“Come in, come in, Eliza!” Headmaster Torosian smiled warmly, making her heart sink with fear.

I am dead. She decided. The headmaster never greeted anyone warmly without a caveat. It was his style; the man lured you in with a welcome before chewing you in like a spider. And the smile was the height of his wrath. She wondered what she had done this time.

Three weeks have passed since the attack, and they could’ve been better. Aside from the grueling, mundane task of trying to finish her homework on time, Ratcatcher had the time of her life playing along with Nadya. A virtual world ended up being awesome enough to make the girl wish she could spend more time in it.

Alas, Mom made sure to take care of her health. A doctor came to them the next day after the attack, checking if the girl had any trouble recovering after a concussion. After the visit, Mom gave her a bit of time to play in the mall before dragging her to the dentist and later to the hospital.

Rho Medical didn’t end up being as scary as she imagined it to be. Perhaps it was the influence of a few horror movies, but Ratcatcher always imagined a place producing biological weapons to be… scary. Like limbs scattered at every corner and heads in glass tubes, level of scary. And not a bright and sunny place, with welcoming men and women and comfortable sofas.

Even the restoration pod, a place where doctors checked her body with a web made of green light and later injected the base of her tail with a regeneration solution, ended up being very gentle and soft. The medical personnel even gave her candies afterwards! And also asked if she would like to pass a procedure and become a fully looking human, but of course she refused.

In their absence, the hyperactive and bored Liam stirred quite a bit of trouble in the children’s room. Not content with simply playing with the toys, the inquisitive boy has made it his priority to uncork every panel off the wall, tear off every vending machine, and throw it all on the floor. By the time security had got him to stop, the boy had made a small pyramid out of the ruined machinery and sat atop it like a king.

Mom expected to be fined or worse for Liam’s act of vandalism, but the director in charge of this clinic simply calmed her down, more interested in how Liam had managed to cause this commotion than with the result. He explained to the family that the kid’s room was supposed to be durable enough to withstand a direct missile hit without letting any of the kids inside feel as much as a shock. The man even asked Mom to bring Liam again to stress-test the new version of the room, but Mom decided against it.

Her tail was still a bit shorter than before and was itching like mad, slowly growing back to its original size. With the trusted chompers restored, Ratcatcher had hoped to find this Elina and thank her for the rescue help when the headmaster summoned her.

Torosian only ever called her once before, after some misunderstanding in the swimming hall, right after she joined the Academy. But how was she to know that Iternians put on swimming suits before jumping in a pool? No one ever told her that!

The headmaster’s officer was almost bereft of anything personal, aside from a single photo on his table depicting a much younger Torosian, apparently surrounded by his friends. The rest of the space was filled with shelves and countless paper books, somewhat of an oddity in Iterna, where everyone preferred to use electronic versions instead. Torosian himself had the build of a shelf; even sitting and smiling in his chair, he somehow loomed over her like a starless sky.

All across the Academy, the trainees were telling legends and stories about this strange man. Supposedly, he was an abnormal, and a strong one at that, having some insane power, although he never showed it. Some said he once killed a hundred men with a wave of his hand. Others said he was excluded from the military for his ruthlessness. Hushed voices told rumors that Torosian ate his former team for failing to live up to his standards and that he would gladly do the same with any trainee, given the opportunity.

All she knew for sure was that every record about Torosian’s previous life had been scrubbed off the Net. This meant only one thing. He was of the Intelligence’s stock, or he somehow had gotten involved with them.

“How are you feeling yourself?” The coal-skinned man asked, placing a box on the table.

“My wounds… err, tail aside, are fully healed, sir!” Ratcatcher stood up at attention.

By now, her tail has regrown a quarter of what was lost. Rather than having an elegant and sharp tip, the current end of her tail looked like a healed stump that itched at every opportunity. Curious, Ratcatcher once spent half an hour looking at the poor tail, trying to detect changes. The flesh at the stump’s end shifted and gyrated, ever so slowly and barely visible, yet at the same time steadily and at even intervals. Her fingers even spotted a new segment of vertebrae forming beneath the skin. According to the good doctors, in just a few weeks, the tail would grow back to its normal size.

And scars disappeared. All of them, even from Scrapyard time. First, the skin stretched, but there was not a lick of feeling from stressed muscles. Then the scars faded, leaving just smooth skin. She even lost all the calluses she earned in the self-defense training.

“Good! Please sit and relax; I have something to present to you.” The headmaster nodded at the box. “The mayor and the press consider you a hero. They even asked me to present every trainee involved in this daring rescue with a medal.” He opened the box, showing her a gold star. “It’s yours, Eliza.”

She reached out to take the precious medal and jumped when Torosian smashed his hand on the table, right next to hers.

“Do you believe yourself to be worthy of this reward?” He asked coldly.

“Sir?”

“At ease. Let’s review your behavior during the attack, Eliza. You saw people in trouble and experienced a desire to help—perfectly reasonable behavior. But how did it turn out in the end?” Torosian leaned forward, his eyes burrowing into her face. “You accidentally dragged a civilian, a girl of your age, after you. I am in no way implying that you did this on purpose.” He raised his hand, stopping her words. “I watched the video footage and know what exactly happened. But think, Eliza, think! How would the girl’s family have reacted if she ended up dying?”

A needle pierced her heart, and Ratcatcher clenched her fists. She wanted to angrily refute the accusation, but then it sunk in. Nadya was in danger. Because of her. Eight or his minions would show no mercy for the girl. And other civilians! They too approached the danger zone to lead Nadya away.

Oh, Planet. What have I done?

“Next, we have other trainees,” the headmaster continued mercilessly. “Elina had suffered a mental breakdown, and Carlos is still cared for by his family. Both will recover; I give you my word on this, but do you think they would’ve endangered themselves if not for your recklessness?”

“No,” the trainee whispered, moving her hand away from the medal. “I am sorry.”

“As you should be. Lastly, we have you, a girl ten years old who thought herself fit to take on grown men. Have you thought of your family, Eliza? Rules exist for a reason; just imagine how devastated they would feel at news of your death.” Torosian let the words sink, examining her face. “Eliza, you and I are people of somewhat different cultures. We may hold different values. It is hard for you to adjust here, and believe me, I take no joy in pushing your buttons. You can be an asset to Iterna. I know that upon growing up, you will end up saving lives as a military officer or maybe as a police officer. But should you perish, your potential will go down the drain. All the lives you could’ve saved, all the good you could’ve done—everything would be reduced to nothing. So tell me now: do you think yourself worthy of a medal? Do you think yourself a hero?”

“No,” she said honestly, hating herself with every fiber of her being. “I… I am a scum for dragging others into danger. I deserve to be punished.”

Lina, that smart and decisive girl. Now forever mentally scarred because she dragged her into it way before Lina was ready. Carlos, brave Carlos, got hurt because of her. And Mom and Dad… Torosian is right—how dared she make them worry so much about someone as worthless as her?! Over someone who had cost them their home?!

Planet! She swallowed, only now realizing something. Lina’s, Nadya’s, and Carlos’ friends and families. She nearly choked before starting to hyperventilate at the thought of their suffering and worries. All because of her. Eight might have dealt the wounds and spread fear, but it was she who was the reason he had the opportunity to do so.

She didn’t dare cry. Crying releases negative emotions, allowing them to wash out of you. It lets you forget and move on. Dad always told her that it was okay to cry, but right now she wanted to keep these memories and emotions inside, to burn them into her very soul. A stupid, callous, selfish girl. This is who she is. Eugenia would be rightfully disgusted to see her now.

What the hell was she thinking?! People far smarter than her made the rules to keep children safe! She knew how valuable rules are. You couldn’t survive long in the Scrapyard otherwise. People helped her get where she is now, and she… she failed everyone.

I don’t deserve to be here. She clutched her chest. Dad and Mom will be so much better without me around to poison their lives.

“Take the medal. Let it be a constant reminder of your failure and help shape you into a better person. Never again dare to break the rules. Dashing headstrong and unprepared into danger only leads to pain and losses.” Torosian looked at the photo, and a strain along with genuine pain briefly flashed on his features before they hardened again. “For everyone involved. Eliza, I will be honest with you. I had every intention of expelling you. I still believe that you should be expelled and certainly not rewarded.”

“You and me both, sir,” she agreed. Her hands trembled. “Do it. You and the Academy were nothing but good to me, and I have brought pain on the trainees and their families in return. The least I deserve is to be kicked out.”

“Unfortunately, I will have to endure your presence because of the government.” He leaned back in the chair. “Because of the press’ and people’s pressure. The unenlightened masses believe you to be a hero. They might mean well, but I am relieved to see you understand the gravity of the situation. What if another trainee follows suit and they end up being killed?”

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Ratcatcher released her claws and clenched her fist, letting them bite into her palm, drawing blood. It was all she could do in order not to scream. Right. Oh, how right he is. What has she done? What if others follow her idiotic example and get hurt? Or... or worse.

The headmaster’s hand immediately closed around hers, unclenching the fist. Torosian clicked his tongue, took out a medicine kit from under his table, and cleaned the wound carefully before bandaging it.

“We will set some rules, special rules, just for you, Eliza. First. No self-flagellation. You made a serious mistake. But you are not a bad person, and everyone, me included, has made mistakes. You will learn from this mistake, but you will not let it drag you down or prevent you from being happy. Got it?” Torosian looked at her, and she nodded. “Good. Next, I will assign an instructor to follow you everywhere for some time. He is not your friend, but rather a person to stop you from doing foolishness again. Following up, no secrets between you and me. I have spoken with your parents,” she trembled, but the headmaster continued as if nothing happened, “and know of your nightmares, which is something you have chosen to omit. I don’t care about any boyfriends or friends, but your mental and physical health are the Academy’s and, by extension, mine responsibility. We are a unit, and no one is left behind.”

With the wound cleaned, Torosian put on a medical patch, turning her hand to the side and checking if it held well enough.

“The press and the mayor personally will interview you in a few days,” he continued. “I am tempted to prepare a miserable speech for you to read, but this time I believe in you. Speak your mind. Do not denigrate yourself; this is an order, but explain in your words on live TV why what you have done was wrong. Dispel an urge for heroics or vigilantism. Consider yourself on probation from now on, Eliza. One mistake, and you are out. Any questions?”

“Yes,” she dared to ask. “Sir… On the day of the attack… According to the news, there was another attack, right? Was all this just an…”

“You do not need to think of that.” Torosian’s eyes burrowed into her face. “Intelligence will take care of it. This is not our business, and I will have none of my trainees exposed to any risk until the day they are ready. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Ratcatcher stood up and hesitated. He told her no more secrets. But she had one, and it was very serious at that. Dad and Mom recommended she forget about it, but how could she? It… it was time to confess and be judged. “Sir, I must make a self-report.”

“Already?” He lifted his brow. “This may be a new record. Go on.”

“I killed a person.”

“When and how?” Torosian immediately became serious, gesturing for her to sit in the chair once more.

She told him everything. About her life in the Scrapyards. About the raids, when the outsiders came to hunt them. Amidst all that, the headmaster prepared tea, almost pushing the cap into her hands. He never interrupted; he only clarified things when she was taking a breath to collect her thoughts.

And in exchange, Ratcatcher hid nothing. She explained how she wounded the hunter who came after her and how she left the pleading woman to die, returning all too late with Dad. All because she was afraid.

“Self-defense and happened prior to the reunification. You have nothing to feel guilty about,” Torosian declared. When she tried to argue, the man lifted his hand faster than her eyes could follow and with an unnatural grace for such a large man. “Trainee Eliza, you are to immediately visit the medical bay and get an appointment with a therapist. We have them aplenty, and you will choose one. Consider yourself exempt from homework until the specialist confirms to me that your mental state is improving.”

“Yes, sir… One last thing,” she dared to ask. “Can I perform in the park?”

“Perform?” This apparently took him aback. “Elaborate.”

“Swing my staff around and all that… the people seemed to like it, and some threw coins for…”

“Coins? Are you financially struggling?” His brow burrowed. “Come to think of it, I reviewed your everyday life, and you have bought nothing in the cafeteria. Your stipend should easily allow for it, so what is the reason behind it? Does your family take away your money? Someone in the Academy dares to extort you? Have you ended up in debt somehow? Tell me the reason, and I will solve it.”

“No, sir!” She stood up and bowed to him. “I am sorry, but I can’t… It’s nothing bad, I swear. But this isn’t my secret to reveal.”

“Then I will pretend we never had a conversation about…” The headmaster cringed a little. “Performing in a park. Dismissed.”

Something in his eyes made Ratcatcher jump in place and turn around, retreating from the headmaster’s heavy look faster than she ever ran from any spider. At least you can beat up a spider. The headmaster? Not so much. Plus, he was fully correct about her behavior. What was she thinking? Perform… How would this reflect on the Academy’s image?

There has got to be a way to earn credits! She burned with shame. Not only did she get treated with kid’s gloves, but instead of spanking, she got help—help for a scum like her! But she remembered well how annoying and bothersome therapists were when she had problems with her fear of open spaces. If they were anything like that here, then she wouldn’t be able to take on additional tasks, and her income will plummet! And the interview! What is she going to do? She can barely say two words without making herself look like a fool, as it is! Arggggh!

Lost in thoughts, Ratcatcher almost crashed into a blonde man who rose up from the seats. The man was wearing the standard uniform of an instructor: a strict body glove that did very little to hide his impressive muscles and a long jacket with the golden emblem of the Academy and Iterna on either side.

“Trainee Eliza,” the man addressed her, lowering himself on one knee, putting a terminal in his hand behind his belt. There was something familiar about his face, but she could not put a finger on it. “I heard about your encounter with a Number recently. Should you ever need to talk, my office is always open.”

“Thank you, sir,” the girl replied and left, wondering who it could’ve been.

****

Torosian tapped at his jawline, wondering about Eliza’s last words. He had always assumed that the reason she chose not to buy anything in the cafeteria was because the girl was watching her figure. He had made this assumption based on the behavior of other trainees. Evidently, he was wrong.

Normal schools might’ve had problems with bullying, but the Academy was of far finer stock. Their teachers are working with potential weapons of mass destruction. Yes, the majority of abnormals are harmless and can be taken down by an armed squad. However, when it comes to people like Carlos, someone who can potentially massacre an entire small town in under an hour and move fast enough to overload the tracking systems of older models of automatic weapons, necessary care must be taken. The boy both lucked out with his power and his build, which were further improved by his own family. And he wasn’t the only one; there were even stronger abnormals in his care. All with full access to their power.

Torosian was ever a proponent of mandatory power-suppression pills for all abnormals with power. But he was outvoted, and as a loyal citizen, he will uphold democracy by obeying the command. These children are his responsibility. And if any of them extorted money from their peers…

Rot could not be allowed. First, he will check those two with the ability to manipulate emotions. They seemed to be nice kids, but better safe than sorry. Then he will start with the ones capable of passing through solid objects. One way or another, he will find out who is taking Eliza Vong’s money. A girl of her age should’ve spent her pay on clothes, weapons, games, or whatever else kids are buying these days. Something is fishy in his Academy, and he will restore order before a catastrophe can happen.

“Was it really necessary to go so hard on the girl?” Rho asked, stepping inside his office.

“Softness begets repeating mistakes.” Torosian sharply looked at the man, nodding at the chair. The explorator refused the offer, preferring to stand. “And I am done losing students, great or otherwise. She made a lapse in judgment. As a teacher, it is my duty to make her recognize and learn from it. If you dislike my methods, feel free to write a report. In the meantime, what is your opinion on their performance?”

“The rescue team.” The explorator took a terminal in his hand and browsed through his notes. “All around adequate, I have nothing to praise them for and nothing to berate them for. They acted professionally, evaded the opposition, and earned their medals by right.”

“You are angry,” the headmaster noted. “It wasn’t their duty to jump into action.”

“I am not, and you are correct, sir,” Rho replied calmly. “I already made my statement. There was no flaw in their actions. My own biases do not influence my evaluation. The combat team… Elina has the greatest potential, but the girl is a loose cannon.”

“I noticed,” Torosian said. “Her therapist says the girl is shaken after the beatdown, and she strictly forbade me from chewing her up.”

“A wise decision and one I will oversee personally, no offense, sir. But I was speaking of her power, not the strength of her character. She wields a really killing potential, and once she masters it, she will become a prized student.” He looked at the terminal. “Carlos is so-so. Incredibly superior power combined with a childish personality.”

“To be expected, given his age and upbringing,” the headmaster grumbled. “Give it time, and the boy might surpass even you. Once he is out of emergency care, I’ll set him straight.”

“Be considerate; we do not wish to anger the Barjonis, and the boy has suffered enough,” the explorator warned. “Lastly, Eliza Vong, or Ratcatcher, as she likes to call herself. Pathetic power, very good physicals, and a solid grasp on combat combine with a lack of common sense, which manifests in her martyr complex. We need to teach her that not everyone can be saved while maintaining her moral core.”

“Can you pull it out?”

“I doubt it would be hard. Not after today. I have seen it in her eyes; the girl has matured. But yes, I can do it,” Augustus Rho responded.

“Good. Once she is old enough, I will assign you to lead her group. In light of the utter incompetence shown by our dear Intelligence combined with the utter impotence of the police, I am assigning you the task. Guard Elina. Become her shadow, but keep your presence secret. The Numbers are vengeful pests, and I will not allow my students to get hurt.”

“Not Carlos or Eliza, sir?”

“The Barjonis already saw to their scion’s security.” A thin smile appeared on Torosian’s lips. “And they are well equipped to take care of all the group at once, should the Numbers be foolish enough to attack head-on. Along with it, they hired some respectable and not-so-respectable mercenaries to hunt down the Numbers and settle the incurred offense. Even Chort is involved.” He noticed the anger in Rho’s eyes. “I understand. Yet we can’t save everyone, and Chort is a professional, even if he threw his lot in with King. Elina is far more valuable than Eliza…”

“Unless Eliza’s power evolved after encountering a life-and-death situation,” Augustus objected.

“Specialists already checked them all; nothing out of the ordinary. As far as I’m concerned, these three are as normal as me and can’t evolve their powers. Anyway, I can’t risk getting you emotionally attached to a trainee whom you are supposed to guide. A mercenary, a good friend of mine, will look after the girl. And if any Number as much as appears in her or her family’s vicinity…” His smile changed to a predatory grin. “… the mercenary will take care of the problem. Swiftly and efficiently. Dismissed.”

He leaned on the back of his chair, turned on the terminal, and summoned video recordings from the Academy, watching through every one involving Trainee Eliza’s interaction with the others in an attempt to find anything out of the ordinary. The mayor wanted to see him, but Torosian decided to put it off for later. He will uncover Eliza’s monetary problem first.

Looking at the recordings with one eye, he briefly skimmed through Eliza’s personal file once more. Despite all the attempts the instructors made to bump her into other kids to stimulate her growth, the trainee still had only two known friends. It lined up with her personality from her pre-Iternian life, where she only had a single friend. Loner. She became a member of the Church of the Planet and occasionally visited their chapel. Religious. Freaks out about most mundane things and easily gets embarrassed, while keeping composure at more serious tasks.

Torosian narrowed his eyes. A perfect target for abuse, and the one who would not tell anyone because of her struggle to socialize. How is it possible that she did not make a single friend either in the Academy or at any meeting during or after church? Putting Eliza’s file aside for a while, he summoned reports, checking how many kids with similar problems were in the Academy. The result disheartened him. Too many.

There was a reason why the Academy tried to ensure its trainees would make friends with each other. Aside from its obvious aid in future teamwork, it made the kids easier to manage and helped overcome problems non-Iternians could have had adapting to a civilized society. And it worked. But clearly, they became too complacent in their duties. Making his decision, the headmaster called the central office, proposing forming teams earlier than usual.

The Academy must be pristine and supreme. Others might fall, but the students assigned under his wing are destined to have a grand future, and he will be damned if he allows them to fall.