They look rough and beat up. It's like a band of misfits all grouped together. From Shane with his red hair, to Kara and Carter with their blonde, and then Lisa with her auburn hair. Nobody fits together. But, in a strange way, we all do.
"This is Linus, Alexandros, and Alexius." I wave my hand out to introduce the three gods behind me. "They've come to help us, and they're going to lead our first group training session."
"It's so nice to meet you," Lisa says as she steps close to Alexandros and holds out her hand. He nods, still a bit hesitant, and then quickly lets go of her. I notice Martin sway behind her awkwardly, almost with jealously.
"Who doesn't have an affinity?" Linus asks the measly group of us. Kara holds up her hand, along with Shane. They both look embarrassed when really there is no reason to be. We're all only eighteen, so it's normal. I just feel bad for Kara because I know she wants it really badly.
"Hey," Ollie says as he passes by me.
"How are you?" I ask back, grabbing his elbow to talk for a second.
"I'm all right, Ryder. How are you?" He reaches forward and runs his hand through my hair. I lean into his touch, craving it. He hasn't been around as much as normal, and truthfully, I miss him.
"I'm good. Aren't you going to stay?" I say as he cuts his gaze to the door.
"I have some other work to attend to. I'll find you later." I nod, and he leans forward and kisses me on the cheek. He pinches my cheek and then nods at Junior, who scurries over to us fast.
"Hi. Bye." He kisses my cheek, and then the duo leave. Kara stands a few feet back, touching her lips like she's just had the kiss of a lifetime and I don't doubt it. I walk over to her, but just as I get there, Linus starts to pull her and Shane away from us.
"Let's go into the bigger area," Alexius says and gestures for us to follow. The group of us all walk behind the new people towards the bleachers. With a flick of his wrist towards the seats, Alexandros instructs us to sit down and wait instruction.
"I'm Alexius, and this is my brother Lex. We're full gods. Lex is very strong, and I am very fast. Our abilities complement each other. We're going to try and find your complements to give us an edge in battle."
"We foresee the gods in the Underworld being ruthless." Chills run up my spine as Lex speaks. "But we can use that to our advantage. We can work together and prevail."
"What my brother is trying to say is that we're going to try to find your complements and teach you how to work together," Alexius says, smiling at her brother beside her.
"So, let's just quickly introduce yourself to us, and we'll figure out some training drills to do together. Starting with you," Lex says and point right at Mikey.
"I'm Mikey, and I can teleport."
"I'm Lisa; I control air."
"I'm Martin. I set things on fire."
"I'm Eury, and I have visions."
"I'm Carter, and I can teleport, also."
"This is great!" Alexius yells, clapping her hands together. "We've got some great matches, right?" She looks over at her brother.
"We certainly do. Hopefully more people will come and we can make groups."
"But first, we want to know your weaknesses." Alexius cuts a glance at her brother, and then both grin, wide and scary.
"You will fight one of us, girls with Alexius and guys with me. And we will figure out what you do wrong."
"You first!" Alexius says, pointing to Mikey. He looks from left to right and then points to his chest. Alexius smiles and nods and then takes his seat when he gets up. Mikey looks up at Alexandros, and I'm genuinely scared for him. I'm not sure Mikey can take on a full god.
"Go!"
Alexandros starts slow. He sways from left to right, going from his left foot to his right and back again. His hands come up into fists, and he puts them in front of his face like a boxer. Alexandros makes the first move.
He jabs forward and nails Mikey right on the jaw. Mikey teleports around Alexandros and appears on the other side of him. He grabs Alexandros around the neck and starts pulling. But Alexandros easily maneuvers out of his grasp.
Lex bends and flips around. He grabs Mikey's shoulders and lifts him off the ground, his feet dangling off the ground. Suddenly he's gone. I look around the room for Mikey, but he's completely missing.
"Miss me?" His voice rings out from the top of the bleachers behind us. "I can teleport, dude. You forget?"
But then in the next instant, Alexandros is in front of him and has him by the neck. Lex throws him down the bleachers, and Mikey's body skids to a stop at the bottom. Lex leaps down and lands in a crouch. Lex slams his fist so close to Mikey's face I scream, but his clenched fist breaks into the ground, just millimeters from his cheek.
"You're cocky. That can kill you." Alexandros shakes his head and walks towards the bleachers. His sister pops up from her seat, and as they pass, they clap hands.
"I want you," Alexius says to Lisa. I sigh my relief and then look over at Lisa. Her confidence doesn't falter. She jumps up from the hard bleachers and claps her hands, nodding and pumping herself up.
Alexius crouches, her face hard and serious. Lisa stands across from her with her right hand up and palm out. Nobody counts them down or tells them to start—they just do.
Lisa catches Alexius off guard with an orb of air. It hits Alexius right in the face, knocking her backwards. Alexandros growls beside me. Lisa sprints to the side as she conjures another ball, but Alexius is too fast. Alexius football tackles her to the ground, and Lisa yelps.
They scramble to get on top of one another. Lisa kicks at Alexius, and Alexius punches Lisa right in the gut. They both grunt as they each try to get the upper hand. Somehow Lisa gets out from under Alexius and sprints towards us on the bleachers.
Her hand is up, and she's trying to pull air towards her. But before she can get enough to throw at Alexius, she's back tackling Lisa to the ground.
"Cut!" Alexandros says from the bleachers as he stands. His presence is captivating, and we all obey his command. "You are too slow."
"She's faster than normal, though!" Lisa whines.
"Not an excuse." Alexandros and Alexius clap hands and stand in front of the room. Lisa limps back to her seat and sits beside Carter. He wraps his arm over her shoulders, and she leans against him. For the first time, I think she's actually showing him affection in public.
"We'll do the rest of you later. For now, let's see how you work together. You and you," she says, pointing at Mikey and Carter. "You'll be together because two teleporters means that you can work together, switching spots. Plus, you relate."
"Then Lisa and you." Lex nods at Martin. I realize that he remembered Lisa's name, which seems a bit odd. "You will complement each other since you each control an element. I think fire and water would be a better combination, but we'll figure that out as we go."
"Let's have the teleporters go first," Alexius says and nods at the two boys.
"What about me?" I ask when I'm tired of being ignored.
"I'll train her," a voice calls from behind me. I look, and there is Dimitri, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Great!" Alexius claps and then goes back to Mikey and Carter. "Let's have you two take on my brother and me. I only want you working together. Talk for a moment and then we'll start."
I look to my left, and Dimitri is sitting beside Lisa, flirting with her despite the fact that Carter is just feet away. I glare at him even though he can't see me from here. I turn back, and the fight is just beginning.
"Let's go!" Lex yells, and then the pair jump into action. Lex makes a step for Alexius with his arms outstretched, and she jumps on top of him and pushes off with her speed and strength. She lands right in the middle of the boys and then crouches.
She swipes out her leg and trips them both. Mikey is fast enough to teleport before he can fall but Carter doesn't. Alexius grabs Carter by the shoulders and sprints back to Lex. Lex is stronger, so she tosses Carter to Lex, and Lex puts him on the ground, pinning him.
"Stop!" Alexius yells. "You left your friend behind. That's a big no-no."
"Next time, if you know your partner is slower, grab him and move."
"Again!"
Mikey and Carter regroup next to the bleachers. They whisper together and then bend their knees as they face the siblings. Alexius and Lex do the same exact tactic as before. But this time Mikey and Carter are ready.
They both teleport out of the way and land on the other side of Lex. Mikey trips him, and Carter catches him. Mikey tries to pin him to the ground, while Carter teleports out of the way of Alexius. She's fast, but his teleportation is no joke.
Carter appears behind Alexius and grabs her around the neck. He flips her over, but she sprints out of the way of his punch. His fist lands hard on the ground, and the wood splinters.
Alexius and Lex both stand, and it's almost the same as when the fight first started. They're now all back in the same positions, glaring at each other.
"Better." Alexius nods.
"But try to kill us," Lex says, winking at Mikey.
It completely sets him off, and in the next instant he's behind Lex, trying to snap his neck. Carter is slower, since Mikey completely went off the script. Carter grabs onto Alexius as she lunges for her brother. He throws her back and teleports to where she hit. But she's fast, and in a second, she's gone again.
"No!" Lex yells, making all our breaths catch. "Work as a pair! What is so hard to understand about that? Go sit down." Lex turns and runs his hand through his hair. I don't want to say a word and break the silence.
"So, little Eury, let's fight." Dimitri saunters over, shoving his hands in his pockets, and I have to bite back my snark. I look past him at the siblings as they talk quietly together, most likely about how to move forward.
"I don't want to fight with you."
"Well, we're going to fight," he says, growling at me. He stops right in front of me, his minty breath whipping my face. "Now."
"No," I tell him, shaking my head. I glare up at him. He can't push me around. He reaches forward and shoves my shoulder, pushing me backwards. I guess he can.
"Are you kidding me?" I push off the bench and step towards him so that we're chest to chest. My heart races as I want to tear each limb off his body and throw it in a fire. I want him to suffer for all the crap he's done to me.
"Finally, a spark."
"Don't touch me again."
"What are you going to do?" he says as he taps my nose with his pointer finger. He laughs a deep throaty laugh and stares down at me, like he knows I won't do anything.
I see red.
I lunge towards him and wrap my hands around his neck. He counters me and knocks me backwards. I have to catch my footing as I stumble into the bleachers. I figured Dimitri would treat me like Ollie does when we spar—he pushes me a little, but never actually hurts me. That hit from Dimitri kills, and my shoulder burns like it was knocked out of its socket.
I ignore the pain, fight back my tears, and punch Dimitri in the face. But he moves faster than my fist and dodges me. I fall forwards with the strength of my hit and continue the motion, running towards Dimitri who turns and sprints from me.
"You gotta do better than that," he taunts, smiling over his shoulder as he runs circles around me. I try to match his pace, but I fail. I fail miserably and with each step, my frustration grows.
"Focus on the task," Alexius says. I cut a glance her way, and she and her brother are sitting on the bleachers now. Alexius nods at me, and I inhale a deep breath, trying to contain my overpowering emotions.
I lift up my hands and stare Dimitri down. What's his weakness? I step towards him and immediately he steps back. He grins at me and jabs. He connects with my shoulder, and I fall back. But I won't give in to him.
I take two steps forward and ram my punch into his stupid face. Blood gushes from his nose, and I know I've broken it. He growls from his gut and sprints towards me. I sprint back.
Little does he know that I've been in this training center for months training. I know it like the back of my hand. I use the bleachers as a stepping stone and jump up to the fifth row. Dimitri follows like I knew he would.
Instead of going to the top of the bleachers, I turn and kick him in the chest. He falls back but doesn't let himself falter. He absorbs the hit and then jumps forward, grabbing onto my legs.
I'm knocked backwards, and my head hits the bleachers hard. My vision blackens but I try to push past it. I hear someone in the distance, but it's all a little fuzzy. I turn my head and see Kara's face peering down at me.
"Hey, you there?" she asks.
"Please tell me Dimitri is dead."
"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news," Dimitri says, his face appearing before me.
"Screw you," I spit out.
"Give her some room guys." Lex grabs my hand and pulls me so I'm sitting up. My head spins a little, and I grab onto the hard seat to ground myself. My eyes focus, and I see everyone staring at me.
I don't want to be weak. I can't take it. I don't want these people to look at me like they're sorry for me. I jump up from the bleachers, ignoring the pain in the back of my head. I run from the gym.
Finally, I push out of the doors of the gym and sprint until I'm behind a tree in the courtyard. And then I sink to the ground and bury my head in my hands. I hear yelling from behind me, but I ignore it.
"Ryder, are you okay?" Ollie asks. I don't look up. I just slowly nod my head. "What did he do?" He grits his teeth, grinding them, and his voice sounds strained.
"Nothing. He just proved how weak I really am."
"You're not weak." Ollie's arms circle me as he sits beside me. He pulls me onto his lap, and I nestle into his chest like the coward I am. I couldn't even beat someone like Dimitri: how can I hope to kill Hermes? The seriousness of my weakness gives me a much needed reality check.
"We're never going to win this," I admit, defeated.
"Of course, we are. You know what to do."
"Stop saying that." I push against his chest and hit him with anger. "I have no idea what I'm doing."
"Ryder, when it comes down to it, you do. You have to trust your instincts and stop second guessing yourself."
"How can I not second guess myself when the world is completely falling apart and I'm left to deal with it? I'm not strong. I'm not fast. I can't take on a god. I'm useless. I'm the worst person to deal with all of this."
I completely fall apart in Ollie's arms. I use him to anchor me to the ground and soak up my sorrow. My eyes feel like deserts as tears cease to form in me. I just can't do it. I don't want to break down, but my body is in pain.
"I have to get back to the training center." I back away from Ollie, stand on my own, and wipe my face on the sleeve of my jacket.
"More people just arrived from the Louisiana school for Nephilim. We should go meet them."
"I don't know if I can meet anyone else."
"You have to. Just smile and nod."
"I'll meet you there." I can't handle smiling right now. I don't believe in myself and I'm worn down. I just need a minute to think.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
dream surfing
I walk back to the training center and act all day. I don't have a partner, so while Martin and Lisa play with their abilities, I sit and watch. It's not as bad as it seems because I know places they can improve and when Lex and Alexius aren't around, I might be able to help.
My back and neck ache from my fight with Dimitri, so it's probably better that I just sit and observe for the rest of the day. Lisa and Martin get into a really good groove, working with each other.
I look over when Lisa and Martin discover that her air can help his fires grow. Lisa stands behind Martin as he creates a small fire on the floor. Lisa throws an orb of air at the flame, and it explodes into a full raging fire.
Lisa jumps in glee, yelling at how awesome that was. She leaps into Martin's arms, and he spins her around in a circle. She giggles, and it's funny
because the pair are about as unlikely as they come.
After the big breakthrough, things start to slow down. It's almost time for dinner, and I sit on the bleachers while everyone else starts to funnel out towards the food. I shoo everyone along.
"You sure you don't need anything?" Alexius asks as she gathers her jacket from beside me.
"I'll meet you all there soon."
"We did good today," she says, nodding her head at me as she pauses in the doorway.
"Tomorrow will be better."
"Yes, it will."
The door clanks shut, and I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, I am alone again. I get off the bleachers and lay on the linoleum floor. I cover my head with my arms and try to think through my emotions. All I see are images of my friends' gravestones in my mind. My body relaxes into the hard ground, and I fight my brain to stop overthinking.
"My mom sent me to get you."
"Of course, she did."
"What's going on?" Linus crouches down and lies beside me, our toes and fingertips just barely touching. I don't move to look at him, just continue to talk through my limp arms.
"Just trying to relax for a minute…in peace."
"I guess I ruined that, huh?" I don't answer. I knew from the second I met him that I'd like him. He is Cece's son after all. But he spent most of the day with Kara and Shane, so I didn't get a chance to actually get to know him. "I know a thing or two about pressure, you know."
"You do?" I let my arms fall to my sides, and I turn to look at Linus. I don't think I'll ever get used to his exotic appearance. His white hair is so jarring against his tanned skin. Even in the darkness of the gym, his violet eyes shine bright like flashlights.
"My mother is Cece Onassis, great visionist. You try living up to her legacy."
"Seems to me like you've done a pretty good job."
"Well, that's interesting."
"What?" I question back, frowning at him.
"Everyone told me you didn't have a heart, but I'm pretty sure I just got a compliment." I swat him on the shoulder with my hand and laugh. He's easy to talk to, just like Cece.
"How do you control your visions?" I want to know more about myself. I hope that tomorrow he can practice with me, teach me his tricks, help me discover more about my ability. I assume that's why Cece brought him here.
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