24: When You’re Not Known For Lasting Long

Walking out of the Class Zero building with everyone else, Nyssa ambled along the pathways while trying not to get dragged along too much by the crowd. Everyone, the rest of Class Zero included, moved as if there was a lion chasing them. Well, it wasn’t ‘running away from a lion’ fast, but it was still a lot faster than Nyssa’s normal walking speed.

Sticking along with Celeste, she just kept quiet as she listened to the various conversations bursting out all around her.

“Did you see the small jokes? Like about the keynote? I don’t know... it just makes him feel a little more chill to me. Most of the time I feel like those keynotes just... drag on so... so much.”

“Yeah, for sure. Have you seen his clips? No way someone that crazy with it is gonna be so uptight. I’m still not over the fact he’s like... actually letting us duel him! Most people are too worried about losing face in case they lose, or even struggle in a battle.”

“I know... kinda crazy. I hope I can last more than a couple seconds with him.”

“You better. Though, I know you’re not exactly known for lasting long.”

“Oh shut up with the innuendos.”

“Fine, fine. On another note though, then, I didn’t realize he was chill like that. He’s just like the interviews! I feel like he could be my older brother or something.”

Sweating as she eavesdropped on a nearby conversation, Nyssa ducked her head away while making eye contact with Celeste. Shaking her head and whispering a “nope, I don’t exist,” she did a mock glare as Celeste broke out laughing.

Getting pulled in for a hug, she returned it while keeping up her fake glare. It was after Celeste booped her nose though with a joking apology, that she dropped with a laugh of her own. Walking along, the two of them followed the rest of Class Zero to the main pitch.

Once at the main training field, she and the others filed into a place on the bleachers marked as ‘Class Zero Seating.’ Next to the staff seating, their small section led the way as Class One’s gargantuan section crammed up right beside them.

As a whole, the ‘main training field’ couldn’t quite be considered a training field though. If anything, it was more of a small stadium. It was open to the air, and was, as a whole, a training field. Now, however, in preparation for the event, large bleachers had been put up. Anchored to the ground, they surround the center of the training field in a huge looping curve. The bleachers too, had a smidgen of padding to them to make sitting on them just a little more comfortable.

Slade, by now, was already in the center of the training field where they had rolled out a stage. Standing in front of the podium, he was sipping some water while waving to students calling out to him. Every minute or so though, he would lean into the microphone while motioning towards the bleachers. “Please try and cram yourselves into this half of the bleachers please, the ones I’m facing.”

Doing a weird air hug motion, he tried to outline a cone in front of him. “I know it's a little bit of a tight squeeze, but, you know, I can’t have you all studying the back of my head for a bald spot, after all! In all honesty though, I’d prefer to be able to look all of you in the face. So please make do. You can all spread out across the bleachers later when we start doing the show matches!”

Nyssa, from her vantage point, thought it would be... possible. It didn’t feel like there were that many students in the Institute. It’d be like a normal school assembly or whatever where they’d all sit next to each other, but not squashed like sardines.

It would be fun to see how everyone spread out though once the show matches started...

Waiting for another couple minutes, she fought the urge to doze off as she leaned against Celeste’s shoulder. Fighting with every fiber of her being, she dozed off a few times for a couple seconds before getting tapped back awake by Celeste. “Thank you, keep me awake... please... yes...”

It took another fifteen minutes for everyone to get seated and ready.

Emerging from a long war against herself—barely victorious at that—Nyssa perked up as Slade began clearing his throat and waving towards the crowd to get their attention. Sitting upright, she thanked Celeste once more for her hard work and patted her cheeks a few times to wake herself up.

“Gooood morning everyone,” Slade laughed while calming the crowd down with a few hand motions. “No need to reply, since that’s my biggest pet peeve when it comes to these types of speeches. It is Friday though, so I will say, it is quite a nice morning.”

As his words left his mouth, a few cheers began and, within seconds, spread through the crowd drowning out his voice.

“Alright, alright, calm down,” Slade chuckled while making a quick glance down to his watch. “I’ll try and keep this quick okay? The goal is to have a nice, relaxed, and, hopefully, fun Friday for all of you. My team and I plan on staying quite a while today, to make sure anyone who wants to fight can get a turn in.”

Anticipating the cheers this time around, he only smiled while letting everyone let out their energy. “I’m glad you all are so enthusiastic! It’s great to have such a welcome crowd, thank you, thank you. My team and I are, for sure, just as excited as you all.”

Taking the microphone off its stand, he walked away from the podium. “Now, let’s get this show on the road. Who am I? I’m sure you all know this already, but I’ll give a quick rundown on who I am before opening the floor for a couple questions. Quick and simple. As all speeches should be.”

Pulling at his tie a little, Slade shook his head. “Sorry, random side note, but I’m really not a fan of these types of formal clothing. Anyway, to start, I’m sure most people are quite familiar with my life story, but we can run through it once more. I’m... adopted. Big surprise, I know. Kaiser and I look like doppelgangers after all. I’m just as much of a hulking mass of muscle as he is.”

Letting the crowd let out its few chuckles, he walked across the stage with slow, but powerful steps. “It may be a little out of the norm, but me, and my two siblings, are all adopted and though we grew up in a single parent home, we all felt loved. It’s been... a nice environment all things considered.”