The clock had struck eleven at night, and the music, games, and chatter carried on. The party had surprisingly gone better than Riarshi expected.

Though Hara and Tabito did their own thing on the other side of the room, their absence didn't bother Riarshi as much as he thought it would.

They were off against a wall, speaking to some other interns while he hung with the pool table crew and played a few more rounds. 

Leon wasn't exaggerating earlier, Kevin was a pro at pool, and won their duo several matches with a combination of deadly accuracy and crazy angular precision. He also offered good conversation, despite his natural goofiness and odd choice of wardrobe.

Kevin and Riarshi both shared similar interests, including books, video games, movies, and the occasional space drama. In compliance with his looks, Kevin was unquestionably a nerd at heart. Riarshi couldn't judge, though, because so was he. The friendly chatter helped ease the accumulation of stresses weighing him down. The alcohol certainly helped, too.

Just over a month ago, Riarshi had only Tabito and Hara to talk to and hang out with. Even claiming that was a stretch, considering he and Hara's relationship had been much more hostile in the past. 

Things had changed for the better. He was now laughing, cheering, and high-fiving old enemies he had fought in the past and new neighbors he just met tonight.

This social high even provided Riarshi with enough spirit to introduce himself to the girl and boy sitting on the couch. No one had taken the liberty to speak to them that night, given their intimidating aura was anything but magnetic. The alcohol now flowing liberally through his system told him to make sure they didn't feel left out.

During the brief exchange he shared with them, Riarshi learned their names and the terms of their relationship.

They were twins, their faces similar though not completely identical. Their other features were a totally different story.

Ide, the boy, stood well over six feet tall, and looked to be sculpted out of pure marble. Strict diet and constant training had brought Riarshi's physique to where it was now, but this guy put him to shame. Ide wore a plain, black t-shirt and jeans, which appeared to be on the verge of ripping as he lounged back on the couch with his massive arms crossed over his chest. He also had shaggy jet-black hair that fell across his forehead, and a pair of deep purple eyes that looked to be permanently groggy. 

Violet, on the other hand, stood all of five feet tall, possibly even a few inches below Hara. Her feet barely reached the floor when she sat upright on the couch. She had her hair cut short to the shoulders, where graceful genetics toned it a vibrant purple that her name reflected. Her one-sleeved t-shirt, big belt, black jeans, and heavy cargo boots screamed rock star more than anything else Riarshi had seen before. A deep onyx blended in with her pupil, creating a single galaxy of endless space that stared deep into his eyes. He tried not to look at her for too long.

Despite appearances, they were nice. At first reserved and hesitant, they quickly warmed up to Riarshi's slightly drunken introduction and small talk about the first semester. They chatted for a few minutes before parting ways with friendly waves and smiles. Maybe they were grateful someone else broke their shells for them.

The clang of something metal tapping a glass rang throughout the common room. The low chatter between the interns ceased, and someone cleared their throat from the archway of the room. Everyone turned to see four people dressed in Hero Uniforms lined up at the entrance. Bronze circles plated their chests.

"Can I have everyone's attention please," shouted the spiky black-haired man at the front. He was well built, and stood the tallest of his companions. His chestnut eyes drifted across the room to all the interns. "My name is Johnny Kinson, and I'm a bronze rank Hero here at the POH.

He smirked at several fearful faces and curious glances. "No, you guys are not in trouble, and no you're not being too loud. You don't have to worry about that." He gestured to the one man and two women behind him. "We come in peace, I promise. My three colleagues and I will be your squad leaders during your second semester here at the POH. We hope to give you all a safe, meaningful, and eventful experience during your internship."

The interns gave a light applause to their new bosses.

He received the applause with a smile. "As I said," he continued, "my name is Johnny Kinson, otherwise known as Kinson here at the POH. I will be Squad One's leader." His eyes worked their way around the room until he saw the cups in Riarshi, Hara, and Tabito's hands. "I hope to bring a solid sense of leadership to my squad, and point them towards becoming the best Hero they can be."

Finished with his personal introduction, Kinson moved onto the rest of the crew. "This is Blaire Wells," he said, pointing down to a shorter red head bearing a confident smile. Her sea-blue eyes sparkled as she stepped forward. "She's known as Wells," said Kinson, "and she'll be Squad Two's leader."

"Hey-ya!" Wells waved toward Leon, Adachi, and Kevin. They smiled and tipped their cups in cheers.

"This man is Harvey Cole," continued Kinson, pointing his thumb over his shoulder to the man with long, neon green hair and bony, lengthy arms. He's known as Cole, and he'll be Squad Three's leader."

Cole yawned and barely stepped forward. He raised a hand from his uniform pocket to half-heartedly wave at Felix, the blonde Felix was talking to, and the blue-haired girl who hadn't moved from the corner

"And finally," Kinson concluded, "this is Mekhi Sunshine, known as Mekhi. She'll be Squad Four's leader." He motioned to the last female behind him. Her skin was ebony to go along with her braided hair, though her eyes stood out with a metallic gray. She didn't even bother stepping forward. She simply nodded toward Ide, Violet, and Helga. Ide and Violet responded with nods of their own.

Kinson turned back to face the rest of the room. "Now that we're done with the introductions, we want to congratulate you all on becoming POH interns. It may be hard to believe, but it wasn't too long ago that us four were in your shoes. We know how much blood, sweat, and tears you all had to shed to be standing and sitting where you are tonight." He raised his glass into the air. The red contents splashed against the side. "We look forward to leading you all into becoming the best Heroes you can be. Your first missions may start on Monday, but tonight... we drink!"

Everyone in the room cheered, brought their cups to their lips, and took a sip of whatever sloshed at the bottom. 

***

The squad leaders worked their way around the room, introducing themselves to not only their squad mates, but to all the other interns as well.

Riarshi spoke to Kinson briefly.

"Nice to meet you, Riarshi," said Kinson with a warm grin. "I know you've probably heard this a lot lately, but I've heard a lot about you. I'm glad I could snag you on my squad."

The reference to his newfound fame didn't make Riarshi feel any more comfortable. He only replied with, "Thank you, same here."

Sensing the reluctance and timidity in Riarshi's voice, Kinson called Wells over. The redhead suddenly burst over from across the room, her face lit with excitement and her posture perfect. She directed her attention to Kinson at first.

"Johnny, this setup is awesome!" she beamed. "Everyone's having such a good time. Hell, I'm having the time of my life right now. Talking to all these new interns makes me wanna stay up all night and party with them!"

Riarshi couldn't help but crack a grin at her energy and bubbly manner. Kinson couldn't either. He gestured with his glass toward Riarshi, holding that same grin. "Well, here's an intern you haven't spoken to yet."

Wells' big blue eyes sprung open. "Oh my gods, you're right! I haven't talked to him yet!" She leapt in toward Riarshi and took his hand in between both of hers hers. She shook it frantically. "You're Riarshi, right?" Before he could even offer a reply, Wells continued on with her wild introduction. "Name's Wells. Nice to meet ya! You're gonna have an awesome time here at the POH. Kinson's a real sweet guy. He'll take care of you and make sure you're on the right track!"

Kinson knew what he was doing. Her energy could liven up any conversation - and it did.

Mekka and Cole, on the other hand, were quite the opposite. Riarshi even felt a bit more tired after talking to them for only a few minutes.

The blue-haired girl in the corner was another story.

After speaking to the squad leaders, Riarshi looked back over to the girl. She had remained in the same corner all night, talking to no one and quietly watching the room. She hadn't even risen to grab a drink. Kevin and Wells had helped him out of his shell, and he'd done the same for Violent and Ide, so why couldn't he do the same for her?

Something inside of him took control and walked him over to her.

Her head slowly rose to attention once he approached. There was an open seat at her table but Riarshi chose to stand. Sitting with her seemed way too forward.

The leaders had dimmed the lights once they entered, so vision was a bit skewed. With this girl, that didn't matter. She looked at him with those glittering, aquamarine eyes he could practically swim in. Riarshi couldn't deny the fact she was beautiful, nor could he stop the blush in his cheeks.

The mix of general unease and booze made the words coming out of his mouth that much more slow and thought out. "Hey. Uh, sorry if I'm barging in. I just wanted to introduce myself, seeing we're both interns and all."

The girl kept staring. She neither smiled nor frowned. "I'm Lillie," she finally said.

"And I'm Riarshi." He noticed her eyes drift from the right side of his face down to the back of his hand. She was obviously looking at his scar.

"I'm sorry, Riarshi," she mumbled, returning her eyes to her empty cup. "I'd rather not talk right now."

The blow hit hard, but Riarshi took it in stride. He didn't want to pry or seem pushy. Despite respecting her boundaries, her politeness didn't help ease the gnawing feeling of awkwardness and embarrassment in his chest as he stood from the chair and walked away.