Jason put his leather jacket on as he left the penthouse, a helmet in his hand. Closing the door, he entered the elevator.

“Ava,” he muttered into his watch as he casually fixed his jacket's collar.

“Door is locked. Security systems in place.” A female voice sounded out, her emotionless voice laced with an electrically robotic sound.

Jason exited the elevator and went into the basement, where his personal garage was located. When he arrived at the entrance, he tapped then swiped at a hologram that shone out of his watch, which flew to the side of the door, where a console was located. A beep was heard, then the garage door slowly opened to reveal 3 vehicles. An advanced motorcycle with 4 tires, two on each wheel, giving it an aggressive look,[1] a sleek silver coupe that was equipped with 4 hover tires, and, finally, a 4x4 that looked similar to a Hummer but had a less boxy and smooth body. Instead, it had uneven angular outlines all around it while its tires were about 40 inches tall. [2]

In a relaxed manner, he walked up to the motorcycle, stroking it's matt black body. The beast gave a small roar as its engine began to start up, making him admire it for only a moment.

Placing the helmet on his head, he holstered himself onto the bike and set off, speeding out the garage and onto the open road. Despite the sun shining down its warmth, the interface in Jason's helmet indicated that it was around 8°c which was a bit chilly for this time of the month.

“Ava, Anything interesting?” Jason asked into his helmet as the wind roared past him.

“Yes. In the news, there appear to be changes within Rogue Industries” Ava replied.

“Oh, What changes?”

“The new CEO, Katherine Rogue, has started funding an expedition to Egypt. It seems like she's very interested in a newly unearthed pyramid that specifically worships the Sun God Ra.” Ava explained.

“Ra? Gods?” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. While most would assume that this was simply a press move, Jason, however, felt an uneasiness linger in the air when he contemplated this news. He knew better than anyone else that there was much more to myths and legends.

“Keep an eye on her progress, notify me if there's any situation. Any, Ava,” Jason instructed to the AI.

“Of course, Jason. Also, there is a report from the Council, available in a secure network at the Loft.”

“Hmm, anything else?” Jason asked appearing to be dismissive of the Council's report.

“There is. A rumor that I believe is more prudent to discuss in the Loft, on a more secure line.”

“Alright, in the meantime, play a song. Surprise me,” Jason requested Ava. Immediately a classic rock song began playing in a low volume.

“Nice, Skillet," his face was stoic and impassive under the helmet as he increased his speed. Yet the slight rocking of his head revealed his satisfaction.

***

Alina took a deep breath before entering the open door of her classroom and saw a third of the class was already full, most students were gathered in small groups chatting. However, the moment she entered, the conversations died as all eyes fell on her.

“Is that her? The new level sixer?”

“Whoa, she's in our class?”

“I heard she awoke as a level 2 immediately! Then she became a sixer in two years, two years!”

Similar hushed whispers hummed through the classroom as Alina calmly walked to a seat in the back at the far corner, next to a window.

Class is just starting, I bet they'll take it easy on us the first day so no point being in the front. Besides, I'll have a lot less eyes on me in the back, Alina thought as she sat down, her head prompted on her arm as she looked out the window located on her left. The view included the outdoor sports field which was much larger than an average one. Clearly, it was used for training ESPer powers and Spellcasting.

“Hey there!”

After 15 minutes or so, a figure pounced onto her table. With slanted brown eyes that shone brightly, and long straight hair that was raven black, a beautiful girl leaned towards Alina with her hands on the table. Alina tilted her head to get a better look at the girl in front of her.

Damn, She thought. With those looks and that straight bangs haircut, she'd look great in a Miko outfit.

“I'm Chiba Asami! Chiba's my last name by the way,” She grinned, her infectious smile influencing Alina who was still daydreaming.

“I'm Alina, Alina Sage,” said, Alina, as she stretched her hand towards Asami, who grabbed her hand instantaneously and started shaking it rather enthusiastically.

“Oh, I already know, did you know you've been crowned the new queen of our school? The Electric Queen! Pretty cool name right?” Asami shot her questions quickly, ensuring that Alina took a moment to catch up to her pace.

“Ungh. Terrible naming, why queen though?” asked Alina as she collapsed forwards.

“That's the title given to the most popular girls in the school, meaning there are queens in all levels of our Academy. The ones most famous are the ranking queens, those with high-level abilities or talent in Spellcasting. Like you!” replied Asami in a bright manner.

“Huh, go figure, I'm a queen. Awesome," Alina answered unenthusiastically. “Speaking of which, you're not intimidated by me?”

“What do you mean?” Asked a bemused Asami, her button-like nose wrinkled while her head was tilted in a cute manner, causing Alina to see literal question marks above her head.

“Well, it seems like most people are too intimidated by my level. I mean, you're the first to talk to me,” Alina crossed her arms as she leaned back on her chair, her eyes meeting with the other students, who promptly looked away. She then took a good look at the girl, Asami, in front of her and realized that she was not nervous at all. Rather, she seemed curious and excited which seemed strange to Alina.

“Why would I? You look so adorable! Of course I'd come to talk to you even if you weren't a sixer!” Asami's smile warmed Alina who couldn't help but smile back. “But… since you're here, and I'm talking to you, do you wanna give an official comment for the papers?”

“Eh?” Alina looked at Asami, her eyes widening.

“Well, I am a reporter after all!” exclaimed Asami as she pulled a recorder that looked like a pencil from behind her and pushed it towards Alina.

“Une journaliste auto-proclamé, oui? You are more like a one-man paparazzi,” a third voice cynically said from beside Alina, causing her to turn to her right and look at the newcomer.

Another beautiful girl was sitting in the chair next to Alina and her blonde hair, which was tied up into a simplistic ponytail, shone like a golden fire in the sun while her fresh ivory face was unblemished with any sort of makeup. Her face held a hint of sweetness which was overwhelmed by her seriously stoic but rather blunt expression.

“Tch, the Ice Soldier, Chimera.” Asami sounded as though she were facing a boss battle in a video game and she even positioned herself into a defensive posture. “Before you even try to arrest me, I'll let you know I was not harassing her! I even have evidence!”

“She was definitely harassing me,” laughed Alina causing Asami fall to her knees.

“How could you?!” cried Asami as she pointed at Alina with a shaking finger.

“Speaking of which, why did Asami mention you arresting her .. uh... sorry, what's your name?” Alina asked the girl with a French accent, ignoring Asami's wailing in the background.

“Michelle, an honorary member of AEM,” explained Michelle in a perfunctory manner, as she casually shot an eraser at Asami's forehead, causing her to cease her complains and duck under a desk. “The Anti ESPer and Magick unit, a military division of Sanctuary.”

“But you're just a high schooler…” trailed off Alina.

“Oui, but AEM trains us from an early âge, specifically from elementary école.” Michelle casually caught the recorder Asami had playfully thrown at her in revenge. “Pour une bonne raison aussi, we are enhanced with cybernetics.”

As Michelle prepared to attack Asami again, a female teacher entered the classroom. The lady dressed like she was in her mid-30s, her dark hair tied in a bun while a pair of rectangular glasses covered her eyes. In a white blouse and a black skirt that complimented her fair complexion, the woman looked smart, beautiful, and strict all at once.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Alright, take your seats, everyone. My name is Silvia Graves, and I'll be your homeroom, math, and English teacher for the year,” The woman, Ms. Silvia, turned to look at each student but paused at Alina, a small smile held at the corner of her lips. “Now then, let's get straight to it. You'll be starting your wonderful class with Applied Theory in…”

Three hours later, Alina sank deeper into her chair, clutching her head. She regretted taking the first day lightly and due to being a relatively new ESPer, the only thing she understood about ESP was the 9 theoretical levels and that Spellcasting required the conversion of Psionic Aether to work. Thankfully, the next few classes were normal high school courses.

“God, you know there's something wrong with this school when you look forward to math,” Alina groaned as she shifted to a more relaxed position.

Asami, sitting in front of Alina, started laughing while Michelle had a faint smile on her face, both agreeing with her comment.

“Hey wanna get lunch together? You too, Chimera!” Asami asked bubbly while getting up excitedly.

“Sure, why not?”

“Oui.”

Both Alina and Michelle replied together before walking out with Asami.

Walking down the hall while chatting, the trio noticed that everyone nearby seemed to stop and stare at one location. Mostly the boys. Especially the boys.

Alina turned to look and couldn't help but hold her breath. A stunningly gorgeous schoolgirl was walking down the hall. Her tie hung loosely around her neck while her white shirt, with rolled up sleeves, had a few buttons that were undone. This accentuated her big bosoms, making one's eyes drawn to it. Her jacket was tied around her waist, covering her bare legs more modestly than the skirt which had been rolled up into a mini skirt. But, somehow, it ended up emphasizing her hip-swaying walk. Her brunette hair was in an updo hairstyle while her simple makeup, mascara and lipstick, bestowed her already stunning features a more scorching look. Her jewelry and accessories seemed rather plain, but when combined together, it enhanced her stylish looks.

“Omg,” spelled Asami in a whisper, entranced. “It's Emily! The most popular queen in our high! Though for a different reason, rumors are she has multiple boyfriends but still more chase after her every day.”

“Tout simplement une salope,” muttered Michelle disdainfully.

“Uh, what?” Asami asked, her eyes still on Emily.

“Popular to all the boys, non?” replied Michelle, a disapproving tone in her voice.

“Well, you're not wrong but that's not her fault. All the boys- is she looking this way?!” Asami changed her sentence halfway while Alina continued looking at Emily. The girl in question was indeed looking at the trio, her green eyes on Alina as a smile formed on her lips. She began walking confidently towards them while the boys watched with fiery eyes and the girls looked on disdainfully.

“Hi, I'm Emily Cadwell, it's nice to meet you,” Emily said as she held a hand towards Alina while the other was on her hips, which was cocked to one side.

Without hesitation, Alina shook her hands, surprising Michelle while Asami secretly took several photos through her phone whilst muttering something about queen alliances.

Had it been two years ago, Alina would've felt the same way as Michelle about Emily, but hearing what Asami said earlier made her realize there was more to Emily than what the rumors said.

Why listen to rumors and assume the worst, She thought. Better to judge a person yourself. And she seems pretty cool, but still, I'd better keep her away from that horndog.

Emily's eyes widened as she saw the lack of hesitation and the welcoming smile Alina had.

Good grief, that look in her eyes, they really are similar to his, Thought Emily with a smile. Though it’s reserved for her only, it seems.

***

Jason walked into the Loft, which was located on the topmost floor of the Rubric Building. The floors of this building could rotate at any given time, giving the tenants a panoramic view of the city. Of course, most normal people could not even afford to look at this place, due to the fact that each floor had to be rented out to a single tenant.

The elevator Jason used to enter the Loft slowly lowered itself into the ground and closed with a click. The room's walls were consisted entirely of glass, while in the center lay a large computer with multiple monitors.

“Ava, the report,” demanded Jason as he took off his jacket and laid it on the chair in front of the computer.

The computer lit up and a report from the Council showed up. The original file had many redacted statements, yet this unfazed the computer, which started to slowly replace the black lines with complete sentences. Jason read the file, then shook his head.

The file had contained what little information the Council had on him and their recommended suggestions on how to handle him should he ever go against him. One suggested keeping an eye on Alina and using her as a hostage, which was quickly ruled out. Another suggested letting him do what he wants in order to please him, hoping he would return the favor to the Council.

Eventually, the Council elected to give Jason a license to kill in the form of recruiting him as a Phantom, an agent who would complete certain unsavory missions for the Council, in exchange for having full immunity to any crime committed. Jason's Phantom status, however, had a special aspect to it: they would only give him missions that could affect his life or threaten the very safety of Atlantis. [3]

“Damn geezers are lucky they didn't follow through with the hostage play. Ava, can you find out which member suggested that? I'd very much like to send him some ... 'flowers'.” Jason emphasized the word in a particular manner as he asked the supercomputer.

“It will take time to break the security systems, I'll let you know when the information is available. An incoming request from the Council has been received, displaying on screen.”

The computer flashed its screen for a moment before a new file popped up. It was another report on mercenaries, linked to a certain first world country, being seen operating in the outskirts of the city. The mercenaries appeared to be posing as terrorists, human supremacists who despised ESPers and the likes. Of course, their main objective was to instead kidnap certain ESPers and transport them elsewhere, most likely, to the same country that the mercenaries originated from.

Jason read on with a cold look in his eyes. Despite the war ending and peace returning, countries and corporations still attempted to control ESPers and spellcasters, limiting their freedom by forcefully conscripting them into the military or their intelligence agencies. This eventually led to the creation of Sanctuary, an artificial island floating in the Pacific where most ESPers and spellcasters reside in. Now, it seemed that many forces were resorting to human trafficking to try and obtain more ESPers.

The document also had a list of people who were the mercenaries’ targets. As Jason browsed them, he couldn't help but pause when he saw a familiar face. Brown hair, green eyes, and a face to kill for.

Strange, Jason thought. Why would they target her, a level 0 for?

Ava noticed Jason contemplating and immediately opened a new window with information on the target. Reading it, Jason's eyes narrowed again while he tapped his finger on the armchair.

Despite being a level 0, her potential is incredible, He thought, his hand rubbing the stubble on his chin. The ability to increase a person's regeneration ability, this could potentially evolve into a healing ability in later levels.

A part of Jason wanted to obtain her, having someone with such abilities near him would be a great asset and it wouldn't be hard for him to snatch her, he would just need to seduce her. However, regret and anger flooded him when this thought ran through his mind and he shook his head.

No, I refuse to use people, I won't be like them anymore. Besides I've already asked much from her.

Jason continued looking through the list and stopped at another familiar face. The temperature in the room dropped as Jason crushed the armchair with his bare hands. The screen showed a girl, her brown skin, half curled raven hair, and vibrant smile as she walked down the streets gave her childish features an innocent touch.

“Alle…” Jason muttered as he stood up, his black eyes absorbing all light around them. “Ava find me their precise location now and interrupt any nearby cameras.”

“Already done. Bringing your Phantom armor up,” As Ava spoke a closet lifted itself up from the ground and opened up.

Jason looked at the outfit for a moment then shook his head. “No, that won't be necessary. I want them to know who I am, I want them to see my face.” He said as he took his jacket and put it on, leaving the Loft from a window. 

As he fell like a boulder, Jason activated his ability when he was near the ground. Immediately, the speed of his descent slowed until he landed softly in the alleyway. Pulling out the holographic map from his helmet, Jason went to his motorcycle parked by the sidewalk and quickly took off.

An hour later Jason stood amongst a dozen corpses, which were crowding the ground around him. Many were brutally murdered, several had their chests caved in. Others had broken limbs and crushed necks while the rest were riddled with bullet holes or stab wounds.

“Who - what … the … fuck… are … you?” The only survivor, leader of the mercenaries was leaning on a wall, gasping to speak as a knife, stabbed through one of his lungs, slowly drowned him in his own blood.

Jason didn't bother replying and instead raised a gun he conveniently took from a now dead corpse.

"... I know you," Jason murmured quietly to himself while gazing at the mercenary. He recognized the mercenary as Cage, a teacher for Second Academy, the school Alina was in.

The sound of a firecracker rang through the quiet construction site as the leading mercenary slowly slid down onto the ground, leaving a trail of blood that painted the wall behind him.

Blood covered Jason and his face and clothes were speckled with it. Yet, the blood was laying a millimeter away from his body: it was like there was a force field that was blocking it from landing directly on him. The blood eventually began to evaporate as the energy shield around Jason began heating up.

With a sigh, Jason looked up, the gun hanging lifelessly in his hand. She'll know, he thought. No matter how well I clean myself up she always seems to know when I …

Jason wasn't aware but his face would always be colder and his eyes, despite being bright, had an apathetic look, like a doll's eyes, whenever he returned from a slaughter spree. This look would tell Alina everything she needed to know, and it would frighten her. But more than that, a pang of pain would stab her chest as she watched him become less human every time he killed. Realizing she couldn't do anything, Alina made Jason promise not to kill unless absolutely necessary, a difficult promise for him to keep.

Breathing out a sigh once more, Jason exited the abandoned construction site and drove away in his motorcycle. As he took a different path than the one he came from, Ava interrupted him.

“Jason. The rumor I wanted to mention earlier, it's been confirmed. The Reaper was sighted, here, in Sanctuary however, his current location is unknown...”

[1] Similar to the Lazareth LM 847.

[2] Like the Karlmann King, only with bigger tires.

[3] Atlantis: A nickname for Sanctuary, the city in which the story is currently taking place.