by Hayes, Drew
If the interruption bothered Mr. Transport, he had a funny way of showing it. Permitting himself a wide smile and very obvious wink, Mr. Transport glanced at the phone once more. “Of course, of course. I know how exciting date nights can be. Perhaps I’ll swing by and surprise Sally when we’re done. On that note, it looks like our best bet is Washington. Shall we go?”
“Yes, sir.”
The words were still echoing off the dormitory’s walls, but both men had already vanished. True to his word, Mr. Transport wasn’t wasting any time.
* * *
Zipping up his suitcase, Nick hefted it off the bed and dropped it to the ground, where it joined a small rolling bag and a dark backpack. Ostensibly, these were full of clothes and sundries he’d need over the Winter Break, and while there were a few outfits within, by far the bulk of his luggage was comprised of documents. Even with three bags stuffed to the brim, it was a paltry amount compared to what he wanted to bring along. But room was limited, and more than that, there were some things he couldn’t necessarily risk taking with him to Vegas. The smart assumption was that Ms. Pips would see anything he brought into her building, and while these were only small pieces of the overall puzzle, Nick knew better than to underestimate the head of his Family.
If not for Eliza’s cryptic warning, Nick almost certainly would have stayed put through the vacation, using his downtime to make some headway on the numerous tasks before him. She’d been quite adamant he go home, though, and Eliza wasn’t one to turn serious without cause. The most likely reason for the concern was that the Evers Family had begun to move for retribution. Ms. Pips would want to keep him far from that, as his presence could hinder talks for peace, but that only mattered if peace was truly a viable option. On the other hand, if things were about to go south, Nick did need to be there. While he was only a single cog in the organization, he still brought quite a bit to the table. Should the Evers go to war with Nick’s people, they’d find him right there, shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest, driving them back.
There was, of course, the possibility that he was off the mark. Being disconnected from the Vegas loop of information meant there were bound to be problems and issues Nick hadn’t been brought up to speed on. Maybe a new group was trying to muscle in, capitalizing on the tension between his Family and the Evers. Maybe the Heroes were sniffing around, trying to knock a few low-level heads for easy press. Whatever the issue was, Nick would make sure it was resolved by the time break was over. He specialized in fixing things, after all.
Occasionally, as he readied for the trip, a small voice would make itself known in the back of Nick’s mind, one whispering that perhaps the reason Eliza had insisted he go home wasn’t due to an outside issue, but an internal one. Every time that voice tried to be heard, however, Nick squashed it down. Obviously, the problem was external. It was something easily handled, and everything would be fine by the time January arrived.
Even Nick, for all the training and observation skills he possessed, was susceptible to self-delusion. And given what the clues fueling that voice were hinting at, it was a forgivable falsehood. Some ideas were too painful to consider, even as hypothetical.
112.
The gym was quiet, save for the sounds of rustling cloth and scuffing boots. Though nerves, curiosity, and excitement bubbled in every student, those inclinations were pushed away in favor of focusing on the task at hand. Staying calm, collected, and ready for anything was one of the most important skills they’d gained in their time at Lander, and with the last test of the semester finally here, it was one they all planned on putting to good use.
Dean Blaine was waiting for them as they filed in, patiently watching until everyone had formed a half-circle around him. It was a bit strange to see him here alone; usually, some of the other professors were in attendance at these announcements. Maybe they were greeting the Heroes who had come to watch, or tweaking the Sims to make them as dangerous as possible. Anything was possible, which meant the students had to expect everything.
“The final trial of your first semester,” Dean Blaine said, shattering the silence with his powerful voice. “Every year, this is a key point for you, and for us as your educators. Here is where we see how the training you’ve endured has changed you, crystalized into something that makes you more than you were when the semester began. It’s why we so often reassess rankings at these points, and this year will be no different. The information from today’s test will be used to create the new list of rankings, which will be waiting for you when you come back in spring. That will, by the way, be the last set of rankings until your graduation exams. Not all of you are attempting to graduate via martial means; however, for those who are, this will give you a strong indication of where you stand.”
He began to turn, slowly, making sure to meet the eyes of every student for at least a few seconds.
“You have all come so far since you stood here as freshmen, terror and uncertainty dripping off you while you waited to see what trial awaited. That was before you knew about the levels below, before you fought as teams, before learning to fend off entire groups of attackers. Many more of you were here then, yet those who remain today are by far stronger than that group, even with its advantage in size. All of you have grown and evolved in your time at Lander, and today you’re going to show us by exactly how much. Because, my students, you are all going back into the labyrinth.”
That did manage to surprise several students. They kept their mouths sealed tight, even if their expressions betrayed being caught off guard. Repeating a test was something that had never happened before. Even in the city-battles with the Sims, they were given different parameters to make the exercise unique.
“Rest assured, this won’t be the same test we give to the freshmen,” Dean Blaine continued. “For one thing, there won’t be any color-coded stun-guns this time around. You all have had more than enough training and familiarity with each other to fight for real. To defeat a fellow student, you must either knock them unconscious, achieve a hypothetical deathblow, force them to surrender, or render them incapacitated for three continuous minutes. That number isn’t chosen at random, by the way. Three minutes is the average response time for a collection team to arrive and restrain a criminal Super. Hold someone that long, and you’ve effectively defeated them.”
Behind Dean Blaine, a screen lit up on the gym’s back wall. It was divided into six blocks, each showing only darkness, although the more keen-eyed were almost certain they saw movement amidst the shadows.
“Every student you defeat is worth one point,” Dean Blaine told them. “When you lose, you’re out, and your point count becomes locked. Now, obviously, that somewhat limits things in terms of general strategy, as it becomes a simple game of hunting each other, and we’ve taught you to account for more variables than that. So, to keep things interesting, there will be lighted rooms within the labyrinth, just as there were last time. However, they will no longer be empty. Instead, there will be special challenges awaiting those brave enough to undertake them.”
The six black boxes on the giant screen flickered with white light, illuminating the rooms and, more importantly, the people inside them. Each student instantly knew who they were looking at; it would be impossible not to. These were, after all, the men and women who’d trained them, forged them into stronger warriors than they’d have ever been on their own. In each of the six boxes stood one of their professors, all looking directly into the cameras.
“Should any of you feel especially bold, you may elect to take on a professor. If you come into these rooms by accident, have no fear, as a formal challenge must be made to battle them. Once that challenge is declared, the room will seal shut to ensure no one can enter or leave, staying locked tight until a winner is determined. If that winner is you, then you will receive six points as your reward. And before anyone asks, yes, you can work in teams to take on the professors. In those cases, the points will be split evenly among the students, rounding down
on decimal remainders. For anyone slow at math, this means that if you bring in more than six students to the fight, you’ll get no reward as everyone would only be entitled to a fraction of a point.”
It was a barrier put in for their protection as much as out of practicality. Trying to overpower a professor with numbers would be chaotic, and there was a high chance that someone might be injured in the fray. Keeping the number to six was more manageable, allowing for complex and coordinated strategies without people tripping over one another.
“The trial ends when there is only one student or fewer remaining,” Dean Blaine said. “This means that, if you want, you can avoid all of the professors. They are an optional component to the exam, one you need not deal with unless you think it will benefit you. Then again, perhaps you’ll team up with a few friends, opting to try and pad your scores until you’re inevitably forced to deal with one another. How you attack this challenge is almost as important as the results you get, because by now you know we’re looking at far more than simply who can beat up the most people. Oh, I almost forgot: teamwork only earns shared points against professors. Against fellow students, whoever achieves the win gets the point. Choose your strategy carefully, and choose it soon. In five minutes, we will begin dropping you at random points in the labyrinth. If you’d like to go in with people you trust, up to three students can be dropped off in one location. Or you can go in alone. Whatever way you decide to meet this trial, know that I wish you the very best of luck. And know that we’ll be watching.”
With that, Dean Blaine motioned for them to talk amongst themselves, and the illusion of calm was shattered by a wave of rapid conversation.
113.
Vince felt like he was being quartered as options yanked him in all directions. His initial reaction was that of course he’d work with a team; together, he and his friends could accomplish more than they could on their own. But right on the heels of that thought was the reminder that if he worked with his allies, he’d ultimately have to fight them, whereas that task might fall to someone else if he went solo. Not to mention, was fighting a professor really the best idea? A three-person team could earn two points each if they managed to win, but that was a gigantic if. Then again, six teachers in the labyrinth accounted for thirty-six potential points, more than double what could be gained by wiping out the rest of the class singlehandedly. That was a lot of points to walk away from without consideration.
Rubbing his temples to fight back a headache, Vince wished Nick was here. He’d always been the one they leaned on for this stuff, and he’d have seen the optimal path in seconds. But Nick was gone, and if he were around he’d have been a competitor. That was probably why the test was set up like this: to force every student to reach the conclusion that was right for them.
“Elephant in the room,” Alice said, gathering the rest of Melbrook together along with Shane, Camille, and Alex. “Do we take on professors or fight one another? And if anyone wants to do the first, who are they teaming with?”
“I’m going to challenge the professors.” There wasn’t even a sliver of hesitation in Chad’s voice; if anything he almost seemed excited. Well, as excited as Chad got, anyway. “Some of them, at least, I think we might be able to overpower. If they are willing, I would like to take Shane and Alex with me when we’re dropped off.”
There was a long stretch of silence. Alex’s eyes went wide and he looked over to Chad. “Wait, me? Are you sure you don’t want Mary?”
“Mary has more raw power than you; however, between Shane and myself, we are not short on offense. Fine control will more greatly add to our capabilities, and there are some strategies I have in mind that can only be accomplished with your help.” Chad paused for a moment, his eyes dipping slightly. “However, I would be remiss not to point out that joining our trio means that, in the best case scenario, the three of us will be forced to turn on one another at the end. I can understand if you’d prefer a more advantageous match-up.”
“No, I think I’ll take you up on the offer,” Alex said. “If nothing else, I have a hunch that this will be a show worth seeing.”
“That’s one trio off the table. The rest of you, think fast. We haven’t got very long.” Alice glanced over at Dean Blaine, making sure they weren’t being rounded up yet. “Personally, I’m going to take the solo route. In tightly confined spaces, it’s a real pain to only turn up the gravity on enemies without hitting allies, so I think I’m better off working on my own.”
With a quick look around, Vince realized that that left him, Mary, Roy, and Camille unaccounted for. Enough to pair up one more group to be dropped off together, if they wanted to team up, but inherently leaving one person out.
“I’m going to work by myself, too.” Though the voice had to be raised to ensure it was heard, there was no mistaking the fact it had come from Camille, who seemed to be physically braced for people to disagree. It didn’t take long before Roy proved her right.
“Are you sure about that? With you on a team—”
“With me on a team, you gain almost nothing,” Camille interrupted. “Dean Blaine laid it out clearly: once someone is eliminated, that’s it. Healing doesn’t help. You’re already done. That takes my support capabilities down to patching people up between bouts, which I wouldn’t do because you being hurt helps me when we have to deal with one another. Yes, I have offense, but an offense that will work much better in dark corridors than it would in a lighted room with a professor keeping an eye on me. This is my best shot at winning.”
So far as Vince could see, it was a well-considered strategy that was impossible to argue with. As much as he preferred to have her around, Camille did need to be capable on her own. This was an excellent opportunity to prove that she was: one touch and she could take down almost anyone in the class. The more Vince thought about it, the more he hoped they wouldn’t run into one another until the end. If she got the drop on him, Vince would be down for the count.
“That just leaves you three.” Alice nodded to Roy, Mary, and Vince, then jerked her head back in the direction of Dean Blaine. “Better decide fast if you want to team up or join the solo fray.”
“To be honest, I see merit in both strategies, so I’ll defer to you two,” Mary told them. “I can easily work either way.”
Roy took a little longer to respond, brow furrowed as he visibly mulled over his options. “It seems to me the smartest move would be to avoid the professors entirely and just have everyone fight it out amongst the students. But since that obviously ain’t happening, I think our scores will hit an early ceiling if we avoid dealing with the teachers. Then again, the professors are probably going to win most of their fights, so that’s less competition and also fewer points to grab. As far as I can figure, it’s sort of a wash either way. But the truth is, I don’t really care about any of that stuff. I want to fight a professor. I want to test myself, push my limits, and see where I stack up against living legends. Even if I know, deep down, that we probably can’t win, I still want to try. Of course, this demands one hell of a trio, so we need Vince on board as well.”
With that, all eyes turned to Vince and he was stuck in the very predicament he’d hoped to avoid. The final decision of whether to hunt other students or take on the professors fell to him. Since all hope of puzzling out the best strategy had abandoned him, Vince decided to take a cue from the others and simply figure out what he really wanted to get out of this trial. Points, obviously, since he was still battling for a graduation spot, but there was half a year left after this to prove he deserved to be a Hero. This was a unique situation, one he might never be handed again: the chance to test his mettle against the professors who trained them, who were some of the mightiest Heroes he was likely to ever encounter, to meet them head-on and see if he had what it took to stay standing.
“Chad, you’ve always got a good sense of this stuff. Is there any chance we can actually win against our teachers?” Vince asked.
“On our own, no. The o
dds are so small they’re negligible. But working together, with good cooperation and teamwork, three of us might be able to defeat one of them. It won’t be easy, mind you, and the odds are still well in our professors’ favor.”
“We’ve got a chance, though. That’s good enough for me.” Vince looked to Roy and Mary, unable to keep the nervous half-grin from forming on his face. “Let’s go take on some real Heroes.”
114.
The hallways felt curiously familiar, even if it had been years since she set foot in them—almost completely dark, with only a small amount of light coming from the occasional dim bulb or flash of a door opening. In a way, that was a blessing as Camille slipped out of her uniform and revealed the special outfit underneath. While she’d more or less gotten used to doing battle in Will’s custom fabric—which alone was a huge improvement from the sports bra and bike shorts she’d used before—it would be a lie to say she still wasn’t subject to the waves of embarrassment caused by disrobing. In the dark, there was no need for such sentiment, even if she did know the visiting Heroes were watching her from their unseen seats.
Her bare feet crept along the cold floor, cutting as brisk of a pace as she dared. Chad, Alex, Vince, and Mary were all working on teams to go after the professors, which left Amber as the lone student with detection abilities unaccounted for. Perhaps Will, too, depending on if he’d had the foresight to build something for dealing with darkness, which he probably had. Best to assume it was the case, for safety. So that made two people who could locate the other students with a method besides walking around and hoping for the best. Not terrible, but far from ideal.
