by Kory Shen
Drake gave her a deathly stare. "No needles. Today, you'll be sparring."
Sparring? That was pretty basic. We had done it all the time.
"Without your Avatars," Drake added.
Oh. We were going to train like I had seen Mia do before. By fist and by foot.
Nikki raised her hand. Drake ignored her, but she kept waving her hand. "What is it, Young?"
"What if we're not good at, um, fighting without our Avatars?" she asked.
"Then, you better get good real quick or face the consequences," Drake said.
"Um, but what if—" Nikki started.
"That's enough. Pair up and show me what you got. Anything goes. First person to tap out or unable to continue loses."
For once, I was grateful that I was the odd man out. The girls eyed each other warily, realizing that the choice of partner would be more important.
Julie walked up to Mia. "You and me," Julie said.
Mia bowed slightly. "Of course."
Stella moved first, grabbing Nikki's hand. "Nikki."
Kayla and Claire reached for Nikki too.
"Oh, for crying out loud." Drake said.
None of the girls would let go of Nikki. She looked around, bewildered.
"Young, you're with Perkins!" Drake shouted. "Jones, you're with Fisher. Now, move it!"
Mia and Julie were already in fighting stances. I watched in fascination as they circled each other cautiously, probing with the occasional feint.
Mia moved efficiently and methodically, while Julie danced around on the balls of her feet. They suddenly closed the distance between them at the same time. I blinked, and they were both on the ground, grappling.
I glanced at the Avatars sitting in a line on the other side of the room. None of them had reacted to the sudden violence.
"Hunter!" Drake clapped my back. "Enough with the sightseeing." He pointed to Stella and Nikki, who were eyeing each other. "Take those two out. Now!"
"What?" The girls hadn't heard Drake's command. "Like, both of them?"
"Do I need to repeat myself? Take. Them. Out."
"Yes, sir!" I moved towards them. I heard grunts of pain from Mia and Julie's direction, but I didn't dare take my eyes off the girls in front of me.
What the fuck is he doing?
I don't know, Dustin.
Stella and Nikki finally noticed my approach. "Dustin?" Nikki asked.
"Perkins, Young," Drake called out. "You're a team now. Two versus one. Take him out."
Stella nodded to Nikki. Then, they both attacked.
Despite Nikki's complaining, she clearly had some training in unarmed combat. Stella, obviously, knew what she was doing, too. I had picked up some moves since joining the squad, but I was brand new to most of this. Only my Predator Reflexes kept me from getting clobbered.
Nikki came in low, sending a kick to my knees. Stella came in high, a palm strike to my head. I sidestepped the kick and twisted my head the other way to avoid Stella's blow.
Neither could match my enhanced speed or agility. Or so I thought.
Nikki became a flurry of legs, kicking high and low, at a nearly inhuman speed.
"Shit!" I cried. I couldn't dodge or block every kick and had no choice but to retreat.
Stella had stopped attacking for a second to watch Nikki's display, but she quickly picked up her attack as well, moving to flank me from the side.
Nikki flashed a smile. "My Quick Feet ability. Helps me run faster. And kick faster."
Zoe, I'm getting beaten up by a rabbit. Help?
A hard punch from Stella glanced off my ribs. A kick from Nikki caught me in the shin.
Drake shouted at me. "Hunter, what're you doing? Attack, damn it!"
You could take her to the ground, where her kicks won't be effective. But that leaves—
I had to change something. I dove at Nikki, taking a kick to my chest, but it wasn't enough to stop my momentum. We crashed to the ground together. Someone hit me from behind.
—that leaves you open to Stella.
I wrapped my arms around Nikki and squeezed tightly, rolling over with her to put her between me and Stella. Stella tried to flank me again, but I threw a flailing Nikki into her legs. Stella jumped to avoid tripping, but I was already up by the time she landed.
I tackled Stella and mounted her torso. I raised my fist, ready to strike her. She lifted her arms to protect herself.
I stopped. I couldn't punch Stella in the face.
"Hunter!" Drake shouted. "Fight!"
A kick struck the side of my head, rocking me to the side. Stella used the distraction to swing her body out from under me and reposition herself. She yanked one of my arms toward her, then wrapped a leg around my neck, pulling hard. My face was buried between her thighs, but I didn't have time to dwell on that. She was choking me.
I squirmed frantically. Someone grabbed my legs. I had one free arm that wasn't pinned down. Something tried to hold it back, but I ripped it free with my superior strength.
The pressure on my neck mounted. I had to get free.
I swung my lone free arm…
I opened my eyes. I was lying on my back. The others were standing around me.
"He's up!" Claire cried.
Did I pass out?
For like ten seconds.
"What happened?" I asked.
Kayla shook her head. Nikki giggled. The girls dispersed. I looked around in confusion.
"I told you to fight, damn it," Drake said, also walking away.
Zoe? Fill me in?
Zoe played back the fight from her viewpoint. I was stuck between Stella's legs. Nikki had wrapped herself around my own legs. My arm ripped free. I swung it…
I cringed. My hand landed on Stella's right breast and squeezed. Stella shrieked and broken the choke, but my body lay there limp, already passed out.
Shit.
I looked around. Stella was off to one side, studiously looking in the other direction. I walked over to her.
"Stella, I'm so sorry—"
She turned to me, her face brimming with anger.
Oooh. You're in trouble now.
"Everything happened so quickly. I couldn't think. I was choking. My hand had a mind of its own. I swear—"
Stella cut me off. "That's not why I'm mad."
"What?"
"You held back, didn't you?"
I stared blankly at her.
Maybe she means you should have squeezed harder.
Zoe!
"I'm not sure…"
"You were holding back. Admit it."
"I didn't want to hit you."
Stella's brows furrowed further. "See! We're training for the War. Do you want us to win?"
"Well, yeah—"
"Then, don't hold back. Plus, it's insulting. Like you think I don't belong here."
"No, it's not that—" I stopped. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry."
"Dustin," Stella said. "Being nice isn't going to cut it on the battlefield. Remember what Drake said at the start?"
Hey, Mr. Nice Guy. He said to be a master of yourself.
Yeah, yeah. I know, Zoe.
"Everyone grab a new partner!" Drake walked over to me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "She took the words out of my mouth." He steered me into a corner for a private chat. "I have to admit, Hunter, that didn't go quite as planned."
"Yeah, tell me about it," I muttered.
"Look, I get my orders, too. I don't always agree with them. But you've got to follow through."
I gave Drake a curious look.
Drake sighed. "I tell you to punch me, you need to punch me. Hard. I tell you to jump, touch the fucking sky. Being a Beastmaster, a soldier, is about more than fighting with your Avatar. Got it?"
"Did Dr. Hill tell you to—"
Drake cut me off. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. My grandma used to say that."
I shook my head. "What am I going to do with lemonade?"
Drake laughed. "I'm not going
to get myself in trouble. But I'll do my best to turn out a squad that can be proud of itself. Got it?"
"Yeah." Drake hadn't really talked to me one-on-one before. I hadn't realized he was dealing with bullshit, too. That's how well he dealt with it. Maybe he wasn't as bad as everyone thought. "Thanks, sir."
"I wasn't exaggerating about the other stuff," he said. "You have to be prepared for everything."
I nodded. I was about to reply, but the doors to the training room burst open.
A platoon of uniformed soldiers piled into the room. The first thing I noticed was that some of them were holding cages. The type that had trapped and separated Zoe from me before.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Drake roared. The dragon at his side flapped its wings angrily and hissed.
Dr. Preston walked into the training room.
"Dustin? Where is he?" His eyes fell on me. He smiled. "Hello, Dustin. Looks like I'll get to have my way with you after all."
CHAPTER 10
Everyone stared at me.
Dr. Preston turned to one of the soldiers holding a cage. He motioned to Zoe. "Lock up his Avatar."
"What the hell?" I shouted. I ran towards Zoe, but a soldier moved to bar my way. "I don't think so." I easily spun past the soldier and reached Zoe first. I blocked the incoming soldier carrying a cage using my arms. "No fucking way."
Zoe, what is this?
I don't know. It sounds like Preston has permission to proceed with his plan.
The soldier with the cage eyed me warily, then looked back at Dr. Preston.
"Stand aside, Dustin," Dr. Preston.
"Is Dustin in trouble?" Nikki asked.
Another soldier with a cage moved towards Zoe, but Julie moved to block him. "Who the fuck are you, anyway?" Kayla didn't say anything but took another step closer to me.
"That's Cody's father," Stella said.
Dr. Preston tilted his head slightly. "Stella. Looks like you're coming along nicely." He sighed and turned his attention to me again. "Dustin. Enough with the childish display."
"You realize we could meld and tear you all apart," Julie said.
Drake had been quiet until now. I noticed him finish tapping on something strapped to his wrist. "Stand down, Richards!" He took a step towards Dr. Preston. "Leave that to me."
The air shimmered, and a giant silver dragon stood in his place. "No one moves until Dr. Hill gets here," he growled.
"I could have you court-martialed," Dr. Preston growled. He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Get that Avatar in a cage," he barked to the rest of the soldiers.
The soldiers warily approached, but Drake pushed them gently but firmly back with one of his wings. "Don't test me."
The nearest soldier with a cage lunged past me, but I caught him and flipped him to the ground. The cage clattered as it fell away.
"Now, he fights," Stella muttered.
We stood in silence, glaring at each other, for what felt like minutes before the training room's door slid open again. Dr. Hill stepped inside.
"Jack!" she shouted. "What's this? You trying to go behind my back?"
Dr. Preston smiled. "Hello, Leah. This has been authorized from the very top." He pulled out a tablet and showed it to Dr. Hill. She snatched it and examined it for a moment before snorting in disgust. She tossed the tablet back to Dr. Preston.
"Unbelievable," Dr. Hill said. "I thought we were working together on this."
Dr. Preston shrugged. "I'm a go-getter. I got impatient waiting for Dustin here to make his decision."
"Decision?" one of the girls whispered.
Dr. Hill shook her head. "You forced me." She took out her own tablet and started typing furiously.
Dr. Preston's smile disappeared. "Leah. What are you doing?"
"Just letting your bosses know that you lost Cody. And that they're about to put you in charge of our most valuable military asset." She finished typing then gave Dr. Preston a smug smile of her own.
"How did you know—"
"Oh. And that Cody, your ward, is currently cavorting with the enemy."
There were gasps.
Cody's with the Mekanics?
Sounds like it.
Dr. Preston frowned. "You have no proof."
"Don't push me, Jack. You don't want to fight with me. Not when our enemy is out there."
For a moment, it looked like Dr. Preston would explode in anger, but he pressed his lips tightly together and took a deep breath through his nose.
"You're making a mistake, Leah," he said in a calm tone. He pointed at me, then Zoe. "All of you. You have no idea what's at stake. Don't you understand? I'm trying to save this miserable world. I'm the only one willing to do what it takes." He shook his head, then marched out of the room. "Don't blame me for what happens next," he said as he left.
The remaining soldiers looked at each other in confusion.
I melded and screamed. The soldiers scrambled out of the room.
Dr. Hill raised an eyebrow. "Enough with the theatrics, Hunter. You, too, Drake."
We both unmelded. There was an immediate chorus of questions.
"Where's Cody?"
"What's going on with Dustin?"
"Why's Cody's dad here?"
Dr. Hill raised her arms to quiet us down.
"Is it true?" Kayla asked. "Cody's with the Mekanics?"
Dr. Hill nodded. "We think so. The Mekanics interfered with the security protocols where he was under monitoring." She shot me a glance. "We believe they recruited him."
"Why would they want him?" I asked. "Is it because he's a clo—"
"Hunter." Dr. Hill raised a warning finger. The others looked at me curiously. "That's classified."
"Why would they want Beastmasters?" Stella asked.
"I don't know," Dr. Hill said. "It could be as simple as disrupting our morale. Or probing for security holes."
Zoe, what do you think?
I…I'm not sure. It's possible they could be trying to replicate your cloning program.
But they already have their robots. Why bother with that?
I really don't know.
"Why does Dr. Preston want Dustin?" Claire asked.
"That's classified, too," Dr. Hill said. She looked around. "But he could be the key to winning the War."
I could feel their stares. "Him?" Julie asked. She poked me in the bicep. "What's so special about him?"
Nikki wrapped an arm around my neck. "He is special, aren't you, Dustin?"
Mia caught my eye, then looked away.
"He's also in potential danger," Dr. Hill said. "If the Mekanics know what we do, they'll come for him. We know that Staccato was already gunning for him."
"It isn't safe here," Drake said. "First Drake, now Preston. The other incidents. The Academy is compromised."
I looked at Drake. Did he know about the hacking?
Dr. Hill shook her head. "I still can't believe Jack would try to sneak Hunter away like that. We'll have to be more careful from now on. Keep him hidden. Mobile."
Drake motioned to the others. "I can stay close. What about them?"
"They should stick together. They're improving as a team. They'll also provide an extra layer of security." Dr. Hill gave me a cool look. I could guess why else she wanted them close to me.
"When should we leave?" Drake asked.
"Immediately. I should be able to make the arrangements by this evening."
Drake nodded. "You hear that, everyone? Pack up. We're going on a road trip. Meet by the landing bay at…" He looked to Dr. Hill.
"Eighteen hundred," she said.
It was still before noon. That gave us plenty of time to get ready.
"How long will we be on the trip?" Nikki asked.
"As long as it takes," Dr. Hill said. "One more thing. Before you leave, everyone stop by my office. I'll inject the next round of recovery charges."
"That it?" Drake asked.
Dr. Hill nodded.
"Get out of here," Drake said,
clapping his hands.
We head out, but Claire grabbed one of my arms as I moved past her.
"Hey, Mr. Special," Claire crooned. "What's your secret?"
Nikki tugged on my other arm. "Tell me! Tell me!"
Stella rolled her eyes and walked away. Julie stopped in front of me. "Yeah, give us something."
Mia and Kayla didn't say anything but stopped to watch.
"I can't talk about it," I mumbled. "It's something about me and Zoe."
"Zoe?" Claire's bird flew over to land on Zoe's head. Zoe sat still for a second, then shook her head vigorously. The bird flew back to Claire's shoulder.
"Yeah, Zoe," I said. "She's the special one." I had probably said too much already. "I can't say anymore." I pulled my arms free and headed off by myself.
Zoe didn't follow immediately. Nikki's rabbit was bounding around Zoe. Kayla's snake was flicking its tongue at her.
Zoe, come on. You can play with them some other time.
So could you. Zoe jogged slowly after me.
I headed towards my room, then changed my mind and went directly to Dr. Hill's office. Might as well get the injection over with.
She had just arrived as well when I got there. Dr. Hill waved me into her office. "Hunter."
I rolled up the sleeve of my right arm, and Dr. Hill retrieved a briefcase from a shelf. She selected one of the syringes.
"What's going to happen with you and Dr. Preston?" I asked.
Dr. Hill's eyes were focused on the syringe as she tapped it to remove bubbles. "You leave that to me," she said. "Have you made up your mind? About what we discussed the other day?"
She brought the syringe over and slid the needle into my arm smoothly. I barely noticed. Within moments, she finished the mini-transfusion and discarded the equipment.
"Wow. That was a lot better than when I did it."
Dr. Hill raised an eyebrow. "I am a professional. So, have you decided?"
"No…" That reminded. "By the way, did you make Mia spar with me? And then have Drake run that session just now?"
"I told you. People are getting desperate. You saw what Preston tried to pull." She bent to address Zoe. "I hope you tried to talk some sense into him."
Zoe flicked her ears. I tried, didn't I?
Dr. Hill sighed. "Hunter, we're running out of time. Here, swallow this." She handed me a large silver pill the size of a big cherry. I wasn't sure if I could swallow it without choking.
