SCRAPPED.metal

1. How it started: 

MECH TEACHER 1: "Oh, just an FYI, we do have mandatory research projects, which I know, know, sucks!"

NPC 1: "I love doing research."

STEVEN: "I don't," he muttered, then out loud, "Can any exceptions be made?"

MECH TEACHER 1: "No."

STEVEN: <Dieze, please make a shareable copy of the ARTICLE>

Dieze: [Processing…] [ACTION COMPLETE!]

STEVEN: "Hey, so I was involved in research with this community a while ago. I have a letter of recommendation, want to see it?"

MAYO: "You worked here?"

ZERO: (unimportant words) 

STEVEN: "Yes," (whispered).

MECH TEACHER 1: "THAT IS SO COOL? Who did you mentor under? MECH TEACHER 2? MECH TEACHER 3? Can I see it?"

[STEVEN shares it] 

STEVEN: (Casually) "By the way, these research materials are… pretty interesting. I think the students here… no, the whole school would benefit from seeing them, don't you agree?" 

MECH TEACHER 1: (Laughing) "Haha, this young man sure is promising! The enthusiasm of youth, always re-fresh-ing. Come, let's talk more about this research. You're certainly an exception!" (He claps Steven on the shoulder, guiding him away from the others.)

(The other students, Mayo and Zero included, go back to examining the lab, their curiosity piqued by the machinery around them. But Steven's attention is on the teacher, and a subtle edge creeps into his voice.)

STEVEN: "Exceptional. Thanks, you're too kind. And speaking of exceptions, about those research projects..."

MECH TEACHER 1: (His voice loses its cheerfulness) "Yes, about that. You have something specific in mind?"

STEVEN: "Just a small favor. I think my previous work would be enough, right? I worked so hard on those."

MECH TEACHER 1: (Eyeing the shared article, now slightly uneasy) "Let me think about it."

STEVEN: "I'm thinking about it, too. By the way what's this?" 

(The boy smirks, holding up his device, showing a video of MECH TEACHER 1 engaged in a dance-off in a public square, wearing a colorful cat maid outfit. The video shows a certain MECH TEACHER climbing on a table, and 'oh my…')

MECH TEACHER 1: (His face turns beet red as his jaw drops, eyes widening in horror) "Where... where did you find that?"

STEVEN: "Dunno."

MECH TEACHER 1: (Stuttering, clearly thrown off balance) "That was a charity event! It was for a good cause. I... I can't believe you would use this against me."

STEVEN: (Eyes glinting, with a smile spreading across his face.) "I'm not using it against you. We're working together aren't we…"

MECH TEACHER 1: (Defeated, he grits his teeth heavily) "YES. You're exempt from research. Please… don't share that video…"

STEVEN: (Innocently) "I don't even have a video. What video?"

- - -

The students returned their attention to the laboratory, their eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. MECH TEACHER 1 seemed oddly distracted, his face slightly flushed, and his cheerful demeanor replaced by a subdued tone.

Two students, clearly unimpressed by the mechanical marvels around them, sauntered through the lab with disdainful looks. "Is this all the Mech Division has to offer?" one of them sneered, kicking at a loose bolt on the floor. "Boring."

The two students approached one of the mechs, poking and prodding, leaving dents with each touch. "Looks like scrapped metal." 

"STOP! Don't touch that!" RESEARCH STUDENT 1 shouted, her arms laden with books.

One of them laughed and ripped the arm and head off the mech. She held it up, mocking, "They think this is impressive? We're wasting our time here. Oh little geeky nerds, they try so hard. Come on, let's go to the Martial Division's tryouts."

The two walked off, laughing. 

MECH TEACHER 1 seemed to hear the two trouble makers but said nothing, his gaze fixed on a distant spot in the ground. 

RESEARCH STUDENT 1, almost in tears, scrambled to pick up the pieces off the ground. "Y-you, y-you…" 

"Are you alright?" A couple of students rush over to help—

"So, what are we doing?" Another student asked, disinterested. 

The teacher cleared his throat, rallying himself, "Alright, kids, gather around! It's time for the building task. For today's audition, you will be constructing an Ion Etcore Battery (IEB). This structure combines electrical technology with Qi flow. You will be using Syntrophism Cores to harmonize the different energies within a mechanical frame. IEB's are a cornerstone of our research, as they meld traditional cultivation cores with modern mechanics."

"There's auditions, too?" Steven whispered, while Mayo shrugged.

The teacher projected a holographic list of specifications, and the room fell silent as the students focused on the details:

"Objective: The objective of this assignment is to design an Integrated Energy Battery (IEB) tailored to the needs of an individual possessing the 'Frostflame Emberheart Constitution (FFEH Constitution)'. Think: Malakas Ardentino*. The IEB should meet specific requirements while considering energy efficiency and economic optimization."

- - -

The teacher began reading the "requirements", which was honestly a snooze-fest. By the third or fourth line, he could barely recall much. Something about energy efficiency and low weight? Function across a broad temperature range. And modular parts for easy replacement? Bo-Ring! 

Steven noticed a small paragraph at the bottom of the page:

*Malakas Ardentino: A distinguished general hailing from the heart of the Philippines, Ardentino carved his legacy amidst the tumultuous backdrop of the most recent war. With a resolute spirit reminiscent of his ancestors' warrior heritage and a FFEH const, he emerged as a formidable leader, playing a pivotal role in delaying the rise of the Ser-" Okay, too many lines. His brain had already melted from earlier. 

"Maybe we should go?" Mayo questioned as she scanned the requirements. She draped her hand over Zero's shoulder, "I mean, I kinda want to check out the other divisions as well and I can't build stuff." 

"Yeah sure!" Steven called out, watching as his friends left the facility. He looked around the room, a mix of one or two faces from his class and other students he didn't recognize.

"Hey," Steven said, extending a hand to the nearest boy, who was carefully examining a core component. "I'm Steven." 

The boy looked up, his eyes sharp and assessing, before accepting the handshake. His grip was firm, confident. "I'm Thanh. So you worked on a couple of research projects here, right?" He leaned closer, his voice tinged with curiosity. "I mean, that's something, isn't it? You must know how things work. A lot of these students, they're just rich kids with no technical experience. God, I can't stand them." His voice dripped with disdain.

They started toward a table filled with various cores, Thanh leading the way, his eyes sharp and discerning. "Look at this one, it's far too heavy. And that one over there, completely inefficient for our purposes. You can see that, right?" 

Steven nodded. (Yep.)

"I'm glad I found someone who's actually competent," Thanh continued, picking up a core and examining it closely. "Most of these other students don't have a clue what they're doing. Just riding on their family's wealth and prestige. But real skill? That's something different, isn't it?"

Steven agreed, "Yeah, I guess so." (Right, he had no clue what was going on.)

"A-ha, now this one! This core will work well," Thanh's eyes started to glow. "Okay, let me choose this one. No, seriously, you should choose something different. Cause I gotta see what you come up with. Impress me." 

'What.' Steven blinked, momentarily taken aback by Thanh's unexpected challenge. He thought to himself before saying out loud: "Y-yeah, sure. I already have something in mind."

A sudden popup: [Dieze: "Opt for that one." X]

"This one?" Steven held it up, it was a dull looking stone. Nothing too special. 

[Dieze: "I will provide you with guidance in constructing the IEB. Just listen to my instructions. The process is similar to assembling a phone or computer, which you've done countless times before." X]

"Why are you being so helpful today?" Steven asked, suspicious. 

[Dieze: "I'm not interested in you failing." X]

"I find that hard to believe," Steven muttered. Another popup:

["I'll let that slide… just for today." X]

Steven gathered his selected core and a bunch of materials Dieze instructed him to choose. He made his way to the side table where Thanh was working, fascinated by how the items Thanh touched seemed to come alive, melding together as if with sentience.

"Seriously, do you even know what you're doing?" Thanh raised his eyebrows, sparing a quick glance at the core Steven chose. 

No, not really, Steven wanted to say. Instead, he just said: "Just trust me."

Time ticked on… 

"You're kinda a slow builder." Thanh sniffed. "Did you have connections or something… Cause I wouldn't have recommended you. Or are you taking it slow?" 

"No connections." Steven shrugged, "Just taking it slow, I guess."

Time ticked on again… 

"Done." Thanh triumphantly held up his work: an IEB that looked way too complex for a freshman to design. Steven could tell that Thanh was a rare genius. In fact, he was the first to finish, and his design was nothing short of impressive.

Thanh turned back to Steven, his expression shifting from pride to something akin to disappointment. "You… it looks like an amateur made- never mind." He cut himself off.

With a confident stride, Thanh approached MECH TEACHER 1, presenting his creation.

MECH TEACHER 1 carefully examined the device, his eyes narrowing as he weighed the design's merits and flaws. "It's lightweight, decently compatible, but not very modular," he finally said. "Parts are difficult to replace. Also, it performs really well at high temperatures but might struggle at extreme lower ones. I suggest you look over that girl's design. 82 points." He pointed to a girl, who Steven recognized from his class.

Instead of a red bandana, Tasnim was sporting a green one today, and her hair was arranged in wild coils, dancing like they were at a rock concert. Flashes of electricity coursed through her entire body. It was Tasnim, from their engineering class, and Steven remembered her cause she built a car.

And no, not the LEGO kind, though that would've been just as cool.

Thanh's face twisted into a scowl. But his curiosity was piqued, and he made his way over to Tasnim, who was absorbed in her work:

"Interesting design," he finally admitted, his voice betraying a grudging respect. "You seem to know what you're doing."

Tasnim looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Both my parents are engineers. I've been around this stuff all my life."

"Oh," Thanh's expression softened, and he began to engage Tasnim in a more earnest discussion.

Time ticked on, once more… 

With more drama than a soap opera finale, two other students finished their designs, and the scores came rolling in like mediocre reviews for a fast-food joint. (If you had forgotten, Thanh had proudly sported an 82, not bad for a genius with a stinking attitude.)

Then, in a neck-and-neck finish, Tasnim and another boy crossed the line, both flashing smiles that said, "I aced this." 

Tasnim earned herself 88 points and compliments from MECH TEACHER 1, who praised her design like a food critic finding a Michelin star dish at a roadside diner. Her creation was solid, sleek, and harmonious. 

But MECH TEACHER 1 nearly dropped his clipboard when he saw the other boy. This kid was from the 'HUNDRED', a club of families so exclusive, they could give VIP lounges a run for their money.

What was he doing here? 

And look at that design! The kid casually turned in a design that left jaws hanging like: "Dang, I should have stayed at home."

The boy's name was Alejandro Tierrafeller, and he looked like he'd just strolled out of a fashion magazine's 'best dressed' list. Curly jewel-toned hair, brown skin that looked like it was kissed by the sun itself, and clothes so neat and crisp, they'd make a military sergeant weep with joy.

Alejandro's score? A whopping 92 points.

The highest score by far, and more than enough to make Thanh's eyebrows do their roller-coaster impression again. Thanh's face was a mix of awe, jealousy, and the kind of irritation you get when you realize you've just been outdone by a rich kid who probably had personal tutors in diapers. (Yikes.)

A couple more students trudged by, their scores trailing behind like forgotten luggage. None of them came anywhere close to Thanh's work, let alone Alejandro's.

'Wait…' Steven's eyes widened. It had just hit him. Alejandro was… the gears in Steven's head started turning, and he popped a simple request:

"Dieze… profile."