Will woke up still sore, but all of his ouchies were at least fixed. After their little chat, Mav had dragged him back to the school, and Santos had gone to work healing him. After mending all of Will's broken bones, Mav dragged Santos away to fight his own battle.
Will realized he must have slept for a long time, as Santos was currently asleep a couple of beds over. The Healer was beaten up as well, but sleeping soundly. Will got out of bed slowly, noticing the other beds were empty. He took a long shower and thought about the test.
Mav had shown him so much. A realistic scenario of what probably would have happened if he had tried attacking the Goons. It solidified in Will's mind that his sole and most effective course of action back then was to flee. Then the old man pummeled him, beating him harder than ever before. With no help from the others and no heals mid-fight, Will was able to push past his limits. While the majority of his combat involved taking hits or fleeing, he persevered against the elderly man and managed to survive.
Heading out of the shower, he got dressed and walked through the school halls. He walked into the gymnasium like every morning, only to find the others already working out. Irish and Samson were sparring in the middle of the room. Katy was using her wind to lift her body into the air, while Ryu was exercising his legs. They hardly noticed each other, grunting with effort to perform their best.
Now that he had experienced it, Will understood the haunted look in the other’s eyes. At least that’s what he thought it was the day before. Now that he had gone through the same test, he understood that the look in the other’s eyes was a whole new drive to become stronger. Maven had demonstrated the true essence of strength to all of them. Most likely, given a similar pep talk as William's, it was enough to make him want to join them.
But instead of barging in, he turned around and went for a run. The memory of the Anarchist War was ever-present in his mind. This was not a faded memory, as Mav had initially displayed; the attempts to alter the past continued to resonate with him. Will wanted to make sure that the next time he faced the Goons, he could do something.
He had to train more; he had to push himself further than Mav had pushed them. He had gotten them up at 5 a.m. and kept them moving until 10 p.m. Will needed to keep that momentum going. He accelerated his pace, pushing his legs to their maximum stride as he felt his muscles contract. As he pushed through the doors, he glanced up at the roof and phased onto it. His stride never faltered; he ran along the shingles to the peak, then phased to the peak of the next home. It was time to see how far and fast he could go without the old man chasing him.
—
When Will came back, he found the others in the cafeteria. Sweating and tired, Will still felt like he could go on. Feeling the runners high, he was understanding his limits better and better. As he walked up, the others cheered a greeting. Santos, in the middle, the Healer was scarfing down as much food as he could to replenish the calories he had burned in his fight. Will grabbed a plate and joined them.
“Where have you been?” Katy asked as he sat down.
“Running,” Will said.
“Not running away?” Irish asked. “I thought for sure the old man would break you.”
“He’s not the one that ran away from his home country,” Samson said.
“I didnah run away,” Irish grumbled. He opened his mouth for a retort when Katy cut in.
“Leave it,” Katy said. “I’m sick of the fighting. Can we just have a normal meal?”
“But fighting is what we do best,” Irish said. He flexed his bicep. “That and wooing the fairer sex.”
“Consider me the opposite of wooed,” Katy said.
“Not you, real women,” Irish said. “Ones with curves and no looks in their eyes that say they’ll kill me.”
“I would kill you,” Katy said. “But I said no fighting. Come on, please. I’m surrounded by boys. Is it possible for you to at least comport yourself as if I am a modest maiden who is not accustomed to hearing your impure words?"
“Your cursing is worse than theirs,” Ryu said. “But fine. How about talking about the test?” He looked at everyone. No one met his eyes. “And nevermind…I can see we all had it bad.”
“Aye, never again,” Irish said. “I didn’t think there was anyone I feared, but now that man…I’d kill meself if I had to fight him in a real fight.” There was a long, awkward pause. “You see, I’m working on this way to charge me body with my power. Blowing myself up. I call it the IRA surprise attack. Cus noone’d see it comin.”
“Now I would see it coming,” Samson said.
“I doubt it,” Irish said, making a move for Samson.
Samson didn’t flinch; instead, he tossed some lettuce from his salad. The big man had fought against salads when he got there, but since there wasn’t a whole lot of food easily prepared, he put up with it. He layered lunch meat, eggs, and other unhealthy additions on top of the salads, indicating that he actually enjoyed them.
“Have anyone seen the old man?” Will asked as he looked around.
“He dropped Santos off in bed at about midnight. Said he’d be back tonight,” Katy said.
“Anybody else feel like we didn’t learn a whole lot over the last couple of months?” Samson grumbled. He was picking at the salad, annoyed.
“He kick your ass pretty bad?” Irish asked.
“He kicked all of our asses,” Katy said. Her arms were crossed on the table as she rested her head on them. “You know, back when we started this whole thing, he told me I would never be as strong as you.”
“Well…you’re a girl,” Samson said.
“I know that,” she spat. "I'm saying that he told me not to worry about it. Where men are naturally stronger than women physically. Women are stronger than men with their abilities.”
“What? That’s sexist,” Irish perked up. She flipped him off without looking up.
“It is what it is,” she said. Letting out an annoyed sigh. “Despite me supposedly being stronger, I still couldn’t touch him.”
There was a somber agreement around the table. “You know, I always wondered,” Samson said. “If you don’t mind me asking.” Katy looked up as she realized she was the target of the question.
"What sexist issue are you going to bring up now?" She asked.
“In movies, there is always this certain week of the month where women get moody, and they complain about...cramps,” Samson said slowly.
“And…?” Katy asked, growing more annoyed.
“I’m just wondering why that never happened to you during our training.”
"Oh, that,” she said, waving her hand as if dismissing it. “I’m lucky; I had a procedure done a while ago. Stopped my whole cycle.”
"Ugh," a few people said, disgusted by the direction of the conversation. But they had been together for months, seen one another piss themselves after being zapped by Mav, and had to help clean up. There were no real secrets between any of them.
“Ah,” Samson said, embarrassed. Will had also wondered, but he was smart enough not to ask.
“Did the procedure alter your personality? Or were you always a ragin…delight?”
“No, I met you, and my personality reared its head,” she shot back. The table chuckled and moved on. Talking about this or that. Samson asked about Ryu’s ability to turn into animals. He inquired about the sensation of transforming into a different animal. Irish asked him if he ever felt the urge to hump his legs like a dog or chase cars. This turned into a challenge to see who could do the most handstand pushups somehow.
By the time it got to Katy and Irish, Maven had come into the cafeteria. His appearance sobered them up, and the challenge was postponed.
“Having fun, I see,” Mav said.
“Always,” Samson said. “What’s up, oh mighty tormenter?”
“Nothing much. A few announcements. Let’s head to the auditorium,” he said.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Ugh, what are we always going there for?” Irish said. “Just tell us here.”
“Ceremony is important, Irish,” Mav said with a smile.
Despite their grumbling, the group stood up and accompanied him to the auditorium. Irish smacked the back of Samson's head, which sparked a fight. Mav barked at them, telling them to calm down. Which was rare, so that told them all the old man was serious about what was coming up next. The auditorium was as it always was. But there were no folding chairs set out this time. Mav walked forward and jumped onto the stage. The group awkwardly stared up at him as he addressed them.
“Congratulations, you did it,” Mav said, his gaze moving from one to the other. Will noticed a small bag on the floor at his feet, so he guessed the old man had gifts for them. “You all survived a training program I created on the fly. To be honest, I didn’t think you all would stick with it, but you did, so you deserve a round of applause.” The old man clapped, but it was bittersweet. Will heard the others curse the man under their breath. Irish joined Mav in the clapping and threw a few woos in. Which made Samson join, then the others.
When the applause died down, Mav continued. “Despite how you may feel, you did very well during your tests,” Mav said. “I took you all as seriously as possible. And you did not disappoint. Each of you is a far cry from what you were when we started. And you are all well on your way to understanding what it can mean to be an Arcist.”
“Still pushing that name, huh?” Katy mumbled. Mav ignored her.
"Although you may not realize it, each of you has a unique specialization. Samson, the Goons refer to Arcs equipped with your ability as Riots. Once they start, they are impossible to stop. You know this better than anyone. I saw you at your strongest and know that if you took a fight seriously, even Irish wouldn’t be able to compete with your strength.”
“Let’s find out-” Irish said, but Mav cut him off.
“Trust me, Irish. If he took you seriously, he would win. Santos, you are a Healer, in all senses of the word. Even I’ve heard rumors about the man they call the Saint. You have helped to eliminate practically every broken bone in the county. Alleviating the strain on doctors and nurses and allowing them to focus on seriously injured patients.”
That was news to Will, and apparently news for the others. They looked to Santos, who blushed furiously in the middle of the group. Will knew he was going to hospitals to learn how they operated, but he didn’t know the extent of his healing over the last few months.
"Your endurance is monstrous because you can heal yourself as well as others. You could literally fight forever as long as you had the ardor to keep going.” Will hadn’t thought of that either. Santos could just keep going as long as his mind wasn't exhausted. That sounded pretty intriguing in Will’s book, but it was his turn next.
“William,” Mav said. “Your speed is unimaginable. I’ve done some testing, and you really do travel at the speed of light. Cultivate that speed, and you will be able to help people sooner than anyone.”
"He can also run away the fastest," Samson mumbled.
“Katy, of all of these guys, you have the most ardor and control over your ability,” Mav said. “While these three are strength, speed, and endurance, you are the most powerful Arcist. The Dragoons call your kind Aeros, and I hope to see you become stronger than all of them.”
“Ryu, your practical zoo of available forms makes you the most versatile. Keep pushing, and I know you’ll go far.”
“Irish…you don’t really specialize in anything,” Mav admitted, his eyes squinting.
“What?” Irish asked, annoyance clear in his voice.
“Which makes you the jack of all trades,” Mav admitted.
“More like jackoff,” Samson mumbled.
“Master of nothing?” Irish asked, ignoring Samson.
“Or master of everything,” Mav said with a smile. “Keep training; I think you’ll find your speciality.”
“If not, you can just blow everything else up,” Katy said.
“Well…obviously,” Irish mumbled, still hurt.
“Either way. Train those powerful attributes you have, but maintain the others. Strength is not the only tool in a fight, and neither is speed. There needs to be a healthy balance between everything if you want to keep going as an Arc.” Mav nodded, giving each of them another glance. “With that, gifts.” He bent down and picked up the black backpack at his feet.
“First, Katy,” he said. “Your…graduation present.” Katy hesitated but walked up the short steps to the stage. As she did, two men walked out from the side of the stage. William knew both of them. They served as Chicago's mayor and police chief.
William’s uncle Carl looked as he always did. He wore a dark navy blue uniform, adorned with medals over his heart, and a police cap, lending an official touch to his appearance. He had a little bit of a beer belly and gray hair. He walked forward slowly until he stopped at the sight of Will. The old man looked him up and down and actually smiled, making Will nod.
The mayor, Corey Simon, was a little less stoic. He was relaxed on the stage. Moving to stand next to Maven, he acted like he had been at the school a thousand times. In a nice black business suit, he had short, gray hair and dark black skin and wore a wrinkled smile on his face as Carl took his spot next to him.
Katy's nervousness increased as additional people arrived, despite the fact that they were supposedly the ones who initiated the entire Arc training program. Mav drew her attention as he pulled out a small white card.
“Thanks to some contacts I have at the Covenant Bank, I was able to secure you identification. Katy, because of your powerful wind, I thought it poetic to name you Katy Chicago.” He handed her the small card. Katy appeared to read it.
“Seriously?” She asked, disbelieving.
“Yeah, Chicago is the windy city; you control the wind; come on.”
“Yeah, no, I mean, how’d you swing a Citizen ID with this name? I thought you needed-”
“It doesn’t matter; just accept it. I have also deposited all the money you've earned over the last two months into this account. Which is quite a hefty amount. Enjoy,” Mav said. He took her hand, and they shook. She wanted to ask more questions, but Corey Simon interrupted her with a whisper and a handshake. Then Carl intervened, and she left while Mav called the next person.
“Ryu,” he said. Ryu walked up. “Because Ryu can mean dragon and Chu means scarlet, I decided to give you the name Red Dragon.”
“No way,” Ryu said, laughing as he took the card.
“What the hell! I want a name like that,” Samson said. Those on stage ignored him, and next it was his turn.
“Samson, you are now Bloodlust Samson,” Mav said. The big man hesitated for a moment before he could speak. He struggled to say something. Will found the interaction odd and glanced at Santos. He didn’t appear to like the name either.
“Santos,” Mav said next. When Santos was on stage, he admitted, “I struggled to think of a name for you. Therefore, I have decided to give you the name Santos. It means saint, so go you.”
"Uh, thanks,” Santos said, taking the card.
“Irish, same for you.”
“Sweet, one-word names are the best,” Irish said as he took his.
Without a call, Will stepped forward. “Your name was obvious,” Mav said. “Light Matthews.” Will accepted the small card. That was the first time he realized that his actual birthdate had come and gone. He was actually 18 now. This was his only Citizen ID. As the main source of identification that the Goons set up. With this simple card, you could request credit, purchase alcohol, buy a home, and do everything you need to do in life.
"Why is the birth date January 1st?" Will asked.
“Eh, I didn’t know your birthdays, so that’s what it is for all of you,” Mav said.
“My real birthday is January 2nd,” Katy said.
“Good for you,” Mav said. “Move along.” He shook Will’s hand. Next, Will shook the mayor's hand.
“Good job,” the man said, a wide smile on his lips. Will nodded and made his way to his uncle.
“Hardly recognize you,” his uncle said, shaking his hand furiously. Will smiled back, surprised at how good he felt that his uncle was there with him. He hadn’t been able to go to the last graduation, but for some reason, this one felt much more meaningful. “We should catch up,” Carl said.
“I agree,” Will said, reluctantly pulling away and heading back down the short stairs.
“Great job, everyone,” Mav said. He turned to Carl, who coughed, and stepped forward.
“Um, you don’t start officially working for the police until Monday. At that time, we will conduct a comprehensive training session on how to handle calls effectively. We'll provide you with a smaller vehicle to reach Arc-spotted locations and a detailed process for managing events. You are not technically a police officer, but an outside contractor. If any of you want to join the police force and go through the academy, that option is available to you."
He looked to Mav, who nodded. Carl stepped back, and Corey Simon stepped up. “Great job, everyone. Even though I'm not familiar with Arcs, I understand the potential threat they pose. For years now, I’ve heard people complaining about this or that problem that cannot be explained. I wish I had been able to get this unit up and running some time ago, but I hope you will join me in helping to make this city a better place.”
Mav clapped, then Carl, and the students slowly joined in. Maven dismissed them all, and he, Carl, and Corey started chatting as they made their way off the stage. Will and the others were a little lost about what to do.
“He said we train on Monday,” Katy said. “Anyone know what day it is?” Will opened his mouth, and for the first time, he realized he didn’t. No one appeared to be aware, and as they looked at one another, they weren't sure how many days they had off.
“Either way, I’ve apparently got money to spend,” Samson said, waving his ID.
“How do you think he got these?” Ryu asked as he read his name, which read Red Dragon.
“Him? He probably broke in and printed them himself,” Irish said. Will wanted to laugh, but no one did. They all knew it was probably the truth.