Siri spread her arms wide, pointing to the two edges of the oval where the circles waited.
“Contestants will start on both sides, with the more senior choosing their preferred circle. The winner will be determined when the first contestant scores three points – each point signifying a death stroke, or an action that either incapacitates or has the potential to kill an opponent. Applications will come one week in advance and may be submitted at any point prior to the end of today. Simply fill out a form with your own name as well as the name of the person you wish to challenge and drop it inside the box located at the entrance of this gym. By the next morning, brackets will be on display in the auditorium of the coming week’s matches.
“This means each of you will have one week to prepare, one week to gauge the other’s weaknesses, to determine how to best defeat the other power. Obviously, this does not reflect an accurate fight, so as we progress through the year, this time will shorten and brackets will be displayed later and later into the week. Seven days will be reduced to six, then five, then all the way down to the minute before the competition. Accordingly, the points to win will also be diminished from three to one. Bear in mind that this places the advantage upon the challenger, as they will still have a full week to prepare.”
She smiled, turning from Upper to Average to Bottom.
“So, students, take a close look at your peers. Who among you will be changing their position next week? Who among you will become an Upper? It’s up to you! That’s all for today, but prepare for next week. And don’t forget your submissions!”
The submission box was closest to the Bottoms, and every single one of them rushed into the front of the line, their eyes flickering from Average to Average as they considered their options. After a few moments, they shoved their slips into the box and the first of the Averages arrived, their own hungry gazes already shifting across the Uppers. Several Averages had already left the gym, particularly those who did not stay overnight at the school, Arial among them. But of those in the dorms, nearly all remained.
I considered my options among the Uppers. Should I choose someone too easy, there would be too much competition to reach them, and I’d be exhausted before the fight that actually mattered. And should I choose someone too difficult, I’d waste my opportunity to jump a rank and have to wait another full week.
But after a few moments of thought, I wrote a name upon my slip and jammed it into the box.
Then I waited for the next day, when the brackets would be displayed.
Chapter 32
“Oh ho ho, SC, I hope you’re ready for a fun week!” shouted Josh as the door to our room slammed shut and I sat up in my bed, still groggy from sleep.
“What-what’s going on?” I asked, blinking, and seeing that outside the sun had just started to rise.
“Woke up and I had to pee like nobody’s business, so I figured I’d check if the brackets were posted. And they are! A few Bottoms beat me to it!”
Blankets flew into the air as the rest of the students jumped up, scurrying down the hall in bare feet, rushing forward to see the brackets. Of those in my room, every one of us had challenged an Upper. And every one of us was excited to win.
Three brackets were painted onto a banner the size of a van and hung from the auditorium wall, high enough that even the shorter students in the back of the growing crowd could see them clearly. First, there was the largest banner, the Average versus Average. Here, those that had put the same name down to challenge an Upper were dueling each other first in order to move to the Upper vs Average bracket. The largest sub-bracket was filled with ten names, all fighting for the opportunity to duel Roger, the Upper who was largely believed to have his position due to his father’s large donation to the school the prior year. Though his power was strong as an Electrospark, Roger rarely looked others in the eye, and during initial testing, there were whispers that the instructor spent twenty minutes trying to coax his power out of him.
Relief flooded over me as I saw that I had bypassed the Averages bracket entirely and moved to the Uppers vs Averages, no one else stepping forward to challenge my opponent – Blake, the Diamond Exterior, whose power relied upon direct contact with me. And since the contest was scored by striking your opponent, as long as I could keep my distance and use my power at a distance, I would have a chance. Better than simply becoming an Upper, it would be my opportunity to retaliate against his earlier comments. And when I did become an Upper, it meant I wouldn’t have to share a classroom with him.
But then I saw an footnote next to my name, and the smile froze on my face. There, on the Bottoms vs Averages bracket, I had a challenger. Someone who I would have to defeat before facing Blake.
Fino.
The student who had stood next to me during the assembly on the first day, whose shoes and clothes had smoldered before Siri turned her attention on him. Who now watched me from the other side of the gym, his hand on the wall, his eyes meeting mine. Then he turned to go, an ash handprint left behind, and a poster on the wall curling away from heat as he passed.
I swallowed and turned back to the bracket, making sure no one else had challenged me. A few were bracketed against Arial, another had chosen Lucio, and a third against Darian. The other names were not so familiar to me, though I knew in the majority of cases the Bottoms would have trouble – with powers like theirs, they stood little chance of making their way into the Average ranks.
Except for my opponent, who should have been placed among the most powerful had he not misbehaved.
Which meant this coming Sunday, I had to fight not just one Upper, but two.
Chapter 33
Late Sunday night, I made my way to the training gym, the steps along the dark hallways now familiar as part of my routine. The singing had just finished, and I felt the usual rush of motivation flood through me, spurring me forward, pushing me to train. To become an Upper and defeat both Blake and Fino.
But halfway down the main hallway of the school, I stopped cold, seeing a door creak open a dozen yards in front of me. With a single side step, I darted into a dark classroom, holding my breath as I strained my ears, my heart seizing as a tree branch scraped against the side of the building and the wind whistled. I craned my neck, my eyes trying to discern shapes but finding nothing that moved, wondering if it had only been my imagination.
Slowly, I crept out from the classroom, my eyes on the door that had opened, my feet making no sound on the cold floor. Still there was no movement, but I frowned, knowing that if I crossed the door’s threshold, anyone inside could see me. And pretty sure that the door had moved, but not one hundred percent sure.
So I backed away down the main corridor, keeping my eyes pinned ahead until I turned the corner. There, along a slightly longer route, was a side corridor that I could take instead. One that looped along the sleeping quarters, then passed behind the cafeteria, but would still bring me to the gym.
I darted like a shadow, ducking under each of the incremental windows set into the wall, resisting the temptation to break into a run. The confines of this smaller hallway made the hairs on my neck stand up, the tight turns concealing each new length, the moonlight shining through the windows keeping my pupils just small enough to hide the darker shadows.
Which was why I never saw the small meeting, I only heard it.
“Every minute she spends here is increased risk!” hissed a voice from ahead on my right, and I froze, dropping to a crouch inside a broom-filled maintenance closet. Just ahead I could see the dim light around the edges of an ajar door, the teachers’ lounge, and I swallowed as I recognized the speaker.
Peregrine.
“He picks her up each day while the rest of the students are cleaning. I’ve watched them – every time he drives by, it’s slow as he peers through the gates, searching for something. He's suspicious. And I’m sure she provides him with a highlight reel each night.”
“If you’re acting accordingly, you should have nothing to worry a
bout,” came the second voice, and my eyes widened as I recognized it too as Siri. “I’ve been running rehabilitation centers for ten years, Peregrine, with hardly a hiccup after the first center. We’re far cleaner now than back then, and we’ve closed the records on those students – the ones that entered the mental wards are there for PTSD from the front lines of the wars, and the ones who haven’t are so loyal to the state that they died for it. Besides, the police know we are the hand that feeds them – if they were going to bite us, they would have done so long ago, and if they want trained Specials to populate their ranks, then they have no choice but to comply.”
“Yes, the police might not try anything, but he’s an independent contractor with a knack for looking in places he shouldn’t,” Peregrine protested. “Technically, he’s not bound by their rules – he can act rogue, or at least claim that, whether or not he is colluding. They can deny any sort of interference on their part.”
“But your project is well hidden, is it not? Just three weeks ago, you assured me that no one would ever find it, even with a map,” responded Siri, then her voice turned low and hard. “Or do I have reason to be concerned, Peregrine?”
“I didn’t expect a damn Hunter to be on my tracks.”
“You’ve dealt with them before, deal with them again,” she said, her voice drawling. “You're being paranoid, Peregrine.”
“It’s not strategic. Let’s remove her before she causes trouble, expel her or cause an accident, or facilitate her entry into a new school,” he demanded. “I might be paranoid, but you're reckless.”
“It is strategic, Peregrine. If her father suspects something, he’ll find a way to keep investigating. However, there’s only one way to hold him at bay,” she answered. “Do you know why my singing power works? It creates a desire so strong that everything else is eroded away. Once you have a person controlled by their desire, you can steer them any way you wish. And desire comes from something you can’t have, something that is taken from you. Do you follow me, Peregrine? Why give him back his daughter?”
“It’s risky,” he answered slowly. “But I agree that it does make sense. While we have her during the day, he can’t make an advance. He has to be cautious, so we only have to watch for him in the hours she isn’t here.”
“Of course, but you misunderstand me. If she is always here,” hissed Siri, “then you shouldn’t have to worry about him ever. I think it’s time Arial realized that the rehabilitation facility is where she belongs.”
Chapter 34
I smiled as I awakened the morning after overhearing Siri and Peregrine, jumping out of bed to prepare for physical exercise. Even in the short time that I had been in the facility, my muscles had already started to firm from the morning sessions – I could feel it in my back when I climbed up to my bunk, or my legs when taking three stairs at a time was easier than just one. And in the mornings, my joints and limbs no longer groaned from the previous day – rather, there was a permanent soreness in them that was almost satisfying, a deep sensation deep under the skin that thirsted to be stretched.
After becoming accommodated to regular meals and a having a mattress under me each night, my physical scores reflected my growing muscles as well – now I started placing in the upper fifth of the class, completing the exercises quicker to afford longer breaks, and watching as the other students improved as well. Even Connor could now keep up with the remainder of the class – though his times were poor, he actually completed the routine instead of stopping midway.
When I arrived to Instructor Linns’ class later that day, I couldn’t help but feel happy for Arial as she sat next to me – she would be receiving special attention from Siri, and soon she would not have to be around her father as often. I laughed, remembering how I had wanted to help him before Siri’s comments about him the night before – obviously, he was someone to be avoided. Plus, this meant Arial wouldn’t be leaving me for a new school. Besides Darian and Lucio, she was one of the only students I spoke to on a regular basis.
And even though the sides of my mouth raised when I waved at her, my heart twinged just for an instant, my face struggling to hide jealousy. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be long before I, too, had some individual time with Siri.
“What are you so happy about?” Arial asked after class as I walked with her towards lunch.
“Oh, nothing in particular,” I lied, not wanting to spoil the surprise. “Just ready for the brackets this Saturday!”
“You realize it’s ridiculous, right?” she huffed, shaking her head. “Them turning us against each other to try to become Uppers. Life is perfectly fine as an Average without everyone staring at you like they want to stab you in the back.”
“It’s an excellent opportunity to advance, Arial,” I lectured, and she rolled her eyes. “I have a feeling you’ll change your mind eventually.”
Then it was onto Peregrine’s class, where we continued to hone our abilities. I frowned, realizing halfway through that Arial had not come with us – hopefully, she hadn’t already left for home. Since seeing the brackets, everyone was practicing with increased ferocity, particularly in areas that they thought would expose a weakness in their enemy.
No one wanted to volunteer to help Lucio and take time from their own routine, so Peregrine selected a student at random every few minutes. And next to me, Darian practiced with Miles since no one else could muster the strength to hold the dummies that Miles slammed with punches that would dent the side of bank vaults, or spot him as he lifted several thousand pounds in lead weights. But for Darian, once he mimicked Miles’ power, the task was easy.
I rushed through chores after dinner, hoping for a chance at a nap to recover from the night before and revive me for the chance to go to the gym while the others slept. Today, I had been assigned yard maintenance, one of the quicker tasks, in particular to rake leaves scattered around the physical training ground.
“Create piles, bag them, and dispose of them behind the dumpster at the back of the school,” one of the instructors directed me, his voice a drawl. “Once you’re finished with that, you’re free for the night.”
But the dumpster was at the far end of the school, and each of the trips would take just as long as the raking itself. Holding a hand over my eyes to shield them from the sun, I scanned the yard as I finished my first pile, looking for where else I could dispose of them. Then I turned around and nodded as I saw the fence behind me.
There was the rhododendron tree I used to climb, which had a perpetual mound of leaves at its base, one that no one would notice if they were to become slightly larger. All I had to do was throw the bags over the wall, empty them after I scaled the fence, and return back to the yard. Overall, it would be far quicker than the dumpster.
I looked left and right as I turned the first bag into a pendulum, swinging it from my right shoulder until I was sure no one was watching. Then I heaved it upwards, releasing it in a long arc, and watching as the bag started to sail over the wall in a trajectory aimed for the tree.
And just as it cleared the lip of the wall, it exploded.
Leaves showered down in trailing arcs as my mouth opened, watching as the bag ruptured against the air, splitting open and toppling down half full on top of my head. Shaking it off, I squinted, trying to see if anything had collided with it. Then I picked up a rock from the ground and lobbed it upwards, watching as bounced away off of nothing and back into the school yard. Curious, I climbed, my hands finding little nooks in the bricks, and placed my palm against where only air should be.
And instead, I felt a cold, smooth continuation of the wall. An invisible object that extended as far as I could reach, and that shimmered just slightly on contact with my palm, barely enough that I could see a disruption.
Strange, I thought, my eyebrows coming together. This part of the city wasn’t that dangerous and certainly did not warrant extra security to protect us from outside. And everyone loved the facility, so surely it was not meant to keep us in – who wou
ld ever try to leave?
Collecting the rest of the leaves, I hauled them to the dumpster, biting my lip as I walked. Just thinking about the invisible wall made my stomach feel unsettled, though I wasn’t sure why. Surely it meant me no harm.
And after I finished, I rushed back to the dorm, eager to take a quick nap. Most students were still completing their chores, so I would have plenty of quiet, a luxury that was near nonexistent at the facility. Settling into bed, I closed my eyes, then cursed as I realized I had left my shoes in the bathroom next door. With I sigh, I sat back up, rising to fetch them, and walking barefoot onto the cold bathroom floor.
But my shoes weren’t by the door like I thought they had been. Actually, now I couldn't remember using the bathroom at all. And my forehead wrinkled as I tried to remember why I even would have left my shoes here, just as I heard someone step forward from behind me.
Before I could move, I was shoved against the wall, my hands pinned behind me with fingers clenched around my wrists like vise grips, my shoulders nearly ripped out of the sockets, and a pressure applied to the small of my back that expelled my breath in a gasp.
“This has gone on long enough, SC, it’s time we set you straight,” whispered Lucio’s voice as I struggled to turn. “Let’s go, move him. We don’t have much time, and I’ll need all I can get.”
Chapter 35
“Cut that out, or I’ll snap your neck!” growled Darian as I squirmed, my arms still pinned behind my back as he lifted me into the air, one of my kicks catching Lucio in the chest as I struggled. “I've borrowed the strength to do it!”
Star Child: Places of Power Page 11