The moonlight filtered softly through the window, casting a gentle glow across the room as I drifted in and out of a half-sleep. The air was cool, and the faint hum of the night made everything feel distant and calm. But suddenly, a voice broke through the quiet. "HEY, you!"
I groggily opened my eyes and met Caitlyn's gaze. Her face was serious, and her eyes held a glint of impatience. I didn't respond right away, just staring back at her with cold, unblinking eyes. She sighed, exasperated, but quickly regained her composure.
"Introduce yourself," she instructed.
The command snapped me out of my daze. Slowly, I stood up, the movement fluid, yet almost mechanical. I locked eyes with everyone around the room, their faces filled with curiosity and anticipation. "I am Kuroki Naoshi," I said, my voice calm. "In public, you can call me Dark. As for my powers… I don't have any."
The room fell into stunned silence. I could feel the weight of their gazes, each one trying to process what I had just said. Zack, who had been standing near the door, scoffed loudly. "Are you serious? Everyone here has some incredible powers that can help thousands of people, and you're telling me you don't have any?"
His words stung, but I didn't flinch. I just let them hang in the air for a moment before I responded with my actions. Without a word, I pulled out a kunai from my belt and dashed toward him, my movements sharp and swift. Zack froze, and before he could react, I had it pressed against the side of his neck, the cold steel making him shiver slightly.
"You talk too much," I said quietly, my voice like ice.
Caitlyn's voice broke through the tension. "That's enough, Kuroki." Her tone was stern, but there was an underlying respect in her words. She stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder as I slowly withdrew the kunai. "Though he may not have any powers, Kuroki here has a mastery of weaponry and assassination techniques. That's why I called him here. We need him in this group."
I returned to my seat without a word, letting Zack check his neck for any injuries. He was fine, just shaken. I smirked inwardly at the thought that even without powers, I could make a statement like that.
Caitlyn nodded to Zack. "Your turn," she said.
Zack stood up with a dramatic flourish, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm Zack Brion. In public, I'm known as Chase, and my power is obviously speed." He sat back down, confident and self-assured.
Then there was the last one, the one I had been curious about since the moment I laid eyes on her. The bubble girl, as I had taken to calling her, stood up nervously. She fidgeted with her thumbs, clearly unsure of what to say. After a long pause, she spoke in a quiet voice. "Hi, I'm Misa Morales. In public, you can call me Bliss. As for my power... I still don't know. But I can make bubbles, create barriers, and read minds... that's all."
She sat down quickly, her face flushed with embarrassment. The others watched her cautiously, their expressions wary. She had so much power, yet she didn't even fully understand it. It made her unpredictable—and dangerous.
Caitlyn, ever the leader, clapped her hands sharply, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, enough introductions," she said, her voice carrying an edge of excitement. "This week, we'll be staying here to train. Next week, we'll begin our first mission."
Zack immediately jumped in, his tone impatient. "That's impossible. Before we can have missions, we need to register with the Hero Association!"
Caitlyn's expression darkened, her patience wearing thin. "You're so impatient, Zack," she said with a sigh. Zack, realizing his mistake, immediately fell silent. Caitlyn took a moment to calm herself before continuing. "But don't worry. I've already registered us with the Hero Association—with a little help from Sam Sato."
That was news to me. I hadn't expected Caitlyn to have things so well-organized already. But before I could even process it, she added, "And since I called you all here at 10 PM for a reason, we're going to have a little battle."
A battle? I narrowed my eyes at her, surprised. This wasn't part of the plan. I shot her a serious look, silently questioning her intentions, but Caitlyn was unfazed. She gave us a mischievous smile, almost as if she knew what I was thinking.
"The plan is simple," Caitlyn continued, as she began handing out watches to each of us. "We'll split into two teams. The goal is to get the watches from the other team. Whoever does will be the winner."
A rush of adrenaline shot through me. This was it. This was exactly what I'd been waiting for. A chance to fight, to test myself against these people. Caitlyn was good at reading people; she knew what would push me into action.
I grinned to myself, my heart quickening. This was going to be exciting.