The Test [PLOT EVENT]

As the students waited at the pier, everyone seemed to be trying to guess what their test would be like, or where they would even be going. The noise died down as they heard the horn of the ship pulling up into the port. The ship appeared to be a luxury cruise liner complete with a swimming pool and about 4 levels. As it skidded to a stop they all eagerly ran on board, excited for what would be next.

As the students settled in, a voice came over the loud speaker. It was Alex's voice, the same cold, slightly detached voice they heard earlier. "Excellent." he said.

"Now that you have all gotten here I can give you your next set of instructions. At the bottom of this ship is a room filled with teleportation pads. You will each step onto one of these, and as soon as you reach the other side your test will begin. About 20 miles from here is a island known as Kana Island. It used to be the site of a city named Lorange, where various research projects would take place. However, a terrible accident 10 years ago caused the city to have to be abandoned. The island has started to reclaim this city as its own. Be warned however, monsters still lurk in it's tress, waiting for an idiotic student to cross its path. All I want you to do now...is to survive. Oh, and the first two people you see upon arrival will be your teammates for the 5 years you are here at Terminal. Enjoy."

The intercom turned off, and students were already shouting bouts of "That's not fair" and "Why can't we pick our own team?"...but it did not matter. Everyone filed to the teleporter room and were whisked away to whatever the Island would have in store for them.

[Once you respond to this, you will not be posting anything in Kana Island as of yet. I will be sending out a PM to everyone revealing the teams and what the next step is. For now, just wait patiently. Also, the teleport is random, so no one knows where they'll end up. Have fun everyone!]

"Too many..."

Tsukiko's right eyebrow seemed to twitch slightly at the sight before him. It had taken him a good 10 minutes after he had left Mari's stand before he had finally located the pier that all the new students were told to gather at. Unfortunately that led to the current problem.

"I knew there would be a lot of newcomers like me, but still...."

Tsukiko simply laid beneath a nearby tree not far from the port, as he continued to watch the herd of students talk and gather. The reason for his location being as clear as day, that there were just way too many people. He couldn't take the risk getting close, less he worry about 'it' acting up again. So here he was, waiting away from everyone, for the supposed boat that was to pick them up for their test.

"This is just gonna be a repeating pattern for me at this place isn't it?"

Tsukiko let out a calm sigh as he looked back. He could recognize a few faces among the crowds from his earlier encounter at Mari's stand. That 'assassin' boy Takanosuke boy, along with the other two who had followed him, that guy Steven who was chatting away politely with some people he didn't recognize, he even thought he saw the same guy who crashed into him outside the assembly hall. Did he ever get that guys name......nope, nothing.

Despite this though there was one face he couldn't find. And that concerned him.

"I hope she's alright. She didn't seem exactly seem in the best mood when she left the stand." Tsukiko muttered to himself as his gaze continued to search for the cat eared girl from earlier. It was probably stupid, but he couldn't help but be concerned. Her words from earlier kept coming back to him, and he could feel the tone in them. Resentment, sorrow, hate, loneliness, and that was just the tip.

If she had been treated half as badly as he pictured, he couldn't help but be concerned. Sure in this place there were probably a lot more people who could understand her pain a lot better than where she came from, but that didn't mean there weren't still idiots around. People who would simply judge on appearance alone, thinking that anything outside of their perfect little worlds was considered freakish or ugly, or worse, should be treated like animals.

"Idiotic fools."

Tsukiko's gaze hardened. He had traveled the world for four years. He had met people like her, people who had been outcast from society for something they couldn't control. Who were tossed onto the streets or rejected service just because they had something different about them. It disgusted him.

Even before he left his home, he was taught that everyone was special in their own way. Nobody was perfect, and everybody was unique. But to judge someone on simply one aspect of their lives was the thoughts of bigot idiots who couldn't see past their own pride and stupidity. It brought something out inside of him. It was why he always tried to help anybody he could, why he tried so hard to bring happiness to those who needed it most, to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, and would even willingly take their pain onto himself to see them smile.

"Do you think yourself a white knight then? Going to save me as you saved Mari earlier?"

Tsukiko blinked out of his thoughts as he remembered the words she had spoken. His gaze dropped silently to the ground as he laughs bitterly.

"A knight? Hardly...I'm just a person who wants to help others and do what is right. But that doesn't make me some noble warrior. It doesn't make me some guardian angel. I'm no damn hero wearing bright armor or riding a noble steed.."

Tsukiko lifts his hand as his eyes flicker slightly in color.

"I'm just an endless abyss, an empty void seeking to devour the pain of others, so that they never have to feel that pain again. To never feel lonely or hurt....even if it means I have to take it upon myself for them."

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!!!

Tsukiko's eyes turn to normal as his head snaps to the loud noise, as he sees the giant boat finally pull into the port as the students cheer. Eyes narrowing, he grabs his backpack and pushes himself up.

"That's what I am....but it doesn't mean I have to watch others become it as well."

Tsukiko smiles softly to himself before walking towards the boat.

Thirty minutes later

"And then there was one."

Tsukiko's gaze never faltered or flickered away from the device in front of him. Not long after everyone had boarded, the voice of the headmaster from earlier echoed out over the intercom and revealed what the so called "test" was.

Kana Island. He had been given a run down about it from Lancaster-san beforehand, but the nice headmaster decided to give his new would-be students a basic summary. Old research island that was abandoned ten years ago, and had at it's center the forgotten city of Lorange, which was now taken over by whatever remained on the island. The old man had told everyone that they were to be transported to the island via teleporter pads, which he Tsukiko actually found kinda cool, and stated that their goal was to survive.

Simple.

Easy.

But that was the problem right there.

That was all he told them. He simply said survive. No other goals, no time limit, nothing else. That concerned Tsukiko. What was the old man trying to do, watch how many students died before picking up what few remained? No, Tsukiko doubted it was something that cruel. Lancaster-san had told him that the headmaster was cunning and smart, but was also very dangerous. She never specified how, but now he had an idea.

There was also another problem he hadn't expected nor had Lancaster-san told him about.

Teammates.

He was to be put on a team. A team of three people, the other two being whoever he made eye contact with first on the island. He hadn't expected that, hell he was actually livid when he heard it. When he met Kuso and Takun earlier he had heard them speak of teammates, but he had assumed that was something that would happen after a year of being in the academy.

He hadn't expected it so soon. It was too early, too dangerous. He knew what could happen. What if he couldn't stop it, what if they got hurt. It angered and frustrated him to no end. Hell it was the reason that when he had gotten on the ship, he took to the farthest loneliest place he could find. Which apparently did have a few other people there, most likely for similar reasons to him.

So Tsukiko decided to wait. He stayed back and watched as everyone else was teleported away. He watched Takanouske and Steven take their turns as well. He knew that whatever was going to happen, once he stepped through, there was no going back. So he waited, trying to gather all the info in his head, trying to see if he could come up with anything that might help, any last minute doubts or thoughts he wanted dashed.

As he waited though, his sight had caught the form of Cara as her turn came up. Tsukiko's eyes narrowed though upon seeing her. She was shaking, and not in any form of coldness. There was sweat dripping down her face, her hands closing back and forth, her legs kept moving non-stop. It got worse when she had to hand her book and luggage to the crew members after being told they couldn't go with her. Tsukiko had seen this before in the past, he had seen how the person had been so consumed that it had eaten away at them, destroying their lives and themselves.

This was the shaking of a person consumed by fear, anxiety, and grief.

He couldn't tell which one it was, or even if it was all three, but Tsukiko recognized it easily. Just as her luggage was taken and it was her turn to enter, Cara's eyes suddenly became hollow and distance, as if she had been lost in her own thoughts and fears, before returning as she jumped and let out a small shriek. He couldn't hear it from his distance, but he could see it on her face. Whatever was consuming her, it was getting worse. Even as he saw her fade into the teleporter, he couldn't stop clenching his fist.

Nobody. Nobody should ever have to go through that kind of pain alone. Especially someone like her.

Minutes later had passed before everyone but he had stepped into the teleporter. By that time Tsukiko finally managed to unclenched his fist and closed his eyes.

"Well, I suppose I've waited long enough."

Tsukiko looks at his bag and places it down on the ground. Based on what he saw it would only be a waste of time trying to bring it alone. His gaze then calmly turned back to the teleporter pad as he steps forward and stands on it patiently. A few seconds later the pad glows as lights begin to gleam around his body rapidly. It felt weird, like his body was being pulled apart and put back together. But he knew it wouldn't hurt him, at least he hoped not, less 'it' get out of control again. But as the thought hit him Tsukiko shook his head and closed his eyes calmly.

He didn't know if he was ready. He didn't know what was waiting. And he didn't know if whoever he met would be able to handle what he was.

But he wouldn't let this stop him. He had come this far, he couldn't turn away from this, he WOULDN'T turn away. He would fight, he would survive, and he would help and protect anyone who he came across, teammate or no. And that went doubly for Cara.

Because he wasn't some white knight in shining armor. He was an abyss.

And once you're caught in the abyss, there is no getting out.

Cara walked away from Mari's stall in a sour mood. But the drink was there to keep her company. The flavors mixed in her mouth and managed to relieve some of the darker thoughts that had been protruding from the recesses of her mind earlier. She couldn't seem to get that Tsukiko out of her mind though. His words kept coming back and whirling around in her head again. "A knight? Hardly. I'm simply someone who will do what he believes in, and help anyone in need. Especially those who are looked down upon or can't defend themselves."

She scoffed upon the recollection. I hate people like him. Thinking that they can just talk away everyone's problems...even their own.

She stopped before arriving at the port and could feel tears welling up in her mind. Luke......

She couldn't help it. The tears flowed freely from her face as if a river itself had been unleashed. Memories upon memories floated back up from places she didn't even know existed in her brain. "If it means I have to take everyone's pain, even yours, to give a chance of happiness to those who deserve it, I'll do it in a heartbeat." He reminded her so much of him....it was scary. She suddenly felt alone and afraid.

She felt the world closing in around her again, and she gasped, reaching for air that didn't seem to be in her lungs. She fell to her knees and the pain went away as an uncontrollable cough erupted from her mouth. I'm not letting that happen again....no one is gonna get hurt because of me again....

Cara stood up and continued on walking, downing the rest of the drink in one gulp. It made her feel worse, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to never remember again.

She arrived on the boat and heard the announcement just like everyone else. The task was simple, which never meant anything good. All they needed to do for now was survive, that was it. As she was standing by the teleporter pads she noticed some students attempted to bring bags with them and they disappeared. Cara felt a chill run down her spine as she realized not only would she had to be on a team, but she wouldn't even have her books for comfort. The darkness seemed to creep up on her again, and inside her mind she turned to see it was as if a monster was trying to grab her and consume her whole. She panicked and cried out, waking back into reality realizing she was sweating. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she stepped into the teleporter, dreading what awaited her on the other side.

'My, this year seems quite lively.'

The bridge was mostly automated, having a skeleton crew for the necessities. To Kei did not mind the solitude, the soft humming of the engines were somewhat soothing to his nerves.

It was definitely preferable to the whines and complaints from petulant children.

He could spot several in the crowd that were exceptions through the one-way glass panels before him; some of them had that haggard look in their eyes, shadows of grief and self doubt in their body language and mannerisms.

They were the more jaded ones, he thought. Those that have numbed and detached themselves from potential pleasure and comfort, settling for contentment in nihilism and cynicism.

'Sorry kids, you're going to have break past that shell eventually. This pain is nothing but a catalyst."

He thought back to the other students currently enrolled. 'Who knows, maybe it'll even ignite that dying spark of a childhood you've got left.'

Hibiki reached the port 10 minutes later he was amazed to find so many people in this area

"Man this is a large crowd..."

Hibiki felt nervous seeing this many people but he shaked it off remembering the promise he made to his family a promise Hibiki intends to keep no matter what, he headed towards the pier.On his way he finds the same boy who he bumped into at the assembly hall watching the crowd from a tree he recalled the last words Hibiki heard from his encounter with him.

Tsukiko i believe thats his name

As he observes from a distance he sees Ciro,Laromi and Takanosuke in the crowd yet again he couldnt find Cara This made Hibiki feel a little concerned for her as she was the first person he ever talked in Terminal city but he is sure that he will see her again without a doubt.

As the crowd lessened Hibiki grabs his backpack and and headed for the boat that was going to take the students to their initiation test.

"looks like the boat isnt going anywhere i pressume"

As Hibiki listened to the Dean telling them what the trial is going to be. Kana Island thats where his destination is going to be its fairly wild so he knew he wont be expecting any settlements as the last city in that island known as Lorange became deserted after a certain incident,the boat wasnt going to take him there he was meant to be teleported there with the help of the teleporter pads.
The objective is simple he has to "survive" and find 2 other people who will become his teammates for the rest of the 5 years of his life in the university.

"Simple and straightforward huh,sorry Yumi looks like the tonfas will have to wait till another day"

As each student gets sent to the pads one by one he finds Cara as she is going next he was glad to see her but was a worried when he saw her expression as she wasnt herself from the last time he met her,she was trembling her eyes were blank and dull  she looked sad or ....... afraid?
Whatever happened to her on their last encounter Hibiki needed to help her deal with her problem as he hates seeing people suffer

as his turn came he felt something coming from his head he winces from it as he regains his senses he thought to himself.

What was that

He ignored that thought as he gave his luggage and weapons to the crew members as he steps on the teleporter pad he sees Tsukiko at the end of the line looking at him,eyes filled with determination Hibiki is ready for whats to come.

The last of them had just been transported by the tele-pad when his earpiece spoke, "Sir? We have a problem."

To Kei sighed, "Report."

"Sir, there is an electromagnetic field that has appeared on north side of the port beach. A satellite photo has been taken moments before the field took place and it would be best if you were to see it for yourself."

He felt his phone vibrate and reached for its holster on his belt.

He opened the file.

His eyes widened.

"Sir?"

"I'll be there soon; do not approach, only observe."

"Understood."

The Dean returned the phone and gripped his pocket watch tightly.

All that remained on the ship's bridge was the faint humming of the engine below.

After getting a feel for the campus, Tori headed off for the port. She noticed a slight fight break out near an alcohol stall, but she saw it was under control. When she arrived at the port she saw a crowd was already there, but the boat itself had not yet arrived. Guess I'm still a little early, huh?

As she found her place within the crowd She attempted to once again scan the crowd. She knew what she was looking for...the problem was finding it. But would they really be so bold? I know Slayer is smarter than that.

HOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNKKKKKK!!!!!!!!

Tori saw the boat approaching fast. The luxury was lost on her and was replaced with admiration. She quickly was gaining more and more respect for Alex. Well father...I am starting to see what you saw in him. She went along with the crowd and entered the ship. As everyone settled in, Alex went over the intercom and informed them of their next instructions. She was slightly unnerved by the randomness of who her team could be, but she began to see how it might help her in the mission. 

She arrived in the teleporter room and noticed The stall off to the side designed to hold everyone's stuff. She frowned as she pulled out her whip and began to hand it over to the attendant. Well old girl...looks like you can't help me through this...

Wasting no time, Tori stepped onto the teleporter pad. She felt as if her body was ripped apart and put back together. As she came back into reality she was hit with two things. A slight headache, and extreme heat.

Jesus it's hot! Now I regret bringing the suit with me...but I suppose it will have its benefits as well. Tori quickly hid in a nearby tree. As she looked around she noted she appeared to be in a forest. She pressed a button that was hidden on her suit and proceeded to slowly fade away from the world. She could only help the stealth systems didn't malfunction in this heat.

Steven walked gingerly carrying the drink he had received from Mari's stand. He found her to be rather fascinating, but he couldn't really say much other than that. He had saw that "assassin" draw a knife on the girl, but the white haired kid seemed to have handled it just fine.

As Steven walked towards the port, he noticed a younger looking black haired boy standing around a corner. The reason the boy caught his interest was the scythe lain across the boy's back. Steven approached him and tapped the boy on the shoulder. "Hey there!"

The boy jumped back and seemed to have a hand already on his weapon. "Who...who are you?"

Steven held out a hand in a harmless greeting. "Name's Steven...how about you?"

The boy seemed to lower his hand and looked Steven up and down like he was attempting to determine how much of a threat he was. "Tyler....Tyler Saxon."

Steven felt off put by that name. "I see....hmm."

Tyler seemed confused. "Uhm...is something wrong?"

Steven shook his head. This was obviously their first encounter. "No. it's fine. I just remembered something."

Tyler nodded slowly. "Are you a new student?"

Steven smiled a big grin. "Of course I am! I take it you already go here, right?"

Tyler nodded. "Don't you have a harbor you need to go to?"

Steven smacked his head. "Oh crap you're right! Thanks for your time Tyler!" Steven ran off leaving Tyler looking down towards the ground, muttering something before walking away.

Steven arrived at the port as the boat was beginning to dock. Fortunately, he wouldn't be missing this announcement. The boat was impressive, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was the same make as the one from all those years ago.

The students were ushered onto the boat by suited men, and Steven felt the inside was just as impressive. Elaborate decor lined the hallways, and there seemed to be no end to the entertainment that could be found within. However, as soon as he settled in, the speaker buzzed to life. 

"Now that you have all gotten here I can give you your next set of instructions. At the bottom of this ship is a room filled with teleportation pads. You will each step onto one of these, and as soon as you reach the other side your test will begin. About 20 miles from here is a island known as Kana Island. It used to be the site of a city named Lorange, where various research projects would take place. However, a terrible accident 10 years ago caused the city to have to be abandoned. The island has started to reclaim this city as its own. Be warned however, monsters still lurk in it's tress, waiting for an idiotic student to cross its path. All I want you to do now...is to survive. Oh, and the first two people you see upon arrival will be your teammates for the 5 years you are here at Terminal. Enjoy."

Steven couldn't help but curse under his breath. Randomized teammates? Aw hell, now I'll get stuck with the lame guys...

The enthusiasm that Steven entered the boat with left as if it was yesterday's lunch. He moved with the crowd to the teleporter room, and was instantly waved to another suited man.

"Sorry sir, but we will need all your weapons and items that could possibly "assist" you in anyway." Steven reluctantly handed over his items, which didn't consist of much. Aside from his cellphone, a small tracking gadget he made that didn't even work, or his bag..he hadn't brought much.

He stepped onto the teleporter, which thankfully he had experienced teleportation before so the ride was much smoother than it would be for most. He came to his senses and saw the ocean, with it's cascading waves and salty air. He took a deep breath and felt the arid atmosphere fill his breath. He didn't even have to open his eyes. He felt the smooth curves under his feet, the sound of the waves crashing down below. The humidity in the air.

He opened his eyes to see the drop of the cliff below him, and the rocky terrain that was going to be his testing ground. "Well...guess I got the short end of the stick."

Zack had made it to the port much earlier than a few of the other students. When he got the chance, he looked for a place where he would be to do his reading, it needed to be away from all these other people, and there needed to be no wind current. He saw a few crates that no one was standing near, so he decided that’d be the best spot. Reaching for his cards, he remembered what the towering man had said to him.

“You might not be so lucky the next time you lose those cards….”

Zack quickly shook his head, getting his mind back to the current situation. He began to lay his cards, but all he was getting was short, blurry spurts of the future, as his powers weren’t nearly developed. He saw what looked to be a boy around the same age he was with horns, and a girl a bit older than he was. The vision quickly changed to some dark looking beasts, and then again to what seemed like an abandoned city. That was the last vision he was able to see before his concentration was broke.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The sound of the boat made him jump, however this time it only nudged the cards here and they were all in his general vicinity. He picked up his cards, and put them back in his holster. He looked over to see what the boat looked like, and it was something he wasn’t expecting. Instead of it being some scrap bucket, this thing was an end of the line luxury ship. ”Why would they put us in a nice ship like that if this test involves those creatures I saw earlier??” he thought to himself, then an intercom switched on, and the voice of Alex could be heard from it.

When Alex finally released the new instructions, it all started making sense to him. The boat wasn’t going to travel to the island… that would just be harmful to the boat. But this island, he was right about there being an abandoned city, and he was glad he was able to get something correct so quickly. The teammates though… five years was going to be a long time to commit to the same two people. Were the two people that he envisioned going to be what created his team?? Or were they a part of the test that he had to pass??  The only way for him to find out, was to teleport to Kana Island himself and experience it head on.

As Zack walked over towards the teleporting machines, he saw that there was some of the staff, collecting everyone’s belongings. It seemed that all the students were allowed to bring with them, are the clothes they’re wearing, and the powers they possessed. A staff member walked up to Zack,

“Alright, all of your belongings will be confiscated until you return from the island, they’ll be placed in your dorm room should you return alive.”

Zack handed over his throwing knives, and the bags he was carrying.

“Cards too, no need for leisure time on that island.”

Zack quickly jerked the cards out of the staff member’s hand and began yelling, “You can’t, these cards are what let me use those powers!!”

“Oh, a holder type Meta-Human?? We haven’t had one of your kind in a long time, now you know you’re going to demonstrate your power so we can confirm it in our database, alright??”

So Zack pulled out a card, and he threw it on the ground, the he placed his hand above the card, water began to emerge from the card, a small fountain of it that he was able to move freely with his mind, though it wasn't as much as what normally came out seeing that they were inside of a boat.

“Alright, that works for me, step onto the pad, and you’ll be teleported to the island. Good luck, you're going to need it.”

So Zack did just that, and in flash of an eye, he was immediately teleported to the island.