As he’d matured, the bully had transformed into a protector of the other students. He’d gone from sullen and selfish to helpful and cooperative. Now he regularly volunteered to tutor other students at the Grissom Academy — even the nonbiotics who weren’t part of the Ascension Program.

In light of all the progress he’d made, Kahlee decided she wasn’t going to come down too hard on him for his latest minor transgression.

When she got back to his room Nick was lying facedown on his bed, the nape of his neck exposed in preparation for the familiar procedure he was about to endure.

“I never meant for Yando to get in trouble,” he mumbled into his pillow as he heard Kahlee come in.

She sat down on the bed beside him, then reached over and carefully pinched the nape of his neck between her thumb and forefinger, wincing at the inevitable — but still slightly painful — static spark as she made contact with his skin. The Ascension Project had tried to find a way to regulate the excess electrical charge that built up naturally in a biotic’s body, but so far had experienced little success in coming up with a practical solution. For now, it was still a minor inconvenience the students and teachers simply learned to live with.

“Yando’s still recovering from his surgery,” Kahlee explained as she inserted a long, slim needle between the young man’s vertebrae and into the tiny subcutaneous transmitter. “He needs his sleep.”

The small ball on the top of the needle blinked green, indicating the data was successfully uploaded.

“He doesn’t like being alone in his room,” Nick answered, muscles tense and teeth gritted against his discomfort. “I think he misses his mom.”

He let out a long sigh when Kahlee extracted the needle, and his body relaxed.