UNMATCHED
Chapter 2: Dorm 130
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Morning light cut through the dusty windows. Tadashi hadn't moved from his spot on the roof. The drone hadn't returned. But he'd felt it watching. Even after it vanished, the weight of its gaze lingered.
Sanji: (Poking his head through the rooftop door.) "There you are. Thought you got eaten by something."
Tadashi: "Didn't sleep."
Sanji: "Noticed. You've got that 'I saw something weird' look." (Sat beside him.) "Wanna talk about it?"
Tadashi: "Drone. Last night. Black, small, not Academy tech. Watched me for ten seconds. Then left."
Sanji: (Paused.) "Huh. That's... actually concerning."
Tadashi: "You believe me?"
Sanji: "Bro, I turn cards into dragons. A creepy drone is the least weird thing that happens here." (Stood.) "Come on. Breakfast. Then I'm introducing you to everyone who matters."
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The cafeteria was chaos.
Students packed every table. Food floated through the air—delivered by trays that moved on their own, or students with telekinesis, or one very stressed-looking boy who kept dropping things and catching them with wind powers.
Sanji: (Weaving through crowds.) "Ignore the staring. New kids always get stared at."
Tadashi: "Everyone's staring."
Sanji: "Told you."
They grabbed food. Found a table near the back. Tadashi ate in silence, watching.
Tadashi: "How many students?"
Sanji: "Two hundred sixty-three. I counted."
Tadashi: "Why?"
Sanji: (Shrugged.) "Bored. Also, good to know numbers when things go wrong."
Tadashi: "Things go wrong often?"
Sanji: "Define often."
A tray landed across from them. A boy with dark circles under his eyes sat down without asking.
Arnold: "You're the new guy. Dorm 130. Power's unstable. You're wondering why I know that."
Tadashi: "How do you—"
Arnold: "Three meters. Anyone within that range, I hear their thoughts. Including yours right now: 'Great, another weird power, hope he's not annoying.'"
Tadashi: (Caught.) "I—"
Arnold: "It's fine. Everyone thinks that." (Bit into his food.) "I'm Arnold. Voliguard Arnold. Telekinesis and telepathy. The telepathy's the reason I look tired."
Sanji: "He's always like this. You get used to it."
Arnold: (Chewing.) "Your thoughts are structured. Organized. Like you're running calculations constantly. That's rare."
Tadashi: "You can tell that from thoughts?"
Arnold: "I can tell a lot. Like the fact that you saw a drone last night. Black. Small. Not Academy." (Paused.) "The operator's thoughts were... focused. On you specifically."
Tadashi: (Leaned forward.) "You read them? Through the drone?"
Arnold: "Fragments. But yes. Someone's watching you. And they're very interested in what you are."
Sanji: "Bro. That's terrifying."
Arnold: "Welcome to my world. Everyone's thoughts are terrifying."
---
Another tray landed. Another student.
Satorou: (Sitting.) "Satorou Karma. Gravity control. Weapon transmutation." (Picked up a spoon. It reshaped into a small blade.) "Heard Dorm 130's getting crowded."
Sanji: "News travels fast."
Satorou: "News travels when Arnold talks in his sleep."
Arnold: (Flat.) "I don't talk in my sleep."
Satorou: "You do. Last week you mumbled 'the vice principal likes cats more than people' for three hours."
Arnold: (Paused.) "That's... actually true. He does."
Sanji: (Laughing.) "This dorm is going to be chaos."
Satorou: (Eyeing Tadashi.) "You're the center. I can tell."
Tadashi: "Center of what?"
Satorou: "Whatever's coming." (The blade reshaped back into a spoon. He ate.) "Arnold's not the only one who notices things. People with unstable powers don't just end up in the same dorm by accident. Someone's collecting us."
Tadashi: "The Academy?"
Satorou: "Maybe. Or something else." (Stood.) "Either way, we're all targets now. Good to know each other before the shooting starts."
He left.
Sanji: "He's dramatic. But not wrong."
Arnold: (Eyes closed.) "He's also thinking about you. Wondering if you're worth following."
Tadashi: "Following where?"
Arnold: (Opened eyes.) "That's what he's trying to figure out."
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Afternoon. Training grounds. Tadashi stood at the edge, watching students spar.
Zera: (Appeared beside him.) "You're always watching. Never joining."
Tadashi: (Jumped.) "I—you—"
Zera: (Calm.) "Relax. I don't bite." (Watched the sparring.) "Why don't you train?"
Tadashi: "My power doesn't work. Not reliably."
Zera: "Define work."
Tadashi: "It sparks. Sometimes. Then stops. Then I get headaches."
Zera: (Studied him.) "That's not failure. That's limitation. Every power has limits. Yours just aren't mapped yet."
Tadashi: "How do you map something that won't cooperate?"
Zera: (Almost smiled.) "You ask it different questions."
She walked onto the training grounds. Students parted for her. She began drills—fluid, precise, untouchable.
Tadashi: (Quiet.) "She's impossible."
Arnold: (Appearing beside him.) "Her thoughts are shielded. I can't read her at all. That's S-rank for you."
Tadashi: "You followed me?"
Arnold: "Three meters. You were close. Not my fault." (Paused.) "Also, the drone's back. Far. Watching."
Tadashi: (Looked up. Saw nothing.) "Where?"
Arnold: "Tree line. East. It's learning your patterns."
Tadashi: "Can you read the operator?"
Arnold: (Concentrated.) "Fragments. They're... patient. Planning. Not attacking yet."
Tadashi: "Then we have time."
Arnold: "Time for what?"
Tadashi: (Watching Zera move.) "Time to get ready."
---
Evening. Dorm 130. The door kept opening.
Gabriel: (Appeared inside before the door fully opened.) "Gabriel Vulcan. Teleportation. X-ray vision." (Looked around.) "This room's a disaster."
Sanji: "Thanks. We tried."
Haijima: (Walked through the wall.) "Haijima Toji. Phase through objects. Metal control." (Tapped the wall. A metal fragment floated to his hand.) "You're all very loud."
Arnold: "That's ironic coming from someone who phases through walls."
Haijima: (Almost smiled.) "Fair."
Richy: (Walked in normally. Face shifted—briefly—into someone else's.) "Hokage Richy. Shapeshifting. Power adaptation. C-rank and below only, though."
Tadashi: "C-rank and below?"
Richy: "I can copy any power I've seen, but only if it's not S-rank. Limits suck."
Fujimoto: (Slid in on a floating door.) "Fujimoto Spark. Doors. And mimicry. Also C-rank and below." (The door vanished.) "This dorm's getting crowded."
Sanji: (Counting.) "That's... seven? Eight? I've lost count."
Tadashi: (Quiet.) "Eight. Nine including me."
Arnold: "Ten if you count Nezuko, and she's coming."
The window shattered.
Nezuko: (Landing, lightning crackling.) "ZAP ZAP! DID SOMEONE SAY MY NAME?!"
Everyone: (Stared.)
Nezuko: "What? Thunder ninja doesn't use doors."
Sanji: (Grinning.) "I like her."
---
Night. All ten of them crammed into Dorm 130. Bunk beds appeared from somewhere. Sleeping bags covered the floor. Cards floated. Sparks flickered. Thoughts murmured.
Arnold: (Eyes closed.) "Everyone's thinking too loud."
Nezuko: "ZAP ZAP! THINK QUIETER!"
Arnold: "That's not how thoughts work."
Nezuko: "ZAP ZAP! MAKE THEM WORK!"
Satorou: (Testing a blade.) "So. Ten misfits in one room. What's the plan?"
Tadashi: "Plan for what?"
Satorou: "The drone. The watching. The fact that someone's collecting us."
Gabriel: "X-ray vision picked up something. Below the Academy. Structures that don't match blueprints."
Haijima: "I felt metal down there. Reinforced. Sealed."
Richy: "Sealed means secrets."
Fujimoto: "Secrets mean trouble."
Nezuko: "Trouble means FUN!"
Sanji: (To Tadashi.) "You're quiet."
Tadashi: (Thinking.) "If someone's collecting us, they're not done yet. More will come."
Arnold: (Opened eyes.) "He's right. I'm picking up fragments. New students being assigned to Dorm 130. Three more. Maybe four."
Tadashi: "Then we wait. We watch. We learn each other's powers. And when they make their move—"
Satorou: "We're ready."
Tadashi: "Exactly."
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(Outside. Black drone. Hovering. Watching.)
(It doesn't know it's already been seen.)
(It doesn't know it's already being planned for.)
(It doesn't know it's already lost.)
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END OF CHAPTER 2