“I can barely move my arrrrms.” Becca whined.

“Told you the soreness will only get worse than what it was yesterday.” Elias smiled at her as she held her arms and rested her head on the cafeteria table.

“Did you hear that he has no ability?”

“Yea I did. Isn’t he a Roberts?”

“Yea. He clearly doesn’t deserve that last name.”

“Wish he would just drop out or something. It would make it less of a bother for the school.”

Becca watched Elias for a reaction but there was none. He just continued to eat his cereal without a care in the world.

But they bothered her. “Hey Elias can we go to the roof?”

He looked up at her with some confusion. “Uh... sure I guess.” He finished his bowl and they began to walk up towards the roof again. “You don’t need to do this you know?”

“Do what?”

“Protect me from the insults and gossips. I’ve heard it all before. Hasn’t changed since I was little.”

“I know. I just... I don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?”

“I don’t know why I feel like I should keep you from hearing those completely wrong things.”

“But they’re not wrong either. I am a Roberts that doesn’t have any abilities. I probably don’t deserve a last name with so much weight and I probably would make it much easier on the school if I dropped out.”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“You believe them?”

“They’re stating facts.”

“If you think it’s easier on the school then why don’t you drop out?”

“Cause frankly I don’t really care if I’m a bother to the school. I’ll be a bother at a regular school too. I’m a bother to everyone I meet.”

“Not to me.”

“You took time out of your day to visit me in the Infirmary. You’re even taking me up to the roof to try and protect me. Sounds like a bother to me.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh come on we both know that you had to go out of your way to do it. Why don’t you just admit that you feel the same way as everyone else?” He said calmly.

“Shut up!” She said quietly.

“The only reason you’re telling me to shut up is because you know it’s true. Just admit it that you’re embarrassed that you were friends with a powerless wret-“ Elias was interrupted by a powerful slap.

He froze a little and felt where the hand connected to his face. He looked at Becca who was shaking and hiding her face. “You don’t know anything about me if you truly believe that. I did all of these things because I wanted to and because I care about you. I’m not ashamed of being your friend and I never will be.” She looked into his soulless brown eyes. She was fighting back tears. “I don’t care that you don’t have an ability. What someone can do should not be the reason you become friends with them. You become friends because you like who they are, and I really like who you are Elias. You’re caring and sweet. You don’t let things get to you either and it’s something I can admire about you. You’re strong Elias. I know you must’ve been through a lot because you seem so void of emotion but even without the emotion I can still see that you’re a great person.” She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

Elias walked forward and pulled her close to him. “I’m sorry. I expected you to leave like everyone else did when they found out.” She began to hug him back.

“I promise to stay by your side.”

Soon the school bell rang for 1st hour to begin. They parted ways leaving to their separate classes. In every class every student would mock Elias under their breath. During the break he and Becca did some studying. Weights was similar to how it was done the day before. Ability Training took a bit of a different course. While Becca went with a instructor to focus her abilities more and as did Aaron. Elias was instead being taught how to fight. The instructor told him that there are many powers that don’t actually have an offensive option and that learning how to wield a sword or gun or even using just their fists would be their way of fighting.

Over the next few weeks Elias was training in all forms of combat. He was trained in hand to hand combat. Knife combat. Sword combat. He was also trained how to use weapons from a pistol to a shotgun to a sniper rifle. Elias had chosen that his main form of combat would be with the sword.

The evening was always the same. Elias and Becca were too exhausted to watch the sunset and ended up going to straight to bed after class. Every weekend Becca would leave to spend time with her family back home.

One day during lunch it was then announced that students would be selected to fight in the tournament with other schools. Every student was required but there was more weight to losing.

The first 5 rounds had the most weight. Every student would fight one on one with another. At any other hero training school losing all of these would just eliminate you from the preliminaries. But at SDA, if you lost all 5 rounds you were expelled.

After the initiation rounds would be the preliminary rounds. Losing one meant you weren’t fighting in the championship. The prelims would go on until there were only 4 students left. Those 4 would move towards the championship.

In the championship all other hero training schools would submit their 4 candidates. There are 16 hero schools in the whole world. Meaning there are 64 candidates in total. The championship is a single elimination bracket. Once you lose you’re out. The only time you may fight again after a loss is for 3rd place.

The student body was both excited and nervous for this event.