It was a sunny day, in the municipal bus station that drives straight to the city of science. Academy City. A metropolis purely dedicated to the pursuit of science and all its miscellaneous ventures, attended by people of all ages, child to adult.
Technologically, Academy City boasts of being ahead of the rest of the world for over fifty years, leaving other states envious for its capabilities. As the name implies, Academy City is a learning center dedicated to the cause of development for the Human race.
Through sneak-peeks allowed by the City of Wonder. It has been proven through the techs, and inventions being made, that Academy City is truly worthy of being called a sovereign state of its own.
But among all the things produced by Academy City. What had truly put them on the map, were their artificial production of Superpowers. In their propaganda, Academy City advertised that through the use of a special program, a distinct form of hypnosis is utilized, which activates in an individual, what is known as Personal Realities.
To the world, those who participated in such experiments carried out by the city were called ' Espers'. It was only natural that as a result of this, Academy City became quite the hot cake to the entire world, as everyone vied for the ability to do the impossible.
Sadly, there were stipulations for the experiments. Firstly, Academy City has determined that adults were not capable of activating their Personal Realities due to the fact that hormones generated during puberty and adolescence is critical to Esper development. Ultimately it leaves children to be the ones capable of achieving such wonders.
Another caveat is that while children are capable of archiving their Personal Realities, it is not within a 100% probability that they would be capable of acquiring tangible Superpowers. Which had led to the establishment of Levels that describes the power potential of an Esper, from 1 to 5-6.
Generally majority of Espers are situated within Level 1, as opposed to the still unidentified number in about 2.5 million students in Academy City that are Level 5. Level 6 on the other hand, is nothing but a myth.
At least until today…
-IAL-
The car hummed, passing the smoothed tar streets heading towards the exit of Academy City. The driver, a man with tanned skin, dressed in piece suit, while wearing dark glasses. Had the looked of someone who had been made to be a bodyguard. Truly he was exactly that.
Throughout his duration, he had secured various V.I.P personals for the city. Two Board of Directors were among his protected personnel in his dossier. One thing he noted about all of them was that they were all the epitome of calmness and composure, like there was nothing that could shake them.
The bodyguard sometimes thought that some of them weren't human at all. But today was a different case.
"Fhew. Fhew. Fhew. Fhew. Hoo." The young woman, breathed in and out erratically.
"Oh, come on! If you keep this up, you'll be dead before reaching our destination!" The man next to her, probably her colleague. Remarked in exasperation.
Spying a look through the back mirror, the bodyguard got a look at his latest clients. They were both dressed in lab coats. The man had a more casual inner wear of a simple white and black shirt, and jeans as opposed to the woman who wore a clinical white packet shit and black pants.
They weren't his usual types of clienteles, as these duos were scientists as opposed to the political dignitaries. But as a bodyguard, his job was not to make judgment of his clients, it is to provide security relief.
So he settled back down, gripped the steering wheel, faced the road while alert, and kept on driving.
Rubbing the woman's back to pacify her, the man in lab coat continued. "Oi- Kanari-san. I know you must be quite excited to meet him. I am too. But for you to behave in such way, really isn't like you."
Kanari swept her brown left hair fringe behind her ear, as she slinked back and took a deep breathe.
"You are right, Tanaka-kun." She replied calmly but was still unable to quell her excitement. Turning with enough force, that Tanaka shifted back a little, she continued.
"But! But! But! Tanaka-kun. This one is might actually be different, he might actually be the… Mph!"
The brown hair scientist wasn't able to continue as Tanaka quickly covered her mouth while spying a look at the driver.
"Do you really to announce to the world, that there is a big possibility that the boy we are going to collet is a Level 6. This is supposed to be convert, Kanari. Co-n-ver-t! That means no talking." Tanaka harshly whispered.
The woman nodded, as the man in his twenties sighed in relief while releasing his hand from her mouth. Scuffling his raven hair, Tanaka hands slipped into his pocket, producing a cigar and lighter.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
After some calming inducing puffs. The scientist flicked away the rest, as he commented. "It's not like I don't share, your enthusiasm, Kanari-san. But do you really think he might be the one. I mean, while that metal in the sky is one of the best inventions of Academy City. It is not infallible."
Slouching, the woman rested her elbow on her at the side. "I know, but still it speculated that, he was around a 97.8976% chance of being the SYSTEM. Not even the white one had that; it was only the potential. This one is the real deal."
Shaking his head, Tanaka acquiesced. "Well. This will all be settled by the end of the day."
The continued unspoken words were. Whether by the end of the day, Academy City would be celebrating the birth of its first Science God or just another Level 5.
….
"Alright young man. You know that this isn't the time to be crying." A young woman with a beautiful countenance said, while trying to appear stern. Although to the observers, tears were clearly streaming down her own face.
With brown-dark hair pass her waistline, dressed in a dull yellow dress, and cover wear. The married woman hugged her son, so that he wouldn't be able to see her teary face.
"You remember what I and your dad promised, David?"
Her son nodded. "That no matter how far we are from each other. That as long as I hold unto, this locket." Hand moved, clenching the said accessory. "You will always be there with me."
Cleaning her eyes quickly, she faced her son while wearing a tired smile. "Don't you ever forget that you hear me?"
"Un…" Her sweet child nodded.
The boy's father who had dark hair with a hard face, squatted, rubbing through the impossible horizontal hair of his child, lovingly.
"We'll always come visit. I promise. Every parent's day, we'll come cheering you on. In fact, a time may just come, you'll even be embarrassed to see us, when we old folks come to cheer for you."
Blushing, David avidly shook his hair. "That won't happen, because you both are my parents, and the best in the whole world!" He ended, waving his hands in an aggrandizing way.
His father smirked. "I'll hold you unto that, Big Guy."
A cough pulled their attention up to see individuals dressed in lab coats. The woman looked awkward in interrupting their conversation, while the man appeared to be non-impressed.
"Uhm. We are the personnel responsible for taking your son, into Academy City." The brunette said offering a handshake. "I am Kanari Uesuko. Head of Research Unit for the Power Curriculum Program. He's Tanka Hamaguchi, Special Researcher of AIMs."
Tanaka threw a finger salute. "Oos."
David instantly went behind his mother holding her dress, while appearing demure.
The husband threw a look at his wife, before slowly shaking Kanari's hand. "Charles Haller, and this is my wife, Rebecca Haller. I wasn't informed that my son would be following some strangers. He was supposed to be with the others."
Charles gestured to where parents and their children hovered in their multitude. Impatiently waiting for the arrival of the city buses. Some were still busy saying their goodbyes, while a few others watched the Hallers, wondering whether they were some sort of VIPs.
"Your son." Kanari inferred. But was instantly cut off by the aggressive interruption of the man's wife.
"Son! What does David have to do with this? Are you going to experiment on him?" Rebecca fired. Looming over Kanari, who let out a frightened squeak. "I swear if one hair on my boy…"
"Mrs. Rebecca please." Tanaka interjected, pacifyingly. "Mam. Unlike the others here, your son is quite special to say in the least. We are not going to experiment on him, just run some confirmatory tests to establish his nature."
"But aren't you scientists?!" Rebecca continued unamused.
The man eye widened, as his face finally showed some mirth. "Mrs. Rebecca. I am a scientist, but that does not only mean experimenting. I also do research, observe. Those kinds of stuffs. Please your son is in safe hands. And from what I've been briefed about young David here. He is more than capable of protecting himself."
Finally, David released his hold over his mother's dress. Bobbing. "Dad says if you try anything bad and painful to me, I have his permission to blow you away from the face of the earth."
Both scientists blinked, looking at Charles who proudly nodded, ruffling his son's head. "Yes, I did, son."
Charles turned to Kanari, while addressing Tanaka at the same time. "Please forgive my wife, there. David, he's everything to us, so the fact that he has to be away at such a young age is just painful to say in the least."
Kanari nodded sympathetically. "I understand, sir. But I promise, what we are doing is perfectly safe."
"Oh yes it better be safe. Because if it's not, I've given David my blessings to let loose on any idiot who will try to lay hands on him. Just like those bastards from before." Charles blue eyes turned cold, while he gained a slight bloodthirsty atmosphere around him.
Like a switch, his cold look vanished, replaced by a warm one. "David, it's time to go. Pack your bags, you are heading to Academy City."
Rebecca gave one last sniff, unable to stop the tears this time. Kissing her son on the head, she said. "You will be among people who are like you. This time, you wouldn't be alone, no one will call you anything. Make friends, lots of them, so that the next time I see you… You'll be smiling. I love you, David."
David looked back with his heterochromiac eyes, of grey and green glowing with joy. "Love you too, Mom. Dad."
Charles smiled, "Me too."
David turned pointing a hand towards his luggage, a blue aura giving off motes came off his hands and his eyes gained cerulean hue. The area around his luggage rippled, and where there was once luggage, now was simply nothing.
"David-kun…"
The boy spun to see Kanari sporting a dull look. "Hmm."
"What… Did you just do?"
David tilted his head. "Well, I don't know. Dad says I created a pocket dimension or something. But all I just did was store my bags somewhere, they are too heavy to carry."
While both scientists hid it very well, their atmosphere spoke of it all. There was now a hunger to know more.
With only a small backpack on his person. David Haller waved one final goodbye and left with the others.
Meanwhile unknown to even the child wonder himself, a phantom image trialed behind him. A man who had his exact appearance only older, dressed in an unbuttoned white packet shirt and black pants, turned to Charles and Rebecca with a melancholic look.
'Don't worry, Pa, Ma. This time I won't let him become me.'
Deep within David's psych. A void filled with eerie voices belonging to Men, and Women. Old and Young. Human and Inhuman. All of great numbers groaned with a terrible rumble. Wanting to be free once more.
'No matter what, there will be no more Legion.'