“I know you were eager to beat my record,” Commander Fitz said, “but you will just have to be content with being the youngest partner pair admitted to the program. The other partner pairs have all been taken from cadet levels above your own.”

“Fine,” Elliot said. “Then I want a different partner. Anyone but her.” He pointed a finger at the side of my head, and I scowled at him.

“I’m not too thrilled about you either,” I said as I gave his finger a shove that I hoped hurt. I turned back to the panel. “What about personality compatibility? You have to take that into account too, right?”

My mom’s eyes narrowed slightly at my tone, and I swallowed hard.

“No, Cadet Fitz, ensuring the safety and security of our future is not dependent on whether or not you enjoy your partner’s personality. What matters is whether or not you can work together successfully, and everything shows that you two have the capacity to do that. Whether or not you decide to make it easier on yourselves and get along? Well, that’s on you.”

“But this doesn’t make any sense,” Elliot went on. “I’m at the top of my class and everyone knows Regan is . . .” He trailed off, and I shot Elliot a dirty look.

“Is what?” I asked. “Go ahead. Say it.” But Elliot’s eyes flicked up to my mom and then back to me, and he just shook his head.

“Cadet Mason,” Callaway said, his tone making it clear that this discussion was over. “You may be at the top of your class, but your evaluators have found you sorely lacking when it comes to gut instinct and intuition. You can only learn so much from studying. A large part of being a successful Glitcher is inherent. What Cadet Fitz lacks in academic retention and self-control,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me that earned him a few chuckles from Professor Green, “she makes up for with an uncanny innate ability to spot a Butterfly without any visible signs of a time discrepancy.” I scowled even though I knew that tackling another Glitcher showed an extreme lack of self-control. In my defense, I’d been covered in sewage, so my judgment might not have been at its best.