The Academy: Book 2 by Chad Leito Page A

center; somehow, the group of students having to obey the intermittent screams, mixed with the explosions had made them feel a reverence for this man whom many of them had never met.
    “Whew! That feels great! Let’s get down to business.
    “The reason you have been called here today is so that we can talk a bit about our expectations, celebrate the fact that we belong to one of the best organizations in the world, and let you know a bit about what to expect. I know that the Fishies had their individual Assembly earlier, and that they’ve been sitting for a while, but just stay with me.”
    Chandler walked from the left side of the stage to the right; he then raised his hand into the air, and a screen levitated out of the stage. Asa wondered if magnets were used to suspend the object.
    The words “THE GILL INITIATIVE” were displayed on the screen.
    “The Gill Initiative,” he said, “was proposed by one of our owners, Dr. Gene Gill, as a new and exciting way to run the Academy: It’s a whole new way of looking at t his education process. Dr. Gill is in the front seat, so why don’t we all give him a hand?”
    The response from the crowd was completely out of proportion from the request: a thunderous applause swept over the audience; Teddy screamed and cheered, his face even paler than before; his nose was now gushing blood.
    A white haired man in the front seat, whom Asa assumed was Dr. Gill, raised a hand in acknowledgement and thanks.
    When the crowd died down a bit, Chandler Martin continued on. “You see , the Academy hasn’t been pleased with some of its recent graduates. And so the owners sat down and tackled the question—what needs to be changed?”
    Asa shifted a bit in his seat, anxious to hear what would come next. This has to be connected with Robert King’s death. Maybe this Gene Gill guy is taking over for him. It’s too much of a coincidence that The Boss was murdered, and now we have a meeting where they explain that protocol is changing.
    A new slide came into focus on the screen: this one was of a small wooden box with the word “SUGGESTIONS” carved into the front.
    “The first thing, is that we want more feedback from you: After all, you are in line to become a valuable part of this organization. This is the most impressive, most exciting organization in the world, and we want your input.
    “More so than that, we want you to be happy. Can I have the next slide please?”
    The picture on stage changed instantly. As Asa looked at it, he felt blood rush into his cheeks, making them feel hot. The image was of a large, ballroom dance that had never happened. The room was lit with glistening chandeliers. A full orchestra was playing music, dressed in formal black. The dance floor was filled with smiling, happy Academy students in tuxedoes and elegant dresses. In the center of the room, the image showed Asa dancing with Charlotte. Her hair was fixed up and out of her face, and her smoky eye shadow matched her dress. Asa was smiling too, holding her right hand with his left; his right hand was around her waist. They were surrounded by others who were dancing too. Near the bottom of the screen, Asa saw Teddy dancing with Samantha, who had died last year in the King Mountain Task.
    Asa was deeply disturbed. They photoshopped images of us all dancing together? Why didn’t they take out the dead people? I guess that our lives aren’t important enough for them to keep track of who they’ve now killed.
    “We are going to have events to show appreciation for you, our students! This includes dances , and some surprises.” Chandler Martin winked.
    The next slide came onto the screen: this one had a picture of an Academy graduate whom Asa had never seen before. He wore a sleek black suit, and was handing a plate of hot food to a barefoot, malnourished black child. The dead grass, flat plains, and red dirt made Asa assume that the picture was taken somewhere in Africa.
    “The second thing that needs