Rumors were going around in the courtyard of the fight in the cafeteria; Alex couldn't stay in place, and he couldn't help but hear Ery's name again.
"Hey, that Triple F rank kid beat another person. This time, he beat someone with a silver ribbon!"
"Yeah, I heard he was from one of the high-ranking families with the energy ability."
"You mean the Harris family? He isn't in trouble?"
Alex couldn't help but be frustrated; he knew Erie was strong, but beating someone with an ability? When did he get this strong? "Is he already going to pass me?" He couldn't help but feel like Erie was catching up with me. "He doesn't even have an ability yet."
"Hey, you!" a boy yelled across the table. It was Jin; he stood with his arms crossed as he stared Alex down. "You're from West orphanage village and were the early arrivals." He walked to Alex's table and stood in front of him. "Who is that freak? You know him, yeah?"
Alex looked Jin in the eyes, and he felt a hand placed on his shoulder; he was pulled back, and someone stood before him. A boy with jet-black curly hair and dark black eyes stepped before Alex.
He was tall and frail-looking. He had a golden ribbon, and his watch displayed rank C. "I'll appreciate it if you arrogant cities don't talk about my fellow orphans." Alex's heart dropped as the boy stepped in front of him. "Mathew?" He said silently. He knew Mathew from the village; he was one of the higher members of the town who owned a nicer home. His ability was unique.
He was known. As a fusion, he often did his best to form groups because he believed he could make it much further if he had groups of people behind him. Jin scoffed at Mathew, and he noticed the golden ribbon on his arm. "And who are you? Orphan?" Mathew smiled at Jin and pushed his hair back.
"I'm Mathew king, but you. You can call me Mr king."
Jin smiled again. "Okay, little mat, you can either go back to your empty home or stay out of my way; your orphans messed with my men, and we need to do something about it."
Alex stood behind Mathew, and when he looked back behind him, he noticed more students from his old village started to arrive in the area. Alex felt an all-out brawl was about to unfold.
"All of them are here, all the high-ranking teens from my village. They all have fusion abilities."
Mathew listened as Jin talked. He then waved his hand and walked away. "Come on, Alex, don't hang around these snakes."
As Mathew walked out, he mentioned again, "And if you lay a hand on Erie, I'm coming after you, Jin, and yes, this is a threat." The group left, and Alex was torn and looked around at the new friends he made. They turned their head and looked away from Alex.
Jin started Alex down, his face and eyes scrunching. Eventually, Alex turned and walked away, following Mathew and his group.
After the group left, Mathew walked to Alex and stood before him. He placed his hand on Alex's shoulder and began to talk. "I remember you and the orange hand. Kids got into a lot of trouble. Just know we have to stick together here. You shouldn't hang around them, especially if they threaten to harm your own."
He walked away, leaving Alex in his thoughts. He came to the school wanting to make new friends and connections, and now it seems like he has to choose between groups.
Thankfully, a fight didn't break out. He didn't know who he would pick to fight with. He wasn't treated well in his village, but he was treated well by the people in the school. And now, one of the higher-ranking kids from the town was telling him to stick to the side of the orphans.
"Well, this sucks. Looks like I need to train harder; I can't let Erie catch me, and I need to be able to protect myself from outside threats."
While Alex was going to the training grounds, he spotted Erie running through the courtyard towards the library. "He is moving extremely fast. Does he have a speed ability? Because he kept up with my motorbike on our way here.
A boy yelled his name from behind and quickly interrupted Alex's thoughts. "Alex!" Alex turned around, searching the area. "Or teacher Crystal?" she approached Alex and touched his shoulder.
"Are you going to the training grounds?" Crystal asked politely. You seem bothered. Is everything okay?"
Alex thought he was covering his feelings or thoughts well, but it seemed he was wearing his feelings on his shoulder. Alex didn't even realize that he was frowning on his face.
He had a bad habit of wearing his emotions, which were pretty easy to read. Forcing a smile, he answers his teacher. "Yes, ma'am, I'm okay. I was thinking about how I could get stronger."
Crystal touched her chin and moved her silver hair behind her ear. Looking at Alex, she thought a little, "Your ability is unique. You're a fusion as well, Alex."
Alex already knew he was a fusion but didn't understand how his ability worked. All he knew was he could speed up objects and create density around them, creating a deadly weapon. He didn't even know what to call his ability. He then noticed that he could feel tiny molecules around him during training. Still, he didn't know how to activate them. he later said he didn't have enough energy reserves. He practiced his aim at the training grounds.
"Yes, ma'am, I know I'm a fusion, but I can't seem to activate the other part of my ability!"
Crystal motioned for Alex to follow her. She walked to the courtyard and picked up two drinks: lemonade and tea. "Remember I told you not to fight the flow of your energy?"
Alex nodded. He was wondering where Crystal was going with this.
She pours the lemonade in a coup and begins to explain. "picture an ability user as this lemonade; the lemonade is the ability, and the cup is the person. When the user has the ability, the energy remains one color. Hence, we call energy reserves. Now you take this tea; this tea is another ability; it could be the same element or completely different. from the original ability; now we take these teas and pour them into the cup; the flavors are there but aren't mixed yet. The more dominant ability remains dominant.
She then poured the lemonade into a large bowl and the tea afterward. She continued, "You see the flavors mixed, but it's incomplete; you still have lemonade and tea."
She then began to stir the lemonade and tea together, and the color of the liquid changed. Now that the liquids have merged, you have a new drink. When the drink falls out, it'll also have a different flavor. You don't have to try or force the color; it just is."
She then walked Alex back to the training fields. Alex followed, deep in thought of what the teacher was trying to teach him; she stood in front of the target that Alex practices on; she took a beast pebble out of Alex's punch and she through the pebble, the pebbled sped up and hit the target but a significant line slash streeted across the target.
Alex finally realized what Crystal was trying to teach him.
"I understand now!" he mumbled to himself. "Before he could say another word, a scream echoed from the courtyard."