“So, have you received what I sent you guys?”
In a dimly lit and cold room, Gary was currently seated at a table; his elbows resting as his eyes glared back and forth towards the other people in the room.
“Hm, I think we need more information before we can move forward and pass it to the boss.” The other voice in the darkness whispered through the air, causing Gary to slightly squint his eyes from the disapproving tone it produced.
“I agree,” another voice joined in, “I don’t think miss would approve of it.”
“And what about you, what do you think?” Gary then turned his eyes to the other silhouette sitting silently beside him.
“It’s ugly.”
“What did– Gah!”
And before Gary could finish his words, he couldn’t help but close his wide-opened eyes as a flash of light pierce them; the light violent, with seemingly no plan to disappear. “N… no, has god finally decided to take me for all the sins I have made in this–“
“Uhm…”
“Is that… is that the voice of an angel!?”
“Please… don’t turn off the lights without permission.”
“Oh, it’s just you, Charlie.”
“It’s Charlotte! And I rephrase my words– Do not turn off the lights at all!” Charlotte, the cashier of the Korean Shaved Ice store, stomped her foot on the ground, slightly causing Gary to stumble as the table he was resting his hand on to lightly quake.
“This isn’t your personal meeting room that you can just use whenever you want!”
“Can I have another Mango Graham, cashier Charlotte?”
“Okay, what size would that be?” But as soon as Riley ordered another batch of his dessert, Charlotte’s frown quickly turned into a smile.
“Large, please.”
“And what about the rest of you?”
“I… I think I had enough sugar, thank you,” Silvie waved her hand as she let out an awkward chuckle.
“Same, my sugar levels are way above my liking. Mother would probably beat the hell out of me if she finds out,” Hannah, who was sitting beside Silvie, was looking back and forth between the menu and the already empty cup in front of her; her face, clearly conflicted.
“Okay, one Large Mango Graham coming right up,” Charlotte then smiled as she turned around; snarling at Gary as she did so.
“A… anyway,” Gary then cleared his throat as he once again turned his attention to Riley and the others, “I knew you guys were going to say that, so I edited some details to it,” he then said as he handed a paper to each of his three compatriots.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“So… what do you think of my new costume?”
“It’s suspiciously better than before, did you copy this from someone else?”
“It’s good, you should go with this.”
“It’s still ugly, Gary.”
“What do you mean it’s still ugly!? Do you even constructive criticisms, bro!?”
“I was taught the compliment sandwich by father,” Riley nodded as Charlotte placed his order in front of him.
“Then I would like to hear that!”
“You don’t deserve it,” Riley shook his head.
“W– Talk to you brother! Why is he so snarky today!?”
“He’s usually like that,” Hannah scoffed as her hands slowly reached towards Riley’s Mango Graham cup. But before she could touch it, it slightly slid nearer to Riley.
“Tch. Enough about the costumes for now. What do you guys think we will be doing outside?”
“Probably gain some actual real-life experience?” Silvie placed her hand on her chin as she squinted her eyes, “Our instructor did say that’s what our exercises for the past few days were for.”
It has been a week since most of the students of the Academy had failed the hostage rescue exercise, and since then, they have been doing it every day. Most of them had already passed once or twice, with Silvie redeeming herself by accomplishing and completing all of it so far.
Some, however, were still out of luck as the scenario was different day by day.
“Speaking of your instructor, how is she treating Ri–“
“Let’s not go there for now!” Gary lightly slammed his whole torso on the table before Hannah could continue your words, “I feel jealous just thinking about it, agh.”
“What do you mean you’re jealous!? This is pedophilia! I even reported it to the guidance office but they said their relationship was allowed as some sort of development exercise for Riley!”
“It’s allowed!? Oh, my heart wanes… I wish I was born on the spectrum as well.”
“I do not see what is so wrong with it,” Silvie let out a small sigh, “Riley is at the age of consent and is well within the law to do as he wishes… that is of course, if he is truly willing and not being coerced into his situation.”
“Wh– he’s still too young for that old hag! Seriously, am I the only one normal here!? Don’t you guys watch the docuseries they had on Webflix about this very same situation!? Riley, say something here! I swear, I will find a way to tell this to mother once we’re outside next week!”
“Thank you for always worrying about me even if it is not needed, sister. But Scarlet Mage is only serving me as my subordinate, there will not be any issue arising from this that you should be concerned about.”
“S… slave!? Miss Scarlet Mage is your slave!?” Silvie, who had previously been pretty calm about their conversation, suddenly stood up from her seat, almost tipping off Riley’s Mango Graham cup.
“No, she is my subordinate, Silvie.”
Riley’s words, however, seem to just fly past her as her face began to redden like the insides of a watermelon.
“Enough, enough of this talk!” Hannah yelled as she covered her ears, “I forbid you from seeing that woman again, Riley!”
“That is impossible, sister. She is the adviser in my class.”
“Ugh!”
Hannah once again groaned in frustration as she saw Riley’s lack of care. Throughout the years, she was always the one beside Riley. Riley, as is the obvious past, was not easy to take care of as a young child.
Even though she was only turning 5 years old then, the memory of Riley coming into their lives was a memory that seemed to have been etched inside her mind.
He did not allow others to touch him; outbursts and other potentially violent behavior usually surfaced whenever he was touched without his permission. She could still remember all the scratches and bite marks she had received as a child; in fact, one of the wounds she got still followed her as a scar, even now as she was taking her first steps to adulthood.
She got the scar when she was around 7 years old; Riley had been refusing to take a bath for almost a week back then, causing the whole house to stink like a wet dog drowned in its own pee.
No one had been able to touch Riley still, and her parents were too doting to even do anything about the situation, not even a single sermon. And so, the young Hannah decided to take matters into her own hands.
She sneaked inside Riley’s room one night, went to his private shower room, filled the bucket she was holding with water… and splashed him with all of it as Riley was peacefully sleeping on his bed.
Riley immediately sat up from his bed, but before he could do anything, Hannah dragged him out of the bed and pulled him by the ankles straight towards the shower room– a feat somewhat easily done thanks to her 2 years of martial arts training with Bernard. However, that didn’t take away the fact that she was, in retrospect, still a child– what followed was a scuffle.
As soon as she let go of Riley’s feet, he immediately bit her foot; right beside where an already healing bite mark was peacefully positioned. Hannah didn’t hold anything back, as she also bit Riley on the arm even as he stank like a rotten egg left out inside the fridge for 2 weeks.
The scuffle continued for almost a full minute until Hannah could no longer bear the pain, causing her arms to immediately burst into flames. But before it could do any damage to Riley, she moved away. But as she did so, however, the flames on her hands shot towards the water heater; causing it to hiss.
The two of them had their eyes focused on the quaking water heater; and as soon as it showed signs that it was about to burst, Riley immediately stepped back and turned around. Hannah, however, jumped over him.
Riley quickly bit her shoulder in response. Hannah, however, did not do anything as her embrace grew even tighter. And soon, a deafening sound erupted in the air, causing both of their ears to ring.
She could not remember if she was crying as the whistling in her ear didn’t disappear; what she could remember, however, was the warm feeling flowing from her back. She had never once felt the sensation of heat before in her life, so it was something quite a foreign feeling for her as a 7-year-old child.
However, that feeling of warmth was momentary; as what followed after was a shrilling scream that quickly brought back her hearing. It was then that she found out that the warm feeling trailing behind her back was her own blood.
Her entire back, filled with shards of glass and debris; her flesh torn to shreds. But even then, she did not let go of Riley until her mother arrived; surprisingly, even with the strength of the explosion, besides Hannah’s bite marks, Riley was completely unscathed.
The next thing that Hannah could remember was waking up in the hospital, with the sight of Riley holding her hand.
And since then, she became the only person that was allowed to touch him; even to the point that Riley follows her orders when there were chores to be done inside the house. And so, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that she was more of a mother to Riley rather than a sister.
“Do not be too sad, sister. I left you some.”
Hannah woke up from reminiscing as Riley slowly pushed his Mango Graham shaved ice, its contents carefully split in half. “If you are worrying that you are being replaced, don’t be. You are still the most important object in my life, sister.”
“…What’s with that, you shit,” Hannah let out a tiny scoff as she immediately grabbed the cup, “…thanks,” she then softly whispered.
“Oh man, this moment is even sweeter than dessert.”
“T… that’s true. I wish I had a sibling as well,” Silvie wiped the tear that was threatening to fall from her eye.
“But whenever I remember your superhero name is Nuclear Baby, it all goes away,” Gary then added as he let out a muffled chuckle.
“W…
…What’s wrong with Nuclear Baby!?”
And so, with life in the school continuing to blossom, the time for the pioneer students of Mega Academy to have their first major exercise had arrived. And even more so being let out of the Academy after more than a month of being cooped up inside, the students were more excited that they would finally be able to wear the costume they have painstakingly sketched and designed for two whole weeks.
Meanwhile, as their excitement grew, those that were hidden in the shadows grew as well.