"To pick up from where I stopped, the Detel serum's usefulness lies in its awakening. I know this is a term which sounds foreign to you. Awakening of the serum is when your body and mind is able to accept and fully fuse perfectly with the serum and this process awakens what we have dubbed "Abilities". They are what has enabled us to have a fighting ability against Xions," the instructor recounted as the screen displayed images of the serum, its ethereal blueish colour swirling inside the beaker.
"Any questions?" Thalia questioned, her eyes scanning through the class. A raised hand caught her interest and she turned to find it belonged to Lark. After accepting his question, Lark stood up and asked his question, "You said awakening and how this is the true purpose of the Detel infusion, but from what I have gathered, none of us have undergone this awakening you speak about even my friend who has the highest recorded Detel Infusion rate recorded," Lark voiced his skepticism on what the instructor had just relayed.
"Hmm, you have a valid point. Awakening doesn't happen immediately after your Detel infusion. Like I said, your mind and body has to fully accept and fuse perfectly with the serum. For some quick education, can anyone explain what the Detel Infusion rates mean?" Thalia questioned her students, her hands tapping on the display screen as it morphed into the heading of "Detel Infusion Rates Meaning"
"I believe that it is a measurement of how much of the serum we can hold," Lark commented, voicing his own opinion of the question given. "A measure of our aptitude and talent to determine how well we'll be able to efficiently make use of the improvements we have been given," Naive pitched in, her tone still yet quiet.
"You all have solid points, which aren't entirely wrong on its own, but the true meaning of the rae you are given is to determine the rate at which you'll be able to effectively fuse with the serum. As if you have a higher rate of awakening and fusion, you're likely going to have stronger powers, but just as having too low of an infusion result is bad, having too high also comes with its demerits," Thalia explained as she swiped her hands on the board, as it displayed the title "demerits"
"With a very high Detel infusion rate, just like student Kael, the longer it would be for you to awaken. So it is safe to say that you're going to be one of the last students to awaken but, it also comes with the advantage that when you awaken, you'll be able to be one of the most powerful superhumans," Thalia recounted while she paced on the podium.
"Thus why, even those with not the highest Detel rates are still taken and trained as Pioneers, going to be supports, secondary fighters or much more. As of right now, all members of Constellation have awakened and your lesson with me is to prepare you for your awakening, how to use the improvements you have now, how not to fall into corruption and preparing you for your class missions," Thalia stated, turning around and tapping on the display screen one more time as the board showed "Physique and Serums" as the title head of the slide.
"I'm sure each student has noticed an increase in their overall physique after coming out of the Detel infusion, and that is a side effect of the Detel serum. It helps to upgrade and enforce us and it gives an all rounded improvement based on the user. For example, both students with 80% infusion rate and one could have higher strength or have higher speed or maybe be able to see further. It will give a general upgrade and also a personal upgrade depending majorly on how you fight or what your powers could be in the future," Thalai explained to the students, as the sun travelling up above made its imprints through the classroom travelling it and casting uneven shadows on the class grounds and on the walls like a moving mural.
The bell rang which signified the end of lessons for the day signifying their conclusion of the lesson by her hand gesture, Thalia watched as the students began to retreat from the classroom, but her eyes followed Kael and his companions as they exited the class.
Some minutes later after the class had now become emptied, the principal walked in, her professional attire uplifting her presence. She stepped next to Thalia, her black hair framing her mature face. "You seem down, Thalia," she whispered into the ears of Thalia which caused her to raise her head to focus on the individual who had just done that but also already knew the only person who could and would do that to her.
"Don't you have anything to do, Principal Natasha of Pioneer?" Thalia commented after being awoken by this friend of hers. "I do, but I gave it to my assistant. The perks of having power and authority," Natasha boasted, pride dripping from her actions, while she looked at Thalia who chuckled.
"Mission : To make the brooding Fateweaver who's my best friend smile has been completed, " Natasha commented as she smiled. "What got you down today? I gave you the best of this batch, knowing your personality. You asked me to allow you to teach and that you saw your fate line led here, and they are well behaved so they shouldn't have troubled you that much," Natasha thought, her hands went up to caress her hair.
"Hahh…Nat, I found him, finally, after all this time, I found him," Thalia spoke, her voice slipping between regret and happiness. "I found him but it has now become complicated. Kael, that's his name," Thalia spoke freely, not hiding anything from Natasha who listened to her friend, her face twisting into discomfort after hearing the name.
Pushing herself up from the seat, Natasha expressed her stance, "No! You can't Thalia. This is a suicide case. The Commanders wouldn't let you go away with someone like that and they'll send the Constellations after you!".
It was indeed a suicide case, and Thalia was also aware of that. The recruit Kael was too important to Sanctuary and the Commanders to allow to escape and they'll stop at nothing to get him back.
"I know, but what should I do? Can..can you imagine? He's the only reason I've kept on living all this time and I've finally seen him but I can't do anything about it?!" Thalia said, her ethereal eye glowing in response to heightened emotions.
Drawing closer, Natasha hugged her friend as she whispered, "I understand, Thalia. But as your friend, I can't allow you to do this! If you betray Sanctuary, I'll be forced to move and kill you and there'll be nothing I can do! So please..please! I already know what it feels to lose someone precious and that pain,...that sadness, it scares me. I don't want to have to choose between killing you or Sanctuary killing my sister.," Natasha begged, her voice cracking, the trauma she had hid with her cold personality from outsiders and Meisha showed itself.
"That'll be just cruel..so, please, don't do it, Thalai We'll find another way, and just as you waited this long, you'll be able to wait a bit more," Natasha spoke.
Thalia stroked her back in comfort. Her friend, Natasha always liked to put up the mature and brave front but Thalia knew that between both of them, she was more childish and hurt too but she was brave enough to endure the sorrow even when it haunts her.
"Alright. I won't do it. And like you said, if I just wait and with the strife and tension all around, I'll definitely find my chance," Thalia acknowledged. "You should let go no, cry baby principal," Thalia joked which made Natasah push away from her before answering "I didn't cry, stupid fateweaver," she launched her own jab at Thalia.
"Why are you here, Nat? You wouldn't visit me if you had nothing to say,especially in a public space such as this," Thalia commented on Natasha's strange behaviour of speaking to her right now of all places.
Taking a deep breath, Natasha began, her fist tightly clenched together, her face morphing into helplessness. "The students. They have a month at most before they have to go for their trial mission before they are deployed to the field, that was the Commanders order which was passed to me today,".
Hearing this, Thalia's brow raised in surprise as she stared at her friend. "Whaat? A month? So quick?! They won't be fully prepared. How could you accept such a short training time?! We agreed on at least five months but do you know how much you have cut that?! What are those old men thinking?!" Thalia expressed her unwillingness on the training of the new students. A month was too short to equip these children that were basically being sent to their death with the tools to survive.
She wasn't particularly interested in teaching nor if the students would survive when she was given the deadline of five months before she started. Afterall, she only accepted because her fate line tugged her here but after finding her anchor and also the fact that Natasha's little sister is in her class, the least Thalia felt she could do was to at least train and [rep them up with that time so they'll be able to survive thor trial mission and for being sent out into the field, but now, it seems that that wouldn't happen.
She still remembered her trial mission which led to more than 20 students dying and that was when they had a year to prepare. Even one without the ability to peer into the future could tell that this was a bad fucking idea.
It is true that they are one of the most promising batch that Pioneer has had and that's precisely they should be well catered to before they are released into the harsh world. Looking at Natasha, probing why she didn't object to such a ridiculous idea, she understood as she faced the helpless despair on her friend's face.
"One month is all I was able to get them to give and they didn't bulge back anymore. So can I ask you to teach them and train them so at least some will be able to survive the trial missions? If I had my way, I would've taken Meisha away from the frontlines but her rank in the exam makes it too difficult. She'll need to be there to lead and so the only thing I can do as a sister is to at least try to increase her chance of survival,"
"The Commanders said that it was going to be a Ruin raid as the trial mission so at least it wouldn't be as dangerous as cleaning up Xions," Natasha added, this statement more to strengthen her resolve than it was to convince Thalia.
"If it's a Ruin raid, it is a bit doable. Which ruin is it? I can make a plan," Thalia questioned seriously but unlike the good news she was expecting, Natasah gave her another dead end. "I don't know. It isn't a ruin which has been explored and the only thing we know is that it's one from the Old World," Natasha answered.
"An unexplored ruin?! And from the Old World nonetheless?! Do you know what could be inside? Robots, Mechanical beings, poisons, traps and much more and technology which has been lost as the Old World fell. We're back at where we began," Thalia commented, annoyed at the fact that she could see no breakthrough at all. Calming down, she asked a pressing matter which has been concerning her.
"Why the rush, Nat? Is the frontline's situation that bad? What does Aesis say?" Thalia asked as she looked at her friend. "Huh? What do you mean by that? Why would Aesis tell me anything?!" Natasha responded clearly flustered but trying her best to hide it which clearly didn't escape the hawk-like eyes of Thalia.
Coughing to cover up her embarrassment, she responded, "He didn't say anything. The last time he spoke, he just told me to focus on taking care of the 'future' and 'both you and your sister,kid'. He still keeps calling me a kid!" Natasha commented, clearly annoyed at Aesis
"Sure…" Thalia answered awkwardly as she stared at her friend. By now, most of Constellation could tell that Natasha's crush was too one sided to ever work, but the subject itself seemed not to accept that reality. 'I feel sorry for you, First Star," Thalia murmured her consolation and prayers in her thoughts.
"But he asked me for that crazy woman to be sent to the frontlines," Natasha commented as she stood up from the seat they both sat down in. "Who? Team Leader Kina or Joan?" Thalia asked, recalling the two Constellations present in Sanctuary who can be called "crazy".
"Uh…I never thought about it but it seems Constellation contains some weird and crazy people, but anyway, he was asking about Kina. And the Commanders were also talking about you being reinforcement, but I'm not too sure," Natasha responded.
"Alright, I'll try my best for the time I have left as their instructor. And also don't worry too much, this batch will be able to hold themselves in case of an emergency during their trial mission. Ah…I feel like you should cut the class. It'll be too unfair to force the other students into that situation. It may hurt them but a wounded pride is a cheaper price to pay than a lost life," Thalia gave her opinion to which after pondering a bit, Natasha accepted and after hugging Thalia for a bit, she walked out of the classroom.