“That actually worked… I’m sure Ixnes will like to hear about this.”
“You didn’t know what you were doing?!”
“I had a working theory…”
“That is so not cool!”
“That is what you get for doing dumb shit, and having a Medic who is eager to experiment for a boyfriend. Here, take a look.”
Though the contents roughly resembled a fleck of pepper inside the floating orb, to Phavian it felt like his insides were being ripped out. Since then though he felt much better, almost like he were on some sort of morphine.
“They left this in me?”
“To be fair I think it was inside your kidney. It probably wasn’t worth the risk to operate on.”
“What did you do? Why isn’t there blood everywhere?”
“I just isolated it with water from your body, and used the water as a vehicle to pull it out. The reason you weren’t healing was because your body recognized the foreign object and didn’t like it. I think.”
“Then instead of opening me up and rooting around for it, you just sucked it out?”
“Basically.”
“How did you find it and they didn’t?”
“I’m no doctor, and it’s not like I have your chart. Maybe they did find it, but it wasn’t worth the risk. Given my abilities, I can do a lot of things that other people can’t. Medics get a kind a sense for the wellness of a person over time if they try hard enough, and being a Hydrokinetic I can sense water down to the molecular level, that is how my explosions work. Combine all those things, it technically makes me an excellent surgeon since I don’t have to worry about patients bleeding out.”
Rushing him, kissing him deeply and passionately, “God I fucking love you. How are you this much of a badass even when you are healing someone, and not wiping the floor with them?”
Giving him a shrug, “As long as you are going to do dumb things, I might as well benefit from them. But umm… You know I don’t work for free right?”
Licking his lips with a beaming smile, full of dimples, “I know how expensive medical bills are. I better pay up before they are past due.”
“You fucking better.”
“Just what I had in mind.”
Completely forgetting about asking for more information regarding what Anaar thought they had in store for them, or when it might come, Phavian wrestles him to the bed, kissing him all over as the lights turn off as if they knew what was coming next.
18
Determined to not be caught off guard, Anaar showers early the next morning, dressing in his full set of new combat attire, complete with his weapons to go see Master Shin. He figured if nothing else it would be a good warm up if he was contacted during his training. He wanted to speak to Zenia, who was one of the best Medics he knew, and since she had been living her life as a Medic, he wondered if he could pry some information out of her about his experience last night.
Leaving that for later, he arrives at the dojos, surprised that Master Shin hadn’t felt the need to give him a test. When he opened the doors he understood why, as there was another student already there, and either he was too busy to take note, or he did not want to do anything that would expose Anaar. Sitting quietly, he noticed the student in question without a doubt had some skill, but compared to himself or definitely Phavian she was beyond amateurish.
Is this why Master Shin praises Phavian and me for being his best students? Not to be mean, but this seems almost, beneath him.
“Based on my data, this is the typical performance of his pupils. Mr. Ingraham’s extensive experience, and your ability to pick up things very quickly make the two of you extreme outliers.”
That almost doesn’t seem fair.
“Yes, I would presume if others were able to see the levels of your performance, they would deem it unfair.”
Not that! No one else gets knives thrown at their face the moment they enter?! Or even get nearby for that matter, considering that time one came through the wall...
“Based on your assessment of his ability to sense potential, combined with his power of Foresight, it would seem he knows which students he can be more aggressive with.”
Anaar is about to respond, when he notices what Hobb is wearing.
Why do you have on a gi?
“It seemed appropriate for the situation.”
Are you planning on becoming corporeal and getting your ass kicked too?
“Absolutely not. I shall leave you to bear all the punishment. I find their simplicity quite fashionable.”
I swear if you start lecturing me about my clothes…
“I have told mother that is a lost cause. She must make do with only one of us having fashion sense.”
Whatever… Do you have anything to share about what is planned for us?
“Negative.”
Great, so you know everything but won’t tell me.
“That is correct.”
Fine, I guess we’ll just hope I’m not seriously hurt because you failed to give me a heads up. To his surprise, the model of Hobb was actually laughing. What in the hell is so funny?! And when did you start laughing anyway?
“This body allows me a much larger range of expression. I find it comical that you attempted to use guilt against me, and even more comical that you thought pretending there would a possibility of you being in any semblance of danger would be the best route.”
You can be a real asshole sometimes you know that?
“You flatter me.”
Grumbling, he notices the girl is completely spent, on the floor heaving, gasping for air. When she had finally recovered, she stands, bows to Master Shin, and moves to take her leave. As she moves past Anaar, she gives him a look of first surprise, then disgust, then admiration. Not sure what to make of the numerous changes in expression, Anaar simply gives her a nod as the girl moves to speak.
“They say people who have conversations with themselves are either geniuses or madmen. I am starting to believe you happen to be both of them.”
Confused, Anaar is about to speak until she taps her head. “Oh shit. You are a Telepath?”
“Genius it is then. The way you talk to yourself is like you are having a telepathic conversation. I’m only a Psychic, so I can’t project, but I have been told my range of reception far exceeds most people. I have had the opportunity to work with a few projectors. As long as one of you can project it still works. I want to deck you for taking out our number 1, but I’m no idiot. If you are Master Shin’s student, and you can take out Ripp without any effort, I don’t stand a chance.”
Oh, she is a Senior then? This school really needs more opportunities to interact with one another. “Ripp is my friend. I am well aware of what she is capable of. I wasn’t going to let her use it against me.”
“Wait you know Ripp? Is that why you two just stood there for a while talking before everything went down?”
“Pretty much.”
“I guess top students find their way together no matter their class. I’d better go. Congratulations on being number 1 in the school.”
I guess everyone thinks it is over… “Thanks.” The girl takes her leave, as Anaar feels the disapproving gaze of Master Shin upon him. “I know what you are going to say, but it isn’t like I used my powers to control my knives in here! Plus, you never said I couldn’t ever use my powers, you simply said I couldn’t use them as a crutch. I just didn’t want to get into anything really heavy with Ripp. You know I still owe her a lot.”
“Are you too a Psychic? I do not remember saying anything at all, nevertheless anything resembling a scolding.”
“I just know how you feel about me using my powers like that.”
“I am not naïve enough to believe you would never utilize your abilities. I only seek to make sure you do not become too reliant on them. You have come to use this time to prepare for the next leg of this School Rankings Competition?”
“Finally! Someone else recognizes that this thing is c
learly not over! Everyone seems to think that we are done, but everything points to there being more to come.”
“Not everyone possesses the intellect you do.”
“But it is obvious!”
“It may behoove you to be more willing to accept the vast differences in your abilities from others. It does not require you to look down on them, but softening your expectations could help your relationships with them.”
“I’ll take it under advisement. I’ve actually never seen you with another student other than Phavian, especially a Senior.”
“I do not take many students. Only those who are truly willing even need to apply.”
“Well I’m here for my weekly beating. I suppose I’m willing to take those.”
Chuckling just a bit, Master Shin starts up his training with Anaar. Something they had been working on was utilizing his unique predisposition to multiple weapons to his advantage. He had always picked one weapon and stuck with it for the duration of a fight, even if he did not use the same weapon every time. Master Shin had been challenging him to make use of all his weapons fluidly, as that would make his already fluid movements even more unpredictable.
He had been told skilled opponents would not need long to adjust to the range, speed, power, and technique of a person, so if he were to constantly fluctuate, it would greatly reduce the chance of them being able to gain an upper hand, or at least take strides to delay it. The easiest enemies to overcome were those who were very telegraphed in their battles, even if they were extremely strong. ‘A heavy strike means nothing if it could not hit the target,’ Master Shin would always say, which is why Anaar had always been more than comfortable utilizing his speed to confound those he was against rather than raw power.
With their session complete, Anaar took to the Cafeteria to grab a late breakfast before he figured out what his next move was. To his immense surprise, he found a completely fresh faced Codi, with one of the most normal outfits he had ever witnessed her in, picking at some food alone at a table. Against his better judgment, he brought his food over to sit with her.
“Fuck off.”
“No.”
“Seriously. I’m not in the fucking mood.”
“I honestly don’t care what you are in the mood for, I care about what you need. What you need is a swift kick in the ass.”
Looking up, eyes crackling with electricity, “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
“There she is. The powerhouse that embodies rebellion. Why are you sitting here moping, letting a bunch of people who don’t matter define who you are? You are too smart, and too secure for that.”
“I don’t need a bunch of fucking lip from you. You are number 1 in the school. Everyone knows it and everyone accepts it.”
“Except I don’t care. I don’t even want to be number 1. I just want to live my life, and enjoy my friends. Being number 1 does nothing but put a ton of extra attention and pressure on you that I’d rather do without.”
“Just because you don’t give a shit about your placement that you don’t even have to work for, doesn’t mean the rest of us feel the same way.”
Remembering what Master Shin had just told him, he decided to try to see things from someone else’s perspective. “So tell me, what would being number 1 do for you?”
Exploding as she banged on the table, “I could get rid of my shithead parents and finally give my brother and sister the life they deserve!” Taken aback by her own outburst, she calms down, picking up her fork again to pick at the food.
“Then the status is more about your family, rather than the people at this school. Do you think the only way to achieve that goal is by being number 1?”
“People with privilege don’t understand those that lack it.”
“Those are some pitiful words coming from one of the wealthiest Air Affinities in the country.”
She looks up to make a rebuttal, but finds she has nothing good to say. “Eat a dick.”
“Don’t worry, I keep a healthy diet of those.”
Incapable of stopping herself from laughing, she looks up at him, throwing a cherry tomato at his face. “Eww!! Just say no to pole.”
“It kinda comes attached, I don’t have much of a choice. Look, I can’t pretend I know what you are going through. We all know empathy was never something I worked on before coming here. All I can say is that you deserve the rank you are, no matter what others may say. Worrying about what they think will only take away the focus of what you are really working toward right? If there is something you need, you know you have us here to help you with it. But if it is only about the meaningless recognition of others, good luck. I’m often reminded how illogical humans can be. So far, the people that got slighted in this competition are the ones who are laughing, because those you got replaced with are at the bottom of the standings. How shitty must it be to have everyone bet on you, only to royally let them down? I bet they will think twice about it in the future.”
“You know, you are much more tolerable when you use that fat ass brain of yours to be a know-it-all for my sake.”
“Glad to be of service.” They continue talking for a while, Codi mentioning she couldn’t wait to rub it into Phavian’s face that he lost to Ripp, when a portal opens up near them.
“Anaar Vorpal-”
“I know, I know. I’m ready to go now.” Looking down at the near empty tray of food, “Are you guys going to handle that?”
“Just go kick their asses. I’ll clean up your mess.”
With a slight bow and a nod, he gives Codi a grin, proceeding through the portal to places unknown. Once he arrives, he notices a number of other people, eighteen to be exact. Checking his surroundings, he finds that he is in a place he is all too familiar with: Demolitionist’s Destination. In this wide expanse, there was no hiding, no ambushes, nothing random about who you might encounter. With everyone present and accounted for it could only mean one thing. Tightening his jaw, he realized they were expected to fight in one massive brawl until there was only one left standing.
“You were brought here in order of your current points. Those with lower points were brought first, as it would give them an opportunity to assess their situation longer. This is the best advantage we will allow. In this bout, there can be absolutely no intentional cooperation. Anyone even suspected of working together will be immediately disqualified, preventing them from gaining any additional points. Those with higher points are worth more points if defeated. There is one of you who was unable to recover enough to participate in this round. This is the final round, the last chance to carve your place in the standings of the first School Rankings Competition. Given the potential volatility of the event, those who are incapacitated may need to wait longer for medical attention, however do remember that this is your last chance. Now is not the time to hold back. We apologize for our oversight before. We now have more than adequate medical personnel to service everyone, even if they were to be in extremely critical condition. We do not want to hamper your effectiveness in any way by asking you, the foremost leaders in this school to give anything less than your all. We wish you luck, and may the best student stand at the top! You will be given the indication that you may begin shortly.”
Looking around at one another, the nineteen students began studying and sizing up the faces of those that they would be competing against. Never before had there been a competition of this manner where everyone was placed into a situation where they must stand alone in an open setting against others. Not only that, these were the people voted by their peers to be the best in their classes, meaning that no one was without skill. The strict rule about cooperation was likely intended to prevent a group of lower students from ganging up on those with higher points. The point of this was to stand on your own merit, not use cheap tactics to level the playing field.
All around the school, students, faculty and staff were tuning in to watch the nail-biting conclusion of the competition. Every person was overtly rooting for
anyone in their particular class, even if they did not care for them normally. To the viewers’ delight, they even were afforded sound for this right from the start, as usually there was only a silent feed during Melees, or there was very poor sound quality. Places such as The Laddrach, and Central Technology had the event on any screen that was available, with many students clustering around them to watch. After a tense couple of minutes, the moment everyone had been waiting for came. The nineteen students were given their signal to begin.
The field became a blur of beams, bodies, and bullets, as the scene immediately burst into complete chaos. Everyone on the field had their eye on at least one other person, whether near or far, that they wanted to go after from the beginning. Not surprising to him at all, Anaar found himself a target of a number of assaults from all directions. Dashing away at a speed extremely difficult to track, he tears ravenously through an Artillerite that was releasing volley after volley of rapidly moving energy blasts, with extreme stopping power. Sheathing his swords as the hapless man bled heavily on the ground, he turns just in time to reduce a massive boulder that was big enough to crush several people at once to dust. Finding who he was looking for in the madness, he throws up his hands angrily.
“Really Jesus?!”
“Can you blame me?! I had to give it a shot!”
To the side, JaMarkus was standing in aqueous form, laughing as the bullets showering him passed harmlessly through. Releasing a large gout of water from his hands, people everywhere scrambled as they moved to get clear of the torrents sweeping through the area. Determined to not let anyone keep him down or catch him off guard like in the last round, he decided to retain his aqueous form as there was no doubt the area was fraught with dangers.
From above him, a portal opens up, with bullets hailing down upon him. With them having no effect, the portal expands, allowing Ripp to dive headlong through it. As she is plummeting toward him, he licks his lips, seeing the perfect opportunity to catapult himself in points by taking out the second highest person with ease. Raising his arms to target the falling girl, his body freezes solid just as the water was leaving his palms, creating a perfect statue that looked as if it was meant to be a pedestal of sorts. Diving through another portal that brought her safely to the ground behind him, she shoots the statue in the legs, causing them to shatter up to his torso, the top half of his body now separate from the bottom. Looking to the side, she sees Phavian not far from where her portal closed looking satisfied.
Divulgence (Song of Sophangence Book 2) Page 23