Looking Sharp

**Looking Sharp** is the ninth episode of *Nexus Academy's* first season and the ninth episode overall. It premiered on September 6, 2015.

## Plot

**November 14-15, 5016**

Erica and Claire are picking out dresses in a specifically designated room in the Armory. Erica tells Claire that she is going with Fergus, and Claire tells Erica about Finn's request that she and Quincy go to the dance together. Erica expresses sympathy, and Claire changes the subject, asking Erica about what kind of dress she would like. Erica expresses interest in the color blue, while Claire feels inclined towards yellow and black. Claire, being not a huge fan of dresses, briefly considers going with a romper. Eventually Claire picks out a blue silk one with sparkles for Erica, whle Erica finds another dress which matches Claire's specifications.

Just then, Annabel enters. She makes a snide comment about their choices in dresses, and reveals she is taking Dakota to the dance. Erica and Claire express shock at the idea that Dakota even has a date. Annabel proceeds to express the "goodness of her heart" by picking out new dresses for them. However, when Erica and Claire refuse to reveal anything about Quincy and Dakota's investigation, an upset Annabel leaves and the girls get their original dresses.

In the section of the Armory designated for men, Quincy and Dakota meet up to find suits. Quincy expresses irritation that he is there instead of trying to solve the cipher, and blames Dakota for his predicament. An unfazed Dakota tells him he is welcome. John then enters, and is uncharacteristically genial to them. Quincy recognizes John from his fight with Fergus. John introduces himself to Dakota, and with a wide grin pulls him over to a separate rack. There, John assaults Dakota, and begins punching him wildly. Citing his grey-green blood, John demands to know what Dakota is. Quincy does not notice the chaos as he tries to pick out a good suit.

Dakota halts the fight by using gravitational force to trap John against the floor. He then leaves to fix up his nose and clean up the grey-green blood, confusing Quincy, who mistakenly believes him to have sneezed. John tries to act nice with Quincy, but Quincy sees through his act and the two begin bickering. At this time, Dakota reenters, along with Fergus. Dakota reveals that John attacked him, and the arguing intensifies. Quincy and Dakota then pick out suits (black and grey, respectively) while Fergus attempts to begin a conversation with John about Erica. However, John is quite hostile to him also. The four guys then leave.

A few days later, Ender finally wakes in the hospital wing, and is tended to by Fergus. Ender learns that he was attacked, and about the dance, but is forced by Fergus to remain in bed for another "two minutes". However, Fergus tricks Ender and drugs him so that he will sleep for another few hours, for his own good.

Quincy is in the library, mostly dressed for the dance already, and still trying to crack the code. He finally does, and enters the new program into the computer. The unseen results shock him for some reason.

He then heads over to John's dormitory, where an irritated John is trying to get dressed. Quincy apologizes to John, who in turn, apologizes. Now on good terms, Quincy assists John in preparing for the dance.

Erica is greeted by Fergus in the Courtyard as they head to the dance. During their work, Fergus asks Erica if she and John were ever involved, referencing their earlier account. Erica denies this. They awkwardly enter the train, where Dakota and Annabel discuss the dance. Dakota mentions Quincy, and Annabel takes the opportunity to subtly interrogate him about his and Quincy's investigation, under the pretense of getting to know him better. Though Dakota manages to maneuver the conversation away from his secret, he leaves to "use the restroom", now wary of Annabel.

Dakota finds and greets a surprised Quincy, and drags him to the back of the train where he reveals his suspicions about Annabel. Quincy reveals he decrypted the paper, and whispers the results into Dakota's ear. Dakota is shocked, but Quincy reminds him they still have to keep Annabel off their trail. Dakota mentions possibly starting a club, before leaving to keep his date from getting suspicious. He and Annabel awkwardly reunite as the train pulls up at the Greenhouse.

Quincy finds Claire in the gardens outside the building, and offers her a bouquet of colored liquids in test tubes as the Academy has no flowers. An impressed Claire agrees to talk. They speak about how they are tired of being mad at each other, and Quincy states everything that has happened between them has been his fault. Though Claire tries to apologize, he assumes responsibility, revealing that he got caught up in the mystery because it made him feel like he was special, something he'd been lacking since waking up at the Academy. He then reveals the shocking results of the decryption- that the information had already been redacted and further hidden.

Having given up on trying to chase the impossible, Quincy officially asks Claire to the dance.They make up, and head happily into the dance together as Quincy remarks "What could possibly go wrong?"

The episode ends as a mysterious camera watches them and a robotic voice echoes his question back.