by Drew Hayes
“You know, if you ever want to talk to someone about all of this-”
“Let’s keep it professional,” Nick said, cutting her off. “I’m not the kind of person who really opens up and spills my heart.”
“Never hurts to try.”
“On that account, you are so very wrong,” Nick replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a fresh beer to open and a blonde girl to try and convince I was messing with her.”
“Don’t do that,” Mary cautioned.
“Why? Because such complications make life worth the living?”
“Well, yes. But mostly because I know you’ve been trying to repair some semblance of trust between the two of you.”
“So?”
“So, I don’t generally talk about what other people are thinking or feeling out of respect for their privacy, but I’ll at least say that right now is the closest you’ve been all semester to achieving that goal.”
“Ah, yes, I suppose I should have tugged on her heart strings earlier.”
“No, it’s because you told her something sincerely and spontaneously honest. Alice may not be telepathic or skilled in emotional manipulation, but she’s good enough at reading people to see that much. If you go try and lie about it then I don’t know how she’ll take it, but I guarantee it won’t put you any closer to a friendship.”
Nick bit back the witty retort that tried to leap off of his tongue. Instead he merely said, “Advice appreciated,” and headed toward the bar. He wasn’t sure he agreed with Mary’s assessment, but he’d be a damned fool to ignore a telepath completely. At the very least he could ride this apparent positivity of Alice’s through Monday’s match. After that he would decide on the best course of action.
It was the simple, logical choice. That’s what he kept assuring himself as he carefully watched Alice clumsily swaying with her friends on the dance floor.
38.
Monday morning found the sophomore students gathered in the gym, working hard to downplay their nerves and project auras of confidence. It worked about as well as a pigeon pretending to be a peacock, but since everyone was so inwardly focused, few took notice of the others. All of their professors, along with Dean Blaine, were gathered at one side of the room, speaking quietly. Soon they would break apart and the match would begin. Until that time, all that was left for the students to do was sweat.
Nick adjusted the knapsack on his shoulder. It was so heavy that the strap kept digging into him. He doubted he would be allowed to bring all of his supplies into the test; however, it hardly made sense to have a Weapons course and disallow the use of all of them in combat possible situations.
The others prepared in their own ways. Mary was quietly listening to all of those around her, Vince was stretching, Roy was downing additional whiskey, Alex was doing some weird breathing thing, Camille was glancing around nervously, and Alice was twisting her hair around her finger. At least the other teams were showing similar tells of fear and uncertainty. Nick noted that, predictably, Chad’s team seemed the most secure. He was glad they weren’t facing the blonde boy’s battalion today; it would have been such a swift loss he doubted it would even qualify as a match.
“Listen up!” Professor Fletcher said, stepping forward as the administrative crowd parted. “In a few minutes, we’re going to take you down to the levels where you will be facing each other. The events will occur simultaneously on different floors, and we will be monitoring both closely. Before we depart, I’m going to go over the rules.”
If one were so inclined, they could have listened closely and actually heard tensing of muscles and crackling of bones as the students leaned forward to hang on Professor Fletcher’s every word.
“Today’s match will test both your combat and strategic skills. As such, we’ve opted for an activity that allows the use of both, depending on one’s technique. You’ll be playing a simple game of Capture the Flag.”
Not one student was so stupid as to believe there was anything simple about the game they were about to play.
“Now, obviously you won’t be eliminating one another with flags or paintballs as that would be too easy. No, if you want to take a player out of the game, you’ll have to physically incapacitate them. Be careful; while broken bones and concussions are easily mended, anyone using intentionally lethal force will automatically be disqualified. Not only does your team lose, but I can assure you we will be taking a hard look at whether or not any violators of that rule belong in the program. Beyond that, the rules are simple: all you have to do is grab the other team’s flag and you win. I know that normally there is a component of returning it to your own base area; however this game is a bit more sudden-death style.”
The students looked at their teammates, eyes silently trying to convey ideas and tactics before such communication was feasible to transmit covertly. Every second counted; that lesson they’d already learned from their time at Lander.
“As to how you obtain the flag, that is entirely up to you. Fight the other team, sneak past them, trick them, do whatever you like. The team can defend the flag however they see fit, but they aren’t allowed to intentionally move or touch it in any way, so the flag’s location is a constant. If you win, all that matters is the results. If you lose, well, then we’ll examine the mistakes you made and who was responsible for them. Something to keep in mind. So, any questions?” Professor Fletcher asked in closing.
A myriad of hands flew into the air, each stretched as far as the muscles and bone would allow.
“Good. Hopefully you find your answers in the thick of the action,” Professor Fletcher said with a grin. “All right, everyone, follow me.”
* * *
“You have got to be kidding me,” Nick said, his eyes taking in the lush landscape spread out before them. If they hadn’t just taken the lifts down several levels he would have sworn they were back outside. Rolling hills, thick clusters of trees, even a brook that could be heard in the distance. Someone had even gone to the effort of painting the ceiling varying shades of blue to give the effect of a genuine sky.
“It is very impressive,” Mary agreed, her own amazement more subdued.
“I am seriously beginning to wonder just how many floors down this whole complex really goes,” Alice speculated. “And how it can possibly be structurally sound.”
“Given that they have access to some of the most powerful Heroes in the world as alumni, I’m guessing they may have pulled a few fast ones on physics to make this happen,” Nick said.
“No matter how they did it, it’s amazing,” Vince said in awe.
“Yeah, super nice. You do remember we need to get to our flag before the match starts, right?” Roy asked pointedly. He had never been much for appreciating the beauty of the world around him, unless of course said beauty involved long legs and an amply curved chest.
“Roy is right,” Mary said. “We need to do less gawking and more hustling. Once the starting bell sounds if we aren’t in location we can’t very well protect our flag.”
“I can fly up and scout ahead,” Alice offered. “I’m sure that will be easier than using the map.” Professor Fletcher had dropped the teams off in different areas, giving both team captains a small slip of paper that contained instructions on how to get to their flag then had headed off with the other two teams to another floor. Mary had taken one glance at the parchment and immediately plotted their course.
“I’m actually pretty good with wilderness navigation,” Mary replied. “Besides, right now we don’t know where the other team is, only the direction they left in. Depending on how close they are, it’s possible they could see you in the air and get an idea of our location.”
“Oh yeah,” Alice said, a smattering of dejection in her voice.
“Of course, that’s only while we find our own spot. You’ll be absolutely essential in helping us track down their flag,” Mary continued.
“Right,” Alice said, perking up. “No worries, you can count on me.”
<
br /> “So glad you two could have this heart to heart; now, unless my eyes deceive me, I think I see a red strip of fabric waving at us through the trees,” Nick pointed out.
Mary saw the flag too and paused briefly before heading forward. She turned back and took a hard look at her team. They were nervous, excited, scared, and unwavering all at once. There was also one trait that shone through in all of them, and that was determination. They knew odds weren’t exactly stacked in their favor and that no one was rooting for them to come out on top, yet staring into their eyes, Mary could tell they’d do everything they could to win, odds be damned. Despite what Nick might think about their capabilities compared to other ensembles, at that moment Mary wouldn’t have traded any one of them, not even for Chad.
“All right, team, stick to the plan, follow instructions, remember the flag is the primary objective, and do your best,” Mary encouraged.
“That, and make sure you kick the ass of anyone you come up against,” Roy tacked on.
Mary gave a gentle smile. “Yes, that, too.”
39.
Team One gathered around their flag, doing a quick scout of the area and getting a sense of the land. They were quick and efficient, simply because they had to be. The other team would be moving soon and time wasted was advantage lost. It would have been easier if they could have tasked someone to carry or bury the triangular shape of cloth, but one of the few rules of the game was that no team could move or touch its own flag. In a matter of minutes the seven students had drawn all the conclusions they could and broken into their assigned units.
The core of Nick’s strategy was delegation into set teams. Vince, Camille, and Alex composed one, while Alice, Roy, and Mary composed the other. This gave each team access to a telepath, a combat-oriented person, and someone with skills useful in the field. Nick was assigned as a free radical, floating between the groups as tasks required. Should a situation call for a greater division, Alex and Mary could go off on their own, as they possessed both field and fighting skills. This was why Nick had chosen the playing card system to explain things to his team. The goal was to make sure that at any given time every unit was equal to an Ace, either by virtue of being one or by pairing people who were respectively each a number and face card.
For this match they came to the consensus that Vince, Camille, and Alex’s unit should defend the flag while the others pursued offense. The main reason was that while Alex would still gain telepathic warning when they were being approached, Mary’s level of detailed hearing would be more useful in gleaning hints at the opponent’s flag’s location. They opted to split into two further teams, Nick and Mary going one route and Alice and Roy taking another to increase chances of finding the flag before the other team could track down theirs. Words were brief, obedience automatic, and tactics well established. The whole strategy had been kept fluid precisely for this reason. People knew their overall unit; all that remained was assigning them specific tasks to complete. It was a methodology Nick was confident his people could execute. All that remained to be seen was if the other team employed a better one.
* * *
Roy and Alice skulked along the tree line, the girl floating a few feet off the ground and occasionally lifting herself higher for perspective. Mary and Nick were long out of sight, and Alice was beginning to realize just how large this area truly was. It seemed finding the flag would be more difficult than she’d expected. On the plus side, hopefully that meant their own base would remain undiscovered for some time as well. She bobbed up over the trees once more. The longer they went without encountering anyone, not even the flag but anyone, the more Alice became concerned they were on the wrong path.
“Do you think the others are having more luck?” Alice asked as she lowered her position.
“Don’t know. Doesn’t matter,” Roy shot back simply.
“How can you say that?”
“Because I’m not on the unit with the telepath. Mary was clear: you and I go until we find a flag, an opponent, or a wall. If it’s the first one we’re done, the second we beat them and keep going, and the third we change direction.”
“Doesn’t that bother you, that we’re just sent out and told ‘keep walking’?”
“Not really,” Roy said. “I’m not big on any of that forethought or tactics crap. ‘Charge until you hit something’ is a mentality I can get behind.”
“Of course it is,” Alice sighed. She wasn’t sure she would have preferred to be with Nick right now, but Roy was hardly stimulating conversation. The boy might be charming in the right element, but when offered the prospect of violence, his attention shifted completely. “At least we’ve got a good shot against anyone we encounter. I’d be a lot more worried if it was Chad’s team.”
“If we were facing Chad’s people I wouldn’t be walking toward the other team right now,” Roy replied.
“Oh no? Then what would you be doing?”
Roy gave her a toothy smile, one that made her think of a hyena she’d once seen on the nature channel. “I’d be running toward them.”
Alice opened her mouth to reply, but a sounds like falling glass interrupted her as a bolt of blue flew by and struck Roy’s left leg, freezing it in place.
“That’s very brave talk,” Michael Clark said, stepping out from behind a tree. “But maybe you should be more concerned with the opponents you actually have.”
Before he could say another word, Alice launched herself upward, working to get out of range. A few hunks of ice wouldn’t slow Roy down much, but if she got entangled she was as good as done. The air whipped by her as she bolted higher, then sounds of something tearing through the air registering just below her feet. She glanced down to see a flashing of blue arcing through the sky and landing in the grass below. She’d barely been missed. Alice flipped around to watch the opponent. At this distance she could sway to one side or another and dodge with ease.
Back on the ground, Michael turned to a still frozen in place Roy. “Looks like your partner isn’t going to be much help.”
“What, you think she abandoned me? Don’t be an idiot. She did exactly what she was supposed to do.”
“By running away? You Powereds really are a bunch of cowards.”
“Nah, we just recognize the use of roles. Alice can go up high and spot a flag easy. I can’t do that. I have a whole different purpose.” Roy lifted his foot from the ground and brought it forcefully down, shattering its frozen encasement. “My job is the kick the ass of everyone we meet so she can do hers.”
“How nice for you,” Michael replied calmly. “You really think you can beat someone two ranks higher than you?”
“Beat you? I have no intention of beating you.” Roy took a few steps forward and flexed his hands, a small series of pops emanating from along the knuckles and joints. “I’m going to fucking wreck you.”
40.
“We’ve got two incoming, about half a mile to the southeast,” Alex said, breaking the silence in which the three stood around the flag.
“Any idea who they are?” Vince asked.
“Not a clue. They seem to be weaving a bit about. I think they’re canvasing the area thoroughly, which at least means they don’t know where we are.”
“It also means if we leave them be they’ll eventually find us,” Vince pointed out.
“That, too,” Alex agreed.
“So what should we do?” Camille asked.
“We stick to the plan,” Vince replied. “Without knowing the size of their offensive force, we can’t afford to leave the flag unguarded. Since Alex is the only one who can sense incoming presences we can’t risk him at the outset. That means you and I go handle these two. If we fail then at least he’ll know they are still coming.”
“And if we succeed I’ll take care of your wounds and we’ll hurry back to this spot to strengthen our position,” Camille added.
“You sure you can handle this? Two versus two seems good, but only one of you is a fighter,” Alex poin
ted out. “I could come along and help. I don’t sense anyone else getting near yet and it would probably take them a while to find this spot regardless.”
Vince shook his head. “Nick and Mary came up with this system for a reason. I trust them both more than myself at this sort of situation, so Camille and I will go handle things. Besides, they’re weak on combat personnel anyway. Maybe they did like us and paired people who could fight along with people who had other skills.”
“It’s something to hope for,” Alex said. “Make a wide swing when you leave. We don’t want them knowing the direction the flag is in. Most importantly, you two keep safe.”
“Don’t worry, we will,” Vince assured him. Camille merely nodded her agreement and tried to calm the intolerable churning in her stomach.
* * *
“Anything?” Nick asked impatiently.
“Vince and Camille are on their way to intercept Allen and Hector, Michael and Britney are still searching for our flag, Roy and Alice are fighting Adam, who I’m guessing took on Michael’s shape, and Gilbert and Terrance are blinking at random through the area, looking for any opponents,” Mary doled out concisely.
“I do adore that ridiculous range of yours,” Nick complimented. “So where is their flag?”
“No idea,” Mary replied.
“Not one of them is thinking about it?”
“Worse. None of them know where it is.”
“They don’t... oh that sneaky, sneaky bitch. She found a way to take away the advantage of having telepaths.”
“So it seems. They never even looked at the map, they just huddled up and established perimeters to search,” Mary elaborated.
“Getting rid of any chance of us gleaning the location and giving them a head start. A defense of ignorance that allows them to put all of their resources into offense. Ballsy.”
“You almost sound impressed.”
“I’m impressed by strategies that work. Right now it’s a gambit designed to overcome their biggest weakness. It does so, but only by opening other holes for us to exploit,” Nick evaluated. “But it could work, especially if they converge on our flag fast enough.”