We were finally escorted to the main building and dropped off at a high-security elevator that plunged down into the bedrock. When the doors slid open, we were greeted by a woman who looked like she’d stepped out of a recruitment poster. Bright silvery-blue hair, a fitted silver and red contraweave uniform that probably cost more than my life’s savings, and the kind of poised, attractive features that suggested she’d never once had to choose between paying the electric bill and buying groceries. She looked to be in her early forties, with the calm eyes of someone who’s seen enough to be permanently unimpressed.
“Mister Doyle, Miss Pearlance?”
I nodded, and Mindy, ever the polite one, said, “Yes?”
“Welcome to Kellar Academy. I apologize for the less-than-ideal greeting, but considering your classifications, operational security was paramount.” She let out a breath that was almost a laugh. “My goodness, a Class Five and a Class Six! We don’t get that combination walking in off the street every day.”
I was honestly surprised. I’d have pegged Glacier Girl as a solid Four. Guess she’d been holding back a lot during our little choreographed dance. Of course, in hindsight, if I’d known my desperate gambit for a scholarship would catapult me into the stratosphere of ‘high-value targets,’ I might have chosen a different way to display my abilities. Class Six was… notable. For a male? It was practically a historical event. The last male Class Six or higher I’d heard about was Graviton, a Class Eight. We all know how that ended. A brief, glorious career followed by a catastrophic loss of control that turned a small moon into a new asteroid belt. No pressure.
“A couple of questions,” I asked quickly, my voice tighter than I’d have liked. “First, I am support. Is there a way we can keep my rating on the down-low? I’d prefer not to have a target painted on my back before I’ve even bought my textbooks.”
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She nodded, a glint of understanding in her eyes. “Of course. Operational security makes perfect sense. I used to be active, but I retired to work in security here. The only people who have to know are the dean, me, and, from what I understand, your power placement specialist. Discretion is part of the job.” She glanced between us, a slightly awkward pause hanging in the air. “Are you two a… uhh… couple? Should we board you together?”
The synchronized, frantic head-shaking from both of us was probably comical. “No, not at all,” Mindy said, her cheeks flushing. “We are acquaintances. I was originally supposed to refer him here, since his original assessment was as a Class Two, but for some reason, he re-assessed as a support Class Six, and they changed my category to sponsor… what does that even mean?”
The woman tilted her head. “Well, I am Subvector, Class Four personal kinetic. You probably won’t see me often after I get you situated—I’m the Master-at-Arms under the security chief. Hopefully, you’ll only see me in class or if you get into serious trouble. A sponsor…” She thought about it for a few seconds, choosing her words. “Some of the old terminology has gotten outdated. The term ‘sidekick,’ for example, is considered demeaning. But when you are someone’s sponsor, they are… well, it’s a bit like being their designated protector. In this case, it’s probably because you are a powerful combat Alpha, Miss Pearlance, and he’s a high-value support. You get to… umm… protect him and keep him out of trouble? I mean, he’s a Class Six, we could probably find someone else to sponsor him if you would prefer?”
I couldn’t help it. I barked a laugh that was 90% nerves. “You mean I am like… her ward?” I glanced at Mindy, who was now blushing so fiercely I worried she’d start generating steam. “So does that mean I call her mistress? Or… Mommy?”
Subvector shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips, while Mindy started coughing like she’d inhaled a glacier. “No, no. But the Academy trains people to work under constant threat. We are training heroes, not kindergarten teachers,” she shrugged a little, “Though we do also train kindergarten teachers—the Academy has fully accredited educational programs for maintaining a civilian identity. It’s just secondary for our higher-category Alphas.”
