Eventually, he decides that wherever the power is coming from, it’s not that tunnel, but rather somewhere close. So he decides he’s going to check that and see what else might be next door – something like a basement or a sewer system, since he knows someone at the city permit office who has access to the blueprints of the infrastructure under the city. Based on how this city is run, I doubt he’ll have much luck, and he didn’t look happy either. I’d thought I’d heard some profanities on the streets, but that man knows how to curse. Eventually, he gives up, and we backtrack, being careful not to be seen.
But here’s where it gets interesting, SC.
When I mimic powers, I get a sense of how strong they are based on how many I can carry at once. If there’s a stronger power, it takes up more space inside me, and pushes the others out. Things like Lucio’s or The Hunter’s powers take up almost no space, since those are more skill-based, and much harder for me to replicate. But high power Flamethrowers, Electrosparks, Hurricaners, or anything that really has oomph to it weighs me down. Typically, they’re easy to absorb as well, since they’re practically spilling over the edges of their wielders.
The powers I hold degrade over time and I’d been looking to refresh some of my powers in case things got ugly again at the police station. And that’s when I noticed that one of the people we passed in the station used a spark from his finger to light a cigarette. So I picked the power up, and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the strongest Electrospark I ever felt. And I kept doing it – anyone we passed that showed any power I absorbed, and each time there was the same result.
That station, SC, is crawling with high powered Specials like it has an infestation, dressed like they’re beggars or gang members. Something’s up, and there’s enough energy bottled up in there to turn that station to dust several times over, or blow it up to your birthplace.
Chapter 66
“Darian,” I said, the words coming slow as he finished his story. “What was at the end of that tunnel if you kept going?”
“Eh, nothing,” Darian answered, waving a hand, and squinting at me with one eye. “Just looked pretty dark and kept going. Nothing interesting, at least.”
“But did you check?” I pressed, my breath quickening.
“Check for what? Looked empty from where I stood, couldn’t really see much. No reason to keep moving. We were busy; you can't expect us to check everywhere.”
I laughed, and he yawned before speaking again, his voice irritated. “What’s so funny? We didn’t find anything.”
“Oh, but you did!” I exclaimed, a smile wide on my face. “Because for me, you finding nothing where there should be something is better than finding something where there should be nothing!”
“I’m not following, SC. Break it down for me, I'm only half listening.”
“Get some sleep, Darian, and touch base with us soon. I’ll explain later. But what matters is we know where my mother is. Now all we have to do is fetch her,” I bit my lip to stop it from quivering with excitement and paced, my mind racing with possibilities.
“You wouldn’t stand a shot down there, SC. Even with a power like yours, you’re sorely outmatched. It’d be like walking into a tsunami.”
“We’ll see. I’ve got an idea – I need to sleep on it, but I think it will work. Are you sure you weren’t seen going down the tunnel, by the way?”
“Certain,” he answered. “At least from what I could tell. Unless there was someone invisible or something, but typically, I notice those powers if they’re around me long enough.”
“Good,” I answered. “Then surprise is on our side. And Darian, make sure you keep The Hunter busy. Drop some hints or say you know more than you’re letting on. The last thing we need is for him to make it on the school grounds through legal action on his own. We only need a few days. Wait here, by the way – I'll fetch Lucio; you'll need to scrub the Siri from his head.”
“You wanted in?” I asked, sidling up to Slugger the next day as he washed the dishes after dinner, picking up a rag to dry and stack the plates beside him. Cleaning the Upper plates came first, and the amount left over on them was more than what had started on the Bottoms’. The amount of waste was almost enough to dampen my mood.
“Well, technically, I want out of here, lad. I'm knackered," he answered, turning his face away as he hit the garbage disposal button and a small geyser of water erupted in the sink. “But yes, I do. You have a new plan? Hopefully, your noodle came up with something better than the last, since only one of ya actually made it.”
“I do, but you’ve got a pretty strong role in it. I’ll need full commitment.” I dropped the dish I was drying on top of the pile, the clank adding weight to the response.
“Look, if you can get me over that wall, I’m all business. I’ll miss the dishes dearly, truly I enjoy being manky, but I think I’ll make it on the outside.” He stopped washing, turning to face me, his eyebrows raised.
“It’s more than just getting over that wall,” I answered. “If you’re joining us, you’re not just getting out. You’re sticking it to the people who got you in here, and it’s going to be dangerous. Real dangerous.”
“Oh no, you’re going to sweeten the deal with revenge?" he said and threw his hands up in mock dismay. "SC, shut up ya stook; now I’m doubling down. How do we begin?”
“Well, for starters, I’m going to need you to be an asshole. Like, even more of one than normal. Smartass levels will have to be off the charts.”
Slugger laughed and rolled his eyes, then stopped when he saw my face remained serious, and that I waited for an answer.
“Lad, in Ireland, there’s a breed of dog called the setter. You know what a setter does? It’s bred generation by generation for a single specific purpose in hunting, for fowling. Each time it’s bred, the best of the past generation are matched up, over and over, until what’s left is tip top. The best genetics, all geared towards a specific purpose.”
Slugger puffed up his chest and raised his chin, then continued.
“See me? I’m like the setter, but my lineage trait is jackasses. You couldn’t have picked a better man. I'm bred for it, and I consider it an art.”
I hid a smile, fighting to keep my face businesslike, then made my final request.
“Perfect. And two more things, Slugger. I’m going to need you to stop being a Bottom. Think you can win your next match?”
“I’ve challenged Brianna, should be over real quick.” He snapped his fingers. “Not like last time. No cheating this time around, and she can’t just blow me out of the ring. Does this mean I’m actually going to be able to get a night’s sleep in this hell hole?”
“Actually,” I answered and paused. “You’re going to get less of it. A lot less of it.”
Chapter 67
“We’re planning on staying Bottoms?” complained Lucio as we prepared for bed. The next day was the tournament, and the other students had serious expressions on their faces, working to finish chores early and catch as much sleep as possible, knowing that a good fight could completely flip their quality of life by providing warm dinners and a reasonable sleep schedule. And that a bad fight would erode the already microscopic amount of hope they had left.
“That’s right,” I answered. “But not for much longer. Think you can you manage that?”
“Since you don’t expect me to win a fight tomorrow, I’m all game!” responded Lucio through a foam of toothpaste, flecks of it flying onto the mirror. “Because after this, I’ll be wiped. We’ll be lucky if I can stand.”
“Just do what you can, and remember, you don’t have to clean them as much as you did for Darian and me. We just need some original thoughts flowing through their heads again, just enough to peek through. Enough to make Siri nervous, and to force her hand.”
“I won’t have to fix any Uppers, right?" Lucio asked. "Siri has personal conversations with them. Trying to clean their minds would be worse than a ballpark restroom neglected all season.”
“No, not yet, at least. Just Bottoms for now. I remember when you did it to me, though – it was pretty unpleasant. Can you do it while they're sleeping?” I frowned, hoping that this minor detail I had overlooked would not have significance.
“As long as you only need a light brushing, and not a full sweep, it shouldn’t be a problem. Mind you, not easy, but after doing this for the last few weeks, I know where the sensitive areas are. Besides, I’m much better than when we started. This place may suck, and Darian might not agree with this statement, but I think I’ve actually learned something. And for that, I commend them!”
He rinsed and we made our way to the sleeping quarters, watching as the students drifted off into fitful sleep. Some had their eyes closed to focus as Instructor Cane had told them – planning each of their moves, running through potential scenarios, imagining the reactions of their opponents and then their own counter reactions. Repeating over and over again in their minds that they were better than their opponent – that if they couldn't overpower them, they would outsmart them, and if they couldn't outsmart them, they would try harder than them. But soon their chests eventually began to fall with the telltale steady rhythm of deep sleep, and in the darkness, Lucio, Slugger, and I stood and crept towards the back of the room.
“Look, like I said, I think I can do this without waking them,” whispered Lucio, rubbing an eye. “But in case I’m wrong, I’ll need you to restrain them. If everyone wakes up, the plan’s out the window, got it?”
“Understood,” responded Slugger, squinting in the darkness. “And I can help by making their clothes heavier, which will help keep them passed out. What’s the point of this, if they’re going to just fall under Siri’s spell again later tonight?”
“Siri doesn’t sing the night before fights,” I said, then glanced towards the door. “And anyways, once Lucio starts tidying a mind, it’s easier for him to do it a second time. Even if she were to sing again, we would have the upper hand.”
“Just as it’s easier for Siri to rope them back in when bits of song are still echoing around their cranial chambers,” added Lucio. “All right, let’s get started. It’s going to be a long night. Especially if I have to do this all again tomorrow.”
“Do it well enough this time, and you won’t,” I answered. “But my bet is on day three, she cracks.”
“Her and me both,” sighed Lucio, bending over one of the sleeping bodies.
Slugger ran his fingers around the outer layer of their clothes and the breathing became slower, the wrinkles in the fabric disappearing as it stretched downwards. As I held my hand a few inches above the student’s mouth in case they awakened, Lucio started.
From the outside, there was little to see. Every few seconds, the student’s face would flicker with an emotion, or they would draw a sharp breath, but Lucio would take a step backwards, waiting for them to make a full recovery, then start again. Pushing them right against the edge of awakening but never past it, though once or twice, we had to wait a full five minutes for deep sleep to resume.
“All right,” he concluded, his voice strained, a bead of sweat dripping down his nose to splash on the concrete floor. “That’s one. Best I can do, SC, before I start tugging at some deep memory roots. And now,” he continued, glancing around the room where the rest of the bodies waited, the corners of his mouth turning to a frown. “Only one dungeon left of Sleeping Beauties to go.”
Chapter 68
“Halfway there,” groaned Lucio as he straightened up over the most recent sleeping body. “You promised me a break, SC. Let’s take it.”
“Sure, it’s about time Slugger and I moved on,” I answered, stretching and yawning. “You have what I asked you for, Slugger?”
“Oh, I do,” he answered, smiling. “Stashed it outside, right where it belongs. Now let’s put it where it doesn’t.”
Seconds later, we were outside, creeping back towards the outside crawlspace, until Slugger threw open the door and pulled out a shoebox taped along the seam and several small holes poked into the top. He shook it lightly, just enough so that I could hear small objects sliding around within, followed by a chorus of chirping and buzzing that lingered as we walked back towards the door. We waited a moment for the contents to settle before we re-entered the facility, moving slowly on a path that I hadn’t taken since I had been an Average.
Half the night had passed when we arrived at the door into the Average rooms, and I opened it slowly, putting pressure against the frame to prevent it from creaking. Tiptoeing past each of the dorms, Slugger cracked open the box and gave it a hearty shake inside each of the doors, loosing a generous amount of the crawling, chirping, and flying contents into each. While the rooms were not tiny, they were small enough that the creepers would be noticed quickly. And Slugger aimed for the beds.
“I aimed for a good mix,” said Slugger as we returned to Lucio. “Some bumblebees, lots of ants, centipedes, crickets, katydids, and generally any other sort of nuisance. Almost had a mouse, but they're better fed than the Bottoms, took off before I could get my hands around it. That crawlspace was a goldmine for the things. And it doesn’t matter if they don’t affect the entire dorm – they just have to affect one of the lads, and they’ll wake the rest right on up.”
“That’s the plan,” I responded, entering the Bottom sleeping chamber. “I don’t want any of them catching a wink of sleep. Now, Lucio, ready to start back up?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be, SC,” came the voice from a figure crouched against the wall as he stirred. “Drying my power up like a raisin.”
“Just make sure you save enough to wake up in the morning,” I answered, and we started again, working our way through the remaining bodies and finishing without delay. Then we settled down to pass out, taking advantage of the few hours left until daybreak. And in my sleep, a dream began. One discussed by Lucio and me several hours before, featuring the means that each the Bottoms had to be promoted. And one that Lucio projected over the sleeping room like one of his movies, infecting the minds of everyone present with the same memory.
“Now listen up!” shouted Instructor Cane in the dream, jabbing a finger towards me. “Look here, of all the Bottoms, I know you’ve got a damn good shot at becoming an Average. That's right, you in particular. Hell,” he said, with a trace of pride in his eye. “You might just ascend the entire way to Upper."
He paused, wiping away a tear, then continued.
“Now, remember, have faith in yourself. Remember the moves that I taught you. Remember your confidence, your strategy, and the weakness of your opponent. Walk into that arena knowing that you are the stronger player. That you are the winner. I know you are, but do you?
“So say goodbye to dishes and shit sleeping conditions. Say farewell to meals that barely fend away the pangs of hunger for an hour. And fight for all you’re worth. This is survival, and I know you’re ready. I know you'll win, that you're better, no matter what they say.
“So go out there,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder, and squeezing it with reassurance. “And prove to me that you’re the warrior I’ve trained you to be.”
In my sleep, I smiled, along with the other Bottom students. And when we awoke the next day, there was a sense of purpose to each of them, a source of motivation that had not been there the night before. A sense of excitement rather than dread. A belief that, even as a Bottom, they might just win. That they were worth far more than the label Siri had placed upon them.
We gathered in the second gym after breakfast, staring at the bracket posted on the wall, with energy from the dream still coursing through our bodies with each heartbeat. The Uppers arrived afterward, making their way to the cushioned seats, and looking at us down their long noses. And the Averages followed them into the room, with bags under their eyes and feet dragging on the ground, and several covered in red bumps that had not been present the prior day.
Anticipation filled the room as Siri and the instructors arrived last. And as
Siri picked up the microphone, the Bottoms held their collective breaths.
“Time to prove yourself once more,” she announced, standing at the center of the arena. “You know the rules, and you know the challenge placed before you. And you know the consequences of inferiority, and the rewards of supremacy.”
She scanned the crowd, and rose the microphone back to her lips to speak once more.
“Time to prove to me what you're worth.”
Chapter 69
“Time to stop with all the chores!” shouted Anna, a low powered Laseret as she pointed a finger at Siri that made a red dot appear on her blue suit, then immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. A smoldering spot the size of a cigarette burn remained just above one of Siri’s buttons, which was near the full extent of Anna’s power. Shock streaked across Siri’s face to match the stammering Anna, and the auditorium held its breath.
“I’m – I’m sorry,” managed Anna, tears brimming as she bit down on her lip. “I didn’t mean, I don’t know what happened, I didn’t—”
“Match one,” interrupted Siri, partially recovering but still appearing as if she had been slapped, and ignoring Anna’s words. “Fighters report to the judge table.”
No one stood as Siri backed away, her gaze lingering on Anna with eyes once solid steel but now shaken. Instead the silence descended like a blanket, holding the crowd still, and insulating any action.
“Match one!” snapped Siri, command returning to her voice. “Now.”
After the first week when several Bottoms fought each other before making their way into the Average bracket, the Bottoms had coordinated who they would challenge prior to submissions. And now, that meant that no Bottoms versus Bottoms fights would occur, and their bracket would be skipped entirely.
Star Child: Places of Power Page 21