Ed setup a spit roast to cook one of the larger rabbits. Bolin sighed and disappeared through a portal. He returned a few moments later with a jar full of barbeque sauce. He generously applied it with a brush as the rabbit spun slowly over the fire.
Both men ripped some flesh from the rabbit and took a bite.
"Mm." Ed nodded happily while licking his fingers. "Pretty damn good. I wonder why no one eats mutants in the cities. Tastes way better than ordinary meat."
"We used to do so back in the old days." Bolin replied while carefully cutting the rabbit. He used a knife and fork whereas Ed had just bitten right into things. "The government banned mutant flesh for consumption since it has mana in it. Ordinary people will usually die if they try eating it. There's still an underground market for mutant meat though. It was one of the main sources of income for Blood-Lust."
"Oh. That makes sense." Ed nodded. 'I hadn't paid attention to it before, but I can feel a small amount of mana from the flesh filling my body as my stomach digests the meat. Maybe I should open the stomach meridian next. I could probably eat more mutant flesh to train faster after doing so.'
The duo finished their meal. Ed stood up to stretch and walked over towards the pile of rabbit carcasses. He began to search their heads one by one. "Hmm? Hey, World Walker! Is it normal for every single one of these rabbits to have a mana-core?" Every single head he split open so far had revealed a small light element mana-core.
"What?!" Bolin yelled in shock. He rushed over and began to search the bodies as well. "This... This is a jackpot!" He glanced at Ed. "We can't tell anybody about this. The forest is full of those rabbits. We'll make a fortune off raising them!"
"So, a species like this is rare even outside the cities?" He questioned.
"Of course it is!" Bolin replied. "These rabbits are relatively small mutants and are numerous in number. They also grow up quickly. Several organizations have found similar mutant species that also meet these requirements, but they've taken complete control of them! Especially the government and the Hunter Association. Each of them dominates several similar mutant species."
"Hmm." Ed rubbed his chin. "I don't really have much use for light element mana-cores yet. I suppose I can find one though. I can also always trade them for other types. How far are we from a city? Should we raise the rabbits here or bring them to a more secure location?"
"We're nowhere near a city since this is a safehouse meant for me to avoid people. The odds of someone else finding this are nearly zero. Still, we need to be absolutely tight-lipped about this. If Nexus finds out about it then I'm sure they won't be able to resist taking over this entire forest or selling the information on it. As for whether to leave them here..." He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "I've got no idea. I've never raised mutants before."
"Mm. We'll just leave them here then." Ed responded. "I have a mutant raising method I acquired from Sinless. Mutants usually die in captivity due to refusing to eat. You have to trick them into thinking they're not in captivity by giving them a large enclosure. Easier to just leave them here in the forest. We can always build a compound surrounding it in the future."
"Alright then." Bolin agreed while poking the fire with his black cane. "Shall we now discuss your academy infiltration plans?"
"Mm." He nodded while a serious look on his face. "The primary goal is the same as the last time you infiltrated. Recruitment."
"Why bother?" Bolin questioned. "They already turned me down previously."
"It's different." He shook his head. "This time it's for Harmony. It sounds much better to our prospects than a sinner organization. Truthfully though, I don't really care about most of the students there. I mainly just want to try convincing Dexter and Flair."
"Your former engineering peers? Makes sense. They'll be more useful to the overall power of your organization than the other espers there."
"Right." He nodded. "Dexter's power is especially invaluable. I'd also like to take Flair with me to Europe someday. Her power is perfect for stealing the secrets to their technology. As for the other students, I don't particularly care about them. I only knew a few of their powers since I wasn't that sociable." He pulled out a small black book from his pocket. "However, this book of yours filled in the gaps for me. Our class really is a cut above most espers with our powers, but none of the others are ones I feel that we absolutely need."
"I see." Bolin replied. "What are we going to do about OP Baldy? The school has ramped up security since last time I busted in. They've added a mana barrier over the school grounds. I won't be able to teleport us directly inside."
"OP Baldy shouldn't interfere. He's agreed to leave the country, so this matter should no longer be of his concern. We won't take any hostages either. It wouldn't do well to show our... I believe you called it sincerity previously?" Ed chuckled as he continued. "As long as we're in and out within 15 minutes then it should be fine. The teachers there are few in number and aren't that strong. Our only real concern is Ms. Willow. If she manages to get a good hold on us with her powers, then we might get trapped until their backup arrives."
"Hmm..." Bolin lowered his head in thought. "I don't like the idea of not taking hostages. If things go wrong, then we're completely screwed."
"True." He nodded in agreement. "It is a risk, but I believe it's for the best. My peers are no longer the weaklings they were when you last infiltrated. I seriously doubt you could capture them all even if you had your former members. Fortunately, I'm not one to go without a backup plan either." He grinned. "It's a rather crude plan, but we just so happen to have the materials I need on hand."
The next day. Dawn.
Ed and Bolin teleported back to Steam Work City. They patiently waited at a diner while Bolin fully recovered his mana. They needed to be in peak condition for such an operation. They chose to infiltrate at noon. All of the academy students from all classes would be at lunch at that time. It was convenient, though riskier overall. However, they had no better options. The time-limit before reinforcements arrived would be too short to individually recruit students across the campus.
"Let's begin." Ed put on his black and green Harmony mask. He handed a similar looking mask to Bolin. That version only had a few green leaves on it and no tree. It was the mask created for ordinary Harmony members.
"So tacky." Bolin frowned while putting it on. "Is this really necessary?"
"Of course it is." Ed nodded. "This is our brand. How can we not do free advertising when the opportunity presents itself? People are more trusting of a symbol than the men behind the symbol."
A black portal opened in front of them and they stepped through it. They appeared on Governor's island where the academy was located. The academy couldn't afford to keep the entire island covered by a mana barrier for long periods of time. These barriers usually required a strong barrier esper to create and maintain them. Alternatively, a large amount of mana-powder might be able to construct something similar. The duo were unsure of which method the academy was using.
They walked down a wide road until the school grounds came into sight. A dome-shaped barrier covered the grounds. It was transparent like glass and shone with white light. Ed glanced at World Walker.
"It's a mana-powder barrier." Bolin said. "It's not something I know how to construct, but I can tell it wasn't made by an esper's powers. Those types of barriers will usually have some other colors mixed in."
"How strong is it?" Ed questioned.
"It should primarily serve as a deterrent for teleporting espers and an alarm if someone breaks it. Most barriers like this one tend to have C grade defense, but if they paid a significant price then it could be higher."
Ed frowned. 'If it's higher than C grade then it'll take me too long to break through it with flames. Best to adjust my arms now.' He made the same adjustments to his arms he used against the rabbits. Then he took aim with both arms. High-pressured water blasted out and instantly drilled a small hole in the barrier. He moved his arms in a circle and a large gap appeared in front of them. "The barrier was only C grade defense. It'd take me a lot longer if it wasn't."
"Mm." Bolin nodded. "That's beneficial for us. Let's hurry. They should already be aware somebody broke it."
The two men stepped through the hole and a black portal appeared. The duo both stepped through it and appeared in front of a large dining hall. Over a hundred espers sat inside while eating. They were separated into sections based on when they first entered the school.
'Let's go. Show only confidence!' Ed pumped himself up as he walked inside.
World Walker stayed outside. The students here already disliked him. Besides, he could buy time if the teachers arrived. His gravity power was quite useful for delaying tactics.
Many students within the cafeteria noticed Ed. They murmured to their neighbors at the same table. Soon, the entire cafeteria had gone silent as they all turned to look at him.
"Isn't that Ed?!" Someone yelled aloud.
"I think he goes by Forge now...?" Another replied.
"ED!!!!" A fat meatball of a man ran forward and embraced him.
Ed's eyes widened in shock. He had felt no ill will from the man and hadn't defended himself.
"You got taller than me!" The fat man looked up at him with sobbing blue eyes.
It took him a moment before recognizing the man. "Husky?" He questioned. 'I forgot all about him. We hardly ever talked. Why is he acting so familiar?'
"How could you just leave like that!" Husky complained as his fat jiggled. "You were my best friend! The two amigos! Compadres! The two slowest people in the class!"
Ed's eyebrows rose in surprise. 'This guy's fucking crazier than Luny. Friends? Just because we were both slow in the beginning?! How the hell does his mind work? I'm definitely not recruiting this guy.'
He gently shoved the fatty away from him and looked over the crowd. "I am here today to see if anyone would like to join Harmony. We fight for equal rights and freedoms for both espers and humans. I know some of you may think espers deserve better treatment, but what about your families? Parents, siblings, loved ones. Do they not deserve the same as the rest of us?"
One of the older students in the crowd frowned. "Fuck off! Ordinary people and espers already have the same rights!"
"Do they?" Ed questioned back. "How many ordinary people have you seen in government positions of power? How many of you have gotten extra leeway since becoming espers? How many of you were blackmailed into joining the Hunter Association, which is essentially a branch of the military?"
The older student quieted down after that. Ed continued, "I'm looking for members that believe in true equality for all men and women, regardless of whether they are human or esper. If you join, then you will have the freedom to choose your own path. Do you have powers suited to combat but want to be a medic? Go for it. Do you have engineering powers but want to be on the frontlines? You're free to choose to do so. Come to Harmony and take back your natural God given rights that the government has worn down through corruption." He rose a fist in the air. "Join Harmony and restore balance to America and the world!"
The crowd of students began to quietly murmur to their neighbors. Ed spotted his two primary targets at a certain table. "Dexter! Flair!" He spoke loudly. "Did you know that America's technology is garbage compared to Europe?" This was the bait he had planned for the two engineering obsessed espers.
"What nonsense are you speaking?!" Another older esper stood up. "America is the center of the world! How could Europe compare to us!"
Ed sighed while shaking his head. 'The longer a student stays at the academy and serves the Hunter Association then the more likely they would be loyal to it. Such is the logical conclusion of belonging to an exclusive group.'
He looked back towards Dexter and Flair. "The mech that Mr. Ardy created is like a child's toy compared to the ones Europe has made. In Europe, the espers are all enslaved by ordinary men. Their technological heights have given their ordinary soldiers military prowess greater than most of the espers in this room. The government covers this up for two reasons. One, it's a national embarrassment. Two, they don't want the commoners to get any ideas in their heads for doing something similar."
Flair stood up from the table. "That's why Sinless tries to setup branches in all the cities here, right? So that they can take over America. I've seen brief glimpses of some of their technology and it indeed surpasses our own, but the margin isn't that large."
"You're wrong." He replied. "What you've seen is the tip of the iceberg. Mere trinkets that Sinless HQ in Europe feels comfortable giving to their American branches. I personally piloted one of the Sinless mechs. It was merely a standard model that an ordinary soldier would pilot. It far outclassed Mr. Ardy's own creation. I dream of seeing their true technology when I travel to Europe in the future."
Flair lowered her head in thought for a moment. "I'll join as an engineer, but you have to provide me with a workshop and the tools I need. I also want a weekly stipend of mana-powders and any other resources I need. Also, you have to take me to Europe with you when you go."
"Done." Ed nodded in agreement. 'I figured Flair would be easy to reel in. She lives and breathes technology. Everything else is of secondary importance to her. The hard one to recruit is going to be Dexter.'
"Ed! I want to join too!" Husky began sobbing while begging him.
He frowned while looking at the fatty. 'Just what the hell made him hate this place so much? I'm not even actively trying to recruit him.' He sighed while nodding his head. Too many espers were watching. It wouldn't suit his equality image if he turned the fatty down. 'I suppose more espers is a good thing...'
"I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP!" A voice raged out. Jake stood up from a nearby table. His body began to catch fire and grow in size as he walked towards Ed. Several other espers from the older classes also stood up and began to activate their powers. The fight would soon begin.