by Drew Hayes
“That’s what I thought,” Professor Fletcher said. “All right then, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Five of your classmates were Powereds before they came here. Some of you are fine with that. Some don’t care. Some are liberally pissed off. There are probably even some of you that don’t know how you feel yet, and that’s okay. I’m not here to make everyone feel warm and squishy inside about this new development. What I am here to do is make sure we have four teams with good composition so that the match-ups result in legitimate learning opportunities. I somehow doubt that the teamwork will really be popping if each team has a few members that generate controversy and conflict just by existing. To that effect, this year we’re making a modification to the process. The four Captains will be Mary Smith, Chad Taylor, Shane DeSoto, and Britney Ferguson.”
Britney looked surprised, though she was one of the few. Despite the humble personality of the girl and seemingly non-combative nature of her ability, she’d placed highly in both last year’s midterm and final. She was resourceful, quick-witted, and determined under pressure, the perfect candidate for leading a team of fellow Supers.
“Now then, rather than forcing anyone to be on a team they have opposition with, we’re making things simple,” Professor Fletcher continued. “Roy Daniels, Mary Smith, Nick Campbell, Alice Adair, and Vince Reynolds will all be clumped into a single team.”
“Didn’t see that coming,” Nick mumbled under his breath. He actually agreed with this strategy, even if he hadn’t been able to help himself from imagining all the possible team combinations he could build from this selection of Supers. He’d crafted a few doozies too, but he was confident this team could do pretty well. Depending on who else they got, of course.
“For those of you keeping count, you’ll remember that the teams will be composed of seven each. That leaves this one short two members. So, instead of forcing anyone to get picked via the standard process, we’re just going to give the spots to people who want them. Anyone who is willing to work with these students, pasts as Powereds now known, please come step out from the line,” Professor Fletcher instructed.
It was a harsh move, admittedly, forcing people in this compact of a social sphere to publicly take sides with the outcasts. Professor Fletcher deemed it necessary, not only because they’d end up labeled as that by being on the team anyway, but because it would create a shared sense of being hated. There were few things to bring a group closer than by making them feel that their members were the only ones they could count on.
The first one to step forward was a lanky boy whose brown hair had grown shaggier over the summer. Had Hershel been there, Alex would have flashed him a smile as he moved his body before the rest of the class, but since it was Roy in attendance, Alex instead focused on looking stoic. Few people were surprised; after all, the delusional telepath was barely better than a Powered himself. Of course he would side with them.
Stella, Violet, and Thomas followed suit. They’d discussed it the night before and they’d decided to support their friends whenever they could. In truth, however, Thomas was strongly hoping not to get chosen for their team. Not because of lingering resentment, but because he very much wanted to face Vince in battle again. Vince had beaten Thomas once, and Thomas wanted to test his progress against those who had bested him.
Will felt his foot drift forward, then pulled it back in line. He had no problems with the group, and he would have happily served alongside his friends. That wasn’t viable, unfortunately; he needed to be in the same group as Jill and she would never take that step forward. He felt bad, and he fully intended to explain later, but his mind was set. Family came first.
Professor Fletcher was about to tell Mary to take her pick when one more figure gently glided forward. It was a small one, easy to miss in this crowd of large bodies and egos, but its advancement sent a ripple of surprise throughout the students remaining behind, as well as the ones standing forward.
Camille, for her part, tried to look nonplussed as she felt the stares of her class pile on top of her. Her neck became flushed and her hands started to tremble, but she kept all such nervousness off of her face. There would be time for cowardice later; now there was only the task at hand.
“More than I thought there would be,” Professor Fletcher commented. “Mary, take your choice of two.”
“I, um, I’m not sure,” Mary said. She hadn’t expected to be handed this responsibility, and wasn’t prepared to make a strategic decision that would affect all of her comrades for the rest of the year in the space of a few seconds. Fortunately, Mary’s particular talent kept her from being alone in her head, and even more fortunately there was a brain more cunning than hers actively lobbying to be heard from behind its stoic, sunglass-clad face.
“Camille,” Mary said, trying to sound sure of herself. The healer had been a relatively easy call; every team would have wanted her. It was the second choice that Mary was a little surprised by.
“And Alex,” she concluded. Mary wasn’t sure why Nick wanted someone who was essentially a weaker version of herself; however, she trusted his judgment in these matters. She’d just be demanding an explanation once they were away from prying eyes and ears.
“Okay, then, you seven cluster together,” Professor Fletcher said. “Everyone else, back in line. The other three Captains to the front. We’ll start based on rank, lowest going first, then up, and so on until all teams are formed. You’ll have a couple of minutes to talk, and then I’ll be giving out class schedules. Starting on Monday, you’ll be showing up for gym together then going to your assigned lessons. Team training takes place on your own time, so I’d advocate making some plans this weekend to find days that work for everyone. Just my advice, take it or leave it.”
None of the students were so thick-headed as to imagine there was actually a ‘leave it’ option on the table. Their final exam would take place with this group. Training was top priority in every one of their minds.
10.
“So, I guess we’re a team now,” Alice said as the seven clustered together. All across the room the other groups were circling up as well, having a quick chat and handling formalities while everything was still fresh and new. They were trying to adjust their mindsets, going from seeing each other almost exclusively as rivals to regarding one another in the light of camaraderie and mutual goals. The transition would be somewhat tumultuous in the majority of cases.
“Great to have you guys on board,” Vince said cheerfully. He shook Alex’s hand and slapped him on the back in a half hug. He did the same with Camille, albeit far more gently. It’s fortunate that doing so turned her face away from him, because Camille’s blush and expression would have made him think he had seriously injured her.
“Glad to be with you,” Alex said. “I have to say I was a little surprised you picked me. I mean, Thomas and Stella and Violet are all really strong fighters.”
Mary glanced at Nick, who took it upon himself to field the question.
“That they are,” Nick agreed. “But as the good professor pointed out, one of the core points of teamwork is trust. Now, while their stepping forward means the world to us, you’ve spent more time hanging out with us last year. You were also the first one to tell Hershel that you didn’t care about the whole Powered thing. To put a point on it, the five of us have experience working together, which is an advantage. Adding a sixth person who shares in some of that experience is worth vastly more to us than just another heavy hitter.”
“I’ve got that department handled,” Roy bragged, flexing a not unimpressive bicep. “I have to tell you, the one thing that surprised me was when the little lady here joined us.”
“Definitely,” Alice concurred. “I never expected to get the only healer in class with us. What made you decide to work with us, Camille?”
Camille let out a low squeak barely discernible to human ears. Luckily, Vince already had his own theory about her decision of addition.
“She’s good friends w
ith the other three. I guess they all had the same sentiment toward helping us,” Vince said. He turned to Camille and gave her a reassuring smile. “Thank you, by the way. I know someone with your ability could have had their pick of teams to work with.”
“No, I... I’m happy to be here,” Camille said, her soft voice piping up with more enthusiasm than she’d expected. She really was happy, too, that much was clear to everyone with training or telepathy. Alex already suspected the actual reason, but it was Mary who proved to be the more curious. So much so that she opened up her own mind and listened in to Camille’s thoughts for a moment.
“Whoa,” Mary said, taking a step backward and shaking her head. Whatever she’d been expecting, she hadn’t expected it to come with that much force, that much feeling. It was crazy that such a meek girl could be ratcheted up to that level of intensity.
“What whoa?” Alice asked.
“Oh, um, just whoa, I’m really excited about our team,” Mary lied lamely. “I can’t wait to get together and do some training.”
“Nor should we,” Nick leapt in. “We have a weekend before us, so I say we do a little team building event.”
“I swear to god, if you say the words horror movie I’m going to forcibly remove your baby-making equipment,” Alice said.
“Perish the thought,” Nick replied. “No, I was thinking more along the line of an outing, an excursion if you will. Something fun for us all to do together. Shall we say tomorrow night?”
“What did you have in mind?” Alex asked.
“A classic training technique to help us learn to work fluidly and seamlessly,” Nick told her. “Wear something nice and meet at Melbrook around eight.”
“I’m terrified, but curious,” Vince admitted.
“Have no fear, I guarantee a night that will culminate in both training and entertainment,” Nick assured him.
“I’m pretty sure that’s the part that terrifies him,” Alice said. “Well, that gives us tomorrow night, I say we get our schedules and relax a little with our evening.”
“Sounds good,” Mary agreed.
“Yeah, I’m down,” Vince said. “I’ll meet you guys there. I need to run a quick errand first.”
“We’ll try to survive without you,” Nick assured him.
* * *
Michael Clark was halfway across campus, heading toward the nearest dining hall, when he realized he was being followed. He kept his head trained in the same direction and tried not to give any indications he was aware. There weren’t many people around – regular classes didn’t start until Monday this year, so he didn’t have to worry about any bystanders if things got violent. Not that he would have anyway. No, his only real concern was if things got wild and he used his powers he might get identified. That was still a big no-no, so he’d try to restrain himself.
Michael slowed his pace by a few steps, letting the muffled gait of his pursuer draw closer, then spun around on his heels with his fists up, ready to deal with the threat by any means necessary. What greeted him was a figure with familiar hair and a slightly startled expression on his face. Michael didn’t let his guard down one bit. If anything, he grew tenser.
“Trying to sneak up on me, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised,” Michael spat.
“I think I’ll gloss over the irony of that particular statement,” Vince said. “I’m not trying to sneak up on you or attack you.”
“Sure, then why are you following me?” Michael asked.
“Well, I needed to talk to you,” Vince explained.
“You’ve been following for a while just to talk.”
“I wasn’t really sure how to start things off,” Vince said. “So I kept trying to think of a good way, but stayed close so I could and then... I suppose you started things for me.”
“Uh huh,” Michael said skeptically. “Fine, then. I’ll play along: what did you want to talk about?”
“Two things, actually. First off, I wanted to know how you found out about us last year.”
“Lots of research and putting the pieces together.”
“No, that’s how you proved it to everyone else. I wanted to know what tipped you off in the first place.”
Michael stared at his opponent fiercely. There was nothing aggressive in his body language, nothing to suggest this request was coming with a threat of violence if not complied with. Still, Michael didn’t owe this freak any favors.
“There was always something off about you,” Michael lied. “I just trusted my gut and kept digging until I found the truth.”
Vince sighed. “If that’s what you want to stick with then I can’t force you to tell me. We will find out eventually. I’d just hoped you would have been a little more helpful.”
“Hope is a beautiful thing, you hang onto that,” Michael said. “What else did you want?”
“Oh, well, the other thing I wanted is to say ‘thank you’.”
Michael tilted his head in skepticism.
“No, I mean it. Not only for setting me free from living a lie, but for helping me see how wrong I was last year,” Vince said.
“What do you mean?”
“I kept thinking that by limiting my power intake I was keeping everyone else safe. I was so scared of losing control that I purposely kept myself as weak as possible. But if you hadn’t stirred up the whole campus, I doubt George and Persephone could have slipped off with our friends and in that whole fiasco I realized something important: I can’t keep anyone safe if I’m weak. I have to get past my fear of losing control and start using my power to its limit and then some. If I really want to keep everyone safe then I’ve got to be stronger than everyone and everything else,” Vince explained. “So, for that lesson, I sincerely do want to thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Michael said with a sneer. “Let me know if there’s anything else you want me to teach you.”
“Oh, I don’t think there’s any need for that,” Vince replied. His voice was the same, as was his stance, but something seemed to shift to Michael. He couldn’t put his finger on why, however he was certain something about this situation had become vastly more dangerous.
“I took that lesson to heart, Michael, and I think you’ll find I’m now far less hesitant about how much power I keep held within me. I genuinely meant that thank you, and I do hope one day you and I can become mutually respectful peers, if not outright friends. That said, until you get past whatever issues you seem to have with me, you should stay away. From me, and especially from my friends.”
“Big talk from a freak,” Michael said. “I think someone needs to be reminded which of us always wins our fights.”
Michael took a step forward and readied himself to charge. Suddenly he felt his breath slip out of his chest as the air around him rippled with heat. In less than a second the temperature had leapt up by tens of degrees and it was only getting hotter. He tried to gulp down new air but it burned at his lungs and gave him little relief. He fell to a knee in hopes of seeking cooler air closer to the ground. Then, just as soon as it had started, it was over. The heat dissipated and Michael was able to take several ragged breaths to sooth his pounding heart.
“I’m not here to fight. I just wanted to ask you a question and say thanks,” Vince said calmly. “I don’t have interest in fighting you, Michael. I never did. The difference is that I’m not going to put up with your antics anymore either. Please keep that in mind next time you decide to ambush me, because I’m done pulling punches.”
Vince turned and headed off toward his dorm, leaving Michael still panting for air and fuming with rage.
11.
It was later than he expected when a series of sharp knocks rang against Nick’s door. He glanced at the clock and saw the glowing digital numbers flashing nearly midnight. He supposed it was a Friday night, and Mary and Hershel would want to get some couple time in after all. Still, it was a good thing he was a night owl or else Nick might have been perturbed at the intrusion.
He opened to door
to reveal Mary, dressed for the night in sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, who walked briskly past him and plopped down in his desk chair.
“Can I help you?” Nick asked.
“You sure can,” Mary replied. “We need to talk about the team.”
“Wouldn’t that require the rest of the aforementioned team to be present?”
“Don’t be an ass. I trusted your judgment on picking Camille and Alex today. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to know why you thought they were the best choices,” Mary said.
“Someone is feeling nosy.”
“Someone is feeling responsible. I got selected as Captain, which means the hard choices fall on me to make. I think I’ve got a better chance of doing that if I have the best understanding of my team possible.”
“Why, Ms. Smith, are you saying that I can offer insight even to a telepath?”
“I’m saying you’re a better tactician and strategist than anyone else in our group. And yes, part of being a good leader is surrounding yourself with smart people and then actually listening to them,” Mary shot back. “Now, can we please end this little dance? You knew I was coming over for this, and I knew that you knew, which you knew, and blah blah blah.”
“I suppose that’s fair,” Nick said, sitting on the edge of his bed and facing Mary. “So you want to know why I picked Alex and Camille. Well, let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Camille is the only healer in our class. Having her means that we are literally the lone team in any game that can bring pieces back onto the board after they have been eliminated. That single fact would have made me pick her, but she actually brings more to the table than that. She’s socially awkward enough to be accustomed to the ostracization that will accompany siding with us, and she’s one of the few people whose loyalty we will never have to question.”
“What makes you say that?” Mary asked.
“Because she’s in love with Vince.”