by Hayes, Drew
“It was pretty far from a clean win.” Shane tried to pull himself forward on his arms and made it a few feet before pausing to rest. “Guess I’ll have to hope the others stumble upon me.”
A new shadow appeared in the doorway, belonging to a stocky man with a thick beard. “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen, Mr. DeSoto. While you have been awarded the point for defeating Mr. Griffen, Dr. Moran has also ordered your extraction. An injury like that needs to be examined and treated right away lest there be any complications.”
“Who the hell are you? And what gives you the right to pull me out? I can still fight,” Shane protested, but his complaints fell on deaf ears as the man walked over and carefully lifted him from the floor.
“I’m Professor Wordsworth. Here to help out. And perhaps you could still manage to make a good showing, but I am not in the habit of ignoring the orders of an HCP physician. You shouldn’t allow yourself to be, either.” He carried a still-complaining Shane into the stairwell, pausing only long enough to glance over his shoulder and make sure Alex was following.
With no other real options, Alex did just that. Three points from a professor and almost beating one of the best fighters in the class. Not a bad day, as he saw it. Not bad at all.
134.
Alice was almost certain they’d have turned the lights on or otherwise found a way to let her know if she was the last student standing (or floating, in her case), but as the minutes wore on without seeing a single other soul, she began to wonder. There were no more loud booms, no more shuffling footsteps, not even so much as the sound of someone panting from around a corner. If there were any opponents left, they were in short supply.
A bright spot of light drew her attention as she rounded a corner. Moving carefully closer, prepared for another trap, Alice realized that the light was coming from a teacher-combat room. For a moment, she thought the door had been left open, but then she noticed the debris and rough outline of the opening. Someone had busted a hole in one of these damn rooms, which was no small feat given how tough HCP building materials tended to be.
“Looks like I missed a hell of a match.” Alice’s voice was soft; even as alone as she seemed, it was dangerous to assume she was by herself. Nevertheless, she still found herself surprised when someone replied.
“Vince did that. He’s made great strides in a lot of areas, but he downplayed just how hard he’d been training to quickly bring out large amounts of energy. Just when I think none of you can get any scarier, you prove me wrong.”
Mary stepped into view from a nearby hallway, smiling placidly as she looked up at the floating form of her best friend. Alice’s muttering was too soft to be heard at all this time, although the tail ends of a few choice curse words could be made out if one paid close enough attention.
“Of all people, I had to end up against you,” Alice said, audible at last. “Let me guess: I’m in a field of mental force, which is slowly tightening around me.” Sticking out her unbroken arm, Alice seemed like a mime as she swatted about, trying to grope for an obstacle.
“I’m not here to fight you, Alice. I knew you were lost, so I came to give directions. Vince and Camille are the only other students remaining, and both are not too far away. If you hurry, I think you’ll be able to catch either one.”
Slowly, Alice lowered her hand after failing to find any telekinetic cages. “Hang on. So you blew your chance to surprise-attack me, and now you’re saying you didn’t come for a fight at all? Just to tell me where the next opponents were?”
“It seemed more prudent than letting you stumble around in the dark until you happened upon them,” Mary said.
“Uh huh. And what about you?”
“I got a few points from helping to defeat Professor Cole. With Chad eliminated, I think I’ll have to step into his shoes as the final grand obstacle. The boss battle, as Hershel would put it.” Mary turned, heading back down the hall where she’d come from. Two steps in, and suddenly her entire body felt heavier. “Is there a problem?”
“You’re damn right there’s a problem.” Alice floated slightly lower; she didn’t want to have this discussion any louder than was strictly necessary. “Saving yourself as the final boss? That’s bullshit. Maybe you could fool someone who doesn’t know you well, but we’re both aware you lack the ego to ever see yourself that way. I know what you’re doing, Mary.”
“Oh, do you?” Mary glanced over her shoulder, meeting Alice’s gaze. Alice was perfectly aware of what was happening: Mary was searching her mind, and Alice made no attempts to stop her. Seconds later, Mary’s amber eyes widened slightly, catching the light streaming out of the nearby room. “Oh… you actually do know.”
“I’ve had some suspicions for a while; this just confirmed it. Were you even going to tell us?”
“Of course… eventually. After I met with the dean next month.”
“When this is all over, you and I are going to have a long talk,” Alice warned her. “But for now, we’ve got a trial to finish.”
Mary turned back toward the hallway. “Right. I’ll point you toward Vince and Camille.”
“The hell you will.” Alice amplified the gravity a bit more, making sure Mary couldn’t miss the message. “I’ve got an opponent right in front of me, and I’m not letting her go that easily.”
Slowly, Mary swiveled back around to face Alice, and when she did there was no trace of the calm grin she’d been wearing. In its place was an expression of seriousness and determination. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“In case the gravity didn’t tip you off, I’m already doing it. This fight has started, Mary. And we’re seeing it through to the end.”
* * *
He couldn’t see the person approaching, but he could hear them: soft movements that betrayed little, yet, with a careful ear, one could make out the sounds. Vince waited, tracking the movements. While he wasn’t particularly fond of surprise attacks, there was no denying their usefulness in battle. And this was a mock-battle. Still, he kept the voltage in his right hand low. There weren’t that many physically-resistant opponents in the class, and he’d already taken Roy out. Striking without warning was bad enough; he couldn’t use excessive force without good cause.
The sound of footsteps came from around the corner, and Vince leapt forward, unleashing his attack as soon as he caught sight of a human-shaped silhouette. The bright bolt surged through the air, momentarily lighting up the hallway and providing him with an excellent view of Camille as she rolled to the side like she’d been expecting the attack. When she came up, the two of them locked eyes and realized for the first time who they were facing.
“Vince? You look like hell.”
“Fought Roy and Professor Cole,” Vince replied. “You look totally fine.”
“Absorbed my own damage.” The light from the blast was fading, yet Vince could still make out Camille’s movements as she shifted her position slightly.
“How did you know I was going to attack?” Vince asked.
“Your breathing is louder than you think. Tends to happen when people are dealing with the pain of broken bones.” She took a step to the side, moving away from the wall and giving herself room to dodge. “Anyone else left?”
Vince started to nod then realized the motion would be too subtle to make out in the darkness. “Mary, last I saw her.”
“I think Alice is still around, too. Probably Chad as well; he always makes it to the end of these things. Lots of strong opponents.”
“Being the last one standing will be quite the difficult task,” Vince said. “Think either of us will have a shot?”
“Depends on how we look after this fight. Are you ready?” Even without seeing the details of her form, Vince could tell she was in position, ready to pounce in a heartbeat. There was no question of whether or not they would face one another; it had been a given from the moment their eyes met. This was going to be a dangerous fight. Fragile as Camille’s body was, a single touch from her
was enough to claim victory.
“I’m ready.” Vince had no sooner spoken the word than she rushed forward. He turned to his side, narrowly avoiding the first charge as he summoned more electricity to his hand. She ducked the blast nimbly as it went high, scrambling to land a blow as Vince rapidly backpedaled. Easy as it was to underestimate Camille; he knew better.
This was a fight of precision. The first one to make a mistake would be the loser.
135.
It shouldn’t have been a hard fight. Hell, it shouldn’t have been a fight at all. Maybe if Alice were in peak form, not dragging along a pair of broken limbs and a host of bruises that were sapping her stamina and focus, perhaps then she and Mary would have been able to square off properly and put on a good show. But that wasn’t the case. Alice and her power were both slower than normal, creating dozens of opportunities for Mary to capitalize on. Even as she’d laid down the challenge, Alice had known it probably wouldn’t last for even a full minute.
This understanding made it all the more infuriating when Mary mentally lifted a few bits of rubble and sent them flying toward Alice’s legs, landing blows that hurt but were far from crippling. Alice tried to dial up the gravity around Mary; however, the small Super shoved her own body several feet down the hall with a delicate burst of telekinesis. Defense. Defense and minor potshots while Alice struggled to keep her mind focused on the task at hand instead of the tremendous pain rippling through her body. This wasn’t a fight at all; it was nothing but goddamn pageantry.
“You know, for a minute there I thought you were going to fight me seriously,” Alice called.
“I am fighting you seriously. And you are putting on a remarkable show against one of the higher ranked combatants. If you defeat me, I imagine it will be quite the bump to your standings.” Mary was still wearing that grim expression, only now Alice knew it for what it was: a mask to make the Heroes watching on camera think she was doing her best.
“Do you even believe that? These people aren’t stupid, you know. I’m sure they can hear us.”
Mary’s face never wavered, even as she lifted a few more bits of rubble and made a show of lining up new shots. “Actually, Vince let out an electrical blast that fried most of the cameras and microphones in this area. I’ve kept an ear out for stray thoughts from anyone who wanders too far from Dean Blaine, and I don’t think they’ll be able to pick up anything short of a shout.”
“Which is why you picked this area to approach me in, just in case I said something that would be hard to explain away.” Slowly, Alice lowered her hand, allowing the warped gravity on everything but herself to dissipate. “Mary, I’m not going to play-fight you. You deserve better than that, and so do I. If you want to fake your way through this test, then I can’t stop you. But I don’t have to play along.”
“Alice, we’re still on camera. You look like you’re giving up.”
“So? What, are you afraid I’m going to steal your thunder?” Alice floated closer to the ground, still keeping herself largely weightless as her good leg made contact with the floor. “Why are you even doing all this in the first place? Why are you still fucking here? Why hang around if… if you’re planning to quit the HCP.”
And there it was. All the strange behavior Alice had seen, all the curious choices Mary had been making since the year began, all the hunches and theories she’d gone through about her friend’s shift in behavior, and now she’d finally said the truth out loud. Even if no one else could hear, even if Mary had just confirmed it via telepathy moments prior, the words still felt like tossing off a weight that fell heavily to the ground and echoed through the hall around them.
“Because I wanted to help you all for a little while longer.” The grim mask slipped, and Mary tilted her head downward, unwilling to have her face seen or meet Alice’s eyes. “This was never my dream, you know. All I ever wanted was peace and solitude. Just to be able to shut out the voices. Being a Hero and everything that came with it... I never imagined myself in that world.”
“That’s crazy. You’ve made it through three and a half years of intense, endlessly taxing training. If you didn’t want to be a Hero, why in the hell would you put yourself through that?” As the words left her mouth, Alice already knew the answer. She’d gotten too good at Subtlety, at seeing between the lines. There was only one reason that could possibly explain Mary’s actions. But she still had to ask. Too much had gone unsaid for too long. With the end looming before them, they had to clear the air now, before they lost the chance.
“Same reason as before: I wanted to help my friends.” Mary’s head rose a fraction of an inch, just enough for Alice to make out the shining wetness of tears along the edges of her amber eyes. “You all were strangers when we came to Melbrook. None of us met when we were getting treated. But it wasn’t like that for me. I spent months in that building, with all of you as most of my mental company. I wasn’t able to turn it off back then, so all I could do was listen. To the brothers at odds, failing to work through the anger they felt towards the father who left them. To the boy who’d lost everyone in his life, who felt like he destroyed whatever he touched. To the criminal with a conscience he was desperately trying to ignore. And to the lonely rich girl who’d spent her life afraid to ever feel too happy, because that kind of joy was always followed by a sharp fall. I knew you all so well by the end, and when I realized everyone was coming here, I couldn’t not follow along. Even if you didn’t know me, we were friends. Besides, I figured the idea would grow on me—the chance to help save people and make the world a better place. It did, too. For a while.”
“Then Lander was attacked.” It wasn’t hard to put the rest of the pieces together, yet Alice gave her friend nothing more than a mere nudge. Mary had been carrying this around for a long time, and no one had tried to help her. They all took for granted that she was their rock, taking that confident smile at face value when, deep down, they knew she would have fears and worries of her own.
“Then Lander was attacked,” Mary softly echoed. “I heard people die that night. I heard their last thoughts. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced that, but there were so many, and I couldn’t tune them out, not when those still alive were counting on me. Then, when the professors started fighting back… I don’t want to kill anyone, Alice. I let myself believe there would always be a way. That with my power, I could make there be a way. I know better, now. I know what being a Hero means. And I know it’s not a job I can do.”
“I get it. Deep down, I think I always knew you were too gentle for this sort of work. I’m going to miss you, Mary. You’re my best friend. The first real friend I think I ever had.” Alice wasn’t crying, not because her heart wasn’t breaking at the thought of losing Mary but because she couldn’t afford to let it out yet. The trial was still going on, and unlike Mary, Alice had a lot riding on the outcome. “So, how do you want to end this?”
“With you getting a point off of me,” Mary said. “Same way I was trying to end it from the beginning. This is probably the last bit of help I’m going to be able to give anyone in the HCP. I’d be happiest if it went to you.”
Gingerly, Alice reversed the gravity on Mary and lifted her to the ceiling, pinning her delicately there. To everyone watching, this match would make no sense, but for the moment that didn’t matter. Alice didn’t even care whether they gave her the point for this one or not. It wasn’t about that anymore. Right now, it was about giving Mary the ending she wanted for her final HCP activity. It was about saying goodbye.
After three minutes, a nearby door slid open, and Alice lowered her best friend back to the ground. “You’re like a sister to me, you know. I love you.”
“I know.” Mary landed gently, adjusting her footing once and glancing to the door. “And I love you, too. Now go win this thing.”
“Who’s even left to fight?”
Mary pointed to a hall leading away from the room with the busted wall. “If you go that direction for long enough, you
should find out. But they won’t be as easy a match as me.”
“Good. After all this emotion, I’m sort of in the mood for some real combat.” Alice watched as Mary climbed the stairs, keeping her eyes trained until the door slid closed once more. Only then did she float back into the air and head down the hall Mary had shown her.
136.
Camille didn’t dodge the torrent of fire; instead, she barreled right through it, her skin roasting as she stretched out and tried to grab Vince’s hand. He halted the attack in order to dart back out of reach. She kept after him, moving continuously, never stopping. Camille knew he’d want to line up a shot or think of a strategy, and she was keeping the pressure on him relentlessly. His hand sparked with fire once more, and in the flickering light Vince noticed that her skin was completely unmarred. If not for the singes along her outfit, it would have been impossible to tell she had ever been hurt in the first place. Camille was self-healing as fast as she was getting injured.
Despite the dire straits he was in, Vince smiled. So that was what she’d meant.
* * *
“Don’t you worry. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve.” Camille had to stretch a little to reach the basket of bread; the restaurant’s tables seemed unnecessarily large. Perhaps that was just how fancy places had their furniture made. Vince certainly didn’t have a lot in the way of comparison; Supper with Supers was hardly upscale and he’d never had enough money growing up to come to these sorts of places. In a way, the concept boggled his mind; he could never understand why people would spend so much on a single meal when they could buy vastly larger quantities of food for the same cost.
However, not understanding the premise didn’t mean he was totally ignorant of social convention, so as this date approached, Vince had tucked away most of his tips from Supper with Supers, knowing that such extravagance was expected. Truth be told, he’d planned something a little more modest, but Nick had intervened and given Vince specific instructions about where to take Camille. He’d even helped Vince pick his outfit, which included a sport coat and slacks.