The next few days passed in a blur of regular lessons and the new power focussed classes Ryn now had to attend as a result of essing-up. The mundanity of history, English and maths was now interspersed with hours long sessions dedicated to using her power, maximising the efficiency of her use of reserves and learning how to fight now she was no longer a baseline human.

Having been thoroughly taken to task by Greg in her personal debriefing she had fallen into a grinding routine of the regular curriculum, which hadn’t been reduced for her or her friends to give them extra time, and the more tailored lessons they had to endure based on their powersets. This would get better once the eternity that was a year to her almost fifteen year old mind had passed, at which point most of the non powered curriculum would be dropped.

Sally and Bad weren’t suffering as badly as Ryn and Kev. Their new lessons were just superpowered versions of the normal fighting classes they all had to take. They both seemed pretty beaten down by them though. Ryn and Kev had the same type of lessons but it was all focussed on dealing with an opponent that physically outclassed you due to their power as well as developing counters based on their own abilities.

With teleportation and sun-hot fire Ryn was doing far better than Kev. Her lanky friend had been forced to study directly with the Headmaster due to his perception ability allowing him to almost mimic Greg’s hyper efficient and predictive form of fisticuffs. The poor boy now twitched whenever he heard the Headmaster's tombstone voice.

Sweat poured down her brow from the physical exertion. It was Friday afternoon and soon she would be free but first she needed to survive an after lesson review from Bad’s dad. Amit had put her through her close combat forms, trying to force her to react and think at speeds most humans weren’t capable of. The dark skinned man was as unbothered by the late June heat as he would have been by the chill of being thousands of feet above sea level in his now lost homeland of Nepal.

“Before we begin the A.A.R. I want to walk you through something. It won’t involve further fighting!” he chuckled as he saw her face fall at this additional demand. “We need to work on your positioning. Assume your stance!”

Ryn fell into her combat stance, feet positioned beneath her shoulders and her weight spread evenly with her arms held loosely at her sides. Bad stalked around her tutting and muttering to himself in Nepali.

“Clothe yourself in fire!” he barked. Ryn summoned flames to cover her body. She had acquired a new uniform, made from the flesh of a monster her dad had helped kill while off-world during the third wave, that was resistant to elemental attacks and wouldn’t leave her naked every time she used her flame abilities.

“Do you feel it?” Amit demanded as he stopped in front of her and glared.

“No master. I don’t feel any different,” Ryn replied, she looked like a napalm candle but that didn’t affect her at all.

“The flames change your stance. Your weight has shifted.” Amit flicked out with his “training aid”, a two foot stick of inch thick mahogany. “Here, here and there, girl.” The switch lashed out striking her elbows, knees and hips surprisingly gently. Ryn was well aware the man was only too happy to leave welts and bruises on students that displeased him.

“We have spent hours over the last couple of days working on your close quarters style. There has been some improvement.” This was high praise indeed coming from the perfectionist. “But you are also studying with the casters and the time you spend like that-” Amit waved a hand at the golden flames covering Ryn from head to toe, “-is changing how you react. I believe we must find an alternative instructor for you to progress without introducing conflicting habits.” Ryns heart swelled at the prospect of not having to study under this sadist.

“There aren’t many instructors who are immune to fire damage, sir,” Ryn offered cautiously. Hope had blossomed in her heart. Boy bands and movie stars were largely a thing of the past as far as teenage girl heartthrobs went. These days the younger signatories of the Accords largely filled that role. Why obsess about people pretending when there were genuine heroes walking the earth? Inferno had been her secret crush for the last twelve months.

He was from Wintersreich, the polity that had taken over much of the former Germany. He had the accent and his rakish good looks, while far from the manicured perfection of someone like Starfall, never failed to set butterflies going in her stomach. If he could be her new instructor? That would be a dream come true.

“In light of this,” Amit continued, feigning obliviousness to the sudden lack of focus in Ryn’s eyes and her dilated pupils, “I think it would be best to introduce your new instructor.” Ryn gulped and turned to follow Amit’s outstretched arm.

Cringle! the girl thought harshly.

“Hi Mum,” she waved half heartedly as Vic strode out across the sands of the training ground.

“Ryn, you will refer to me as Instructor Borrows or Sunstrike. Now drop those flames right now. We need to talk about temperature, pressure and density before we do anything else! Thank you, Amit. I hope we’ll see you tomorrow at the barbecue? We’re all looking forward to getting the old gang back together for a relaxing afternoon. It’s been too long since any of us had some real time off to catch up,” Vic finished warmly as she turned to face Amit.

“Of course, Vic. We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he replied with a broad white grin. He nodded to Ryn and pivoted on his heel before marching off to torture some other poor soul. Ryn looked up into her mum’s eyes and carefully controlled her expression.

Oh cringle! This is going to suck!

Forty five minutes of training later, feeling bruised and humiliated, Ryn escaped her mothers less than tender care. She didn’t feel any ill will towards her mum. Ryn now knew first hand how dangerous life was beyond the security of Bob’s defences and the carefully controlled monster populations of the UK.

Teamchat:

Kathryn: Are you guys out yet? I’m by the gate.

Kevin: I’ll be there in a second.

Bahadur: It will be another fifteen minutes for me. Somehow my dad found himself with some free time this afternoon and is now “reinforcing” yesterday's training. I’d love to know how you managed that Ryn!

Sally: Be there in five! Don’t go anywhere without me!

Kathryn: We won’t! Bad: I swapped your dad for my mum. You got lucky mate!

Bahadur: I would beg to differ.

Eventually the four friends assembled just beyond the gates of the Academy, the huge low slung building stretching out behind them as they turned and made their way down New Main Street once again. With no covert mission this time they took their time and enjoyed each other's company.

Drones of various designs and sizes drifted overhead. Some were the sleek BME designs Bob favoured, aerodynamic and almost silent. Others were bulky antiquated looking things that appeared to be badly constructed flying bricks. These cruder models produced various hums and roars as they manoeuvred, partially obscuring the raucous yells of the street trade late on a Friday afternoon.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“We need a healer,” said Kev as he stopped to pick up a defensive trinket being offered at a ridiculous price by one of the more optimistic, or less scrupulous, vendors. The man glowered at the teens until Ryn held up her hand and a flame sprang up, showing the man they had Essence and were likely not going to rob him. Ryn suppressed her smile at the irony.

“Yeah, but all the best healers are from Ascension and I don’t know if dad will go for that,” muttered Ryn as she examined an exquisitely worked piece of Wasp chitin. It had been cut into the shape of a wing and hung from what she assumed was a silver chain. “How much for this please?” she asked the owner, moving to one side and leading the sour looking man away from her friends.

“Ah you have excellent taste young miss! That is chitin from a Wall wasp, guaranteed at least level thirty five! Aside from its outstanding beauty, the wasps refuse to approach anyone bearing trophies from their more powerful brethren making it a valuable safeguard should you ever serve on the Wall!” he said enthusiastically.

“I’d heard that,” Ryn said as she moved further to the side, making sure the man could see her hands and his trinket at all times as she turned it over to examine it. “Does it have any drawbacks?” she asked innocently.

“None at all my dear! I’ll tell you what, a piece this fine really should be sold for at least fifteen Essence but I like the look of you! You remind me of my own daughter! How about we agree to twelve?” his eyes twinkled with what Ryn assumed was avarice rather than warmth.

“I heard that if you wear a trophy the wasps that are higher level than the source will pay you special attention,” she replied calmly. She was watching her light fingered friends discreetly requisitioning a few choice items from the other end of his stall.

“That is nonsense child! Who told you such lies?” he demanded.

“My teachers. I do like it though. Would it be ok to hold it for me? I could come back tomorrow and pick it up then? For ten Essence of course.”

“Ah that is too low! Perhaps I could hold it for twelve, but for ten? I’m afraid not.” He shook his bald head sadly.

With a dramatic sigh Ryn handed the necklace back to the store owner. “I’m afraid that would be too much. I’m not the scion of some noble house, sir. My family has to guard our Essence carefully. Thank you for your time.” She turned and moved away and she fell naturally into the formation her friends always adopted: Bad and Ryn on either side and slightly in front of Sally and Kev.

“Anything good?” Ryn asked quietly as they moved away from the stall.

“‘Not the scion of some noble house’” laughed Bad. “Nah, just some low tier trinkets. Ham will likely trade for them though,” said Bad quietly. “So if we can’t get an Ascension healer who can we tap? Jed is pretty good but he’s a year above us and is already forming a team. No way will he want to drop down to work with us.”

“Jules is the same. Until we get some of our year with healing skills we’ll need to look outside the Academy and get them brought in off the back of your family pushing it,” said Sally to Ryn, who shrugged. She doubted her mum would go for an Ascension healer because the Cult was weird about her dad.

“Putting the healers aside, we need more DPS. Two tanks, one DPS and one control, yours truly, isn’t going to cut it,” grumbled Kev, clearly still not at peace with the nature of his power.

“What’s up mate? You weren’t proscribed and you’re a psyker! That’s one of the best starts you can get!” said Ryn, trying to comfort her lanky friend.

“Yeah, I suppose. It’s weird. I can sense motives and surface thoughts, even on level fifteen peeps, if I try! The world looks so different to how it did a few days ago,” Kev said quietly, looking around as though he expected spies behind every stall.

“How so?” asked Sally as she eyed a food stall selling monster-bacon sandwiches.

“It’s like there’s colours I’d never seen before and everything is underwater with these new dyes floating through it. It’s odd. Dad was pissed off as well, and being able to read your old man's mind is not bloody fun when he’s angry!” said Kev.

“That’s two Essence you owe me!” Ryn grinned, delighted to now be able to include her friends in the joys of the swear jar. “Why was your dad annoyed?”

“I don’t follow your bloody swear jar rules,” grumbled Pete as Ryn made a mental note of one more Essence owed. “I don’t know what annoyed Dad but he doesn’t usually have to have meetings with Traveller and Sunstrike and Hammer for a start.”

“Dad hates that name!” laughed Bad happily. “He wanted to be known as Thanḍaraphisṭa.” As the other three looked at him blankly he continued, “it means Thunderfist you barbarians!”

His friends began singing “doo doo doo doo, do, do, thunder time!” and shuffling back and forth sideways.

“Dicks,” muttered Bad as he suppressed a grin.

"Sounds basically the same. Did Nepali just steal some of our words?” joked Sally. Bad’s arm flicked out almost too fast for Ryn to follow but Sally caught his fist in her left hand and smirked.

“Bit bloody rich for the English to complain about other people nicking their words,” Bad muttered as he shook off Sally’s grip and they continued moving towards Blue Street and the Longhouse.

“We won’t have to filch stuff anymore. Well, once they let us start the grind anyway,” said Ryn cheerfully to change the subject.

“Yeah. It’ll be a shame, I kind of like the risk involved. But hey, we’ll be able to get some sweet gear! Your parents are shareholders in BME, do you reckon they could talk the old mech into giving us a discount? Mum and Dad are already sweating having to keep up with whatever stuff you and Bad end up with,” asked Kev.

“Probably not but Dad said he’d spare no expense on gear for me, I’m pretty sure I can swing him into helping you guys out as well. So more DPS and a healer… who are our other options?”

They chatted amicably as they moved through the crowds of people and humanoids. The transformed and the regular looking people mingled well enough. Some of the more savage transformations tended to struggle with their newfound animalistic sides but the ever floating presence of the SecuriBob drones kept all but the most wildly idiotic on their best behaviour.

“So you guys are coming tomorrow, right? Evie’s back, Sam and Raoul are going to be there, even uncle Reg!” asked Ryn as they prepared to part ways and make their way to their own homes.

“Uncle Reg? Have you seen the video where he turns like fifty Zutanaraatan into paste by making them too heavy to support their own weight? And then he rambles on about fecking sludge feckers for about ten minutes! It’s hilarious but I don’t think he’s a selling point!” said Sally as she smiled at Ryn.

“I like Uncle Reg. He’s a major contributor to the swear jar. If I could spend some more time around him I’d be level twenty in no time!”

“You’re allowed to use that Essence to level?” asked Bad sceptically.

“No, unfortunately. Dad put his foot down on that. But he did say I could use it for gear! Hey, how about we pool what we are offered between us? Whatever your parents and mine are willing to spend gets put into a pot, then I can talk Dad into adding the swear jar on top of it all and we share it out so we all get what we need! That way we can get some primo stuff! I pretty much just need stuff that’s flame retardant so I’ll have loads extra! I’ll talk to Dad about it tonight, you guys ask your parents as well?” Ryn said excitedly. They all agreed to put this plan to their parents but Sally and Kev looked dubious that it would be acceptable. They promised to try anyway.

“How are you getting home anyway? You can’t fly yet can you?” asked Kev.

“I’m giving her a lift. Hey there, Sprout! You’ve shot up!” said Evie as she appeared next to Ryn’s friends, the chameleonware in her armour returning it to the usual silver exterior. Kev nearly leapt out of his skin as Ryn rushed to hug her sister.

“Made you jump?” asked Evie as she looked the tall boy up and down suspiciously over the top of Ryn’s head.

“I c-can sense people when they’re close now but I didn’t feel you!” Kev stammered, cowed by the much shorter woman who was a blank to his new senses.

Evie’s helmet slid back and she smiled gently, her short red hair curling around her ears. “I’m in good standing so I’m psyker-proofed.” She tapped an armoured finger against her temple. “It’ll be fun being a teenage boy who can read minds, I’m sure!” Evie cackled, reminding Ryn’s friends that “witch” was part of her nom de guerre.

“How was the Wall?” asked Bad. “Miss Evie,” he added hurriedly.

“None of that Bad! Ryn’s friends are my friends. The Wall sucks, dude. As in really fucking sucks. Goddamn wasps everywhere from Aktash to Ludhiana. It’s a bit better south of there but the Raj are being dicks again and pushing for concessions. If we don’t accept they’ll cut back on their forces and it will get shitty there as well. Fucking politics!” Evie sounded exasperated but Ryn made a careful note of what was owed to The Jar.

“What about the Push?” asked Sally.

“The Push is more myth than reality, kid. We’re spread too thin. We’d have to abandon at least one of the Lines to muster the strength to make a meaningful move. That would let the other monsters run hogwild and then… heh never mind. We’re working on it but it won’t be anytime soon.” Evie turned to look at Ryn. “Well kiddo, I hear Dad is going to teach you to fly tonight so we’d better not keep the grumpy old bastard waiting eh? Nice to see you guys again!” Evie smiled at Ryn's team.

Ryn said goodbye and once her friends were on their way to the portals that would take them home she hopped over next to Evie and grinned.

“Ready for liftoff, commander!” Ryn said, rehashing a game they had played when Ryn had been very small and had first gone flying with her big sister.

“Hold onto your lunch!” Evie gave the standard response as she summoned a disc of force and lifted them both into the air before shooting off towards the Topping.