The next morning, the pair woke up and went through their usual routine before heading downstairs for breakfast. After eating, they lingered, sipping their coffee and enjoying the view of the Academy grounds.
They arrived at Grav Training Building Nine with twenty minutes to spare. As arranged with the Teachers the day before, they waited in the reception area, coffee in hand, until the Teachers arrived to begin the day's training.
The Teachers arrived at ten to nine and signalled for them to follow into a special section of the building. Here, the Grav chambers for paired fighting demonstrations were located—chambers sturdy enough (they hoped) to handle Bane and Chaos unleashing their full powers.
"All right, you're both familiar with the siege-mode combat sims from before the Awakening," Beelzebub began. "But I'll recap: today you'll fight as a unit against simulated enemies, blending your fighting styles until you move as one cohesive unit. Take out as many as you can—and focus on building true understanding and teamwork. Understood?"
Chaos and Bane nodded.
"I'll control the settings, so you won't know what's coming. Tap out if it's too much. If I see a problem, I'll stop the sim so we can address it. Chaos, you can use any form except the partial one. Bane—just be yourself. You have five minutes before the sim starts."
Chaos and Bane grinned as they entered the Grav chamber, the door whooshing shut behind them. In the observation room, Beelzebub and Zera set up at the control panels.
"Ready? Sim loading. Grav settings: START!" Beelzebub counted them in.
Training began. At first, Bane and Chaos had minor coordination issues, but these smoothed out as muscle memory from before Awakening returned. Soon, their teamwork shifted from rusty to seamless—a synchronised, chaotic symphony. Without so much as a word, they moved as if guided by a single mind.
Chaos shifted between fully separated and fully merged forms, while Bane darted through the chamber like a spectre, striking unseen, moving in perfect tandem with Chaos.
Beelzebub and Zera watched with glee as the duo unleashed their destructive creativity.
"They'll be nightmares on any battlefield. Chaos is too chaotic to predict, and Bane's like a phantom—striking, then gone," Zera remarked as they shredded enemy sims like tissue paper.
"As long as they're nightmares for the enemy, that's a win in my book!" Beelzebub agreed, shaking his head as Chaos-Er hurled a simulated boulder at a cluster of enemies, pumping his fist as it landed.
Then, Beelzebub triggered special random disturbances he'd programmed in advance. Simulated carnage erupted—for Chaos and Bane, a playground; for their enemies, a massacre.
"Did Bane just lure that entire group into the gravity trap?" Zera asked, incredulous.
"Yep. They used to do this all the time before Awakening—making the battlefield work for them. It's smart and hard to counter," Beelzebub replied with a facepalm, watching Chaos-Er hurl uprooted sim-trees to herd enemies as Yi directed.
"Why is Er throwing live Warbeasts now?" Zera cried, bewildered.
"My guess—Yi or Bane planned it," Beelzebub said, resigned.
"And now Er's thrown Bane across the room to wipe out sim commanders?"
"Definitely Bane's idea," Beelzebub sighed.
He was thankful he'd notified the Headmasters and livestreamed the spectacle; explaining this chaos after the fact would have been impossible.
—
In the Headmasters' conference room, the leaders watched, transfixed:
Solis (leaning forward): Incredible. I've never seen teamwork like this—organised mayhem. See how they read each other?
Everdawn (delighted): A live demonstration of combat harmony. I wonder—is this skill or instinct? Even the sensors can't track Chaos as he shifts forms.
Rowan (chuckling): Skill or instinct, their enemies don't stand a chance. And Bane just led them into a trap. It's like a war game—with creative chaos.
Varkos (stern): Creative, yes, but hurling boulders and uprooting trees? Dangerous spectacle. If they lost control, collateral damage could be catastrophic.
Solis: But unpredictability is their strength. Our enemies won't see them coming. I just hope Beelzebub and Zera can keep things under control.
Everdawn (as the mayhem escalates): Look—are those Warbeasts and people flying across the sim?
Rowan (laughing): This session will be an Academy legend.
Varkos (relenting): As long as the Grav chamber holds… Next time, Solis, let's request better containment protocols.
Solis (grinning): Next time—stronger walls, and a sense of humour.
The Headmasters watched, equal parts awed, concerned, and entertained, as Chaos and Bane redefined what training could be.
—
Meanwhile, the sim was livestreamed to the Academy forums, and the comment section exploded.
Academy Livestream Chatroom
KanaStar9: Did you SEE that?! Chaos just threw a TREE at those sim bots!
BrentTheBest: How did Bane go invisible?! BAM! Bots exploded! Is that teleportation?
Jules4Science: Super speed or sneaky hiding! That was EPIC teamwork. Chaos and Bane = superheroes!
NiaLovesTigers: OMG, did Chaos really throw Bane? Gonna try that next practice!
SpaceRex101: THIS is next-level teamwork. Bane tricks them, and Chaos SMASHES.
GlitterBean: Bet the Teachers are losing it. What if they really break the chamber??
Danny_Draws: My screen froze when Chaos tossed the Warbeasts! Was that allowed??
BookwormEli: Saving up for Grav sim next week! Can we run siege mode if we ask?
KanaStar9: Only if we PROMISE not to throw each other like Bane, LOL.
Jules4Science: Chaos's fist pump after the boulder throw! They should play Grav Ball!
NiaLovesTigers: If they do this in a real war, the bad guys have zero chance. #BaneChaosSquad
SpaceRex101: WHO'S SCREENSHOTTING THIS? Meme time!
—
"What are they doing now?" Zera exclaimed, noticing the mischievous grins on Bane and Chaos's faces. "What are they plotting?"
"I'm activating every containment shield!" Beelzebub declared, frantically working the controls.
The sim shifted into a snowy, mountainous landscape. Chaos and Bane hovered over the tallest peak, sharing devious smirks. Chaos drew a deep breath and unleashed a silent roar directly at the mountain peak, triggering an avalanche.
Chaos split apart. Each pulled out a shield and dive-bombed straight down, surfing the avalanche. Er whooped with delight, smashing enemies as he rode.
Bane, wearing his infamous smirk, surfed like a phantom, cutting down sims as he passed. Yi leaned forward, silent, focused, precise as a blade.
Both Beelzebub and Zera stared in horror as the trio weaponised a natural disaster to hunt targets—an avalanche born of pure chaos.
—
In the Headmasters' Conference Room:
Solis (wide-eyed): Look at those grins. No need for telepathy to sense mischief. What's next?
Everdawn (animating): That gleam means something big. Hovering above the peak—that's no ordinary move.
Rowan (mug in hand): It'll be spectacular. Chaos is roaring?
Varkos (wary): That's a trigger. Avalanche incoming—surfing it with shields? Genius or madness?
Solis (laughing): Er's whooping like he's at a festival—smashing as he surfs.
Everdawn: Yi is surgical. Bane?
Rowan: Bane's riding the disaster—loving every second.
Varkos (reluctant respect): Weaponising disaster. The chamber barely contains them. What if this happens in the field?
Solis: Shields are up—for what good it'll do. Unpredictability is their greatest weapon. No enemy will see this coming. We'll note their creative plots for the record.
Everdawn: Brilliantly dangerous—artistry, even. And they trust one another absolutely.
Rowan (smiling): I'd be awestruck if I were a student. If I were an enemy, I'd run.
Varkos: Let's hope the chamber survives another round of this.
Solis (raising coffee): To legendary teamwork—and stronger walls!
A mix of awe, concern, and pride filled the room as Chaos and Bane shattered expectations.
—
Academy Livestream Chatroom
StarFireKid: Did anyone else see Chaos SURF the avalanche? Like a superhero!
TigerFan22: Bane looked so sneaky. Bots everywhere! BOOM!
BookWorm81: Why did they have shields? I'm asking Teacher Midas for one next sim!
SkySparkles: It looked like a movie—robots and snow rollercoaster!
PixelPainter: Er was yelling the whole run—living his best life!
DragonGirl5: Best part was the Teachers panicking over shield surfing. My Mammy says it's wild—but I love it!
NinjaKit: Next snow day, let's build a mountain and use cardboard shields!
BotBreaker: Bane's face—so evil, so cool. Everyone's just like 'WHAT!?'
CrimsonComet: Bet the other sims are terrified. Avalanche Team forever!
StarFireKid: If we run this in class—dibs on being Er! But I'm NOT throwing anyone!
DragonGirl5: Yeah, snowballs only, not people! PixelPainter: Best. Sim. Ever.
SkySparkles: What next—ride a tornado? XD
—
The sim ran until lunchtime, when Beelzebub ended it with a weary sigh.
Chaos—now whole again—emerged, grinning beside Bane.
"I think we'll break for lunch, recap everything from this morning, and then call it a day," Beelzebub said, face drawn with exhaustion.
Both Bane and Chaos pouted.
"Yeah, I don't think the chamber could handle another round of you two cutting loose," Beelzebub insisted.
After a leisurely lunch, Beelzebub and Zera brought them to the office.
Beelzebub pulled up the sim recording, projecting it on the wall. Zera sat across from the two, Chaos fidgeting, Bane wearing his usual smirk, both recharged.
Beelzebub (scrubbing footage): "Let's start at the beginning. Coordination was rough for about thirty seconds—then it was perfect. How?"
Chaos (shrugging): "It just clicked. Like riding a bike—once you remember, you don't forget."
Bane (quiet): "We just…remember how the other moves."
Zera (pausing frame as Chaos hurls a boulder): "Do you two actually talk in there? I never saw a signal—verbal or otherwise."
Bane (grinning): "We don't need to. I always know where Chaos will be and what they'll do."
Chaos (nodding): "Same. It's like there's a thread—not words, just knowing."
Beelzebub (half-exasperated): "That's…useful. It would be less terrifying if you'd at least pretend to warn us. Half the time, our panels were lit up like a festival."
Zera (smirking): "Not to mention the livestream comments! For the record, shield surfing avalanches is not on the syllabus."
Chaos (cheeky): "It could be."
Bane: "We only improvise when the sim's predictable. Keeps us sharp."
Beelzebub (pragmatic): "Improvising is good—to a point. But you two push every limit. Next time, I want a debrief before you try mountain demolition. Understood?"
Chaos and Bane exchanged a look, grins making their answer dubious. Zera laughed.
Zera: "Last question—are you sure you're not using some psychic link? Because it sure looks like telepathy."
Chaos (mock-solemn): "Not telepathy. Just teamwork."
Bane (shrugs): "Or chaos. Depends on the day."
Beelzebub muttered about 'legendary nightmares,' mentally drafting new containment protocols as he turned back to the sim recording.
He dismissed the duo for the rest of the week; Mana training would start next.
As Bane and Chaos thanked the Teachers and left for a long weekend—already planning new adventures—Beelzebub drafted his report: shield readings, avalanche data, and sim recap, and sent it to the Headmasters.
—
A heavy hush fell as Solis, Everdawn, Rowan, and Varkos gathered at the obsidian conference table. The air vibrated with anticipation—containment data flickered on one wall, a mug of coffee before Solis, Varkos sitting straighter than ever, Rowan's eyes twinkling, Everdawn spinning a pen.
Solis: Well, Beelzebub delivered a true spectacle. Legend—or disaster narrowly averted?
Everdawn: The good news: they're alive and so is the Grav chamber…barely. Chaos and Bane set a new benchmark for 'creative synergy.'
Rowan (grinning): If only we could bottle that. Students will be quoting this session all year. Are we seeing instinct, or something deeper?
Varkos (grim): Link or no, they blew through every protocol. If this were a real op, collateral would be incalculable. We need predictability.
Solis: Predictability isn't their strength—and that's what makes them valuable. We'll add shield upgrades and require pre-mission debriefs. But thoughts on their zero-communication style?
Everdawn: Fascinating. I reviewed the data—there's no telepathy. It's intuition on another level. We can try to use it in training, but younger students shouldn't imitate the chaos.
Rowan: I enjoyed the improvisation, but Beelzebub's right—outline plans next time, just so our insurance measure is valid.
Varkos: Or so we don't have to rebuild again.
Solis: New containment rules coming. But train them—don't tame them. Our enemies should fear their unpredictability, not our students fearing us.
Everdawn: Agreed. Let's formalise a review panel for their runs. Rowan, you can handle the debriefs—keep things constructive.
Rowan: Absolutely. I'll bring snacks. Maybe then they won't choreograph the next avalanche.
Varkos (dry): Or shield surfing. I'll have engineering check the chamber. We'll need more than luck if this happens again.
Solis: Good. Archive Beelzebub's report, circulate the readings, notify instructors: all sims with Chaos and Bane get an amber alert. The legend grows—but let's keep it contained, as much as possible, with living, breathing chaos incarnate and its enabler.
The meeting ended with a mix of pride, anxiety, and new resolve as the Headmasters planned to harness Bane and Chaos's brilliance—without letting it break the Academy.