Fighting with Fire

Narrated by Alex

"Guess what, Alex?" John says, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I managed to pull off that energy ball thing, and you won't believe who gave me a hand. Anne, of all people!"

I raise an eyebrow, looking genuinely surprised. "Anne? Seriously? I thought she wasn't into this whole bending thing."

"Exactly! That's what makes it so surprising. She's got this way with energy, and she showed me how to do it. It's like she's been hiding some secret skill all this time."

I grin at John, crossing my arms. "Alright then, spill the beans, John! How did you do it? Share the secret technique."

John chuckles, enjoying the mystery. "Well, it's all about getting closer to your energy. Instead of pulling it out right away, you focus even more to connect with it. Anne was all about finesse, not force."

"Guess I'll try it sometime later. Anyways Benji's back."

As Benji approaches, I shoot John a mischievous look. "Let's see if our newfound energy master here can impress Benji with his skills."

John grins, ready for the challenge. "Bring it on."

Benji greets us with a warm smile. "How's everyone feeling after the morning session?"

I jump in, unable to resist the urge. "Well, John here mastered the art of energy balls with Anne's secret technique."

John adds with a laugh, "I had a good teacher."

I chuckle and whisper, "Oh, so, are you crediting Benji here, or is Anne your secret mentor?" I shoot him a playful look.

John smirks. "Well, both are excellent teachers in their own ways."

Benji begins, "Alright, let's focus on refining our energy manipulation. It's great to see you've made progress, and let's keep going."

Just as Benji is about to delve into the lesson, a sharp voice interrupts, "Well, well, look who we have here. Benji playing mentor again."

In walks this tall dude, acting like he owns the place. His sharp features and that confidence scream, "I'm someone you should know." But honestly, I had no clue who he was.

Dude's got that whole mysterious vibe going on. Jet-black hair, neatly styled like he's about to walk a runway, and a pair of piercing blue eyes that give you the feeling he's sizing you up. Dressed in all black, like he's auditioning for a superhero movie or something. Classic "I'm too cool for school" look.

"It's been a while... Chris," Benji said, not looking very happy.

The moment Chris strutted in, it felt like Benji had stepped on a landmine. The usual calm demeanor was replaced by tension. Benji, doing his best to keep things civil, was like a tightly wound spring. Chris, reveling in the discomfort, had a grin that screamed trouble. My gut told me these two had some history, and not the best one....

"Indeed," he smirked, "Just here to tell you that all teachers have been called for a meeting. Sadly it includes you to. So hurry up, or you'll be late."

Benji nods, and turns to us, "Well, guess I got a date elsewhere. John, why don't you help the others get the energy ball going meanwhile?"

And just like that, he walks out.

Chris looks at us, "Or maybe you can do some chit-chat with my students. It's good to socialise!"

He also walks out, and enter his students.

The first guy strolled over. Fiery, confident vibes oozed from him, with sharp eyes and bold moves. Tall and athletic, his intense blue eyes and fiery red hair caught attention. The custom-made uniform, flaunting flame motifs. Probably a fire guy.

And now walked this girl. Mysterious vibes, like she could vanish into thin air at any moment. Dark, elegant attire, jet-black hair flowing, and those piercing green eyes—like she's carrying a bag of secrets. It's like encountering an unsolved puzzle, and I couldn't help but feel intrigued by her enigmatic aura.

Next up, there's this dude, strolling in like he owns the place. Brown hair, hazel eyes, and some funny symbols on his gloves. Seems like he's got the chill vibes down to an art form.

And finally, in walks this girl, with long chestnut-brown hair, gray eyes, and glasses. She's got this thoughtful vibe, like she's contemplating the secrets of the universe or something.

And now we're all just standing there, checking each other out, like some kind of standoff between two rival factions. Nobody's saying a word, and it's just getting more awkward by the second.

Fire guy, probably thinking he's the ambassador of friendliness, decides to make the first move. And where does he go? Straight to Grumpy Gordon, as if challenging the universe's logic. It's like trying to sell ice to an Eskimo, or in this case, flames to an unimpressed guy. Classic choice, fire guy, classic choice.

Fire guy started, "Hey there! I'm Victor, future master of the flames. Bet you've never seen anything like it!"

Gordon, barely looking up, said, "Gordon. Just Gordon."

Victor, undeterred by the lack of enthusiasm, replied, "Cool name. So, what's your element, Gordon?"

Gordon, almost sighing: "I don't really have one. Just... stuff."

Victor, trying to make sense of it: "Stuff, huh? Well, that's unique. Mind showing me some of your 'stuff'?"

Gordon, with a hint of impatience: "Not really. Look, I'm not into the whole bending thing."

The guy with the funny gloves chimed in, with a nonchalant grin, "Hey there! You seem like a man of mystery. What's your deal?"

Gordon, glancing at him with mild annoyance: "Deal?"

He said casually, "Yeah, like, what's your thing? Like, I'm into gravity. Cool, huh?"

Gordon, unimpressed: "Not really."

Glove guy, playfully: "Come on, don't be a downer. What's your specialty?"

Gordon, dryly: "Specialty? I don't have one."

Glove guy, raising an eyebrow: "No bending skills or something? You've got to have a cool power."

Gordon, said, visibly annoyed, "I don't do that stuff."

Glove guy, persistently trying to lighten the mood: "Come on, you're at a bending academy. Everyone's got something. What about telekinesis, mind reading, or summoning a pet rock? Anything?"

Gordon, growing more irritated: "I told you, I don't do any of that. Just leave me alone."

Glove guy, teasingly: "Wow, mystery man over here. What's the big secret, huh?"

Gordon, clenching his fists: "I said enough! Mind your own business."

The girl with the glasses, interrupted, "Max, perhaps it's best to give Gordon some space. I can sense he's getting agitated, and we wouldn't want things to escalate."

Max, undeterred, continued with a mischievous grin, "Come on, Gordon, where's your sense of humor? We're just having a bit of fun here."

As the banter between Max and Gordon reached its boiling point, Gordon decided to take matters into his own hands – quite literally. He unleashed a punch, connecting solidly with Max's face. In that split second, the courtyard transformed from a battleground of words to an arena of physicality. Gordon, unfazed, quipped, "This is my sense of humor," leaving a lingering tension in the air, and Max on the ground.

The two ladies rushed to help Max up, while Victor, all fiery and disapproving, marched up, demanding, "Come on, man. Apologize for that punch."

Gordon, being his stubborn self, wouldn't budge an inch. And in a repeat sequence, Victor just straight-up punched Gordon in the face. It was like, bam! Sparks flew, and Gordon went flying.

I turned to Victor, giving him a nudge of reason. "Come on, man, let's not let this spiral out of control. It's not worth the trouble."

Victor, however, was having none of it. "No way, Alex. Gordon needs a reality check. He can't just throw punches whenever he feels like it."

I took a more serious tone, "Look, it's settled now. We don't need to take this further."

But he was having none of it. "No way, Alex. Gordon needs a lesson," he snapped back, flames in his eyes matching his fiery temperament.

Before I could do anything, Gordon, just as angry, got back on his feet and lunged at Victor.

Amidst the commotion, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Our grand debut into socializing turned out to be a full-blown brawl.

Great.