"Category six?" I ask, tilting my head. Evelyn nods, her smile still present.

"Yes." She confirmed, taking a hand out of her pocket and raising it, along with one finger. "Each category represents a different archetype of ability. I won't go into detail about what those categories are, I'll let other more qualified people handle that. But generally, Core users have one or two abilities that fall into one category." She raises her second finger, then a third "Category six, however, is what we call entities that have multiple abilities that fall into multiple categories."

I nod. Though I am very curious what the other categories are, I decide I will ask mom about them later.

"Now, category sixes are very rare. Very rare. The odds that there are two in the same room together, without extenuating circumstances like a war council of course, are about the same odds as gathering two randomly selected people from Stillera and Earth, and finding out that they are siblings." She puts her hand in her pockets, shrugging. "And yet, here we are."

Mom grooms Waffles, while I think about this seriously. What she said is truly something to ponder. "So as expected… I am truly superior?"

Evelyn stops, her eyes widening and her mouth opening and closing a few times. Then she laughs, the sound bright and clear, and mom puts a hand on her face. I blink, looking between them both.

Finally she stops laughing, wiping her eyes. "JJ, I'm not supposed to show any preference as a doctor," She begins, smiling, "but I think you might just be my new favorite person."

I smile. Happy. Of course I would be the favorite, I am superior after all.

Wiggle.

Evelyn looks at mom, shaking her head and still laughing a bit. "Alright Brooke, he's cleared for BA registry. Now, let's see about getting him a modified implant and a circlet, huh?"

-

I stare dazedly at the air in front of me, tapping thing after thing in my vision. Though I didn't understand the squiggles under each picture, I somehow knew what they were, my circlet telling me. The feeling is similar to the instinct, but a little different.

"Alright hun." Mom says, stopping the car. I look outside and see a big building, even bigger than the doctor's office. There are so many people outside! And a lot of them have different anatomies compared to a normal human. Some have additional arms, or ears and tails. Some don't even look like any structures I recognize, their skin a different material entirely. I lick my lips.

I hope one of them attacks me. Justifiable reason to eat, even if only a little bit because I promised Joey.

"JJ." Mom says patiently, and I turn to look at her guiltily. She couldn't have known what I was thinking, right? "Do you remember what I told you to say to the registry official?"

I nod. "I am here to register my identity and Core." I recite, and she smiles.

"And when they ask you why it took you so long to register as a Gifted individual?"

"I lived in a border settlement without access to a registry office." I say, a bit more hesitant. This is also not technically a lie. Mom pats my head, while Waffles snores in the back seat. She had entered stasis after its return from the 'Veterinary Office'.

"Very good." She compliments, and I wiggle in response. Affirmations are very pleasant! "Now, I've got to run a few more errands, so just call me when you're done. Do you remember how to do that?"

I nod again, and she pats my leg. "Good." She looks around for a few moments, seeming to just now realize how many people there were. She taps her circlet, then hums to herself. "I'd forgotten there were Academy Trials today…"

That was another new term. "Academy?" I question, and she continues to look around, pursing her lips. She looks at me, then at the crowd of people.

"It's where people who want to apply to the BA and RCO go to, if they qualify." She says quietly, smiling. "I'm a graduate myself. Those were good times, but…" She hums again, then takes a deep breath. "Okay JJ. If you are asked to take the Trials, say no. At least for now."

Hmm… "Why?" I ask curiously, and mom purses her lips.

"I don't want you to go fighting-"

Fight!? I love fighting!

"-quite yet." She says, though when she sees my expression, she shakes her head. "I mean it JJ. Say no. At least, not yet."

I frown. I am reluctant to agree. She implied being in the Academy would lead to fighting! But mom seems to be concerned for me, so I sigh.

"Okay." I grumble. "I will say no."

She smiles, ruffling my hair. Pleasant.

"Alright, good luck hun. I'll see you soon!" She calls as I open the door, waving. I wave back, and step out of the car.

I had redeveloped the previous structures, and I flatten my ears again as the loudness of the crowd filters into my auditory nervous system. Mom drives away, and I take a deep breath.

There are so many pleasant scents!

I put my hands in my pockets and shuffle through the crowd. When I enter the building, though, I am surprised when I realize how quiet it is, despite there being so many people. There is some quiet talking, but other than that, everyone sitting in the chairs is quiet.

Mom said to 'wait in line', so I do so, standing behind an adolescent human with wings on his back, tucked in tight. Oh! He has also recognized the useful capability of the wing structure!

"I like your wings! Very efficiently structured." I compliment, and the human jumps a little bit, turning around to look at me. It is a male with long pale hair, 'blonde' Gaster had informed me.

"Um… thank you." He says, smiling slightly. His voice is quiet, and I realize I may have spoken too loudly compared to the other humans here, because they are looking at me strangely. "They're a part of my mutation." He studies me for a few moments, and I puff up proudly as I display my superior form. "I like your ears."

I flick them, smiling happily. He has recognized the change to the anatomy!

"My name is Joey Waffles! What is yours?"

"Oh, I'm Zack. Zack Eleros." He holds out a hand, and I stare at it for a few moments, confused. I look at him, tilting my head, and he awkwardly pulls his hand back. He clears his throat, his face going red. Embarrassment, recognize that expression. But why? "Are you here for the Academy Trials too?"

I shake my head, sighing sadly. "No, mom said I can't." I grumble, and he nods his head sympathetically.

"I get it. My mom was also against it. Thankfully my dad convinced her, said that I could at least try." He shifts on his feet, walking forward as the line moves, and I follow. "Honestly though, I don't know if I'll be able to make it. I'm only class one."

I tilt my head curiously. "Class one?" I ask, and he nods, sighing.

"Yeah. My friend over there though," Zack points at another human further in the line, "he got lucky, his mutation put his Core at class two."

I nod slightly, still confused. But Zack talks about these… classes, as if they are common knowledge. I decide to ask mom about it later. "So what class are you? If your mom said you can't, probably class one like me right?" He asks, smiling.

Oh, I remember what the blue boy had said! "I am class four." I answer, and he nods along.

"Right, yeah I fig-" He freezes, staring at me with wide eyes. "Cl- class FOUR!?" Oh, he said that very loudly!

People glare at us, and he winces as his face goes red again. He purses his lips, squinting at me. "No, but really, what class are yo-"

"I can help the next person." A male human at the desk calls, interrupting Zack. He looks at me strangely for a few moments, before turning back around and walking forward to the male. Hmm…

Was being class four a good or bad thing?

Well, it is a higher number, so it must be superior!

Wiggle.

Ah, a male nuan is waving at me from the desk. I walk forward, and he smiles.

"Hello there. Are you here for registration, or Academy Trials?" He asks, and I sigh again.

"Registration…" I huff reluctantly, and he nods, smiling.

"Okay then, I'll just need your circlet ID and your recent physical examination papers." He says, tapping his circlet. I jump when I see a… request pop up in my vision. Okay, mom showed me how to do this, I just have to click that and…

"Alright, thank you very much." He says, his voice also pleasant to listen to like Evelyn's. Maybe it is a feature of the nuan anatomy, to have a voice like music? "Mr. Joey Waffles… Waffles?"

I nod. "That is me!" I confirm, and he looks at me strangely. What? It is a perfectly good name!

"Well, Mr. Waffles, it says here that you're fourteen." My mom had told Evelyn I was that age, since I didn't know. "1.67 meters, 98 kilograms, and category… category six…" He trails off, looking at me dazedly. I nod.

"That is also correct!"

I hear slight coughing, and turn to see Zack staring at me with wide eyes, before he notices me looking and quickly turns away. Strange.

The nuan shakes his head, clearing his throat. "Okay Mr. Waffles, it says here that you are Gifted." More coughing from the side. "May I ask why you are only just now registering with us?"

Oh, just like mom said. "I lived in a border settlement before this, with no access to a registry office." I recite, and the nuan nods.

"Alright, if you wouldn't mind staying still for just a few moments, I'm going to run a quick scan to see what class you are." He says, pulling out the same device the blue boys had used.

Beep!

He looks at it for a few moments, his brows furrowing.

"Sorry, it looks like there might have been a slight mistake." He murmurs, holding it up again.

Beep.

One of the other people at the desk looks him curiously, walking over. "What's wrong Adi-" He begins to ask, then pauses. The nuan shakily raises his scanner once more. Okay, perhaps something is wrong.

Beep.

"Class… class four." He whispers, looking at me up and down while the other person does the same.

I flick my ears, looking at the two people. "Is something wrong?" I ask, and they slowly shake their heads.

"No, no, nothing's wrong." The nuan hurriedly says in a tone that definitely makes me feel like something is wrong, tapping on the air. His smile is big though, and he looks at me expectantly. "Mr. Waffles, would you like to take the Academy Trials?" He asks.

I scowl, but reluctantly shake my head. "No." I mutter.

He looks at me, slightly taken aback. "Are you certain? You would do well in them, I'm certain." I know! I am displeased with mom too! I am about to shake my hea-

Wait.

Wait wait wait.

I said no. That is what I promised. That I would say no.

But I already said no, so my promise with mom has been fulfilled. It is not technically a lie!

"Actually, I would like to take the Trials." I confirm, and the nuan nods, his smile back. He taps his circlet, gesturing to a hallway.

"Very well, then please go down that hall and make the first right." He says, and I nod, turning around and walking away. I see Zack staring at me with his mouth open, and I wave. Goodbye friendly human Zack!

I will pass these Trials! For a superior life form such as myself, how hard could it be?

-

Lycia Orer, alias Novastorm, yawns loudly as she rests her chin on the palm of her hand. She can sense the disapproval from her fellow judges beside her, but she couldn't care less. This candidate was an utter disappointment in the combat Trial. He pants, trembling as he holds a wounded arm. A standby medic holds a hand to the lacerations on his shoulder and forearm.

"Two marks." She says while staring down at him from her seat at the table on the high walls surrounding the Arena, and her fellow judges nod along with the assessment. The candidate pales, his expression pleading.

"Please, one more try!" He begs, and the judge next to her shakes his head.

"That will be all, Mr. Ivanov." Michael Passieur, alias Thunder Step, says unsympathetically. The candidate, now fully healed, takes a step forward in the Trial arena.

"I can do it, just one more-"

"Mr. Ivanov." Michael interrupts him, frowning in disapproval. "That will be all. Please exit the arena."

For just a few moments it looks like he's about to protest further, but the finality in Michae's tone seems to have gotten to him. Hanging his head dejectedly, he slowly shuffles out of the combat arena, and Lycia yawns again.

She smirks as she notices her friend being shaken awake by the judge next to him, and he looks around wildly.

"Wha- what is it?" Gael Jónsson, alias Bloodhound, asks while looking around wildly. When he notices the corpse of the Mutated Entity being lifted up by a BA employee and carried away, he scrubs his face with his hands. "Ah damn, I fell asleep didn't I? Why did that guy just keep running away?"

"The kid looked like he was about to start crying when he heard you snoring." Lycia snickered, and Michael glanced at her, sighing.

"Would it kill you two to conduct yourselves somewhat professionally?" He mutters, and Lycia nods gravely.

"It would. I might seriously die of boredom." She says, Gael snorting a laugh while Michael pinches the bridge of his nose. Lycia stifles another yawn, arching her back in a stretch before she turns to the judge who had yet to speak

"Hey Marie, how many more do we have left?" She asks. Though she was soon to be a guest instructor at the Academy, and thus a judge for its candidates, the entire affair was rather dull. So far only three had passed the combat Trial, arguably the most important one.

Marie Laurely, alias Biohazard, swiped through the air. "Just three. The next one is Joey… Joey Waffles?"

Lycia blinks for a few moments, before eagerly checking her own circlet's schedule. "There's no way his name is actually Waffles, right?" She asks, but sure enough, there he is. She laughs, leaning forward over her desk to look at one of the employees with a grin.

"What are you waiting for? Get that guy in here, I have to see what he looks like." She calls out, and the employee nods, walking out of the large arena. Gael and Michael are both looking at his file with interest.

"Says here he's a cat six." Gael says with a low whistle. "And class four? Where has this kid been."

Michael studies the file, his brows furrowing. "Failing every Trial possible, it would seem." He remarks, and Lycia shakes her head as she too sees the result.

"Gun range, two hits out of twenty." She begins. "Rift Entity identification, six out of fifty. Knowledge test, twenty one percent… wait, this mother fucker just put C for everything!" She bursts out into laughter.

Marie reads the Trial administrator notes. "Repeatedly asked other people questions during the knowledge test, complete disregard for gun safety with multiple counts of flagging, asked if it was possible to eat the Rift Entities displayed on the hologram…" Her eyes widen, and Gael chuckles.

"Looks like the only reason he wasn't outright kicked out is because he's a class four. Which, you know, fair enough." He hums, and everyone quiets as the doors to the arena open. Each judge wears a different expression, Lycia with eagerness to see just who this Joey Waffles was, Michael's frown of displeasure, Marie's look of concern, and Gael's smirk.

And when they see who enters…