Super Powereds: Year 3 (101 page)

                “That was a good punch,” Chad told her. “You nearly had me.”

                “Like my dad always says: ‘almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.’ But thanks for the sentiment,” Sasha replied.

                Roy, Violet, and Allen were pulling themselves up as well—the other three members of the dream-team selected to fight Chad Taylor for his mid-semester Close Combat exam. Sasha had been a bit proud at being selected, even if she couldn’t help but question the choice. She was proud of her skill, and of the effort she’d put into improving, but she also wasn’t blind to the truth: there were stronger classmates that could have been thrown against Chad. Sasha wasn’t sure if the professor was taking it easy on him, or if there was another reason for the choice; she had just been thankful for the chance to prove herself in the moment.

                “Sorry we couldn’t put up more of a fight,” Sasha said, as they reached the bunker area where the rest of the Close Combat students were waiting.

                Chad reached out and gently grabbed her arm, keeping her from going behind the clear barrier. “You four put up an incredible fight. There were two occasions where I nearly made a misstep and lost the match. Do not disparage what I consider to be an impressive effort.”

                “Chad, you beat us in less than three minutes. I appreciate the effort to make me feel better—”

                “I defeated you quickly because that is the only way I know how to fight, with efficiency and speed. I’m not like you or Roy or most other strongmen; the amount of physical damage I can take is lower, significantly so in some cases. My fights end quickly because I have to end them quickly. A lingering battle is too dangerous for me,” Chad told her.

                “Huh. I never actually stopped to think about that,” Sasha said. The mini-monologue had taken her off guard; she was used to Chad being polite, but offering up post-match assessments was a new one. Then again, before this year, she could never have imagined seeing him dressed up for a sci-fi movie, either, so it seemed things were changing in all directions. Sasha decided to push her luck and see if she could get more insight.

                “Any thoughts on why we four were picked to fight you, instead of some of the higher ranks like Vince or Shane?”

                “Because you all excel at one-on-one combat,” Chad replied simply, tilting his head as though he were surprised she couldn’t already see that plainly. “Vince and Shane both have abilities better suited for dealing with multiple opponents, and fighting alongside them means the risk of getting caught up in their attacks. With teamwork and training, this can be overcome, but in a sudden match like this, their presence will lead to hesitation and missteps, weakening the team as a whole. For some opponents, that’s a surmountable goal; however, I watch for exactly those opportunities to capitalize on.”

                “Damn, I need to have you narrate all the fights for me,” Sasha said. She nodded to the viewing bunker and pulled her arm free. “Come on; let’s get clear so they can start the next one.”

                The two former combatants had scarcely made it inside before they heard Professor Fletcher’s voice booming through the room. “Next up: Thomas Castillo’s exam. Going against him will be Adam Riley, Allen Wells, Jill Murray, and Violet Sullivan. Wells and Sullivan, you all healed up?”

                “Good to go!” Violet hollered. She was standing next to Camille, who was gripping the purple-haired girl’s hands in hers. Already, the slight bruises from the previous fight had vanished. Allen gave a nod from next to them; his own concussion had already been tended to as well.

                Before anyone else could move, though, Thomas leapt out of the bunker and began to speak. “Professor Fletcher, if it is at all possible, I would like to request a different student be added to my exam.”

                Professor Fletcher’s eyes narrowed, and in the span of a blink, he was across the room, standing next to Thomas. “You don’t like one of the people I put you against?”

                “No, sir, it isn’t that,” Thomas replied. He kept his head raised and his eyes forward, refusing to show weakness. It was a gesture as much for him as for the others watching. “I want to fight Vince Reynolds. I need to, actually. You can add him on as a fifth, if needed. All I ask is that he’s in the exam. I have to be sure that I can deal with the threat he presents in genuine combat.”

                “And what if you can’t?” Professor Fletcher asked.

                “Then I’m not certain I belong here,” Thomas admitted. A chorus of gasps didn’t echo up from the viewing bunker, but he definitely received many uncertain stares for this declaration.

                “If I can’t conquer my fear here, then how will I do it when lives are on the line, my own included?” Thomas continued. “Vince’s ability scares me, even after all the training we’ve done, but it won’t be the last one I encounter that does so. I want to be a Hero, not just in title, but in capability. Please, let me see if I have what it takes.”

                “Vince, are you okay with this?” Professor Fletcher asked, glancing into the bunker.

                “Yes, sir. I’ll do my part.”

                The professor mulled it over for a few moments, looking down at his clipboard that was no doubt filled with match-ups, then staring into the bunker, and occasionally glancing into Thomas’s earnest eyes. “Despite the fact that we carefully craft these matches weeks in advance, and there is no technical reason for you to fight Reynolds, I’m going to allow it,” he said at last. “But Vince, I expect you to come at Thomas with as close to full-force as you can safely manage. Your classmate wants to truly test himself; pulling punches out of concern won’t do him a bit of good. Got it?”

                “I do,” Vince agreed. “It was what I’d planned to do, anyway.”

                “Good. Allen Wells, you can sit this one out. Everyone else, get ready. And Thomas, we’re going to have a meeting after this is over, no matter how the match plays out.”

                “Understood. And thank you,” Thomas said, finally relaxing his body a touch.

                “Don’t thank me just yet,” Professor Fletcher told him. “You just set yourself one hell of an unbalanced match. When this is all said and done, you might curse me up and down for giving you what you wanted.”

                Thomas nodded and began jogging to the middle of the room, where the combat circle waited. Perhaps the professor was right, but he doubted it. This was something he needed to see for himself. If he came up lacking, then no one would have to tell him he didn’t belong in the HCP. Thomas Castillo would walk himself out the front door before anyone else had a chance.

188.

The first bolt to come at Thomas’s head wasn’t from Vince, much to the surprise of many of the onlookers. That honor went to Jill Murray, who fired off a shot from a device on her forearm as soon as Professor Fletcher started the match. While it might have been unexpected to those watching, Thomas knew his housemate far too well to underestimate her. He dodged to the side, simultaneously wrapping himself in the bright orange energy his body exuded. While his armor wouldn’t stop more powerful blows, it would be enough to handle minor attacks like that. As soon as he regained his footing, Thomas took stock of the ring.

                Jill’s forearm blaster had retracted, but now, her hands were beginning to crackle with a white glow. That was a new one for Thomas, and he had no desire to see what her trick did. Vince had his arms out and seemed to be taking aim, which meant Thomas could expect either fire or lightning coming at him within seconds. Adam was on the defensive, clearly waiting until he either had the chance to grab Thomas and mimic him or chose one of his teammates to emulate. Violet was . . . nowhere to be seen, Thomas suddenly realized. With a confined space to work in, that only left one option for her location, and Thomas didn’t bother looking to confirm it. He darted forward, moving the energy encasing his body far more quickly than his legs would have been able to manage.

                As fast as he was, Thomas still felt the wave of force, and the debris hit him in the back. He already knew the trick Violet had used; hell, he’d helped her train with it on a few occasions. She’d made herself feather light, leapt up into the air, then rapidly increased her density until she came smashing down with several tons of force. It was a hell of a surprise technique, and it had very nearly taken him down.

                Since he was already running, Thomas decided not to waste a perfectly good opportunity. Altering his course slightly, he veered toward Adam, whose eyes went wide at the realization that Thomas’s defensive move had just become an offensive one. He tried to backpedal, but the choice to try and mimic his target quickly backfired as he found himself with nothing at his disposal but human strength and reflexes. Adam made a valiant effort, but Thomas extended several orange tendrils, grabbing his opponent and tossing him through the air. Knocking Adam out of the circle wouldn’t eliminate him—he was only disqualified if he left on his own—but the force of the impact would likely make it a moot point.

                Searing pain brought Thomas’s attention back to the other three, one of whom still had a tiny spark of electricity dancing across his hands. Vince had hit him with a strong jolt, enough to pierce the energy armor and still do damage, but Thomas was under no illusions that such attacks were the limits of Vince’s power. He was testing Thomas, seeing how much he could take before ratcheting up the amperage. The next attack might very well be enough to stun him, which meant Thomas had to try and make sure another didn’t come.

                His train of thought was derailed by a flurry of attempted strikes from Jill. Her hands were still crackling with the white glow, and as Thomas ducked and dodged, he realized that the longer this frantic scramble went on, the easier a target he became for the others. He couldn’t risk punching back, not without knowing what affect those glowing hands might have when she blocked with them, but he also couldn’t keep shuffling around. A rogue, wild idea entered his head, and beneath the bright orange glow masking his face, Thomas smiled. In all the training, and fear, and effort, he’d nearly forgotten the exhilaration of battle; of finding solutions in a moment that years of thinking would never bring to mind.

                From Thomas’s torso, a massive hand extended out of his energy armor, bright orange and big enough to palm a person. It grabbed Jill around her midsection, taking her completely by surprise. True to training, she tried to refocus her attack, but her moment of confusion had given Thomas the chance he needed to grab her forearms with his hands. For a second, it seemed they were locked in a stalemate. Then the crunching of electronics filled the air as Thomas’s stomach-hand tightened, crushing Jill’s suit and the hardware contained within. He stopped as soon he saw sparks and smoke flying, and then tossed her away for good measure.

                Violet slammed into him with what felt like the force of a large truck, sending Thomas hurtling to the ground. Rather than letting himself land, though, Thomas kept on rolling, willing the armor to move even as his own body was too slow. It was a good call, too, as he could see bright bolts of electricity striking the area he had been only moments before. They didn’t let up, and he kept moving; Vince was raining lightning down like an angry Zeus. Of the two remaining opponents, he was the bigger threat. He could use range, but if Thomas tried, he’d get his power drained.

                To his surprise, Thomas realized that this thought, while scary, didn’t cause his mind to freeze up. It was just a fact, the same as the knowledge that he’d be taken out if Violet landed one of her drop-blows on him. Certainly, it would be painful and unpleasant, but Thomas wasn’t losing control at the idea of it. His smile grew wide and wild. At long last, he was truly back in the fight. Thomas could think of no better way to celebrate than by achieving victory.

                Violet charged again, coming from the other direction as Vince’s electrical strikes. With a moment of sudden clarity, Thomas knew how he could attack Vince. Waiting until his housemate was only a few feet away, Thomas struck. A hand-shaped tendril of orange energy as thick as a tree trunk surged outward, grabbed Violet by the shoulder, and tossed her into the air. It took everything Thomas had to keep her suspended—she weighed so much it felt like he was trying to lift the ground beneath his feet—but he refused to let go. As her mid-air arc came to an end, Thomas took careful aim, and finally released. All in all, it was an unconventional toss, but it had sent the ultra-dense girl careening through the air.

                Careening . . . directly into Vince Reynolds. Vince’s eyes went wide as he saw his temporary teammate on a crash course with him. Without time to dodge, Vince merely held up his hands. Violet hit his palms and abruptly stopped, dropping to the ground at his feet with a mighty crash. Vince let out a deep breath, no doubt thankful that he’d managed to absorb the kinetic energy. It was in that brief moment of relief that Thomas struck, slamming a powerful blow into Vince’s leg. The snap echoed through the concrete room as Vince dropped, grabbing his shattered shin in pain.

                Thomas paused for a moment to reassess the situation. Violet was getting up, ready for another go, but Adam, Jill, and Vince were down for the count. In a purely physical fight, he had the advantage, which meant he had it in the bag. Thomas was thinking exactly that thought when a hand glowing with crackling white energy slammed into the base of his head, piercing his energy armor and knocking him out instantly.