His classmates stared at him. He thought they were annoyed for what he had done back at Mr. Llermo's class or they thought he's just a fool playing with fire inside the GS High or whatever. Others evaded his sight when he stared them back, but Sean and Kenny went to his seat casually.
"That was the most exciting thing I ever witnessed since I entered here, Markus.." Jake boasted.
Jake Rogers was one of the kids in class who has a strong aura, like the bad-boy gangster type, but not really because he was one of the top brass in their school. He was one of the top 20, the Score, nominated for their high grades and connections to the inside of GS Tech. His dad was an executive of the ORION, working for the office of the vice-president of internal affairs. He had black shaggy hair with red highlights on the sides. He's dressed in the school uniform, a sky-blue polo with a black collar the same as the garment for their pants.
"What about it?" he laughed under his breath. His hands are still cold from earlier. "... did my ignorance surprised you?"
"No,, it was normal to ask about that stuff, you're a newbie." Jake sat on his desk "Besides, that term was only used in this school and at ORION. But the thing is, no one had ever dared to ask questions to that teacher."
"Why?" Markus said
"...Because, you know, he's a terror teacher and he had sent a lot of students to repeat this subject in just a span of a year."
"Really? He's that bad?"
"Yeah,, but thanks to you we now know the real meaning of AMOS.."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah,, we thought it was Anti-Markus Operational System before...but then, it was Operating, instead.." Jake replied.
"I'm glad to help,,, but that means I'll be seeing him next sem."
"Huh!,, that's pretty normal in this school."
"Repeating is normal,,, sounds great.." Markus said ironically.
"So, why did you transfer to this school?" Sean asked.
Sean Colman, the geek-like type, the bookwork, and grade-conscious competitor was the son of the vice president of Big Bear Robotics, a sister company of ORION locate in the neighboring city. His dad pressures him to stay at the Score to send him to a better future. His army-cut hair shows his eye bags under his thick eyeglasses highlighting his sea-green eyes. He wore the same uniform as Jake but he had a tag on his sleeve, PIO.
Hachiro wondered what the PIO means so he stared at it unconsciously.
"Ohh, this? This is Public Information Officer." Sean said, "I'm wondering if you will ask." He added "So?? The answer to my question.."
"Ahhm,,, yeah, my dad sent me here," Markus replied
"Ehh?? How did you get the recommendation? What is your entrance exam score?" Sean asked again
"Take it easy, dude..." Jake stopped him "Ask it one at a time if you want.."
"Ohh,, my bad..." Sean said
"Sorry, he's just like that... he's somehow grade-conscious and a little geek-like. He just wants to know the competition in this class." For public information, Jake whispered. "He's somehow pressured or something," Jake said.
"Ohh, I see.. but that's fine." Markus replied
"So?" Sean exclaimed, with twinkling eyes.
"Ahhh,, let's see.. I guess, Mr. Louige got the recommendation for me."
"Louige Rosenwald? Do you know him?" Sean exclaimed.
"Yeah, I guess...?" Markus became conscious of his words and his surrounding.
"Mr. Louige? Why are you calling him like that? He's on the top spot of the Olympians you know..." Jake muttered. "How can you be so casual?"
"Really? He's that great?" Markus asked.
"Of course he is!" Sean exclaimed throwing his arms in the air.
"I didn't know... because,, he's just the normal big brother when we casually talk." Markus gazed outside the window.
"Really? You treat him like a big brother?!" Sean said
"He asked me to call him brother, that is.." Markus replied.
"What?!!" Sean exclaimed, again.
"How did you know him?" Jake asked.
"I played against him in a tournament and I lost of course," Markus said. He doesn't want to highlight that he is the one who invaded ORION and Louige is the head of the team who cornered him before. "He scouted me, I guess.." he doesn't want to tell them that his dad is Ginsei Reiko, that is why he's twisting the story, somehow. "..and he asked me to work for him." he doesn't want to tell them that his battle caused the mayhem 4 months ago.
"You work for him? I'm jealous.." Sean cried out and wrote Markus' info in his notebook. "So?? Your score at the test?"
"Ahmm,,, Passed," he replied hesitantly.
"Passed? There is no such score as Passed... we're graded here with numbers..." Sean complained.
"I don't want to tell it."
"Why?" Sean insisted.
"... Because he got it perfect, Idiot." A classmate overheard their conversation and butted in to break the ice. She was the class representative, the one responsible for the students' information, guidance, and recommendations.
"Kelly Morgan," Jake muttered, though surprised at what the girl said.
"Sorry to butt-in, but I wanted to cut your conversation."
"Why could it be?" Jake said.
"You're being called." Kelly faced Markus and pointed at the entrance door.
"Ohh,, thanks, Ms. Morgan," Markus answered.
"Class rep is fine, Mr. Top scorer," Kelly said ironically.
He stood from his seat and went straight to the door. A man in a black suit stood in front of the entrance door of their classroom. He knows he will be brought again to the Athena to continue their clean-up.
"Perfect, huh?" Jake muttered, "... but he didn't even know what the AMOS means.."
"Markus. He did said he worked for Mr. Louige, did he?" Sean looked at Jake to find some answer but Jake looked blank at the thought of having a classmate working for an Olympian. "He might have got his recommendation from him."
"That's badass."
......
His days continued like that. He was always called to finish their job, even in the middle of the class. The teachers were aware of his responsibility because Louige prepared an excuse letter to excuse him from class with the signature of Ginsei Reiko, so no one can oppose him.
Most of the time Shichiro takes his consciousness and went to class while Markus sleeps to reserve his strength for their clean-up job. His classmates don't even know that they were talking to a different Markus because Shichiro had modified his framework as Hachiro's.
One day, it was lunchtime and everyone went to the cafeteria to eat their lunch. Some had brought lunch with them and others bought something to eat at the canteen. Markus, on the other hand, brought his lunch to the cafeteria. He had lunch with Jake and Sean at the table near the exit, fronting the LCD broadcasting news and other TV shows.
"I was a nice day today, isn't it?" Sean said.
"Yeah, the weather forecast said we will have a beautiful day ahead." Jake added, "But, our friend here will always be busy doing kinds of stuff.. right?"
Markus went silent thinking of what he still has to do before he realized Jake and Sean were talking to him.
"Oh,, sorry, what was that?" Markus shook his head and faced his classmates.
"I said you're very busy doing stuffs. Well, that can't be helped, you're working for an Olympian so you don't have time to have a chitchat." Jake said.
"You're right. It seems like a scholarship, you know... if I could have known I didn't accept this job." Markus muttered.
"It was a nice job you have there,, do your best.." Sean said
"Hai,, I'm doing my best."
"Haha,, so, you better eat right at least," Jake said
"Thanks..."
The canteen suddenly dimmed for a second, like a lightning strike inside the canteen, and everyone was startled. The LCD turned into a news broadcast.
........
"We are now having a dire situation concerning many lives at stake." The reporter said and the screen flashed the great number of people rallying in front of the airport.
"We are live at the Skyline Airport where the aircraft SJ1097, aka Flight Loki, was being highjacked by an unknown culprit." The reporter continued.
"Hey, what was that?" Sean muttered.
"That's bad right?" Jake added
"What do you think is the motive of the culprit, Mr. President?" the reporter asked the president of the airport Mr. Lauren
"We still did not get any request. As for now, we are still praying for the safety of the passengers and the crew of the plane." The president replied.
"I need to do something..." Markus stood from his seat and took out his phone. "C'mon Shi-chan,, what's happening there?"
He asked Shichiro for help at times he didn't know what to do. He talked to his phone to cover the fact that he had software running inside his head.
"I still don't know, Ha-chan. But I will browse the net and find something out." Shichiro said on his brain. They usually have these conversations inside his consciousness at times they need to confer something. Shichiro sent kinetic electricity running from Hachiro's brain to the cellphone connected to the internet via signal waves. He browsed the internet and found a troublesome event occurring to the plane.
"I found it, Ha-chan." He said, "It will take us a hard time, but I guess we can do it." Shichiro added.
"Then let's go." Hachiro hurried to the elevator going to Athena when his other phone rang.
"Hello?" he answered
"Markus? This is Captain Kevin, we need your help. Our men are on the way there to your school to pick you up. I hope you cooperate."
"What will I have to do? I'm kinda busy trying to do something good here."
"Then do that thing here. I need your help."
He went out to the elevator on the ground floor and he found the men Cap. Kevin mentioned.
"This way.." they said
He followed them as they went to the car outside the building and drove fast to their destination.
They happen to invite him to a facility again. "This happens a lot," he thought, but the mere idea of another bug to be fixed came to be a big misunderstanding and sloppy generalization.
"Welcome Markus, please come in." The captain of the Bureau's 3rd unit said "I know this is where your field lies. Please help us take care of it." The captain added.