Super Powereds: Year 2 (85 page)

“Oh.” Vince studied his hands intently. No one had mentioned that incident save for his discussion with Dean Blaine. He’d hoped, well, he didn’t know what he’d hoped. Maybe that he could pretend it didn’t happen. “Yeah, it scared me. I could have really hurt someone. It’s just lucky that Rick stopped me.”

“I don’t blame you for being a little scared,” Nick said, opening the book and leafing through it. Whether his eyes were on the pages or not, only the sunglasses knew. “All of us have that little phobia ticking away somewhere inside of us. Wondering if we’ll go back, if this has all just been a sweet teasing taste of a life we can never have. You and I, we have a greater fear than the others. If we suddenly revert, it might not just be ourselves that suffer.”

“This isn’t really making me feel better,” Vince said.

“I’m just saying you don’t have to be ashamed of having that fear. What should shame you is if you let it hold you down. Mastering your ability is the best defense you have against losing control of it.”

“You realize I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen you use your power, right?” Vince pointed out.

“You can count on one hand the number of times I’ve told you I used my power,” Nick corrected. He gently jiggled the sunglasses stretched across his face. “These bad boys aren’t just for making me look cool. Of course, they do that pretty well too. None of which is the point of this discussion. I just want to make sure you aren’t backsliding into the Vince who shows up carrying the energy equivalent of a lighter. We’ve got days until we’ll be facing who knows what, and I’m counting on you being in fighting form.”

“I’m not going to let you down,” Vince said. Despite the flighty body language he’d displayed during the talk, Nick recognized a familiar resilience in his voice. Years ago he would have mistaken it for Vince trying to convince himself that he would be able to follow through. After all they’d been through, Nick now knew it was the sound of his friend when things got serious. He liked that tone; it meant the realms of possibility were about to dramatically shift.

“Good. Our team is counting on you.” Nick set the book back in Vince’s hands, then began to rise from his seat.

“It’s me, isn’t it?”

Nick froze in mid-air, his long arms still pressing against the chair as he propelled himself upward. Slowly he lowered back into the warm and waiting cushions below his posterior. He debated lying, or trying to cover with misdirection, but neither of those would likely succeed. Vince was easily led and deceived most of the time; when he found the truth, however, there was no separating him from it.

“Yeah. It’s you. It’s been you ever since your secret got out at Camille’s birthday party. There were people who wanted you gone, and that was when the whole thing was a crazy rumor.”

Vince nodded; clearly this meshed with whatever had already been in his head. “Why didn’t you just tell me? Why pretend it was about protecting the others?”

“Firstly, protecting the others wasn’t pretend. This is an elimination game, don’t ever forget that. Just because you were in the crosshairs didn’t mean a poor showing wouldn’t push some of us out the door along with you. As to why I emphasized that part, well, I mean, come on. You have to have noticed this about yourself by now. You never fight as hard as when you’re protecting other people.”

“Everyone is like that,” Vince said. “We all fight hardest when others are on the line.”

Nick opened his mouth with a smart-ass reply then glanced in his friend’s eyes. They were teeming with a sentiment of honest belief. The stupid kid really thought the rest of the world functioned like he did. He didn’t understand that most people looked out for themselves first and most vehemently then gave consideration to the rest of the world. Sure, a reasonable percentage might go to the walls for their family, but it didn’t match the raw animal savagery they would use when fighting for their own life. Nick had seen it time after countless time. People looked out for themselves. Well... most people.

“Then why are you surprised that I emphasized it?” Nick said at last. There was no need to try and rupture Vince’s pretty image of the world, not that Nick was certain he could even if he tried. “You know people work that way, so obviously that’s why I would have used it to motivate you.”

“It does make sense, when you put it like that,” Vince replied. He reopened his book, flipping through the pages until he returned to his spot. “You don’t have to worry. I have no intention of letting anyone on this team get kicked out. Myself included.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear,” Nick said, patting his friend on the shoulder and leaving him to his studies.

170.

“Good morning to you all,” Dean Blaine greeted, his strong voice rebounding off the gym’s walls and crashing into the twenty-seven students clustered before him. Gathered around them were their six professors, standing at strategic points as though they were anticipating a sudden stampede toward the exit. It had happened before.

“Today is the final team match of your sophomore year, and it will also serve as the examination for entrance into the junior class. Of those gathered today, at best only twenty will be returning. I encourage you to do your best, for the sake of yourself and those who share a team number with you. After today teams will cease to exist; however, I hope you will all remember this experience, and understand the importance of trusting, depending on, and working with other Supers. It is our greatest advantage over the criminal element, and one we should utilize at every opportunity. Captains, raise your hands!”

Four hands went up, some higher than others, but all without an instant of hesitation. Chad’s outstretched fingers were the tallest, and if any lingering worries or neurosis from last week’s revelation remained in him they were certainly not discernible in the blonde boy’s steely gaze. Four of the professors, Stone, Hill, Cole, and Fletcher, moved through the crowd and deposited an object in each of the raised hands.

“Your instructors are currently handing you each a single orb with your team number inscribed in it. That orb will remain in your possession until the match begins,” Dean Blaine continued. “Once we start, you are free to give it to anyone on your team that you see fit. You will all be dropped at various locations in the arena. Your goal is to get that orb to a depository at its center. Finding it will not be difficult, I assure you of that much.”

The captains were turning the orbs around in their hands, examining them. Each was cold and metallic, with a single digit carved into the smooth surface.

“There will be no traps or obstacles, save for the natural terrain, blocking you from the goal. The challenge you will face is much greater. It is each other. The depository will be indeed easy to find; however, it will also only be open for five minutes, occurring exactly two hours after the match begins. Any orbs not placed inside before the deadline will not be counted. Additionally, placing any ball in the depository will gain your team five points, whether it belongs to you or another team.”

There was a murmur of understanding that rippled through them. Dean Blaine greatly preferred the students he dealt with once they reached this point. They’d been through enough that hand-holding during explanations was required far less often.

“I see you already understand what that means. I would like to remind you that your professors and I will be watching, and that use of intentionally deadly force will lead to a student’s immediate disqualification. Such a ruling would not bode well for their evaluation on entrance into next year’s class. Keep it civil, and do your best. You have five minutes before we leave for the arena.”

The crowd, already gathered close to their teams, immediately split off to separate corners of the gym. It wouldn’t stop people like Chad and Amber from overhearing their words, or Alex and Mary from listening to their thoughts, but it was still an ingrained habit to create distance when discussing sensitive issues.

“Seven card stud?” Mary asked Nick as soon as Team One had all arrived in the southwestern section of the gym.

Nick scratched his head. “That might be for the best. Optimum coverage and all.” They’d developed a few terms for their strategies the night before in preparation of being overheard. Without knowing what they were facing, it was better to have at least a couple of pre-arranged strategies in their hip pocket. Seven card stud was all of them going off on their own, five card draw was five respective teams, Roy, Alice, and Alex all going off on their own. Hearts would have meant they defaulted to the same pairs as the first match, and Fifty-Two Pickup meant they were fucked and had to think of something on the fly.

“No.”

It took Nick a minute to figure out who had said that, he was so unaccustomed to hearing the voice speak without prompting. Camille was staring up at him - in fairness she’d have had to stare up to look any of her team in the eye - with an uncompromising gaze.

“Don’t like that one?”

“I don’t. I think it spreads us too thin. We’re better with at least a few pairs.”

“I see,” Nick said, resisting the urge to tug down his sunglasses and meet her stare. “There are dangers to that plan, too. Are you fully prepared for everything that it might entail?”

“Completely.” If there was any doubt or fear in her, Nick couldn’t find it. Still, it never hurt to double check. He glanced over at Mary, who gave him a firm nod. If between himself and a telepath they couldn’t sense any hesitation in her to do what was necessary, then it either wasn’t there or she had a tremendous career ahead of her in espionage.

“Fine; Camille raises a relevant concern. We don’t want to get caught with our pants down on this one. Five card draw.”

“Who holds the orb?” Vince asked.

“We’ll figure that out once we’re in the arena, or at least far enough from people who can overhear us,” Mary informed him. “Our team is the only one that can keep the element of surprise, so I have no intention of wasting it.”

“Nicely said,” Nick concurred. “Okay, folks, that hits the high points, the rest is self-explanatory. Mary will figure out who has the orbs. Hunt for those people, avoid everyone else. Oh, and one more thing.” He leaned in, inciting them to do the same. It wouldn’t do anything to damper those who could hear them, but it would put emphasis on his words. That was what mattered right now. He scanned the team as he spoke, but made sure to let his concealed gaze fall on Alice, Vince, and Camille especially.

“This is our last team match. Hold nothing back. Leave everything out there. All the games, and dances, and careful tricks we’ve used through the year have officially come to an end. Give it everything you’ve got, and let the chips fall where they may.”

171.

“Crafty,” Mary said, her eyes closed as she listened to all of her competitors throughout the field. The rest of her team milled around her quietly, trying to keep their thoughts as silent as possible so as not to add to the mental ruckus. The starting bell had gone off a few minutes ago, but rather than dash off all at once, they were waiting for her to figure out who would be holding each team’s orb. As for where to go, that much at least was quite evident.

Some distance away, impossible to judge through the trees of this arena, a giant beam of red light stretched from the ceiling down below the tree line, presumably to the floor. It didn’t take a great leap of intuition to figure out this was the depository Dean Blaine had told them about. Unfortunately, knowing where they needed to end up wasn’t the same as knowing where to go until then.

“Okay, I’ve got it pieced together,” Mary said at last, opening her eyes and getting to her feet. “Team Two is trying to make me think that Chad has it, but a few of them slipped up and thought about the truth. They gave the orb to Julia. Sadly, that’s not a big help, since she’s split off into about a dozen clones, all of whom share the same mind. If you see one then go for it. Just know that as soon as one sees you the others will know your location, and a clone is going with every member of her team to pass along information.”

“Instant communication. Damn, that’s pretty good,” Nick complimented.

“Yes, but we always knew Chad’s team was going to be a beast to contend with. Shane came up with a pretty effective strategy as well. He gave the orb to Tiffani and paired her with Amber. Between her ability to make illusions and Amber’s sound manipulation, those two are going to be effectively invisible to everyone but myself and Alex,” Mary continued.

“Plus, Amber is a pretty heavy hitter in her own right,” Roy added. His pride wouldn’t let him forget how easily she’d dropped him during the maze fight freshman year.

“Very true. Britney took the most expected strategy; she held onto the orb and went invisible. She’s staying hidden and mobile while her team hunts for other orbs. Adam copied Allen, so they have two people able to fire ranged energy explosions.”

“So, what do we do?” Vince asked.

“First we figure out who is going to hold onto our orb,” Mary said. “The obvious choices are myself and Alice.”

“Me?”

“You can fly up to the top of the arena and wait out the match in relative safety,” Nick pointed out. “That strategy isn’t perfect; there are still ways you could get reached if the other teams get creative. Besides, I hate to take one of our stronger abilities out of the game.”

“This from the guy who gave me a four,” Alice teased. They both knew the girl whose power ranked so low in the relative scale was long gone. What she could do now was nothing short of tremendous.

“I agree. Alice should stay in,” Alex concurred. “Especially since no one knows what she can do. Her power and the element of surprise are too good to give up.”

“Suggestions are heard. All right then, I’ll hold the orb. Any objections?” Mary asked.

“It’s what they’ll all expect,” Nick pointed out. “But that’s because it’s the smart call to make. You’ve got the range to detect people approaching and the power to knock them back if they get near.”