Chloe rolled her eyes, but took Ethan's hand, lacing their fingers together as they turned toward them.
“Shut up,” she said, but the words were without heat. “How'd it go after I left?”
“Amazing,” Miranda replied. “She's come a long way. It's incredible!”
“Oh, yeah?” Chloe eyed Maia with interest. “I can't wait to see.”
Voices in the distance drew their attention and in a moment Beck, Wren, and another familiar figure came around the corner of the bleachers.
“What's Professor Kennedy doing here?” Maia asked.
“I invited him,” Miranda replied. “Turns out the good professor has a fifth degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.” At Ethan's wide-eyed look, her grin widened. “He's here to train those of us who don't have superhuman powers, so we can try not to get our butts kicked.”
“Along with some of us who do have powers,” Chloe said, nudging her with an elbow, “but who still need help with said not-butt-kicking.”
“I think everyone could probably use some help with that,” Beck said as they reached the group, forming a loose circle in the middle of the field. “Professor, I think you know everyone now, except Chloe and Ethan.”
Professor Kennedy nodded, shaking Ethan’s hand, then Chloe’s. “The Seer,” he said with a smile. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
“Thanks for all your help so far,” she replied politely before turning to the rest of the group.
“Well, for now, I think it makes sense for you all—” She waved toward Beck, Wren and Maia, “—to work on your gifts in a bigger arena . . . let you spread your wings, or whatever. Ethan, Miranda, and I will work with Professor Kennedy for a crash course in self-defense. If that's okay with you, Professor?”
“Of course,” he said. “I'm here to help however I can.”
It was strange for Maia to see Professor Kennedy in something other than tweed and ties. He wore a pair of baggy sweats, a loose t-shirt with the faded logo of an ‘80s band, and well-worn sneakers. He arched a brow when he saw Maia staring.
“Sorry,” she said. “I just—it's kind of weird learning your professor is a secret expert in martial arts.”
He laughed. “Well, I'm no expert. I started taking jiu-jitsu with my son when he was in elementary school. It was to teach him discipline, help him focus, but it turned out I liked it as much as he did.”
“So, do you think you can teach us how to protect ourselves?” Chloe asked.
“Well, I guess that's what we're here to find out,” he said.
He led Chloe, Ethan, and Miranda to the far end of the field, while Wren, Beck, and Maia stayed in the center. Maia was curious about what Professor Kennedy was teaching them—she kind of wanted to learn some moves herself—but she was quickly drawn out of her thoughts when Wren disappeared before her eyes.
“I guess we're starting,” Beck murmured.
Wren reappeared on Beck's other side. Maia figured two could play at that game.
She let the power flow through her, disappearing was as easy as breathing now, and smiled to herself when Wren and Beck stared at the spot where she'd been standing a few seconds before. She reappeared behind them and tapped them both on the shoulders.
“Wow, that's cool,” Beck said with a grin as he spun around. “You've been practicing.”
Maia grinned right back at him. “Just wait, you ain't seen nothing yet.”
Chloe lay on her back, trying to catch her breath as she watched the stars appear and disappear as the clouds drifted past.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked, shooting a glare at Professor Kennedy. “Did you have to throw her so hard?”
“I'm fine,” Chloe said, sitting up. “Don't get mad at him. He's just trying to teach us.”
“Teach us, fine,” Ethan said. “But—”
“No buts,” Chloe snapped. “We don't know how much time we have, so we need to learn quickly.” She stood up and brushed the dirt off her jeans. “Believe me, I won't make that mistake again.”
Ethan didn't look convinced, but he held his tongue.
“All right,” the professor said. “Miranda, you try.”
The two of them faced each other, arms up and legs braced in the ready stance Professor Kennedy had taught them.
“I'm going to come at you,” he said. “Remember, don't try to throw me. Just use my own body weight and momentum.”
Miranda nodded and licked her lips, watching for his move. He moved toward her slowly and she dodged to the left, grabbed his arm and bent his thumb back.
“Good,” he said. “What's next?”
He led her through a few more moves in slow motion, then speeding up until they flowed effortlessly from one to the other. Ethan went through the same drills, then the professor had the two of them practice against each other while he turned to Chloe.
“Ready to try again?” he asked.
She took up the ready position and nodded.
And then the world turned upside down and Professor Kennedy vanished. As did Miranda and Ethan. Chloe gasped, her heart pounding as she realized she was no longer on the practice field, but surrounded by a thick blanket of darkness. She couldn't see anything around her, only a stifling silence.
And she couldn't move. She struggled against invisible bonds, unable to scream, unable to do anything but search the darkness around her for some sign of life.
Some sign of something.
She was wrapped tightly and couldn't draw a deep breath—only shallow pants swallowed up by the blackness around her. Panic set in. What was happening? Where was she?
Just when she thought she couldn't take another minute, when she thought for sure she was going insane, the world reappeared and she drew a deep, gulping breath and fell to her knees.
“Chloe, are you okay?” Miranda appeared before her and she looked up, blinking at Ethan and Professor Kennedy who were watching her with concern.
“What happened?” Chloe asked, still gasping for air and confused. “I—I thought—”
Professor Kennedy bent over, his hands on his knees. “Did you see something?”
She nodded. “It seemed so real.”
“You had a vision?” Ethan asked. “Without the window?”
“That's never happened before,” she told the professor, and they all looked to the older man for answers.
“It appears your gift is growing,” he said. “The window—the house—served as a kind of conduit for your visions. Most likely, they'll still be stronger and easier to access through the window, but it looks like it's not entirely necessary.”
Chloe huffed. “Apparently not. Scared the crap out of me, I'm not going to lie.” She didn't like the idea that she could be swept up in a vision like that.
“What did you see?” Ethan asked.
“Darkness,” she replied. “I felt confined. Tied up. Unable to breathe.” Her heart rate sped up at the memory. “It was—pretty terrifying, actually.”
Miranda wrapped an arm over her shoulders. “Maybe we should call it a night.”
“No,” Chloe said, getting to her feet. “We need to train, and I'm okay. Or I will be in a minute, anyway.”
“Are you sure?” Ethan asked.
She nodded. “It just took me by surprise, is all.”
Professor Kennedy pursed his lips, considering. “From what I understand, the Seer's visions can be quite intense. It's important to try and remember that it is a vision—that it isn't really happening. Your reactions are stimulated by the experience, but they can be controlled.”
“You're saying what I felt was all in my head?”
“The mind is a powerful thing,” the professor replied. “I don't claim to understand it all, but from what I've read, you can train yourself to be an observer—like when you see the vision in the window—instead of experiencing the vision.”
“Well, that sounds good to me,” Chloe said. “I'd be happy never to feel that ever again.”
“I'll
go through the journal with Miranda and highlight some specific passages that may help,” Professor Kennedy said. “In the meantime, are you ready to get back to training?”
Chloe only thought about it for a moment. What she'd seen in her vision had frightened her, and it was something she never wanted to experience again—not in a vision, and not in real life. She wasn't sure exactly how to prevent it, but she knew that learning to fight could only help.
“I'm ready,” she said with a firm nod. “Bring it on.”
“Okay, you guys ready?” Chloe shouted, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ethan, Miranda, and Professor Kennedy about twenty yards from Beck, Wren, and Maia.
Maia took a deep breath, reached to feel her power, and smiled when it responded instantly.
“Ready!” she shouted.
“Don't take it easy on us,” Ethan said, setting his feet apart and crouching down a little, bracing himself.
“No risk of that,” Beck said, cracking his neck as he rolled his shoulders. “You won't even see us coming.” He winked at Maia and she heard Wren giggle on her other side.
“You guys ready?” Maia said, so only the other two could hear.
Wren and Beck nodded once. Then Maia took a deep breath and the three of them disappeared.
“Whoa!” Chloe said.
Miranda laughed. “I told you!”
Maia could see them both, of course—could see Wren running around behind the others while Beck headed straight for Ethan. To her surprise, Ethan seemed to sense him coming, and just when Beck leaned forward to grab him in a tackle, Ethan stepped nimbly to the side and used Beck's own momentum to throw him onto his back.
Ethan grinned and high-fived Professor Kennedy as Beck got slowly to his feet.
Maia relaxed her power and the three of them reappeared. “How'd you do that?” she asked. “Did you see him?”
Ethan shrugged. “Not really. But I could hear his footsteps as he ran. I could tell he was coming for me. Not that that's really a surprise.” He held out a fist to Beck, who tapped it and smiled.
“Well, that sucks,” Wren said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I didn't even get to try my gift.”
“Let's go again,” Beck said, brushing off his pants. “I think . . .” He paused at the sound of sirens—a lot of sirens—passing by beyond the trees. “I wonder what's going on.”
“Maybe we should go check it out,” Ethan said slowly.
“I don't think that's a good idea,” Professor Kennedy replied. “You aren't ready yet.”
Another siren passed by. In the distance they could make out shouts and screams. Breaking glass. Was that a gunshot?
“It sounds like all hell is breaking loose,” Wren said.
“Well, according to what we've learned, it kind of is,” Maia replied with a glance at the professor.
He nodded. “It's how the enemy is gaining power,” he said. “He thrives on the violence . . . craves it.”
“Well, then we need to stop him, don't we?” Chloe asked. “If we can keep him from feeding, maybe we can keep him from getting stronger.”
“I'm telling you, you're not ready yet,” the professor snapped. “If he—”
Screeching tires interrupted his tirade, followed by more shouts and breaking glass. Beck took off running toward the campus.
“I don't think we have a choice,” he said over his shoulder. “It sounds like he's bringing the fight to us.”
The group followed Beck as the sound of fighting grew louder. They plastered themselves along the brick wall of the library, and Beck darted a glance around the corner.
“What do you see?” Chloe whispered.
“Fighting,” he replied. “Lots of fighting.” He nodded at Ethan. “Let's go check it out.”
When Wren started to follow them, Beck stopped. “You guys should wait here.”
“Oh, no, I don't think so,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as they all started to talk at once.
“It could be danger—”
“—start with this macho bull—”
“—keep you safe—”
“—can take care of myself!”
“Guys!” Maia held up her hands. “This isn't doing any good. If anything, it's what he—it—wants.”
“She's right,” Professor Kennedy said. “It thrives on conflict.”
They stood in a half-circle, hidden by the wall from the fighting beyond. The glares receded, deep breaths were taken, and after a moment, Beck muttered, “Sorry.”
The sentiment was echoed around the group, and Maia nodded. “Good. Okay then. We go together.” Beck's lips tightened, but he said nothing. She reached for her gift, smiling as the glow over her skin spread slowly out over the others. She heard the collective gasp and smiled wider, even though nobody could see it.
“Just because we're going into the lion's den doesn't mean we have to do it with guns blazing,” she said. “I'll keep everyone hidden for as long as I can.”
They rounded the corner, tense and watching, as they drew closer to the brawling crowd.
Maia had thought that even though they were invisible, that those influenced—or possessed—would be able to sense them somehow, but nobody seemed to even notice them.
The central quad was a violent free-for-all, as a crowd of about fifty people, battered and bloody, pounded on each other in no logical pattern. A short man to the left kicked another man lying on the ground, then turned just in time to lurch forward and drive his head into yet another man's stomach. Maia watched in awed horror at the melee surrounding her.
Their eyes were the creepiest thing of all, filmed over with a shifting darkness—the sign of influence that Wren had told her about.
“What do we do?” Miranda asked quietly. “We can't hurt them. They don't even know what they're doing.”
A body suddenly slammed into Maia, knocking her to the ground and she grunted at the impact. She lay there for a moment, stunned, and her gift retreated, leaving everyone around her visible.
“Wren!” she shouted, pulling herself to her feet. She'd have to freeze time so Maia could get herself centered. “Watch out!”
Wren nodded at her and Maia saw her take a deep breath, readying herself to access her gift, but Beck grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
“Wait,” he said.
The group gathered closer in the center of the chaos, back to back and tensed for a fight. Maia watched the madness around her—a group of three pounding on a young man lying on the ground; two women rolling around, fists tightly clenched in each other's hair; a teenage boy with a lighter gleefully starting a dumpster fire.
“Why aren't they attacking?” Chloe asked.
“I don't know,” Beck replied. “It's like they don't even see us.” He shot a sideways look at Maia, but she shrugged.
“It's not me,” she said.
They all looked toward Professor Kennedy. He frowned. “I think . . . It's accumulating power.” At their blank expressions, he continued. “Using the anger and violence to boost its strength. I would say It doesn't want to face off against all of you until It's ready.”
The boy with the lighter threw it down and jumped on a skinny man with scrapes on both arms. Maia jumped back as they fell to the ground at her feet.
“Well, he might not want to fight us, but we need to stop this,” Chloe said. “We can't let these people kill each other!”
As if on cue, the madness stopped. The crashes and screams abruptly cut off, leaving only heavy breathing and the quiet crackling of lighter-boy's fire.
“This is weird,” Miranda said quietly. “It's weird, right?”
“Definitely weird,” Maia replied.
The people, who had only moments before been trying to annihilate each other, stood and turned to face them, forming a loose circle facing inward, as the new Order faced outward.
“What in the world is going on?” Beck asked the professor.
The older man let out a heavy breath. “I have no idea.”
The two groups stood, staring at each other, tense and unmoving. Then the crowd parted in front of Maia, and a woman walked through the gap.
She was older, maybe forty? Fifty? Maia could see evidence that she'd once been attractive, but her brown skin was faded and dry, like old leather, and her unkempt hair and disheveled clothing was in direct contrast to her erect bearing. She walked with confidence, like a woman in charge.
The group of fighters looked to her, even stepping back a little deferentially. She smiled, and Maia heard a collective gasp among her friends.
“What?” she asked.
Miranda leaned in to answer, but the woman's dark eyes—How were they so dark?— zeroed in on Maia.
“Ah, the new girl,” she said. “I don't believe I've had the pleasure.”
“Gina,” Beck said, warning in his tone.
“Shh, baby. Mommy's talking,” she replied with a wink.
Maia gasped, looking to Miranda for confirmation. She nodded grimly.
“You are not my mother,” he spat back. “You're not even Gina.”
“Oh, au contraire,” she said, walking leisurely around the group to stand in front of Beck. “Your dear mother is in here. She just has a little company.”
“Why don't you get out and pick on someone your own size,” Beck growled.
“Well, we tried that, didn't we?” she said, running a finger down his cheek. “Didn't go so well. Besides, she likes me in here.” Her smile dropped and she curled a fist in his shirt. “Unlike some people who don't know how to appreciate a gift.”
Beck snorted. “Gift? Yeah, right. No thanks.”
Her fist tightened, twisting in the fabric as she all but spat in his face. “You always were a disobedient child.”
Wren stepped forward and shoved Gina back. “Why don't you quit with all the games and tell us what you want?”
Gina grinned. “What I want? Oh, I think you already know the answer to that question.”
“Power,” Chloe replied. “But why? What do you want to do with it?”
“Oh now, that's for me to know and you to find out,” she said in a sing-songy voice. She leaned in and whispered something in Chloe's ear. Maia couldn't hear what she said, but Chloe let out a stifled cry and lunged at Gina, who jumped back with a laugh. The hair pulling women and lighter-boy stepped between them, blocking Chloe. She pushed against them, but Ethan took her wrist, stilling her.
Super Powers: The New Super Humans, Book Two Page 13
