The Superhumans (Peregrine x Nemopedia)

[Peregrine]

With a loud crash and deep rumble, an explosion shook the walls and vibrated the floor of a nondescript apartment complex built near the Millenium Meadows University. Christian Hill sat up suddenly in his single bed, one hand unconsciously pressing against the wall as he swore loudly.

Blindly, Christian reached behind him, grabbing his phone from his bedside stand by touch and rote familiarity. A second later, and blue light from his phone screen lit up his thin face, thin numbers reflecting off of blue-hazel eyes.

3:15 AM

Christian swore again as the building shook once more, and this time he caught a sudden burst of light through his window, coming from downtown. However, after a moment of further grumbling, Christian pushed his way to his feet.

"Goddamn supers," he grumbled, his gaze turning to stare through the window with almost burning hatred. "What do they have against fucking sleep?"

Through his complaints, however, Christian never stopped moving. He blindly grabbed clothes on the floor from the foot of his bed, before shoving his legs into sweatpants and pulling a hoodie over his head. However, as soon as he was clothed, Christian lifted his right hand into the air, and began to chant.

"Let form the cloak of darkness, woven of shadow."

"It which turns aside all eyes."

"It which protects the wielder from those who wish to know that which is not their right."

"Shadow Cloak."

As the words poured from his lips, Christian's hand moved through the air, his finger tracing glowing letters into empty space. At the same instant as he spoke the final line, his finger flicked forward, and the faint light from the letters gathered together into a ball of light, before cracking open.

The next instant, a dark cloak fluttered down through the air, which Christian caught with a fluid movement. With similar ease, he flung the cloak over his shoulders, pulling it closed over his chest, and then pulling up the hood over his face. Instantly, his features were obscured by unnatural shadow.

Christian strode over to the window, flinging it open as another rumble shook the ground. His night time escapades had already become common enough that he'd long since removed the screen from his window.

With a fluid motion, Christian jumped up onto the fire escape, before straightening, his right hand, this time hidden by a shadowy black glove, lifted into the air again.

"Space is an illusion of the physical."

"It exists to give shape to those who cannot be without."

"I am the master of a realm without shape."

"It is all connected, brought together."

"In this land, there is nowhere I cannot touch."

"Spatial Tear"

With a flick of his finger, the light shattered, before transforming into an almost jagged bolt of lightning. However, rather than arcing through the air, the bolt seemed to tear through space itself, the dark hole it created widening until it was just large enough for Christian to step through.

He moved forward without hesitation, allowing the dark rift to swallow him up.

Christian emerged again on the flat roof of a commercial building downtown. He quickly move over to the edge of the building, placing his hands on the railing as he stared down into the street below.

It was obvious at a glance that Christian had found the source of all the commotion. A number of cop cars lined the street, marked with the symbol of the Superhuman Enforcement Bureau. Several officers of the SEB lined the streets, staring with almost bewildered expressions at an all-out brawl taking place in the middle of the road while they tried to keep a gathering crowd of onlookers from getting too close to the fight.

A group of five superhumans were brawling in the middle of the street. They'd already all but wrecked the street, damaging the nearby storefronts. Three of the fighters appeared to be in a free-for-all, wobbling across the street as they attacked anything that got near. The other two cast regular glances at each other, both of them wearing the uniform of a SEB Super.

One of the drunken brawlers lifted his foot into the air, before slamming it to the ground. Instantly, a rumble shook the area, nearly overbalancing the two SEB officers, and also destabilizing one of the other men.

"Goddamit!" Christian swore, lifting himself up to stand on the railing as he glared towards the drunk man.

"Breath of air, shout of storm."

"Howl."

Christian took a deep breath.

"I've had quite enough of this!"

Despite the fact that the words he spoke seemed barely louder than a normal call, the echo of his voice carried up and down the street. The brawlers paused, looking up towards the roof of the building, followed only an instant later by the rest of the SEB and the onlookers. Christian ignored their gaze, the shouts of concern or excitement that came from the people who caught sight of his dark cloak.

"It's the black mage!" One of the SEB officers shouted. "Someone radio for backup!"

"Mildest of all powers on earth."

"There are no terrors lurking in her depths."

"She is a gentle mother."

"Holds us all in her embrace."

"But to fools who flirt with catastrophe."

"Who dance on the edge of the cliff."

"When she brings her hand down."

"You will know the true meaning of the fall."

"High Gravity"

This time, Christian brought his hand down sharply, cutting through the glowing letters with a sharp wave. They gathered together briefly, before dispersing in a faint haze through the air. An instant later, and the particles of light dropped down to the ground, as though suddenly released from stasis.

There were groans and grunts from the gathered audience, as the five fighters in the middle of the fight stumbled, before crashing into the ground, laid flat by the sudden weight of gravity on their shoulders. Christian's gaze turned towards the SEB officers standing to the side, the dark space under his hood pinning them in place.

"Stop making such a goddamn mess of a simple arrest," he scolded them, like a disappointed parent. And then he turned away from the edge of the building, disappearing from view from the street below.

Christian sighed, still grumbling to himself. Three drunk supers, and the SEB still had to go and make a mess out of it. Obviously someone had decided it wasn't worth the time or effort to send in someone who could do things quietly. Fuck that person.

With a faint mutter and another trace of light, Christian stepped off the edge of the roof, his spell lightly carrying him to land down in the alley. He had to get out of here before the SEB tried to cordon him off again.

 

[Nemopedia]

The smell of sweat mixed with the sugary drinks served, laced with a feverish hint of alcohol of which everyone had consumed too much of, and a hint of smoke, all of it hung thick in the air where no one cared. The music played on and bodies were dancing, heads bouncing and hips grinding. It was a night like the many others that Leigh enjoyed, enjoying himself, and most of all enjoying the sight of subjugation of anyone that laid their eyes on him.

That was the charm of Leigh. His special power where he could draw in and command with his mere presence. A lazy look in his eyes, a smirk, contact and he knew he had caught another. Just like that Leigh was guaranteed to be the hottest on the floor, the one that everyone was drawn to, the king of the club.

However, the night was drawing out and the male knew that there was a morning class waiting for him. Though, he couldn't quite call it a night yet. It was just not his style to end it so abruptly and quietly.

It was child's game to set them up against each other. Leigh just had to turn his attention towards one particular individual, play into the jealousy of the group and the rest followed suit. Drunken rage and bravado had basically handed him everything he needed and there it was. A ruckus in the middle of the nights in the streets near the student houses. Releasing himself from the group Leigh acted the role of the helpless bystander, calling the authorities but 'forgetting' the mention of the involvement of the powers.

And sure enough, the scene did the trick. Hidden in an alley he heard the voice of the Black Mage booming through the air. A few of the bystanders filmed the ordeal, while others were busily calling whoever wished to listen. Leigh was only interested in one thing, however.

Turning his head the male tried to look for the mysterious vigilante, eyes squinting into the darkness. Somewhere above him he could make out a low light, the characteristic light of the Black Mage. In another moment the light moved over the edge of the building, heading down towards him. A smile crossed Leigh's face, crooked and wicked. Could he truly be so lucky?

"Whoa, you surprised me," Leigh spoke as the Black Mage landed, though his surprise didn't sound genuine. He made sure to block the road further into the alley, allowing for the only means of escape to be the now crowded streets.

Taking in a breath the male took a step towards the dark figure, turning up his charm as he gave a grateful smile.

"You were so cool there," he started. He knew that he had the attention of the Black Mage, fulfilling the most important requirement for this to work.

"Can I see the face of the Black Mage?" he issued the command, stepping closer towards the notorious vigilante, blue eyes trying to peer into where he believed the eyes of the stranger were located.

"I promise I will keep your identity a secret." Leigh sealed the deal. Grateful he was for being alone with the man. For being sweaty, for wearing his nicest club clothes. Everything helped him into drawing the attention which in turn helped his little spell to do its job. He was confident that the Black Mage could not reject his request.

"Please let me know who you truly are."

 

[Peregrine]

Christian landed lightly in the alley behind the building, his mind already cast towards the spell he'd be casting as soon as he got a block or two away, and would have time to speak the entirety of the spell without interruption. The Supernatural Enforcement Bureau had been trying to track him down for months now, ever since he'd gotten tired of the constant fights that broke out over the city and decided to take matters into his own hands. The SEB frowned on vigilante activity of all kinds, and the Black Mage had long since become the most famous vigilante, not only in the city, but across a good chunk of the country too.

They'd long since brought in specialists to track him down, but Christian had always been one step ahead of them. It simply meant he had to be a bit more careful.

As Christian straightened from his landing, he suddenly noticed a figure blocking his path further down the alley. A frown spread across his hidden face, but his Shadow Cloak did nothing to hide the faint snort of exasperation that passed his lips. He stalked forward confidently, a spell on the edges of his lips and the tips of his fingers should the man not take the hint and get the hell out of his way.

Christian kept his eyes pinned on the stranger, waiting for any sign of movement or indication that he intended to do something stupid, before he suddenly realized that the figure wasn't a stranger after all. The frown on his lips grew more pronounced. He knew that voice.

Leigh.

Christian had the misfortune of sharing several classes with the young man. He was charming, handsome, popular, and loved to be the center of attention. He represented basically the antithesis of everything Christian wanted to get out of college, to complete his degree peacefully, with no one passing so much as a second glance at him. Luckily, the pretty boy didn't insist on dragging other people into the limelight with him, or being "nice" and going to talk to the kid that had no friends, which meant Christian only had to suffer through minimal interaction with him, when the professor paired them up for a project or in-class discussion.

He barely paid attention to what Leigh was saying. The young man liked to talk, and Christian had long since learned to let other people's words just wash over him. All the same, he had never learned what Leigh's power was, so he still kept his attention focused on the other man. He was ready to cast at any indication of powers.

And then he lifted his hand, rubbing unconsciously at his temple where a faint headache had begun to form, and tipped his hood back.

A look of utter bewilderment crossed his face, exposed to the cool night air, before it was instantly replaced by a mask of fury. Words and light spilled out of his lips and fingers so quick as to almost be incomprehensible.

"Motion to stillness."

"Ties that bind."

"Tether"

The light from his spell flashed out, turning into golden ropes that coiled around Leigh, snapping his arms and feet tightly together and locking him in place. Only the spell kept Leigh from toppling to the ground.

"I'll have your eyes for that!" he snapped, stepping forward, hand reaching out as though he intended to dig out Leigh's eyes right then and there.

 

[Nemopedia]

A smug look turned into astonishment then into bewilderment. With a sudden force the blonde felt his limbs snatch together effectively shattering the effects of his power over the Black Mage. Not that it mattered. Leigh had gotten his answer and it was more than he had ever dared to hope for.

Christian Hill. Loner, unapproachable, unsociable, his very opposite, was the Black Mage. The one heroes and villains sought after. The one authorities wanted to recruit and catch at the same time. The celebrated enigma of the news, the gossip of society was the classmate that duck his head low and avoided his classmates at all costs. Leigh had never bothered to get near his classmate, finding Christian too edgy for his tastes.

"Stop," Leigh commanded, realising that mr. Loner could very well be serious about taking his eyes. The blonde didn't know his classmate after all, other than 'enigma' there was little Leigh knew about Christian or the Black Mage and that was a risk. "We can bargain on this," he followed as he tried to move, chin up in the air to keep his face as far out of reach as he could.

"I have no intention in screaming your identity across the rooftops and I like my eyes," the male continued a deep sigh escaping him. "We can talk about this, calmly and unbound," he suggested sternly as he forced himself to calm down and focused on the commands given.

 

[Peregrine]

Christian's fingers didn't stop at Leigh's command, instead coming to rest on both sides of his face. His fingers formed a cage around the other man's eyes, half blocking his view of the darkened alley and Christian's own face.

He could feel it now, almost like a tingling in the back of his mind, similar to the faint tingles that let him know he'd sat in a wrong position for too long and his foot had fallen asleep. The urging was subtle, a nudge, to pay attention, to obey. He ignored it.

"You really think," Christian began, his words coming out in a strangled hiss through tightly clenched teeth. "Your stupid little mind games are going to work on me again, you bastard? That you can just order me to do whatever you feel like, and get away with it?" His fingers clenched, nails briefly digging in to the skin above Leigh's brow.

However, before Christian could do anything else, a burst of commotion sounded from down the alley, towards the street. Christian's head turned, his eyes flicking away from Leigh for a moment.

He couldn't stay here. Someone would already have reported his appearance, and who knew how long it would take before a higher ranking officer of the SEB showed up? However, a moment later, and his eyes flicked back to his captive. He was more than disinclined to simply let the man go.

"We're moving," Christian finally spat out, pulling his hands back from Leigh's face. A split second later, and his fingers were tracing through the air, drawing out sparkling script.

"I am lost to the moment."

"Hidden from the future and past."

"Portals that twist the mind."

"Fragment space and time."

"Now I am engulfed."

"Until I dematerialize."

"Traceless Warp"

The words hovered brilliantly in the air for several moments, before suddenly shivering and twisting in on themselves. They transformed into a swirling portal in the middle of the air. Christian's hand stretched out, grabbing onto Leigh's shoulder, before abruptly shoving him forward into the portal. A second later, and Christian stepped after him.

With Christian's push, the magic that had tethered Leigh still vanished as well. However, it should only take Leigh a moment to realize that running was no longer a good option. The portal had sent them somewhere dark. Overhead, countless stars twinkled in the sky, while bright moonlight cast shadows on the gently swaying branches of trees.

There appeared to be no light for miles.

Christian mumbled something, his fingers tracing out two quick lines of text. A second later, and they gathered together into a warmly glowing ball of light, that did nothing to soften the cold smile that had spread across Christian's face.

"Now. Where were we?"

 

[Nemopedia]

He winced as Christian dug his fingers into his face. He could feel the nails and his skin. Did the vigilant turn out to be a maniac after all? Leigh had always imagined a do-gooder of sorts, one that despised rules like he did and wished to form a better world. Even more horrifyingly the male seemed to have figured out his trick, which meant that Leigh wouldn't be able to align his will with that of the Black Mage anymore. The blonde was at a disadvantage.

Release come quick and sudden, however. As alarms sounded Christian was quick to react, sending the two of them into a portal of sorts before trapping the two of them into a bubble. Quick to react the male hid his initial shock as he eyed the tunnel that found themselves in, turning around casually to face his batchmate.

"As I said," the male started as he fixed his collar and brushed the wrinkles out of his clothes. "I have no intention in revealing your identity to the world. I just want…" he paused for a moment, frowning at a stain he had acquired in his shirt before turning his eyes up again at Christian, returning the same expression. "A friend."

It was a simple offer without much dress and the male felt tempted to continue with a joke on the location they had found themselves in. Floating through a tunnel of galaxy did held a certain sound and mood to it. Not that Christian seemed particularly interested in having friends or anything beyond. From Leigh's observations it was quite the opposite, but the blonde couldn't play out his cards out at once. Not without knowing how sane this guy was exactly, which wasn't much as far as impressions went.

"I do believe you will find it to be a rather cheap price for keeping your secret." The male shrugged, his hands slipping into his pockets while he maintained the eye-contact. Even if his powers didn't affect Christian as much as they should there was still an influence remaining. If not to do his very bidding Leigh at least had charm.

 

[Peregrine]

"Friend?" Christian repeated, voice stained with incredulity. "If you want friends, go talk to those sycophants that lick your boots every day in class!"

It was obvious that Leigh's words were doing nothing to calm Christian's temper. The young man felt almost violated, and perfectly justified in his frustration. Everything about this conversation with Leigh was reminding him exactly why he hated people with powers. It wasn't just the over-the-top fights, the explosions in the middle of the night that woke him up before a test, the sloppy use of some power that sent food flying across the cafeteria. No, what bothered him most was the sense of entitlement that people with powers always presented. No matter what they did, they always believed they were in the right.

Just by looking at his smug face, Christian could tell perfectly well that Leigh didn't feel a hint of remorse about forcing Christian to reveal himself. Christian had done everything in his power to keep from being brought out into the limelight, to keep the area around his school and dorm peaceful and unmolested by idiots with more power than sense. But now that choice had been ripped away from him by another selfish asshole who obviously believed he was perfectly in the right for doing what he did.

The thoughts in Christian's head spiraled onwards, into a near perfect feedback loop that only served to see his temper flying even more out of control. Every word from Leigh only seemed to send the matter spiraling even further out of control. Especially his final sentence.

Christian froze, momentarily growing rigid as he slowly took a step closer to Leigh.

"Price," he spoke through stiff lips, the words seeming like they were sticking to the roof of his mouth. "A cheap price!?"

He began moving again in an instant, seeming to go from frozen to a blur of motion in an instant. His fist flung out, aiming squarely for Leigh's jaw.

"Are you threatening me?" Christian all but bellowed. "And still with the goddamn powers! Did you not hear me the first time? I am not someone you get to manipulate, and you are not in a position to dictate conditions to me!"

He was practically gasping for breath at this point, a normal breath no longer capable of supplying him enough air to keep up with his desperately beating heart. The sound of it in his ears seemed to urge him on. Leigh was at his mercy. He could do whatever he wanted to the other man, without consequences.

Only his own basic morality held him back at this point, while his hands curled and uncurled at his waist. No, he was better than that. He wasn't going to fall to Leigh's level, to do whatever he pleased to another person just because he had the power to do it.

But another punch or two? That certainly wasn't out of the question.

 

[Nemopedia]

Hotheaded, Leigh decided to judge Christian. Hotheaded and perhaps a tad unreasonable, but the blonde could let that slide. So, his plan didn't work. Leigh hadn't calculated in that the usual composed Christian would react so violently, though it made sense. Beware of the quiet ones, they said.

It certainly was the case when the male got another punch to the face. This time it drew blood, the warm metallic taste familiar in his mouth. That certainly had been a while.

"Ouch, could have just said no," the male pouted at his classmate, pretending to be hurt by the rejection. What Christian's deal exactly was, Leigh had no idea. However, he was eager to back off on the idea of being friends if the male was going to react so violently every time. Wiping the back of his hand across his lips the male was relieved to find that it was just a cut on his lip. He liked his teeth after all.

"Is it that unbelievable that I want to be friends?" the male quipped back rolling his eyes. "I may be popular, but one can never have enough friends," he continued with a huff, though he took care to pay attention for another punch. Straightening his collar Leigh ran his hand through his hair, eyes shifting around to see if there was any sign of an exit in the strange tunnel. Christian really seemed to have made it so that Leigh was fully under his mercy.

"I will keep quiet, though." Raising two fingers up as if making a pledge Leigh gave his classmate a look before following on. "Don't worry about me getting revenge for that punch either, I'm pretty not petty," he joked with a scoff, still finding the heart to keep the mood light.

 

[Peregrine]

"It is that unbelievable," Christian replied flatly, and immediately. However, the fact that Leigh had finally removed the traces of power from his voice seemed to do a lot to calm Christian. At the very least, his tone had stabilized, dropping from the near shouts of a few minutes before to something almost resembling a normal speaking tone.

All the same, he filed away somewhere in the back of his mind the fact that physical violence was apparently the best way to get through Leigh's thick head. Not that he had any intention of needing to use it, he didn't really want to interact with Leigh now any more than he had since the school year had begun.

"If you really wanted to be friends," Christian continued without pause, his flashing thoughts little more than a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Why is this the first time you've voluntarily spoken to me since we started having class together months ago, hmm?" He snorted a moment later, clearly not interested in hearing whatever excuse Leigh might try and come up with. No, Christian was entirely convinced he'd seen through the other man's game, his lies and deceptions.

Unfortunately, that did nothing to help Christian decide what exactly he wanted to do about this situation. They couldn't stay in this space indefinitely, no matter how tempting the idea was, and Christian couldn't do anything to force Leigh to forget their encounter, or the whole night, either. As versatile and powerful as his spellcasting was, he had never found a way for it to influence abstract concepts like luck, the soul, or, unfortunately, thoughts and emotions. And while he was quite certain he could fry Leigh's neurons with electricity, he was not certain that he'd be able to fry them accurately enough to only erase his memories of this evening, and not leave Leigh a bumbling idiot instead.

And, as irritated as he was with the situation, Christian wasn't going to risk that.

"And I know you'll keep quiet," Christian agreed, almost casually. Or, casual except for the dead serious expression that spread across his face. "Even you're smart enough to figure out that's far more risk than it's worth. The problem is, I don't think you're smart enough to figure out to leave me alone after this point. I want nothing to do with you, or your fake smile, or your manipulations. And that's why we still have a problem."

 

[Nemopedia]

Christian wasn't as charmed or easily manipulated as the rest of their classmates. Leigh should have figured that he wasn't. They had been classmates and never exchanged a look or a word, Christian had never approached Leigh, and above all, he stubbornly stuck by himself.

Scoffing Leigh rolled his eyes at the other, finding no wonder why he had never bothered getting along with Christian himself. Though, the blonde was certain that would earn him another punch in the face if he were to express this out loud. And another punch Leigh wouldn't take.

"You think I care about Christian?" the male scoffed again, stepping closer to the other. "Indeed, I would have approached you in class if I did," he continued airily, walking around Christian, examining his classmate up and down. "I care for the black mage, us being classmates just makes it easier," he stated cooly.

"I don't like you, but I like the black mage." Rolling his wrist Leigh contemplated who would be the stronger one of the two. "Or rather his power," he corrected himself with a shrug. Christian had an incredible power in hands, but Leigh doubted that his classmates had the experience he had. Would experience be enough, however?

Deciding that it wasn't the time to try now Leigh continued, a deep sigh escaping him. It was getting late and they had classes early tomorrow (or rather later this morning). He was getting tired, just as Christian was.

"You don't seem like a heroic type despite your attitude stinking like one, so I will get to the point," Leigh finally moved on as he paused in his track. Finally turning his eyes towards the stars the male gave Christian a lazy look.

"I need the Black Mage to get rid of the superpowers."

A simple statement, but a huge task. Leigh was aware of the mountain he proposed to climb, but he was confident that with Christian the possibilities would be endless.

 

[Peregrine]

The sudden change in Leigh's attitude caused Christian to tense up, a spell resting on the tip of his tongue should he need to take action against the slowly circling man. All the same, he had also finally dropped all pretenses, which is what Christian had wanted from the very beginning. Yes, of course he was interested in the Black Mage. Christian had never doubted that, or believed it was otherwise. However, hearing the words from Leigh's mouth was surprisingly reassuring. They were finally done with the pretenses.

He was already preparing his rejection. If he was willing to let the people who coveted his powers put him to use, he would have long ago teamed up with the Superhuman Enforcement Bureau. He did not see any reason he'd be willing to work with Leigh over anyone else. The trick was going to be convincing Leigh of that, since he doubted the man would just leave him...

And then all of Christian's thoughts came crashing to a halt at Leigh's final sentence. For several long, dragging seconds, he was left hanging in silence, eyes wide in shock.

He... knew? Leigh knew?

A thin thread of rationality was the only thing that kept Christian from panicking. No, there was no way that Leigh could know. There was no way he could know because the spell was incomplete, and he'd never shown it to or tested it on anyone. There was no way Leigh could know.

Christian was a mess of secrets, built layer upon layer. But more than his identity as the Black Mage, more than the vast scope of his ability, Christian's deepest secret was a partially complete spell that could fully block all superpowers. At the moment it was little more than a bubble, something that could disable all supernatural phenomenon within a foot's radius, but the spell was slowly growing stronger. It was the reason Christian had decided to go to college, a bid to keep himself safe and hidden while his powers, and therefore the spell, continued to grow stronger.

But he knew there was no way he could let anyone know about this spell before it was done. If he did, he would become the enemy of both the government and criminal organizations alike. Up until this point, Christian had believed he was the only person in the world who wanted to see the superpowers gone.

But here was Leigh, calmly making such a statement as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Gradually, Christian schooled his expression back to a calm and serious mask, but there was a burning intensity in his gaze that proved he was finally giving Leigh his full attention.

"What do you mean?"

 

[Nemopedia]

Was this panic he saw?

Tilting his head a little Leigh tried not to be too obvious with his observations. However, the slight expression on Christian's face was undoubtedly panic. What was it that Leigh had struck with him? Tracing back he could only think of speculations, suggestions, but nothing that was fact, yet.

What was fact was that Christian seemed interested in his proposal, more so than Leigh had expected him to be. It relieved him, but also made him all the more suspicious. Was the panic from earlier connected to his proposal? What exactly were the limits of the black mage's power?

There were a great many hypotheses circulating around both in the papers and online, some that discussed whether the black mage was a hero, or a villain, others that went in on the extent of his powers… The most popular discussions were the ones about the identity of the black mage and until tonight Leigh had followed them closely. However, it was his own hypothesis on the powers of the black mage that had him interested in the person at all.

"I think I spoke plainly," the blonde shrugged, his eyes fixated on Christian's every expression. Confidence building up Leigh mentally danced the victory dance. He certainly had been lucky tonight, even if he had to be hit twice in the face.

"You are sick of powers. I want to put a stop to the flagrant abuse of powers by our so-called protectors. I think we share a vision when I say we both rather see it all disappear today," Leigh repeated himself with a roll of his eyes. Feeling impatient to get out of the galaxy zone the blonde ran a hand through his hair, wondering how much time had passed.

"Now, I would really appreciate to be allowed to head back. I don't think I need to mention the early morning class we both share," Leigh sighed. "I also have a jaw to ice," he smirked as his hand went over the spot Christian had punched before.

 

[Peregrine]

Christian kept his eyes locked on Leigh, but the panic rolled back from his mind like the ebbing of the tide as Leigh spoke.

He didn't know. Not really. When he'd said "get rid of the superpowers", he hadn't meant the superpowers themselves. No, he'd meant the people wielding the superpowers. It was a subtle distinction, but an important one.

In that regard, Christian's question had served its purpose, and whether or not Leigh knew it, he had clarified. And, almost in spite of himself, Christian was interested. But he wasn't willing to fold. Not yet, not just like that.

"No, we're not done yet," he replied flatly. "You're acting like it's some foregone conclusion I should work with you if our interests align. It's not. I don't need to work with you, and frankly don't see why I should."

His eyes narrowed slightly, and one foot tapped impatiently. "I'll take you back, let you go, but then you don't look for or speak to me again, outside of whatever minimum is required for class. Deal?"

He knew Leigh wouldn't agree, not when the young man felt he was so close to "obtaining" the Black Mage. But Christian expected that, and it didn't bother him. Both he and Leigh had taken the basics of business classes. Right now, they were negotiating, and Christian held the upper hand. If Leigh wanted more from him than simply his freedom, he was going to have to prove it was worth Christian's time.

 

[Nemopedia]

"God, are you annoying," Leigh groaned, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he shifted his weight to the back of his feet. "Since you are so energetic I shall humour you," the blonde continued sarcastically, a deep sigh escaping him. He didn't really care for Christian's threats, though he was aware that his classmate could very well leave him behind in this passage for who knows how long. There was no reason to be afraid, however. Leigh hated the thought of ever granting Christian that luxury.

"How about we both let go of any assumptions. You stop assuming I will leave you alone, I will stop assuming you will jump in my boat," he started, waving his hand around as if dismissing whatever Christian had to say against him, which the male surely had based on how the conversation had gone so far.

"We will also not live in the delusion that we are friends or ever will be. Would have been easier, but I don't think either of us see that happen," he went on with another roll of his eyes, the second part ending in another jab.

"But," pausing for a bit Leigh finally reached his conclusion. Would Christian take it? Knowing his temper the Black Mage would probably try to argue his way out again. Leigh was prepared for that, he liked to argue just as much and it had been a while since someone last dared to.

"You give me a chance while I give you a shot as well. Who knows, maybe we can actually find something to get along over."

Sarcasm again. Though it was clear that neither believed the last part to be happening.

 

[Peregrine]

Christian had never thought he'd meet someone as stubborn as he was in his life. Of course, considering how small his general sample size was, perhaps it wasn't surprising that he'd never encountered such an individual. But, that night, trapped in that starry space, Christian was forced to acknowledge he'd almost met his match. Even with the advantage being overwhelmingly in Christian's favor, both in terms of the location and in the stakes of the negotiation, it seemed like Leigh would refuse to yield anything. He wanted to claim Christian, or at least his powers, without offering up anything himself.

As the night moved along, and the two continued to simply circle around each other in an uncouth dance of words, Christian grew more and more weary of the situation. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his apartment and collapse into bed, taking advantage of the few hours of sleep he had left before class this morning. But, even more than he wanted to be done with this blasted conversation, and done with Leigh, he refused to walk away without getting this situation under his control. In that regard, his tiredness only increased his stubbornness. If necessary, he would keep Leigh here until the other man collapsed from exhaustion, even if it meant missing class. The peace and security of his time at school depended it.

Perhaps Leigh sensed his determination, or maybe he was just as tired of their circling argument as Christian was, but Leigh was eventually the one who folded first. Christian grabbed onto Leigh's momentary concession as though it was a lifeline, and things wrapped up almost unexpectedly quick at that point.

Leigh agreed that he would not initiate contact or speak with Christian outside of what was necessary for classwork during school and on school nights. Nor would he reveal Christian's identity as the Black Mage, or anything that he thought might allow people to make the connection. In exchange, Christian agreed to listen to Leigh's requests during the other 48 hours of the week, and if their interests aligned and classwork permitted, use his powers on Leigh's behalf.

They shook hands at that point, and Christian sealed the deal with a touch of his own magic.

"So it was spoken."

"So it shall be."

"Our words and our thoughts are our vow."

"Contract"

And, just like that, it was over. Of course, Christian had no intention of admitting that he did not expect his and Leigh's interests to align, since his primary goals at this school was to complete his education to the best of his ability. As long as he genuinely believed that it didn't align to his interests, he could turn Leigh down indefinitely with absolutely no consequences.

As a final concession, Christian dropped Leigh off at the other man's chosen location, before warping back to his own room. He dispelled the shadow cloak, set his alarm for an hour and a half, and fell into bed.

He had class with Leigh to look forward to in less than three hours.

 

[Nemopedia]

By the time Leigh was finally dropped off near his destination the sun was already peeking over the horizon. Another sleepless night and the male wondered where in his schedule he could squeeze in a nap or two. However, it had been worth the while. Breathing in the fresh morning air the male finally let himself into his apartment, diving into his bed to catch some much needed sleep.

The alarm went off much too soon. Waking from his deep slumber Leigh groaned as he rose his head, eyes squinting at the screen of his phone groggily as he contemplated skipping classes today. He was already toeing the line with his absences having used one before for another similar reason. Groaning again he rolled himself out of his bed, deciding that he would take a nap sometime today.

Slumping his way over to the bathroom, head throbbing from the lack of sleep and his eyes heavy, Leigh was greeted by the smell of coffee and the sound of oil shuddering in the pan.

"Morning Leigh!" Ella's voice came from another room. The blonde closed his eyes for a few moments before turning into the door, released a deep breath in the process.

"Ella."

"I made you some--- Wow, you look terrible." A short brunette turned around from the stove, eyes growing wide as the knife in her hand nearly lowered its tip. Nothing in the situation screamed dangerous, especially not with the 'My Little Pony' shirt that she wore.

Snorting Leigh ran a hand through his hair, motioning for the female to pour him a drink. "Thanks, it is called an all-nighter," he shrugged before a realisation dawned in.

"How did…"

"I picked the lock," the female cut Leigh's sentence off, a sigh rolling out of her before she gave him a helpless look. "Bon said you weren't returning any of his calls and that you were out late. Since our first class is together anyway I thought of hopping by, maybe cure a hangover," Ella quickly continued giving Leigh a look as if saying; 'and you better be grateful I did.

"Typical," the blond groaned, shuffling his way to the bathroom. "Just don't make me drink one of your miracles," he called over his shoulder, mind wandering back to what was last night. He could hear Ella yell something about his coffee before he started to brush his teeth, his thoughts slowly ordering itself.

"Ella?" Leigh called as he spat. Quickly finishing up he grabbed a towel to wipe his face, head peeking past the door to the kitchen.

"I have a favour to ask," the male smiled mischievously at the female.

About an hour later Leigh entered the campus, hurrying over to his class as he groaned at the taste of his coffee. Should have figured that Ella would put it in there. Leigh would take it as payment for the little favour he had asked of her.

Stumbling into the class Leigh smiled at the professor as he interrupted the man mid-sentence. "Sorry, had a little trouble getting out of bed," he lied, eyes flowing over the rest of his classmates. Ella had arrived before he had keeping up a diligent appearance. Entering the class his eyes continued to look in the corners for another familiar face. Hopefully one that was just as sleep-deprived.

 

[Peregrine]

Through some monumental effort, Christian managed to haul himself out of bed when his alarm went off. Stumbling through the process of getting dressed, he quickly packed his bag and grabbed a Pop Tart, shoving it down his throat as he lumbered his way out of the dorm.

Someday, Christian decided, he was going to create a spell that could temporarily substitute for sleep. Assuming scientists ever managed to figure out exactly why animals needed sleep.

Despite his rather embarrassing state, Christian still made it to campus with enough time to spare that he could grab a cup of coffee from the dining hall. Dumping three small containers of creamer into the black liquid, alongside a generous helping of sugar, Christian still grimaced as the bitter liquid rolled over his tongue. However, it would be effective at getting him through the remainder of the day without him crashing, at the very least.

Christian found his usual seat against the wall, dropping his bag to the floor and slumping slightly to the side. He was incredibly tempted to close his eyes, but eventually forced himself back upright. If he was going to sleep through the class, there was no point in him having showed up.

The professor began the lecture promptly at 8 AM, but was interrupted a short while later with Leigh's arrival. It didn't take long before Christian and Leigh's eyes locked, but true to their promise last night, the other man neither approached nor bothered him. All the same, Christian couldn't fully help the small sigh of relief that things had gone according to plan. It would have been awkward if Leigh suddenly collapsed in the middle of class because he tried to break their contract.

Class was a blur, with Christian doing his best to jot down notes he'd be able to review later, when he was a bit more awake. It was a shame, because he typically enjoyed listening to this professor's lectures. The man went to a great deal of effort to try and make the subject matter as engaging as possible, and it felt like an insult towards the man to disregard his effort by almost dozing off every ten minutes. Once again, Christian felt reaffirmed in his distaste for the supers, rude and disruptive, the lot of them.

An hour and a half later, the lecture finally wrapped up, the professor finishing off his last couple sentences as some of the students began to pack their bags. Christian finally allowed himself to relax, his head slumping to the table, cradled in his arms. Eyes closed, he gave himself the luxury of a few minute rest. However, before he could fall asleep, he suddenly noticed the sound of women's shoes, approaching closer and closer to his location. Blearily, Christian lifted his head, peering at whoever it was that was drawing close to him.

 

[Nemopedia]

Whoever saw Ella wouldn't think of the word intimidating. With the same 'My Little Pony' shirt from this morning, combined with the thick rimmed boldly coloured glasses she worse Ella rather seemed like a lost elementary schoolkid in combination with her short stature. Yet in the way she beamed she was a woman in her own right who knew what she wanted and was out on a mission.

Accompanied with a smile brighter than all the red digits of an alarm clock she had approached Christian beaming a happy "hi!" at him before promptly seating herself right next to him.

"Christian, right? I'm Ella. Though you might know me as that girl that headbutted the professor in the first year-- which was an accident by the way," the female started off, rambling on and on as she gave Christian a firm look in the eye if he dared to argue differently.

"Or maybe you don't and you wonder 'what is this girl doing here, talking to me all of a sudden?'" the female continued, as she dropped her voice in an attempt of mimicry of a male, hands dropping to her hips as she shook her head. Ella spoke quickly, leaving precious little room for Christian to even rub the sleep out of his eyes as she once more continued in one breath.

"Anyway!" she finally sighed, lightly tapping her hands on the desk between them. "It is very nice to meet you Christian and I would like to ask you to be my groupmate for this class." Finally slowing down, the favour of Leigh was finally unfolded as she did as she was ordered in her usual style.

"By the way," she quickly followed after, her smile dropping as her eyes widened into something that fell between mockingly serious, but also almost comically desperate; "I already told the prof that you agreed, you can't refuse me, please!"

With that the female clasped her hands together flatly, elbows resting next to each side of her head that was lowered in a bow.

 

[Peregrine]

Ella's sudden approach clearly took Christian completely by surprise. For several long seconds, as the girl rambled to him, Christian could do nothing but blink in confusion. He was clearly struggling to keep up with her sudden appearance, let alone what she was saying.

Weekly projects were a norm in this class. After class every Monday, people would stay after to group up into four, before reporting their group to the professor. By class on Friday, the group was supposed to have collectively finished the project, and give a brief presentation to the class.

Christian was a good student, but he was also a loner. It was far from uncommon for him to just wait until everyone else had grouped up, and then approach the professor to see which groups still needed another member. The few times this wasn't the case, some of the people nearby would rope him into their group, just to complete their numbers.

However, he could say with confidence that this was the first time someone had actively approached him to join their group since the beginning of the semester. Christian also wasn't sure he liked it.

"Wha-" he stuttered, a frown crossing his face. "You already told the professor? Without even asking me first?" Christian's expression hardened. "I refuse. I'll go tell the professor I didn't agree to be in your group."

 

[Nemopedia]

While instructions were given Leigh had forgotten to fill in the upbeat female with the mulish and taciturn personality her potential partner had. Not that she shouldn't have figured it herself. After all, Christian was rather infamous in class for being a loner, which was at large why Ella had stayed out of his way.

"Okay, okay, I admit," she exclaimed, throwing herself half over the table as she grabbed hold of Christian's arms. Pleading eyes turning up towards her classmate the female put up her best puppy eyes look. "I didn't tell the professor yet, but I really need you in my team," she emphasised, though she realised that she now had to explain why exactly she needed him.

"I mean, if I want to maintain my gpa I definitely can only count on you," she winced. It wasn't entirely untrue, as there were indeed only few who seemed to care beyond simply passing their classes, and despite Ella's ditzy attitude she did work hard for high grades. Her only assumption was that Christian felt the same, despite his lack of networking and self-imposed isolation.