Initiation Sparks

Narrated by Alex

Spent. Completely spent.

After that intense brawl with Max, I was utterly spent. Despite the sweet taste of victory, I was too drained to savor it. The exhaustion hit me hard, and I promptly collapsed.

Coming to, I was like, "What just hit me?" Bodies scattered, like we'd been through a blender. Groans and moans filled the air. But there, standing like nothing happened, were John and Lila. Chatting away, as if we hadn't just unleashed chaos. It was like they missed the memo about the brawl.

John noticed me waking, and shot me a grin, "Rough night? How's the victorious side feeling?"

I managed a half-smile, "Victorious, sure. But right now, I'd trade victory for a comfy bed and a mountain of snacks."

"Uh, what happened here?"

I turned around to see Benji, and the expression on his face was as if he'd seen a ghost. "Well, this is not what I had in mind when I left you all alone for a short while," he remarked, eyebrows raised. "What on earth have you guys been doing?"

I tried to put up a grin, "Well, we attempted some team bonding, but you know how it is... things escalated a bit."

"A bit??" He looked around at the others scattered around like fallen dominoes, "This is a bit??"

I shrugged, "Yeah, just a friendly brawl to break the ice. Builds camaraderie, they say."

He sighed, "We'll talk about this later then. Get yourselves up, and we'll continue in the afternoon....."

And he walked off.

I spotted Max starting to stir, rubbing his head with a groan. I smirked, "Hey, Max, how's the head? Feel like you just got hit by a boulder?"

Max groaned and shot me a playful glare. "Well you did hit almost as hard as a boulder."

I chuckled, "I aim for impact, you know."

Max smirked as he got up, "You've got some moves, man. I almost thought you were a bender pro."

I rolled my eyes, "Please, it's all about instincts and a bit of luck. You, on the other hand, pulled some hard moves"

Max grinned, "Ah, guess we were sorta matched? I'm Max!"

He extended his hand, and I shook it, "Alex Bridges."

"Cool! I'll beat ya next time for sure!" He grinned.

"We'll see," I replied, grinning back.

"So what's your thing?" Asked Max.

I shrugged, "I dunno, it's not like my energy's really listening to me. I prefer to let my fists do the talking as of now."

"Ah, cool," he turned to John, "And what about you?"

"Same boat, but I'm not one to fight like him," John said.

"Eh, kinda evident from before. So you and Lila are friends now?"

He chuckled, "Well it didn't take a fight..."

I looked at the girl with glasses, "You're Lila. So, uh, what do you think of all this madness? Quite the first day, huh?"

She responded with a small, hesitant smile, "Yes, it's certainly... eventful. I didn't expect things to turn out this way."

The other girl Isabel got back on her feet with this kinda elegant vibe, and Anne, she didn't stay down for too long either. Isabel did the hand thing, Anne took it, and they sorta nodded at each other, like 'Yeah, that happened.'

Finally the whole gang gathered around Gordon and Victor, who were still taking an extended nap. It was like a silent agreement, and each squad dragged their own peeps away from the chaos.

Later, Gordon groaned and slowly came to. He blinked a few times, seemingly confused, and then noticed me standing there.

"Hey, Gordon. That was one wild brawl, huh?" I said, trying to keep it light.

Gordon grunted, still a bit groggy, "Traditional doesn't seem to be their style."

I chuckled, "Definitely not. Looks like we started our Bender Academy journey with a bang, quite literally."

I couldn't help but grin, realizing, "Hey, it's the first time you've said more than a couple of words to me. Progress, I'd say."

Gordon gave a slight nod, acknowledging the moment, and then dismissed me with a simple, "Yeah, whatever."

It was time, and Benji returned after a long walk.

He looked at the scene around, then at us, and sighed. "Well, it seems you all had a 'productive' encounter."

I shrugged, "Well, to be fair, it was those guys egging on Gordon. We just happened to be there at the right or wrong time, depending on how you see it."

Benji just grinned, "Of all the students to pick a rivalry with, you had to choose the ones mentored by Chris."

I nodded, "Nah, we're chill now... well, most of us at least. What's with Chris though? You guys don't look like best friends at all."

He looked down at the ground, "Maybe I'll tell you all some day. But, I've got something better for now!"

Benji cleared his throat, "Alright, let's shift gears. The main event coming up is the Grand Energy Festival in Stronghold City. It's a massive gathering of benders, and it's happening in exactly one month."

I raised an eyebrow, "Sounds like a party. What's the deal?"

Benji explained, "It's a celebration of bending arts, a showcase of skills, and also a place where benders forge connections. The Supreme Leader of Stronghold and the elders, who hold the key to the Grand Energy Nexus, will be there."

I quipped, "So, it's like a big bender carnival with some fancy VIPs. Got it."

John gave me a puzzled look, "Wait, you've never been to the Grand Energy Festival?"

I shrugged, "Nah, never had a reason to. I was more into working out, not grand gatherings."

Anne asked Benji, "So, is there anything special planned for us during the Grand Energy Festival?"

Benji chuckled, "Of course, there's an exhibition showdown. A chance to show off your bending skills."

John raised an eyebrow, "Exhibition showdown? What's that supposed to be?"

Benji leaned back, a grin forming on his face, "Well, it's a chance for the new benders to showcase their abilities. It's like a Bending talent show."

With a determined look, Benji concluded, "So now, the real training starts. In a month, you'll have some basic bending under your belts, and we'll also focus on melee combat and physical abilities. We want you to be ready for anything and everything!"

The four of us exchanged glances, soaking in the gravity of Benji's words. John cracked a wry grin, "Well, looks like our initiation just got a bit more interesting, huh?"

Anne nodded, her eyes a blend of determination and curiosity. Gordon maintained his poker face, silently digesting the challenge.

As Benji delved into the details of our upcoming training, the grand energy festival loomed ahead, casting a shadow on our path. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a much larger adventure.