The class instructor looked at Claudius with confusion. Claudius nodded to him reassuring him that he wasn't going to harm them.
"Break free if you dare," he taunted.
Everyone was puzzled. They had no idea what was going on. The sharp pains on their bodies were too much for them to think. They were being somewhat pierced by it but there were not injuries or blood on their skin. The dark material was obviously Claudius' power.
Nyx wriggled and twisted like a worm but it wouldn't come off.
"You asked me a question blue-haired boy," he walked to Orion. "If you want your answer, then break free."
No one really knew what Claudius was on about but the pain they felt was enough reason to break free.
"The first three people to break free would be given each a major secret," he announced.
As soon as he spoke, the sound of knife cutting through fabric was heard. They all looked in the direction the sound came from. It was him. Suddenly they weren't so surprised anymore.
Kerith shook off the black threads from his body. He looked at Claudius who was already chuckling.
"Anyone else?" Claudius chuckled further.
Attention was then given to the site of a plant grow in the palm of a girl. It grew big and strong enough to grip and entangle the threads. With one gesture from her, it ripped the threads apart setting her free.
Nyx watched the two. The first he did expect to break free, the other he didn't. The second was someone he knew too well.
Her name was Petal Harbinger. She possessed a seemingly useless power. She was only able to control the movement of already existing plants. Her Nexus ability was 'Mother Nature's arm'.
Petal and Nyx were close when they were younger, but age and other circumstances drifted them apart.
Seeing her make a seed grow from a seedling into a plant that was strong enough to pull Claudius' threads apart gave Nyx a message.
He was being left behind, fast.
As his mind tried to process what his eyes had seen, he heard Orion grunt loudly beside him. The ripping of threads came right after.
"Alright!" Orion celebrated.
Claudius released the threads on everyone else. Nyx watched as they loosened from his body and went back into Claudius' palm.
"That is your answer, boy," he looked down at Orion.
"What?" Orion asked.
"Everyone who cares to listen," Claudius turned. "I need someone to tell me how they were able to get free."
No one moved a muscle.
"It's simple," Nyx sighed. Everyone looked at him.
"What're you going to know about any of that?" A girl mocked.
"Allow him," Claudius cautioned.
"Kerith always has his Sever Field on. He's a paranoid person who's always expecting someone or something to attack him. In event that they do, they get sliced the moment they touch him, or when he wants the field to slice them that is.
Petal was always underestimated. She became better and had seeds with her at this moment for whatever reason. So that was her defense.
Orion on the other hand..." He looked at Orion. "Orion just got stronger and put more into his Heighten ability, buffing is strength enough to tear the threads apart."
Claudius squinted his eyes at Nyx. "And all this was possible—" He attempted to speak.
"Because they were all ready. They were waiting prepared in case they were attacked. That's why they broke free first. They did the thinking before the situation caught up to them," Nyx cut in.
Claudius walked over to Nyx. "Precisely what I was about to say," he frowned. "And what is your ability?"
"I have none."
Claudius frowned even more. "Then your knowledge means nothing. You're as useless as the rest who couldn't break out. Not just that, you're a shame. An abomination. How can you even exist? It's people like you who seem to know it all but die first—"
"Hey! Isn't that enough? I mean what's the point of saying all that to him?" Orion revolted.
"Sir Claudius just let him be," Freida added.
Claudius scoffed. "That is exactly what it means to be a Legionnaire. This demonstration I just gave you, is what happens when you become one. You're either ready and you live or you're not and you die. If you feel it's an escape from college, it's not. It's a ticket to death instead. Preparation is everything. Wit and strength come later. Being part of the Legion is something attained only by the strong. If this was real, only these three would survive."
"Fate hangs in the balance too," Nyx spoke up again. He found himself doing something he didn't do all the time: Talking back as if to say he was defending himself.
"Fate?" Claudius looked at him once more. "And what does that do, little boy?"
"Redirection. It changes who the victors and the vanguished are. That's what it does."
"Cute. Is that what they've fed you all these years? Some of you here would be looking at the Academy as your option in opposition to college. I'll have you know that 'Fate', does not exist in the Legion. It's just you and your power."
"Is that what you believe?"
"Nyx," Orion nudged him, "let it go, dude."
"It's what it is, kid," Claudius answered. "Why didn't fate loosen the threads for you?"
"It didn't."
"Exactly, so—"
"But I'll just have to bend it."
Claudius looked at him for the third time. This time he looked with a little more interest. "It's funny how you're the weakest here, at least among the Nexuses, and still have one of the most dominant characters. Bend your fate? Yours has already been set in stone, young man." Claudius smiled. "You're that boy from the news, aren't you? Tangled yourself in a gang fight against humans, isn't it? You don't have fate because you're too busy trying to change the world. But you don't know that no one can."
Nyx didn't have anything to say back to him. Claudius walked back to the front and sat down. His point was clear. Legionnaires had to be proactive, strong and determined. The weak had no business being a Legionnaire. There was no fate.
Nyx may have believed the rest but the later, not so much. He wished he could prove it, but he remembered that he had no powers to show that.
He had his head faced down in frustration as the bus deviated from the highway.
***
"I see you intermittently looking at her," Freida smiled at Nyx.
Nyx raised his head. "What do you mean?"
"Petal," Frieda replied. "You have history with her and yet you don't want to talk to her. You know, I know you guys used be somewhat close back then. I don't mean to pry but I think you should just talk to her about it since it bothers you so much."
"It doesn't."
"But you can't stop looking—"
"Let it go, Earplugs."
Frieda paused. "Alright then."
The bus remained silent for a while as it covered great distance. Only little murmurs were heard. It could only be that some were still discussing about the SR Legionnaire in the front seat.
Some section of the bus however felt annoyed by Nyx's behaviour. They didn't like him so much. In fact, no one but Orion particularly spoke to him. The class of students were mixed with Nexuses and Humans but there weren't any too much friction between the two sides.
Nyx slowly raised his head up as he felt the bus slow down to a halt. They'd gotten to their destination.
***
The keyboard must've wanted sometimes out due to all the typing that Tenebra was doing. She'd been at the screen for a while now. Perhaps, she needed that time off more than the keyboard.
"Who even works on Saturdays," a woman walked up to her and placed a cup of coffee on her desk.
"You ever heard of a day off?" Another man seated beside her chuckled.
Tenebra looked up. "You know how it is," she sighed and gave a little smile.
"No, please enlighten us," the other woman raised her eyebrows.
Tenebra took the cup of coffee and turned her chair back to the monitor. "It's just a bit crazy recently," she said.
"What do you mean?" The man asked.
"She's most likely talking about the monsters showing up frequently in places that they don't normally show up," the woman answered.
"See, Guila, thats the thing," Tenebra turned to her. "The irregular behaviour is disturbing me. But for some reason, that's not enough for Kenneth to do something about it."
"He's always making the Legion and us two different sides. Talk about being a bit racist," Guila frowned. "Have you spoken to him about this?"
"Of course. And not just me too, even Daniel here."
"Well," Daniel smiled awkwardly, "it didn't go too well."
"What did he say?" Guila asked.
"He's trying to play the defensive card. He knows it's abnormal and he probably let the Legion know already. What I'm not sure is why he hasn't sent out a division to investigate this."
"He's hiding something," Tenebra sucked her teeth.
"Hey, don't be like that. Even if he is, it's probably best that way," Guila folded her arms as if slightly annoyed. "I trust Kenneth. Even though he can be a bit confusing sometimes but under his supervision we've accomplished a lot of things."
"Then explain it to me," Tenebra slightly raised her voice. "Look, if more of the Scarred keep showing up like this, we're looking at mass mobilization of Legionnaires and let me remind you that they're not as much as you might think."
Daniel looked at her monitor. He sighed. "She's right, Guila," he added.
Guila exhaled. "I'll try to talk to him whenever he's free. But I know he's doing the best for us," she said and walked away.
Tenebra never understood why she was so aggressive when it came to Kenneth. The monitor beeped loudly and she turned back to it.
She stared at it for some seconds and exclaimed. "Oh fuck!"
"What is it?" Daniel asked.
"It's a 5★ and it's huge." She squinted her eyes. "It's right in the middle of New York too!"
"What?!"
Tenebra sprung up and raced upstairs. Something was happening. And she knew somehow, she was right.