Everyone heard Wayne's statement and linked it to a potential enmity with Khan. However, Khan had a completely different impression of the matter. Wayne's mana had no bitterness, envy, or other negative emotions. He was simply saying what crossed his mind.
That wasn't enough to make Khan calm down. He didn't mind enemies, but Wayne had done something to Monica. Still, the raw strength running through that arm managed to delay his outburst.
Khan couldn't put what he felt into words. A deep realization unfolded in instinctive parts of his mind. Something told him that Wayne was strong and that his power didn't only come from a mere amount of mana and element. Wayne reeked of the same experience that Khan and George wielded.
The delay only lasted one second. Khan's thoughts screamed and remained calm at the same time as mana gathered into his grip. The suspicious situation granted him some special permissions due to his rank, but he couldn't actually kill, especially in the open. Still, even the Headmistress wouldn't say anything if he limited himself to capturing Wayne.
Nevertheless, Khan lost control of his mana before it could come out of his palm. He didn't sense any external influence, but his energy had gone rogue anyway.
"I told you," Wayne chuckled as if he could sense what had happened inside Khan's hand. "Things go bad around me."
A purple-red light shone in Wayne's vision as soon as he finished his line. Mana erupted out of Khan's hand, adding dangerous properties to his grip. He wasn't hurting Wayne yet, but prolonged exposure to his energy was bound to shatter his skin.
"I just have to use more mana then," Khan coldly declared during that stalemate. He wanted to fight and interrogate Wayne on the spot, but his surroundings prevented that.
Wayne showed some surprise at the sight of the purple-red mana, but a bright smile soon broadened. Genuine happiness and excitement replaced his shock and flowed into his following words.
"I knew you were as good as the rumors said," Wayne exclaimed. "I can't wait to get to know you better."
Khan couldn't help but feel confused, but another event attracted his attention. Monica wasn't the type of woman to freeze under unexpected situations. She even knew Khan's flaws, so she approached him before things degenerated.
"Mister Mauder, I don't enjoy being touched without permission," Monica warned, retaining her elegant vibe and taking Khan's free hand. "If something like this happens again, I will report it to the Headmistress."
Khan had been ready to fight, but Monica became his priority. He retracted his mana and let go of Wayne's wrist when Monica pulled him. She was using her unmarked hand, making the walk uncomfortable, but Khan quickly adjusted his position to remain at her side.
"Monica, are you and Khan-?" Zoe blurted when Monica and Khan were about to cross her.
"What I do with Captain Khan is none of your business," Monica firmly stated, "Nor how many times I do it."
Khan calmed down. He could feel Monica's mood swings trying to break through her elegant persona, and a laugh attempted to escape his throat. Still, the other conflicting emotions kept his face cold and his gaze straight.
Needless to say, Monica's statement triggered another series of gasps, but the couple didn't linger in the area to witness the consequences. Even George followed them after shooting a glare at Wayne, and Anita joined him before he could get too far.
No one spoke once the privacy of the elevator started. Anita checked Monica's marked hand and wrote something on her phone, but no words escaped her mouth. Monica sighed at some point as worry and sadness invaded her, but the reassuring kiss that Khan left on her hair improved her mood.
The group was in a hurry. They left the embassy only to find a cab already waiting for them. Anita had called it since she knew what the situation required, which wasn't a swift return to the flat.
Khan let Anita handle everything and focused on Monica. She remained silent while resting on his shoulder, but her eyes wandered to empty areas of the car. A lot was going on in her mind, and Khan did his best to show moral support.
The cab flew toward a medical bay in a nearby district and landed on its roof to gain access to its private areas. Those structures had exclusive rooms and doctors for people with wealthy backgrounds, and one look at Monica made her instantly gain access to them.
"You two wait outside," Anita ordered in a worried tone while Monica entered her private room.
Khan and George complied and headed for a waiting area nearby. The place was empty, with only a few nurses crossing it from time to time. The two were basically all alone, and words inevitably flew after they spent a few minutes on simple seats.
"Do you have any idea of what just happened?" George questioned while keeping his gaze straight.
"No," Khan admitted. "I couldn't sense anything odd. Honestly, I'm not sure that guy did anything."
"It might be his element," George guessed.
"That's what I concluded," Khan sighed, "But I don't know. He didn't even have a special aura."
"I see," George commented. "So, what do we do now?"
George's unyielding loyalty warmed Khan's heart, but he couldn't find the strength to relax right now. Too much had happened in mere minutes, and confusion still reigned in his mind.
"He looked strong," Khan revealed. "How can someone like him remain anonymous? I thought our classmates knew everyone."
"There are special cases," George explained. "Some families hide their talents to reveal them at the right time."
"Isn't every family looking for fame?" Khan asked.
"Again, it's rare," George continued, "And there can be multiple explanations. That guy might be part of a declining branch that isn't allowed to steal fame from the main family. He might very well be a loaned descendant."
"Loaned?" Khan repeated.
"Big families loaning talents to small families," George summarized. "It's more common than you think, especially when there are internal conflicts. He might be too talented for his own good or have a problematic bloodline."
"Do you think he is a bastard?" Khan questioned.
"I have no idea," George admitted. "I'm just listing options here."
Khan fell silent as George's explanation fused with his knowledge and granted him a new perspective on the event. The Mauder family was too small to disregard the opportunity to show a similar talent. Instead, the loaned option made sense and created more problems.
"Did you plan to kill him in the open?" George wondered.
"The idea did cross my mind," Khan uttered. "I probably wouldn't have hesitated to attack him for real if I sensed actual enmity. Still, I eventually opted to capture him."
"How mature of you," George teased.
"Hey, I'm stabler than I was at the start of the semester," Khan claimed. "Besides, if I throw everything away, I'll lose Monica. That thought is enough to keep my mana in check."
"That's not what the others have seen," George commented. "The next articles won't be kind."
"I'd be happy if they only talked about me," Khan responded. "By the way, how did everyone realize Monica was on birth control?"
"Those red marks are a possible side effect," George explained. "They might appear if the body rejects the treatment."
"Wait, rejects?" Khan gasped as his eyes widened in terror. One possible consequence of that explanation put true fear in his mind.
"Who knows?" George snickered. "It might be a good thing. Madam Solodrey will have to acknowledge you at that point."
"Don't even talk about it," Khan cursed. "It's way too early for that."
"And here I thought you two had already chosen the names," George joked.
"She knows I want to understand my mutations better first," Khan revealed.
"Wait," George gasped. "Did you actually talk about it?"
"It came out," Khan nodded.
"Man, you really go all out," George declared. "Can I help choose the names?"
"Shut up," Khan heaved a helpless sigh. "Why do you even know so much about birth control anyway?"
"My father forced me to learn everything about it for some reason," George feigned innocence. "It's quite complicated. Apparently, women need tailor-made treatments since their mana can get in the way."
"Is it dangerous?" Khan asked.
"It can be," George replied. "That's why everyone was so surprised. I mean, I'm sure Monica had the best doctors, but people usually avoid those treatments, especially wealthy descendants who shouldn't be in any relationship."
Khan felt like an idiot. He didn't realize the topic was so complicated, and Madam Solodrey's initial refusal made sense now.
"She really loves me," Khan sighed, bumping the back of his head on the metal wall behind him a few times. He felt overwhelmed by love, which made him angrier about the recent events.
Khan's phone buzzed before he could remain stuck in those thoughts, and reading the name on the screen hinted at problems.
"What is it?" Khan asked after answering the call.
"Captain, you might want to make a public statement," Jenny stated. "The rumors about you have exploded in the last minutes. This might get bigger than your video."
Jenny didn't need to be explicit. Khan knew what she was talking about, but his priorities lay elsewhere. Monica was the one suffering, so he wanted to be there for her.
"Just keep blocking outside calls," Khan ordered. "I'll deal with the situation soon enough."
"As you wish, Captain," Jenny responded. "However, I advise you to hurry. It won't be long before the families get involved and turn this into a political incident."
'Political incident,' Khan repeated those words in his mind while closing the call. 'It's too sudden.'
Khan knew that the event was no small matter. The implications of Monica's treatment were bound to affect her political value in many ways. She had actively hurt her family, and Khan didn't wield enough influence to make that loss worth it.
'I just needed a few more years,' Khan thought, bumping his nape into the wall again. 'Maybe even one.'
A door opened, interrupting Khan's reasoning. He jumped on his feet and peeked into the branching corridor to spot Monica, Anita, and a female doctor. The three exchanged a few words before splitting and heading in different directions.
"Is everything okay?" Khan questioned as soon as he reached for Monica's cheek.
"It was just an outburst," Monica nodded while showing her right hand. The red marks had already disappeared.
"So, did the birth control work well?" Khan asked, doing his best not to be too explicit in Anita's presence.
"I'm not pregnant," Monica exploded into a laugh. "What? Disappointed?"
The tease tried to hide Monica's worried state, but Khan could see it. He didn't even reply. He just brought her closer to wrap her in a tight hug.
"It's going to be okay," Khan whispered as Monica rubbed her face on his chest. She finally showed some worry inside the hug, but her resolve also grew stronger in the meantime.
"I'm not worried about myself," Monica revealed.
"Hey, don't even say it," Khan scolded. "We are together in this."
Monica left Khan's chest to lift her face, and her lips instinctively strived for his mouth when she noticed his affection. The two kissed right in the middle of the waiting area but separated quickly.
"Let's go home," Monica voiced when she dived back into the hug.
Khan exchanged a glance with Anita, and she nodded before picking up her phone. Only a few seconds had to pass before the group returned to the roof to enter their cab and head toward the second district.
The second trip shared the same silence as the previous, but the general mood had changed. Monica became cuddlier, but her gaze remained lost as plans formed and shattered inside her mind. As for Khan, he ended up reviewing memories that felt painfully similar to his current situation.
Confirming that Monica was fine allowed Khan's mind to wander. Losing privileges or gaining new political enemies were troublesome developments, but he couldn't think about that when his relationship was at stake.
The Solodrey family could decide to recall Monica to contain eventual political problems. They might even force her to break up with Khan to save him from potential repercussions. He was a liability for her status, and she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice herself to protect him.
That development would mark the second time external events had come in the way of Khan's meaningful relationships. He couldn't help but hear Yeza's words while he recalled how broken he had been after Nitis. He dreaded that possibility, not only for the pain it would cause.
Khan had been nothing more than a lost kid on Nitis. The alien planet, the interspecies politics, and his toxic love had been problems that even his greatest efforts couldn't overcome.
Yet, years had passed since those events. Khan had become a Captain and had established an enviable array of relationships. His strength had also increased greatly, making him completely different from the hopeless kid from back then.
If the worst possible outcome truly happened, Khan wouldn't just give up. It would be an insult to his efforts to let things unfold as they did on Nitis. He would fight, resorting to almost any method to retrieve and protect what he loved.
The silent trip eventually ended, bringing the group back to Khan's flat. George immediately headed to retrieve a bottle since he knew the situation needed it, while the two women settled on the same couch. Khan planned to sit at Monica's side to discuss the matter, but another call reached him.
"Headmistress, it's not a good time," Khan hastily said while closing his eyes to sound as polite as possible.
"You bet it isn't," Headmistress Holwen scoffed. "Come to see me. We need to talk."
"Can we postpone?" Khan almost begged. "I really need to be somewhere else."
"Captain, it's an order," Headmistress Holwen stated before closing the call.
Khan felt the urge to throw his phone away, but Monica left the couch and took his hand before he could snap. He found it hard to look her in the eyes with all the painful memories running through his vision, but she tilted his head and forced his gaze to focus.
"Go see the Headmistress," Monica whispered, pulling Khan from his neck to make their foreheads touch. "I'll be fine."
"Don't do anything crazy while I'm outside," Khan gave up.
"I'll be as crazy as I want to," Monica giggled. "I thought you learnt that by now."
George and Anita could hear those whispers, but the couple didn't care. Now that a real threat to their relationship had appeared, they spoke freely and honestly.
"I'm-," Khan said, hesitating for a second before admitting how he felt. "I'm scared."
"Me too," Monica replied, and her voice risked cracking. "I'll complain and cry a lot later, so make sure to come back and take responsibility."
"Don't you dare to start without me," Khan joked, forcing a giggle out of Monica that ended when their lips met.
Khan wanted to remain immersed in that affection forever, but even his mana agreed that other tasks required his attention. The unreasonable desire to fix everything took control of him and made him leave the flat in a hurry.
The Headmistress had already sent a flying car, so Khan hopped in and prepared for the incoming conversation. He didn't know what he would say, but resolve leaked out of him and filled the symphony. He was ready to cut any deal to preserve what he had.
The short trip led Khan to the embassy's roofs, where a soldier opened the path for the Headmistress' office. He found her behind her desk, staring at the countless notifications that popped among the menus, and recognizing some of the names warned Khan about the gravity of the situation.
"I received a basic briefing of today's events," Headmistress Holwen announced without moving her gaze from the desk. "I thought you couldn't miss anything."
"Wayne Mauder didn't do anything," Khan explained. "Nothing specific, at least."
"Damned families," Headmistress Holwen cursed. "First, Mister Chares slips past my additional securities. Now, a random student causes a political incident. This smells of nobles or worse."
Khan didn't need to ask for additional explanations. He had already considered similar options. The Hive or other secret organizations might be involved in the strange recent events, even if he couldn't understand why.
"Do you realize what you have done?" The Headmistress eventually exclaimed, lifting her gaze and unfolding her cold presence to fill the entire office.
"I held back, ma'am," Khan responded, uncaring of his partial lie. He had hesitated against Wayne only because Monica needed him more.
"I'm not talking about that!" Headmistress Holwen shouted. "What were you thinking? As if playing the married couple with Miss Solodrey wasn't enough. You also had to tell everyone that she wasn't a virgin anymore."
Headmistress Holwen was being unreasonable. Khan didn't do anything similar, but the recent events had led to those conclusions. His innocence wasn't important at that stage.
"Now I have dozens of families worried that you'll corrupt their descendants," Headmistress Holwen continued.
"I thought they couldn't wait for me to marry their descendants," Khan snorted.
"As if that's the same thing," Headmistress Holwen scolded. "Do you have any idea how many families have their eyes on Miss Solodrey? They'll do anything in their power to use the situation to their advantage."
Khan had learnt enough to imagine those consequences, so he limited his answer to a few cold words. "Let them come."
"Don't be stupid," Headmistress Holwen cursed. "Do you think the Solodrey family will have your back? They'll turn you into a scapegoat to regain some face in no time."
"You could always promote me to make me worthy of Miss Solodrey," Khan suggested.
"Enough with the games!" Headmistress Holwen shouted again. "Do you even realize the position you are in?"
"Yes," Khan nodded, "So tell me what to do. I'll take any mission and task. I'll join any battlefield you want. Just help me."
"You can't be serious," The Headmistress uttered, finally lowering her voice. Still, Khan's face cleared her doubts. That resolve wasn't something he could fake.
"Why would I help you?" Headmistress Holwen decided to ask. "The stability of the Harbor is my priority. If I have to throw you to the families to keep it, I will."
"Because I'm the best," Khan claimed without showing any shame. "You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. I'm the best investment that has ever landed at your doorstep."
Headmistress Holwen fell silent. She was surprised at how Khan was speaking about himself. He wasn't trying to brag or improve his status. He was selling himself as if he were nothing more than a weapon.
"Besides," Khan continued. "It's safe to link the recent suspicious events to me. If you want to get to the bottom of the issue, you'll keep me around."
"Are you willing to play the bait?" Headmistress Holwen questioned.
"Oh, ma'am," Khan chuckled. "Words can't express what I'm willing to do."
Silence spread as Khan and the Headmistress fell prey to a contest of stares. They had reached a stalemate, but the buzzing of their phones broke it, bringing their attention to the new notification on the interactive desk.
It turned out that Khan wasn't the only one equipped with resolve. Actually, in terms of craziness, Monica surpassed him at that time.
'Monica Solodrey admits to secret relationship,' Khan read the headline on the interactive desk. 'In our article, we provide an exclusive and detailed interview about the hidden life of the Solodrey family's beautiful descendant and the famous Captain Khan!'
