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  “What are you saying?” I growl.

  “Exactly what you think. If you’re so confident in your strength, test it right here, right now.” Tristen ignites a fire in the palm of his hand. “Just you and me... Or are you afraid to take me on alone?”

  “You wish. If anyone’s afraid, it’s you.”

  “Careful, Cross, you might just get yourself hurt.”

  “You don’t have to fight him if you don’t want to, Aiden. We can go somewhere else.”

  “Everything’s fine, Summer. I promise. If he wants a fight, then he’ll get one.”

  “You heard the man, Summer, now let the boys play for a bit.”

  “You a—!”

  “Summer, it’s fine. Thanks for having my back, but I got this.” I unleash my power, and my energy begins to flow freely around my hands as I glare at Tristen. “Hey... Can you give us some space? I don’t want you to get hurt,” I ask Summer without looking back. Tristen’s the perfect person to spar against... I wanted to see how strong I’ve become, and it looks like I got my wish. Tristen won’t go easy on me. He’ll give it everything he’s got. He doesn’t want to lose—and neither do I.

  “...Okay. I trust you. You better win.”

  “Don’t worry. I will.” I give Summer some time to distance herself from us, and then sink down into my battle stance. “All right. Ready when you are.”

  “Finally. Show me what you got!” Tristen hurls a ball of fire my way, and I swipe my hand in front of my chest, projecting a blanket of my energy in front of me. My flames absorb Tristen’s attack, but it doesn’t stop him from continuing his assault. “Nice!” He rushes forward, and I grip the base of my arm before discharging my energy, creating an explosion of flame that rips through the ground. “You’re going to have to do better than that!” Tristen emerges from the explosion, his hand leading the way. He reaches at my head, but I quickly parry it and align my hand with his face, readying myself to discharge another blast of energy. “Oh, no you don’t!” Tristen weaves under my arm just as I release my energy and uses his momentum to slam me into the indent of earth I’d just created. He follows up by shooting a blast of fire, but I roll out of the way and fire a burst of flame of my own. He matches it with his flame, and the ensuing force presses my back against the ground. Tristen launches another fireball, and I spring to my feet before it can reach me, slightly winded from our exchange. “That’s all you got?” he taunts.

  “Not even close.” I begin to harvest more of my energy and pull it into my palm, slowly forming a dark violet ball of flame.

  “Oh, so you plan on using that move, eh? About time. Bring it on, Cross!” Tristen pulls more of his power too, summoning a raging swarm of fire that dances aggressively between his fingers.

  I can do this. I can take him down. I’m stronger now.

  “Guys, stop. You can’t!” Kaci yells.

  “Stay out of this, Kaci!” Tristen growls.

  “Boys!” Mr. Hoover shouts, but neither of us plan on backing down. “Stop this! This instant!”

  Tristen slings his ball of fire my way, and it rapidly grows as it gains speed. Filled with fury, I launch my own projectile, and our energies clash. The ground shakes and a brazen wind kicks up dust and debris all around us.

  The wind suddenly dies, and I feel a set of wires quickly wrap around my arms and legs, preventing me from moving.

  When the dust settles, I realize that Tristen is hunched over, his hands, frozen and pinned to the ground.

  “Thank you, ladies,” Mr. Hoover says. “I appreciate the assistance.”

  “No problem,” Clarissa answers from behind me—I knew the second I was bound that it was her.

  Kaci releases her fingers from their bridged position, and a faint kick of air washes over the training ground. She was the one that contained the fallout... And of course, it was Summer who froze Tristen’s hands, and I’m sure she made it hurt for payback.

  “Boys, while you’re allowed to spar during this class, it’s limited to just that. Sparring. Be mindful of your surroundings. With that kind of output, you pose a serious risk to your peers and to yourselves.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. We both got carried away.” As I say that, I look at the destruction laid across the training ground in our wake. “It won’t happen again.”

  “I have high confidence that it won’t...but I am glad to see that the fruits of your training with Mr. Ferris paid off.”

  “Same here.”

  “Speaking of which, I wanted to speak with you... All of you...about an upcoming event that I have planned. It’s one hundred percent optional, but there will be benefits should you be willing to participate.”

  “Benefits? I’m listening,” Summer says and folds her arms.

  “Geez,” Kaci mumbles under her breath and shakes her head.

  “Usually, I’d discuss such matters in private, but since you’re all here, now is as good a time as ever. You can use the remaining time in the period to prepare.”

  “So, what is it?” Tristen asks.

  “Something that I’m sure you’ll all enjoy—an opportunity to display your skills in combat.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Due to the events that recently transpired, the school semester has been altered. Some students have adapted to the change, while others have not. This change in particular has affected the students throughout the program who have been receiving less than satisfactory marks. Activities and examinations have been proposed to give these students a chance to boost their grades. You five, coincidentally, are excellent candidates for this event during the combat portion as you all are the top students within this class.”

  “Wait...why us in particular?” Kaci asks. “Do we have to?”

  “Participation is completely optional if you choose to decline, but the nature of this exercise will be a one on one exhibition match. These students are in their sophomore year at Crown. As a whole, these students are more advanced on the basis of knowledge and experience, but as you know, powers and combat ability vary from person to person. The students you’d be facing are on the brink of being put on probation. Their matches with you all will be one of the deciding factors to determine if probation is a necessary course of action.”

  “So, all we have to do is fight them?” Summer asks. “What do we get out of this? Do we get something if we win?”

  “Excellent question, Summer. Outside of getting a better understanding of your abilities and more diverse data from your suit, depending on your performance, credits can be potentially added to your portfolio, allowing you to further progress at Crown. In addition to this, the data from the exercise will be documented and can be used when it comes time for recommendation letters or for consideration when registering for other classes or programs. Defeating your opponent is not necessary, but it will prove beneficial to both your stay here, and your career.”

  “Cool. I can get down with that.”

  “But, to be frank, each of your opponents will be challenging, and unlike the previous combat exercises that we do in this class, no information on your opponent will be made available to you. You’ll have to find that out during your battle. The same applies to the upperclassmen that you will be facing.”

  “Hmm...speaking of upperclassmen, what about them? Like, the students who aren’t in danger of failing. Shouldn’t they be going against someone on an equal playing field or better to show their level of mastery?” Clarissa asks.

  “We wanted it to be fair, and to an extent, discreet. If you were struggling in your curriculum, placing you against an advanced student in the same tier would only lead to an uphill battle. We wanted the pairs to be as equal as we could make it, overall. It’s not perfect, but it gives leeway for new developments from either party. As for testing these students against those a grade higher than them, it would unfortunately be one-sided based on the data that we have available. There wouldn’t be an opportunity to monitor their progress. Competing against underclassmen
also serves as a motivator of sorts which can uncover latent potential, given the stakes. I’m sure that fighting a strong opponent will do the same for you all, as well. The upperclassmen throughout Crown who are not participating in this event will be leaving campus for a joint excursion. Most of the faculty will be accompanying them to a location off campus where they will be meeting with representatives who represent the superpowered community. Students beyond the sophomore level who are at risk will be doing a special one-day workshop with them while the others will be attending an array of seminars and exercises catered to their needs. In a way, the experience overall is likened to a career day of sorts.”

  Career day? So, the upperclassmen get a peek at the organizations that are keeping everything together. Interesting.

  “So, what about us? What’s our class going to do?” I ask.

  “Unfortunately, it’s nothing quite as exciting. It’s business as usual for those in their first year. Capstone examinations are not too far off, so in order to make sure that you guys stay on track, we decided to keep things routine.”

  “Except for us, right?” Summer asks.

  “In a way... Yes, you are to go to classes just as usual, but be prepared to fight in the evening, before dinner. I’ll send a formal letter with specific times once I draft it and make the final arrangements with the other staff, but as it stands, the exercises are scheduled to happen a month from today.”

  “Well, that sucks, but at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” Summer snickers and pounds her fist into her palm. “You can count me in.”

  “I’m in, too,” I announce. Fighting a stronger opponent is just what I need to see how much progress I really made... I was a bit winded from my exchange with Tristen, but that was because my body hadn’t quite warmed up. I used an attack that would have left me completely exhausted months ago, and I feel totally fine. Mr. Hoover even acknowledged me as being in the top five of our class, and Tristen and I were on equal footing while we fought. I’m sure I can get even stronger in a month’s time. We all can.

  “Clarissa, Kaci? What about you two?” Mr. Hoover asks. “Are you interested in participating?”

  “I’m not sure. Can you give me some time to think on it?” Clarissa presses her thumb and pointer finger to her chin. “It’s a lot to take in.”

  “That’s not an issue at all. I’ll give you a few days to respond once I send the emails, and of course, don’t feel as if there is any pressure for you to participate.”

  “I understand... I just don’t want to be the reason that someone gets put on probation,” she says earnestly while deep in thought.

  “That’s an awful way to look at it,” Tristen interjects, taking a step forward with his hands crossed over his chest. “If you beat them, that’s their problem, not yours. They should have tried harder. We’re the underdogs in this exercise, right?”

  “Statistically speaking, that is correct.”

  “Good, so that’s even more of a reason to go all-out and crush them. We’re expected to lose, but I intend to prove them wrong. Count me in, and if Clarissa drops, give me her opponent too.” He scowls. “The data you guys have doesn’t tell the full story, right, Aiden?” Tristen glances my way, flames of determination and defiance burning in his eyes.

  “Right.” I nod, picking up on his energy.

  “We’ll beat them and show them the true power of our class.”

  “Hmph. I have faith that you’ll do just that, Tristen, all of you actually.”

  “You in, Kaci?” Tristen asks, his gaze now directed at her.

  “Yeah, most definitely. I’m curious to see what we’ll be up against.”

  “Okay, then it’s settled. Be on the lookout for your emails where you’ll be given the chance to accept your position within the exercise. I’ll be sure to update you all as things develop.” He smiles. “If there aren’t any more questions, I’ll leave you all to your training. Carry on, and please be mindful of the rules going forward.”

  Mr. Hoover turns his back to us and begins to walk away, leaving the five of us to mull over our next plan of action. “Well, that goes to show you, there’s never a dull moment at Crown,” Summer announces, breaking our joint silence. Tristen grunts and spins on his heel.

  “Hey, where are you going?” I ask while he continues to put distance between us. “What about our fight?”

  “I’m over it,” he says while waving his hand as he walks with his back to me. “You heard what we’re up against. I don’t have the time to waste on a loser like you.”

  “Hey!”

  “Leave me alone, and get to work.” Tristen snarls. “A month’s going to go by quicker than you think. You don’t want to be an embarrassment for the rest of us, do you? You better believe that your opponent will be training hard too.”

  I hold my tongue and release the tension in my fist and throughout my body. We were even when we fought, but he refused to acknowledge it. “Don’t sweat it, Aiden. Let it go. He’s just doing what he does best,” Kaci muses.

  “He’s such a jerk,” Summer adds. “One of these days I’m going to put him in his place.”

  “I mean, he is right though,” Kaci says. “Even if his delivery was kinda rough, we have to get to work if we want to have a decent showing. I don’t plan on being the one to lose.”

  “Whatever... So, what? Are you going to go train with him?”

  “Ha. Maybe. If he lets me. Tristen and his mood swings can be a lot to handle, but he definitely knows what he’s doing. Maybe we can all train...together?”

  “Yeah, no... I’ll pass on that,” Summer says flatly.

  “No thanks.” I shake my head. “He hates my guts.”

  “Well, maybe next time then? He really means well.”

  “That’s a negative, chief, but you can you can try your luck,” Summer responds.

  “Okay. Fine, I will.” Kaci runs to catch up with Tristen, and I watch her coax him into taking her up on a joint session. Together, they walk into the forest until I lose sight of them.

  “Wow, okay...so that just happened.”

  “Yup.”

  “So, Aiden, you and me?” Summer swivels her fingers back and forth. “You can spar with us too if you want, Rissa. I don’t mind.”

  “No, I really think I’ll be fine on my own for today.” Summer tilts her head and narrows her eyes.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” she answers, unable to hold eye contact.

  “One sec, A.” Summer grabs Clarissa by the hand. “We’ll be back in a jiff,” she says to me with a smile. “Come on, gal. Let’s go for a walk.”

  “Seriously, I’m good,” Clarissa announces as Summer pulls her by the arm.

  “I know. I just want to talk for a bit. See ya, Aiden!”

  “Hey, wait!” Clarissa pleads as Summer yanks her forward. Together, they both go running off into the distance, leaving me alone.

  ****

  Summer never came back, but in all honesty, I didn’t really expect her to. Something was off with Clarissa, and given how they were recently partners, I figured Summer had an idea about what was troubling her and wanted to help, so I gave them their space.

  With the other four gone, I set out to train by myself for the rest of class, slowly upping the intensity as time moved forward. Just as I predicted, my energy levels had increased tremendously and my output’s increased. Part of it came from learning how to better control my energy, but the rest, without a doubt, came from facing my inner demons to remove the mental block I had when it came to using my abilities.

  A month was all the time that we were given when Mr. Hoover made his announcement, and if I were to get stronger, I knew I’d need more help. I sent an email to Mr. Ferris in between classes, but he never responded. All throughout the day I’d check my phone, waiting for his reply, but it never came. Even at dinner everyone was asking what I was obsessing over. Of course, I couldn’t tell the full truth. In order to ensure the co
nfidentiality of the exercise, I couldn’t let any of them know. Mr. Hoover had sent the email towards the end of the day, and I accepted it, along with the request that other students be kept in the dark.

  With Mr. Ferris being in the wind, I figured that I’d take my next course of action, and for that, I’d have to wait until tomorrow.

  Chapter 13

  At the crack of dawn, I wake up and immediately head out the door after getting dressed. Mr. Ferris still hasn’t answered my email, and I don’t know if it’s too late and he’s already gone.

  I sprint through the campus and to the north side of campus until I reach the spot where we’d always train—right by the giant waterfall. “Mr. Ferris!” I find him, eyes closed and in his meditative position. “Mr. Ferris!” I call out again from the distance and jog his way.

  “Aiden?” He opens his eyes and tilts his head to the side, tickled by my desperation. “You in a hurry or something? What’s going on?”

  “Mr. Ferris...” I pant, my hands on my knees as I struggle to pull oxygen into my lungs. “I thought...you...had...already left.”

  “Nope. Still here.”

  “Don’t you check your email?!”

  “Occasionally. Why, what’s up?”

  “What happened to I could reach out to you whenever I needed to, huh?”

  “I had some things I had to handle, and you were my top priority... Mr. Hoover briefed me on how you’re doing. He said you made a full recovery...so I thought we were in the clear. You are good, right? No more nightmares, yeah?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Never felt better, but that’s not the point!”

  “There’s always something with kids these days, I swear,” Mr. Ferris mumbles.

  “Hey, I heard that!”

  “Am I wrong?” There’s an awkward silence between the two of us, and then he finally cracks a smile. “I take it humor doesn’t sit well with you this early in the morning,” he says and then sighs. “No worries. The smug look does you well.” I glare harder, and he rubs his hand across the back of his neck. “Take a seat, take a seat. What’s on your mind, Aiden? In my defense, isn’t it the proper courtesy to give someone twenty-four hours to respond?”