The patrol through Sky City continued, but Elijah couldn't shake the unease from earlier.
The streets were bustling with life—vendors shouting their deals, hovercars zipping by, and children laughing as they played with holographic toys. But beneath the vibrant surface was an undercurrent of tension.
Everywhere they went, people avoided their gaze, crossing the street or ducking into shops to steer clear of their group.
The sting of being avoided by the locals still lingered. Every glance filled with disdain or fear chipped away at his resolve. Yet, he pushed it aside, focusing on his task.
"Focus on the job," Markus had said, and Elijah repeated it to himself like a mantra.
Visconti and Kieran walked slightly ahead, occasionally glancing into alleys or scanning their surroundings for anything suspicious. Markus led the group with an air of quiet authority, his sharp gaze constantly assessing their surroundings.
Elijah kept his expression neutral, but inside, his thoughts churned.
"Hey, Elijah," Kieran said, nudging him lightly. "You good? You're quieter than usual."
Elijah forced a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… taking it all in."
Kieran raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but didn't press further.
As they turned a corner, they entered a quieter part of the city.
The buildings were older here and some run-don shops, with cracked walls and faded signs. The crowds thinned out, replaced by a few scattered figures lingering near alleyways.
Markus glanced over his shoulder. "Stay sharp," he ordered. "This area has a higher crime rate. Keep your eyes open for anything suspicious."
Elijah, Visconti, and Kieran nodded in unison, their senses immediately on high alert.
As they walked, Elijah noticed a group of teenagers sitting on the steps of a run-down building.
They were laughing loudly, but their eyes darted toward the cadets as they passed.
One of them, a tall boy with dyed green hair, muttered something to his friends, and they all burst into laughter.
"Looks like the circus is in town," one of them called out, loud enough for the cadets to hear.
Kieran stopped in his tracks, his jaw tightening. "What did you just say?"
"Kieran," Visconti said warningly, grabbing his arm.
"Relax, I'm just asking." Kieran shrugged off Visconti's grip and turned to face the teenagers. "Say it again. I dare you."
The green-haired boy smirked, standing up and leaning against the railing. "I said, looks like the circus is in town. You deaf, Esper?"
Kieran took a step forward, but Markus's voice cut through the tension.
"Stand down, Cadet."
Kieran froze, his fists clenched.
Markus walked up beside him, his green eyes sharp and unyielding.
"You have a problem?" Markus asked, his tone calm but icy.
The green-haired boy hesitated, his smirk faltering. "N-no, sir. Just joking around."
"Good," Markus said. "Because the last thing you want is to joke around with Espers."
The boy quickly sat back down, avoiding eye contact. Markus turned away, signaling for the cadets to keep moving.
Kieran muttered something under his breath but followed.
"Idiot," Visconti whispered to him. "Do you want to give them a reason to hate us more?"
Kieran didn't respond, his frustration evident in the way he walked.
Visconti sighed. "Remember this, people like us don't get second chances."
As they continued their patrol, a commotion ahead caught their attention.
A small crowd had gathered around a convenience store, their voices rising in panic.
Markus quickened his pace, the cadets close behind him.
When they arrived, they saw a man with glowing red eyes holding the store clerk by the collar.
His other hand crackled with blue energy, the air around him buzzing with power.
"Let me guess," Kieran muttered. "Esper criminal."
The crowd parted as Markus approached, his presence commanding immediate attention.
"Let him go," Markus said, his voice steady but firm.
The man turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw the cadets. "Stay out of this," he growled. "This is none of your business."
"Actually, it is," Markus replied. "Put him down, and we can talk this out."
The man laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "Talk? You think you can talk me out of this? You don't know what it's like—what they've done to us!"
Elijah watched, his heart pounding. He could feel the man's anger and desperation like a physical force, suffocating and wild.
Markus stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "I know more than you think," he said quietly. "But this isn't the way."
The man's grip on the clerk tightened, and the blue energy around his hand flared brighter. "I'm not going back to the corps! I'd rather die!"
Before anyone could react, Kieran stepped forward, his own power sparking at his fingertips.
"Then you'll get your wish," Kieran said, his voice cold.
"Kieran!" Visconti hissed, but it was too late.
The man roared, releasing the clerk and throwing a blast of energy toward Kieran.
The force sent him staggering back, but he quickly recovered, launching his own counterattack.
Markus cursed under his breath. "Visconti, Elijah, contain the crowd. Kieran, stand down!"
But Kieran didn't stop, his attacks growing fiercer with each strike.
Elijah moved to help, but his feet felt heavy. The man's earlier words echoed in his mind: 9You don't know what it's like—what they've done to us!"
For a brief moment, Elijah saw himself in the man. The desperation, the anger, the fear of being treated as less than human.
"Snap out of it, Elijah!" Visconti yelled, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Elijah shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. He pushed the crowd back, keeping them at a safe distance as Markus stepped in to subdue the rogue Esper.
It took a few tense moments, but Markus eventually overpowered the man, pinning him to the ground.
"Enough,0 Markus said, his voice low and commanding. "You're coming with us."
The man glared up at him, his eyes filled with hatred and despair. "You're just like them," he spat. "You think you're better, but you're not. You're all monsters."
Elijah froze, the words cutting deeper than they should have.
"Let's move," Markus said, pulling the man to his feet.
As they escorted the rogue Esper away, Elijah couldn't help but replay his words in his mind. Monsters.
Was that all they would ever be?
After they escorted the man to the corps in Sky City, they continued their patrol.
"Kieran, if you pull the same move again, I'll let your instructors suspend you." Markus said, his icy tone piercing Kieran.
"That's not fair! It's not like I'm the one at fault." Kieran said, his voice a bit louder.
"What if you accidentally hurt the civilians?" Markus asked.
Kieran went silent before muttering excuses, saying the civilian will get hurt one way or another.
As they turned a corner into a quieter street lined with small, run-down shops, Markus suddenly raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
"Something's off," he muttered, his voice low but firm.
The team immediately went on alert. Visconti and Kieran exchanged glances, their casual demeanor replaced with sharp focus. Elijah tightened his grip on his pocket communicator, ready to activate his abilities if necessary.
"What is it?" Kieran asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Markus didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pointed toward an alleyway to their left. It was narrow, dimly lit despite the bright day, and eerily silent.
"Check it out," Markus ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Visconti nodded and stepped forward, with Kieran following close behind. Elijah hesitated for a moment before falling in line.
The alley felt suffocating, its walls pressing in on them as they advanced cautiously.
About halfway down, Visconti stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing. "There," he whispered, pointing toward a pile of crates near the back of the alley.
Something—or someone—was moving behind them.
"Come out," Markus called, his voice commanding but calm.
For a moment, there was no response.
Then, with a sudden burst of movement, a figure darted out from behind the crates.
It was a man, his clothes tattered and his face gaunt. He held a small knife, trembling as he pointed it at them.
"Stay back!" the man shouted, his voice shaky but desperate.
Elijah's heart raced.
The man didn't look like much of a threat, but the fear in his eyes was palpable.
"We're not here to hurt you," Markus said evenly, raising his hands to show he wasn't armed. "Put the knife down."
The man shook his head violently. "I don't trust you Espers! You're all the same—monsters!"
Elijah flinched at the word, but Markus remained unfazed.
"You're scared," Markus said, his tone softening slightly. "But you don't have to be. We're here to help."
The man hesitated, his grip on the knife loosening slightly.
"That's it," Markus continued, taking a slow step forward. "Put it down, and we'll talk."
Just as the man seemed ready to comply, a loud crash echoed from the other end of the alley.
The man panicked, dropping the knife and bolting toward the street.
"Wait!" Elijah called, but the man was already gone.
Markus let out a frustrated sigh. "Let him go," he said, turning toward the source of the noise.
They found a toppled garbage bin and a stray cat darting away.
"False alarm," Kieran muttered, shaking his head.