Chapter 3 - High Class Material
Leonard woke up with a start, sitting up straight in his hospital bed, feeling sharp pain piercing through his head like a knife.
Leonard: "Owwww!!"
Sam and Kevin, covered in bandages, sat beside his bed, their faces etched with concern.
Kevin: "Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy, man."
Sam: "So you're finally up?"
The fluorescent lights above flickered, casting an eerie glow.
Leonard: "Yeah, I guess, but what's with this killer headache?"
Sam: "The doctor said that you....had a power surge."
Leonard's eyes widened in shock.
Kevin: "Dude, how come you left us in the dark about your cool power?"
Kevin's fist pump to Leonard's chest sent a ripple of pain.
Leonard: "Well, let's just say it was all so sudden.{Could it be from that....?}"
Doctor: "Hey...look who's finally up."
Kevin: "Hey, doc."
Doctor: "You guys doing okay?"
Sam: "Yeah, we're doing fine, but Leonard said something about a headache."
Doctor: "Looks like the power surge had quite the backlash on you, didn't it?"
The doctor's words hung in the air.
Doctor: "You should try not to use that power of yours all at once; it's electric, so it could do some serious damage to your nerves, and for some reason, yours is connected directly to your brain."
Leonard and Kevin exchanged surprised glances.
Sam's expression turned serious.
Just then, Zeus, a towering figure at 6'4" with athletic build and stylish yellow hair, walked into the room.
Zeus: "Hi there."
Kevin and Leonard's eyes widened.
Kevin: "You gotta be kidding me."
Leonard: "Is that?"
Sam: "Mr. Alex Smith, more commonly known as 'Zeus'."
Frederick Barnes, a muscular man in his late 40s with piercing brown eyes, stood beside Zeus.
Frederick: "That's right, and my name is Mr. Frederick Barnes...you've probably heard about me before."
Trio: "{Nope, doesn't ring a bell}"
Frederick: "Anyway, I'd like to commend you for your help with the criminal the other day."
Sam: "It was a problem, we're glad we helped."
Zeus's bright blue eyes sparkled.
Zeus: "However, we're receiving an earful from the higher-ups."
Kevin: "Higher-ups?"
Zeus: "Yeah, bunch of old people complaining and telling us what to do."
Kevin: "Oh."
Zeus: "So unauthorized usage of Nuclei should be deemed punishable."
The trio's faces fell.
Zeus: "But that's not happening."
[Silence]
Trio: "{Then don't scare us like that!}"
Zeus: "So, the two of you are already accepted; we just have to enroll you."
Leonard: "Wait, what? Me?"
Zeus's warm smile reassured.
Zeus: "Well, yeah...but it's not gonna be any joyride; this institution is going to push you to the limit."
Sam: "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Zeus: "Good...The application entrance is next week at St. Hydra."
Leonard: "Got it...we'll be there."
Kevin: "You sure?"
Leonard: "I'll be back in action by that time, so you don't have to worry."
Kevin: "Cool then."
Zeus: "Glad to hear it...can't wait to see you guys there."
Frederick: "3 pm sharp, don't be late."
Just then, Elizabeth, Zeus's daughter, walked in.
Elizabeth's radiant complexion and sparkling green eyes caught the trio's attention.
Elizabeth: "Dad! Are you almost done here?"
Zeus: "Yeah, sweetie. We can go now."
Sam: "{Woah, woah, woah.}"
Kevin: "{Sheesh.} {Who's the cutie?}"
Elizabeth approached Leonard's bed.
Leonard: !!
Elizabeth: "Your name's Leo..nard, right?"
Leonard: "It's actually Leonard; the "O" is silent."
Elizabeth's melodious voice filled the room.
Elizabeth: "Oh! Sorry, my bad."
Her curly honey-blonde hair bounced as she moved.
Elizabeth: "My name's Elizabeth...and let me guess, Sam and Kevin, right?"
Sam: "You know our names?"
Elizabeth: "Pretty much, yeah."
The trio exchanged uneasy glances.
Elizabeth whispered.
Elizabeth: "Mr Barnes did a little background check on you three. Yeah, he's a real buzzkill if you know what I mean."
Leonard: "{Tell me about it}"
Zeus: "By the way....Leonard here has a lightning-based atomic power too."
Elizabeth: "Really?! Just like us, huh?"
Zeus: "You could probably help him with controlling it."
Sam and Kevin: "{Lucky bastard}"
Elizabeth: "We should exchange phone numbers so that you let me know when you're feeling better."
Sam and Kevin: "{Dammit, why}"
Sam: "Anyway, we're 3 of the best students in our classes, so I doubt he'll have a hard time."
Elizabeth's smirk hinted at a secret.
Elizabeth: "Even so, I have to admit the people I completed the course with are freaking scary."
[Elizabeth's thoughts]
"Not to freak you out or anything, but this one guy called Ash is a real hot head...
An image of Ash, 5'7" with messy red hair and piercing blue eyes, formed in her mind.
Ash stood amidst an inferno, his flame-resistant jacket a deep crimson.
Ash's intense stare seemed to pierce through the flames.
...he literally burnt through the course.
Elizabeth's thoughts shifted to Nick.
...and there's another what was his name...uh Nick or something like that...
Nick's image materialized: 5'10" with medium white hair and bright blue eyes.
He sat on a crystal, wind blowing his hair as he smiled.
...the dude was completely chilled, just like those crystals he used.
Next, Erica's image flashed.
...this one girl Erica, she was all over, literally the fastest girl I've ever seen.
Erica, 5'6" with short dark brown hair and confident brown eyes, ran through a crowd.
Her tailored blazer fluttered behind her.
...And last but not least, Tracey.
Tracey's image emerged: 5'1" with neat chestnut brown hair and warm hazel eyes.
She walked out of a thick fog, a huge smile on her face."
Elizabeth's voice snapped the trio back to reality.
Elizabeth: "I have to admit, those are some high-class students"
Leonard, Sam, and Kevin exchanged freaked-out glances.
Leonard: "Hey...uh, would you mind telling us what this test is really about?"
Elizabeth's melodious laughter filled the room.
Elizabeth: "Hehe...sorry, no spoilers here. You're gonna have to find out for yourselves."
To be continued...