"How… how long do you think we need to stand here?"
"We just got here, Hurricane Katrina."
Riley could not help but slightly squint his eyes as he took a slight glance towards Katrina, who was floating a meter away to his side. As part of the Police Force, Riley and Katrina, along with a few other members, were tasked to guard the gates as the students from the other Academies were about to arrive at any minute now.
They were not really told what to do, only for them to stand by the gate and make sure that there wouldn't be any trouble once their visitors arrive. And so, Riley made the decision that it would be better to wait for them in the air, where he could have a better view of the vicinity.
What he did not expect, however, was that Katrina would follow him up using her ability to control the wind. Katrina's costume truly was tailored to her powers-- the layers of lengthy and loose frills weren't just for design; she was able to use them as some sort of mast to lift herself up easier into the air.
"Is it not hard to control your balance because of your massive breasts, Katrina?"
"...Is this how you do small talk?"
"My mother always complains about her back, and hers are not as big as yours," Riley continued, "So I could only imagine the discomfort you are feeling right now, Katrina."
"I… I see," Katrina could not help but slightly let out an awkward chuckle as she listened to Riley's words, "Thanks for… worrying about me, I guess?"
In truth, Katrina always wanted to have the chance to talk with Riley. She was actually one of the people that he saved when Gary went amok with his heat vision during the 2nd day of class.
But even after 2 months, she never really got the chance to do so as he was always surrounded by Silvie and the others; and whenever he was alone, it would only take a single blink from her and he was gone.
And so, for her, it was only fate that she was also recommended in the Police Force.
She had always known that Riley was a bit weird since he confirmed himself that he was autistic, but Katrina did not really have a problem with that. Because from her 12 siblings, two were actually also in the spectrum-- so she had a lot of experience dealing with people of their stature.
However, for some reason, she could not help but feel that there was something different about Riley-- like he was more aware of what he was actually doing than he lets on about, something that her 2 autistic siblings are surely not capable of.
"They're arriving, Katrina."
"Ri-- their bus is going in!?" Katrina could not help but raise her voice as a bus passed through the gate as soon as it was opened, "I… I suppose that makes sense. I guess they really did us dirty when we went to Toronto since they could have just brought the bus inside."
Katrina then let out a long and deep sigh as she watched as a dozen buses started passing through the gate, "Shall we follow-- Wait for me!"
And before she could even finish her words, Riley was already following the buses from above.
Each country seemed to have been allotted two buses each; their flags posted on the sides.
Russia, Japan, China, England, Singapore, and South Africa-- all here to compete with each other to see which country is the best.
"I guess Silvie is preparing for her matches, right? I haven't seen her for a month and your group is usually tight."
"That is the case, Katrina."
Since the Festival was announced a month and a half ago, the students that were chosen to participate in the competitions have actually been training non-stop according to the kind of match they are joining in.
There were many competitions to be championed, but from the perspective of the students that were filled with boosted adrenaline, there was actually only one that truly mattered-- the Combat tournament.
They even value it above the Rescue competition, which is actually the main event of the Festival.
Why wouldn't they? After all, one could see superheroes rescuing people every day. But one-on-one matches? From the more than 300 long years of the history of the Age of Heroes, that has not been done before-- at least not legally and in public.
It was almost as if the timing of allowing the students to connect to the outside world using smartphones that the Academy provided themselves was… too convenient to be a coincidence.
"Did you join any of the competitions?" Katrina then asked as she continued to watch the students from the other Academies stepping out of the buses, "I joined the Obstacle Race, but it isn't until the 2nd day of the Festival."
"I believe it would not be fair to any of you if I joined, Katrina," Riley then said as he too, carefully watched the students stepping out of the buses, "So no, I did not join any of the games."
"G… games?" Katrina could only scratch her chin as she heard the detached tone in Riley's voice, "Aren't you the least bit excited? Everyone seems to be having fun down below, some of the students were even allowed to set up booths!"
"If Mega Woman joins, then it would be fun."
"..."
Yup, Riley was quite different from her 2 siblings.
"We… should probably head down there to help the others?"
With the students from the other Academies now all touching ground, the situation below was starting to become erratic as even their classmates, the US students were starting to gather to take a look at them.
The official start of the Festival events was tomorrow, and this day was just allotted for everyone to mingle and let the foreign students rest if they choose to do so, that was the reason they were dropped in the Academy's Plaza, which was at the very center of the campus and where most of the booths from the students were set up.
And Katrina did not lie-- there were almost a hundred booths set up everywhere. But considering there were 4000 students in the Academy, that could be considered few.
"That would probably be for the--"
"What did you say!?"
And before Riley could even finish his words, a bellow could be heard coming from the ground. Both he and Katrina turned towards the direction where the rowdy voice was coming from, only to see a group of the schoolmates confronting another group that seemed to be from another country.
"S… seriously?" Katrina's quiet stutters slowly dissipated in the air as she very slowly descended to the ground, "It hasn't been half an hour and there's already trouble?"
"Children are usually rowdy creatures, Hurricane Katrina."
"You… you think so?" Hearing Riley's words, Katrina could not help but let out another awkward chuckle. If she was right, then Riley should be one of the younger students of the Academy since he was only around 17 years old.
"We… should probably go and do our work, though?" Katrina then said as her descent became faster.
"Indeed, Katrina."
***
"What did you say!?"
"On vyglyadit serditym... chto ty sdelal?"
"...Ya prosto sprosil dorogu."
"I think he is mocking us!"
Just a few meters away from the buses of the foreign students, a group of American students was already huddled up; and judging by their loud voices, an altercation was only a few seconds away from happening.
Some students, even from the other countries, have also gathered to watch what was happening; none of them seemingly wanting to alleviate the situation-- with some even using their phones to immortalize the moment.
"We only ask where shithole is, my American friend."
"Did you just call me a shithole!?"
And just according to the bystanders' wishes, the situation seemed to be getting worse by the second as an American student's arms started stretching abnormally long.
"..." The Russian student, who had both his arms raised trying to calm the young man in front of him, could not help but look towards his classmates to ask what they should do. And after a few seconds of staring at each other-- they all nodded.
"You started this, my friend," said the Russian student as his skin started to turn into chrome, "Not my fault if you are hurt."
"You arrogant piece of--"
"Stop!"
But before the two could do anything more, a loud high-pitched whistle hummed in the air as a pair of massive brea-- as Katrina descended to the ground, blowing the whistle provided to them by the Academy.
"As a member of the USMA Police Force, I am warning you that if you do not stop this unsanctioned duel, you will not be allowed to participate in the Festival!"
Katrina then raised her arm to show the armband, proving that she was part of the force as she approached the commotion. And as soon as she did so, numerous sighs of disappointment could be heard coming from the students that were watching from the sides.
"You will be confined in the-- What the… D-- Ultra Flex?" Katrina was about to finish her lines, but before she could do so, she saw the face of the one that started the situation in the first place-- Ultra Flex, aka, Daniel Espinoza, a student from her class.
"You again?" Katrina sighed, "Why are you always asking for trouble?"
"What!? They started it!" Daniel quickly bellowed as he retracted his elongated arms, pointed towards the Russian students who definitely had confused expressions on their faces, "If there is someone you need to reprimand, it's the--"
"Vasha gruppa sprovotsirovala situatsiyu, foreign students?"
And before Daniel could finish his words, he could not help but slightly back away as a familiar voice entered his ears; the voice of the one he considers his rival…
....Riley Ross.
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