defense Initiative. It's not really something I accomplished though, considering that I just made the blueprints for it and just have the concept. You on the other hand have both a Nobel-worthy winning invention, and added a new chapter to history." 'Knowing how people are motivated, they'd just take my project and weaponize it. Fuck you, society. All of you morons can rot in hell for all I care.'
"Really?" Nodding, Taritsu felt himself loving the acknowledgement he was getting. Seeing as the clock indicated the time was nearing their next event for the day, the boys stood up to leave, just as Charlotte opened the door as they went for it.
She looked between the two, then gave her friend a signal as she awaited for him to say something.
"Ah, Anthony! This is Kakarotto, my childhood friend. He's been enrolled with me and has been able to keep up with my league. Kakarotto was also the one helped me construct the Tour Vehicle, so without him I wouldn't have done much as I owe just as much credit to him that you've given me."
A couple seconds passed as the teen stared at Charlotte, almost as if he knew something was up. It was such a frightening stare that Charlotte wanted to hide behind her brother's friend rather than the nervous laughter she was only capable at the moment. Those unimpressed and bored eyes were seemingly demanding her to confess, but fortunately he quickly found the poor girl approvable. "Well... we're all geniuses here. Is he also aware what we're supposed to do?"
"Yeah, Director Quinn did say that he wanted us to attend orientation right about now. The session is shorter than what others are getting, so we should be free in less than an hour. Catch you after for dinner?"
He agreed, and went on ahead, leaving the two to speak since they first arrived. Finally, Charlotte let out her held breath.
"Uhh, Sharu. Has everything been alright? I know you don't have proper clothing, but is wearing mine alright with you? You know I could buy you your own set, I don't mind."
Said girl was wearing a red tee and had her hair combed into the pointed style which made one disregard any thoughts that she was female. The opposite effect was taking place with Taritsu as he knew seeing her cross-dressing just made her seem all the more...alluring. Shaking away the perverted fantasies, he assured himself that Charlotte was simply a guest of his, and didn't need to pay him back for any favors. Besides, he knew from the teachings of his parents that it wasn't correct, and he certainly didn't have any interest in seeing her in such a sensitive manner, as he had knowledge that usually—males in the mammal criterion—would require that he'd have to settle down to protect a female mate. The thought of having to do that himself scared him, so he made sure never to interpret the female thought processes and advances that might be directed at him for his protection and freedom of responsibility.
"It's alright, really. But I would like you to help me with something."
"Yeah, so what is it?"
"Come with me and I'll show you," she boldly said and grabbed his hand. Seconds later, she grew beat red at the realization. "Please don't take it the wrong way."
'I don't think someone as innocent as Charlotte could ever mean something she wouldn't want.' Finally reaching their dorm, she lead him in and left him waiting while she got the small cardboard box that served as a home for the third roommate. Hearing huffs and growling, Taritsu couldn't believe that she had the exotic animal from the island.
"Sharu, you didn't~
"He was hungry and happened to find your lunch bag as a safe place. I couldn't just leave Sonic the Hedgehog on that dangerous island." Was her interruption as she petted the blue hedgehog's quills. It made another clicking noise in response, and Charlotte complied by feeding it what scraps of food she could get from the kitchen.
'Sonic... the Hedgehog... ah! I get it. Just what was this girl thinking this time?' "Sharu, a hedgehog can't live on people food; that would kill it. There are many variables that one has to account for, and just giving it sustenance doesn't make up for the nutrients it needs, on top of the need for exercise. You're going to have to return it back to its home."
Seeing as she was staying by her decision, Taritsu had to second think what could be done and eventually gave into the girl when she began to pout. 'I guess I'd also like to find out what Hedgehogs need as well. There's a lack of information in the database, so this can be the first of my research projects.' "Fine, but you'll need to get me the following items in the mean time..."
Waking in the mornings was a daily routine for Stephanie as she had begun her application to SEGA academy of ISF. Although she was accepted, they still required that her parents sign, and seeing as her father was not available, meant she had to ask her mother. At first, she tried to sneak around this by having a false template over the application, but found taping the papers together was too obvious of forgery. Not wanting to sign their signatures either, she tried to get her father to send a letter of recommendation, but he stated that "as much as I appreciate letting me know, I'd gladly do it, but your mother shouldn't be kept in the dark".
Now with nothing to excuse her own sneaky tactics, Stephanie steeled herself for what she was about to do. "Okaasan, I have the documents for you. Father has approved, and I want you to sign them." Anticipating the worse, her mother merely smiled and gave her a doting poke on her nose as she took the papers.
"I'll have it ready for you soon. Since this does say the location is overseas, I should remind you to pack luggage." Her daughter nodded and went on while she kept reading further into the documents. Finding a certain field intriguing, she called her back. "I've found this section on 'choice of Alias' something rather resourceful. Hmm, it says that you'd need a reason and list of any accomplishments to do so." She recalled a few instances where her daughter was at a disadvantage because of her household name. However, she couldn't exactly list anything noteworthy.
"You could state that I am a researcher." She said on a whim, only to double take and look to the floor in shame.
'Her teachers did say that Stephanie was prestigious and much more capable than others under stressful situations. She did formulate and lead the school council, even if it was the vice-president role.' "All right, but keep an eye out for any news of whether there's something else for you to do."
"Hai, Okaasan." On a whim, she added what she wanted for the name she would go under. "Could you please write me down as Euphemia Yukinoshita?"
"Why, what ever lead you to choose such a horrible name?" 'Under the snow' didn't seem much appealing to Kaede, but her daughter seemed fond of it, and it didn't have any ties with Chandler in any way. Still... "Fine. Just don't make it your legal name in the future. I'd rather my daughter stay a virgin with the Chandler name, than having rejected her family and start her own."
"Okaasaan! I would never." Her cheeks flushed, she ran out of the room and started on her luggage right away.
"...yes, I know you have sent the documents. You don't say?" Director Amadeus Quinn was hastily working through a phone conference with one of the incoming student's parents. As far as his assistant was concern, the adolescent caught wind of the name 'Chandler' being thrown around before Quinn finished up. Flamesque hair heading skywards, Vejita carefully arranged the documents as he was told before storing them where it was appropriate. For now, his father had him assist Quinn Sr. while the clown was getting himself acquainted with the place. He couldn't complain though; the pay was good and he certainly didn't expect the vast resources they provided. In fact, Director Quinn had even asked if he could act as the boy's leader of a makeshift team they were assembling.
Finally off the phone, Amadeus spoke to him. "Thank you, Vejita. As you know, I have many new candidates to sort through, each with their backgrounds having potential. Your friend is a special case, such is the same with the others who will be with him."
"Others? How many do you expect?" If the team was too large, it would mean more effort and attention would have to implement towards the group, thinning out his mental energy to just get them silent.
"Just a couple. Rutabaski and Sparks is the first two, and I am expecting the Blakes child to arrive any moment now."
Blakes was the name of BALM's leading scientists couple, and what made them different from the norm was that the pair were responsible for soldier performance augmentations. If their child were anything like them, Vejita would have more trouble than it was worth, especially if that kid happened to be physically superior to him. He knew all too well that having to catch up with the Rutabaski primogeniture was already one of his motivations that bit at the back of his heels, so stoking the fire with a community of individuals like him would be sadism. A knock on the door signified the new arrival.
"Director. Henry has arrived as you asked."
This kid wasn't like Vejita imagined; he wasn't conniving, conceited, or plain craven. Henry Blakes was an average kid, didn't seem much out of place physically or by aura of haughtiness, rather he held modesty—like he was pacified by someone. Either that or...
"Afternoon, Director Quinn. If I may ask, why did you need me to join?"
'They know each other!'
"Henry, the reason for your presence is that I need a mediator—in a sense. Since you are the walking example of your parent's work, I figured you were more than capable if push comes to shove."
"So I basically have to step in? I guess I can do that."
Amadeus sighed. Since his parents were abducted, the next in charge of their child was him, as stated in their will. Mr. and Mrs. Blakes used to be Quinn's apprentices, and as their father figure, they trusted him with their son. "The fundamental factor in all this includes you being on the team. Remember that it is the very fact that you can manipulate energy [to an extent] that your parents entrusted me; since you've been the one training with it the longest, I would believe it's best that you guide the two. Vejita here will help keep them in line as well, but your role is a mediator, along as the reference."
"Sure, I can do that." He said with ease. "But you do have to remember I haven't gotten much better than the basics you've informed me of."
"That's perfectly fine. It just means you can apply efficiently into any situation, rather than deploy advance techniques. I don't expect the group to master manipulation of energy within the year, with what the lack of proper mentors and leading innovators, but I do acknowledge that none of the boys—excluding Vejita—know how to properly use their powers."
"If you don't mind, what is their prime abilities? Is the Rutabaski boy anything like Juliano Marzo, when he was young?"
A moment passed before Quinn answered what he knew. Indeed, Taritsu did share his great grandfather's fascination in science, but he wasn't as dedicated to it as he remembered the man being. It would be hard to coordinate a rogue team like this without a proper mentor or guidance, so he had to make do by relying on their intellect.
"Acceleration and Hyper-competence. Also, no... but he does share his fascination of the world."
"Alright, I guess I can work with that. By the way, what's Acceleration in this context? I thought that was a force, not a power."
"It's a truncation for 'Biological System Acceleration'; the kid's entire body is able to process things faster than the average being, more so than how he originally was. Under extreme cases of stress, I've seen him first hand return twice as powerful, run exponentially faster than a star athlete, and wields enough stamina to go days without sleep if he stubbornly wanted; healing is also extreme, but not too far into extreme levels, like complete disease immunity from what samples they've tested. At any case, both share incredibly powerful minds, but it's applied through different means—as their profiles indicate. As for energy manipulation, both the boy and I were trained for nearly a year. We should fare well for now, at the very least."
Amadeus agreed, while Henry figured he had his work cut out for him. So long as this Vejita was well informed and knew what he was doing, the amateur team shouldn't find itself in too much problems.
"...And that should do it."
A semi-professional habitat resided near the back corner where anyone entering the room could not see unless explicitly searching for it. Consisting of all the spare pans and plastic containers they can find, along with an old aquarium from the Biology department, the two watched proudly at their work. It seemed the hedgehog approved the habitat as it was already rolling around the set area as if it were a play zone, bringing cheery giggles to Charlotte as she watched the mammal.
'Guess she likes the idea of a pet.' Taritsu placed his hands behind his head, stretching the tense muscles from lack of rigorous movement he was used to. Yawning deeply, he turned to leave, just before Charlotte thanked him for his time.
"Don't mention it, little buddy. I'm going off to dinner, so you can join if you'd like." His reply, being automatic, did not catch the appreciation she had towards the boy. It frustrated Charlotte thinking of her as just part of his family, treating her like she were the male gender. It—at times—made her question whether he was being nice because she was honestly someone he deeply cared for, or did it because he respected her father and brothers so much, to the point that he didn't mind her sleeping in the same room as he would protest—had it been a stranger. 'No. If he did, he wouldn't be awkward around normal girls. I guess it's because he doesn't see a common ground between them that he's uncomfortable; why else would he have respect for Nora, or treat me like he does?'
She scolded herself, realizing that she was judging him for lacking in certain areas for her convenience. True, it would be nice to have her treat her as her own person, but Taritsu was too bothered and accustomed to thinking her as a male, that he didn't do so. Additionally, Vejita did say once that he wasn't interested in girls when she asked why he was frustrated that time he picked the boy up from the university, so she figured that he probably saw the female gender as an unknown. 'Maybe I should ask him... or perhaps not.'
She watched him while he was concerned with how Quinn had structured his daily routines for the year. Would he attend courses like any other teen his age, or get freedoms and mess arou~ be productive in a pleasurable way?
The weeks went by as the fall term neared. Sleeping arrangements were weird with Charlotte around, but they managed to refrain from imposing on the other, and usually Charlotte woke up earlier and left him notes of what she went to do. It really didn't matter much as his mornings were busy anyway; during this time, he was either in a seminar that basically was review about the institute and an assessment of his skills. In any case, not many instructors found they had what it took to take him in their classes for the first year, and those who did were reminded that the boy knew more than them at their corresponding subject. For this matter, it seemed they would be assigning him as a faculty member, until one volunteer offered her services.
This recent graduate was rather unaware, as it seems, when she heard of Taritsu's case. Thinking that he was a smart mouth, she took the role as his counselor, which she took rather whimsically. Within the first few moments around her, Taritsu soon found out how quirky the young woman was, had a few bad habits that were rather endearing, but did have this mannish tendency of taking things head on. Overall, those were easily overlooked as he soon found out how sensitive she was about her age, and how she appreciated the lab coat look that she currently was in.
Actually, the lab coat was what caught his attention the most. It had this odd resemblance to a set he'd seen before, back when he was in primary school. Even if he wanted to ask, he couldn't for it would had been rude, but he couldn't help but pay attention to it.
"Are you really sure I need to be in your homeroom, Shizuka...—sensei?"
It was insistence on her part that he call her by the first name, which seemed disrespectful as she was of his mother's culture where formality was key. Her entire name was Shizuka Velarde, and she would always have this finicky need for him to call her Shizuka, as if this wasn't the first time they had met. In fact, thinking about it thoroughly, he swore she resembled someone he saw when he was younger, specifically in primary school, but~
"Jotaro-san. I'd let you know when you may leave. As your counselor, my responsibilities are to assist you. This is all part of the program your family signed you up for, even if you already have credentials. Tell you what, if you behave I'd let you skip classes from time to time to do whatever you find better than this alternative."
He almost fell for it, but saved himself with a quick question. "Sure, but what I really want to know is who I am sharing homeroom with. If it turns out someone rather enlightening is here, I'd rather stay."
'Figured he'd say that. Guess he isn't any different no matter what reality he's in.' "As of now, my roster counts 25 students: some are average overachievers, others are gifted and don't know much of what to expect. I heard there was a certain case of another who applied for the Alias program like yourself coming into my class, so I guess that could count for something."
*Baffled* "You can't be serious; with such an uncaring regard for other's privacies, how are you my counselor?"
"I'm the only one capable of really getting to know you, honestly." She then gave him a wink, which he could not reply from the realization it would serve her benefit. It was either sexual harassment, or plain noncompliance. He chose the latter. "Then again, I remembered the director emailing me this morning that I'd also take your friend in my homeroom. Jovanny wasn't it? For goodness sake, did you two coordinate the Aliases together; it'll be a cold day in hell if I don't hear multiple cases of communication misunderstandings with so many teens calling you two 'Jojo'. I blame the fan girls that will escalate things."
Getting up, a wicked little thought turned up as she found the perfect way to assess how things would turn up for them. "Say, let's make a little bet, shall we?"
"Sorry, I don't engage in activities where people are at clear disadvantages for financial profit."
"Ah, come on. Just a friendly bet. Winner is treated by lunch."
'If we're not risking something, why call it a bet in the first place?' "Alright. But I'd warn you; I tend to eat more calories than you'd expect."
"You are a growing boy either way, there's nothing wrong with that." Shizuka then plopped a rather large course book and flipped to a certain page that she remembered writing down before. Knowing that he wouldn't take shortcuts, especially with what she had in mind, the young woman could practically see it now. "I've happened to come across this online."
Reading the written notes, Taritsu's attention was fully engaged with the concept. A certain biological project that involved creating a diversity of species for specialization and survive the harsh conditions of the messed up environment, which they would maintain in an orderly condition. He would see to it that it'd get done, then probably fix what problems are beating down on his family, relieving them of any stressed load they had over the matter. "You sure this isn't a ploy to get me to make pocket monsters?"
She immediately denied that. "The requirements just ask that you address that issue, but if you'd like you can design it after the fictional creatures. I for one wouldn't mind having a Charizard around." She then inched closer to him, revealing a couple hints that she knew. "I hear Brando Island has enough genetic diversity to work with as templates."
He backed away, staring into the woman's purple eyes. She had some nerve to give him cheats. "As much as I appreciate it, as a Biologist I can not genetically modify organisms on a whim. That would take years, let alone needing the finances for the expensive equipment."
"Well then, I'd guess you'd need to find other means. Maybe a fast acting agent could help with development."
"Maybe," He thought about what she said, but the frown he had disappeared as he found her look too friendly and anticipating—like a child would expect from their father. "But for now I have to get better clothes." His clothes served as a reminder that he had grown an impressive six inches over the course of two months, which also happened to coincide with Anthony's height altering in a similar quantity. While he had less than what he had anticipated for, at least now his grandmother's gift would fit, although it was baggy since there was still more room to fill out.
Without wasting a moment, Shizuka handed him a spare lab coat that she kept in the closet. Having it in his hands, he could see the insignia from the very same institute he was reminded of. "Eto... Shizuka. You attended Ravenwood Technical?"
She paused for a split second as she was about to respond. Noticing that she had forgotten that she still had that lab coat with her, Shizuka internally berated herself for not updating her inventory. Thinking quickly so as to avoid any suspicion, she played along. "Yes, ten years ago in fact. Graduated top of my class and took classes in Golden Sierra University."
"No way. You've got to be kidding me?" His reason for being awestruck was of a simple matter. His counselor, Shizuka Velarde, had attended the same schools he had, and be it fate or coincidence, happened to meet this amazing Alumna. "This means I look up to you. Man, I didn't think I was heading into a journeyed path, but I guess you beat me to it."
Shizuka simply smiled out of a nervous tic. Now that she had led him to believe such a fact, she'd have to make it believable. 'I just so hope his mother does not interrogate me later on. I can't risk my mission so early into the timeline.'
Revving of the engine across the ocean waves, a small group of incoming freshmen were already in the process of acquainting with the academy dorms. Among them was the Chandler girl, who by this time now went by her chosen alias: Euphemia Yukinoshita.
Since the institute had accepted her into their system, they organized her to room with someone compatible. The informative notification stated her roommate was supposed to already checked in, but the room was bare. Did she walk into the wrong room, or was she...
"Excuse me? I'm looking for room 109, building F." The owner was a pink haired girl who's noticeable features were the red hair band and her bob cut. From what Stephanie could tell, she wasn't very bright, so it was strange seeing that the girl was in such a high ranked academy.
Closing the door behind her just enough, she revealed what her roommate was looking for. "And this is building F, so don't worry too much about it." Had the pink-haired girl gone off, she may have entered the male dorms, and that would have been a disaster. However, it seems the girl was actually incredibly under prepared, once Stephanie noticed how much of her luggage was with her. Just a purse and a backpack, nothing more.
"My name's Amy by the way. Amy Raisa, from Bukreyevka."
'A pyrastrenean? This academy doesn't discriminate anyone; then I guess there must be something else about her.' "Euphemia Yukinoshita, from Kosuto."
"The Boruvian mainland?" Her eyes were sparkling when she realized that. As everyone had learned of the tales, Kosuto was Boruvia's capital island, and it served as the host of many visitors. The surrounding islands were visited too, but Kosuto was where people enjoyed being the most. For what reason, she didn't know, but Stephanie acknowledge that it was perhaps the peaceful territory and low crime rates that attracted them the most of the other provinces.
Answering her, Stephanie inquired as to why the girl had not confirmed her room location earlier.
"That's easy. Check your application status and you'll see."
Doing as suggested, Stephanie went through the process and pulled up a tab with her application. On the status criteria, it read 'conditional: screening required'. "You mean to tell me that I have to pass an exam?" Once she arrived, the girl expected to rest for the remainder of her day, but apparently that wasn't an option. The status had a link that showed her the location of where she needed to go, and once Amy saw it, she exclaimed that Stephanie was lucky.
"Looks like you have a smaller group. I had to get my session done early, but this one is private. See this here?" The chandler girl watched as her roommate informed her of the private sessions, which only were available to a select few. It made Stephanie wonder what her mother had done when sending the forms. "You should get there now; it may have no lines, but private sessions are temporary."
Nodding, she thanked her and almost left with all her belongings, returning with a smile sheepishly at the recollection of her still having the luggage. "Thanks again, Amy."
Passing through the halls, Stephanie counted down each door as the current area hadn't any indications of room numbers. She thought that a wrong turn must have taken place a few halls back, but looking at the map she was still on the correct path. Without looking, she bumped into a boy carrying out boxes for his counselor, as he obtained an old storage room as his temporary lab. Looking up, she mistaken his lab coat and glasses as indicators of a faculty member. Being 5'8" compared to her 5'2.5" factored into the assumption as well.
"Hey, Jotaro, don't slack off." Warned his passing advisor, as she eyed the fallen girl. Eyes, widening, the odds of them meeting each other so soon alarmed the young adult as she initiated the secret algorithm. While determining that, the two teens had already began interacting, much to her horror.
"Sorry about that. Did you need to get somewhere?" Helping her up, he could see notable features which had alerted his memory, with the raven black hair, bright eyes, and the silver chain he caught a glimpse of. Without saying another word, Taritsu awaited in satisfaction that he randomly encountered her again, but scolded himself as she did not reciprocate seeing as he wasn't recognizable without his childhood hair and the gold memento.
"I did actually have an appointment for screening. The map stated that it's a little ways from here, but I can't tell where exactly without room plaques."
"I see." He said, rather coldly than what he wanted to say. In regards to what Shizuka was doing, his cohabitant was rather uneasy with having her around at the moment. "Do you at least know what the room is called?"
"Unfortunately I haven't gotten much information at all; for all I know, they are probably closed by now."
Coming out of her daze, Shizuka finally knew which events were needed to trigger a stable outcome. With that, she freely took the situation from there, hoping to keep interactions between the two a minimum before anything unfavorable could happen. "A private screening wasn't it? Come with me."
Leading her away, Anthony walked over as he emerged from the library. He had found good literature that he would read in his leisure, but the main reason for spending most of his time there lately was for historical records on what Quinn told them to develop. "I can't do much with the research materials they have at the library. If we had access to my computer back home, we'd get this done effectively. By the way, what you call Hadou is basically known as Ki, so we may have to visit an expert on that."
Taritsu thought about it as he finished clearing up the storage room, then settled on that invitation Tarres had given the three when they completed training. For one, the man allowed them to train as they had potential in wielding the power, so there was an off chance that Anthony may not have such potential at all. "Say, Anthony."
"Yes, I do have the potential, Rutabaski."
"You could call me by my first name you know." He didn't question how or why the teen knew, for all that needed to be was known by now. What he did wonder was in what way Anthony had known he could do what he had practiced for months. Did he somehow have an underlying ability like his own.
"Doesn't matter much. This is the professional life, which includes getting things done—effectively, with no feelings attached. As for what you're wondering right about now...let's just say I have something ordinarily athletes strive for."
"Extended Lung Capacity?"
"No, I can manipulate my respiratory system." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. As far as Anthony knew, his lungs were able to contain a large capacity of air, which meant constant gas exchange and stronger resistance to respiratory ailments. In addition, it was the reason he could casually utilize his mind to the fullest extent as the ever constant supply of oxygen was what augmented his biology. In fact, part of the reason he knew that this was the case happened to be from the time his brother had scanned him for any medical problems, only to find out he had a reinforced body. A few more tests were run soon after, and then Anthony was asked if he would be so kind to run a field test. As it turned out, they discovered his attacks were subtly laced with energy.
"That's actually critical when utilizing Hadou."
"Ki," he interjected, with more belligerence.
"Whatever." They would have to ask permission for a temporary leave, but the only way was to personally ask Director Quinn, and he was busy filing the paperwork for the upper classmen at the moment. "Just don't worry about it so much. I know where we can learn more about Ki."
"You can't. There's a difference between learning and training. You may have the training, and that makes our work half finished, but what we need is information. What is the components of Ki, how does one utilize it, is there limitations to the practicality, what kind of techniques exist, and in what context is it best to perform the techniques?" He raised a valid point, but it seemed as they were talking about two entirely different conversations.
Some things just had to be explored to satisfy one's thirst for knowledge, and for the first time in his life, Taritsu recognized that this was how he was with his friends too, to an extent anyway. For now, they just had to take the evening off, as the first official day of school started the upcoming morning. He just wondered whether or not what his family got him into was worth it though.