Matthew was on his way to meet the professor about their fourth team member when he bumped into Jessica, a tall, athletic blonde with sharp green eyes. She had a confident aura about her, the kind that made people take notice.
"Whoa, my bad," Matthew said, stepping back after nearly knocking her breakfast tray over. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. A cup of coffee spilled across the floor, along with what looked like a half-eaten croissant.
Jessica sighed, crossing her arms. "Seriously? I just got this."
Matthew scratched the back of his head, feeling a little guilty but also intrigued. "Look, I'll make it up to you. How about lunch? My treat."
She raised an eyebrow. "You ruin my breakfast, and your solution is to bribe me with lunch?"
"Exactly," he smirked. "Best way to apologize. And besides, maybe it's fate. You and me, crossing paths like this?"
Jessica scoffed but couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips. "Fate, huh? You're smooth, I'll give you that."
Matthew grinned. "I try. So, what do you say?"
After a few moments of persuasion, Jessica finally accepted. "Alright, fine. But if the food sucks, I'm making you pay twice."
Matthew chuckled. "Deal."
As they walked off together, Matthew had a feeling she wasn't just some random academy student. Something about her presence told him she was different. He just didn't know how much yet.
---
Logan met up with Elsa at their usual spot in the academy, a quiet place on the rooftop where they could talk without interruptions. He had wanted to tell her about the upcoming Wilderness Program, expecting a casual conversation. Instead, he was caught off guard.
When he told her that he would be gone for a week, Elsa's expression didn't change much. But what did surprise him was what she said next.
"I won't be here when you get back," she said, crossing her arms. "I'm going on a trip—to Moscow, Russia. Running an errand for Salvador's cartel."
Logan's expression darkened. "With who?"
"Julian."
Logan's jaw tightened. He had never liked Salvador's son, and the idea of Elsa going on a trip with him did not sit well. "And why the hell are you going with him?"
Elsa sighed, looking away. "Because he recommended me to Salvador. He said I was useful."
Logan clenched his fists, keeping his emotions in check. "You don't owe him anything."
"That's not the point, Logan," she snapped, her frustration showing. "The point is, ever since you joined this academy, you barely have time for me. You're always busy with your new friends, your classes, your new life."
Logan exhaled through his nose, not wanting to argue. "Elsa, you know I didn't come here for fun. My father made me. You act like I abandoned you."
Elsa shook her head. "That's not what I'm saying. But I barely know anyone around here, and the one person I trusted has been... distant. And look at you now—getting annoyed just because I'm going on a mission with Julian."
Logan remained silent.
Elsa's eyes softened slightly, but her voice remained firm. "Look, Logan. I need to do this. And I need you to stop treating me like we're in a romantic relationship. You and I both know that's not what this is."
That hit Logan harder than expected. He always knew their relationship was complicated, but hearing her say it so bluntly made it feel... different.
She sighed, stepping back. "I'll be back soon. Try not to mope around too much, alright?" She reached into her pocket and tossed him his Stingray keys. "You might need this."
Without waiting for a reply, Elsa turned and walked away.
Logan just stood there, watching as she got into a cab and disappeared down the street.
---
From a distance, William and Matthew saw Logan standing there, his face unreadable.
Matthew, having just finished lunch with Jessica, nudged William. "Yeah... our boy is not in a good mood."
William nodded. "Looks like something happened between him and Elsa."
Matthew thought for a moment. "Think we should ask?"
William shook his head. "Nah. If he wants to talk about it, he will."
Matthew shrugged. "Fair enough. But I am gonna do something about our team."
William raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Matthew grinned. "I just met someone—Jessica. She's a shifter, and I think she'd be a good addition to our squad."
---
Later that day, during lunch, Matthew casually introduced Jessica to the group.
"Guys, meet Jessica. She's gonna be our fourth team member."
Jessica gave a small wave. "Hey."
William nodded in approval. "Nice to meet you. What's your ability?"
Jessica smirked. "Shifter. But not the usual kind."
William leaned in, intrigued. "Oh? What kind then?"
Jessica's smirk widened. "Let's just say I don't turn into your regular animals."
Matthew chuckled. "Yeah, she's got some prehistoric surprises up her sleeve."
William grinned. "Now that sounds interesting."
However, Logan barely acknowledged her, still annoyed about his earlier conversation with Elsa.
Jessica could feel the coldness in his attitude, making her feel slightly out of place. She had expected at least some reaction from the infamous Logan Holt, but instead, he barely even looked at her.
William, sensing the tension, spoke up. "Logan, man, you good?"
Logan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah. Just... a lot on my mind."
Jessica raised an eyebrow but decided not to push it. Instead, she focused on the others.
"So, when does this Wilderness Program start?" she asked, shifting the conversation.
Matthew smirked. "In two days. Hope you're ready."
Jessica crossed her arms confidently. "I'm always ready."
William chuckled. "Alright then. Looks like we've got our team."
Despite the new team dynamic, Logan's thoughts remained elsewhere, his mind replaying Elsa's words over and over.
He had a bad feeling about her trip with Julian. But for now, there was nothing he could do.
For now, he had to focus on surviving the wilderness.
Logan barely touched his food as the team continued their discussion. His mind kept drifting back to Elsa's words.
"You and I both know that's not what this is."
That line stung more than he expected. He had always seen Elsa as a constant in his life since she got trust back at the Valdez cartel—someone he could rely on. And now, for the first time, it felt like they were drifting apart.
He clenched his fist under the table. He hated the thought of Julian Salvador getting close to her. Julian had always been the type to flirt with anything that moved, and Elsa wasn't blind to it. But what bothered him most was that she chose to go with him.
"Was I really that distant?"
William nudged him. "Dude, you good? You've been stabbing that chicken for five minutes."
Logan blinked and looked down—his fork had practically shredded the food on his plate.
Matthew smirked. "Yeah, man. I don't think that chicken did anything to you."
Logan exhaled, leaning back. "I'm fine."
Jessica, still picking up on his cold attitude from earlier, simply observed.
---
After lunch, Jessica decided to test Logan's reputation herself.
While heading back to their dorms, she casually walked alongside him. "So, Logan, I've heard a lot about you."
Logan gave her a glance. "Yeah?"
Jessica nodded. "Esper with forcefield ability,A mysterious loner, That you?"
Logan sighed. "Something like that."
She smirked. "Then why do you look like you just lost a fight?"
Logan stopped walking. He looked at her for a second, his eyes sharp but unreadable.
Jessica tilted her head. "What? Hit a nerve?"
Matthew, sensing tension, quickly intervened. "Hey, hey, let's not poke the beast on the first day, yeah?"
William chuckled. "Yeah, Logan's got a bad poker face when he's pissed."
Jessica shrugged. "I just like knowing what kind of team I'm dealing with."
Logan finally spoke, his tone calm but firm. "If you want to know about me, just watch how I handle things in the wilderness."
Jessica smirked. "Fair enough."
---
That evening, Logan was in his dorm when his father, George Holt, called him.
"How's it going, kid?" George asked, his tone as casual as ever.
"Fine."
George chuckled. "That's what you always say. Elsa tells me you're making friends. That's new."
Logan sighed. "She told you?"
"Of course she did," George said. "She told me about your new two odd friends and how you've been getting into mischief. Gotta say, I didn't think you'd actually have a normal school life."
Logan exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "It's just a temporary thing."
George paused for a moment. "...Something on your mind, kid?"
Logan hesitated. He didn't want to talk about Elsa, but somehow, his father always saw through him.
"It's nothing," Logan finally said. "I just need to focus on the program."
George didn't push further. "Alright. Just remember, even the best mercenaries need people they can trust. Don't push them away too fast."
Logan said nothing, but his father's words stuck with him.
---
The next morning, Logan and his team gathered for their final briefing on the Wilderness Program.
As they entered the academy's training hall, a new group of students caught their attention.
They wore a different uniform, signaling that they were from the regular academy—the one that would be competing alongside them.
One student, a tall, athletic young man with a military stance, locked eyes with Logan.
William noticed and nudged Logan. "Looks like you've got a new fan."
The human student walked up, arms crossed. "You must be Logan Holt."
Logan didn't break eye contact. "Yeah. And you are?"
The student smirked. "Darius Cross. Captain of the regular academy's elite squad. Heard a lot about you."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Good things, I hope."
Darius smirked. "Depends. Some say you're a legend. Others say you're just a guy with good PR."
Matthew whistled. "Ooooh, damn. He called you overrated, bro."
Logan simply smirked. "Guess we'll see which one's true in the wilderness."
Darius' eyes gleamed. "Looking forward to it."
As he walked away, Jessica crossed her arms. "Well. That's gonna be fun."
William grinned. "Oh yeah. This just got interesting."
Logan, now fully focused, pushed his personal problems aside.
It was time to prove himself once again.