Sunrise...
Kymani rose sleepily from his bed as the sun's early rays filtered through the curtains, warming his skin. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced toward the windows — and there sat Valtor, silent, his back straight, eyes distant as he stared through the glass, lost in thought.
Wondering what he was doing there - and whether he'd slept at all - Kymani spoke up.
"You okay?"
Valtor turned toward the voice, his face unreadable.
"Yeah," he said softly. "Just... a lot on my mind."
Kymani studied him for a moment, curiosity flaring.
"Do you mind me asking where you've been?"
Valtor sighed. "About that… there's a lot I need to tell you guys."
Honk!!
A loud siren cut through the quiet, jarring them both. Their conversation was abruptly silenced.
Kymani stood, stretching. "Time to freshen up before training." As he moved toward the bathroom, he paused, glancing back at Valtor.
"This conversation—we'll continue it, right?"
Valtor gave a brief nod, though his eyes had shifted, locked onto Lynx, who stirred under his blanket, murmuring in protest at the noise.
"Right," he replied.
Morning, soldiers!" Lt. Ross's voice rang out the moment the group stepped into the combat arena.
They chorused their greetings in response.
"Mister Steel!" Ross continued, noting the blue-eyed absentee. "Welcome back!"
Valtor gave a curt nod as the trainees spread out, forming a semi-circle around their instructor.
"For today's lesson," Ross began, "you'll be tested on hand-to-hand combat. That means no powers. Instead, you'll be relying on physical strength, speed, agility—and of course, battle intelligence."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep across his students. Then, turning to the corner of the room, he picked up a black case from his table and carried it back.
"Now, to make sure none of you accidentally—or intentionally—use your abilities…" He opened the case and pulled out a round, collar-like device. It gleamed under the overhead lights.
"You'll be given one of these." He held it up for them to see. "This is a special collar—an energy inhibitor."
The group leaned in slightly, attention locked.
"Whenever you activate your powers, energy rises from within. This collar suppresses that energy, effectively neutralizing your abilities."
He snapped the collar closed with a click.
"The point of this exercise is to prepare you for days when you might not have enough energy to rely on your powers. You need to know how to survive regardless. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" they chorused in unison.
"Alright," Ross continued, scanning the group. "Who wants to start us off?" His gaze paused as it landed on Valtor. "Mister Steel, since you just returned, would you care to do the honors?"
Valtor stepped forward without hesitation, feet silent on the mat.
"Good. Would you like to choose your opponent, or shall I?"
"I'll choose," Valtor said flatly. His tone left no room for argument. "Lynx."
Unfazed, Lynx waltzed forward with a cocky grin, cracking his knuckles.
Valtor's eyes flicked toward him, a faint frown etching his face—then shifted past, landing on Orea.
She was watching him. Her big brown eyes shimmered with guilt, lips parted as if she might say something. But she didn't.
His gaze lingered a heartbeat longer before turning away. Silent. Cold. Then he looked back at Ross.
After receiving their collars, both fighters clamped the devices onto their necks and switched them on. Clad only in chest pads, they stood across from each other.
"All right, boys," Lt. Ross stepped between them. "You know the drill—no headshots."
Both nodded. Ross stepped back, then barked:
"Fight!"
Valtor and Lynx began to circle, eyes locked, waiting for an opening.
Lynx struck first, aiming a punch at Valtor's face—but Valtor dodged and countered, driving a heavy blow into Lynx's gut.
Lynx staggered briefly, then caught his balance, and shoved Valtor hard to the side, using his upper-body strength. Valtor groaned, gripping his ribs—but before he could recover, Lynx sent a kick flying toward him.
Angered, Valtor swiftly caught the leg and shoved it away, throwing Lynx off balance. Lynx gritted his teeth as he tried to steady himself, but Valtor was already moving—slamming another punch into his stomach.
Bam!
Lynx hit the ground hard. He started to rise, but Valtor charged, pinning him and drew back for another punch, jabbing his fists into Lynx's face.
"All right, all right!" Lt. Ross rushed in, pulling Valtor back.
Valtor stepped off, chest heaving, his eyes still locked on Lynx—who glared up at him, hand pressed to his cheek.
Ross knelt beside Lynx. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Lynx muttered.
"All right, we've got a winner." Ross raised Valtor's arm while the group clapped quietly, their eyes following him.
Ross helped Lynx up and led him off to grab an ice pack while Valtor walked towards the back of the room, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
"I take it, that was revenge?" Orea moved up beside him, her eyes on the ground.
Valtor glanced at her. Then turned, facing her fully.
"Whatever happened yesterday has nothing to do with me," he said flatly. "It's your business."
Orea's face tightened at the coldness in his usually warm eyes.
"Like you once said..." he added, his voice cool. "We never said we were a thing. So don't worry, feel free to hang out with whoever. I'll be just fine."
He forced a smile, then brushed past her.
Orea stood frozen. She ran a hand through her dark hair and exhaled.
that was expected..., she thought.
Dropping heavily onto a nearby bench, she let her gaze follow Valtor as he rejoined the others.