Super Powereds: Year 2 (27 page)

“I assure you that we will take appropriate measures. In fact, Michael was already under close watch, but having one of his own peers express such concerns certainly solidifies what we’d feared.”

“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Britney said. “We got lucky today. If Vince hadn’t been so much stronger... let’s just say I don’t think Michael would have been nearly as gracious a winner.”

“The safety of my students is paramount,” Dean Blaine told her. “This will be dealt with. I promise you.”

“Thank you,” Britney said rising to leave.

“Please send in Professor Fletcher on your way out. He should be waiting outside the door,” Dean Blaine requested. Britney nodded her agreement and stepped outside of his office. A few minutes later the older man walked in, taking the seat she’d been occupying seconds before.

“I’d hoped with a bit of a leash and some close monitoring he would straighten up,” Dean Blaine said simply. “Since you’re the teacher of his best subject, tell me your impressions.”

“He’s talented. If he weren’t so angry all the time he could make some serious progress with an ability like his,” Professor Fletcher said. “What is it about Vince that’s got him so twisted up in knots?”

“Mr. Reynolds is only the most recent in Michael Clark’s line of conquests. His record indicates that when he loses to someone, most importantly when he loses image, he becomes obsessed with utterly surpassing them,” Dean Blaine explained. “It was actually a strike in his favor when applying, because up until his time at Lander that obsession manifested itself in tireless training and effort to surpass his rival. I daresay his recent shift to the psychotic revolves around his inability to make any traction in beating Mr. Reynolds, as well as a downward slide into alcohol abuse.”

“He’s drinking that much?”

“I’ve had a few covert searches of his dorm room performed. Suffice it to say he is well beyond the limit of what a healthy liver can reasonably be expected to handle, even a college-aged one. I’ve sat him down and reached out to him in a few private meetings, however nothing seems to be getting through.”

“Then today he nearly scrambled up Alex’s brains,” Professor Fletcher said. “If he’d tried to throw one more punch I was going to have to stop the whole match and intervene.”

“You were watching it?”

“Of course.”

“And tell me Carl, with all your years of experience, what do you think?”

Professor Fletcher chose his next words carefully, all too aware that the future of the young man in question would hang on them. “He had a killing intent. I’ve seen that look in too many people’s faces not to recognize it. I don’t know if he’s aware of it himself, but he wanted to kill that telepath. Now just a desire doesn’t mean much on its own, some of the best Supers I know were ones who had to actively control themselves to keep from letting their darker urges get the better of them in battle. Not everyone is inherently perfect. Having a monster inside doesn’t automatically make you one, provided you have the discipline and self-awareness to keep it on a chain.”

“I would agree with you on all counts,” Dean Blaine said. “In some ways I prefer dealing with people whose darkness is more visible. It leads to less unfortunate surprises.” If his voice was a touch bitter, Professor Fletcher let it pass without comment. “The issue here is that I think Michael Clark lacks that chain, whether it is a result of the alcohol abuse or some yet undiagnosed psychosis. Regardless, he has shown himself to be an unacceptable threat to the other students.”

“So we boot him?”

“We could, however given his skills and violent tendencies I feel like it would merely be a matter of time before he wound up in prison for some assault crime.”

“I suppose so, but what other options do you have?”

“There is one other way to go with it. What Michael needs is more discipline and focus than he is getting in his current environment. Obviously he won’t be making the cut for Hero, but before we resort to full expulsion, we could give him a semester or two at Lander’s east campus to get himself together,” Dean Blaine said.

“I wasn’t aware Lander had an east campus,” Professor Fletcher said.

“It’s closer to a sister school than anything else. We don’t talk about it often because we only send over students who require very special training or very strict discipline,” Dean Blaine explained.

“Sounds like a good fit for him then,” Professor Fletcher agreed. “What will you do if he doesn’t want to transfer?”

“I wasn’t planning on making it a request. Tonight Michael Clark will either be moved to Lander East or he will be booted and banned from the HCP program,” Dean Blaine replied without inflection. “I will not give training to a man who I believe will use it to harm others. Not now, not ever. Not in my school.”

“Understood,” Professor Fletcher said. He began to leave, then a rogue thought wandered through his mind. “If I remember right, you’re a Lander graduate yourself. Ever do any time at the east campus during your days here?”

Dean Blaine turned away from his employee so Carl wouldn’t be able to see the ever so slight grin trying to break through his professional demeanor. “That will be all, Professor Fletcher.”

50.

“So how does it feel, oh valiant captain, to have won your first match?” Hershel asked as Mary laid her head on his chest. They were in Hershel’s room, the night of communal happiness having wound down some time ago. It was a moment of coupleness, the likes of which had become increasingly rare with all the preparations and training as of late.

“Exhausting,” Mary replied. “Trying to keep up with what everyone was doing across the entire battlefield, not to mention worrying about them when things got dangerous, and having to listen to Nick all day wore me out. I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight.”

“I bet. You’re quite an amazing girl, you know that?”

“It might have come up in conversation a few times,” Mary said, her tone playful but her smile genuine. “You’re not too shabby yourself.”

“Meh, I’m a nerd who can turn into someone awesome. That makes me less interesting and more a homework jockey for my alter ego.”

“None of that,” Mary said, lifting her head so she could look him in the eye. “You’re brave, smart, resourceful, and kind. I wouldn’t be the girlfriend of a guy who was just ‘meh’, after all.”

“You make a strong case,” Hershel said. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, bringing her back down against his chest so they could lie comfortably. “On the subject of resourcefulness, I had a thought about how we could celebrate. Halloween is next weekend, so-”

“Please don’t say you want to go to that giant frat costume party again.”

“Perish the thought. I was thinking we could hit one of the giant haunted houses in town. There’s one called Screamtopia that’s apparently known nationally. It has mazes, hidden passages, and all sort of special effects. They say they even use a Super or two to really bring the impossible to life. Plus, on Halloween weekend they have a big lounge running at the end where you can hang out and drink or just breeze through. I figure that way it can be scary or drunken depending on what each person wants.”

“Plus you’re hoping to have me clutched against you in fear for the duration of it,” Mary pointed out.

“I thought you didn’t listen to my thoughts?”

“Didn’t need to. I’m hoping for the same thing.” Mary reached up and kissed him, this one definitely not on the cheek. Though there were many physical boundaries the couple had yet to cross, they still kissed with enough passion that by the end, neither one was thinking about haunted houses.

* * *

Camille was nearly halfway back to her dorm when the figure stepped out of the shadows. She tensed immediately, turning sideways and bringing up her hands in a defensive stance. It laughed at her, and at the sound Camille knew she wasn’t in danger. She was still a bit annoyed at the entrance, however.

“You scared me,” Camille said, relaxing her body.

“I scared you? That’s pretty rich given the difference between us,” Nick said, walking all the way into the light. It was hard to see through his sunglasses at night, but after over a year of wearing them he’d gotten plenty of practice. “Seriously, after what I learned today, it’s hard for me to imagine you really being scared of anyone.”

“I don’t like being startled.”

“You don’t? Funny coincidence, I’m not big on surprises either. So try and imagine my displeasure at finding out one of my teammates had been hiding a tremendously important aspect of her powers.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide, I just didn’t want-”

“Vince to know. Yes, I’m aware of your feelings, as is Mary, as is really anyone with perception. You’re in luck, because that criteria still rules out Vince. I get that you are keeping it from him, and it doesn’t bother me. What does is when you hide things I need to know about in order to effectively strategize against our opponents. So let’s go ahead and clear the air. First off, why are you so set against him knowing you can give back the damage you absorb?”

“I... we met when we were kids. He doesn’t remember me because I was using a nickname, had dyed my hair, and told him how I absorbed damage instead of making him think I was a healer. I’m scared if he sees my real power he’ll figure out who I am.”

“Why is that so bad? Did the childhood version of you beat him up or something?”

“No. I was his first kiss,” Camille said, unable and unwilling to hide the blush washing over her skin. She expected a snappy comeback, but Nick was silent for some time before responding. When he finally did, his voice was softer and more amiable.

“I get it. I didn’t understand the little monologue you gave Allen at first, but now it makes sense. Vince must have left quite an impression on you as a kid. Not that surprising, I doubt he was any less foolhardy and moral then than he is now. So you met this kid whose memory stuck with you, and then some years later you show up at Lander and here he is. Now you’ve finally got your chance to be with him, as long as you can find the right angle of approach.”

“It isn’t like that!” Camille protested, her voice rising despite herself. “I don’t expect him to be with me, and I’m not trying to trick him into it. It’s just that he’s... he’s so reckless. He always charges into things for other people without giving any thought to his own safety. One day he’s going to get seriously hurt doing that.”

“And you want to be there to save him when he does,” Nick finished. “Which you have a much better chance of doing as a friend than as a romantic partner. After all, statistically speaking, most relationships fall apart. I think I finally comprehend. All right then, I’ll keep your secret for now.”

“You will?”

“Yes, but understand, keeping it should never take priority over winning in one of our team’s matches. Got me?”

“Of course.”

“Then I don’t see any harm in letting you have your privacy,” Nick told her. “It’s kind of a shame, actually.”

“How so?”

“You’re selfless, protective, and dedicated. If you weren’t so set against getting involved with him, you two would be a good match for each other. Probably better for me in the long run this way. The last thing I need is a pair of you do-gooders always around. Just handling one unwavering moral compass takes enough energy.”

“Thank you, I think.”

“Not at all,” Nick said, giving her a smile that made Camille think of when her cat used to watch the fish swim in their bowl. “I’m glad we had this little chat. I think our team will be stronger for it. Be safe walking home. You never know what weirdoes are out there.” With those words and a wave, Nick headed back to Melbrook. Camille, meanwhile, started back toward her own dorm, trying with little success to reassure herself that Nick would be true to his word and keep her secret. She should have known better than to worry: Nick Campbell would never betray someone’s confidence.

Unless, of course, there was something to be gained from it.

51.

Tuesday morning found the sophomore students shuffling uncertainly to their first classes after gym. It was strange to shift gears so rapidly. Yesterday they’d been looking at each other with the savagery only competition can bring out, but today they were back in their normal schedules and social groups. It was uncomfortable to greet a friend that one might have had to punch in the face yesterday as if nothing had ever happened. The professors never said it out loud, but this flexibility of perspective was as much a point of the exercises as learning the initial teamwork. It was an unfortunate and undeniable fact that in the world of Heroes, sometimes you found yourself fighting a friend. Getting accustomed to it now reduced hesitation down the line.

The students soon fell back into their routine with minimal effort. It helped that the professors acted as though Monday had never happened, moving right from Friday’s lesson on to the logical continuation. There was no gain to be had in rehashing the matches; everyone knew who had won and who had lost. If the teams wanted consultation on why those results had been produced then they could schedule office hours. For the most part the goal was to move everyone past this last trial and get them refocused so they’d be ready for the next one. Besides, as the chilly October air suggested, it was growing later in the year. That meant midterms were fewer than eight weeks away. That thought alone was enough to put more fear in the students than any ghost or goblin. Of course, some people had other concerns on their minds.

“Hey, tall, tan, and talkative,” Angela yelled, grabbing Thomas’s attention as the sophomores headed toward the lifts. “Hold up for a moment, I need to chat with you.”

Thomas paused in his walking; HCP classes were over and he had some time before his first afternoon class, so it would be fine to listen to her. He motioned for Violet and Stella to keep going. The three of them usually had lunch together; he knew their habits and catching up would be no problem.

“How can I help you?” Thomas said politely as Angela approached.