The Games Villains Play (The Academy Trilogy)

by Joshua DeBenedetto

  Or so he hoped. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how little information he had about those who were running this operation. They could be power hungry and curious, as Donny had assumed, but they could also be afraid of Jay, such that they would rather do away with the threat immediately. Donny made his assumptions based on what he had seen of Captain Williams, but he did not know if Captain Williams was running everything, or was just the highest rank that was still low enough to need a public face. Donny felt confident that Captain Williams would not have made the call to kill Jay, and he would think there would have been some hint of genuine disappointment when talking about Jay’s death if Jay had really been killed against Captain Williams’ wishes, but it was possible that Captain Williams had purposefully shown no emotion to throw Donny off.

  No, that can’t be it, that would be assuming they think I’m a threat. Even though Donny had been accepted to the school supposedly due to his strategic ability, he knew that was just a front. He knew now that they just wanted him in the hopes that it would make it easier to control Jay. Maybe that’s still their plan, maybe they are still hoping to control Jay through me. It was more a wish than anything. Donny wanted them to target him, at least then he could be fighting along with his brother, instead of sitting on the sidelines and watching.

  Donny continued to think everything over for hours. He had plenty of food, so he could be there for days if he needed to. He doubted he would really need days on his own, but he wanted to be prepared. I wonder if they’ll send out a search party, or if they’ll just assumed I ran off into the desert in pursuit of the villains they claim killed by brother. The thought came as a joke to himself, but he could not shake the desire to do just that, run after the villains, and either fight them himself or try to shake them out of the school’s control. Such an attempt would be futile, he knew, but the desire still lingered.

  Finally, long after Donny lost track of the time, he heard the door to the arena open. He looked over, and could tell dawn was breaking outside. He was surprised to see a single silhouette in the light; he could not make out who it was. He was even more surprised when the person stepped into the arena and shut the door without turning on the lights. When Donny heard the door open he had assumed it would be the search party out to find him, but now he was not so sure. If they were looking for me, surely they would have turned on the lights.

  Donny listened as he heard things being moved around underneath him. They were not heavy objects, at least not heavy enough for the mystery visitor to pick up. The visitor surely was not a Titan either, as that much could be deduced from the silhouette. Donny waited, straining his ears to catch any clue of who that was or what they were doing. His efforts were in vain, because the noise soon ended, and a moment later Donny found himself now straining his eyes, as a small flickering light had appeared down below. The light was a small flame, probably from a match or lighter, and it caught hold of something flammable on the ground. The fire spread quickly, but Donny was not watching it. Instead he was trying desperately to catch sight of the visitor, who was now walking away from the growing flames. The visitor walked over to the door, opened it, and walked out. Donny was never able to identify them.

  Donny’s disappointment quickly left as his eyes now moved down to see the flames below. They were not out of control; on the contrary, they were under complete control and had stopped spreading as soon as the flames covered their intended space. The flames spelled out words, written in crooked writing, with lines between the words in order for the flames to spread. What Donny saw answered many questions, but gave rise to many more.

  He is alive and safe Keep learning I will be in touch

  NO SEARCH PARTY had ever been sent to look for Donny. When he arrived back at the school that morning, just in time to go to his first class, nobody seemed surprised to see him. It appeared that his one night disappearing act had not caught any attention at all. What he did find back at the school was sadness and sympathy. Word had clearly spread that Jay had been killed in battle, and as Donny walked through the halls all conversations fell silent while he passed, so the students could direct their attention to giving him sad looks. Donny did his best to feign grief as he walked by.

  All his classes began the same way, with a moment of silence ‘in honor of one of the greatest heroes this school has ever seen.’ Donny wondered if his professors really believed what they were saying. Do they know what this school is really about, or are they being kept in the dark too? When they say greatest, do they mean it, or do they really mean ‘most dangerous’? Donny was usually good at reading people, but right at this moment there was too much to consider to come to a conclusion on whose side the professors were on.

  The hardest part of the day for Donny was that evening, when a memorial was held for Jay. He believed that the mysterious visitor that morning had told the truth, and that Jay was not actually dead, but there was so much genuine grief in the room that Donny could not help but tear up. The worst of all came when he caught sight of Michael and Zahrah. Despite being Jay’s two closest friends, they sat in the back of the big room designated for the event. Zahrah’s face was buried in her hands, and there was very little movement from her other than the occasional flinch that accompanied a sob. Michael sat next to her, but looked like he was far away. He appeared as if he were searching for something, even though his eyes never moved. Michael’s expression was curious; from time to time his eyes would widen, as if he found what he was looking for, but it would quickly be lost, and he would return to his silent search.

  Donny turned back around to face the speaker. Very few of the faculty really knew Jay, so the speakers were just his three professors from the previous year. Each talk was essentially the same; they said flattering things about Jay, told a story about something amazing he did in their class, acted as if he were their favorite student, and finished with a cookie cutter statement such as “he will surely be missed” or “he will never be forgotten.” Donny hated to sit through this. He looked around, wondering how many truly knew Jay, or even had met him before. Then he turned to look at Zahrah and Michael again, but only found Zahrah there. Where’s Michael? Donny glanced about, but it was clear that Michael had left at some point during the talks.

  A reception followed the talks, but Donny did not wait around. He made his way out the closest door, ignoring the people who motioned to talk to him along the way. They’re just trying to be sympathetic anyway. He walked quickly at first, then began to run. He had to find Michael. Donny did not know why Michael left, but he probably still thought Jay was dead. Michael would not leave a memorial for his best friend without a very good reason, and Donny was afraid that “good reason” might not be a justified one.

  Donny turned the corner towards the dorm rooms and nearly collided with Michael, who was walking quickly as well with a full backpack.

  “Where are you going?” Donny asked, trying to hide his worry, but anxious to know what was going on.

  “I can’t stay,” Michael said, moving as if to continue on his way.

  “Yes, you can.”

  “Look, Donny, I’m sorry. I knew him a year and a half, and you’ve known him your whole life. This has to be hard for you too. I just…I need proof.”

  “Why? How?” Donny was frantically trying to think of a way to stop Michael. If he became a threat to the school, he does not have any special ability worth keeping around. They could dispose of him without a second thought.

  “I don’t know, closure maybe. Maybe a little doubt. I asked as many professors as I could find how he died, but none of them actually saw him fall. I asked what happened to his body, and I’ve received different answers. Some say it was taken by the villains, some say it got buried by a sand storm and was lost in the desert…their answers aren’t consistent. I just need to see for myself.”

  “They said it was taken by the villains, and you want to see for yourself? Are you planning to chase after them?”

  �
�No…I don’t know, I just feel like I need to go out there and see…see what I can find.”

  “Michael, there’s nothing worth finding.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because…because I saw the body.” Donny hated to lie, but he could not think of any other way to keep Michael there.

  “What? When?”

  “They came to my dorm room right after the battle. They brought me in to tell me first, and I asked to see him. They reluctantly agreed. After, I asked that they mail the body home immediately, and pretend that it was lost somehow. I didn’t want anyone trying to get his body to run tests on or anything.” Donny almost hated how easily the lie flowed out.

  Donny did not like the confused, determined look Michael had when they first began their conversation, but the distress that fell over Michael now was no better. It looked like a giant weight was just placed down on Michael, and Donny knew he had put it there.

  “I think I might be losing it then. I’ve been feeling like Jay’s calling out to me in my head. It started before I heard about…what happened. Shortly before. It’s crazy, I know. It’s not possible for him to call out. Mind reading is a one way conversation, even if he were around and able to connect to me, he’d only be able to read my mind, not call out to me. But still…I don’t know.”

  “It’s not always a one way conversation,” Donny replied. He could see how this was tearing Michael apart. “For the two of you, it has been a two way conversation for over a year now. You were both open to each other all the time, and I’m sure the separation is difficult. It makes sense for your mind to have difficulty letting him go.”

  “I guess it’s like I’m losing a part of myself, but I feel like it’s still there.”

  Donny simply nodded. Michael took off his backpack, but remained slumped over. With a sigh, Michael turned around and went back into his room.

  IT WAS TWO weeks before Donny called another practice for the simulation games team. It had been a tough two weeks; Donny missed having Jay around, and he was getting frustrated by the lack of communication from the arena visitor. The visitor had said they would keep in touch, but Donny had heard nothing from them since then.

  The visitor’s instructions proved easier to accomplish than Donny had imagined, however. Donny was told to keep learning, which was a natural thing for Donny to do, as engrossing himself in his studies was one of the few things that got his mind off of the situation at hand. Now, two weeks later, his studies were losing their power to hold him, as he had somehow managed to catch up completely in his classes. The simulation games training should be able to distract him better, he decided.

  Arriving at the arena, Donny almost smiled to see Lenny standing next to the door, waiting. He looked almost like a computer who had powered down; his eyes were aimed at the ground, but held little evidence of actually looking at it, and his head was slumped slightly forward. Donny wondered what he could be thinking about. Lenny was the one friend who had truly been a comfort throughout the past two weeks. Donny could tell that Lenny was sad about Jay, but Lenny never tried to comfort Donny, or talk down to him as if he were a child who had just become an orphan. When the topic came up, Lenny looked troubled just like everyone else, but as soon as the topic changed Lenny quickly moved on. Sometimes Donny wondered if Lenny were actually not dumb as everyone thought, but rather too brilliant to be understood. He did not actually believe this, but it was fun to imagine.

  The next to arrive were Michael and Zahrah. Donny had actually seen very little of them recently; they sat together twice early on, while they happened to be the dining hall at the same time, but the meals were each just one long awkward silence, and after the second time they just started eating apart. Donny was glad to see them nevertheless.

  Others came interspersed. The practice was scheduled to begin at 1600 hours, and Donny waited until 1610, despite his reservations about allowing people to show up late. The problem was that many of his top players never showed up. Duke was the last to arrive, getting there right at 1600. At 1610 it was Duke who chose to end the wait. “Donny, I think we can get started.”

  “Where is everyone else?” He asked.

  “I don’t think they’re coming. Some of the other captains reoffered spots to some of your players, and many accepted. I’m sorry Donny, I vouched for them, but I guess they were following Decathlon all along.”

  “It’s not your fault, you didn’t desert us. How were the other captains able to offer spots? I thought they had full teams chosen already?”

  “Most did. A few had a spot they were still figuring out, but most just told their youngest players tough luck, and gave their spots away.”

  “That’s terrible. Do you think the players who were rejected can be trusted?”

  “I think so, but I haven’t really looked into it, so I can’t say for sure. You want to recruit them?”

  “Of course I do. Look around, most of the people here are young and inexperienced. They also lack the enthusiasm they used to have. The drive to win is lost on them, and I can only imagine the drive those who were kicked off of their teams would have to beat the team that rejected them.”

  “Well, as far as this team being young and inexperienced, I’m sorry to say that those we would be recruiting would not improve that situation by much. But you’re right, they would be some good players to have, and with the way we look now, I’d say we need some more decent players. I’ll look into it, and get back to you as soon as I can.”

  “No, I don’t want to waste the time on our talking it over. Look into it, and if you think they would be good for the team, you have permission to offer for them to join us. I trust your judgment.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t, after the last set I gave my opinion on…”

  “Nevertheless I still do. Besides, many stuck around. Had I chosen the team by myself I’m sure I would have nobody left at this point.”

  Duke gave a half smile and said no more. It’s a whole new game now. Donny thought. He moved to stand in front of the door to the arena, and addressed the crowd in front of him.

  “Look around. This is your team now. You all knew we would be going on without my brother, but now you can see that we have lost many more. Anyone who does not wish to compete with this team, you are free to leave. When we walk into the arena, just turn around and walk back to the school. There will be no hurt feelings. For those who wish to stay, I want you to know that I still plan to win these games. Our strategy will need to change, but we can still show this school something new, and show the other teams that we are a force to be reckoned with. We, as a team, can do this.”

  Donny paused in his speech. There were no smiles in the crowd, and he doubted than many of them believed him. One of the first year students who had previously been on the practice team raised her hand. Donny nodded to her that she could ask her question.

  “I was wondering, have you already decided who would be moving onto the main team to fill the open spots?” The other practice team members looked around at each other, nodding in agreement over their desire to know the answer.

  “Yes, all of you are filling the open spots,” Donny replied.

  A few of the students looked at him excitedly, but most just looked around at the group. He knew what they were thinking, how can we all fill the spots? Teams can only have 21 people? Donny responded before the questions surfaced.

  “I realize teams normally are only 21 heroes strong, and that I can only bring 21 total into any one of the simulation games, but that doesn’t mean we are not allowed to have more than 21. We lost our old advantages, so we need something new. We are going to break up into groups, and the groups that compete in the games will change depending on who we face. For example, some of you may be designated to orange and black. That means your team needs to research the orange and black teams, and be ready to counter anything they could throw at us. Be creative, and think of general strategies of how we could attack them, and how we can defend from them. We wo
n’t know the situation of the game, but we know we will be pit up against the other team in some fashion, and so we can at least be ready for that.”

  Donny could not tell if they were in favor of this plan or not. He could not blame them if they thought the plan was poorly thought up, because in fact he had made the whole idea up on the spot. He had not given any thought at all to who would fill the empty spots, because up until a few moments ago he thought there would only be one spot to fill. Nevertheless, he liked the plan that had fallen so suddenly out of his mouth, and he would stick with it.

  They went into the arena, and to Donny’s relief he did not lose any more players. None of them had taken up his offer for them to leave. Once inside, Donny divided them into groups and gave them the teams they each would research. He decided to keep the groups small, and gave each group just one team to follow. It would be much more reasonable for them to find out about 21 players than 42, and allowing them to focus on just one team would make sure no team got overlooked in the pursuit of the other. Once the groups were formed, Duke gave a quick talk describing different strategies of how to gain information, and how to distinguish truth from rumors.

  Donny could see that Duke’s talk excited many of them, so he built on that excitement, by allowing them to immediately get together with their groups and begin making plans. Donny walked around from group to group, and told each group of their specific importance. “The blue team is strong this year, and it is up to you to make sure we are ready for them. They have weaknesses, so find them.” Once he felt convinced one group understood the importance of their job to the whole team, he would go on to the next group. “The brown team is strong this year, and it is up to you to make sure we are ready for them…”