Shadow's Dance (old)

Chapter 33: Attack to Rebound

"Local Heroes Smite Creature Before Introducing A New Member."

"Rookie Takes On Powerful New Threat."

"Officials Discuss About National Threat."

None of them ever talked about what exactly happened, only the fuzzy details. The important ones weren't found until many months later after the fact.

1.Her two allies, Patchwork and Herring had been tortured because they aided 2 rouge experiments.
2. Patchwork and Herring never made it out.
3. Phantom still lived

The teacher cleared her voice. "So, why do you think these 'rouge experiments' weren't punished? Why kill Patchwork and Herring when they knew where the root was?" She placed the books of collective accounts back on her desk and waited for an answer.

The muggy room that smelled of mold and must had glazed looks on the disinterested students. It was the last period of Friday. The students desired freedom and were uneasy considering they just read about something that happened a few years ago. No one truly knew about any thing this it was appropriately called "The Silent War." No information had been given to the public only up until recently did anyone get insight on what happened. Indeed there had been a surge of "gifted" individuals and the country needed to school these powers to benefit society. That's why all of these students were here in a stuffy classroom.

A brave soul timidly raised their hand. "What happened to Moonshine 08 Ms. Ruiz?"

"To be honest, the public doesn't know anything else besides Jane, Moonshine, Scott, Nate, Axel, and Mae won. That is all the information that has been released. Some of it is to ensure that they can live normal lives under different names. It is also the reason why there aren't any photos of their faces."

"Well, did Jane kill those other 2 people like Nick asked her to?"

"We don't know. Those two people had been killed but so had a friend of the male scientist that fostered Jane until the age of 15." The teacher spoke with a sudden sadness. "Jane Moore confessed to the first murder but because of the circumstances she was pardoned."

The teacher picked with another kid with their hand raised. "Doesn't she have a real name?" One asked.

The teacher seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"Jane Moore was originally Jane 382. However a person without an ID is called Jane Doe. The two scientists who raised her must have had Moore as their last name. Didn't they give her a first?"

"They did not."

"Why are we learning about this in a combat training course Ms. Ruiz?"

"This history is what created this school and is the basics of how we teach. You are not graded upon power but growth. Hard work and effort will determine your success. Why do you think we are learning specifically about this?"

"Is it to tell us that we should also take care of ourself while still putting our lives fist to protect our cities?"

"That is a good lesson, but not what I was going for. Jane knew about this change, slowly built up her forces, and attacked knowing her life would end one way or another." The teacher gleefully smiled. "However something happened. Jane walked out alive and is somewhere in this vast world preparing."

Ms. Ruiz shut off her projector. "Grab your stuff and follow me."

Thee was a certain twinkle in her eye as she dragged her class to the gymnasium along with all the other teachers for an assembly before letting out school.

The teacher were on a mobile podium while the principal was at the microphone.

"Hope you all have had an amazing first day of classes. I also hope that all of you have enjoyed the story your teachers had shared with you." The stuffy suit expanded and relaxed. "We are here to provide proper education on control of your gifts. However, our selected staff finds it that we need to share other information with you. If you would please come up Ms. Ruiz."

Her steps out of the line of 12 other teachers were long, confident strides as they switched places.

"You all are aware that phones and recording devices are not permitted on school grounds since it could be used to attack a very fragile part of our community." There was a slight blue pulse and a few mumbled in the stand of kids. " As staff we find the need to tell you who we really are. We are no ordinary teachers but capable people who have first hand experience on what you could face."

A slight fade of blue changed the hair from ginger into a jet black with long, sharp, horns. There was a tattoo on her neck but it was covered by a blue scarf over a black unzipped leather jacked. Scars all along her arms ran like tree roots. Wide and muscular but still feminine enough frame. Unusually silver eyes with dark circles over pale skin. A smile crept on her as gasps let out.

"As you can see we all are very much capable of teaching."

Different glows were released as Mae, Scott, Nate, and Axel all turned into themselves. There were also others that the students hadn't heard the description of like Kamile, Blane, Dalton, Vincent, Saara, Marius, Celia, and the principal Everett. An uproar of questions and confusion ran through the students.

A blast went off by the person they had called Ms. Ruiz. "Questions will be not answered now. However, when you see your teachers you can ask them tomorrow. All of you do have to realize why we are here." She waited for them to settle down. "You can imagine the reason why this school is a boarding school too. It is our duty to prepare and protect you all. The roots of Phantom have not been burned, eventually it will grow back. All of you are candidates and are capable of filling our roles. Knowing this, we will push you greater than you ever though capable, and will look back years from now and see how much you've grown." The bell intruded the speech to release the students from her announcement.

It was a new day, one of many which they forced themselves to take a deep breath and move on without the ones they lost. For Jane, now taken a name of her very own, Elli Ruiz, had to build herself back up. Nick had indeed died but she would always be alive and broken without her missing piece.

Nick killed Moonshine just before his own death.