The air was cold and oppressive, even as the sun peeked from behind the gloomy clouds. An occasional drop of water fell from the sky–Rain's threat. If Jace had the choice, he would be in his dome, safe from the dripping liquid. Unfortunately for him, his responsibilities made the choice.
Today would be Jace's first day of classes. Flicking on his cyberlink, Jace read through the first class. 'Combat Class: Enhanced'
Cracking his neck and adjusting his backpack, Jace stepped out of the building onto the clearing. The clouds let a vague threat in the form of a rumble. Jace glanced up, almost daring it, until a voice called him back. Turning, Jace witnessed Jax, his hair wet and his bag wide open, tumbling towards him with a grin on his face.
He sidled by Jace, asking breathlessly, a broad smile on his face. "Your class. What's your first class?"
Jace paused, tilting his cyberlink so Jax could see the screen. Jax's smile fell, before brightening up instantly as he slapped Jace's back. "Unlucky. Have Elemental this morning"
Without bothering to explain the 'Elemental', Jax launched into the next question "So, couldn't see you anywhere around the field. How was your fight?"
Jace slowed, his gaze naturally drifting to his hand. Somehow, even after two days, he could still feel it. His hands clenched. Pounding at the mass of flesh. His fingertips still trembled with euphoria at the memory. It was scary.
"Nothing much," Jace whispered, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. "You?"
There was no answer. Nothing but silence. Jace turned to Jax only to see his eyes transfixed to something in the distance. Jace looked at where those eyes glanced.
Right outside a door, in front of the room where his class would hold, lay a girl. She slept gently on the stony ground but that wasn't what drew Jace's attention. What drew them were the giant words scribbled over her body on the door 'Screw the Military'
Others stood there, none daring to approach for fear of being seen as the cause. Jax sighed audibly, clapping Jace's shoulders as he walked forward.
He was a few metres away from the unconscious body, when a shadow appeared at the door. The shadow gave way to a woman, her eyes fixed on the body blocking her exit.
The light scar on her cheek revealed her identity as Skye, one of the Instructors in the Academy and the teacher of Jace's first class.
The crowd watched with bated breath as Skye read through the sentence. She clicked her tongue before walking back into the room. Jax paused his walk, clearly confused at the development.
One last glance at the body and Jax walked away, headed to his class. Jace walked closer to his first class, stopping at the door where the body lay.
Skye was in there, leaning against one of the walls. "Come in, or stay out there. Your choice,"
Jace remained still. Skye clicked her tongue. "Fine. Might as well sleep with her for all I care,"
Anger burnt into Jace. Incensed, he prepared to protest, until he noticed the small smile on Skye's lips. She was baiting him.
Jace glanced back down at the figure. She wouldn't be up any time soon. Sighing, Jace skipped over her and into the class.
Nodding in approval, Skye walked away from the wall. Jace glanced around noting how empty the classroom was. The walls were a dull yellow, strips of plaster falling off.
The only thing in the room was a large desk at one of the walls. Skye sat on the wooden table, flipping through files. Jace watched the experienced woman, his mind going back to the sprayed message.
"If you wanted to undress me you know you could just ask,"
Confusion clouded Jace's features. Understanding set in, his face almost paling. He coughed, hoping to forget the previous words as he asked hesitantly, "The mess–The girl. I mean the message on the girl, not on the girl, on the door?"
Skye dropped her folders on the desk, crossing her legs as she leaned back "Your question is going to be, let me guess: Why are we ignoring it and bla bla bbla?"
Jace frowned. He could feel Skye watching him closely, almost assessing him. Finally, the soldier stood. She cracked her neck as she instructed "You're smart, right? Figure it out. Who did it? Why?What could they hope to accomplish? And finally. Why we are doing nothing?"
Questions swirled around in Jace's head but most of all was the underlying feeling that Skye's words were an assignment. The thought of her creating an incident such as that and using it to test people came. But that would be too easy.
Sighing, Jace focused on his cyberlink. Somehow, in only three days, a group chat involving all the first-years had already been created. Chats flew in surprisingly quick, the central topic being the body.
A few others mentioned hearing yells and cries of pain through the night but they were quickly lost in the endless droves of messages. Some proceeded to create some fantasy of a mythical beast that judged whether someone was worthy of being in the Academy. A few suspected it was the work of the Military themselves, to sow disunity. Someone had even created a fan-fiction of the incident, titling it: Mystery of Blood.
Students trickled in the classroom as Jace switched from the chat to the daily Academy news. The incident had spread faster and larger than Jace had thought–Four of the five headlines were about it.
The most trending of them was a short piece written by the Second-year Nathan. It contained over 70 views–A large number considering there were barely over 600 students–amd had generated tens of comments. One quick glance and the reason behind it could be identified.
Nathan was a master of words–Stoking the flames of rebellion while praising the might and the Military. He wrote enough to appease both sides while still remaining vague in his standing.
Scrolling through the comments, Jace could see that Nathan had done a perfect job. Students waged war over keyboards, contemplating the war and its significance. Most picked sides debating others on why their side was rightful.
The more comments there were, the more confused Jace was. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Who had the most to gain?
"Okay class," A loud clap shook Kace off his thoughts as Skye paraded through the classroom. She ran her eyes through the class, a smile broadening. Again, the illusion of a bigger scar flashed across her face before disappearing, returning back to the small aberration on her cheek.
"You all are welcome."
Confusion spread through the crowd with that statement but Skye pressed on "You see, you all were given abilities. You weren't born with one, weren't blessed by some flying angel. No. You were trash, useless pieces of junk to this society."
Anger and indignation burned in the eyes of most. And Skye was ready to use it "You drifted across space with no purpose, no power. But we had mercy on you. We've given you power. And now it's time to give you purpose."
Projections sprang up from the ground. They were holograms, their faces blank. Jace reached out, his hand resting on the hologram's face. The projection was surprisingly solid, made of plastic or some other material.
Skye walked back to her desk, turning to assess the crowd "Your first task. Choose one of the holograms and fight them. You can use weapons brought from the outside, try to talk your way through, maybe even tamper with the programming,"
Sitting on the table, Skye crossed her legs and flashed a smile "There's just one rule. No matter what, you cannot dodge or block an attack."
Murmurs erupted at that, most uncertain about the purpose of the exercise. A snap of the finger from Skye, and the uncertainty turned to anxiety as the holograms began to attack.
Without time to prepare, a blue fist smashed into Jace's nose. Jace backed away, his hand hovering over his face. A hologram stood before him, his stance basic.
Snorting, Jace moved. His fist swung inward in a circular arc, smashing against the hologram's cheek. The hologram took a step back, its stance now uncertain and Jace took the initiative.
He struck, jabbing the hologram right in its face. The hologram blocked the attack but was wholly unrelated for the strike at its ribs. The hologram twisted, attempting to evade yet Jace gave up on the strike, jabbing the hologram in its face once more.
The attack succeeded, the hologram backing a few steps away and Jace advanced, his hand raised to strike the hologram downward onto the floor.
Jace's hand descended in a fury just as he could feel the warm liquid dripping from his fingers. Duke. He was back in the fight with Duke.
Duke's face was a mess yet he still pleaded, his voice barely a whisper. He raised his hands, his blue hands as it struck at the frozen Jace.
Jace backed away, his mind a mess in pain. He had hesitated and the hologram had taken advantage of that. The second blow came, as Jace could see the hand begin to slow.
Counter. Jace could counter. His mind raced with the thought yet his instincts overruled that. Twisting his body, Jace watched the fist strike effortlessly into the air. He had dodged.
Then pain.
Pain flooded every nerve, ever nook and cranny of Jace's body. His hand, his right hand burnt. The bandage was still fitted on it yet it burnt.
And the the pain stopped. Replacing it was the cold emotionless voice of Skye "You shouldn't have dodged,"
The pain in Jace gave way to anger as the urge to explode at the veteran soldier came. Yet the boy held his tongue. Slye, seeing that, offered an emotionless smile "In battle, you'll wear suits. No point dodging when the suits can tank the blows for you"
A lie. The thought came faster than his mind caught up. Jace searched around, form some meaning. Around him students were being taught to tank every hit. To grin through the pain, to keep on punching. On the other hand, they were punished from flinching, for lifting their hands to block, for attempting to evade.
Skye spoke again, a cruel twist underneath her rough voice "You all will fight in the frontlines of Humanity's long war."
She glanced around as she spoke, nodding to some and shooting encouraging words. Yet her gaze was cold. She wasn't looking at students, at children, at humans. She was looking at meat bags.
Her speech from earlier resounded once more in Jace's ears. He was useless. They were all useless. And the Military had given a purpose. To fight, jabbing, punch, kick: attack even until their last breath.
That awareness blinded Jace enough to only notice the blue fist mere inches from his face. Dodge. Jace's mind screamed to dodge yet his body remembered that pain. That excruciating burning. And the pain was far less than the one in front of Jace's face.
And so the fist collided with Jace's still frozen face as he struggled to get his mind Vick together. Despair and frustration mixed together creating a hateful combination. Sighing, Jace struggled to keep himself back, his nose now burning. Muttering despondent, Jace fixed up a stance "I hate this class,"