"Earth is a disease in remission, but it's blight can spread across the multiverse again. I will not stand for it again. Neither should you, Halcyrin." Kronus said. He sounded imposing, but the man was slight, with long hair that appeared like polish silver for one moment, and dull grey the next.
"Lord Kronus, I remember the havoc wreaked by that Earth -- by that Earth being. It brought great changes and tragedies to the Multiverse," Halcyrin said, luckily stopping himself before he said 'Earth God'. That would have angered Kronus for sure. "Didn't the greatest philosophers and scientists agree that Earth itself wasn't special? The power just arose there by chance. Considering how developmentally delayed that universe is, it is unlikely they will ever pose a threat again."
"Oh yes, I have heard the theories and read the papers. I must ask Halcyrin, have you ever heard of virus that didn't try to infect everything around it? Just because it left Earth, doesn't mean it didn't leave its influence behind. Now that we have finally found Earth again, I think it is only prudent that we excise the disease from the multiverse," Kronus said.
"So its true, you have found Earth. That is dangerous information Lord Kronus, there are as many factions that worship the Earth as hate it. If you make any decisive action, it could be the tinder that ignites a multiverse war." Halcyrin tried to hide his excitement, but his hands shook slightly all the same. 'Earth is found, praise the Rising Phoenix,' he thought, deep in his heart.
"We'll see. My son may have already destroyed that pimple."
"Sorry, what did you say Lord Kronus," Halcyrin said, his voice high and cracking.
"Earth has been hidden, but it is not powerful. It is a babe in the multiverse, susceptible to the whims of the many forces amongst the stars. Some of those forces are more directed than others," Kronus said, his smile huge, and his hair gleaming silver and bright.
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Shin woke up in a cold sweat, his sheets tangled around him. He'd had the nightmare again, of his family dying, and that incredible blue light that washed everything away, leaving Shin alone in the world. Shin was different than most of the kids in the Academy, they still had families who worked for the Empire. They had lived in areas mostly unaffected by the Super-Apocalypse and escaped unscathed. Physically, at least. Everyone still alive suffered the psychological damage of their world being overrun, entire cities and states destroyed, and Super Powered beings taking over.
He didn't bring up the fact that he was from one of the first cities wiped off the map, it always led to too many questions that he didn't have the answers for. He barely remembered the man who found him and took care of him that first year before bringing him to the Academy. In time, Shin realized that the person who saved him was a Super, and he had very mixed feeling about that.
'Well, I'm already awake. Might as well make the most of it,' he thought. Shin loved being in the Shimin class, it gave him something he never had before, his own room.
It wasn't a huge space, but, in the pre-dawn hours, it was perfect to do his workout routine of pushups, pullups, dragon sit ups, and a 20 minute minute high intensity interval training circuit. Sweat dripped from everywhere by the time he finished. Then he practiced his forms and kata for forty minutes, half armed and half unarmed.
He then sat in the middle of his room, sweat drying on his skin, as he tried to calm his body, mind and soul. His deep breaths filled his body, his heart slowed, and his mind emptied. Shin wasn't a religious or spiritual person, the destruction of Earth squashed any faith he might have had, but he believed in meditation, in calming his heart and mind to achieve greater things. His dream left him, the sorrow and pain did too, leaving the calm heart of someone determined to gather strength and never let such terrible things happen again. He went deeper into himself, further from the shell sitting in his room slowly bathed in the rays of sunlight streamed to his room through the main viewscreen. He was so deep, so centred, that he couldn't feel the the blue glow that flickered around him almost invisible to the naked eye. It had the character of old Earth TV static, but in a blue that looked like the edges of a lightning strike.
A shining light in the half dark.
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"I bet you think you're hot shit now that you're in the Shimin? Jr Cadets sure think highly of themselves lately," the Senior student said, his lip curled. He was a big guy, especially compared to Shin's slight frame.
"Show him Mike," another Senior student called out. In the Academy, Junior and Senior students rarely mixed. There were a lot of reasons, or so Shin heard, but the main one was Juniors were still treated as students, mostly, while Seniors were preparing to join the military in their vocation.
"I don't want any trouble," Shin said. He didn't know these guys, but he didn't think it was a coincidence that they were harassing him after a training session with the Ashigaru troops. That was a perk he didn't think anyone else enjoyed. 'This Mike guy must want to join the Super Buster Platoon,' thought Shin. Even though Shin was learning some cool stuff with the Shimin and the Ashigaru, Seniors had their own specializations, officer clubs and advanced training. Depending on their study track, some of these guys may have already started Augmentation therapy, making them several times stronger than Shin, at least.
"That's it? You don't want any trouble? I expected more from the Junior Ace. Maybe he just sucks up to the first year faculty, he probably can't use that sword he carries." Mike said, but he was talking to the crowd now, ignoring Shin, who was trying to leave. Shin managed to shoulder through the last people when he heard, "Maybe we should be talking to that hottie he saved. Corporal Miri or something? She looks like a woman that needs a real man," Mike called to the crowd. They responded with hoots and laughter.
Shin didn't remember moving, but he felt his fist connect solidly with Mike's solar plexus. The senior folded around his fist, definitely getting the wind knocked out of him, but this move absorbed some of the force away. Shin tried to play the calm, aloof guy as much as he could, to channel his feelings into his personal work ethic. He still had some hot buttons though, and Mimi was one of them, apparently.
Mike coughed a little, then said, "No trouble, unless your Corporal is involved? Well, after that sucker punch, I think a friendly match is in order... especially if you want us to forget about her". And then the crowd was surging towards one of the athletic fields, and Shin was being pulled along too.
"The rules are simple. No weapons, no killing blows, just a friendly match until one of us gives up." He hung his uniform jacket on a nearby bleacher, and rolled up his shirt sleeves. Looking at him closer, Shin thought this Mike must be 18 or older. He was big and muscular, but had the movements of an athlete.
'This could be bad,' Shin thought. Not just because the guy was obviously stronger, Shin worried he had undergone augmentation already. 'It's better to fight hard, get my ass kicked, and let this blow over,' he thought. The Seniors needed this for their pride, and Shin needed them to stay away from Mimi.
"Sounds good, lets go," Shin said. He removed his sword, jacket and shirt, showing his lean and muscular frame.
Mike stared at him, "Why did you take your shirt off? Worried about getting dirty?"
"Yeah, blood is a pain to wash out," Shin quipped.
"Right, you might bleed all over it," Mike offered, smiling again.
"I'm more worried about your blood." 'Frick, why can't I shut up,' Shin thought. The verbal blow landed though, he could see the flash of real anger on Mike's face. Then he was charging Shin.
He was fast. Really fast. Shin didn't dodge at all, just stared at the fist suddenly hitting his face. It staggered him back several feet, and, by the time he regained his footing, Mike was at his side punching him in the kidney. Shin doubled over, "ooof" he barked out loudly.
"How do you like that cadet? Can you even see me? You're so slow I'm worried you don't appreciate how much better I am," Mike said, clearly enjoying himself.
Shin was hurt, but the senior wasn't using augmented strength, so it was like getting hit by someone 1.5 times your size instead of hit by a truck. That speed was something else though, Shin really did have trouble tracking it with his eyes. 'Its an augmentation for sure, but there is something off about it. If it was true super speed, these punches should have been able to knock him through a wall. Maybe he has a limitation because these are first line Augmentations?' Shin thought frantically. He wanted this over, but also didn't want to be beaten unconscious.
A punch caught him in the chest, then the side of the head, then his back. They seemed to all land at the same time. 'Is he getting faster, or am I getting slower?' Shin thought, finding himself on the ground, blood coming from his mouth and nose. The crowd of senior boys was cheering, as Mike walked with his hands raised.
"Were we this weak as Juniors?" he called to the group.
"NO," a dozen or more voices responded.
"I have to say I'm disappointed, jr Ace, I was expecting a little more from the handpicked hero."
Shin was disappointed too. He knew he would lose, but he didn't think the gap was this wide. What was all of this training for if he couldn't overcome someone with quick feet? He took a few deep breaths to calm his heart. It was fine to lose, he'd use this to fuel his efforts more. At least they would leave Mimi alone now. He was calm.
"I guess we'll have to find the Corporal and test her out. She must be the real strength of the class. What do you think guys, maybe she'll date me instead of fight after she hears how bad the Jr Ace did."
The other seniors called out in agreement, some saying some obnoxious things.
Shin was on his feet again, the anger transmuted into a cold clarity this time.
"If you can't honour the agreement, then we are going to have a problem," Shin said. He stood calmly, as if he hadn't just been beaten.
Mike turned to look at Shin. "I believe the deal was I'd forget about her if we fought. You can't call what you did fighting," Mike said with a laugh.
Shin didn't say anything more as he walked towards the senior.
"I can beat you all day, Jr Ace," Mike said, still confident. 'Who does this Jr think he is? He looks intense still,' Mike thought. He paused just as he was about to use his augmented speed to launch forward, 'Did his eyes just flash blue?'