07: Citadel Exams: Stage 1

The day after the wedding, Evermore woke at the ring of her doorbell. "Package for Machi Harkness." The security system said as she rolled out of bed and headed downstairs. Wearing comfy pyjamas, she opened the door to a Citadel delivery agent and she handed Evermore the package and left. Looking at the symbol, the three circles representing the 3 powerful bodies in Academy City, interlinked, she sighed and placed it on the table.

Three most powerful bodies in Academy City. The Citadel. Evermore Harkness. The People. Security, leader and society. Hearing footsteps, she watched as Machi walked down in his pyjamas and dropped on the couch, groaning from the raging headache of being at a party until 1am. "What came?" He groaned and sat up. Zac was still in his deep sleep and so it was just the mother and son duo in their pyjamas.

"Your entrance exam package."

That woke him immediately. "I never explained this to you because I didn't think Kla-- Commander Sunridge would actually accept a level 2.0 into the entrance exam."

"Oh that old man?" Machi asked. Evermore nodded and Machi had seen him come over a few times in the past. Most when he was a kid. "You have an outfit, and a band. It records your combat power, your health points and your overall power. The outfit is embedded with nanobots that can teleport you to a medic bay when your health points get too low. Like your games, when your HP gets too low you die." She explaining and Machi just stared at her. "What?"

"This really seems like a game."

"And it is," Evermore stressed, "to Klaus everything is a game to him. A game to see how you do under these conditions. I'll be there too, Zac has to deal with the whole limiter situation. This entrance exam goes on for 3 days and all eyes will be on this. Especially when they realise you are here. Not just because you are my son, but because never in history has a level 2.0 entered the entrance exam."

"The pressure." He mumbled.

Evermore opened the package and took out the box with his suit in it. "It looks small but it moulds directly to your body. A snug fit--"

"Does it have pockets?" Machi asked like it was the most important thing in the entire world.

"Yes, it has pockets. Ok now stand up."

He did as his mother said and the nanobots looked like tiny cones with rounded heads. They were black and white and at the press of a button, they all flew to the target person and began moulding the outfit to his shape. "Uh... this feels weird." He chuckled as Evermore sighed and smiled. "Do I have to do this every time?"

"No, once they mould you can take them off like normal clothes. If you destroy this, then you have to get a new suit and mould it again."

"Oh..."

Looking at his reflection in the living room mirror, he checked out his outfit and saw the pink lining on his suit. "Yeah... it shows your level."

"Oh come on!" He yelled and Evermore chuckled. The suit was a tight top and loose trousers with pockets. The top stuck to his skin like it was a second skin, going along his arms with white, black and pink lines. Baggy, cargo pants with multiple pockets on each leg, and as Machi's eyes travelled down, he saw black chunky boots.

Evermore bought out the watch and placed it on his non-dominant hand. "This shows your CP and HP. HP is relative. It shows how much damage it would take for a level 3's basic attack power to incapacitate you. The nanobots are analysing your body--"

"Is this the right time to say I am starting to hate this technology?" Evermore chuckled softly at the remark and nodded. "It's weird. But this is also expensive. Anyways, the nanobots are just about done analysing your body and uploading your stats to the Rebus."

"The supercomputer containing all of the information in Academy City. I know."

Seeing the band beep, she looked at his stats and they looked average. "HP at 1500, CP at 200, overall you are a level 2.0."

"Why's my HP so high?" Machi asked, "for a level 2 that is high."

"Well, mine is really high, in the 10s of thousands, so I guess... genes?"

"Genes huh?" Machi asked and looked to his band.

"Anyways, you also have to keep an eye our for people who want to beat you, and those who want to surpass you."

As Evermore continued her speech, Machi just wondered now how the day would go. Or days since the entrance exam is over a few days. "You have to register tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll come with."

"Y-Yeah..."

-

Rocco arrived at the Citadel and saw the hundreds of teens his age registering. Some held different emblems than Academy City's three circles. "That's Ashmire citizens. Lady Harkness has really good relations with them. They are represented by the tree of life." His mother said. "Then the ones with the sword is Seraph Haven. Their leader is a little fickle but listens to Lady Harkness."

The respective leaders made their arrivals to Academy City as well and wondered where Lady Harkness was. Looking down at the contestants, they noticed some wore blue stripes, others wore green and barely any wore red. "Only 3 level 4's? That's 3 more than expected." Lord Hogwood of Ashmire said.

"Many are level 2.5 and above."

Seeing everyone turn around, a pink striped youngling walked in alongside a powerful figure and Lord Hellyer wondered who the child was beside Lady Harkness. "That is Machi Kilgore Harkness. The child of Evermore and Rylan Harkness."

"He's but a level 2.0," Hogwood bellowed, "he won't survive this!"

"Lord Hogwood, he is Evermore--"

Hellyer slammed his hand down and looked to Klaus. "Commander Sunridge, genes factor into power abilities by only 10%, as determined by the Citadel itself. Now, tell me if you think that we should subject a child to your hypothesis of power inheritance?"

Klaus gulped and the door opened and revealed Lady Harkness. "Now, as much as I love the concern placed on my son, remember please dear lords, that I have the ability to shield anyone here from any harm. I may be limited on power right now, but I am still strong. I have talked to my son about this and he says he would try and complete the exam as much as possible. I have my team and personal agents on standby if anything shall happen. So, while the registrations begin, let's talk about why I truly asked you down here. And it is not because of these exams."

-

"Machi!" Rocco ran to him and looked at his fit. "Looking good pink boy."

"Oh shut it. Lucky you got purple. It looks decent." Machi whined and looked at everyone else. All eyes were on him and he did not like that. "Listen, there are people targeting you from the get go. Wanting to prove that they're better than the most powerful woman's own son."

"Nice going so, how shall I break the news that I am the weakest one here?" He asked. Rocco sighed and laughed.

"Machi Kilgore Harkness to booth 17." Rocco waved as Machi walked over to booth 17 and opened the tent to see--

"Hey buddy."

"Hi Jo... what's with the... you being here?" She smiled and sat him down as they scanned him.

"Eve wanted us to be placed around the site and I help run the entrance exams so I am keeping an eye on you here. Also cause of what happened... she wants eyes on you in case of that."

Machi registered and signed his name off before a bot took him out and into the entrance hall.

-

"WHAT?" Everyone looked at Klaus. "What do you mean when you say the exams begin today? Are you crazy? Ashmire and Seraph Haven citizens just arrived Klaus!" Evermore yelled.

"In battle you never rest."

As she said to Machi, everything is a game to Klaus Sunridge.

As everyone entered, the doors were bolted shut and Klaus looked at the hall. As it began terraforming to the desired landscape, a bot began reading out the rules.

-

"Hello. Welcome to the Entrance Exams for all nations. This exam determines whether you are capable of becoming an agent. As like every year now, the Citadel hosts these exams and help allow leaders determine whether you are suited to go on missions."

Everyone was confused since they were told the exams do not begin today. "Stage 1 is... an elimination round. Eliminate 3 contestants by removing their tags and you will be teleported to the resting bay."

As everyone either hid or attacked others, Machi looked at the rules on the screen again. "What's wrong?" Rocco asked. "Something irking you?"

"Yeah... it doesn't say that taking the three tags means you proceed." Rocco furrowed his brows and wondered what Machi was onto. "That is implied."

"It is isn't it?" He chuckled as he turned around and saw a massive group behind him. "So... run?" Rocco furiously nodded as where they stood was blown up and he grabbed his best friend and teleported to a hidden spot.

"Who is that with your son?" Hogwood asked. Watching his teleporting skills, he was stunned by his accuracy and looked to Lady Harkness. "Rocco. He is a friend of Machi." Klaus watched the cameras showed his location and the massive crowd of energy heading towards them.

"Not only did they not confirm what happens when this is over, they never said anything about those who have lost their tags already." Machi mumbled. "And not only have I not manifested, I am here in a hall with angry power wielders after me."

"You really can't be talking to yourself when we are about to be ambushed." Rocco yelled but Machi smiled and nodded.

Rocco groaned and they teleported to another location where Rocco spotted two tags on the floor. "Take them and mine and get out of here." He placed his and the other two tags in his palm and watched as he was teleported out of the arena.

"He's lost his chance of winning," Hogwood said, "what is he going to do now?" Evermore looked at the screens and then the arena and sighed.

Machi noticed something off from the start. That's why he sent Rocco away.

"The comms aren't working." Jo looked at the screens and saw Rocco arrive and was shocked.

"Something is wrong."

-

As the crowd began to thin, more and more people were after Machi. He managed to hold onto his tag for the 20 minutes the round has been going on for. And with another 10 left, he knew he had to get someplace high to fend off from there. Seeing as the site created mimicked a construction terrain, he found a crane and began climbing when he realised everyone began attacking the base.

"Leave."

Looking around, he looked ahead of him and saw a girl standing before him. Another explosion at the base rocked the crane and the girl went wide eyed as she slipped off from the side. Machi moved, as though it was instinct, and grabbed her arm and pulled her close so she didn't fall.

Evermore felt her heart stop multiple times and sighed in relief. To which she jumped when she saw Rocco appear before her. "I swear this power is pointless without Machi's exact co-ordinates. Took a few tries."

Guards seized him but Hellyer told them to not. "Rocco, this is restricted--"

"Jo said to come here. The comms are not working, hence the urgent teleportation." Looking at one another, Klaus tried the doors but they were locked shut. "Can you get us out of here?" Hogwood asked.

"Can't. That was the last teleportation for a while. I don't possess a lot of power for such an advanced power I possess."

It was as though something was frying their communications and technology.

-

"Let go."

"The crane is unstable. Geez." Machi let her go and she looked to him and noticed his colour.

"You're Machi Harkness."

"I didn't think I was famous."

Ducking, she blasted sound wave at him and he looked at her. All cameras pointed to the crane situation and Machi looked at the girl. "I just saved your life."

"I don't need you to save me." She spat. Looking to her colour, she was a blue striped contestant. Level 4. "I'm stronger than you."

"Yeah then why'd you almost drop of the crane?" He bit back, looking to her hands covered in gloves. Looking at her, she stumbled at the next explosion and looked down at the crowd of people fighting one another and climbing up.

Blasting the supports of the crane, Machi blinked a few times before it registered that he was falling to what his body registered as his death. He'd surely be impaled by a spear before he could even land on the ground. Everyone watched as the level 2 fell, underneath and above flew pieces of sharp metal which would destroy the nanobots around the area it would eventually pierce, and explosion and grenades placed by some competitors.

Evermore went wide eyed and she froze, unable to do anything but then she saw it. Fire. Machi was consumed the dropped.

Shock ran through him. Was he just saved? The fire didn't burn him, and it felt really powerful. Jo knew. She knew that power from anywhere. A flame encircled the now safe Harkness as he wondered what was happening.

A reunion wanting to happen in years. She froze when the cameras pointed to the arena and stood a man, bandaged and stoic.

"Can I ask why you are so hell bent in catching a kid to the point you'd almost cause his death?"

All of the participants looked and saw Machi being held by his collar and the man radiating an aura so crushing. Which was causing the technology to fluctuate as they hadn't been calibrated for such a powerful aura. Evermore sighed in relief and Jo had managed to find a way out of the building and to the arena. Evermore had Rocco teleport them to the arena and Machi was dropped on the floor.

"Who is the bandaged old man?" Machi asked. Jo blinked a few times and analysed his wounds and bandages. "The name is Dawson Black kid." Dawson rolled his eyes and before Machi said anything, his mother slapped his mouth shut and pulled him away.

"What is with your arrival Dawson? Not even Zac knows--"

He opened his cloak and his entire body was bandaged and there were black marks all along his skin. "This was caused by that annoying green haired leprechaun Freed."

Machi was left to his own devices when he looked to the sky. 'What the hell is my life becoming?'

***

With the names released of those going into round 2, Machi slept knowing he'd be returning back to hell. And Dawson's arrival and revelations, they pushed it back by two days. When the original round 2 was supposed to occur before Sunridge pulled that stunt of his.