Using my cloak’s skill, I was able to navigate the Academy silently and unseen until I arrived at the base of the Castle-like School.
Entering the building, I snuck around, avoiding any staff moseying around the halls until I located a hidden door near the Arena. After going through the elaborate procedures to enter my Man Cave, involving many locks, twists, codes, and protocols, I finally arrived at what would be home for the foreseeable future.
Since the three of us had left home and "Joined the Academy," there was no need to keep living under the same roof we had for our childhood. While I could have used my Talent on Paola and Abuela to convince them we could come home all the time, I didn’t feel it was necessary to mess with their minds.
So, while Brenden moved into the dorms, like any other student, Xilia and I would be living here…together…
Sigh, I know what it looks like, but I swear it’s not ok. We aren’t a real couple, and I don’t have feelings for her. Sure, she’s a MASTER in the bedroom, but it’s not happening, shippers.
Although I will say that I do have a habit of being more lenient on her than I would other slaves, and that was primarily because of both our contract and her usefulness.
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
Don’t get it fucked up; if the day came that I’d have to get rid of her, I would without remorse or second thoughts. At the end of the day, she is still a disposable pawn in my eyes.
Walking through the front door of my residence, I couldn’t help but smile at the fact I was finally in a place of my own. I mean, sure, one could argue that the two-story we had been living in was bought with my own money, but that was a family home. This place was not only built by me but was completely off the books.
I hadn’t even added it to the blueprint, and the best part was I had 25 of them, built to the same specifications as this one and hidden in each of the Academies.
After spending FAR too much money and resources, they were linked through Gnarnia’s teleportation array, meaning I could teleport to anyone I wished at any given time.
The convenience was off the charts, especially when it came to instances like this moment when I was expected to give speeches at several of the Academies Orientations today.
"Sigh, no time to lollygag around," taking a deep breath, I channeled my thoughts, and like a switch being flipped, I was no longer Taylor, but instead, Nexus.
Then, with a snap of my fingers, I equipped my hero suit, with the helmet stored away and only my mask on my face, before walking toward the teleportation relay, keying in a few coordinates, and walking to the computer room, something, by the way, which was impressive even by my standards.
I had really outdone myself when building the monitoring rigs, considering they were a cluster of five extremely powerful PCs and 20 monitors.
They worked together, forming a supercomputer that could rival the command console back in Gnarnia if I so wished, but for now, the Rig’s primary purpose was monitoring the many different security functions for the Academy; in a sense, they were like a brain, or well, secondary brain considering there was also a significantly weaker rig in the head Security office.
From the rigs in my residences, I was able to access the security protocols of not only this Academy but everyone in the country…plus, I could game on it…that last part is important, I swear.
After gearing up and posting up at the computer, I monitored the Orientation ceremony for each Academy. When the time came for me to appear, I would flash over and give a brief speech before wooshing off to the next one.
For the most part, I had an extremely busy first day, and when the time finally came for me to come back to Florida, I flashed over to the Amphitheater to a roaring applause.
"Well, I gotta say, Rear-Admiral Jessup, that was quite the ceremony you’ve put on for the new students. I never expected you to organize a flyover of F-22’s impressive!" Giving the man a thumbs up, I made a small gesture as if my hand were a fighter jet, much to the amusement of the admiral and students.
**Crowd laughter**
Walking to the podium, I shook the R.Admiral’s hand and took his place at the microphone while looking out over the crowd.
"When I look around at all of you, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride. Not at the fact that I had a hand in building the greatest chain of institutions our country has ever manifested but at the fact that there are so many young minds willing to take the step forward into the unknown."
"When the Undead Tower first came to be, I have to admit that, yes, even I was afraid. Many of you may have watched the multiple videos and live streams of that battle over a year ago, but I can’t bring myself to do so." At my words, it became so quiet you could hear a pin drop as the students hung onto every word I had said.
"Sure, I have a wealth of training, knowledge, and even a superpower," Pausing my speech, I lifted my hand. I manifested a massive cloud of dirt and dust before swirling it overhead into the shape of many fighter jets to humor the Rear-Admiral.
"Yet that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel fear on that day, but I persisted; I relied on my training and experience to get through it, and while it was hard and hurt like Hell, I was able to come out on top, and I hope that each and every one of you, the Class of 2010, will be able to do the same when the time comes."
"Many of you will choose to enter the tower, and I pray that each one of you who do remember the lessons and training you will receive over your tenure at the Academy."
"Train hard, Fight hard, and learn, become the next heroes, and one day stand by my side to defend those we love and care for."