No.
If Scarlet Mage could slap herself at this moment, she probably would have. To feel sorry for the most heinous and evilest supervillain in the world? The young man who literally has her and her mother hostage? Was this some sort of Stockholm syndrome?
Or perhaps, Riley had some sort of power to bewitch people? Was that it? Was Riley actually bewitching her right now? It made sense that he would have that kind of power– it was an evil power, after all.
If that was truly the case, then Scarlet Mage would try her hardest to resist it. It might be hard since she was planning to have them both kicked out from the Academy by pretending to have a romantic relationship with him, but since Riley is still indeed just a minor, there was no way that she would actually fall in love with him even if he has the spell to do so, right?
…Right?”
Scarlet Mage looked at Riley one last time before shaking her head. She might be working for him now, but it wasn’t her responsibility to hold her hand every single time. If Riley was destined to be alone, then so be it.
She knew she was starting to sound contradictory, but she truly can’t do anything at this point.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Riley Ross, please go to your group.”
But alas, after only a minute, Scarlet Mage pointed towards a group of students that were on the most left corner of the classroom. Riley is evil, who knows what he might do if he felt like he was being isolated?
Yes. Surely, that was the only reason why Scarlet Mage helped him.
…Right?
As Scarlet Mage was busy with her thoughts, Riley slowly made his way towards his designated group– students that also had telekinetic abilities. And as soon as he joined them, the telekinetic students, who were previously chatting with each other, all quieted down.
Riley, however, did not seem to mind as he just took his seat along with the others.
“…”
“…”
“Talk to him.”
“No, you talk to him.”
“I don’t even know what we’re going to do yet.”
Whispers travelled through Riley’s ears as most of the group looked at each other, gesturing to who should approach Riley. But finally, after a few more seconds of this somewhat awkward situation, one of the female students in the group approached him.
“Your name is Riley, right? I’m Bella,” The girl lightly flicked her shoulder-length brown hair before letting out a long and deep sigh, “We were just discussing each other’s powers, so I feel like it’s fair you should join us instead of brooding in the side.”
“What are you doing!?”
One of the other girls in the group tried to pull Bella away, but she just nonchalantly waved her hand, saying it was alright.
“Are you guys retards?” She then said, “Why are you isolating people like it’s the god-damn 80s?”
“Didn’t you see what he did during the mock battle yesterday?”
“I did, and so?” Bella lightly nudged her nose as she let out a small scoff, “It’s called a mock battle for a reason, did you think they’re just going to shake hands?”
“That’s…”
“No need to be too harsh, my sweet Bell,” a slightly feminine male student, who looked awfully similar to Bella, suddenly danced his way towards Riley, waving his hand all over the place before sitting at the desk in front of him, “They just do not appreciate beauty when they see one.”
“You’re the creepiest one here, Ben.”
“Ah, such hurtful words. Why don’t you soothe my heart, Riley?”
“The two of you are twins?” Riley did not seem to mind Ben’s somewhat coquettish behavior as he took a slight glance at the two.
“How I wish we weren’t,” Bella rolled her eyes as she slowly returned to where she was previously sitting, spinning her chair and sitting on it backwards with her legs wide open, “But yes, sadly so.”
“How curious…” Riley muttered, “…the two of you seemed to have swapped sexual preferences?”
“See? I like you already, you’re very perceptive and blunt,” Bella let out a chuckle as the group of girls that she was previously chatting with all moved away from her, “Unlike these fake young’uns.”
“…Why are you talking like an old man, quit being so disgraceful,” Ben shook his head as he leaned closer towards Riley, “What do you say we leave all of these normies and go through a perilous journey on our own?”
“I am afraid you can’t really go out of the Academy,” Riley shook his head, “It’s against the rules.”
“Pft,” Bella suddenly burst out in laughter as soon as she heard Riley’s words, although there wasn’t anything remotely funny with what he said. Seeing this, the other members of the group could not help but look at each other.
It would seem they have their hands full. They thought that the only weird member of their group would be Riley, but it turns out they have the whole package with the twins.
“So, I suppose we should start introducing ourselves again now that we’re complete?” Bella then once again stood up as she looked at Riley, “I’ll start– my name is Bella Jackson, I have the power to move all sorts of metal with my mind, so I guess that counts as telekinesis and that’s why I am in this group.”
“And I am Benjamin Jackson, but all of you may call me Benjaya.”
“No one is going to call you that.”
“Shut up, it’s my turn!” Ben hissed at his sister before once again quickly composing himself, “And like my sister, I could also control metal; but with more grace and control, like the fleeting wind in a warm summer.”
Ben then elegantly waved his hand, causing almost a hundred tiny steel balls to fly out from his pockets; and with every flicked of Ben’s fingers, the metal balls arranged themselves into all sorts of shapes– a bird, a tree, and even the face of a human.
“Our father also has the same power, so–“
“Shut your mouth, you idiot!” Before Ben could finish his words, a metal plate suddenly covered his entire head, “We’re not supposed to reveal anything about our family’s background!”
Ben seemed to be saying something, but only muffles and noise whispered through the air as Bella seemed to have no plan in taking the metal plate off. There was a slight ringing as Ben tried to control it, but it would seem his sister’s raw power was greater than his as the only thing he could do was budge it a centimeter.
“This is probably the best time for the others to introduce themselves,” Bella then said as she looked at Riley, “Go ahead, Riley.”
“Okay,” Riley quickly nodded his head as he stood up from his seat, “My name is Riley Ross, I am currently 16 years old. I can move things with my mind, also known as telekinesis. I was born in Ohio, my biological mother was–“
“That’s too much information!” Bella quickly waved her hands as she gestured to Riley to stop talking. Afterward, the rest of the group introduced themselves, but aside from the twins, the rest aren’t really anything special. One had the ability to control water, and it would seem he was placed in the group since he could not conjure it, unlike Hannah who had the ability to summon fire.
And finally, after a full hour, Scarlet Mage, who had been keeping quiet on the stage, called for everyone’s attention.
“Alright, now that all of you are acquainted with each other, it’s time to have a little contest,” Scarlet Mage said as she walked towards the door, “Please follow me outside.”
“What? Again?”
“Aren’t we supposed to be learning? Why are we having curricular activities again?”
And as soon as the others saw Scarlet Mage leaving the room again, they all could not help but let out their complaints. They already had a mock battle yesterday, and considering they were going outside again, they will surely be having a sort of physical activity.
“Seriously, what did you guys expect?” Bella, on the other hand, could only roll her eyes as she was the first one to move in her group, “This is a school to train us to become superheroes, did you really think we’re just going to sit down, learn history and stuff?”
“Actually, they’re also going to teach us normal school stuff,” Ben, whose head was finally free, quickly rebuked his sister, “Specially tactics and how to deal with supervillains and stuff like–“
“That’s not normal school stuff,” Bella once again rolled her eyes as she pulled her brother away, “Let’s go, let’s go!”
“No, save me, Riley!”
“No,” Riley shook his head as he too started walking out of the classroom. But before he could walk out of the door, he quickly turned around as he felt a certain pressure starting at him; only to find Gary still gesturing obscenities with his hands as he mouthed Scarlet Mage’s name towards him.
And as soon as Silvie saw this, she quickly slapped his hands, before gesturing to Riley not to mind him.
“Interesting friends,” Bella, who also noticed this, could not help but comment.
“They’re not my friends,” Riley quickly replied as he shook his head.
“Really?” Bella’s eyebrows rose as she looked back and forth between Riley and the two, “You chat with each other, joke with each other, and spend time together– that makes you friends.”
“Is that what friendship is?” Riley muttered, “I have only known them for a day, I believe friendships are built with time.”
“Oh my dear Riley, that is where you are wrong,” Ben gracefully freed himself from his sister’s grip as he once again danced while following behind Scarlet Mage, “Friendships bloom even in the most unexpected places, even at the most unexpected times. Time is but a decoration.”
“…”
“What does that even mean?” Bella let out a long and deep sigh as she heard her brother’s words, “Don’t mind him, he wants to be a writer so his mind is a bit off.”
“I see,” Riley nodded, “And you, what do you want to be, Bella?”
“…Me?” Bella was slightly surprised with the sudden question, “I… don’t really know, a superhero, I guess? It’s really the only thing I could think of.”
“I see.”
“What about you?”
“An astronaut.”
“What are you, a child?”
“No, I’m 16 years old.”
“Nevermind.”
Bella did not really ask any further, as they just continued to quietly follow Scarlet Mage across the gigantic hallways of the Academy. Most of them thought that they were going to the training hall where they had their mock battles yesterday, but instead, they were taken outside and into a wide-open field.
Once again, the students could not help but think of how big the entire area of the Academy was.
There were also other students from the other classes, but unlike with the training hall, the other classes were too far away to even hear each other.
“Alright, gather up,” Scarlet Mage then clapped her hands as she asked her class to gather in front of her, “Our activity for today is simple. I want all of you to try and overpower the rest of the members of your group, while also trying to learn from each other’s abilities if you can.”
“Overpower? Another contest of who is stronger?”
“Ack, but Silvie is in our group!”
“This should be fun, setting up hierarchies!”
“Quiet down!” Scarlet Mage once again clapped her hands, “I want all of you to set up and find places for your group before I explain further and we could proceed with the activity. But first, I need someone to officiate and watch the skirmish with me. So…
…Mr. Riley, sit this one out.”
