Chapter Three

“Advancing your power and potential comes from persistent effort; those who cease to push forward or accept their current level will become stagnant.” – Beacon, Former Champion

“Tuck, you are the tank. But I think you are slowly becoming more than that,” Frank said, continuing the discussion in the strategy room. “You and Bertha—”

“No,” Tuck interrupted.

“You and… well, dang it dude, give it a name if you don’t like Bertha! Saying Warhammer is just boring,” Frank added, then continued. “The team could throw you and your Warhammer into the middle of a field with thousands of trolls, and you could probably fight your way out. With your Repulse skill paired with Electron Surge, few could get close. And with your AOE attacks of Ion Storm and direct targeting of the Lightning Bolt, you’d be a tough match for anyone.”

“But…” Coach Williams guided Frank with a smile.

“But,” Frank adjusted in his seat. “I’d worry about getting you out of that same field with your lack of speed, especially against a shiftier opponent,” Frank concluded, referencing the Mist creatures in the 3rd Level within the Trials.

“Frank is right. Tuck, in the upper echelon of heroes across the Cosmos, the role of a true ‘Tank’ is sparse. Yes, there are scenarios that might benefit from those qualities, but you need to prepare for foes that could drop you with a single blow. Many heroes have skills similar to my own energy readings. Planning for a fight, knowing your opponent’s limited adaptability, can turn a battle into a swift and decisive victory.

Tuck sat stoically in his chair, hearing the feedback. Feedback is a gift; it hurts, but it challenges you to get better, and that is the best gift of all. Nodding back to the professor, he absorbed and moved on.

“All right, next is Nadia. Who would like to go first? Emy, you’ve been a bit quiet. Care to start?”

“Nadia is… Nadia.”

“Emy?” Williams questioned.

“Just like everyone else on this team, Nadia is unique. Just like Will, James, and Tuck, we need Nadia as much as each of you.” Emy stated as she looked around, reflecting on the conversations so far. “Nadia, you are incredibly brave, passionate, and just as stubborn as each and every one of us.” Emy smirked, using a familiar word Coach had once written on the board as a weakness. “And I think that stubbornness makes us… stronger.” Emy smiled and continued, realizing what she now wanted to say. “Nadia, your determination to fight that singularity head-on was stubborn, but that is also what makes you unique. Nobody else on the team could have fought that thing like you did. Your ability to both manipulate your body and, in partnership with your Vitalize and Affliction Surge skills, makes you a force within battle capable of a diverse range of options. Yes, don’t get me wrong, healing is by far your greatest value, but your range against living entities is unmatched.”

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“She’s right,” Will added. “While my talent may be that of reading and influencing others, yours goes deeper. I seriously can’t imagine what your Body Manipulation skill will be able to do in the future.”

“Try,” Williams added.

“Well,” Will said, “If you can make blades out of bone and literally transform your energies into another living being, I’d have to imagine you could probably be or well become… anything you want?”

“Nice try, Will,” Williams laughed and took over. “Nadia, your weakness right now is your body, and yet your body is your greatest strength. Quite the conundrum, but an extremely large opportunity. Think about those weaknesses. Implant yourself into any scenario and find ways to maximize your adaptability, survival, or—"

“Thrive by turning your environment into a strength,” Emy finished for the Coach.

“Yes, excellent close, Emy,” Williams said. “And now for you, Emy.”

The room was a bit quiet for once in these conversations. Unsure of how to describe Emy, Tuck was the first to acknowledge, speaking in a low tone. “Emy, I am not sure how to tell you this, but your power scares the heck out of me.” Tuck closed, and Emy gave a chuckle, only to notice that nobody else in the room found humor in his statement. “The fire manipulation through your Targeted Fusion and Pyroform is one thing, but your ability to turn something into nothingness is deeply disturbing.”

“Don’t get us wrong. Disturbing is awesome, but what I think Tuck is saying is that of all the skills we can now understand and influence, creating… nothing makes the least amount of sense,” Will added after Tuck, with nods around the room.

“Speaking as someone tolerant to many skills,” James started, “dispersing into an unknown void may be one of the worst ways to die.”

“Professor… what happens when the void consumes something?” Trish asked.

“That is one of the unknown questions of the Cosmos. Ask Emy, and she might tell you that the void talks to her, urges her, or pushes her in a direction,” The Professor started, only to look at Emy, who responded with a nod. “For everyone else, it transposes in unique ways. Think of those vine creatures fighting the very inverse of themselves. I once met a wind user who encountered a void such as Emy’s and described it as the calmest disturbance she had ever faced, a place where all motion stopped. To lose to the void is to lose in a battle of willpower of what and who you are. Yes, the voids allow for travel across the known Cosmos, but recognize that it is based on the energy signature of what you are trying to reach.”

“Now, Emy. With that said, you must learn to maximize that very object that defies all known thought. Wield it with command and know that its power can lead to great devastation.” Williams paused, looking at Emy. “Know that the void is the very extreme of what your power can do. Understand that, but understand that the void is the end, and there are many stops between.”

“What?” Will spoke up. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Williams paid no heed to Will and continued his view on Emy. “That is something for Emy to find out.”

Continuing their discussions, the Professor delved into each hero’s role and opportunity within the team. However, discussion was only a small part of the challenge. Achieving belief in oneself to thrive and learn was paramount. It was soon time to work.

“You all now know your assignments. Trish and James, let’s see if we can hatch another hero before break. Will and Frank, I think a surprise is in order, right Frank?" Williams glanced at a beaming Frank. "Emy and Nadia, focus on reflection and adaptation. Lastly, Tuck and I will delve deeper into his path.”

“Any last questions?” Williams asked.

“Coach, did you know about Penny?” Will asked. “What do you know about her talent?”

“Ah,” Williams smiled. “Ms. Duplaine. Yes, I am aware of her talent, but you should have an idea by now of what she can do.”

“Yes, well, sort of. I think it has to do with learning? Her energy… it felt as though it was intertwining with mine to replicate my skills. Is she also a Condenser, but with a different affinity?”

“Close. Penny has a remarkable talent that I initially considered. However, it has its limits. Based on the amount of energy Penny possesses, she can achieve a perfect energy signature match to another’s skills with a talent known as a Replicator. While it limits her to a finite number of skills at any one time, it also allows her to add and replace skills whenever she wants, making her invaluable for training others.”