The Elite

Twelve

Leon

Arriving in Training Room 16 the next morning, I found the rest of my squad already assembled there. Seeing them, my hands slipped into my pockets, pulling out a napkin full of food.

"We had bacon today," I said, handing the napkin to them.

"Thanks," Katrina said, accepting a slice when I held it out to her.

I held it out to Tass, Gabriel, Julian, and Nadia (who was surprisingly visible).

"When you're finished," I said, "I want to see how we've improved. Julian, since you're done, would you like to go first?"

Being Class 6 was quite the mystery. As I lay in bed the previous night, I had been thinking about how easier the transition would be if we tested out the capabilities our powers. Now, I figured, was the perfect time, as determining how we changed upon becoming Class 6 was going to be difficult, for Class 6 wasn't as easily definable as the other classes. For the other classes, I knew along what lines my powers would change, but not so much Class 6.

Class 1 was controlling a single aspect of a power, so, if I changed to be Class 1, I'd only be able to change a single emotion in people. Class 2 was controlling multiple aspects of a power, so, if I changed to Class 2, I'd be able to change several — but not all — emotions. Class 3 was controlling all aspects of a power, so, if I changed to Class 3, I'd be able to change all types of emotions. Class 4 was being extraordinarily good at a power, or having multiple powers, so, if I was a Class 4, I'd either be really good at emotional manipulation, or do emotional manipulation and something else (sensing, probably). Class 5 was being good at multiple powers, so, as a Class 5, I was highly good at emotional manipulation and sensing emotions.

Class 6, though, was typically defined as being stronger than the other classes, seeing as a Class 6's powers beat out anyone else's, but it didn't necessarily work with the berth of powers. I'd heard rumors of Class 6s who appeared as if they were Class 2, but could beat out a Class 5. Only adding to the mystery was that there were very few Class 6as in the world, and being Class 6 appeared to be directly hereditary while others classes were just vaguely.

So I had no idea down which avenue we should go in attempting to understand my squad's new Class 6 powers.

"Okay," Julian agreed, licking his fingers of the last grease from the bacon he devoured, "but note I haven't discovered anything new. Tass, can I try stabbing you and healing you?"

"No," Tass replied firmly.

I wasn't surprised. No one wanted to be stabbed, but it was probably worse for Tass. I doubted Tass would be willing to trust Julian enough to let him sink a knife into her flesh.

"You can trust me, Tass," Julian insisted.

"No, Julian, I can't."

Julian gave her a pleading look, and I could tell he was trying to help Tass with her trusting issue. She seemed unaffected by the look, seemingly going along with my guess that she wasn't ever going to trust us.

"Julian," I said. "Just do me."

Julian sighed, but nodded. Then, in a flash, he quickly ran up to me, and sank a dagger — which likely was hidden inside his sleeve — into my gut. He came so fast that I was prepared. Sudden sharp pain blossomed within me, causing me to drop to the ground as blood began to leak from me. The pain drew me back into a memory — the memory that I never wanted to remember — of a similar pain.

I watched the blood leak out of the wound in my gut, staining the ground around me. There wasn't enough lost to kill me, but it wasn't some small, trivial amount either. I couldn't even bind it, for there was no way to get the metal out without ripping open more of myself. At least currently my blood was congealing.