Chapter 2 - Plans for the coming year

"Shall we begin then?"

Jon's jaw clenched, he was preparing himself for what he needed to say next, the weight of what was to come caused him great worry. He gulped, ready to take the plunge and begin the dreaded discussion, as was the role of a leader. 

"This past academic year we've accomplished a lot together, from placing first in the mid-year group research project, our impressive results in the team battles claiming victory in the tournament, to consistently placing within the top 20 in all individual assessments. But we also need to think about the future, we'll be entering our third and penultimate year at 'The International School of Superhumans'. As such we will be challenged in ways that are incomparably more difficult than what we've faced before. This year we have even more incentive to achieve success, the rewards are greater, the stakes are higher. This year we will not just have to compete with those in our year, but with those in the monstrous fourth year as well. The rewards for the top 5 teams, in this coming year, are the greatest they have ever been. Let's not aim just for the top 5, we will aim to be the BEST. We must prepare!" 

After giving his lengthy speech to begin the discussion, Jon was out of breath and red in the face. 'Who'd have thought it'd be so embarrassing to give a simple pep talk, why must I be the one to take on this role?' Jon complained in his head whilst hydrating himself with a water bottle. Once he had caught his breath and finished drinking, he placed the bottle down and continued.

"So, any ideas on how we do this?" Despite those lofty words he had just spouted, he was still uncertain on what they should do, besides the obvious.

 "Isn't it obvious? We should be running combat simulations and building our arsenal by diversifying how we use our powers." David spoke up, his voice was deep and smooth, one that made you feel at ease and pleasing to listen to. "Especially you Jon, I'll admit you're the strongest combatant we have, but that doesn't mean you're perfect. Both you and Matthew are the only ones among us that haven't inherited your powers, and because of that your understanding on how they can be used is limited. " David's suggestion was valid, him and the others had come from bloodlines where abilities were commonly passed down hereditarily, albeit with variations. This meant that there was more knowledge on how these powers can be used and can be taught to those that inherited the abilities, to an extent.

"He's right Jon, you've got incredible combat prowess and more abilities than any of us. But that can be your undoing, it gives you a lot of freedom but also means you've got much more work to do to bring out the full potential of them all." It was Rosa that further added to David's point, the two usually shared views as they had similar thought processes and have known each other for a long time. "You've developed your abilities to be very combat orientated, but in this coming year we will be assessed on more than just fighting. The applications of how we use our abilities in various settings and scenarios is something we need to prepare for. I think we should all work together during these coming months and run simulation exercises, that'll challenge us to use our powers in different ways." 

'Their points seem prepared and co-ordinated', Jon suspected that when Matt said they were talking about him earlier, this is what they were talking about. Honestly he felt the same as them, he'd been so focused on how he'd use his powers to fight that he neglected to consider how he'd use them outside of a battle. Which was understandable, he hadn't exactly had an easy childhood and that spurred a desire for strength and power. But he also understood that strength alone isn't enough to succeed here.

"Matthew as well, your electricity powers are super useful in practical scenarios, but you've slacked in developing them for combat." Maya turned the focus onto Matthew, though they have a sort of rivalry they still care about each other. "I get that you want to work in the space stations and on the Venus project, but you still need to be able to fight with the big shots if we want to reach the top 5." Despite all their squabbling and bickering, Maya and Matt both wished the best for each other.

"I know, I know. I'm just really trying to prepare myself for the great space odyssey I will be embarking on in the future. I will dutifully dedicate these next 3 months to becoming the most electrifying warrior this world has ever seen." Matthew responded with his usual enthusiasm, he genuinely agreed with her though and had felt himself lacking in some of the matches during the tournament.

"I'd like to see that, seeing you shoot bolts of lightning from your hands whilst laughing like a villain, is something I can totally see happening." George was the last to speak up, "I agree with the idea of training for different situations, I think if we push ourselves to our limits it can bring us to a whole other level. It would also make us a much more versatile and well rounded team, so I'm in favour." George also wanted to further his understanding of his own powers, being able to manipulate metals and, to a certain extent creating metallic objects. He wanted to see how far he could take his ability and see what sort of things he was capable of, the thought of reaching new heights was truly exciting to him.

"Looks like we've got a rough idea of what we need to focus on, and I think we've reached a consensus of diversifying what we can do individually. Let's not forget to continue our usual team building exercises and study sessions." As the team came to an agreement on what was needed, Jon decided to conclude this topic of discussion. "So let's end this little meeting here, we'll think up some ideas of training scenarios for the next time we meet." And with that the short discussion ended, they all had much to think about, especially Jon. He needed to spend the coming 3 months bringing out the maximum potential of his powers and developing his skills as a leader.

'The rewards for the top 5 teams in the senior, third and fourth years, are trips to both the moon and Mars for getting experience and the opportunity to see the development of the two. There's also a rumour about Antarctica potentially opening their doors, though nothing is confirmed it wouldn't be surprising considering the identity of a certain fourth year.' Jon thought of the potential opportunities that would come to him and his team, fuelling his motivation and his green eyes sparkled with determination.