Chapter Six
(September 29th)
Monday; the first دن of school each week. For many people it is a difficult day. Granted it can start out well enough. Two and a half days of working on school projects and homework is very helpful for being prepared for when returning work, but then the new work comes in. The procrastination of two free days without school adds to laziness of the mind for most, and thusly one’s mind is not prepared for such a task as algebra, geometry, biology, ect.
Unfortunately the school itself had possibly مزید stress during the break. Due to the school’s حالیہ attack, and the frailty of its defenses, the school’s head directors had a meeting to determine its continuation. Because of this, all of the students were either sent back home, which involved a great deal of packing and unpacking, those who had no ہوم stayed at their dorms until other plans could be made, but no one that stayed was allowed to leave, and those who were gone were not allowed back for quite some time. In result a great deal of the schoolwork was not given, causing even مزید stress for when they did return. The meeting was to be brief to avoid any further damage.
The Members were…
Zonic the Zone Cop,
The Principal, Miss I.C.L.E., who was the Zone Cop dimension of Nicole-prime, though not a computer program… anymore),
Dar Ox, an overlander from Moebius, who had the original idea for Mobius Academy,
Diane Pri, another overlander, who was from the Prime Zone,
and Christopher Morgan, a mobian alternate of Nate Morgan.
They met in the main office, around a large میز, جدول to discuss the damage. All were quite stressed; some were angered, some were neutral, and some were simply saddened, with good reason.
Dar Ox, a man with dark brown straight hair, a slightly long face, and a fair figure, who wore a black suit, as did everyone else aside from Zonic, rose to call the meeting to order. “This meeting is now called to order. What is the problem?”
“Problems is مزید like it.” Diane corrected with an angered tone, though it was not directed at Dar. She was a short woman, with long brown hair, a fair figure also, and slightly large hands. “A common villain known in a Mobius Zone as ‘Roxan’ infiltrated the school, assaulted many students, did large damage to the school, a student named Rynk apparently summoned what was assumed to be an identity.”
“Are آپ sure?” Chris asked. Chris looked quite like the original Nate مورگن aside from having no hair and being taller سے طرف کی a foot یا so.
“I would not be saying so if I did not know, Chris.”
“The damages were repaired, were they not?” Dar asked. “Isn’t that what matters? No one was injured permanently, and the school is almost repaired completely.”
“That is not the point.” Diane کہا as she placed her hands firmly on the table. “The defenses in this school were meant to be able to not only neutralize all threats, but مزید importantly make it impossible for anyone to teleport here without clearance. I assumed there were no loop-holes.” Diane’s glance turned to Zonic who sighed largely and took the floor.
“It appears that this ‘Roxan’ used a special type of energy, possibly chaos energy, which sadly we have not been able to disable in the field. The school was built multi-dimensionaly to make sure no one could simply walk in, but someone has. I have to admit that we did not expect this type of attack so soon, though we did expect it to happen eventually. The fact is that the school’s outer defenses cannot be altered due to the instability it could face, and so we should work on making its defenders مزید potent against threats.”
“And how do we do that?” Diane questioned. “This Roxan, and the identity were دکھانا signs of extreme energy. The Roxan girl switched student’s bodies for Pete’s sake!”
“What would آپ suggest?” Chris questioned.
“Unless we can defend the school مزید potently, I fear we will have to close it.” Diane waited for the reactions of her comrades before continuing. They were silent so she continued. “Believe me when I say I find no gain in this. I would love to keep this school running, but the school سال has only started, and if the school’s dimensional generators were to be damaged it is most-likely that this school will either implode, یا be lost in dimensional-space forever.”
“… Zonic, is there any way we can increase the outer defenses?” کہا Dar.
“We could add another layer of field-generators.” Zonic replied. “It would double the field’s protection, but it would be quite costly. The fact that we allow children to come here without pay alone is hard to cope with.”
“I thought that the school was دیا its resources from special mining of various materials.” کہا Diane. “And that the school’s kinetic energy was able to generate free energy for different uses on other worlds.”
“It does, and is, but the equipment used to make the tools for all of this are not able to be made from simple stone and metal. The same applies for the food, supplies, and other items. Not to mention the calibrations that have to be done manually to simply program where to put bathroom waste after it used, let alone any other portals. The amount would usually round from one-million Mobiums, to seven-billion for a month’s time. Which is rather cheap if آپ think about it.”
“Well how much will it set us back if we were to place the new generators?”
“If we used the emergency money, it would be possible without limiting the school, but if it fails, it will leave us back where we are without money to aid us.”
“I cannot just let this school go.” Dar insisted. “This was meant to be a place for the supernaturals and naturals to coexist. Where they can have all the knowledge possible, and the best experiences. I suggest that we wait. If a threat arrives that is not able to be neutralized سے طرف کی natural means, we will place the fields.”
“And if those fail?” Inquired Diane.
“If they fail… we bring in a capital protector; someone who can handle himself and keep the students from harm. He would have to be fast and strong.”
“You’re not suggesting a certain hedgehog سے طرف کی any chance, are you?”
“No… well perhaps him, but until we learn enough about our options, we will wait.”
“I am willing to go with this plan, but if any of the students are killed, then we pull the plug.” Everyone turned to I.C.L.E. who was quite this entire time.
“What are your thoughts, ICLE?” Zonic inquired. “Why not tell us if the school is doing its job. Are the students learning?”
ICLE sighed. “The students are quite tiresome, but they are well here. They learn quite a bit, but some may possibly turn on us.”
“That is why they are here, I would think.” Noted Chris. “To become better, and to learn. Do آپ think they are doing that?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then. Let us have a vote.” Chris arose. “All for the school to continue with Dar Ox’s plan in motion say aye.”
The vote was unanimous; A no. The students left with hopes of becoming something great cru- I’m joking. It was a yes.
The اگلے last day, the students were called back. Sadly around twenty percent of them chose to not come back, which caused the other eighty to feel slight grief for whatever دوستوں they would no longer see, but it could not be helped. سے طرف کی Monday things were almost back to normal. Sadly the school was not able to rewrite its classes and assignments in time, so Monday became a third دن off, while come Tuesday the students would go back to the many teachings of wars, inventions, languages, ect.
“YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The extensive exclamation is used as much due to the fact that the student who کہا this had sound-based powers, and was screaming at the سب, سب سے اوپر of her lungs. She later had her mouth taped shut.
“AHK!” Rynk squealed as she clutched her ears tightly, bending them آگے to block out the scream. She was sitting اگلے to Grace in the Cafeteria, eating pancakes.
“Exactly.” Grace groaned. “You okay? آپ look مزید affected than most people.”
“Most people don’t have ears twice the size of a rabbit’s.” Rynk informed with her ears flopping over her face. “Ow…”
“Oh… right. Sorry. Well at least we’re back and all.”
“True that! I wouldn’t have anywhere to go otherwise!” Rynk gasped in slight terror. “I can’t believe they’d want to close the school!”
“Well there was kind of a psycho-killer destroying everything… which reminds me, could آپ maybe give me some مزید info about that Rin person?”
“I don’t know what else there is to give.” Rynk shrugged. “She’s got chaos powers, she morphs, her name’s Rin, she… likes being random? I only met her one other time, and it was pretty brief.”
“Huh… well I guess we could just summon her again یا something.”
“Uh… no… they found my suitcase. Apparently آپ can’t bring stuff like that in the school. I hid it while I was gone from the school.”
“You… didn’t stay?”
“No I did.”
Grace got quite confused at this point. “But no one’s allowed to come back… یا wasn’t.”
“Well I did… strangely enough.” Rynk was as confused as Grace, but continued to munch on her whipped-cream covered meal. With a mouth full of food she asked “So آپ gonna let Craiger talk to آپ any time soon? It’s not like he’s been a jerk یا anything.”
Grace sighed deeply. “I know… I just… don’t like guys that much.”
“Because of Dante?”
“Y-… yeah… because of Dante… how did آپ figure out about us, anyway?”
“I told you. I just guessed.” Rynk chuckled. “What, آپ think I hacked a police record یا something?”
“Maybe…”
Rynk could tell that Grace was serious. It offended her slightly that Grace would think that she would resort to something like that, but Rynk put on a strong face. “Grace, I didn’t mean to blab anything. I really did just guess. I’ve met a lot of people like that… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blurted it.”
“Hey,” Grace nudged Rynk, “don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. آپ were just being smart. Anyway, آپ got any plans for today?”
Rynk grinned. “Actually yeah. I saw a poster about this inventor-dude who’s gonna come سے طرف کی the school with some new contraption. I don’t know what it’s about but they’re setting up today, and starting tomorrow. آپ wanna sneak in a get a quick peak?”
It was tempting. Very tempting. Normally Grace would be fine with such a suggestion, but it seemed strange coming from Rynk, seeing how Rynk was the one all hyped up about the rules and regulations. “Isn’t there some rule against it?” She asked in concern and curiosity.
“Probably… but it’ll be fun.” Rynk urged.
Grace thought up why Rynk was swaying, and came up with a question. “Are آپ saying that because it’s something I would do?”
The سوال was a bit strange and could be found offensive, but Grace found no way around it. When Rynk heard it she was completely surprised. “Uh…” She lowered her head slightly. “… y-…. Y- yes…”
“Why?” Grace asked sternly.
“Because… I’ve been living all سٹریٹ, گلی and roughish to just get a place to sleep… when I came here, it felt so nice to actually do things right… but every time I tried to stand up for the rules people just got mad at me.”
“… Like the cigarette?” Grace cringed.
“What? Oh…” Rynk کہا nervously, “… I guess that too. B-but that wasn’t um… y-you didn’t know me. And I was stalking آپ and all, so-“
“You just wanted to have people off your case?”
“… Yeah.”
“Rynk,” Grace turned to face her friend directly, then very maturely she کہا “if anyone gets on your case for doing something right, don’t let that stop you. Ever. That’s their problem, not yours. Take it from someone who knows; taking the مقبول route isn’t going to matter in the end. I’m your friend, and your mine. What other people think about being a goodie-two-shoes doesn’t matter.”
Rynk rose her head a bit with a smile. “Alright. Thanks, Grace.”
Grace returned the smile, and the two of them finished their meal. It was at this moment that Grace realized that she and Rynk were actual دوستوں now. She expected it to be a hard process due to past experiences, but it took them less than a ماہ to be official friends. It was a good feeling, to have someone that cared about your well-being, and Grace seriously doubted that Rynk would be the deserting type.
Meanwhile in Craiger and Dante’s dorm…
Dante was laying on the سوفی, لٹانا of the dorm, flipping through the channels. Craiger walked سے طرف کی without a shirt, searching for where it went. Dante glanced up at the لومڑی and کہا with an annoyed tone “You’re going to make the TV static if آپ walk around like that. Seriously, there are no girls around. PUT A شرٹ, قمیض ON!”
Craiger snapped his face at Dante’s direction with a stern stare. “The only reason Ah’m not dressed already is ‘cuz Ah can’t find mah clothes in this mess!”
“Hey it’s not me! I didn’t even unpack all the way.” Dante defended with a shrug.
“Yeah, whatevah.” Criager grumbled as he kept looking.
Dante tried to go back to the television, but couldn’t concentrate with how Craiger was acting. This was not the calm and cool cute-boy that he saw girls stalk each day. “Dude, are آپ alright? It’s just a shirt.”
Craiger leaned over a wall, sighing. “It’s not the shirt…” He got up and faced Dante again, “The school got attacked, ‘N now it’s gonna be closed any دن now!”
“Didn’t they say the school wasn’t closing?”
“They کہا it was for now, but what about the اگلے time there’s an attack? Ah know about i- Ahll these attacks-“
“There was just one.” Dante corrected.
“The point is that there’s gonna be anothah one any day, and were not gonna be able to stop the Dean ‘N all from closing the school aftawords.”
“Could آپ talk anymore strangely?” Dante quipped.
“IT’S MY NORMAL VOICE!” Craiger snapped.
“Whatever. All I know is that the school’s still here for now, so enjoy it. Besides, it’s not that bad. آپ just transfer to a new school.”
“… It’s not a- oh forget it…” Craiger took a deep sigh to calm down, then continued to look for his shirt. He eventually found it above the toilet for some reason, and sniffed it a bit to make sure it was محفوظ to wear before putting it on.
When he came out, Dante was still watching TV. “Y’know آپ could exercise.”
“Like you? No offense but I doubt I need it.” Dante replied. “I’m مزید fit than the average person, and that’s good enough for me. Besides, it’s not like I’d be doing it for a girl یا anything.”
“Whatevah.” Craiger thought a bit, then got to the idea of the girl he had been thinking about for a while now. “Speaking of girls, can آپ give me any info ‘bout Grace maybe?”
“Aside from she doesn’t like you?”
“Ah was thinking مزید of why she doesn’t like me. آپ were her childhood friend ‘n all.”
“So? Grace is a different person now. She doesn’t have to like you. She’s been through a lot, just leave her be.”
“You seriously think Ah’m stalking her یا something? ‘Dude’, Ah’m barely around that gal, and when Ah am she gets ticked. If there’s something that she needs to work out with, یا if it’s her past ‘n all, then Ah’m fine with that, but Ah’d just like to know why Ah’m a disease to her.”
“Actually there is a guy named Slice she hates.” Dante smirked.
“Hilarious.” Craiger کہا sarcastically as he exited the dorm.
Grace and Rynk had determined that it was not wrong exactly to check out the new invention as long as they weren’t hiding. But then again, “hiding” is a matter of perspective.
سے طرف کی asking a large amount of students the two mobians determined that the inventor was going to arrive at 1:00 P.M. in the gym’s backdoor. Seeing how the current time was 11:00 now, and they would be eating soon, the wait was a bit stressful.
During that time, Rynk suggested that they climb up the school. Grace herself was a thick-and-through daredevil, but even she knew that the only reason Rynk could get up so high was because she could stick to the sides. Unless Grace had picks to stick in the sides, she wasn’t going to get very high.
Lunch was pasta. The sauce was thin enough to cover the noodles, but not overdue it’s amount of the plates. It dyed the noodles its color, and had chunks of meat in it. Rynk was practically dying over the scent alone, and she almost passed out from the taste. It wasn’t amazing, but it for both of them it had been a while since they had had a quality meal. Grace did not have trash-food, as she lived with her uncle for a good while before the academy, but she had to admit that this پاستا was quite nice. Still, she had to ask why Rynk loved it so much.
“I LOVE pasta!!” Rynk fawned with her mouth stuffed with the food.
“No other reason?” Grace asked.
“Well the fact that I only had it two other times might have something to do with it.”
“… You’re fifteen, right?” Grace inquired as she tried to put things together.
“Yeah. Why?”
“In fifteen years you’ve only had پاستا twice aside from now?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t get the opportunity. Lived on the streets, remember? I thought آپ did too… n-no offense.”
“Well… kind of… but I didn’t… live like that. So then آپ were alone that whole time?”
“No… I met people… but, oh not again. We’re having one of those awkward pause moments again!”
Grace surprisingly knew what Rynk was talking about. They’d start a conversation, then when it got personal for either of them, both of them became rather vague. Why? Because they both had secrets that they did not wish to share.
“Sorry about that.” Grace apologized unconsciously.
“It’s alright. It’s not your fault یا anything.” Rynk took another large bite to avoid being brought into another question.
“So آپ hear about the school options?” Grace asked to اقدام things along.
“Options? What do آپ mean?”
“Well apparently there’s gonna be a superhero یا something if the school gets attacked again.”
“Hm… sweet. Well I guess we’ll just have to wait for someone to attack the school again. Which reminds me, did آپ ever ask Sara what was up with her and the Roxan person?”
“Uh… no… did you?”
“Well kind of. I tried to say it all humor-like to make it less awkward but she stayed really quiet about it. Maybe she’ll open up later.” The rest of the meal was in silence. Strangely enough this was the longest conversation Rynk and Grace had made so far.
Quickly after lunch was over, the two teenagers rushed to the gym five منٹ before 1 o-clock. The inventor was coming inside at that exact moment. He dragged a large case, which turned out to be four large cases, and a very large کریٹ, کھوکھا that was a story high.
The inventor himself was not mobian, but not overlander. A mix of both. He had the torso and legs of a non-mobian lion, but the upper part of him was that of what we would call a fawn, though neither Rynk یا Grace recognized this species, aside from the fact that he was a centaur.
The gym was already dark, so the inventor had not seen them. Grace and Rynk leaned on the opposite wall, while observing. This proved to be a bad observation point as it was right اگلے to the doors, which opened and smacked them in the faces. Miss ICLE and three of the school’s Zone cop guards walked up quickly and nervously. It appeared that the device was fragile, but then why was it in a school.
“Dean.” He bowed with a grumble as the inventor was still pulling the کریٹ, کھوکھا and cases. The guards walked up and helped him unload.
“I need to make sure first-hand that this contraption is safe, Mr. Calto.” The way that Miss ICLE pronounced the inventor’s name was “Col toe” while it was actually pronounced “Cae to”. The spelling on paper did not explain pronunciation however, so errors were bound to happen.
The Inventor, Mr. Calto, took offense to this mis-pronunciation. “It is pronounced ‘Cae to’. Could آپ please remember that?”
“… My apologize. Now what is in the crates?”
Mr. Calto unhooked a hinge on the side one کریٹ, کھوکھا to reveal a golden doorway-looking device. It had two fan-shaped generators attached to its side, a meter on its top, and seemed to have no back. The inventor opened a سیکنڈ case. Inside was a long piece of which was supposedly a hallway piece. The other two followed suit, with the third being the end. The fourth concealed a long metal rectangle; very solid, and very shiny. It had four black holes in the side of it, which seemed to match four metal points at the back end of the hallway pieces.
“This,” Mr. Calto announced while giving the invention a good knock, “is the D-NA-mazer. It randomized the species of various mobians, and even non-mobians.”
“And it is safe?” The Principal asked with caution.
“Extremely.” The inventor answered with an air of pride. “Not only can the changes be made permanent یا temporary, but it doesn’t even store DNA vials. It uses a special program that can actually duplicate DNA without needing anything short from a quick scan. And because of that, it stores every DNA it gets, and can restore آپ to your original form even if آپ were meant to be permanently something else!”
“I can see that.” This sarcastic remark was hinting to the inventor being a hybrid. Grace and Rynk got in for a closer look.
“From what I can see here, you’ve had trouble with its performance when changing DNA’s.” The Principal said.
“Quite the contrary.” Retorted the inventor with a huff. “My DNA-hybrid form was made purposely. I made detailed modifications to make it look just right, and made no mistakes. Granted I do know where آپ are getting at. Originally I did have problems, but even then that was months پہلے on the prototype. This machine has never failed me, and while I have gotten complaints from people, it was only because they wanted to change back, and I was happy to oblige.”
“Why haven’t آپ دیا it to the government یا something?” Grace asked as she and Rynk came into view.
The Principal scowled slightly, but the inventor grinned at the two strangers. “Smart girl.” He complimented, pointing to Grace. “Originally I did attempt for this to be military-used, but sadly no form of money can buy آپ enough protection from the enemy. So I stopped whomever I could from spreading the news of my device, and chose to put it to less noticeable use. Hence me coming to this school. Not that I plan on being here permanently, but when I do leave, I plan to leave behind some devices that may entertain the students, such as yourself and your friend… uh…”
Grace was so lost in the man’s story that she almost forgot who he was talking to. “… hu- G- Rynk! A-and I’m Grace.”
“… Rynk? Really?” The Inventor questioned as he peered a little closer at the slightly unnerved lynx.
“Uh…” is all Rynk کہا as she bent backwards a bit from Mr. Calto’s observation.
“Well… Anyway,” Mr. Calto cleared his throat as she pulled back, “I am assuming that آپ have a teacher’s room یا something for me to ‘bunk’ in as they say?”
“You’re going to be a teacher here?” Grace asked.
“Oh yes. I will be teaching a science class I do believe. Partly why I brought the D-NA-mazer. It will suffice quite well as an example for both computer science and biology.”
Miss ICLE was reading through the qualification papers and profiling for Mr. Calto and came across something. “Mr. Calto, آپ did not fill out your past employment.” She held the clipboard so the man could see.
Mr. Calto peered at the paper, apparently he required glasses, though he probably was too prideful to admit it. His eyes widened, “So I did!” and he quickly took the board and filled out the space. “So sorry. Been very busy planning my lessons. Don’t worry. I won’t be boring آپ for too long.” He grinned humorously at Grace and Rynk. They grinned back. This seemed to be a cool teacher.
“There we are.” The centaur announced as he handed the clipboard back to Miss ICLE, clicking the pen along the way. “Funny thing how people love the sound of a clicking pen.”
“Where did آپ used to work?” Rynk inquired.
“Oh quite around the place. Like I said, I tried to aid the military once, but my main employment before then was in a special lab in… oh I forgot. This school isn’t in a dimension is it? Let’s see…” The centaur rubbed his fuzzy chin a bit then lifted up a finger and کہا “Ah! That is right! The dimension was Mobocan I do believe. I would have remembered it sooner but I haven’t been there in years. My ہوم dimension was Mobius Seven I do believe.”
“Hey Rynk’s from Mobocan! Maybe that’s how آپ recognized her name!” Grace noted with a smile. She nudged Rynk only to see that Rynk wasn’t smiling. She was almost trembling.
“W-what… was the name of the lab? W-what country?” Rynk continued with a stutter.
“Country?” Calto repeated. “Well usually it was… er… Nix… something. Nikiita یا some such nonsense.”
Rynk sighed in relief to this answer. But then the inventor کہا “The lab was branched off there. Melcro Labs. Great place. My first job actually. It’s what got me interes-ted in science and what-not.”
Grace turned back to Rynk to say something else. Rynk wasn’t اگلے to her. She was running away. She was running out of the gym. “Rynk?” Grace questioned.
The inventor looked shocked as well. “…Hmm… let’s see first I… with… an-“
“What are آپ doing?” Miss ICLE questioned very impatiently.
“Well the Rynk girl ran off after I talked, so it stands to reason that I کہا something that upset her… but what was it? Hmmm… “ The inventor shrugged, “Maybe she was from Niki… whatever the country was called. Poor girl. Not the best place to grow up in.”
Grace recalled Rynk mentioning living in Supreta to Craiger, and was about to correct the man, but stopped herself in suspicion of what this Nix یا Nik country was like. “What do آپ mean?” She inquired.
“Well Ni… Nekai! That’s the name. Nekai! Well to answer your question, Grace, Nekai is a dictated country, very um… I suppose your dimension would call it… Nazi-like… and the language would be… R… Russian. Not the worst lifestyle surprisingly though. I think the Supretan country was the one like that.”
“Supretan…” Grace recalled Rynk telling the name of her country a سیکنڈ time and remembered that Craiger was from the same Mobius. It pained her slightly to have to do this, but she would have to go have a chat with the Ausey fox. But first she would find Rynk… then if Rynk would not tell her she would go to Craiger.
Meanwhile, Dante was dragging his feet as he roamed the halls, going nowhere in particular. Instead of wandering aimlessly, he would actually still be stuck against the سوفی, لٹانا with his eyes glued to the screen, being a lazy teenager like always. His mind had changed though, and not because of his roommate, but the fact that TV can be boring after a long period of time.
For this reason, Dante was walking toward any area with crowded students, hoping to at least see something new. Usually, the thought of overreacted teenage drama was something that he would avoid at all cost, but he had other things to worry about. Such as the brief conversation he had with Craiger.
Dante didn’t mind talking about his used-to-be friend Grace, as long as too much of their past wasn’t revealed. Although the whole story behind it was clearly a mistake, the consequences that followed afterwards is what lost Grace’s trust. It was something he regretted, and something the brown لومڑی would never let slip her mind, despite her short-term memory.
Even if their rough history was embedded in their heads, Grace wasn’t as distant as she used to be, even acknowledging him once in a while. It was true that she still seemed to loathe his guts, but Dante didn’t mind her hatred. He was just lucky enough that she was willing to look یا say a few words to him.
As these thoughts swarmed within Dante’s mind, an echo of whispers was heard around the corner, which was just a few feet away. He slowed his pace down as his trance was broken, then skid to a stop before being heard یا seen سے طرف کی the unknown voices. From where he was standing, the words that were spoken were mumbled and unclear, but he could tell a private conversation was going on.
“Keeping walking یا stay and listen?“ he wondered to himself, but the decision was decided after a few seconds. Dante wasn’t much of an eavesdropper, but his curiosity got the best of him.
His feet began to shuffled lightly over the tile floor, making its way towards the muffled sounds. The silver-eyed aardwolf heard a low giggle as he neared the wall, and while keeping his ears out of view, he listened closely.
“Perhaps we will get to know each other more?” a seductive voice purred, and Dante cringed at the tone.
There was a nervous chuckle, which was possibly forced out. “W-Well…I suppose.”
“A bit uneasy, hm?”
Dante wasn’t satisfied with only hearing a talk between two people, and made a risky attempt to get a quick peek. He lowered his ears and kept his body stuck against the wall, and in a devious manner, he leaned over the corner slightly to get a good view.
His eyes widen intensely.
Standing before him, a somewhat attractive brown bat was batting her eyes to a dazed teenage wolf, even leaning her figure to the side for an alluring look. Their side was facing Dante, tilted enough so they didn’t spot him, so the sneaky fellow got a good look of their appearance without being seen. The shy بھیڑیا in front of the girl obviously looked uncomfortable with being spoken to, often glancing away to avoid eye contact. Other than that, he wasn’t much interest.
On the other hand, the vivacious girl was rather intriguing, and it wasn’t just because of what she was saying to the boy at that moment. Dante kept his nonchalant behavior as he tried to study her, hoping to get enough just سے طرف کی her looks.
The female was wearing a feminine outfit that Dante chose not to stare at too long, and her curled, black hair was being flipped and fixed سے طرف کی her manicured hands in a flirtatious manner. Giggling and swaying her hips, the bat continued with her cunning behavior, enjoying her “hobby” of having a delightful moment with the poor guy. She was obviously flirting, and her body language was a huge hint.
“L-Look…um, I better get going. My, uh, دوستوں are p-probably looking for me,” the hesitant boy stuttered, taking a few steps back.
Her blood red eyes narrowed as a sly smirk grew across her muzzle. “Well, I will see آپ soon, then?”
Instead of answering with words, the بھیڑیا nodded uncontrollably and abruptly spun his heels to turn away, walking off in an unnatural, edgy manner. The bat only giggled at this and turned around herself to walk off in another direction.
“Inexperienced…” Dante chuckled to himself, and pulled away from his hiding spot, purposely getting spotted. “You find that entertaining?”
He noticed the girl’s ears twitching as she stopped, obviously stunned سے طرف کی the sudden voice, but she calmly turned around to face him. He met her eyes, which were widened slightly at his presence, and the fact that he had witnessed everything. No other movements were made as tension filled the silent air between them, but both were completely calm, especially her.
Dante was becoming confused. At his company, her flirty personality seemed…nonexistent, as if the whole scene he had spied on was a complete act.
“Being sneaky I see,” she managed to utter, crossing her arms loosely.
“And avoiding my سوال I see,” Dante replied coolly.
A small smile curved upon her lips, but it quickly disappeared, knowing this conversation wouldn’t be so enjoyable. “Perhaps I only do it to kill time. I also find their reactions amusing.”
“You don’t go too far, right?” he slowly questioned. He appeared serious, but he honestly didn’t care for other people’s juvenile behavior…especially in an academy full of teenagers.
“Just enough to make them nervous, and the boy آپ just saw is a great example.”
Dante shook his head in disbelief, leaning against the دیوار he stood behind. "Flirting for entertainment seems pointless."
"Pointless?"
"Isn't it obvious? Attempting the hair flip motion doesn't even look like it would help achieve anything. And what's with the constant giggling and batting your eyes?"
She appeared speechless for a moment سے طرف کی his words, but kept her cool سے طرف کی keeping her relaxed posture. “May I ask why آپ were stalking me in the first place?" The bat's brows lowered in annoyance, and her crossed arms tightened significantly.
Dante merely shrugged, his gaze averting to avoid her piercing glare. "Your hobby of alluring guys you're not familiar with fascinates me. It's like watching a reality show...except it's truly reality."
In the corner of his eye, he observed her stance becoming stiff, and brows merging together in fury. The fact that he irritated an absolute stranger was somewhat humorous to him, but he had a feeling that he shouldn't go too far...but it was just a feeling. Dante isn't a cruel person when it comes to people's sensitivity, and he knows he doesn't lack empathy. He was just honest--maybe too honest, and his habit of not being afraid to meet the consequences of his actions and words didn't help.
"Do آپ want me to say sorry?" the words managed to slip out, yet there was no hint of regret.
Her angered expression loosened. “…I would appreciate that.”
Shrugging, Dante pushed himself off the دیوار and took a step forward. “I apologize for comparing your flirtatious personality to a reality TV star…even if آپ can actually fit quite well with the role.”
In a تیز رو, سوئفٹ movement, he dodged her swung arm.
Looking stunned and out of breath, he stood straight back up. “I just was kidding!”
“You looked serious.”
“I guess I‘ll pass as a good actor then…”
“Does it look like I find your تبصرے funny?” she snapped back, taking a threatening step towards him.
“Well, uh…no?” He took a step back. “Didn’t think آپ were so violent.”
Her glare sharpened. “I’m not. I usually just walk away from situations like this.”
Dante was tempted to blurt out “Oh really?” at the moment, but seeing how he ticked her off enough, he held back his tongue.
“Why didn’t آپ walk away just then?” he questioned instead, trying to speak calmly.
“I don’t take multiple insults lightly, especially coming from guys like you. But…I guess I will now.” With that, she sneered slightly and spun around to walk away.
Dante twitched, knowing he shouldn’t let things escalate that quickly. “Wh- crud…WAIT!”
She didn’t stop, but slowed her pace and glanced over her shoulder. “What is it now?”
“I was thinking that I should probably apologize again,” he declared, rushing up and sliding to a halt in front of the ticked off bat, blocking her way.
Her brows lowered. “Are آپ going to throw another insult at me?”
“N-No! Of course not. I told you, it was a joke,” he objected, scratching his head. “Do آپ really think I would say something like that to a complete stranger?”
“You look like that type of person.”
Offended slightly, his ears lowered. “Judgmental, huh?
“Same to you,” she responded, and brushed passed him.
Groaning, he followed. “I didn't judge you! I just assumed that آپ were-”
“Feisty?”
“More like frisky.”
He avoided her arm once again, but jut barely.
Dante would have posed in triumph for having fast reflexes, but unfortunately, she attempted to ذائقہ, مارنا him again…and succeeded. Ignoring his throbbing head and her lethal glare, he winced slightly and straightened up. “I believe آپ were thinking of another definition…”
“Either way, don’t start with me.”
He held up his hands in defense. “Alright, I’ll keep my irrelevant تبصرے to myself. Happy?”
“No.”
“…Is this the right moment to apologize?”
“The moment has passed.”
Dante flinched, stunned سے طرف کی her words. “What?! Come on! I just-….I don’t want آپ to walk away while you’re furious سے طرف کی me.”
“Well that’s your fault, isn't it?” she grunted.
“I-…uh, I’m sorry?”
Rolling her eyes, the girl scoffed. “I told you, it’s too late.”
“I can still say sorry, right?” he winced.
“Sure. But…your apology is not accepted,” the bat retorted, twirling away from him to walk off before a reply was uttered.
The aardwolf didn't take a step forward, dumbfounded سے طرف کی her attitude. “What just-…?” he paused before completing his sentence, putting things together and trying to figure out what the heck just happened.
It took him a moment to realize that he ruined his reputation in a few minutes.
Frustrated, he proceeded to ذائقہ, مارنا his forehead while mumbling “smooth” under his breath.
Being thoroughly embarrassed, and knowing that he had pushed her limits, Dante chose not to go after the fuming girl. He also believed that he should give her some space to cool off. For one, getting hit once was enough, and two, he already damaged his ego.
Things hadn't gone as he had planned, which was to somehow maneuver around her anger, and now some random person thinks he’s a disrespectful jerk. This wasn't the first time he had made a terrible first impression, but it still got to him. As he mentally tormented himself over the multiple mistakes in those few minutes, he remembered something that truly irked him.
He never got her name.
Unable to suppress his anger towards himself in thoughts یا words, he carried out an aggravated headwall on the دیوار beside him.
Unfortunately Grace could not find Rynk. “Probably climbing on flagpoles… no pun intended… heh heh… flag-poles… wow…” Grace’s thoughts began to wander, but she slapped herself back to reality and went to the serious matter. “Right. Gotta find Rynk… can’t find her… that leaves… Craiger.”
Grace growled at the thought of actually looking for Craiger. Now doubt he would flirt, یا tease about her name again, but maybe he would be serious enough to answer some questions… یا not take Grace seriously, and joke some more. Still, she wanted answers.
Grace attempted to give the لومڑی some credit سے طرف کی checking normal places instead of the work-out area, but eventually ended up there anyway… he was not there. There were however a large amount of sweating masculine teenage boys, so a total loss… no.
Grace finally found Craiger on the lifeguard post at the school’s سیکنڈ swimming pool area. He was leaning back with his hands behind his head, relaxed and yawning a bit. Grace could not give up this opportunity. She cupped her hands to her mouth and screamed at the سب, سب سے اوپر of her lungs “FIRE!!!!”
Up went the فر, سمور of the previously dry Australian fox, and sploosh went the sound of his dignity as he face-high-fived the water below. Grace was nearly dying of laughter. She was on the floor with her hands on her stomach laughing her دل out; so much so in fact that she did not notice Craiger getting out of the water until she felt someone grab her feet and pull her into the pool.
“ACK!!” Grace sputtered as she kicked at Craiger who let her back up and got out himself. “YOU COULD HAVE DROWNED ME!!”
Craiger smirked. “The way Ah see it, آپ probably would’ve died of laughtah had Ah not gotten some revenge.”
Grace looked at him with a glare, but Craiger was chuckling. Strangely enough she found herself chuckling too. “Did آپ need something?”
“Yeah.” Grace replied as she got serious again. “What do آپ know about Supreta, and Melcro Labs.” Grace checked for any forms of a surprised reaction in the male fox, but found no sign. Strangely though he did not answer the question.
“You should probably dry off. I could get آپ a towel.”
“Criager, this i-“
“You know what they say about bleach-water and clothing.”
“No one says that! I just needed to-“
“Not to mention the stuff it does to your فر, سمور and al-“
“WILL آپ JUST SHUT IT AND LISTEN!!??” Grace smacked Craiger upside the head. He looked hurt, but Grace didn’t care.
Craiger took a deep sigh and answered, “Supreta is a country, Melcro Labs is a … science… thing. That good enough?”
“No.” Grace replied sternly. “You care to clue me in as to why Rynk, who is from Supreta, would suddenly run off after hearing about it”
“Well what time is it?”
“… What does that have to do wi-“
“Thirty منٹ پہلے the special abilities class started. Rynk probably had ta run off because she was late.”
“There is no way that-“
“Grace…” Craiger tried to calm himself, “It’s better آپ stay away from anything that has ta do with the name ‘Melcro’.”
“Care to tell me why?” Grace glared.
“No.” Craiger answered. He walked back to his post and climbed back to the tower سب, سب سے اوپر of it.
“HEY!” Grace yelled, but Craiger did not reply. “UGH!!!” Grace screamed. In her fury, Grace kicked the side of the tower and stormed out of the room. The kick caused the entire tower to fall in the pool, though Craiger jumped out before it did.
Grace eventually gave up on the تلاش for Rynk. سے طرف کی the time she had found the Class-room for Power Placement, it was over, and سے طرف کی the time she had gotten to Rynk’s dorm, Rynk was not there. So she walked around and around until it was time for bed. She went back to Rynk’s dorm one last time, but it was lights out.
The school looked quite creepy when it was dark, but almost a good creepy. Like that moment when آپ begin to get jumpy because it’s dark and no one sees you. Grace almost felt the urge to stalk around the hallways, یا put on a strange outfit and freak people out, but then she remembered that in the morning classes were back to normal, and this new teacher was not someone she wanted to miss out on, especially if she could mess around with her فر, سمور color یا something.
(September 29th)
Monday; the first دن of school each week. For many people it is a difficult day. Granted it can start out well enough. Two and a half days of working on school projects and homework is very helpful for being prepared for when returning work, but then the new work comes in. The procrastination of two free days without school adds to laziness of the mind for most, and thusly one’s mind is not prepared for such a task as algebra, geometry, biology, ect.
Unfortunately the school itself had possibly مزید stress during the break. Due to the school’s حالیہ attack, and the frailty of its defenses, the school’s head directors had a meeting to determine its continuation. Because of this, all of the students were either sent back home, which involved a great deal of packing and unpacking, those who had no ہوم stayed at their dorms until other plans could be made, but no one that stayed was allowed to leave, and those who were gone were not allowed back for quite some time. In result a great deal of the schoolwork was not given, causing even مزید stress for when they did return. The meeting was to be brief to avoid any further damage.
The Members were…
Zonic the Zone Cop,
The Principal, Miss I.C.L.E., who was the Zone Cop dimension of Nicole-prime, though not a computer program… anymore),
Dar Ox, an overlander from Moebius, who had the original idea for Mobius Academy,
Diane Pri, another overlander, who was from the Prime Zone,
and Christopher Morgan, a mobian alternate of Nate Morgan.
They met in the main office, around a large میز, جدول to discuss the damage. All were quite stressed; some were angered, some were neutral, and some were simply saddened, with good reason.
Dar Ox, a man with dark brown straight hair, a slightly long face, and a fair figure, who wore a black suit, as did everyone else aside from Zonic, rose to call the meeting to order. “This meeting is now called to order. What is the problem?”
“Problems is مزید like it.” Diane corrected with an angered tone, though it was not directed at Dar. She was a short woman, with long brown hair, a fair figure also, and slightly large hands. “A common villain known in a Mobius Zone as ‘Roxan’ infiltrated the school, assaulted many students, did large damage to the school, a student named Rynk apparently summoned what was assumed to be an identity.”
“Are آپ sure?” Chris asked. Chris looked quite like the original Nate مورگن aside from having no hair and being taller سے طرف کی a foot یا so.
“I would not be saying so if I did not know, Chris.”
“The damages were repaired, were they not?” Dar asked. “Isn’t that what matters? No one was injured permanently, and the school is almost repaired completely.”
“That is not the point.” Diane کہا as she placed her hands firmly on the table. “The defenses in this school were meant to be able to not only neutralize all threats, but مزید importantly make it impossible for anyone to teleport here without clearance. I assumed there were no loop-holes.” Diane’s glance turned to Zonic who sighed largely and took the floor.
“It appears that this ‘Roxan’ used a special type of energy, possibly chaos energy, which sadly we have not been able to disable in the field. The school was built multi-dimensionaly to make sure no one could simply walk in, but someone has. I have to admit that we did not expect this type of attack so soon, though we did expect it to happen eventually. The fact is that the school’s outer defenses cannot be altered due to the instability it could face, and so we should work on making its defenders مزید potent against threats.”
“And how do we do that?” Diane questioned. “This Roxan, and the identity were دکھانا signs of extreme energy. The Roxan girl switched student’s bodies for Pete’s sake!”
“What would آپ suggest?” Chris questioned.
“Unless we can defend the school مزید potently, I fear we will have to close it.” Diane waited for the reactions of her comrades before continuing. They were silent so she continued. “Believe me when I say I find no gain in this. I would love to keep this school running, but the school سال has only started, and if the school’s dimensional generators were to be damaged it is most-likely that this school will either implode, یا be lost in dimensional-space forever.”
“… Zonic, is there any way we can increase the outer defenses?” کہا Dar.
“We could add another layer of field-generators.” Zonic replied. “It would double the field’s protection, but it would be quite costly. The fact that we allow children to come here without pay alone is hard to cope with.”
“I thought that the school was دیا its resources from special mining of various materials.” کہا Diane. “And that the school’s kinetic energy was able to generate free energy for different uses on other worlds.”
“It does, and is, but the equipment used to make the tools for all of this are not able to be made from simple stone and metal. The same applies for the food, supplies, and other items. Not to mention the calibrations that have to be done manually to simply program where to put bathroom waste after it used, let alone any other portals. The amount would usually round from one-million Mobiums, to seven-billion for a month’s time. Which is rather cheap if آپ think about it.”
“Well how much will it set us back if we were to place the new generators?”
“If we used the emergency money, it would be possible without limiting the school, but if it fails, it will leave us back where we are without money to aid us.”
“I cannot just let this school go.” Dar insisted. “This was meant to be a place for the supernaturals and naturals to coexist. Where they can have all the knowledge possible, and the best experiences. I suggest that we wait. If a threat arrives that is not able to be neutralized سے طرف کی natural means, we will place the fields.”
“And if those fail?” Inquired Diane.
“If they fail… we bring in a capital protector; someone who can handle himself and keep the students from harm. He would have to be fast and strong.”
“You’re not suggesting a certain hedgehog سے طرف کی any chance, are you?”
“No… well perhaps him, but until we learn enough about our options, we will wait.”
“I am willing to go with this plan, but if any of the students are killed, then we pull the plug.” Everyone turned to I.C.L.E. who was quite this entire time.
“What are your thoughts, ICLE?” Zonic inquired. “Why not tell us if the school is doing its job. Are the students learning?”
ICLE sighed. “The students are quite tiresome, but they are well here. They learn quite a bit, but some may possibly turn on us.”
“That is why they are here, I would think.” Noted Chris. “To become better, and to learn. Do آپ think they are doing that?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then. Let us have a vote.” Chris arose. “All for the school to continue with Dar Ox’s plan in motion say aye.”
The vote was unanimous; A no. The students left with hopes of becoming something great cru- I’m joking. It was a yes.
The اگلے last day, the students were called back. Sadly around twenty percent of them chose to not come back, which caused the other eighty to feel slight grief for whatever دوستوں they would no longer see, but it could not be helped. سے طرف کی Monday things were almost back to normal. Sadly the school was not able to rewrite its classes and assignments in time, so Monday became a third دن off, while come Tuesday the students would go back to the many teachings of wars, inventions, languages, ect.
“YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The extensive exclamation is used as much due to the fact that the student who کہا this had sound-based powers, and was screaming at the سب, سب سے اوپر of her lungs. She later had her mouth taped shut.
“AHK!” Rynk squealed as she clutched her ears tightly, bending them آگے to block out the scream. She was sitting اگلے to Grace in the Cafeteria, eating pancakes.
“Exactly.” Grace groaned. “You okay? آپ look مزید affected than most people.”
“Most people don’t have ears twice the size of a rabbit’s.” Rynk informed with her ears flopping over her face. “Ow…”
“Oh… right. Sorry. Well at least we’re back and all.”
“True that! I wouldn’t have anywhere to go otherwise!” Rynk gasped in slight terror. “I can’t believe they’d want to close the school!”
“Well there was kind of a psycho-killer destroying everything… which reminds me, could آپ maybe give me some مزید info about that Rin person?”
“I don’t know what else there is to give.” Rynk shrugged. “She’s got chaos powers, she morphs, her name’s Rin, she… likes being random? I only met her one other time, and it was pretty brief.”
“Huh… well I guess we could just summon her again یا something.”
“Uh… no… they found my suitcase. Apparently آپ can’t bring stuff like that in the school. I hid it while I was gone from the school.”
“You… didn’t stay?”
“No I did.”
Grace got quite confused at this point. “But no one’s allowed to come back… یا wasn’t.”
“Well I did… strangely enough.” Rynk was as confused as Grace, but continued to munch on her whipped-cream covered meal. With a mouth full of food she asked “So آپ gonna let Craiger talk to آپ any time soon? It’s not like he’s been a jerk یا anything.”
Grace sighed deeply. “I know… I just… don’t like guys that much.”
“Because of Dante?”
“Y-… yeah… because of Dante… how did آپ figure out about us, anyway?”
“I told you. I just guessed.” Rynk chuckled. “What, آپ think I hacked a police record یا something?”
“Maybe…”
Rynk could tell that Grace was serious. It offended her slightly that Grace would think that she would resort to something like that, but Rynk put on a strong face. “Grace, I didn’t mean to blab anything. I really did just guess. I’ve met a lot of people like that… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blurted it.”
“Hey,” Grace nudged Rynk, “don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. آپ were just being smart. Anyway, آپ got any plans for today?”
Rynk grinned. “Actually yeah. I saw a poster about this inventor-dude who’s gonna come سے طرف کی the school with some new contraption. I don’t know what it’s about but they’re setting up today, and starting tomorrow. آپ wanna sneak in a get a quick peak?”
It was tempting. Very tempting. Normally Grace would be fine with such a suggestion, but it seemed strange coming from Rynk, seeing how Rynk was the one all hyped up about the rules and regulations. “Isn’t there some rule against it?” She asked in concern and curiosity.
“Probably… but it’ll be fun.” Rynk urged.
Grace thought up why Rynk was swaying, and came up with a question. “Are آپ saying that because it’s something I would do?”
The سوال was a bit strange and could be found offensive, but Grace found no way around it. When Rynk heard it she was completely surprised. “Uh…” She lowered her head slightly. “… y-…. Y- yes…”
“Why?” Grace asked sternly.
“Because… I’ve been living all سٹریٹ, گلی and roughish to just get a place to sleep… when I came here, it felt so nice to actually do things right… but every time I tried to stand up for the rules people just got mad at me.”
“… Like the cigarette?” Grace cringed.
“What? Oh…” Rynk کہا nervously, “… I guess that too. B-but that wasn’t um… y-you didn’t know me. And I was stalking آپ and all, so-“
“You just wanted to have people off your case?”
“… Yeah.”
“Rynk,” Grace turned to face her friend directly, then very maturely she کہا “if anyone gets on your case for doing something right, don’t let that stop you. Ever. That’s their problem, not yours. Take it from someone who knows; taking the مقبول route isn’t going to matter in the end. I’m your friend, and your mine. What other people think about being a goodie-two-shoes doesn’t matter.”
Rynk rose her head a bit with a smile. “Alright. Thanks, Grace.”
Grace returned the smile, and the two of them finished their meal. It was at this moment that Grace realized that she and Rynk were actual دوستوں now. She expected it to be a hard process due to past experiences, but it took them less than a ماہ to be official friends. It was a good feeling, to have someone that cared about your well-being, and Grace seriously doubted that Rynk would be the deserting type.
Meanwhile in Craiger and Dante’s dorm…
Dante was laying on the سوفی, لٹانا of the dorm, flipping through the channels. Craiger walked سے طرف کی without a shirt, searching for where it went. Dante glanced up at the لومڑی and کہا with an annoyed tone “You’re going to make the TV static if آپ walk around like that. Seriously, there are no girls around. PUT A شرٹ, قمیض ON!”
Craiger snapped his face at Dante’s direction with a stern stare. “The only reason Ah’m not dressed already is ‘cuz Ah can’t find mah clothes in this mess!”
“Hey it’s not me! I didn’t even unpack all the way.” Dante defended with a shrug.
“Yeah, whatevah.” Criager grumbled as he kept looking.
Dante tried to go back to the television, but couldn’t concentrate with how Craiger was acting. This was not the calm and cool cute-boy that he saw girls stalk each day. “Dude, are آپ alright? It’s just a shirt.”
Craiger leaned over a wall, sighing. “It’s not the shirt…” He got up and faced Dante again, “The school got attacked, ‘N now it’s gonna be closed any دن now!”
“Didn’t they say the school wasn’t closing?”
“They کہا it was for now, but what about the اگلے time there’s an attack? Ah know about i- Ahll these attacks-“
“There was just one.” Dante corrected.
“The point is that there’s gonna be anothah one any day, and were not gonna be able to stop the Dean ‘N all from closing the school aftawords.”
“Could آپ talk anymore strangely?” Dante quipped.
“IT’S MY NORMAL VOICE!” Craiger snapped.
“Whatever. All I know is that the school’s still here for now, so enjoy it. Besides, it’s not that bad. آپ just transfer to a new school.”
“… It’s not a- oh forget it…” Craiger took a deep sigh to calm down, then continued to look for his shirt. He eventually found it above the toilet for some reason, and sniffed it a bit to make sure it was محفوظ to wear before putting it on.
When he came out, Dante was still watching TV. “Y’know آپ could exercise.”
“Like you? No offense but I doubt I need it.” Dante replied. “I’m مزید fit than the average person, and that’s good enough for me. Besides, it’s not like I’d be doing it for a girl یا anything.”
“Whatevah.” Craiger thought a bit, then got to the idea of the girl he had been thinking about for a while now. “Speaking of girls, can آپ give me any info ‘bout Grace maybe?”
“Aside from she doesn’t like you?”
“Ah was thinking مزید of why she doesn’t like me. آپ were her childhood friend ‘n all.”
“So? Grace is a different person now. She doesn’t have to like you. She’s been through a lot, just leave her be.”
“You seriously think Ah’m stalking her یا something? ‘Dude’, Ah’m barely around that gal, and when Ah am she gets ticked. If there’s something that she needs to work out with, یا if it’s her past ‘n all, then Ah’m fine with that, but Ah’d just like to know why Ah’m a disease to her.”
“Actually there is a guy named Slice she hates.” Dante smirked.
“Hilarious.” Craiger کہا sarcastically as he exited the dorm.
Grace and Rynk had determined that it was not wrong exactly to check out the new invention as long as they weren’t hiding. But then again, “hiding” is a matter of perspective.
سے طرف کی asking a large amount of students the two mobians determined that the inventor was going to arrive at 1:00 P.M. in the gym’s backdoor. Seeing how the current time was 11:00 now, and they would be eating soon, the wait was a bit stressful.
During that time, Rynk suggested that they climb up the school. Grace herself was a thick-and-through daredevil, but even she knew that the only reason Rynk could get up so high was because she could stick to the sides. Unless Grace had picks to stick in the sides, she wasn’t going to get very high.
Lunch was pasta. The sauce was thin enough to cover the noodles, but not overdue it’s amount of the plates. It dyed the noodles its color, and had chunks of meat in it. Rynk was practically dying over the scent alone, and she almost passed out from the taste. It wasn’t amazing, but it for both of them it had been a while since they had had a quality meal. Grace did not have trash-food, as she lived with her uncle for a good while before the academy, but she had to admit that this پاستا was quite nice. Still, she had to ask why Rynk loved it so much.
“I LOVE pasta!!” Rynk fawned with her mouth stuffed with the food.
“No other reason?” Grace asked.
“Well the fact that I only had it two other times might have something to do with it.”
“… You’re fifteen, right?” Grace inquired as she tried to put things together.
“Yeah. Why?”
“In fifteen years you’ve only had پاستا twice aside from now?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t get the opportunity. Lived on the streets, remember? I thought آپ did too… n-no offense.”
“Well… kind of… but I didn’t… live like that. So then آپ were alone that whole time?”
“No… I met people… but, oh not again. We’re having one of those awkward pause moments again!”
Grace surprisingly knew what Rynk was talking about. They’d start a conversation, then when it got personal for either of them, both of them became rather vague. Why? Because they both had secrets that they did not wish to share.
“Sorry about that.” Grace apologized unconsciously.
“It’s alright. It’s not your fault یا anything.” Rynk took another large bite to avoid being brought into another question.
“So آپ hear about the school options?” Grace asked to اقدام things along.
“Options? What do آپ mean?”
“Well apparently there’s gonna be a superhero یا something if the school gets attacked again.”
“Hm… sweet. Well I guess we’ll just have to wait for someone to attack the school again. Which reminds me, did آپ ever ask Sara what was up with her and the Roxan person?”
“Uh… no… did you?”
“Well kind of. I tried to say it all humor-like to make it less awkward but she stayed really quiet about it. Maybe she’ll open up later.” The rest of the meal was in silence. Strangely enough this was the longest conversation Rynk and Grace had made so far.
Quickly after lunch was over, the two teenagers rushed to the gym five منٹ before 1 o-clock. The inventor was coming inside at that exact moment. He dragged a large case, which turned out to be four large cases, and a very large کریٹ, کھوکھا that was a story high.
The inventor himself was not mobian, but not overlander. A mix of both. He had the torso and legs of a non-mobian lion, but the upper part of him was that of what we would call a fawn, though neither Rynk یا Grace recognized this species, aside from the fact that he was a centaur.
The gym was already dark, so the inventor had not seen them. Grace and Rynk leaned on the opposite wall, while observing. This proved to be a bad observation point as it was right اگلے to the doors, which opened and smacked them in the faces. Miss ICLE and three of the school’s Zone cop guards walked up quickly and nervously. It appeared that the device was fragile, but then why was it in a school.
“Dean.” He bowed with a grumble as the inventor was still pulling the کریٹ, کھوکھا and cases. The guards walked up and helped him unload.
“I need to make sure first-hand that this contraption is safe, Mr. Calto.” The way that Miss ICLE pronounced the inventor’s name was “Col toe” while it was actually pronounced “Cae to”. The spelling on paper did not explain pronunciation however, so errors were bound to happen.
The Inventor, Mr. Calto, took offense to this mis-pronunciation. “It is pronounced ‘Cae to’. Could آپ please remember that?”
“… My apologize. Now what is in the crates?”
Mr. Calto unhooked a hinge on the side one کریٹ, کھوکھا to reveal a golden doorway-looking device. It had two fan-shaped generators attached to its side, a meter on its top, and seemed to have no back. The inventor opened a سیکنڈ case. Inside was a long piece of which was supposedly a hallway piece. The other two followed suit, with the third being the end. The fourth concealed a long metal rectangle; very solid, and very shiny. It had four black holes in the side of it, which seemed to match four metal points at the back end of the hallway pieces.
“This,” Mr. Calto announced while giving the invention a good knock, “is the D-NA-mazer. It randomized the species of various mobians, and even non-mobians.”
“And it is safe?” The Principal asked with caution.
“Extremely.” The inventor answered with an air of pride. “Not only can the changes be made permanent یا temporary, but it doesn’t even store DNA vials. It uses a special program that can actually duplicate DNA without needing anything short from a quick scan. And because of that, it stores every DNA it gets, and can restore آپ to your original form even if آپ were meant to be permanently something else!”
“I can see that.” This sarcastic remark was hinting to the inventor being a hybrid. Grace and Rynk got in for a closer look.
“From what I can see here, you’ve had trouble with its performance when changing DNA’s.” The Principal said.
“Quite the contrary.” Retorted the inventor with a huff. “My DNA-hybrid form was made purposely. I made detailed modifications to make it look just right, and made no mistakes. Granted I do know where آپ are getting at. Originally I did have problems, but even then that was months پہلے on the prototype. This machine has never failed me, and while I have gotten complaints from people, it was only because they wanted to change back, and I was happy to oblige.”
“Why haven’t آپ دیا it to the government یا something?” Grace asked as she and Rynk came into view.
The Principal scowled slightly, but the inventor grinned at the two strangers. “Smart girl.” He complimented, pointing to Grace. “Originally I did attempt for this to be military-used, but sadly no form of money can buy آپ enough protection from the enemy. So I stopped whomever I could from spreading the news of my device, and chose to put it to less noticeable use. Hence me coming to this school. Not that I plan on being here permanently, but when I do leave, I plan to leave behind some devices that may entertain the students, such as yourself and your friend… uh…”
Grace was so lost in the man’s story that she almost forgot who he was talking to. “… hu- G- Rynk! A-and I’m Grace.”
“… Rynk? Really?” The Inventor questioned as he peered a little closer at the slightly unnerved lynx.
“Uh…” is all Rynk کہا as she bent backwards a bit from Mr. Calto’s observation.
“Well… Anyway,” Mr. Calto cleared his throat as she pulled back, “I am assuming that آپ have a teacher’s room یا something for me to ‘bunk’ in as they say?”
“You’re going to be a teacher here?” Grace asked.
“Oh yes. I will be teaching a science class I do believe. Partly why I brought the D-NA-mazer. It will suffice quite well as an example for both computer science and biology.”
Miss ICLE was reading through the qualification papers and profiling for Mr. Calto and came across something. “Mr. Calto, آپ did not fill out your past employment.” She held the clipboard so the man could see.
Mr. Calto peered at the paper, apparently he required glasses, though he probably was too prideful to admit it. His eyes widened, “So I did!” and he quickly took the board and filled out the space. “So sorry. Been very busy planning my lessons. Don’t worry. I won’t be boring آپ for too long.” He grinned humorously at Grace and Rynk. They grinned back. This seemed to be a cool teacher.
“There we are.” The centaur announced as he handed the clipboard back to Miss ICLE, clicking the pen along the way. “Funny thing how people love the sound of a clicking pen.”
“Where did آپ used to work?” Rynk inquired.
“Oh quite around the place. Like I said, I tried to aid the military once, but my main employment before then was in a special lab in… oh I forgot. This school isn’t in a dimension is it? Let’s see…” The centaur rubbed his fuzzy chin a bit then lifted up a finger and کہا “Ah! That is right! The dimension was Mobocan I do believe. I would have remembered it sooner but I haven’t been there in years. My ہوم dimension was Mobius Seven I do believe.”
“Hey Rynk’s from Mobocan! Maybe that’s how آپ recognized her name!” Grace noted with a smile. She nudged Rynk only to see that Rynk wasn’t smiling. She was almost trembling.
“W-what… was the name of the lab? W-what country?” Rynk continued with a stutter.
“Country?” Calto repeated. “Well usually it was… er… Nix… something. Nikiita یا some such nonsense.”
Rynk sighed in relief to this answer. But then the inventor کہا “The lab was branched off there. Melcro Labs. Great place. My first job actually. It’s what got me interes-ted in science and what-not.”
Grace turned back to Rynk to say something else. Rynk wasn’t اگلے to her. She was running away. She was running out of the gym. “Rynk?” Grace questioned.
The inventor looked shocked as well. “…Hmm… let’s see first I… with… an-“
“What are آپ doing?” Miss ICLE questioned very impatiently.
“Well the Rynk girl ran off after I talked, so it stands to reason that I کہا something that upset her… but what was it? Hmmm… “ The inventor shrugged, “Maybe she was from Niki… whatever the country was called. Poor girl. Not the best place to grow up in.”
Grace recalled Rynk mentioning living in Supreta to Craiger, and was about to correct the man, but stopped herself in suspicion of what this Nix یا Nik country was like. “What do آپ mean?” She inquired.
“Well Ni… Nekai! That’s the name. Nekai! Well to answer your question, Grace, Nekai is a dictated country, very um… I suppose your dimension would call it… Nazi-like… and the language would be… R… Russian. Not the worst lifestyle surprisingly though. I think the Supretan country was the one like that.”
“Supretan…” Grace recalled Rynk telling the name of her country a سیکنڈ time and remembered that Craiger was from the same Mobius. It pained her slightly to have to do this, but she would have to go have a chat with the Ausey fox. But first she would find Rynk… then if Rynk would not tell her she would go to Craiger.
Meanwhile, Dante was dragging his feet as he roamed the halls, going nowhere in particular. Instead of wandering aimlessly, he would actually still be stuck against the سوفی, لٹانا with his eyes glued to the screen, being a lazy teenager like always. His mind had changed though, and not because of his roommate, but the fact that TV can be boring after a long period of time.
For this reason, Dante was walking toward any area with crowded students, hoping to at least see something new. Usually, the thought of overreacted teenage drama was something that he would avoid at all cost, but he had other things to worry about. Such as the brief conversation he had with Craiger.
Dante didn’t mind talking about his used-to-be friend Grace, as long as too much of their past wasn’t revealed. Although the whole story behind it was clearly a mistake, the consequences that followed afterwards is what lost Grace’s trust. It was something he regretted, and something the brown لومڑی would never let slip her mind, despite her short-term memory.
Even if their rough history was embedded in their heads, Grace wasn’t as distant as she used to be, even acknowledging him once in a while. It was true that she still seemed to loathe his guts, but Dante didn’t mind her hatred. He was just lucky enough that she was willing to look یا say a few words to him.
As these thoughts swarmed within Dante’s mind, an echo of whispers was heard around the corner, which was just a few feet away. He slowed his pace down as his trance was broken, then skid to a stop before being heard یا seen سے طرف کی the unknown voices. From where he was standing, the words that were spoken were mumbled and unclear, but he could tell a private conversation was going on.
“Keeping walking یا stay and listen?“ he wondered to himself, but the decision was decided after a few seconds. Dante wasn’t much of an eavesdropper, but his curiosity got the best of him.
His feet began to shuffled lightly over the tile floor, making its way towards the muffled sounds. The silver-eyed aardwolf heard a low giggle as he neared the wall, and while keeping his ears out of view, he listened closely.
“Perhaps we will get to know each other more?” a seductive voice purred, and Dante cringed at the tone.
There was a nervous chuckle, which was possibly forced out. “W-Well…I suppose.”
“A bit uneasy, hm?”
Dante wasn’t satisfied with only hearing a talk between two people, and made a risky attempt to get a quick peek. He lowered his ears and kept his body stuck against the wall, and in a devious manner, he leaned over the corner slightly to get a good view.
His eyes widen intensely.
Standing before him, a somewhat attractive brown bat was batting her eyes to a dazed teenage wolf, even leaning her figure to the side for an alluring look. Their side was facing Dante, tilted enough so they didn’t spot him, so the sneaky fellow got a good look of their appearance without being seen. The shy بھیڑیا in front of the girl obviously looked uncomfortable with being spoken to, often glancing away to avoid eye contact. Other than that, he wasn’t much interest.
On the other hand, the vivacious girl was rather intriguing, and it wasn’t just because of what she was saying to the boy at that moment. Dante kept his nonchalant behavior as he tried to study her, hoping to get enough just سے طرف کی her looks.
The female was wearing a feminine outfit that Dante chose not to stare at too long, and her curled, black hair was being flipped and fixed سے طرف کی her manicured hands in a flirtatious manner. Giggling and swaying her hips, the bat continued with her cunning behavior, enjoying her “hobby” of having a delightful moment with the poor guy. She was obviously flirting, and her body language was a huge hint.
“L-Look…um, I better get going. My, uh, دوستوں are p-probably looking for me,” the hesitant boy stuttered, taking a few steps back.
Her blood red eyes narrowed as a sly smirk grew across her muzzle. “Well, I will see آپ soon, then?”
Instead of answering with words, the بھیڑیا nodded uncontrollably and abruptly spun his heels to turn away, walking off in an unnatural, edgy manner. The bat only giggled at this and turned around herself to walk off in another direction.
“Inexperienced…” Dante chuckled to himself, and pulled away from his hiding spot, purposely getting spotted. “You find that entertaining?”
He noticed the girl’s ears twitching as she stopped, obviously stunned سے طرف کی the sudden voice, but she calmly turned around to face him. He met her eyes, which were widened slightly at his presence, and the fact that he had witnessed everything. No other movements were made as tension filled the silent air between them, but both were completely calm, especially her.
Dante was becoming confused. At his company, her flirty personality seemed…nonexistent, as if the whole scene he had spied on was a complete act.
“Being sneaky I see,” she managed to utter, crossing her arms loosely.
“And avoiding my سوال I see,” Dante replied coolly.
A small smile curved upon her lips, but it quickly disappeared, knowing this conversation wouldn’t be so enjoyable. “Perhaps I only do it to kill time. I also find their reactions amusing.”
“You don’t go too far, right?” he slowly questioned. He appeared serious, but he honestly didn’t care for other people’s juvenile behavior…especially in an academy full of teenagers.
“Just enough to make them nervous, and the boy آپ just saw is a great example.”
Dante shook his head in disbelief, leaning against the دیوار he stood behind. "Flirting for entertainment seems pointless."
"Pointless?"
"Isn't it obvious? Attempting the hair flip motion doesn't even look like it would help achieve anything. And what's with the constant giggling and batting your eyes?"
She appeared speechless for a moment سے طرف کی his words, but kept her cool سے طرف کی keeping her relaxed posture. “May I ask why آپ were stalking me in the first place?" The bat's brows lowered in annoyance, and her crossed arms tightened significantly.
Dante merely shrugged, his gaze averting to avoid her piercing glare. "Your hobby of alluring guys you're not familiar with fascinates me. It's like watching a reality show...except it's truly reality."
In the corner of his eye, he observed her stance becoming stiff, and brows merging together in fury. The fact that he irritated an absolute stranger was somewhat humorous to him, but he had a feeling that he shouldn't go too far...but it was just a feeling. Dante isn't a cruel person when it comes to people's sensitivity, and he knows he doesn't lack empathy. He was just honest--maybe too honest, and his habit of not being afraid to meet the consequences of his actions and words didn't help.
"Do آپ want me to say sorry?" the words managed to slip out, yet there was no hint of regret.
Her angered expression loosened. “…I would appreciate that.”
Shrugging, Dante pushed himself off the دیوار and took a step forward. “I apologize for comparing your flirtatious personality to a reality TV star…even if آپ can actually fit quite well with the role.”
In a تیز رو, سوئفٹ movement, he dodged her swung arm.
Looking stunned and out of breath, he stood straight back up. “I just was kidding!”
“You looked serious.”
“I guess I‘ll pass as a good actor then…”
“Does it look like I find your تبصرے funny?” she snapped back, taking a threatening step towards him.
“Well, uh…no?” He took a step back. “Didn’t think آپ were so violent.”
Her glare sharpened. “I’m not. I usually just walk away from situations like this.”
Dante was tempted to blurt out “Oh really?” at the moment, but seeing how he ticked her off enough, he held back his tongue.
“Why didn’t آپ walk away just then?” he questioned instead, trying to speak calmly.
“I don’t take multiple insults lightly, especially coming from guys like you. But…I guess I will now.” With that, she sneered slightly and spun around to walk away.
Dante twitched, knowing he shouldn’t let things escalate that quickly. “Wh- crud…WAIT!”
She didn’t stop, but slowed her pace and glanced over her shoulder. “What is it now?”
“I was thinking that I should probably apologize again,” he declared, rushing up and sliding to a halt in front of the ticked off bat, blocking her way.
Her brows lowered. “Are آپ going to throw another insult at me?”
“N-No! Of course not. I told you, it was a joke,” he objected, scratching his head. “Do آپ really think I would say something like that to a complete stranger?”
“You look like that type of person.”
Offended slightly, his ears lowered. “Judgmental, huh?
“Same to you,” she responded, and brushed passed him.
Groaning, he followed. “I didn't judge you! I just assumed that آپ were-”
“Feisty?”
“More like frisky.”
He avoided her arm once again, but jut barely.
Dante would have posed in triumph for having fast reflexes, but unfortunately, she attempted to ذائقہ, مارنا him again…and succeeded. Ignoring his throbbing head and her lethal glare, he winced slightly and straightened up. “I believe آپ were thinking of another definition…”
“Either way, don’t start with me.”
He held up his hands in defense. “Alright, I’ll keep my irrelevant تبصرے to myself. Happy?”
“No.”
“…Is this the right moment to apologize?”
“The moment has passed.”
Dante flinched, stunned سے طرف کی her words. “What?! Come on! I just-….I don’t want آپ to walk away while you’re furious سے طرف کی me.”
“Well that’s your fault, isn't it?” she grunted.
“I-…uh, I’m sorry?”
Rolling her eyes, the girl scoffed. “I told you, it’s too late.”
“I can still say sorry, right?” he winced.
“Sure. But…your apology is not accepted,” the bat retorted, twirling away from him to walk off before a reply was uttered.
The aardwolf didn't take a step forward, dumbfounded سے طرف کی her attitude. “What just-…?” he paused before completing his sentence, putting things together and trying to figure out what the heck just happened.
It took him a moment to realize that he ruined his reputation in a few minutes.
Frustrated, he proceeded to ذائقہ, مارنا his forehead while mumbling “smooth” under his breath.
Being thoroughly embarrassed, and knowing that he had pushed her limits, Dante chose not to go after the fuming girl. He also believed that he should give her some space to cool off. For one, getting hit once was enough, and two, he already damaged his ego.
Things hadn't gone as he had planned, which was to somehow maneuver around her anger, and now some random person thinks he’s a disrespectful jerk. This wasn't the first time he had made a terrible first impression, but it still got to him. As he mentally tormented himself over the multiple mistakes in those few minutes, he remembered something that truly irked him.
He never got her name.
Unable to suppress his anger towards himself in thoughts یا words, he carried out an aggravated headwall on the دیوار beside him.
Unfortunately Grace could not find Rynk. “Probably climbing on flagpoles… no pun intended… heh heh… flag-poles… wow…” Grace’s thoughts began to wander, but she slapped herself back to reality and went to the serious matter. “Right. Gotta find Rynk… can’t find her… that leaves… Craiger.”
Grace growled at the thought of actually looking for Craiger. Now doubt he would flirt, یا tease about her name again, but maybe he would be serious enough to answer some questions… یا not take Grace seriously, and joke some more. Still, she wanted answers.
Grace attempted to give the لومڑی some credit سے طرف کی checking normal places instead of the work-out area, but eventually ended up there anyway… he was not there. There were however a large amount of sweating masculine teenage boys, so a total loss… no.
Grace finally found Craiger on the lifeguard post at the school’s سیکنڈ swimming pool area. He was leaning back with his hands behind his head, relaxed and yawning a bit. Grace could not give up this opportunity. She cupped her hands to her mouth and screamed at the سب, سب سے اوپر of her lungs “FIRE!!!!”
Up went the فر, سمور of the previously dry Australian fox, and sploosh went the sound of his dignity as he face-high-fived the water below. Grace was nearly dying of laughter. She was on the floor with her hands on her stomach laughing her دل out; so much so in fact that she did not notice Craiger getting out of the water until she felt someone grab her feet and pull her into the pool.
“ACK!!” Grace sputtered as she kicked at Craiger who let her back up and got out himself. “YOU COULD HAVE DROWNED ME!!”
Craiger smirked. “The way Ah see it, آپ probably would’ve died of laughtah had Ah not gotten some revenge.”
Grace looked at him with a glare, but Craiger was chuckling. Strangely enough she found herself chuckling too. “Did آپ need something?”
“Yeah.” Grace replied as she got serious again. “What do آپ know about Supreta, and Melcro Labs.” Grace checked for any forms of a surprised reaction in the male fox, but found no sign. Strangely though he did not answer the question.
“You should probably dry off. I could get آپ a towel.”
“Criager, this i-“
“You know what they say about bleach-water and clothing.”
“No one says that! I just needed to-“
“Not to mention the stuff it does to your فر, سمور and al-“
“WILL آپ JUST SHUT IT AND LISTEN!!??” Grace smacked Craiger upside the head. He looked hurt, but Grace didn’t care.
Craiger took a deep sigh and answered, “Supreta is a country, Melcro Labs is a … science… thing. That good enough?”
“No.” Grace replied sternly. “You care to clue me in as to why Rynk, who is from Supreta, would suddenly run off after hearing about it”
“Well what time is it?”
“… What does that have to do wi-“
“Thirty منٹ پہلے the special abilities class started. Rynk probably had ta run off because she was late.”
“There is no way that-“
“Grace…” Craiger tried to calm himself, “It’s better آپ stay away from anything that has ta do with the name ‘Melcro’.”
“Care to tell me why?” Grace glared.
“No.” Craiger answered. He walked back to his post and climbed back to the tower سب, سب سے اوپر of it.
“HEY!” Grace yelled, but Craiger did not reply. “UGH!!!” Grace screamed. In her fury, Grace kicked the side of the tower and stormed out of the room. The kick caused the entire tower to fall in the pool, though Craiger jumped out before it did.
Grace eventually gave up on the تلاش for Rynk. سے طرف کی the time she had found the Class-room for Power Placement, it was over, and سے طرف کی the time she had gotten to Rynk’s dorm, Rynk was not there. So she walked around and around until it was time for bed. She went back to Rynk’s dorm one last time, but it was lights out.
The school looked quite creepy when it was dark, but almost a good creepy. Like that moment when آپ begin to get jumpy because it’s dark and no one sees you. Grace almost felt the urge to stalk around the hallways, یا put on a strange outfit and freak people out, but then she remembered that in the morning classes were back to normal, and this new teacher was not someone she wanted to miss out on, especially if she could mess around with her فر, سمور color یا something.
Lero_3ternal The Scarlet Rose
![[Project Shadow] - Proj the Echidna](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38100000/-Project-Shadow-Proj-the-Echidna-sonic-fan-characters-38156495-300-400.png)
