“Because none of you…
…might even make it to the finals.”
Silvie and Alisa could not help but look at each other as someone suddenly intruded on their conversation. Even with his mask on, the shape of his eyes made it clear that he was someone from the Orient.
“You are… from Japan?” Alisa muttered.
“I’m from China! How dare you compare us to those warmongers! You–” And before he could continue his rant, he suddenly closed his eyes; seemingly in an attempt to calm himself down.
“…” Alisa, on the other hand, could only look at the Chinese Super as he flicked his unusually long hair to the side before patting his robe-like uniform clean.
“I am Rednewt,” Rednewt then said as claws started to emerge from his fingers, “China’s Mega Student. Sorry to say this, but I–“
“Well, well. No one told me we were gathering here?” And once again, an introduction was cut short as another one joined the conversation; his accent posh, his walk even more so as his steps, for some reason, was partnered with a cane.
“My name is Julian Reuben, ladies and gentlemen,” Julian then bowed, rotating his cane and placing it behind him as he did so, “From Britain, as you may well expect, my good people.
And that one there brooding in the corner is Gintsune; she is a bit shy since she can’t speak in English that well,” Julian then pointed his cane towards a Super who had a mask in the shape of a fox’s head.
And judging by her fidgeting movements, she seemed to not know whether she should approach the others or not.
“And not to state the obvious, but we’re also the Mega Students of our respective and humble scho–“
“Shut the fuck up, Harry Potter.” And before Julian could even finish his words, Rednewt lightly pushed him to the side, “I was trying to introduce myself here and you go ‘well, well’ out of nowhere.”
“You are impeccably rude, sir,” Julian then said as he backed away a few steps, once again spinning his cane before tapping it two times on the floor.
“I’m rude!? You’re the one who–“
“I think we should leave all our energy once we face each other in the ring, don’t you think?”
“Why is everyone interrupting when I am the one talking!?” Rednewt could not help but groan in frustration as he turned his eyes towards the newest addition to their gathering; his eyes, however, needed to turn up before he could see the newcomer’s face.
“My name is Sefu,” Sefu bowed his head, crossing his arms then patting the front of his shoulders at the same time, “Africa’s Mega Student.”
“You… are you sure you’re still a student?” Rednewt furrowed his eyebrows as he tiptoed to make himself look taller.
“I would not be here if I was not,” Sefu only nodded his head, before turning his attention towards the other person that seemed to have been completely forgotten in the group,
“You were the one who defeated Jamba?” Sefu then said as he slowly made his way towards Riley. Rednewt, who felt slightly ignored, could not help but hiss; but did not really do anything drastic as he just turned his attention towards the whitest American he had probably seen in his life.
And it wasn’t only him; Julian, as well as Gintsune who was standing from afar, started to look at Riley. They have actually been curious about him since he was standing near 2 Mega Students since earlier… and now another one seemed to have something to say to him.
“I am, Sefu,” Riley nodded.
“The medical practitioners are saying he is alright, but he has not said a single word ever since he regained consciousness,” Sefu then said as he looked down on Riley, their eye levels almost half a meter apart, “You were also the last ones to finish their match…
…What did you do to him?”
“Cleaned his bones.”
“…What?”
“W… wait, wait!” With Sefu walking even closer to Riley, Silvie could not help it anymore and stood between them, “Riley won fair and square, if he didn’t then the match would have been stopped!”
“…” Sefu only glanced at Silvie, before once again looking Riley straight in the eyes; Riley on the other hand was looking nowhere in particular. He remained staring at him for a few more seconds, before leaving without even saying another word.
“I suppose that’s my queue to leave as well,” Julian tapped his cane on the floor again before winking at Silvie and Alisa, “If neither of you Mega Ladies has something to do tonight, may I ask for you to accompany me and we shall bask in the beautiful lights of the Festival?”
“Nyet.”
“Nyet, but thank you.”
“I see,” Julian then smiled as he once again bowed, “Very well, then I suppose it is only I and Gintsune who shall be walking through the fake moonlight, Let us go, my Japanese… friend?”
Julian looked towards where Gintsune was previously standing, only to see her no longer there.
“…” Julian then turned his head towards Rednewt, looking at him from head to toe before letting out a long sigh and leaving, “I suppose I shall walk alone.”
“Hmph, I am off as well,” Rednewt then clicked his tongue before taking his leave as well.
“He… sort of reminds me of Ga– of Dragon Monarch. Don’t you think so?”
“I see the similarity, American Mega Girl.”
“Speaking of which, I haven’t seen him all day.”
“He’s in house arrest.”
“…What?”
“But we should be able to see him tonight, American Mega Girl.”
“I–“
“I’ll leave you two love birds to it, then.”
And before Silvie could say another word, Alisa’s childish giggles reached her ears, “I hope to see you around outside the events as well, Silvie. The two of you should visit our housing sometime soon, I am sure the others would be delighted to meet you since we’re all from the same country. Wait, Now that I think about it…”
Alisa was about to leave, but as soon as she took her third step, she once again turned towards Silvie,
“2 out of the 7 Mega Students that are here right now are from Russia.”
“…I guess? My father is of American descent, though,” Silvie muttered.
“Doesn’t matter…
…Russia No. 1!”
And with that, Alisa left, her laughter slowly fading away as she disappeared into the distance of the underground.
“…”
“Shall… we go find the others?”
“I suppose so, American Mega Girl.”
And with that, all the Mega Students left the underground resting area. Well, all except the Mega Student of Singapore, who was standing near where the gathering happened, his eyes completely empty.
He was waiting for a chance to join in on the fray; but alas, before he could do so, they all left.
Maybe next time, Singapore.
***
“Oh, look who’s back.”
“What’s up, what’s up! Dragon Monarch’s up!”
With the events for the day done and the festivities still ongoing, most of the students were now once again enjoying the hundreds of booths and activities all around USMA. However, some of them could not help but move to the side as a tall and seemingly muscular man suddenly started dancing out of nowhere as he approached his friends.
“Did you all miss me!?” Gary then clapped his hand, before taking the chicken nuggets that Tomoe was eating away from her hand and proceeding to eat all of it without hesitation.
“…”
“How’s life in jail?” Hannah let out a small sigh before handing her corndog to Tomoe.
“Ah, you know. Same old, same old,” Gary also let out a sigh of his own as he looked towards the horizon, which was filled with people, “But I see a lot has changed since I was gone. I don’t remember this place being like this,” he then said, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
“…You’ve only been gone for 24 hours,” Silvie breathed out.
“Oh, has it been that long?” Gary then said as he squinted his eyes, “I suppose time moves even without the presence of the Dragon Monarch. Riley, my brother, I now see the error of my ways– thank you for stopping me before I could ravage the world with my insolence.”
“You got pissed drunk, what are you saying?” Hannah let out a small scoff as she seemed to have bought another corndog.
“It’s all part of the plan,” Gary then said as he covered one of his eyes with his hand, “I watched all of you from the shadows… and speaking of shadow, where’s Hurricane Boobies?”
“…What?”
“Riley’s assistant, you know,” Gary muttered as he fondled his armored chest, “Katrina.”
“I believe she is conditioning herself for the Race even tomorrow, Dragon Monarch,” Riley answered, “And she is not my assistant, she and I are of equal rank in the Police Force.”
“Oho, of course she’s not your assistant. I heard from someone that he heard from someone that someone saw her kissing you on the cheeks.”
“Wait… what?” Hannah almost choked on her corndog, “When did this happen!?”
“Last night,” Gary then said as he let out a small condescending chuckle, “I told you…
…I watch from the shadows.”
“Riley…
….I am going to tell mother that you’re playing with women’s feelings!”
And just like that, the first day of the Festival ended without a hitch.
***
“Hey, you! You shouldn’t be here!”
In one of the many spacious and restricted hallways that the Academy had underground, a group of guards was walking around happily talking, with food in their hands no doubt from one of the booths above ground. Their conversations, however, were cut short as they saw someone casually standing ahead of them.
“Who are you!?”
The group continued to approach the man; who seemed to be wearing a very tight suit that completely formed across the lines of his body, but perhaps the most noticeable of all was the jet-black motorcycle helmet he was wearing.
“Hey y–“
And before the group of guards could approach any further, the man suddenly disappeared. The guards were about to signal for reinforcements, but before they could do so an echoing thud traveled through the hallway– and with it, their bodies falling one by one.
The air around the three then distorted, once again revealing the stranger. The stranger then picked up one of the guards by his hair, causing the guard to slightly let out a groan. The stranger then faced the guard’s face right in front of him; and almost instantly, without even any signs or flickers, just a static really… and the stranger’s helmet disappeared.
Revealing a face… that was the same face as the guard he was holding.
“Mr. Wednesday here,” the stranger then said as he pressed something on his neck, “Infiltration successful…
…I’m in.”