by Hayes, Drew
Twin blasts of fire roared away from her fists, surging through the air toward Vince. He readied himself to dodge, with absorption in his back pocket if he was too slow, but five feet from impact the fireballs suddenly exploded outward, wrapping around and engulfing Vince in a perfect cone of flame. Five feet away on all sides the fires burned, his body sweating instantly from the sudden influx of heat. Lucinda was corralling him, cutting off Vince’s vision so he couldn’t shoot and overheating him until he passed out. It was a sound strategy for non-lethal subjugation, but there was a flaw in showing off this kind of technique. To have this level of control meant that the only thing she could be was a fire manipulator, and Vince was more than capable of dealing with that.
The flames vanished as Vince quickly pulled them in, clearing his vision to reveal Lucinda looking slightly surprised. Not quite the shock and devastation he was expecting, but after four years of HCP training, keeping a poker face was somewhat expected. They had locked eyes again, and this time it was Vince’s turn to apologize.
“Sorry to you, too. That’s a great power. It really is. And you’ve clearly got amazing control over it. This whole match is really unfair; I just happened to be the perfect counter to your ability. I wish I felt better about this win, but I’m afraid I can’t afford to lose.”
In the time he’d bought by talking, Vince had shuffled slightly over and lined up his shot. He’d had to give away his absorption ability, but the trade was well worth it. One bolt of lightning and this would be over, a step closer to the finals. Raising his arm with a quick, practiced motion, Vince sent a surge of electricity blasting across the battlefield toward Lucinda. He was expecting her to dodge, which he would follow up with another set of shots wherever she landed. Or maybe she would shoot back, not that the fireballs would be fast enough.
What Vince was not prepared for was his lightning bolt to travel ten feet before igniting a tremendous blast of fire. It was so much, so hot and so fast, that Vince was knocked backward, barely managing to stay on his feet. How… she could conjure flames away from her body too? And use them defensively? It didn’t seem possible, but the force of the explosion had been perfect, just enough to knock him off-balance and injure without risking serious damage. It had to be Lucinda, he just didn’t understand how. Was she really fast enough to block lightning?
“Absorber, right? I had my suspicions after I caught the end of your last fight, but it wasn’t until you stole my fire that I knew for sure. You’ve got a lot of variety, I’ll give you that. Problem is, it looks like you’re also vulnerable when attacking. Seems almost like a stalemate, doesn’t it?”
Vince staggered slightly, finding his footing. He was breathing hard, even though he’d barely moved so far in the fight. That blast must have taken more out of him than he realized… except that didn’t make any sense. Vince was used to fighting and taking injury, all without losing a step. He’d spent four years in HCP training; there was no way he should already be short of breath. None of this made sense. Why was he panting? How was she blocking his attacks? For that matter, why was she standing there talking instead of pressing her advantage? There had to be an answer, or at least a tactic he could use to buy time. Something in the arsenal, kinetic, electric, fire-
It was hard to say what made everything click – a combination of forces and information slamming together at once, aided by the intuition Vince was trying so desperately to listen to. But the instant it did, Vince understood. He knew Lucinda’s trick, and what he had to do next.
Leaning back, Vince blasted himself up into the air, high as he could go without risking contact with the ceiling. As he flew, he took the deepest breaths possible before slamming back down to the ground and absorbing his own impact. Lucinda had moved position to something slightly more defensive as he flew, but she resumed her aggressive posture once he landed.
“Damn. I thought I was going to be able to sell this for at least a few more matches.”
“If it was anything else, you might have,” Vince said. “But fire was my first energy to really control. I know it better than any of the others, and I have a good understanding of how it works. Plus, I know my body, and there’s no way I was actually worn out yet. You should have waited a little longer to make it seem natural.”
“Like I said, I heard you were strong and didn’t want to take chances. Neat trick you pulled there, I’m not too proud to admit I admire it.” Lucinda had lifted her hands once more, with a careful aim at Vince. “Think you can manage it again?”
Truthfully, Vince wasn’t sure. Hanging in the air like that left him vulnerable, and if she attacked when he landed then Vince would have to choose between absorbing the fire or the kinetic energy. But he was going to have to think of something, fast. Already the air around him was shifting. It was so subtle that it would be impossible to notice if one wasn’t looking for the change. That was part of what made her so dangerous: with the chatter and the fire, it was easy to fall for Lucinda’s bluff. Because while she was a manipulator, it wasn’t fire she had domain over. No, she was something much worse.
Lucinda Cherry was an oxygen manipulator.
275.
“Figured it out yet?” There was a twinkle of wicked joy in Nick’s eyes, making it all the more blatant that he’d understood Lucinda’s true nature before the fight even started.
“After all that, I think most of the room has put it together,” Alice replied. “Lucinda is manipulating the oxygen around them. She’s got spark-mechanisms on the gloves of her uniform, and she creates hyper-oxygenated trails and pockets for the flames to travel along. At high enough concentrations, even the dust or normally-trace amounts of flammable gas in the air could be combustible enough to act as temporary fuel. For the tornado, I’m guessing she was burning the ground and using oxygen to guide the flames. She also put a big wall of concentrated oxygen between her and Vince that first time, which the electricity ignited, breaking his aim and focus with an explosion. And all of that was really just a diversion so she could decrease the oxygen in the air around Vince until he passed out. She is good.”
Nick was still watching the screen, waiting for the action to resume. “A thinking opponent: one of the most dangerous types to face. Even worse, she’s well-trained. Every movement is precise and practiced; she has been using the perfect amount of force at each turn to be effective without crossing into lethal danger. She even lowered the oxygen around Vince at a slow pace to ensure there wouldn’t be unpredictable side-effects. I haven’t seen the stats, but I’d wager Lucinda might be the best of her class.”
“Which brings us to the real question: can Vince win this one? I know what I’d do to try and counter her, but I’m not sure it would work. With Vince, he’s fighting something he can’t absorb and she’s cut off a lot of his fire and electricity ranged options. The orange energy would get through, but he’s slow with it, so she could probably dodge. All he’s got left is kinetic, which means getting in close. That should put him at an advantage; although I can’t shake the feeling she’s got a plan for that.” Alice glanced briefly around the room to the rest of the students. Round two was showing what people could really do. She wondered how many surprises would be left for round three.
Absentmindedly, Nick pulled out the playing cards from his pocket and began to shuffle them. “I genuinely don’t know how this one will shake out. I had some concerns going in, but Vince caught on faster than I expected. Now that he knows what he’s fighting, he has a chance. It’s up to him how much he makes of it.”
* * *
Lucinda didn’t look bothered by her secret being uncovered. If anything, there was a touch of relief in her posture, as though she felt glad not to be preoccupied with the farce. It wasn’t hard to understand the sense of ease; she was definitely the one running this fight, and had been since it started. She stood there, waiting for Vince to move, content to let him take his time and puzzle it over. Of course, the only reason she was so accommodating was that the longe
r Vince waited, the greater a chance he’d run low on oxygen and pass out. Already he was panting again, even after the deep gulps of air from above. Time was against him. So was distance, for that matter, since she could make everything Vince shot literally blow up in his face. The only option he had was to get in close. Powerful as she might be, the odds of her having any physical defenses were low. In melee, Vince was an opponent; out here he was just a target.
“Come on already. We both know where this is going. Only one path to victory.” Lucinda pointed to a patch of ground three feet away. “Trust me, you don’t have time to waste. Better make that play while you’re still conscious.”
So, Lucinda knew he was going to rush her. Not a great shock, as she’d been a step ahead the entire time. It might be a bluff, an attempt to make him think she had a counter ready so he’d choose another tactic. Or maybe she wanted him to think that so he’d charge in to whatever trap she had planned. Vince spared a few precious seconds to shake his head roughly. This was pointless. He wasn’t going to outthink Lucinda. She was cunning, confident, and capable. But there was one factor Vince could control. Even if she knew what he was going to do, it didn’t mean she knew how effective he’d be at it. Battles of the mind might not be his forte, but Vince could usually hold his own in duels of the fist.
Speed was the first priority. A regular charge would just give her time to move, so he was going to have to close the gap fast. Leaning back onto one foot, Vince launched himself into a horizontal leap, blasting across the battlefield. He still didn’t have Roy’s aim or control in this method, but Vince could make it to a general area. Lucinda was, unsurprisingly, ready for this tactic. A quick motion of her hands and a spark leapt, turning quickly into a fireball that roared toward Vince at an incredible pace. It exploded right in front of him, creating a wall of fire he’d have to travel through, but now it was Vince’s turn to be prepared. He absorbed the fire in mid-jump, barely switching to kinetic absorption in time to land without snapping an ankle.
The jump had landed him less than ten feet from Lucinda, who had slightly changed positions. Vince raced toward her, taking a swing as soon as he was in range. To his shock, she nimbly stepped aside, countering with a punch to his stomach. Vince didn’t let the pain distract him as he went for a grab, only to have his hands close on empty air. This was crazy, how was she keeping up in hand-to-hand when he’d been training as a Close Combat major for years? Vince darted away to try and get his bearings, and the truth snapped into place as he staggered for footing.
“I’m slow. It’s not that you’re fast, I’m just moving slowly because I’m constantly out of breath.”
“That, and my blood is hyper-oxygenated,” Lucinda added. “Think of it like blood-doping, except I can do it myself.”
Weakening her opponent while strengthening herself enough to close the gaps in skill. Despite how dire his situation was looking, Vince found himself wondering where Lucinda would intern after graduation. She seemed like the kind of Hero he’d like to share a team with.
“You are… crazy strong.” Vince’s breath was coming in gasps now; those failed swings had cost him dearly. “I love it.”
“Not too bad yourself. Most people go down by now,” Lucinda replied.
“Yeah, that’s always been my problem. Too stupid to know when to quit.” Vince steadied himself, trying desperately to think of what he could do. She was keeping perfect control of the oxygen in the battlefield, letting herself breathe while starving him out. That had to require a lot of concentration. He needed to break it, catch her off-guard if only for a second, in hopes of getting more actual air. Absorbing was no good; even if he could get the room cold fast enough, all it would do was hinder his own mobility as he suffocated, and none of his offensive energies could punch through her defenses without blowing up. He needed something, anything, to knock her off her feet for a few… that was it. That was his one shot.
Summoning the last bit of his focus, Vince ran for Lucinda again. He took another half-hearted swing, only to have his right arm caught in a lock, just like he’d expected from someone with so much training. Lucinda twisted, bringing Vince to his knees, his left palm pressed against the ground.
“Well, a little anti-climactic, but I respect the determination. How about you give up now, and I don’t have to make you pass out? Or, if you struggle, I’ll break your arm. I’m trying to be fair here, but we are still in a match. Oh, and you’ve got a few high-oxygen pockets right around you, so try shocking me and you’ll light yourself on fire.”
Vince mumbled something under his breath, drawing Lucinda a few inches nearer. She was keeping a safe distance though; the woman was no fool. It seemed like this was as close as he was going to get. Looking up, Vince repeated himself, this time staring right into Lucinda’s eyes as he did.
“Jump.”
The blast of kinetic energy from Vince’s palm tore through the ground at their feet, shattering it into rubble even as Vince was thrown wildly across the cell. Lucinda tumbled to the ground, scrambling back to her feet over the broken floor as fast as she could. It was too late, however. Vince had earned himself some distance, and a few breaths of air in the process. She’d reestablish control in no time though, and they both knew it.
“So we’re back to where we started. You over there, me over here, and no way for you to win.” There wasn’t any relaxation in Lucinda’s stance now; she was wary. Vince had taken her by surprise, and that apparently didn’t happen too often.
“We are back to where we started,” Vince said. “But I don’t know that I agree on that second part. Look around, Lucinda. We’re in an enclosed space. While I’m sure there are vents somewhere, they can only move so much air at a time. You have an incredible ability, one that has clearly been honed through countless hours of practice. All the same, you still only control one element. So, what happens when someone has a gun with no bullets?”
She took a step back, on the defensive for the first time. “You haven’t absorbed nearly enough fire from me to pull that off. Even if you did, that would still be crazy.”
“No, but I brought plenty of my own flames. And it is crazy, I’ll give you that.” Vince steadied himself, all too aware of how last-ditch this gambit really was. Even he knew how impossible the task before him was. But that didn’t matter. Vince didn’t actually need to succeed. He just had to make Lucinda think he could. “But we’re the Class of Nightmares. Crazy is what we do.”
With that, Vince lifted his arms and summoned an inferno.
276.
There was no grace or plan to it. Vince couldn’t use those, even if he wanted to. Lucinda was trying to smother his flames by creating oxygen voids as fast as she could, so he had to keep blasting fire in every direction, too chaotic for her to stop. Sometimes it would hit one of her concentrated oxygen pockets and explode, but such instances were rare and fleeting. She couldn’t afford to create many of those now, not with Vince doing his best to burn out every bit of oxygen around them. He was a pillar of flame, fire pouring out in all directions, torching everything it could touch. It would have been easier if there were more than rocks around them, trees or grass that could serve as easy fuel. As it stood, Vince’s stolen fire was the only source he had, so he was pouring on as much as he could muster. This wasn’t quite how he’d expected to use his Lander East training on summoning big bursts of power, but anything that worked in a fight was a tactic he was happy to embrace.
The thing was, Vince already knew he couldn’t pull it off. There had to be sources of fresh air coming into the cell, and no matter how fast he burned the oxygen, Lucinda would be able to pull from those unseen vents and refuel herself. Choking her out was impossible. All he was really doing, all he’d ever been trying for, was distracting her. Breaking that concentration. Giving her too many threats to deal with so that one could slip past.
The moment came after thirty seconds of trying to burn the room down. The circle of flames around Vince parted for an ins
tant, showing him Lucinda waving her arms around, frantically trying to get control of the battlefield once more. Lifting his hand, Vince halted the flames and switched energy as fast as he could, getting off a single blast of electricity. It raced across the field, unbothered by pockets of oxygen, before slamming into Lucinda’s shoulder and knocking her back.
“Oh you fucker. All that for a potshot?” She was staggered, but not down. He apparently hadn’t hit her with enough juice to end things.
“You have no idea what people in my class will do to land one blow.” Vince didn’t reignite the fire. Instead, he started absorbing. Not the dying flames around him or the heat burning the air. No, he took something almost as precious as the oxygen itself. Vince stole the light.
“The hell?” Lucinda was plunged into darkness, as was the rest of the cell.
Vince dearly hoped the people watching had some way of seeing what was going on, but he couldn’t worry about that just yet, instead focusing on racing toward his opponent. Lucinda was going to be weakened by getting a sudden electric shock, enough to slow her down slightly. Between that and the fact that she’d be fighting in darkness while he could still sense her location, it might be enough to make up for the fact that Vince was essentially suffocating. He didn’t have much left in him. Those last few breaths felt hours away, and every limb was moving heavily. If this didn’t work, he’d probably pass out before there was another chance to attack.
Quickly closing the gap, Vince managed to land a jab on Lucinda’s ribs. She let out a curse and a gasp of breath as she leapt back and flicked the devices on her gloves. Suddenly, she was ringed by flames, unseen in the darkness as Vince drank their light. He could switch over and absorb them quickly, but there was no chance Lucinda wouldn’t attack in the brief moment of light she had. That shouldn’t be enough to change things, but against an opponent like her, it seemed idiotic not to assume she had some sort of plan tucked away.