Dust and sand swirled in aerials. Seethed between his teeth with every hoarding breath. Everyone who attacked him was on the ground, either unconscious or in pain. The only real sound their pained groans. And maybe Razor’s heart trying to beat out of his chest.


    Seth knew better than to hold to this, to stay this way where everything was at his mercy. Heavier breaths fighting that seethe, smothering the fire burning behind his eyes. He flexed his practically steaming right, the pain from nearly shattering it on Para''s face helping center him. A real pain, not a forced incitement from bleeding raw emotions. The pop of his knuckle back into place telling him plain he was in control.


    He straightened up, letting the abyss go from his figurative grip, let it drop back in on itself in that dark pit. He could feel the Garkah’s worry as the power receded, like that whisper was all he could hear before now. But in turn he felt their relief. That he was able to let go when all was said and done. Soon only the softened clank of Mediknight helping those with real injuries was left to hear. Broken wrists, cracked ribs, rampant whiplash. Everything was beginning to settle, and the atmosphere easing to a better tempo.


    Then the hole in the arena crumbled, and that atmosphere rang taut. Para stepping back out, sweeping dust from his uniform like nothing had happened. Seth and those still standing reeled. A lot of power went into that punch, but he barely had a scuff on his jaw. Just a sure fire look of pure death across his face.


    “I can understand wanting revenge on those who chose reward at your expense.”


    Para was back right on top of him, staring down with near equal hate.


    “But you’d better realize that starting fights you can’t hope to win is going to get you nowhere.”


    Seth could only stare up, meeting death glare with death glare, all his progress washed away in the grinding of the grit in his teeth. He moved first, squaring himself for what was bound to be round two, but Para didn’t make a move. Instead he turned his nose up in smug fashion.


    “Heh, if that sucker punch was the best you got then you’re not even worth the effort. But if your little toy there is what I know it to be, you’d might just give me a good fight. So go get it! And quit wasting my time!”


    A confusion melting into sneering indignation, practically snarling at the insinuation. But quickly Seth turned away and rushing to his suit. If he wanted everything, then it was his funeral. It opened like it was expecting him, the release of power he perpetuated started up hardcoded systems. It was made to contain him. Connectors snapped into place, panels slammed closed, shutting out the world with resounding clangs until the helmet closed in around him. Till he was staring through the view screen with all he had, soulless glowing eyes given undeniable emotion through it.


    Para moved to opposite him, right into the circle at their sector’s center, Mediknight having cleared it as soon as he’d stepped out of the wall. The two bore holes into each other until he stepped back up to the edge of the ring, looking to each fighter for confirmation before raising a hand as impromptu referee. So at least they would have an end to this. Tension turned the air thick, sore trainees watched anxiously from the wall. Smug looks burrowing into Seth’s armor amid fearful preparation for the worst.


    Para leveled a hand. Seth ground a foot deep. Mediknight took a step back… and dropped his hand.


    Seth tried to move first, tried to barrel right into him, but found himself unable to even breathe. A numbness, a deadening suffocation, and then a grinding resonance stopping him before he could even make tracks. His ears were drowning, his suit was quaking, his bones were rattling in place. Every fiber of his being was shaking apart. And then the pain started.


    “AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”


    He cried out, but even his thoughts felt like they were muted. He could still see, but it was turning to red on all sides. Distortions in the air, sound waves so intense they were visible, emanated from Para’s outstretched hand. The trainees watching him fall to his knees in seconds with little surprise and barely a sympathy. He had to do something, he was losing consciousness, but there wasn’t anything he could do. But there was plenty the Garkah could.


    ‘THERE!’


    He couldn’t hope to hear them, but he could feel their response in nearly maniacal application. The metals in the suit heated, power stores pouring and flexing, shifting composition in a flash of forced through control. Matterist showing his deference and changing resonance frequencies. The sound waves deadened, enough for him to move. Enough for Seth to retaliate in force!


    Seth dropped down out of the concentrated sound waves and found his opening. His armored hands hit ground, his legs came up, and a fishtail of sand burst up in his still sonically assaulted place.


    He launched forward with little restraint, the weight of the suit meant to keep his movements dampened to reasonable levels. But he was already exceeding that drag. Closing the distance in less than a second, he skimmed the ground below the continuous blast. But Para would have none of it. He cut his attack and pivoted with equal speed, foot like a sack of bricks catching up with even this speed and slamming Seth across the helmet.


    The weight of his suit denied as he was sent tumbling to the side. He could still claw to a stop but had to push away quickly as another blast smashed the sand that caught him. He rose, sprinted upright as that column of sound followed behind, just barely out of reach as it tore through the arena wall. But he was quickly running out of space, any farther and he’d be subjecting the trainees to the same sonic torment.


    So he skidded to a stop, ducked down below that reverberating column, and doubled back to force a sudden change in direction. The wrong direction. Instead of storming opposite, he stomped his foot down and leapt, cut back over the beam, vaulted backwards as it changed direction to follow his expected movement.


    Sand crunched under loaded metal sole, and blasted away as he rocketed toward Para. Again he was quick to react, cutting the blasts in time to meet Seth’s charge, this time planting his feet and punching down on him. But he was growing predictable.


    That sole kicking forward and spraying grit just short, letting Para swing and whiff his already along punch. And letting Seth’s weighed down arms swing free around it. Clamp down around his outstretched arm so there was only one way to go. And it wasn’t Para’s decision.


    Seth’s foot drew back, pulling his arms hard and swinging Para off his feet. But he wasn’t so helpless, hand grabbing an arm as his weight was invalidated this time. Shortening the air gap between the two and sending those sonic waves straight through the suit uninhibited.


    “RRAAHHH!!!”


    Seth lurched back but held on as, pain tensing but only adding more momentum. The gel layer almost denaturing under the barrage, but it would survive. He had to use everything he could muster so he could slam Para down. Kicking up another cloud of sand as he hit the ground sideways and wrenching free of his grip. He kicked himself back from the aerosolized grit with his numbed away arm held tight. He had to rethink his strategy on this. Sonic blasts at range and resonating palms at point blank meant he had to keep moving. Hit and run.


    ‘Just have to land an actual hiiigggGGHHAAAAAAHHHH!!!”


    The cloud parted, blasted away by greater distortion. Para was using both hands at once, doubling the blasts in size and volume. Seth tried to grip his head through the suit, but it was like it was going to rip apart. Cracks in the eyes started forming, he could feel blood running from his ears. And eyes. Yet the attack was unrelenting, he was kicking the volume up with every step. To the horror of everyone watching.


    Seth collapsed forward, still desperate to cover his ears, practically burying his head into the sand. His bones were fracturing, his blood was nearly boiling, his mind was rattling too much to even think of pain. Everything was going black, emptying to nothing again except against its own will.


    Then Para took another step forward…


    And that abyss shook.


    Those hands, armor ineffectual, let go of the helmet and were allowed to fall. Before clawing the sand instead. Legs splayed in agony pulled in, slowly lifted the whole up. Joints creaked as their servos rattled at their housings. Plates clanking and scraping as they were beaten about. Para keeping blasts on high, turning the volume up louder and louder. But Seth became unfazed by the assault. As he rose back up to full. Slowly ignoring the pain crashing over, lifting his head to stare it away, and blare what had been wrought. Those cracked apart eyes burning blue electrical damnation. No longer caring about anything but him.


    Almost with no motion, a burst of sand short up where Seth bore down. The whole armor tearing out of Para’s doubled barrage like it was never there in the first place. Appearing to his side and taking a menacing, echoing step. Resounded its fury through the arena despite the deadening sand. Para drawing toward it swiveling him hard with sonic fire rippling around his hands. But his ensuing blast only holed another shoot of kicked sand. Armor already off to his other side, and taking another step toward him. Another deep metal clang resounding through everything.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Para reacquired, caught a glimpse of him again, the armor almost feral in its glare and in the whip of its stance. He drew his hands apart, intent to split fire to meet Seth as he tore away again. But Para was now truly a step behind.


    Plumes of sand were the only thing he saw as they drew closer and closer to his horrified dismay. Only seeing him in flashes, arm raising from its feral sway higher and higher with every echoing step. He couldn’t land a hit to put an end to this farce, and his ire told more than he could hold back.


    He was afraid.


    So as that metal carapace finally flashed in out front of him, as that echo became immediate in its message, Para was finally able to react first. He’d forced his arms around himself, passing a resenance over his entire body like it was liable to tear itself apart. But instead a blast of all over distortion rebounded and kicked the arena in full bore shockwave. An explosion of sound that shook the open shutters above, and rippled the air into deadly waveform.


    And yet pushed nothing but more sand.


    Because that metal menace was nowhere near, the show a feint to wear him out. That arm rearing back at the line of the ring now, the legs spring loaded and ready to blast off, and those eyes burning with unmistakable intent.


    Para’s whiffed last ditch blast leaving him winded and dazed, only just realizing his target was making him the fool. He quickly pulled everything he had into another blast, hands forcing themselves back to battery. But a less controlled sonic boom reverberated the arena before his could.


    The world found itself in a perceptive hold, slowed to a crawl by overcharged senses. Para building a reverb into sheering peaks, distortion curling the air around him like a scythe ready to rend. Seth’s body kicking off with all the force it knew how to muster, titanic weight turned to an unstoppable missile.


    The two set to clash with power enough to end this fight, to shatter air and metal in equal measure, to shatter the arena itself in turn. But something appeared in between them before either could actualize that destruction.


    The eyes noticed it first, a transparent orange shimmer flashing across like a warning. Settling in as perception caught, as overcharged senses were overridden by burned in memory. Dark edges he didn’t even know were there seeping away from his vision. Seth came flooding back and his attack broke, desperate feet trying to pull up and skid to a halt. Mountainous brake force digging ruts into the floor.


    He couldn’t touch it, he couldn’t show this, he couldn''t make the truth know so carelessly like this. Para noticed it last and dissipated his attack, turning to meet a scolding backhand to the forehead. But Seth wasn’t going to stop in time, metal feet cutting gorges in the sand too shallow for meaningful friction.


    ‘Not like this!! I can’t ruin everything like-‘


    *CLLLAAAANNNNGGGGggggggggg*


    But that reluctant missile found himself clotheslined, by rounded metal ringing his number. Rebounding backward from an almighty whiplash against immovable defence more than ready.Crashing him into a heavy metal heap back onto the ground. All the power that had seeped in, and blotted out his self, reeled away. Even the abyss had been whiplashed into total submission.


    Dazed, sore, still healing from that resonant torture, Seth could barely pull himself back up. But could hear Para growling the frustration of-


    “What the hell Aegis!?!”


    He snapped out, snapped up at this, but was struck by the scene looming over. How much it reminded him of that long ago day, when she had pulled him out of hell.


    Brown and blond hair blended into a tied up ponytail, daze brightened light and shattered optic glass haloing her on his view screen. Like the angel he’d seen her as had returned in force. Maybe with a bit... too much force.


    ‘Ow…’


    Even through the wince he couldn''t help but see her. Still wearing her hair back, but there was obviously a lot more of it. And her eyes were still hinted with an orange radiance as she looked down on him. Her suit really was basically the same, just recolored and refitted to her full stature. In fact it looked like it was exactly the same, wearing and fraying at the seams like it had lasted all this time. And most assuredly she had bulked up since they were kids. Not to ludicrous levels, but her strength was obvious to the casual observer.


    And Seth may have starred a little too long. More stunned by the sudden appearance of the girl who saved his life than her new physical appearance finally seen up close. But Aegis still gave a concerned smile down at him.


    “Sorry, guess I should have stopped you sooner?”


    Her voice wasn’t as gentle, but still held a little childishness. She furled her shield up in sparking dismissal and stretched out her hand for Seth to take.


    “Though seeing as the both of you were- hhrrrggg! Damn you’re heavy. About to turn all the trainees to fucking jelly! I had to intervene at some point, you know.”


    Para''s scoffed cut the moment Seth was having and drew both of them to Mediknight, having ushered the trainees almost completely back from the ring for their own safety. Both losing some edge and reel as those slates glared back like a menacing den mother. Turning Para back with a bitter scowl.


    “I thought you were delayed by a ‘pretty serious save’?”


    “Yeah, I lied, I was watching from the booth. I knew full well you’d ignore orders and pull the same shit. Again! So I called it in.”


    “You WHAT!?!”


    “Say hello to your new co-teacher Para, better get used to not being a douche to these trainees 24/7!”


    The reassembling trainees, and the gradually slouching and beaten Seth, all stood even more shocked than they already were. Getting trained by one member of the Elite was a privilege, but three. Yet still Ohm raised his hand.


    “This better not count as my promised special train- GOooh!”


    Maya punched him in the ribs for it as Para''s sneer cut him off.


    “Shut up Clarence! Aegis you can’t be serious, you’re going to spread the team thin like this.”


    Aegis crossed her arms.


    “Oh NOW you care about the team’s wellbeing. Where was this worry every time I’ve asked for some help, huh? Half the team does all the fucking work around here because you keep stopping anyone with talent from getting through. But, thankfully, command actually cares and is rotating the A and B squads in for fire patrol. So I can do what I see fit. And since you basically picked a fight with one of your trainees! ON DAY ONE!! I’m going to be staying here, keeping you from fucking things up more than you already have. Okay?”


    She turned away, instead directing her attention at Seth again, who was now thoroughly frozen in awkwardness.


    “You know, you’re pretty good for a noobie, but in all honesty you really need some work on your self-preservation. Let’s keep to fighting someone who, at the very least, is in your power class.”


    Seth was still stunned and pulled in several directions, but shook as much as he could away so he could take his helmet off to answer her proper. He twisted the rotary neck joint and popped it off with a short hiss of heated air, revealing his shocked white hair. Helmet head inside an active faraday cage was a mess to be reckoned with on its own. He noticed and franticly ran his hand over it as he lowered his helmet to his side.


    “I’ll… try to pick my opponents better.”


    He smiled slightly, drying blood trails from his nose and eyes making things seem a little more dire then they really were. Aegis smiled slightly in response, but couldn’t hide the serious concern on her face. But what Seth couldn’t see was recollection. He wiped away the blood he could feel, but stopped smiling when she turned to Mediknight, silently thumbing for him to check on him.


    She didn’t… remember him.


    It had been a while sure, and he wasn’t exactly as talkative back then. She must have just forgot, or blocked out that part of her life.


    ''It was a long time ago, and only really a day. And… and people don’t really like to talk about their service on The Wall. Let alone being on the other side of it. But...''


    Seth was zoned out in thoughtful disappointment, only adding to the concern eking out of Mediknight’s slats as he looked him over. He snapped out of it as that visor dominated his vision. He couldn’t see any sign of real emotion, nothing but shadow between the slats, but he could still feel that he was scanning him. A slight warmth radiating and tingling at his nerves just adding evidence, his healing field was versatile. And worrying. A small tension at the possibility that he could sense what he had, his real power beneath all this armor. But he turned away before Seth could fail the bluff, giving a thumbs up to Aegis as she gathered up the trainees.


    “He’s okay.”


    Seth let his breath out and moved to group up with everyone else. Only to be stopped by a plate mail hand across his own armored chest.


    “Don’t do something like that again. I can understand hiding your power away, but you need to learn proper self-control before ever engaging like that again. Take it slow, and calm down.”


    Mediknight dropped his hand and moved off. Seth was stuck in place by a fearful beat. That already his hopes were dashed. And yet they remained. A respect fighting, saying that this wasn’t condemnation just correction. There was no hiding anything from a good enough doctor. So having his blessing to keep going was turbo charging to his determination. And told him he had two of the three trainers on his side at least. Speaking of which, the smile squeaking up his face was leered away at Para. Matched and met with disdain as he rejoined the now coalesced and healed up trainees awaiting everyone’s proper introduction. Aegis keeping command as she squared up between her teammates.


    “Okay, now that that is all settled. Welcome to the League of Super’s official recruitment course! At least for now. Apparently ‘some people’ are saying we’re overstaffed, but I can assure you we still have plenty of openings for the lot of you. If you can manage to reach them that is. To that end, this course will work to get each and every one of you up to snuff and ready to protect this world from anything and everything that may threaten it. From a common convenience store thief, to rampaging genetic monstrosities, to the occasional city busting meteor, or the mundane seasonal disaster. You’re going to learn how to be ready and able to fight each and every one of these things, and worse. And, thanks to my inclusion, you’re more likely to actually pass this course compared to the previous ones. Seeing as Parasonic over here has been making this course into a meat grinder instead of a training camp.”


    His sneer only lasted a second as he retook charge.


    “Don’t blame me if they can’t keep up, and I still fully expect each and every one of you to fail. Anything otherwise would endanger the League as a whole. The dangers we face as heroes are many, varied, constant, and unforgiving. Even the heroes we have today can’t truly be said to be ready for what may come tomorrow. So I expect you all to fail because that’s a preferable outcome to sending off another group of half-assed recruits to die.”


    The collective looks of indignation melted at this. But looks of defiant determination broke the gloom, Seth’s included. Para scoffed in response while Aegis smiled. Mediknight stepped up to break the tension.


    “You will each be given a room on the upper periphery, the rules and regulations for living here are printed on placards in each of them. Read and memorize them. Meals are served in the canteen on the south side based on the time of day. Its first come first serve, so don’t be late. Training starts when your trainers say so. Expect the unexpected. If they say you’re training at 3:00 AM, you are training at 3:00 AM. Personal training times are allotted for any free time you may receive and wish to use productively. The time table is logged on the personal terminal in your room and on the public one’s throughout the hall. Don’t just show up to train whenever you want, you will be leered at and judged an impatient or unobservant moron. Fighting is expected, but rules are in place for this. Set a time slot and fight it out in the arena. No fighting anywhere else. And NO LETHAL DAMAGE. Fight under the allowed rule sets or don’t fight at all.”


    Mediknight stepped back, leaving the floor to Aegis.


    “Well, that sounds like everything. So, you two can go now, I have the first actual lesson.”


    Para sneered again, but walked off with Mediknight.


    “Don’t spoil them, you’ll only make their failure worse.”


    He slammed a locker room door behind them as Aegis smirked at her new trainees. A smirk that gradually turned a little too hard for how much fighting they just went through.


    ‘Ugh, please don''t make us do laps.’