CH. 35 - Time For An Extra Lesson

In the South Range, Teach approaches as Southpaw stares off into the valley.

"I got news from Nazuna that team 1 finally made it back." Teach says with a smile.

"Mmm." Southpaw hums in response. 

"Although she didn't seem to be entirely excited about it. I hope nothing went wrong." Teach says, unaware of the state of things.

"Well…" Southpaw begins when Teach huffs in frustration.

"I knew it. Wolf just couldn't follow the simplest of orders. I should've-" Teach starts ranting as Southpaw turns around with a shocked look.

"Woah! Hey, it's alright! Wolf wasn't even one of the ones who failed." Southpaw explains. Teach composes himself, a bit of sweat in embarrassment.

"Ahem, sorry. I got a little ahead of myself- wait, what did you say?" Teach says, a look of shock processing what he just heard.

"Yeahhh, unfortunately, the entire team failed excluding Wolf and her partner Phoenix. Although I did have to fail them too cause, ya know." Southpaw says. Teach looks to be in shock as he exhales softly, lowering his whole body.

"What did I do wrong?.." He mopes as Southpaw pats him on the back.

"Don't look so glum, old chum, they'll be alright. We decided to move forward with some… extra lessons." Southpaw says. Teach looks at him.

"You mean the kind of lessons they give to the… troubled students…" Teach asks.

"Yep!" Southpaw says back with a smile. Teach sighs and takes a seat with his head in his hands.

"To think my students would need extra lessons this soon…" Teach groans. He then spins in the chair and looks at Southpaw with an accepting look. "Alright, I'll whip up some plans and let the kids know." He says.

"We've already got it all handled." Southpaw says. Teach looks confused.

"Who, exactly, is we?" Teach asks frustratedly, already knowing the answer.

"Professor Nobody." Southpaw says casually. A vein pops on Teach's head before he bolts up to his feet.

"Sir, you cannot let that, that, punk take the kids for extra lessons!"

"Why not?"

"Because he's a childish know-it-all who doesn't take anything seriously! Just this morning he pranked my coffee machine! Again!" Teach shouts as Southpaw laughs at the thought of Teach spitting out his coffee angrily due to it being the wrong brand.

"Haha! Well, not to worry! Both you and Nazuna will be accompanying him on these extra lessons. Does that make it better?" Southpaw asks. Teach mopes a bit.

"I suppose that's a bit better…"

"Good. I suggest you go make peace with him sooner than later since you both will be working closely with the new students. Especially during this lesson in the woods." Southpaw says. Teach takes a step towards the entrance but stops upon hearing his words. He turns and looks at Southpaw.

"Woods? Don't tell me he.."

"Yep. The Okar Woods." Southpaw says back with an intense smile. Teach sweats a bit.

"With all due respect, isn't that place a bit dangerous for 1st Tier students?.."

"Perhaps but these kids need the push." Southpaw's tone drops a little as his face sharpens subtly. "The world they're growing up in is filled with threats they have only begun to encounter." Southpaw says. Teach takes a deep sigh and accepts it.

"Understood. I'll make sure they're ready." Teach says as he turns to walk away when Southpaw calls to him.

"I need you to do another thing for me." Teach turns to face him. "Call the other Directors." Southpaw says. Teach looks a little surprised. 

"How many?" Teach asks.

"All of them." He says with an intense tone in his voice. Teach nods in response with a serious look on his face before leaving the South Range.

Another early morning…

Wolf sits up in her bed with sleepy eyes and messy hair before she yawns and stretches. There's a knock at her bedroom door.

"Wolfy~ Time to get up, we've got class in a bit." Phoenix calls out from behind the door.

"Aright.. Coming.."

Wolf says with a tired sigh before getting out of her bed, new blankets, posters and shelves now on her walls, and heading towards her door. She opens it only to be met by a face pressing against hers.

"Hallo." Killian says with a weird voice, causing Wolf to scream and fall back into her desk. 

"Must be Killian again."

Phoenix says with a smile, wearing an apron while making breakfast in the small kitchen. A bit later, Killian giggles outside of their apartment door as Phoenix and Wolf step out, Wolf rubbing her head with an irritated look on her face. She looks at Killian giggling and mocks him.

"Yeah, ha ha ha, so funny. It's been almost a week and you've somehow managed to freak me out every morning since we finished our rooms."

"Hey, I'm just excited to be your neighbor, main. Saika couldn't even sleep the first couple nights and that's saying something." Killian says with a smile.

"That boy loves his sleep."

Phoenix says too. They walk down the hall before entering the community area of their home base, where some of the others wait. Wolf looks at Phoenix for a moment with a flat look before punching her in the arm.

"Ow! You cunt, what the Hell was that for??" She shouts as Wolf shrugs.

"I can't punch him, so I gotta punch you." Wolf motions towards Killian.

"The Hell you can't! Why me?!" Phoenix shouts angrily. Wolf huffs a little before answering.

"Cause if I punch him, at least four other people will punch me back. If I punch you, only you punch me back. It's a simple calculation-"

Phoenix then punches the back of Wolf's head into the ground, leaving her twitching with steam coming off her head.

"Or you could just not punch anyone at all?? Ever think of that?" Phoenix shouts. Dante shakes his head while stepping up to them.

"Still think the trade was worth it?" Dante asks. Wolf weakly gives a thumbs up as Phoenix huffs and walks away.

In the academy, Tadashi walks up to Cole with a smirk as they shake hands firmly, catching up with the rest of the group.

"Yo." Alston says to them.

"Finally! You guys took forever!" Yoko shouts with a big smile while jumping onto Phoenix with a big hug, rubbing their faces together.

"Yeah, Wolf had a slow start." Saika says with a smile.

"As usual." Moshiro says back.

"You try having the first thing you see in the morning be this guy's face. It'll change a human, oh yeah." Wolf says jokingly.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Killian asks, offended. They bicker while taking their seats in the large classroom as most of the class already has. "You're ugly, main." Killian says to Wolf.

"What the fuck??" Wolf asks back, playfully shocked.

"You're both ugly." Tadashi throws in.

"hUh??"

Both Killian and Wolf look at him with shocked looks at Tadashi smirks. Then the large doors of the class open and close as Professor Nobody walks into the class and leans against his podium at the center. He doesn't say a word as he reads a book in a calm fashion. The class stares at him with a sweat drop.

"A normal entrance for once?" Angie asks.

"I'm shocked."

Jeni says too. Suddenly, Nobody comes running into the classroom through the doors again and RKO's the cardboard cutout of himself reading a book into the ground. The class is shocked as Nobody gets up and dusts himself off.

"Never fall for the cardboard cutout trick. They'll steal your information. Trust me, I know."

Professor Nobody says casually. Ivailia claps excitedly with a happy smile on her face but slowly stops in embarrassment when the other students look at her. 

"Thank you, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me." Nobody bows a little before he then walks out of the classroom. The class is in total shock and awe due to the events unfolding before them.

"Are we getting punked right now?? Hello??" Law asks, totally flabbergasted. Yoko busts out laughing as Cole grits his teeth in frustration.

"This is not proper education…"

Nobody comes back in while holding a woman in his hands by her shoulders and places her down in the center of class. The woman is stiff like a statue as Nobody places his hand on her shoulder. 

"This is Ms. Anais. She will be your substitute teacher for a while as team 1 of our class requires some extra attention. She didn't agree to this but.. Well, I guess there isn't really a but, she has to be here. Say hi." Nobody says, looking at her and motioning towards the class.

"Muh." Anais grunts ever so slightly, still totally stiff.

"Uh, sir? What's wrong with her?" Harley asks, sweating a bit.

"She's just shy. Tell her a funny joke and she'll loosen up. In the meantime, team 1, let's roll out." Nobody says, turning around and marching out of the class.

"Yeah, roll out lameos." Galen says playfully and sticks his tongue out as Phoenix does it back with a smile.

"Whatever, lameo!" Phoenix jokes.

"Hey, Yoko, bring me back something cool, yeah?" Rye says, leaning on their hand. Yoko smirks.

"Well, if the human insists, I suppose I can listen." Yoko says smugly.

"Try not to die." Jeni says with a concerned smile.

"No promises." Killian says back.

"Later losers."

Law waves coolly as they exit the room, leaving the stiff Anais and the rest of the class. They look at each other, confused and unsure what to do as they sit in an awkwardly long silence. 

Somewhere deep in the woods, a silver energy portal opens up as Teach steps through first, followed by the team and the other teachers before the portal closes behind them. Killian watches intently as it does.

"Woah, way cool." He says with a smile. "Will you be teaching us that one day, Teach?" Killian asks, looking at him.

"Perhaps, but first you have to get through this." Teach says back.

"Yeah yeah, this dumb remedial lesson or whatever." Wolf says with a frustrated look as she crosses her arms. Moshiro bumps her aggressively.

"Don't be rude." Moshiro says sharply.

"I understand your frustration, Wolf and Phoenix. Seeing as you two didn't fail, this might seem unfair but it is very important for you to grow as a team." Teach explains.

"I understand, sir. I don't share the same feelings as my partner." Phoenix says while giving Wolf a slight glare. Wolf clicks her tongue and looks away.

"Good, because this lesson will be extremely important. Fail this mission and you all will be expelled." Nobody says with a serious tone as the class stares at him blankly.

"You're just being a kidder, right? Just like how you said we'd fail the Eval Tournament even though we couldn't have." Saika says.

"That's true, he's probably joking." Alston adds, looking at him.

"Professor Nobody is quite the jokester, isn't he?" Nazuna asks. They laugh a bit before Nazuna suddenly stops. "No but seriously, he isn't joking this time." She says directly. The team stops before freaking out.

"What??" Saika and Alston shout. Cole and Moshiro's eyes widen.

"We will be expelled?" Cole asks.

"This just got way more stressful.." Moshiro says softly, sweating.

"Hey, don't freak out on me now, we still got work to do. Let's go."

Professor Nobody says as he marches on, leading the class down a dirt trail. They walk along as Wolf doesn't look phased at all. Dante comes up to her with a worried look.

"Well, you don't seem concerned in the slightest." Dante whispers.

"Why should I be? I'm not the one who failed my mission. This is gonna be a breeze for me." Wolf says openly. Dante glares at her a bit.

"Yeah, well, suck my big toe." Dante says back, genuinely a bit offended.

"Hey now, don't get all aggressive like that." Wolf says, putting her hands up in playful defense. Moshiro looks at Nazuna for a moment before speaking up.

"Ms. Nazuna, I have a question." Moshiro says.

"What is it?" Nazuna answers happily.

"I'm aware that Teach is a Director for Southpaw and a 5th Tier agent which is why he doesn't need a partner but I'm curious where you and Professor Nobody lie." Moshiro says, knowing only part of the answer.

"Ah, I see. Believe it or not, Nobody is my partner." Nazuna says with a soft smile as Moshiro looks a bit surprised.

"I see."

"Yeah, we may not be Directors but we take being teachers at the academy very seriously." Nazuna says, looking ahead at Nobody walking next to Teach as he points at Teach's shirt only to flick his nose when he looks down, infuriating Teach. Nazuna sweats a bit. "Well, one of us takes it seriously.."

Moshiro looks down a bit with a soft look.

"So most teachers at the academy have partners too?" She asks, a bit quieter than before.

"Of course. The system even applies to some Directors as well. Being strong doesn't mean being alone."

Nazuna says warmly. Moshiro looks at Nazuna with bright eyes by her words as Nazuna winks at her. 

"Now, let me give you a breakdown on your mission here today." Nobody speaks up, turning to face the class. Suddenly, Yoko speaks to him.

"Are we gonna fight?" They ask. Nobody looks at Yoko for a moment.

"No." He says. Yoko pouts.

"Pussy." Yoko mumbles. Nobody vein pops but quickly composes himself.

"Anyway-"

"Are you gonna actually give us all the information to do it right this time?" Alston asks, glaring at him softly, upset about the missions. Nobody vein pops a second time.

"Yes, I will-"

"Professor, can-" Killian begins when Nobody vein pops three times.

"Okay, you know what? You go ahead and explain it to them since they wanna hate on me so much." He huffs to Teach before walking away a bit. Killian just droops a little.

"I was just gonna ask if I can go to the bathroom…"

Teach shakes his head with a smirk.

"I'm so gonna mock him for that later.." He says under his breath before clearing his throat and preparing the breakdown. "Ears up here." He says as the team then turns their attention to Teach.

"As you know, the Academy of Superior Abilities' primary goal and focus is defending the civilian population from threats of every kind. Whether it be a villain, monster or even natural disasters, the academy will be there to help those who need it. With that being said, sometimes the opposition can take many forms and sometimes you have to be able to overcome even the most unconventional obstacles." Teach educates.

"Don't you worry, old human! I, the great dragon Yoko, can handle any enemy you throw at me! Ah ha ha!" Yoko laughs proudly. Teach smiles at their words.

"I'm sure your strength has convinced you so, but there's more to success than just defeating an enemy." Teach says. The others get intrigued by his lesson. "Protecting civilians, guarding property and well-being, if you cannot manage to stop an enemy while minimizing damage, you aren't cut out to be an agent of the academy."

Teach says with a smile filled with wisdom and anticipation for his students' reactions. Cole's eyes sharpen a little hearing this, a fire beginning to burn inside of him.

"What is our mission?" He asks clearly.

"Today, you will trek into the Okar Woods, a haunted area of the forest you now stand in, and handle the haunting. For years this place has led to many disappearances and even deaths." Teach explains.

"I assume there's more to it than that. We can't exactly fight a forest." Phoenix says.

"Unless you want us to chop all the trees down which is just sad." Saika says, shaking his head. Teach smirks.

"You're right. We know there is a spirit haunting the woods and is specifically manipulating the forest to become so dangerous. I want you to go in, find the spirit, and dispatch it before it becomes a Torn while minimizing damage to the forest since the people of the nearby town value it regardless of the hauntings. Fail this mission and you will be expelled."

Teach says. The pack begins to whisper amongst themselves, hearing his words. Wolf gives an intense, almost wicked smirk.

"Haunted, huh?" She says as Phoenix sweats.

"A spirit is haunting… that's not real…" She says softly. Saika begins to shake in fear a little.

"I didn't know ghosts were real! That just made this so much more scary…" He says. Moshiro's eyes are wide as she is shocked.

"You're saying this whole time… ghost sightings were actually real?" Moshiro asks as Alston looks nervous.

"I'm more concerned with getting expelled.." She says nervously as Wolf smiles more normally at Saika, rubbing his head in reassurance. Tadashi pushes up his glasses.

"I imagine normal physical attacks won't work. Any lessons on how to stop it?" He asks the teachers when Nazuna speaks up.

"Yes actually. We brought something along for you all to aid in your mission. An ancient powder made from flystone. It enables people to interact with the intangible."

She says as she reaches into her bag, but after a few moments of digging around, she looks confused and focuses more on finding the powder.

"Not that.. You'll need it exactly.."

"We won't?" Killian asks.

"Well.. not you either, but the others.. Might- could you explain? I can't seem to…" She says distracted and waves Nobody over.

"Tadashi, Killian, Moshiro and Cole won't need the powder." Nobody says. Killian looks confused as Moshiro speaks up.

"Our Spirit Shield, Killian. The metal you wrapped around your arm in the Eval Tournament?" Moshiro says.

"That's what it's called? I had no idea." Killian says, starting to get it.

"Since the Spirit Shield is made of Seniron, just like Forge Type's items, you can interact with such things. For me, it is my Soul Shell that does the same." Cole says, while forming one of his energy tentacles as an example. 

"The soul metal just has those properties." Tadashi explains to Killian, who seems to understand.

"Ah, my bright students never leave me unimpressed." Teach says with pride in his voice.

"Did you pack the powder like I asked you to?" Nazuna asks Nobody.

"You asked me? Ah! I totally forgot! Oh no, whatever will we do??" Nobody says with sarcasm in his voice, leading both Nazuna and Teach to glare at him.

"Nobody, this isn't-" Nazuna begins but is cut off.

"Anyway, guess we better go back to the academy and get some. By the way, you're, like, already in the middle of the forest, so good luck. See ya!" Nobody says before whooshing away with intense speed.

"Hey! That's not-" Nazuna yells while doing the same, chasing after him. Teach sweats while quickly thinking about what to do.

"That fool.. Uh- just, stay right here. We'll be back." Teach says, sweating a bit. He then disappears as well. The team stands there with blank stares for a moment before they start to freak out, realizing the situation they're in.