Yellow Sun Academy

Shocker:

"In the Wild," Professor Double Hits says, looking at all of us students. "You must always be ready to rely on your partners."

The Professor, a tall, built man with a white headband tied around his head then stomps his foot. The sound is so loud it gets all our attention and makes us look right at him.

"Your partners, your team must know that you are reliable, that you are dependable, and that you will not let them down!"

The Professor stomps his foot again. The sound is so loud some students have to slam their hands against their ears.

"You and your team must be a well-oiled machine," the Professor states. "You must work in unison. You must work together. You and your team must be able to move as one and fight as one. That is why we are here."

Professor Double Hit stomps his foot twice this time. He then raises his arms high in the air before stepping to the side and showing us the academy's private arena.

Yellow Sun Academy's private arena is a large circle with silver-colored metal flooring. There is a clear glass dome over the circle and seats all around it.

"Today, students, class will be a little more interesting. I will require a volunteer. No, two volunteers. From the same team."

Shooting out his hand, the Professor waves it from left to right and back. A few hands go up but it seems the Professor isn't interested in those students. Instead, he seems to have focused on me.

"You," the Professor says, pointing a finger at me. "Who is on your team?"

I don't answer the chance. The Professor brings up his holo-display. Tapping and turning it on, the Professor scrolls down until he finds me and my team.

"Ahh, yes! Corentin, leader of Team SCCH."

Looking to the side, Professor Double Hits sees the rest of my team.

"Hmm. You! You will be Corentin's partner for today's class. Please, take this hallway down to the arena."

I nod my head and look at Chadd.

"Okay," Chadd says, also nodding his head.

"Best of luck," Honey whispers as Chadd walks passes her. Leaving the class, Chadd and I walk through the narrow hallway and into the wide empty arena.

"Any idea what the professor wants us to do," Chadd asks as we walk into the middle. I answer by shaking my head. Seeing a holographic screen appear on the dome with the Professor's head on it, I point at it, and Chadd turns around.

"Prepare you two," the Professor shouts. "For today's lesson in fighting and combatant, I will judge how well you two work together to defeat a predalion."

"Did the Professor just say he's going to judge us on how well we defeat a predalion?"

This time, I nod my head.

Despite the distance, I can still see the Professor and the rest of the class. Honey and Clementine have their faces pressed against the glass dome as they and the rest of the class watch us. Meanwhile, Professor Double Hit is on his holo-display again. Tapping a series of buttons on it, I start to hear something.

Clenching my fists, I activate my metal gauntlets, my arms encasing themselves in thick metal armor. Turning around, I look past Chadd and see the metal ground moving. It moves enough to form a large hole, and out from that hole comes a caged predalion.

"A predalion," Chadd says, raising his hands. Chadd turns to look at me and I nod my head.

With thick skin and an even thicker, almost unbreakable mane, the predalion is one of the strongest animals in the Wild. Walking on all fours, the predalion is not only fierce but also incredibly fast.

"You two must work together to slay this predalion," the Professor shouts. "Best of luck."

As soon as the Professor said that, the cage deactivates. The transparent bars that surround the predalion disappear. Once they do, the predalion quickly crawls out.

It stands proudly on all four legs and roars into the air, shaking the glass dome. Chadd and I look at each other before turning back to our opponent.

"Go Chadd," Honey yells, shooting her fist into the air. "You got this! Kill this beast!"

Pulling back his shirt, Chadd reveals his shooters. He swings his hands out, and metal cables shoot out from them.

About to charge toward the beast, his feet skidding against the metal floor, I grab Chadd's shoulder and stop him.

"Hey," Honey shouts. "What are you doing? Chadd was about to attack!"

I ignore Honey and pull Chadd in closer.

"What are you doing," he asks.

I answer Chadd by pointing at the ground and the surrounding area. As I point at everything, Chadd looks around and realizes it too.

"The environment is changing," Chadd says.

I nod and watch as the very arena itself changes before our eyes. The metal plating rises and sinks, creating various environmental objects. I see a small ditch appear near the end of the arena. Three cones appear in a group at the other end of the arena. Forming all around Chadd, me, and the predalion are small piles of metals. When everything is done, the silver-colored metal is replaced with a bright orange-brown color.

Eyeing the Professor, I see him still on his tablet. When he's done, he speaks through the holographic screen again.

"I have changed the arena to resemble the predalion's natural habitat. I suggest using the environment to your advantage."

When the Professor's head and the screen disappear, the predalion lets out another roar before crouching down. It then lunges at Chadd and me.

Pushing Chadd out of the way, I shoot out my hands and catch the predalion before it can take a bite out of me. Still, with its strength alone, the predalion pushes me back.

My feet skid against the metal floor as the predalion keeps pushing me. Pushing and knocking me into the ditch, I still manage to keep my hands up.

The predalion and I are locked in a stalemate. It keeps trying to bite me while I keep pushing against its mane.

"Hold on," Chadd yells, shooting out one of his hands. A cable follows and shoots out too. It hits the predalion, knocking the beast off of me. The second it's off of me, I push myself up and run over to Chadd.

Reaching his side, I give him a thumb-up and a nod.

"Don't mention it," Chadd says. Looking at the predalion as it pushes itself back onto its four, I look down at Chadd's cable. Tapping his shoulder, I then grab one of them.

"What," Chadd asks. "What are you doing?"

I hold the cable between us and, using my gift, charge it up. Chadd's eyes go wide and he smiles.

"I get it. It's just like before. With the two serpecdysises."

I nod again and point at Chadd. I then point at myself before making a running animation with my fingers and then pointing at two other places, right beside the predalion.

"Just talk," Honey yells. "Stop playing charade!"

I ignore Honey and look at Chadd. I shoot him a shaking thumb-up.

"Yeah, don't worry," Chadd says. "I got it. You ready?"

I nod again and look at the predalion. Holding up three fingers, I start counting down. When I put down my last finger, Chadd and I charge toward the predalion.

Spreading out as we run, holding the cable between us, I charge it with electricity. Sparking brightly as we run, I look ahead and see the predalion running toward us. As the beast runs toward it, it then jumps over the cable.

"What in the world," Chadd says. Even I couldn't believe it. Skidding to a stop, we both look behind and see the predalion already running toward us.

It leaps into the air, going for Chadd. Pulling his cable back, Chadd swings it in front of him. He tries to shield himself but the predalion goes right through it.

"Chadd," Honey and Clementine yells, banging their hands against the dome.

The predalion knocks Chadd down. Falling to the ground, Chadd can't do anything as the predalion lowers its head. It opens its mouth to bite Chadd but before it can, I run and jump. Sliding across the ground, I shoot out my hand.

Letting the predalion bites me instead, I manage to keep a scream down. Clenching my hand again, I use my gift to electrocute the predalion.

It shakes and sparks as the electric currents shoot through my arm into the predalion's mouth. After a few seconds, I open my hand and the predalion stops shaking and sparking. Looking blacker than before, and smoking, the beast then falls over.

Pushing myself up, I moan with a closed mouth while examining my arm.

"Corentin," Chadd says, also pushing himself up. "Are you okay?"

Chadd rushes to see the bite marks on my hand but I put up my hand and stop him. Shaking my hand, I hear the holographic screen turn back on. Chadd and I turn to see the Professor's head reappear.

"Poor," the Professor states with a shaking head. "A wise plan but a poor execution. Corentin. Please head to the academy's infirmary and have our nurses check that wound. Next team, go."

While the arena changes for the next team, Chadd and I walk back into the hallway and toward the infirmary. As we walk, Chadd taps me on my shoulder.

"Thanks for the save," he says.

I nod and I rub my arm.

Hearing footsteps and voices, I then see Honey and Clementine running toward us.

"Chadd," Honey screams. Running right up to Chadd, she throws her arms around him and hugs him tight. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Chadd answers. "I'm fine! It's our selfless leader we should be concerned about. He almost lost his hand saving me."

Chadd, Honey, and Clementine all turn to me but I just shrug my shoulders.

"I can't believe you just did that," Clementine says.

Again, I shrug my shoulders. I turn and walk toward the infirmary.

"Come on," Chadd says.