Supernova

Chapter Fourteen - Welcome to the SHA!

I wanted to be underwhelmed by the Switzerland Hero Academy, but it was impossible. The campus was a massive collection of gothic cathedral type buildings, likely having stood there for this very same purpose since before America had fallen and become compounds. It was up in the mountains too, eternally snow covered, reachable only by helicopter. As I overlooked it on my way in, I had never felt more at home.

There were two people to greet me when I got there, one small black-haired boy who disappeared with my bags and the scout from the headmaster's office in New York. The stick thin blonde woman escorted me to this headmaster's office, but she did not enter with me.

The headmistress, as it turned out, had her white hair tied back at the nape of her neck and massive black raven's wings laying relaxed by her sides, blending seamlessly into her thick black turtleneck cowl type thing. She gave me a nod and a smile as I entered, but she did not extend her hand to me. They remained tucked into either sleeve in front of her. I clasped my arms behind my back.

"Princess Stronghold," she greeted me. "A pleasure."

"Likewise, of course," I told her. Headmistress Brangwen, the plaque on her desk read. She did not introduce herself to me.

"Enough pleasantries." Her voice was solid and she did not smile as she came around to the other side of the desk. I took an immediate liking to her. "Join me."

She took it upon herself to give me a tour. She had removed her hands from her sleeves, revealing large bird talons, which she clasped onto my arms in order to fly us from place to place around the campus. Everything she showed me was more impressive than the last. There was an extensive library, filled with shelves and ladders so tall that a fall from the top might kill most people. There was a wall of pictures, one massive photo of a white eyed girl with hair that looked like liquid and a boy with shaggy blonde hair and electricity in his hand, under which the number 159 was written on a small golden plaque. Underneath, there were more photos, each containing two students, all with a displaying of numbers in descending order.

There was a long hallway in the main building, which was crowded with students, peering at clipboards on the walls, whispering amongst themselves. Each of the clipboards represented a mission to be completed, including details and how many people it required. That was interesting. You had to make friends and work with others to complete some of the more difficult missions. The other students watched me as we passed. I heard my name and gasps join the whispers. I didn't bother tuning in. There would be lots of time to socialize once I was done learning the layout and nobody was keeping an eye on me.

Most of the school was made up of dorm buildings and training gyms, of all different varieties, including ballet studios, skating rinks, an equestrian center and they had weights, skis, sleds, hoops and ribbons that hung from the ceiling, and fencing equipment, as well as full gyms that imitated the conditions of a desert, an inferno, a chemical apocalypse, and other such things.

"Adaptability is key for any hero worth their salt," she said to me. "Our students train in an assortment of methods that range from the traditional to the non-traditional, many of which double as recreation. It is one of the many ways we maintain such a low death rate."

"I see," I told her. And did I ever. It was hard to take it all in at once.

Many of the individuals in the gyms we went into were eyeing me, eyes flaring with recognition more often than not. I could hear my name being whispered as I passed. They did not stop whispering or looking when my gaze would land upon them. There were some girls, who lifted their chins to me, that had a thin band of diamonds and other precious gems around their wrists. Future Queens and Empresses that had already been claimed. The only ones of them that I was at all intimidated by. But the looks that I paid most attention to were the ones I was familiar with. I recognized these looks, because it was the state in which my face was almost permanently displaying the entire time I was in New York. A specialized type of hunger. I was giddy with excitement. Everything about this place was handcrafted for me.

I felt that way, until the very end of our tour, when the headmistress showed me to my dorm. She nodded at the door, and I opened it, and the space inside was massive. The bed itself was nearly as big as the rooms themselves in New York and California, maybe combined, and my bags looked tiny in comparison stacked at the foot of it. It had two massive closets on either side of the room, and came complete with its own full bathroom, massive shower and deep jetted tub that was more or less a glorified hot tub. It also had its own kitchen, two fridges and excessive pantry space, but no stove. The headmistress explained that the kitchen would be stocked regularly with foods that would best compliment my body type, quirk, and personality. I didn't know what it meant completely, but it impressed me nonetheless.

"Do I," I started slowly, hoping that my shock was not coming through on my face or in my voice. "Share this room?"

She smiled at me. "Not yet."

I didn't like that.

"I'm not sure if you noticed as we moved through the campus, but our students work in pairs. We label them heroes and sidekicks. Do not let this worry you; I'm sure an impressive individual such as yourself will not have to bother spending time as a sidekick, and you'll likely have your pick of who you'd like to work with. Operating this way builds teamwork and camaraderie, and our students' deep bonds with one another is another way in which we keep the death rate of this institution so low. Many of these bonds last long after the students have left The Academy and move into their adult lives. Our pair training-tour schedule is month on month off, so we'll start you here where you can train and socialize as you see fit. It may seem daunting and unfamiliar, but you're not locked into your decision and can switch at any time, so feel free to explore if someone interests you. If they do, you can join them in their room, or they can join you here. It's completely up to you."

"There's only one bed," I couldn't help but comment. Her smile deepened.

"Intimacy between students, especially pairs, is certainly not mandatory, but it is very much encouraged." She explained. "Are you familiar with the concept of cell learning?"

My eyes widened. I mean, it's not like I wasn't planning on sleeping with the other students, but it felt significantly less alluring now that I was being told to. In addition, I wasn't familiar with the concept. I shook my head no to tell her this.

"Do not fret. It's been widely studied in this part of Europe, but it is very controversial and taboo in other areas. You see, cells of living beings learn from each other. This is true within one's own body, and the research supports the idea that this is also the case between living individuals through skin-to-skin contact. What that means is that it even the act of holding hands allows us to learn from each other, such things as fighting style, perspective, empathy, personality. This promotes teamwork between individuals as well as expands what the individuals themselves are capable of. It is completely up to you how much you choose to utilize this information, but it can be very helpful. We suggest at the very least that pairs have some contact when they sleep."

She told me that some of the more significant research was included in the student manual, which could be found in the top drawer of both side tables, and left me to unpack. The first thing I did was lift that hefty book out of one of the tables and flip through it. She was fucking with me, right? According to the research, what I understood of it anyways, she hadn't been. The emotions associated with this information were just as mixed as the day Melanie left or that night in my dorm room. I didn't know what to make of it. I might be able to learn quirk control here, but that would mean letting someone close enough to teach me. I sat on the bed, looking out the window that sat over it, watching the snow fall for a long time. By the time I noticed that the sky was starting to change colours, I went into the kitchen, swallowed a few handfuls of what looked like trail mix, pulled on some of my training clothes, and left for the gyms.