The Monday morning announcement echoed through the halls of Sherwood High: "Reminder! The Annual Science & Technology Fair is this Friday. Group projects are mandatory for the Junior class. Choose your partners wisely."
I looked at Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked at Avan. Avan was already looking at Leon.
"Absolutely not," Elizabeth said as we huddled by the lockers. "If we team up, it’s too suspicious. We’re all from different social circles. I’m Student Council, Leon is Varsity, Avan is... whatever Avan is, and Victoria is a 'Quiet Intern.'"
"Exactly!" Avan grinned, leaning against a locker that gave off a faint metallic thrum as he touched it. "We’re the 'Misfit Group.' It’s a classic high school trope. No one will suspect a thing. Besides, I actually need the grade. I accidentally fried my last three lab reports just by breathing on them."
Leon shrugged, a relaxed smile on his face. "I'm in. My parents want me to do something 'academic' to balance out the swim team. And honestly? I’d rather build something with you guys than pretend to care about a baking soda volcano with the jocks."
The Project: The "Safe-Charge" Generator
We decided to meet at my house. My dad was on a late shift, giving us the garage to ourselves.
The goal was simple: Build a high-efficiency power generator. The real challenge? Doing it without using West Corp tech or my alien Watch.
"Avan, stop!" I hissed, swatting his hand away from the copper wiring. "You can’t just 'zip' it into working. If the meter shows a 500% efficiency spike, the teacher is going to know something is up."
"I can't help it!" Avan groaned, sitting on a toolbox. "The energy is just... there. It’s like trying to hold in a sneeze for four hours."
Elizabeth was the most intense. She didn't have powers, but she had "West Corp discipline." She was meticulously soldering joints with the precision of a surgeon. "Leon, more torque on the base. Victoria, check the thermal output. If this thing melts, we all fail."
The Bond Beyond the Armor
As the night went on, the project became secondary. We ended up sitting on the garage floor, eating cold pizza and actually talking.
"Do you ever miss it?" I asked Leon, looking at the way he stared at a glass of water, subconsciously making the surface ripple in perfect circles. "Atlantis, I mean?"
"Every day," Leon said softly. "The light down there... it’s different. It’s soft, like a dream. But up here? Up here I have choices. In Atlantis, I was just a Prince. Here, I’m just a guy who’s really good at the 100-meter butterfly."
"I just want to go one day without accidentally charging someone's phone when I high-five them," Avan laughed, but there was a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "People think it’s cool, but it’s lonely when you can’t touch anyone without thinking about voltage."
Elizabeth looked at her hands, scarred from years of martial arts training. "My father didn't give me a choice. He gave me a mission. Being at school... it’s the only time I feel like I'm allowed to be 'Elizabeth' instead of 'Nightshadow.'"
I looked down at the Watch. "I was found in a trash can. I spent sixteen years thinking I was a mistake. But sitting here with you guys... it’s the first time I feel like I belong on this Earth."
The Fair Results
Friday came. We presented the "Vega-Oliver-Smith-West" Generator. It was perfect. Not "alien-tech" perfect, but "smart-teenagers-who-tried-hard" perfect.
We got an A-minus. (The teacher thought the wiring was a bit "too neat," probably Elizabeth’s fault).
As we walked out of the school gates, we weren't just the V-Team. We were friends. We were laughing about Avan almost blowing a fuse in the cafeteria when my Watch suddenly gave a sharp, cold pulse.
The sky didn't turn black. No Wraiths appeared. But the feeling was there.
"Did you feel that?" I asked, the laughter dying.
"Static in the air," Avan said, his eyes turning serious.
"The water in the fountain just stopped flowing," Leon noted, his hand dropping to his side.
Elizabeth reached into her bag, her fingers finding a hidden compartment. "The 'Normal Life' just ended, didn't it?"
I looked at the horizon. "Not yet. But the Queen is finished waiting."
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