6 Chapter 6

I felt relieved and happy that I was able to find the earrings but I wasn't thrilled about joining an academy. They all seemed so disciplined and focused

"If you want to be here, you'll have to blend in while you figure out your powers"

"My powers?" I recalled last night.

"Yes"

She replied and had a retinal scan, the door slid open. I walked into a lab and my jaw dropped at the bots hauling carts around, computer systems that looked too advanced to be even existing. I had walked right into a sci-fi movie.

"Welcome to my humble abode," She said and took spectacles from a drone and wore them.

"What's your codename?" I asked

"Obscura" She answered

I felt at the desk "Cool, did you lose anything or anyone when you started working here?"

"It's a little too personal", She said grimly tapping furiously on a computer.

"I see"

"Well?,did anything happen?"

My hand sunk into the desk, Sith came closer to have a look taking down notes

"Interesting"

My heart raced "My hand's in the desk"

She tapped on her tablet "Your hand is molecularly scattered, you can phase through objects easily"

"I'm a ghost?"

"Sort of, relax"

I took deep breaths and pulled out my hand, then experimented with my whole body, I could feel a shift in my physical state and I walked through a bot, this time at will. I repeated the phasing and laughed.

"I've got superpowers!" I jumped up and down.

"Darcy...you cannot share this with anyone, not even Quinn"

"He knows"

"He only knows you were exposed, when he asks, I gave you a cure, got it?" Her brown eyes rounded, I nodded, although I was very excited, I didn't think I would be able to keep it within me even for a minute.

"Let's run some more tests"

I dropped my bag pack in the locker, I was given a purple suit, I hated purple, it had fingerless gloves attached and combat boots, I felt strangely empowered in them and not just because I phased through walls in them secretly to get to sector 23 fast.

The other girls stretched and were in black, red, blue, green uniforms. Purple was about the lowest, green E-Squad, blue D-squad, orange C-squad, red B-squad, black was second to none, about the highest and the most arduous rank to achieve.

I glanced at a tall girl in black readjusting her neck. There was a tattoo on her neck, she had a french plait making her look more intimidating.

"Düster step outside please" A girl in red uniform wearing glasses holding a box said. Düster walked out, they gave way for her.

"On behalf of B-squad and every other team, we're offering you a parting gift and hope you get far on your journey as a new league member. Congratulations"

They clapped briefly, she took the box and ripped it open to discover batons, she masterfully spun them and held them close.

"Congrats once more, you're going to have at least one last duel as our going away tradition states and will have the honor to choose whoever you wish to fight"

Perhaps I came in too early for class, I thought as she dropped the batons and her eyes swept over the crowd, everyone was silent. She pointed at a male student who was at the back bantering with other male students, he was a red-ranking student. The boys cheered and gave him some encouragement pushing him to the ring.

"I'm not gonna fight a girl"

"You speak like a coward" She had a strong German accent

"Ok then, I'll go easy on you" He put out his fists and then they circled the ring. I sat up

He attacked first, she dodged his punch, circling, her sleek eyes on him, he attacked again and she went down low and swept him off his feet with her leg. He grunted and recovered

"Ok then"

They fought hand to hand, she punched him on the throat and threw him down, knocking the air out of his lungs, stepping on him. The girls cheered.

"She's amazing"

"She's the second ever to graduate from the black squad" A girl with curly hair with freckles from the green squad whispered. Düster grabbed her batons and raised them while they cheered.

"Who was the first?"

"Agent 3670, Quinn" she swooned at the sound of his name. Quinn was the first.

"Really?"

"Yes, they say he's a prodigy, I hear he dropped out of school to join the League, so brave" she sighed

"I'm Emma Meyers, you can call me Covert"

"Darcy Griffith... Penumbra" I said even if it killed me too, we shook hands.

"Penumbra, cool"

"We should stick to our real names"

Düster parted with the other black squad members and left the class.

Phantasma walked into the class in her red uniform and dropped her bag, she spotted me and walked to where we sat.

"Covert...Penumbra" she smiled

"Hey," Emma said casually, I stayed silent

"I just wanna apologize for all the things I said yesterday, I feel so ashamed for blaming you days ago"

She said to me, my fingers dug into my boots, she held out her hand

"Cool?"

"Cool," We shook on it.

"By the way, my name's Kristen Seychelles"

"Darcy Griffith" I replied

She sat by us "Shadow Knight will be here at any moment and we'll commence training"

I'm here, sir" I came out of line for him to see me, he gave me a smug look

"Just in time, Düster has been sent forth so there's room for you, try to keep up"

I swallowed when I heard the other students snicker.

I watched as the first badge of trainees braced themselves at the starting point. The buzzer went off then they ran to the wall and climbed over it with thick knotted ropes to the top. The others cheered clapping.

"Let's go, let's go, you can do this!. Go get 'em, tiger!"

The 2nd batch had just returned, covered in mud, Wade checked his stopwatch

"Occulto, 1 minute and 15 seconds, new record" A male student from the red squad grinned bowing when the crowd cheered. On the third batch, Kristen and Emma were on that badge together.

"1 minute and 2 seconds, well-done Phantasma"

They cheered

"Last and as well the least, Penumbra"

He called, I stood up slowly, he smirked

"Looks like you're going solo" laughter erupted.

I exhaled and walked up to the giant wall, I tried to climb up the wall, my hands burned from climbing up over and over.

"Hold on Darcy, you can do it" Emma cheered, so did Kristen who clapped.

My hand slipped

"Whoa!"

I fell on my back on the grass, Wade made a tut-tutting sound and stopped the watch

"13minutes and 49 seconds" he announced. I limped to sit back down while he picked out the students with the highest records

"We have a clear winner, Phantasma" They clapped, she smiled and walked over to him. A window appeared in front of him, words rolled down the screen.

"Phantasma, it is my honor to award you with 3 points for coordination and 2 points for endurance."

They cheered boisterously

"And, you'll be awarded one week in the academy's master accommodation...with two guests. With no influence from close friends or associates whatsoever. You will be given a maximum of 2 hours to make a decision. Congratulations once again Phantasma"

I lowered my head, the others raised their hands calling on her to pick them. Emma touched my shoulder

"Don't be hard on yourself, it's your first day" She said, I exhaled, I knew a lot was coming for me and I had to stay strong

I held the academy's rule book and flipped through, comfortable in my bed. Kristen had picked me and Emma in the end.

Section 129.1

Trainees must not be involved in any relationship with the opposite sex or else offenders will be suspended from the academy and moved to another branch to resume training.

I flinched when Kristen appeared "Hey, you're reading, in the dark?" She scoffed. I shook my head, thank goodness.

"I was just...going over some of the rules, in my head"

"Forget the rules, you have to get better at the physical. I figured that's your weak spot... Let's make a deal"

"A deal?" I dropped my book and sat up

"Yes, I'll help you with the physical exams and get Shadow Knight to stop picking on you"

I cupped my feet "He's not picking on me"

She laughed "He's upset that you're in his class"

"You don't know that, maybe he's just a hothead and I'm in his way" I shrugged. Kristen laughed

"Okay but I mean it, you have to bring in your A-game. This isn't going to be a walk in the park"

I hugged my knees, a little bit down after that. "So what would you have me do?"

My eyes rounded when she whispered into my ear. "Really?"

"Yes, I mean it, help me"

I felt like I just struck gold. We shook hands on it.