“It’s Shonte.”
As his head hung, a small smile crept across his face.
“Shonte... I’m Hunter. I hope we spend a lot more time together.”
Nian Shi always hated how she was stuck fast at third best in her class despite having the most combat oriented manifestation of the Water attunement. She found it embarrassing she could not beat out a Traveler and a person lacking a manifestation altogether. She was a first-generation Water Affinity, which left her feeling inferior to those who had generational wealth and privilege due to their attunement. She was the first to arrive on the field, so she took the opportunity to gain the advantage.
As a Hydrokinetic, she had one of the worst accumulation rates in the history of the school. It took her upward to ten times longer to gather the same amount of water as an average Hyrdokinetic. Though this was her most glaring weakness, what she gained in return more than mitigated her deficit. Outside of an elite such as the Headmistress, she had not encountered someone who had the oppressive strength and control she possessed. Though it would take her time to formulate a construct, when she did, few people could stand against her. The shaft of water accumulating in her had bore the weight of the world when her first opponent appeared.
Given her skills, she had been placed against an extremely troublesome opponent. The second most powerful Titan in the senior class might only be a Titan in reality, but she was sure he played a Juggernaut on television. He was perhaps more famous than the woman above him, simply because of how monstrously large and muscular he was, which made for an intimidating sight. Once it was added that she had nothing in her arsenal to properly bypass his defenses, her resolve faltered, further slowing the accumulation for the weapon she was creating. It was only until she felt a familiar arm sling around her shoulder that she was able to calm herself.
“Shi shi! This is the first time we have ever fought together! We are going to kick so much ass! Let’s impale people on ice spikes!”
The dazzling white teeth and deep dimples of Phavian Ingraham’s smile never failed to elevate her spirits to the highest level. Since her first days on campus, she had been the most vocal and supportive Water attuned ally to the Seeds. Her family situation made their mission even more important to her and she found it to be one of the most important aspects of her life. It was no surprise that she was the only Water Affinity on the board, with people questioning her place despite her myriad contributions.
She laughed to herself for worrying so much about her opposition. She had Phavian on her team. There was no way they could lose when one half of the team consisted of the strongest in the school. In many ways she now felt sorry for everyone else, since the synergy of a Hydrokinetic and someone who controlled the cold was the best there could be. The head of her weapon was finally beginning to form when a lanky man that brimmed with haughtiness exited the portal.
The only information she had on the mystery man was that he was the number 2 Freshman. She would be his opponent since she would be no match for a Titan. Even though she watched the Freshman Mid-Year Melee, like so many others, she found herself unable to continue the investment when it proved to be lacking all entertainment value.
“I don’t have a problem beating up on Klaus, but bullying a defenseless Freshman would be bad for my image. I’m leaving him to you!”
Nian Shi was no stranger to Phavian shirking responsibilities, so she sighed and nodded, especially since she had already planned that pairing herself. As Phavian was pulling out Haymana from his back, the Freshman was handing the large man next to him a pair of goggles. Nian Shi found it bizarre to see them both appear as if they were about to dive into a pool, but it was likely they knew she was a Hydrokinetic and came prepared to counter water being utilized to blind them.
The moment the cue was given to begin, Phavian and Klaus wasted no time advancing upon one another. Just as the two met, Nian Shi had completed her weapon. She knew it was overkill for the gangly man she was rushing to meet, but she would not have time to prepare against the Titan. Her special lance, spiraling and churning, was enough to drill through steel with enough time and effort.
From what she could tell, the man was not a close quarters fighter based on his frame and his stance as she approached. This put her at ease since he had foolishly allowed her to close the gap. With a swift lunge, she pierced the man, making sure to turn down the destructive power lest she kill him. She knew he would not be nearly as tough as the Titan, but the ease with which she ran him through felt as if she had not touched him at all. That was when she realized her lance had disappeared.
The man before her was unharmed and more importantly uninterested. Nian Shi could not understand what dispelled her lance, but she knew things would go poorly for her if she did not create something in the interim. No matter what she did, her body would not obey her, throat tightening and vision blurring. Even with her slow accumulation skills, she should have been able to feel even the slightest aggregation of water, but she felt nothing. She dropped to the ground, her body slightly twitching as she was neutralized.
Phavian had not expected Nian Shi to fall against such weak opponents, however he had no experience fighting with her, so it could be that the real extent of her ability was low. He would have rather not fought two people simultaneously, but he knew sometimes less than favorable situations occurred. With a swing of Haymana, he caught the Titan across the face, no attempts to reduce the power behind his blow. It was enough to stagger the man, leaving Phavian an opening to finish him off. As he went in for the finisher, he too found his body stiffen and refuse his commands.
The sensation felt quite similar to Codi’s paralysis, except it was only ever his body that was affected. Now he found himself unable to think properly as his lips puckered, and his eyes began to burn. He knew it could only be the Freshman that was responsible, and with his body unresponsive, he could only rely on his powers to overcome the obstacle. He reached to induce hypothermia in the man, but his hand dropped his weapon, only to be grabbed by the recovered Titan and used against him.
His body burned, his face hurt, and he could not think straight. With his mind impaired as well, he was left completely defenseless. Though his consciousness was rapidly fading, the Titan savagely hit him across the face again, the sweet retribution for all the times he had been humiliated being better than any drug. Even without the final blow, Phavian was thoroughly defeated. Running over to scoop up the lanky man in a bearhug, the entire school watched in stunned silence as their king had been dethroned in the worst way possible.
Codi loathed many things, and also many people. Amongst the multitude that irked her to no end, being forced to wait was near the top of the list. As they sat alone, the only information they were given was the results of the rounds. After each match she hoped her turn had come, but it never did. When she saw Pryshka’s picture darken and her opponents advance, she felt her body quiver with the determination to obliterate whoever managed to defeat her.
When she realized she was going to be in the last group of the first round, she grumbled incessantly, searching for any reason she could find that would point to bias. When she saw Phavian’s team was up, she knew at the very least she would not need wait much longer. Sure enough, the match was over in what seemed to be two minutes flat. Even though she felt there was no need, she glanced at the results and vicious chill ran down her spine. Phavian had lost.
Codi did her best to make sense of what was happening in the tournament. Maggie had lost, but Codi presumed she underestimated Dan, and though he was goofy, Codi could not deny how far he had come. Pryshka’s defeat came as a shock, simply because Codi knew how easily she could see through most attacks. It was frightening just how hopeless fighting against her felt. Even then, she knew that Pryshka was weak to overwhelming power. If she had no time to react, and it held the power to take her down in an instant, she was likely finished. Phavian however, Phavian’s loss seemed like an impossibility. The only person she bel
ieved could truly defeat Phavian was the one who would always let him win.
In a moment of clarity, the reality of the matchmaking had hit her. Though she did not know enough about every team to believe it with 100% certainty, it felt as if the initial matchups were rigged. She still could not rid herself of the knot in her stomach from when she realized one of the people she could never win against would be the first obstacle to overcome. Now with the results of each match, it was obvious that the pairings were not random. Rather than attempt to balance the power in the teams, they specifically built ones that could perfectly exploit the weaknesses of the stronger opponents. Whoever took down Phavian surely had a trick up their sleeve that shut down Phavian’s brain and likely his body as well.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a portal which indicated her summons. Stepping though, she found herself last to arrive, and already being leered at by Lena as if she were defenseless prey. Though she was not a Quintessence, the woman must have been the closest to being invulnerable, without having Invulnerability. Even bullets did not do much against her skin. Codi had already developed a plan, but she was not confident her partner was up to the task.
The only reason she knew her partner’s identity was because she became the face of new information that proposed Elementals were not truly immune to their own element. After what Anaar had done to her, there was not a single person who did not know her face, or that she had a hatred for him that per the jokes about her, ‘burned hotter than the flames that seared her like tuna’. Codi was not looking to be friends with the girl since she was the person they felt would be a better choice than her goddess Stefani. She also figured it would be bad for business if she befriended someone who loathed her best friend’s boyfriend.
“I need two minutes. Can you handle that?”
“Two minutes?! For what?!”
“I need to be left alone for two minutes. If you can do that, I can guarantee our win.”
“Against both of them?! Are you insane?! Don’t answer that question. You must be if you think it is cool to hang out with that monster!”
Codi’s expression fell flat, her building anticipation waning. “Look here bitch. I don’t give a fuck about whatever little vendetta you got against Anaar. You got barbequed and now you are clowned by everyone. Get the fuck over it. If you can’t do that much, just remember that if we can’t even get past these assholes, we won’t be getting to Anaar. If you want revenge, being with me is your best chance.”
The signal to begin was given, but the other team remained stationary, vigilant.
“Fine, but I’m taking out the small chick first. If I’m about to get suplexed or something, at least give me a hand.”
Codi noticed a belt of lighters around her waist. From it she plucked a particularly stylish one and fired it up. Without much effort, a flaming orb the size of a volleyball shot forth from it and raced toward the smaller woman. Codi found herself impressed by the speed of her partner, expecting a direct hit which would deal significant damage. Instead, before hitting the woman, the flaming ball appeared to be torn apart.
As the two of them struggled to figure out what happened, they were quickly given their answer. An invisible force exploded like a bomb between them, sending them flying to the ground. Codi recognized this ability. Kinetic Burst utilized the same phenomenon that fueled Telekinesis to create powerful blasts of concussive force. Similarly to the relationship between a person with Buoyancy versus a Hydrokinetic, a Telekinetic could create bursts of energy, but they would never be as powerful as someone who specialized in it. Telekinetics however, enjoyed far more precision and versatility.
Now that she knew what they were up against, Codi immediately reassessed her plan, prioritizing the smaller woman first. Titans won against their opponents by outlasting them. Alone they lacked significant power. This particular combination allowed the Titan to soak up damage while her partner stayed safe and destroyed them. Adding that the small woman possessed some defensive capabilities of her own, it would not bode well for them to allow her to remain in the fight.
Though she was dazed, Codi exploded from the ground at top speed. She ran directly toward the smaller woman, but as she closed in, she was hit by another burst from the side that sent her spiraling. Growling into the dirt, she remembered how much she hated being attacked by things she could not see, which was why she immediately surrendered when Phavian used his powers.
Even though she appeared to be beaten, she had actually achieved her goal. She was now in range to shut down the girl’s muscles. As her legs turned to jelly, she managed to release another wicked burst that made Codi feel as if she were being crushed by the weight of the world. Even though her powers still worked without control over her body, it would make it impossible for her to properly aim, which was what Codi had hoped for. She forgot she had a partner, who had already been formulating an attack that engulfed the hapless woman in flame, her screams enough to curdle the blood.
Because of her proximity, Lena was an easy target, the flames from the still screaming woman spreading to her. Codi took the opportunity to clamber to her feet and put some distance between her and Lena. The flames grew larger and burned more intensely, creating a spectacle that resembled a pyre. In her effort to control the flames, the Pyrokinetic failed to notice Lena had walked out of the flames as if they were gentle rays of sunlight. Though her clothing was burnt completely away in some areas, she was otherwise unharmed.
Even though she emerged physically unscathed, Lena’s temper flared, the sole focus of her ire being the frantically fleeing Pyrokinetic that dared to ruin her favorite outfit for battle. She ran through gouts of flame as she ran after the scuttling woman. Typically people would at least be affected by the heat of the flames, even if they were not burned, but to her dismay, the Pyrokinetic’s feeble attacks had no effect. She was beginning to understand why Codi wanted her to play decoy at the beginning.
With that thought, she wondered if that plan were still viable. As it stood, she was giving Codi exactly what she requested. The only problem was the last she had seen Codi, she was laid out on the ground after a heavy attack. Though it was risky, she knew it was best to confirm the status of her partner. If she were on her own, it would possibly be a better idea to concede and save her strength.
She pulled two other lighters from her belt, lighting them and then throwing them at Lena. In a crimson and orange wave, a localized conflagration exploded upon the area Lena was entering. By increasing her sources of flame, much more potent effects could be executed faster. This method was unreliable however, because even though they were designed to continue burning, in such a flashy display, the lighters often extinguished.
Using the time she had bought, the Pyrokinetic scanned the area for Codi, only to find she was standing as still as a statue, some distance away. Not sure what was wrong with her, there was little else that could be done other than utilize the opportunity to regroup and strategize. She had begun sprinting toward Codi when Lena burst from the now ebbing flames with little more than tatters for clothing, her most private areas exposed for everyone to see. She was determined to obliterate the cause of her embarrassment if it was the last thing she did.
Lena’s patchy red flesh indicated the flames had some effect, albeit minor. Taking this sight as a glimmer of hope, the Pyrokinetic repeated her trick again, squeezing out the most intensity and volume of flame she could muster. With an even more powerful version, it would be enough to stop Lena’s advance long enough to figure out her next steps with Codi. Her heart sank however when the blind rage Lena had been thrown into allowed her to barrel through the flames without stopping. She had just reached Codi and screamed out her name when she heard sharp crackle from above.
She peered into Codi’s know open eyes that flashed with electricity. As she turned her head to see Lena had almost caught up to them, something so spectacular occurred that her rapid blinking was still not enough to make her believe it. Three bolts of lightning cr
ashed down, piercing Lena like spears from heaven. Despite what looked to be calamitous damage to Lena and the scorch marks on the earth below, it was completely silent, but then a few seconds later she heard it. A reverberating roar of thunder so loud it felt as if she had been rendered deaf.
As her ears continued to ring, she looked up at Codi as the dust had begun to settle. Her jaw was clenched as were her fists, and her chest heaved from exertion. She took a few steps forward, only to collapse in her partner’s arms. Catching Codi in her arms and supporting her weight, she took another look at the nearly naked woman whose skin had been charred at the impact sites of the lightning. From within her arms, she heard a hoarse, but resolute voice emerge.
“I am not that weak little bitch anymore.”
The school had been turned upside down as the tournament was proving to be a showcase of upsets. Match after match, the favorites had lost, which in turn meant the lucky few who decided to go against the grain had scored big on their bets. Schoolwide resentment abounded, primarily targeted at the losers who had betrayed their trust. Conversely, Anaar’s popularity had reached celestial heights as the final hope some measure of funds could be recouped.
Similar to everyone else, Anaar was shocked by the standings, but he alone had foreseen the possibility of such an outcome. From the moment the bracket had been shown to them, he noticed a disturbing pattern that seemed to artificially increase the difficulty for those teams that contained a member that was already presumed the winner. Based on his thoughts, he had a good idea exactly why Phavian had lost. He was proud of Codi for spending the two weeks since their training honing her skills enough to not only reach, but defeat her nemesis. The only reason why Phavian did not qualify was because she loved him too much.
Anaar expected a break to allow for proper treatment and recovery, but it seemed the school had something else in mind. Though many would deem that some who won relatively unharmed would have an unfair advantage, he could already hear their explanation against that opinion. If a team had the strength to dispatch the competition without expending many resources, that too was considered part of their natural advantage, and should not be modulated. It was contradictory to how they set up the matches, but perhaps this was an attempt to equalize their decision.
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 55