The roar of the crowd echoed in Petra's ears as she gathered her things and headed back to her room in the Olympic Village. The bright gold medal gleamed against her chest and she couldn't help but grin like an idiot as she left the stadium. This was her third Olympics and finally, finally, she had a gold medal. Sure, she'd gotten a few bronze and silver medals in her past Games but nothing compared to having glittering gold around her neck.
The plaza was bustling with athletes, a sea of faces that seemed to stretch on for miles of miles. There was the dull sound of various conversations mixing with the summer breeze. Finding her parents would be difficult in the crowd, but she'd find them eventually. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long; after all, she was starving and wanted to go out and celebrate her medal with her parents over a nice, decadent meal.
"Congratulations on your medal, Miss Ral." The voice came from a tall man who looked to be a little older than herself. Perhaps he was a family member of another athlete, or a former Olympian. Hell, he could even be a current athlete. There were too many faces to remember in the Village.
"Thank you," she replied, stopping to talk. Really, she should be finding her parents, but they could wait a bit. It would be rude to just blow this guy off.
"I was very impressed by your floor routine. It not everyday someone gets a sixteen," he told her.
"Thanks! I worked very hard on it and I'm glad it paid off," she said.
"Do you plan on competing at the 2016 games?" he asked. He's sure got a lot of questions, Petra thought. Is he a journalist that snuck in? Security's so tight though . . .
"I would like to, but it depends whether or not I'm chosen for the team again," she replied.
"So then I take it you're not looking for a career?"
"Just because I want to be in one more Olympics you assume I don't want a career? What kind of logic is that? Not to mention being an Olympian is considered a career, anyways," she replied heatedly, irritation flaring in her body. Who did he think he was?
"I didn't mean to offend you. I was just curious." She glared at him and huffed.
"I would like a career at some point, but I'd like to compete in one more Games before settling down into a normal life," she spat at him.
"Have you considered enrolling in the Trost Academy for the Gifted once you finish your Olympic career? We could use strong, smart women like you." She looked up at him, a quizzical look on her face. "Erwin Smith, head of Legion's Co-Ops squad and head of recruitment for our training academy." Oh. The Meta school. Just my luck, she internally groaned.
"You must be mistaken. I don't use my powers. Sorry." She turned to leave when his hand caught her shoulder. Clearly, he wasn't done and while Petra wanted to leave, she figured just letting him talk would be the best course of action. She turned back to face him, arms folded under her chest.
"If you weren't a Meta, we'd still be having this conversation. Your academic records and gymnastic skills are enough to give you a place at the Academy. You're a perfect candidate for our training program," he continued on.
"And what would I be training for?" she inquired sharply.
"We have three branches: Strategy and Communications, Co-Ops, and Civic Patrol. Depending how you do on your assessment tests, you could end up in either of the branches."
"So you're saying I have no choice over where I'm put?" she asked.
"Not exactly. You do get to state a preference but overall, the Commander of the Legion, Keith Shadis, myself, and a few others ultimately decide where you're best suited." So, I don't have a choice. "But there tends to be some overlap and positions sometimes change, so you may get to be in different branches," he said.
"And what does training consist of?"
"Our trainees go through combat training and depending where they're placed, specialty courses. Strategy trainees learn how to help coordinate combat teams, Co-Ops learn how to handle hostage situations, and so on. But," he drew the word out and she knew she wouldn't like what he had to say next. "We do have a large emphasis on teaching our trainees how to efficiently use their powers and use them well, if they have any powers to begin with." Of course. "You have the power of decay, correct? We could teach you how to truly control it and not just suppress it."
"The offer sounds nice, but as I said, I don't use my powers and I don't plan on using them any time soon," she said.
"We won't force you to use them. You can train in other kinds of combat. Not to mention with a communications degree, you're already a strong candidate for the Strategy and Communications branch." She pursed her lips into a thin smile.
"Sounds like you've done some research," she said, voice strained. It was rather creepy how much he knew about her.
"We do extensive research on all of the prospective trainees that the administration invites," he replied. "We only found strengths in your background. You could do great things in the Legion, Miss Ral. You could help save lives and protect others. That seems like it'd be right up your alley.
"How about you think about it? No doubt you have other things on your mind." Erwin produced a small, thin card out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Email me when you've decided whether or not you'd like to attend. As much as I'd love to give you more time, our term starts in a week. I hope to hear from you soon, Miss Ral." He turned on his heel and left, disappearing into the thick throng of people. She stared down at the card for a good few seconds, the gears in her mind turning. Helping others was a passion of hers, she couldn't deny that.
Petra slipped the card into her duffel bag before continuing her search for her parents. Perhaps she'd look into the Academy later that night.