《The Versus Games (Book 1) [A GameLit Tournament Serial - Progression - Space Opera]》 Prelude- The Perfect Medley In 2114, Mars began the Milky Way Utopia by reaching out to Earth peacefully during a difficult time for humankind, offering resources, aid, and alliance. Slowly, other planets from the Solar System and other neighboring systems came forward to form their alliances. However, the Utopia wasn¡¯t formed without struggle. Planet Hajja, a notoriously hostile people, declared war on Paeseo, their former slave planet. The conflict drew many planets into the fray, dividing the developing Utopia. After a bloody, 10-year conflict, many leaders from every planet met together, devising a plan to solve the conflict without any more innocent bloodshed. The Versus Games were born, created to maintain peaceful relations between planets by providing an environment where conflicts could be settled through competitive, controlled battle. Every four Earth years, the planets would come together in friendly competition against each other for a title of honor, power, and pride. Any grievances between people and planets, no matter the species, would be resolved through the Versus Games, and the Games only, without allowing innocent people to suffer the repercussions of such tension. Fighters would be able to practice self-control, discipline, and good sportsmanship, further providing a peaceful and united Utopia. At least, that¡¯s what the Treaty said. Sure, the bloody, destructive, tragic type of war was staved off by the tournament. But many other cold wars brewed among the Milky Way¡¯s planets. One of the most prominent ones on Earth would be Fighters versus Socializers; a clan of trigger-happy, karate-chopping, emotionless soldiers against a clique of virtually popular, fashion-obsessed, Miss Milky Way beauty queens. It was no wonder the other planets made fun of Earth. Humans decided to take the concept of what was supposed to keep peace and turn it into an argument. Socializers were mainly a human thing, and they turned the planet into a laughingstock over the years. The classy, respectful generation of pageant kings and beauty queens made way for the superficial, vain, and self-absorbed wannabes. Despite the stupidity of it all, the opinion had a strong influence on the general population. Whoever lived on Earth, human or not, would have to pick a side, or else. Unfortunately, with humanity¡¯s reputation decreasing each year, the other species made it a point to remind them that they were inferior. Doors closed and paths narrowed for humans in almost every career path except for the two warring worlds¡ª fighting and Socializing. The Versus Interplanetary Peacekeeping Games were, by law, open to every species in the Utopia, and no species could be rejected unless they committed an act of war or they voluntarily opted out of participating. The Socializing field was created by humans, so there weren¡¯t many species willing to dabble in that field of pageants, speeches, and fighter-shaming broadcasts. Unless one wanted a long and hard journey to the top of their career, these two fields were the only ones where humans could truly thrive with the least amount of obstacles in the way. Since she saw her first Versus Games at six years old, Calista Medley was always at war within herself. Case in point, her true feelings fought hard against the desire of her peers¡¯ approval as she squealed like a maniac in feigned excitement. On her projected screen were the holograms of her three best friends: Danica Pellin, Rebecca Starling, and Elizabeth Devon. All three of them were rosy-cheeked as they excitedly babbled on and on about the scholarship the four of them had just received. ¡°Can you imagine?!¡± Danica screeched. ¡°We can meet Delancey Wostak!¡± She gasped. ¡°What if she tutors us?!¡± She squealed again. Calista smiled, inwardly cringing. Couldn¡¯t this girl speak like a normal person for one second? She had to install her ear shields to protect her hearing from her banshee-like shrieking. ¡°Not just Delancey Wostak!¡± Rebecca followed. ¡°Kennedy Cindy and Donna Dakota, too! Can you believe we¡¯ll be in the same school as the Junior Founders?! We could become Art School members! We¡¯ll be famous, then our daughters will be famous, then our granddaughters¡­¡± ¡°The SociaLights in the Art School.¡± Danica shivered. ¡°That gave me chills!¡± When would this conversation ever end? Calista¡¯s cheeks were getting sore from the fake smile. The SociaLights was the name of their Socializer channel¡ª the name was Danica¡¯s idea. No arguments allowed. Calista had joined it after failing to join the Junior Versus program: a smaller version of the competition that featured younger fighters all over Earth. Discouraged by her mother¡ª one of history¡¯s Miss Milky Way winners¡ª she wound up getting added to the cast of the channel through her mother¡¯s connections with her fellow beauty queens and their daughters. Danica and Rebecca¡¯s mothers were both Miss Milky Way contestants back in the day, but only Calista¡¯s mother had won before, making her the more influential of the three. In this SociaLights, Danica was the more controlling one in their group. Elizabeth was the outsider; she was an aspiring Socializer that loved to play music by hand and craft art pieces without any technology whatsoever. The other two girls decided Elizabeth needed ¡®improvement¡¯ and ¡®generously¡¯ invited her to join them at one of Calista¡¯s mother¡¯s Sociapalooza parties in Indianapolis. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Since joining the channel, Calista had dedicated every day to making broadcasts with the girls about celebrity gossip and new fashion trends. She loathed every minute of it, but as long as her mother didn¡¯t criticize her every waking moment, she would bear it. The only part she found enjoyable was making new outfits for the girls to show off and sell to their followers. It was the only time she found peace; being alone in her room, her fingers flitting across holo-buttons and a work of art coming alive right in front of her. For the past five years, she¡¯d hidden her love for the Versus Games and pretended to adopt the same contempt and disgust the other girls had. As far as they were concerned, she¡¯d realized what an immoral and violent event it was and that whoever participated in such a competition was a violent and horrible person. She¡¯d done her best to avoid following the lives of the great fighters. The less she saw of it, the less it would hurt her with the sting of her failure. This year in particular was difficult. The Games occurred every four years, and this was one of those years. In just a month, the new class of freshman students would be entering the US¡¯s fighting school, Fistborn Academy, preparing for the upcoming competition. Whenever Calista went out, whether for a spa day, or a Thinning session, or a shopping day with her mother, she¡¯d hear nothing but hype for the tournament. Instead, she focused on the conversation at hand. Danica was gushing about how their ¡®unique¡¯ channel and their talents got them all into Calista¡¯s mother¡¯s alma mater, the New York Women¡¯s School of Social Arts. It was the best Socializer school in the country, and their glowing golden ticket to a life of riches and fame. Every now and then, they¡¯d offer a rare, full-ride scholarship for members of a channel to attend, and the SociaLights had just gotten an offer yesterday, which they all gladly accepted. Calista inwardly scoffed. Their channel wasn¡¯t what got them into that school. Knowing her mother, she¡¯d made a few calls and sweet-talked enough people to give them the scholarship. Jennifer Zyben was a powerful name in the human celebrity world. All Calista was known as was ¡®Jennifer Zyben¡¯s daughter¡¯, not ¡®the girl from the SociaLights¡¯. ¡°We¡¯re gonna be besties with the Art School! My mom was one of them when she went to NYWS!¡± Rebecca squealed. ¡°Uber-awesome!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Elizabeth interjected, providing the voice of reason among the excited buzz. ¡°I know your moms were famous and all, but I feel like people in the Art School look at you as a person, you know? We¡¯ll probably have to work a little harder to get to-¡± ¡°Stop zapping our energy, Liz,¡± Danica interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ll probably have to work hard because nobody knows you. It¡¯ll be easier for Becca, Cali, and me. Our moms were Miss Milky Way finalists and they were all in the Art School, so it really shouldn¡¯t be hard for us.¡± The Art School was a group of the best students at NYWS. They were all popular women with billions of followers on their way to becoming the next Miss Milky Way finalists. The ¡®Art School¡¯ name came from the channel of the school¡¯s eight founders, who had passed their talents and followers down to their great-grandchildren by now. Elizabeth was right, though. If Danica and Rebecca kept up their overconfident attitudes just because of their family names, they wouldn¡¯t make a great impression. But of course, they wouldn¡¯t care what Liz would say. After some more inhuman, irritating screeching from her childhood friends, the call finally ended and Calista could drop the fake smile. She sighed deeply and sunk into her seat. She should¡¯ve tried harder to get into the Junior Versus. She should¡¯ve proven to her family that being a fighter was honestly a better career than¡­ this. For the rest of her life, she¡¯d have to pretend to like people, look ¡®beautiful¡¯ 24/7, and Thin her waist to practically a stick so she could keep her family¡¯s name proud and high in the Socializer society. The perfect Medley, as her parents would say. Jennifer Zyben-Medley was certainly doing her husband a lot of favors¡ª namely, her mother-in-law. Calista¡¯s father had climbed a tall and tiring ladder to get to where he was in the Engineering field, but he¡¯d made it. His mother was a beauty queen who had set him up with Calista¡¯s mother to further the family name. If only Socializing was only about making new outfits and taking freeze scans to share with the galaxy. No schmoozing, no smiling, no constant parties and galas and romance controversies. Calista would probably get set up with some male Socializer that was a Mr. Milky Way finalist and a total glitchbag. At least he would be handsome, though¡­ Calista stared at the soft screen in front of her. She was crazy for thinking this. Just a little update¡­ just one¡­ She checked her surveillance app to make sure her mother wasn¡¯t checking her screen, then logged onto the Versus News platform. As she expected, there were ads everywhere about applying. ¡®APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!¡¯ ¡®BECOME ONE OF THE 150!¡¯ ¡®FOLLOW THE PATH TO GREATNESS!¡¯ Calista couldn¡¯t help the uncomfortable guilt in her stomach. The SociaLights had four values: Love, Peace, Freedom, and Loyalty. Calista represented the fourth. With the thoughts she had about the Versus, she felt incredibly¡­ well, disloyal. If they knew what she was thinking¡­ Calista regretted looking at the platform. She should¡¯ve just left it alone. Now that desire within her lurched once more, pushing her to open the application, but she knew she couldn¡¯t do that. Her mother would kill her if she knew the thoughts she had. ¡°You¡¯re not meant to be in that disgusting competition,¡± she¡¯d told her after her second failed attempt at the Junior Versus. ¡°I hope this little phase wears off soon. You know what they¡¯re going to say if they know? You know what my followers would think?¡± What her grandparents would think, what her cousins would think, what her friends would think, what everyone would think. It was always about that. She closed the platform before she could get more depressed. It seemed that NYWS would be her future after all. It wasn¡¯t like she had a chance to be a fighter. She hadn¡¯t trained in years, especially with her family constantly watching her one way or another. She¡¯d never match up to those pros. Instead, she was what Jennifer Zyben wanted her to be: the beautiful, skinny, flawless girl with just the right amount of confidence and the right amount of modesty. A role model to so many other girls out there who would probably trap themselves in a life of meeting standards they¡¯d never truly meet. She¡¯d be her mother¡¯s ¡®perfect Medley¡¯. 1- Dead End Ding. Ding. Ding. Calista heard her sleep capsule whir as it opened. The Artificial Intelligence for Domestic Assistance started its morning narration. ¡°Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 10:00 in the morning of August 1st, 2349 in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.¡± As she rose, the AIDA immediately fixed her long black hair for her, leaving it in a perfect, shiny waterfall. ¡°Morning,¡± she yawned, her green eyes squeezing out light tears from the pressure. ¡°Any messages?¡± ¡°You have a pending message from¡­ The SociaLights¡­ which arrived at 10:00 PM on July 30th, 2349.¡± ¡°Ugh. I¡¯ll listen later.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± She was too busy to talk to them, anyway. Her mother would be giving her ¡®runway classes¡¯ again today. Apparently, a tradition at NYWS was for new students to participate in a fashion show, displaying their finest work to impress the more famous students and increase their chances of getting popular in the industry. Being the fashion designer of her channel, Calista was especially pressured to look the part for this event, not to mention her name. Being Jennifer Zyben¡¯s daughter carried an immense weight. Despite the power and prestige she still held, Jennifer¡¯s reputation had taken a hit with Calista¡¯s birth. Instead of preserving her body¡¯s ¡®perfection¡¯, she¡¯d chosen a natural pregnancy and birth. It was understandable; Hajjian terrorists had been shutting down birthing pods all over Earth at the time, killing the babies inside. Most Socializers considered natural births disgusting and careless when it came to preserving one¡¯s looks, and someone like Jennifer having a natural birth was very controversial. After Calista was born, Jennifer spent a lot of money on Thinners and Modifiers to get her waist back to its former glory; perfectly flat and thin. But as much as she tried to cover it up, eventually all her followers found out and slammed her with criticism and body-shaming comments. Jennifer had to release the most heartfelt apology statement she could muster and reassure them that Calista was ¡®worth the trouble¡¯. For Katelyn and Quincy¡¯s births¡ª Calista¡¯s sister and brother¡ª she made sure everyone saw her visiting them at the birthing pods. Calista knew that if she failed at impressing anyone at the Socializer school, the controversies would come back to bite the family. She was the next titleholder, being the oldest daughter, and being the one who caused such damage to her mother¡¯s once perfect body. Calista Medley needed to be a name people respected and admired, not one that spurred a downward spiral of gossip and hatred. She went to her closet and stepped inside. Her pajamas were switched out with a pink crop top and white capris she¡¯d designed, and her face was coated with a thick, but subtle layer of makeup. She would probably change into different outfits during this little training session, but it was a good everyday outfit to have. Checking herself in the mirror screen, her perfectly painted lips twisted at the slight bulge that was accumulating around her waist. To her mother, it would be an eyesore. She¡¯d probably send her to the Thinning Spa after practicing. She stopped by Katelyn¡¯s room before going to meet Jennifer. The 16-year old girl was lounging in her room, designing homes and rooms on her simulator. While Calista dabbled in fashion, Katelyn dabbled in architecture. She would make a good enough Socializer. The middle Medley child wouldn¡¯t have as much pressure on her. She never showed an interest for anything else, so she had it easy. Quincy was only nine, and being the baby of the family, he¡¯d probably also have an easy path. Men had less pressure on them as Socializers than women did. Male Socializers usually concentrated on other talents besides looking handsome and participating in pageants¡ª much like Elizabeth, they would show off talents like making art without technology or performing music. Women were expected to concentrate on pageantry, politics, and diplomatic relations in their early career years before moving onto what they really wanted to do. ¡°Hey, Cali,¡± Katelyn said, glancing at her. Her blond hair was tied up in a messy bun. ¡°Going with Mom?¡± ¡°Yeah, she wants me to practice again.¡± ¡°Did you finish your portfolio?¡± ¡°Yup, last night.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I feel like showing it to Mom is scarier than showing it to the admissions board.¡± ¡°She criticizes everything. Just act like you care about what she says and move on,¡± Katelyn said dismissively, with a bit of irritation. She was right¡ª Jennifer was very hyper-critical, especially with Calista. Katelyn didn¡¯t have that great of a relationship with her mother, since their tastes differed greatly. At least she could afford dismissing her mom like that. It was easy for her to say. Calista didn¡¯t say that aloud, though. She didn¡¯t want to guilt-trip her sister over something she couldn¡¯t control. ¡°Good tip,¡± was all she could think of saying. ¡°Why do you even need a portfolio? Didn¡¯t you get into the school with that scholarship?¡± ¡°Not exactly. We still have to apply like any other student.¡± Katelyn shrugged. ¡°Eh. Mom probably knows someone on the board. It¡¯ll be fine. If not her, Grandma will fix something up for you.¡± Quincy came through the transient wall. ¡°Hey, Cali. Mom wants you. She¡¯s waiting in the Air-Car.¡± ¡°Hey, who said you could come in here?¡± Katelyn said. ¡°The wall was open.¡± ¡°Well, request first. Don¡¯t just come in here.¡± Quincy rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡± The boy was going through an early puberty phase. He was the most sarcastic nine-year old Calista knew. ¡°So just the practice runway today?¡± Katelyn asked Calista, continuing to work. ¡°And probably the Thinning Spa.¡± ¡°Thinning Spa? What for?¡± Katelyn turned in her hovering chair to look at her properly. ¡°Let me guess, you have a bulge.¡± Quincy tapped his belt, summoning his Pet. The palm-sized sphere hovered in midair with two transparent wings beating like a hummingbird¡¯s. It projected a screen so he could play a game. ¡°It¡¯s noticeable,¡± Calista defended. ¡°There¡¯s literally nothing there.¡± Quincy pointed at Calista¡¯s stomach. ¡°If anything, you need some fat.¡± ¡°Mom won¡¯t think so.¡± The boy shrugged and went back to his game, knowing she was right. ¡°I should go. I¡¯m stalling.¡± Calista half-smiled at her siblings. ¡°I¡¯ll see you.¡± ¡°Get him out of here,¡± Katelyn said, turning back to her screen with a cursory glance at her brother. ¡°Why?¡± Quincy whined. ¡°You¡¯re distracting.¡± Quincy groaned and returned his Pet to his belt, practically stomping out of the room. Calista smirked and blew a kiss to her sister before leaving. She teleported to the first floor of their contemporary Medley Mansion and went to the car storage unit to meet her mother. Jennifer was already sitting in the Air-Car, browsing on her AIDA band. ¡°What took you so long?¡± she asked. ¡°Talking to Kat,¡± Calista answered, slumping in her seat with a sigh. Jennifer glanced at her, then flickered her deep green eyes down to Calista¡¯s stomach. Calista tried stretching her crop top to cover it, but knew it was too late. ¡°We should go to the Thinning Spa after the runway.¡± Calista sighed expectantly. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Alright. Air-Car, take us to Runway House 3, #23 East, Entertainment District.¡± The car zoomed off at her command, joining the many other vehicles smoothly flying through the streets. It drove towards the Portals to take them to the required district. The residential neighborhood transformed into glowing billboards and blinking signs once they crossed the threshold. They would reach their destination in only a few minutes. In the meanwhile, Calista tuned into the many announcements echoing through the air, the Air-Car capturing the sounds and replaying them so she could hear them clearly. ¡°¡­playing at the HARP Experience August 29th¡­¡± ¡°¡­this Friday at 6:00 PM¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lisa White has now been officially hired as the new Dean of Fistborn Academy¡¯s Versus School, giving our planet a lot of hope for¡­¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s that time of year, citizens! Fistborn Academy¡¯s applications are open and ready to welcome 5,000 more students! And good luck to those aiming for the Versus Fighting School; only 330 lucky applicants will be accepted! The new freshman class will start at Fistborn the Tuesday after Labor Day¡­¡± She nervously glanced at her mother, but it didn¡¯t seem like she noticed. She decided to turn the tuning off and use her AIDA band instead. The last thing she needed was some rant about the Versus Games. Once they arrived at the Runway House, they went to one of the available rooms and started to practice. It was a simple runway with about a hundred seats around, usually reserved for smaller shows. This was nothing compared to the school, though. The whole student body would be watching, and they were all women. All of them would be looking for something to judge in each new student that went up. ¡°Shoulders back, chin up,¡± Jennifer reminded her for the fiftieth time as she walked down the strip. ¡°You¡¯re cocking your hips too sharply.¡± Calista reached the end of the strip, doing her usual poses, and walked back to the beginning. She turned gracefully, her black hair sweeping behind her. Jennifer¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°You need something new.¡± ¡°New?¡± ¡°Those poses¡­ they¡¯re not that remarkable. You need something more memorable than that.¡± ¡°Some of them are yours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me. You need your own signature. Something that makes them think of Calista Medley, not Jennifer Zyben.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Poses? Outfits; she could easily come up with. But poses? ¡°Grab one of your more formal outfits. We can work with that instead.¡± Calista saw her mother¡¯s eyes briefly glance at her stomach again. She knew that it would bug her, but today, it seemed to be bugging her more than usual. Had someone said something to her? Calista shimmied down the runway in a silver full bodysuit she¡¯d designed with a tall collar. It was part of what she called her ¡®Retrograde¡¯ collection. Going back to the past while staying in the present. ¡°I don¡¯t really like that pose. Try another one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t raise your head that much when wearing that collar.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stick your foot out too much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hold up your hand like that.¡± Calista was exhausted by the end of the session. She was back in her crop and capris, desperate to get in her sleep capsule and relax. Maybe the Thinning Spa would provide her some relief. It would reduce the critiques and relax her. ¡°Let me see that portfolio you made,¡± Jennifer reminded her. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Calista brought it up on her AIDA band and swiped it to her mother¡¯s. Her stomach twisted and her palms sweated as she waited for her to get through the whole thing. She wiped her palms on her pants and lightly bounced on her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t show you¡¯re nervous. Project confidence,¡± Jennifer said without looking at her. ¡°Right.¡± Calista took a breath and assumed a neutral pose, as she was taught. After a few more agonizing minutes, her mother wordlessly closed the screen and started towards the door. Calista followed her, confused. ¡°Um¡­ did you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s average.¡± ¡°Average?¡± ¡°Some of the outfits are pretty good, but most of them are things I¡¯ve seen you do years ago. You need new stuff.¡± ¡°All of them are new.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bouncing them off your old designs. Also¡­¡± She paused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A couple of your designs bugged me.¡± She swiped the designs back to Calista¡¯s band. The outfits were from her ¡®Out of this Galaxy¡¯ collection. They focused on dark and neon colors, inspired by the astronaut suits humans would use in the pre-Utopian era, when they were just discovering space, way before aliens¡¯ existence was known. Calista had worked all night to take away the extra ¡®bulkiness¡¯ of the outfits while preserving the ¡®retro¡¯ style, adding a bit of Martian aesthetic to it. ¡°What¡¯s with them? These are my favorites.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing. They look like those suits those fighters use.¡± Calista¡¯s steps stuttered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know that it¡¯s Versus season right now. Knowing you, it¡¯s hard for you. But you cannot let that come through in your designs. Looking at those, that was the first thing I thought of.¡± ¡°How do you know what they look like?¡± ¡°Please, they project those ragers¡¯ faces all over the city every Versus year. I hope you haven¡¯t been looking at that platform.¡± She shook her head fervently. ¡°Bugs, no! No. You know I wouldn¡¯t do that, Mom.¡± ¡°Alright, well, you¡¯ll have to rethink that collection, or at least take those out of the portfolio. They¡¯re too much like those fighter suits.¡± ¡°But what about the others?¡± She looked through the ¡®Breezy¡¯ collection and pulled up a few outfits. ¡°Like these?¡± ¡°They¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°They¡¯re new! Brand-new! I¡¯ve never done something like this before!¡± ¡°Calista, you¡¯re my daughter. I don¡¯t want that board¡ª my friends¡ª thinking of my daughter as mediocre. You¡¯ll have to come up with something else. Danica, Rebecca, and that other girl can be as average as they want, but you need to really impress the girls at that school. Get into the Art School. Don¡¯t limit yourself.¡± They teleported to the Air-Car. ¡°Take us to Thinning Spa 84, #432 West, Entertainment District.¡± Calista was disheartened. She really thought her mother would be impressed, at least a little bit. And those outfits looked nothing like fighter suits! They couldn¡¯t! She didn¡¯t even remember what fighter suits looked like. If she failed at this, her family would never let her live it down. This was her only chance for a real future. All the higher species wouldn¡¯t let a human girl like her excel in anything else. Not that she could do anything else; she wasn¡¯t much of a talented person, like Elizabeth. Maybe she could look for some kind of backup. That was harmless, right? She just needed to make sure her mother didn¡¯t know¡­ and she knew just the person to help her. === Katelyn closed her Augmented Design course for the day. As much as she loved fashioning buildings, rooms, and ImaginationStation maps for kids, she still needed a break every now and then. The human mind needed time to relax. ¡°Jennifer Zyben-Medley and Calista Medley have arrived,¡± AIDA announced. She allowed herself a melancholic sigh. For as long as she remembered, Calista had always carried the heavy weight of their mother¡¯s name. Their father came from a prominent family, too, but they weren¡¯t as pressuring as their mother¡¯s side. After all, Jennifer won Miss Milky Way. She beat women from all across the galaxy. She was perfect in every way, from her wavy black hair to her graceful walk. From what Katelyn remembered, Jennifer was less hard on Calista when she was a child. There was a clear memory of when she and Calista watched their first Versus with their father, Henry. He never much cared about the Socializers vs. Fighters debate and often watched the Junior tournaments or smaller rounds like the Regional or National competitions. He wasn¡¯t a Socializer himself, unlike his parents, and he was the youngest of his siblings, so there wasn¡¯t much pressure on him. Katelyn found the Versus interesting and exciting, but never imagined herself participating. Her sister, on the other hand¡­ the way her green eyes watched the fighters on their Holo-Augmented Reality Projector, sparkling with admiration and wonder¡ª even at four years old, Katelyn could tell she wanted to be one of them. Jennifer didn¡¯t seem to care too much about them watching the Versus back then. She disagreed with it, but she let them be. Once they got older, though, after having Quincy, she started telling her husband to stop ¡®filling their heads with that death game¡¯. Maybe, with the birth of a new baby, people started to scrutinize Jennifer¡¯s life a bit more than usual. Her skills as a mother were always under a microscope from the moment she decided to naturally give birth to Calista. Calista¡¯s rebel phase a few years ago involved a lot of yelling and fighting between her and her mother, with Henry and Katelyn acting as mediators most of the time. The previously close relationship between the two faded away, made worse by their family¡¯s interference. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins¡­ most of them were practically begging Calista to forget about the Versus and not ¡®glitch up the name¡¯. Katelyn watched every bit of Calista¡¯s confidence in herself melt with every word. Jennifer had let Calista apply for the Junior Versus with a warning: ¡°When you fail, don¡¯t you dare come crying to me that I was right.¡± It seemed that the comment was enough to discourage Calista. She¡¯d done averagely on the test and failed to get in. She secretly tried a second time a couple years later, only to humor Katelyn when she pushed her to try again. That second failure led her to concentrate fully on her Socializer life, agreeing to join the SociaLights channel and follow in her mother¡¯s footsteps. Katelyn considered herself blessed that she wasn¡¯t the oldest. Being the middle child meant she didn¡¯t get a lot of attention from her parents, especially her mother. She took advantage of her mother¡¯s obliviousness to her and did a lot of things behind her back that would have their family gossiping for years to come¡ª her biggest secret being that she worked at an illegal bar on the Genesis X space station. Of course, she wasn¡¯t stupid. She wore a Mask to conceal her identity and assumed an alias. Middle child or not, she was still Jennifer Zyben¡¯s daughter, and fighters and Socializers alike would come to the same bar, hiding themselves from their regular lives. If it ever got out that she was working there, her mother would never be able to live it down. She wouldn¡¯t normally have chosen such a risky line of work to be in, but it would be a while until she would eventually be forced to start a channel or join someone else¡¯s, and she planned to move out of the Medley Mansion as soon as she turned of age. If she left the family, she could do her own thing without getting too much cache for it. Architecture was a hard field to get into for a human, and even though she could segue into the field through NYWS, she wouldn¡¯t dream of attending that popularity school. She wouldn¡¯t get too far without followers. The very thought of it made her shiver. She¡¯d rather go through the levels and take the species bias she¡¯d inevitably face from the aliens living on Earth that were monumentally better than her in terms of talent and prestige. Katelyn left her room and took the teleporter to the first floor of the house. Jennifer went straight to her office without so much as a glance, probably for another meeting with a charity or an offer to speak at a Socializer school across the planet. Conferences, panels, and broadcasts were her mother¡¯s life, and all of them brought digits to pay for their home and their technology. Calista looked thinner than ever, to the point that Katelyn worried she¡¯d overdone it at the spa. She could tell she was upset; her perfectly painted lips were stuck in a pout and her perfectly trimmed eyebrows were ever so slightly knitted. ¡°I¡¯m guessing it didn¡¯t go well?¡± Katelyn said with a small smile. Calista was unusually silent, merely going to the HARP room and crashing onto the sofa. Now concerned, Katelyn sat next to her, observing her closely. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°She said my portfolio¡­ that some of the outfits looked like fighter suits.¡± ¡°Fighter suits?¡± ¡°The ones they use in the Versus. I don¡¯t even remember what they looked like.¡± ¡°Maybe it stuck with you and you didn¡¯t realize it. She didn¡¯t have to take it so personally, though.¡± ¡°And everything else, she says it¡¯s average.¡± Calista brought out her portfolio and swiped it to Katelyn¡¯s AIDA band. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it, right?¡± Katelyn scrolled through the different outfits. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re amazing. Nothing I could come up with.¡± Their mother said this was average? If this was average, what wasn¡¯t? ¡°What did she say looked like fighter suits?¡± ¡°These.¡± Calista put up the ¡®Out of This Galaxy¡¯ collection. ¡°They¡¯re astronaut suits, not fighter suits. She didn¡¯t see how retro they looked?¡± ¡°Apparently not.¡± ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Katelyn shook her head, outraged. What was she trying to do to Calista? How could she hope to ¡®project confidence¡¯ like this? ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do this, Kate.¡± Calista massaged the forming lines across her forehead. ¡°She keeps telling me I¡¯m not good enough. I have to keep the name up. I have to impress the girls at school. I have to get into the Art School clique. I have to do basically everything I can so people are talking about us being uber-awesome and not about¡­ you know.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°And I can¡¯t. If this¡ª my best work¡ª isn¡¯t good enough¡­ then I don¡¯t know what is. I¡¯ll never make it.¡± Katelyn wanted to reassure her, to encourage her, do anything to make her feel better. But nothing came to mind. What could she say? ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make it with some more hard work¡±? ¡°I¡¯m sure Mom will come around if she looks at the portfolio one more time¡±? Lies were the last thing she needed right now. ¡°AIDA, play the latest episode of Astrana,¡± Calista said. ¡°Playing Astrana, season 8, episode 34.¡± The HARP environment transformed into a medieval fantasy world. Katelyn leaned back, startled, as the Prince Rainer character swiped his sword. ¡°Is there anything else you think I¡¯m good at?¡± Calista suddenly asked. ¡°Besides fashion?¡± ¡°Yeah. Anything else you think I can do besides¡­ this? Maybe I can ¡®impress¡¯ people at school with something else. Like singing.¡± ¡°Calista, I love you, but I¡¯m not going to lie and say you¡¯re a good singer.¡± The two laughed. ¡°You¡¯re good at dancing.¡± Quincy entered the HARP bubble and plopped next to them. ¡°Where did you come from?¡± Calista said. ¡°I was there the whole time. You guys just don¡¯t pay attention.¡± Katelyn rolled her eyes. ¡°You know, it¡¯s rude to listen in on stuff that¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°How is this so private?¡± Quincy defended. ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t like Calista¡¯s fashion, so she needs to try something else. We all know that.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m good at dancing?¡± Calista asked. ¡°You¡¯re really good at DanceSim. I¡¯ve seen you.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do much. People don¡¯t dance as a career anymore.¡± ¡°Then¡­ drawing or painting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Kate¡¯s thing.¡± ¡°I do buildings,¡± she reminded Calista. ¡°You can do¡­ like, anything else.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never drawn before.¡± ¡°Then work in engineering, like Dad. You¡¯re good at tech stuff,¡± Quincy said. ¡°Not that good.¡± The two huffed, exhausted. Katelyn didn¡¯t know what else to say to her sister. If all she was good at was fashion and Socializing, then that was what she¡¯d do¡­ except¡­ ¡°You¡¯re good at fighting.¡± A veil of silence draped over them. Katelyn regretted her words. Calista was already depressed enough. What was she thinking with salting the wound? ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that,¡± Calista finally said, redirecting her attention to the HARP series. ¡°Can¡¯t do what?¡± The three of them jumped, finding their father coming through the HARP bubble. ¡°When did you get back?¡± Katelyn asked, kissing his cheek as a greeting. ¡°Just now.¡± He looked at Calista, noticing her demeanor. ¡°Something wrong? Your mother bugging you?¡± ¡°Among other things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her get to you. She¡¯s just stressed because of some things her followers said.¡± He scrunched his nose at the program. ¡°There¡¯s a Phoenix game on. Can we watch that?¡± ¡°Dad, I just started. I was here first.¡± Calista frowned. ¡°Use the HARP in your room.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Katelyn asked. ¡°Mom¡¯s followers?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, one of Calista¡¯s friends decided to personally broadcast that they got the scholarship to NYWS¡­ which was stupid.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Calista groaned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that! Who was it?¡± ¡°Daniella.¡± ¡°Danica,¡± she corrected. ¡°Whatever. Because of that, your mom¡¯s followers have been nagging her about you and what you¡¯re going to do¡­ bringing up a lot. I figured she¡¯d be hard on you.¡± Henry sighed, gazing at his eldest daughter. ¡°You want me to talk to her?¡± Calista shook her head. ¡°Nah. Won¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡± Despite her and Henry¡¯s marriage being arranged, the two had genuinely fallen in love by the time their wedding came around. Jennifer wasn¡¯t one to listen to anyone else but her followers, but if there was one exception, it was her husband. ¡°You should talk to her, Dad,¡± Katelyn told him. ¡°Calista Thinned today.¡± ¡°Thinned? Why?¡± ¡°Mom thought she had a bulge,¡± Quincy said sarcastically. ¡°Kate, it¡¯s fine.¡± Calista sighed in frustration. ¡°Can you guys just let me watch the show? AIDA, restart the episode.¡± ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s enough.¡± Henry rose from the sofa. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± He exited the bubble and went straight to the office Jennifer had holed herself up in. ¡°I don¡¯t think even Dad can talk her out of this,¡± Calista said. ¡°You know Mom. Whatever her followers want, they¡¯ll get. Even if I have to turn into a skeleton.¡± Katelyn stared at her older sister. She used to be so sure of herself. She didn¡¯t used to care about what their mother¡¯s followers thought. Now¡­ she was wasting away bit by bit. And all she could do was watch. 2- Cosmic Fluke The Air-Car dropped Katelyn off at her district¡¯s launcher; a teleporter that brought people to and from the many space stations in orbit around Earth. She checked her Mask, which disguised her as a Mearthian¡ª half-Martian, half-Earthian¡ª woman with a long, red braid. Space stations were mostly hubs with apartments, bars, and AR classrooms, but some of them were the famously harsh prisons for Earthian and alien criminals¡ª mostly the latter, since humans were usually sent to the on-planet prisons that weren¡¯t as harsh. Since the stations were so close to each other, they were deemed dangerous, with some convicts escaping and attacking hub stations. She plugged in her hacking chip, replacing the tracked route in the Air-Car with a fake one to the Museum of Art and Design. The vehicle was then teleported away to the storage unit. Hacking an Air-Car¡¯s memory was child¡¯s play. Yet another skill she kept hidden from her mother. It was how she¡¯d managed to hide so much from her. Well, that and being the middle child. She entered the launcher and got into one of the spheres inside. ¡°Traveler¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Seema Crockett,¡± she said, using her fake ID. ¡°Welcome, Ms. Crockett. Please select one of your saved destinations, or enter a new one.¡± She selected ¡®Genesis X¡¯ and leaned back for the launcher to activate. Her stomach dropped when the sphere zoomed into the sky, her body wracked with exciting chills. Clouds zipped past, then the blue sky changed to black, and the glowing rings of metal appeared, surrounding a glittering globe of silver. The sphere gradually slowed until it reached the launcher nodes, connecting to the station. Katelyn exited, walking down the hall until she reached the atrium, which buzzed with busy movement and chatter. The Genesis X station was the oldest of all the stations and the closest to Earth. The prisons were the furthest, but the stations were close enough to serve as a bridge for escaped convicts. It was an issue the people had protested about for years, yet the authorities hadn¡¯t changed any of the stations¡¯ coordinates. In the atrium, Katelyn noticed a significant increase of armed guards and SECURE bots from the last time she visited. Her answer appeared on one of the many holo-screens around her: ¡®CAUTION: Escaped convict on the loose. Exercise vigilance.¡¯ She went deeper into the station, entering the station Studitorium, and navigated to a blank wall. Using her fake ID number, she disabled the hologram and entered the hidden Cosmos bar. She¡¯d been working here for a year, but still carried that same anxiety and fear of her parents somehow finding out. She hadn¡¯t even told her siblings. They¡¯d keep her secret, but it would only be a matter of time before something slipped. The thought brought her older sister back into her mind. She sighed at the thought of her suffering in that girls¡¯ school, longing for a life she¡¯d never achieve. Katelyn knew she still had the gift of fighting in her. She could see it. Those evaluators that rejected her all those years ago missed out on having a great fighter on their team. ¡°Medium Cosmic Fluke, please.¡± One of her regular customers, Scaaskal, sat at the counter, his shock of spiked, neon green hair blinding Katelyn, as always. Being an illegal bar, the AIDA wasn¡¯t the most functional, hence Katelyn¡¯s job as a bartender. She generated the drink for Scaaskal and watched for new customers. Busy hour was just starting. ¡°You look upset,¡± he observed. ¡°What? I¡¯m not upset.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You look it.¡± He drank his Martian liquor. ¡°Is it your sister again?¡± Katelyn sighed and silently took another customer¡¯s order. ¡°I figured. I¡¯m sorry, Sati. But if your mom is how you say she is, you know your sister won¡¯t even try to apply. You¡¯re running a dead code.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair. I know she¡¯d do amazing in the tournament. She could make a name for herself and leave all of Mom¡¯s followers behind. I watched her train for years and she was amazing¡ª and she was a kid.¡± ¡°Sati, if she¡¯s willing to give up so easily, she¡¯s not the type. The Versus isn¡¯t for quitters,¡± he said gently, using the Martian-Eseti word for ¡®cat¡¯. When she first met him, he had a stronger accent, so he would call her ¡®Kat-lyn¡¯ instead of Katelyn. ¡°What do I always say? ¡®Linli aben linlia¡¯.¡± The phrase roughly translated to ¡®Excel where you¡¯re excellent¡¯. ¡°Exactly. Ha linli ua Versus,¡± Katelyn responded. Her Eseti wasn¡¯t the best, but she¡¯d learned a lot from Scaaskal. ¡°But if she doesn¡¯t pursue it, she won¡¯t make it. It¡¯s time to let it go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that she¡¯s given up, Scaaskal. I told you. She doesn¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a choice. She¡¯s eighteen. Glitch whatever her mom or her grandparents say.¡± Katelyn leaned on the counter, staring at her nails. They weren¡¯t painted or pretty; they were bitten and uneven. She had a bad habit of chewing on her nails when she was anxious, and she never bothered to fix them, even though it would take only a second. If her mother paid attention, they¡¯d be like Calista¡¯s; perfectly shaped and perfectly painted in the preferred color scheme. If Calista did follow her dream and get disowned by the family, the weight would fall on Katelyn¡¯s head. And if Katelyn left like she planned, then it would be Quincy¡ª he was a boy, but if he was the only one left¡­ Still, she couldn¡¯t watch Calista suffer like this. It wasn¡¯t fair. Maybe they could all follow their own paths. Maybe, once their mother lost all her followers, she¡¯d realize what kind of life she was giving them. Maybe¡­ ¡°Eabola Shock, light-¡± The customer¡¯s voice glitched, switching to another language. He grunted, annoyed, and fiddled with the invisible translator chip on his cheek, resuming his order. ¡°Sorry. Eabola Shock, light on the iyote.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Paeseoan rum, correct?¡± Katelyn asked as she entered the order. ¡°Correct.¡± As she generated the man¡¯s drink, she stared at him, narrowing her eyes. There was something about him that looked familiar. He wore a cloak that concealed his face and a glitchy Mask, but there was something¡­ distinct. Clearly, he was from planet Paeseo. ¡°Kat, could you give me another?¡± Scaaskal asked. Katelyn kept her green eyes on the Paeseoan as she served Scaaskal his drink. He noticed, glancing at the other customer. ¡°Katelyn, I know you¡¯re single, but you could go for someone younger,¡± he joked. She clicked her tongue and playfully smacked his forehead. ¡°Shut up. Have you seen that guy before?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± He sipped his drink, looking at the man. ¡°Hard to tell with that Mask. It¡¯s glitching, too.¡± As he spoke, the customer¡¯s Mask glowed, casting a moving rainbow over the Paeseoan¡¯s face. He grunted in response, smacking the Mask pin to fix it. ¡°I know him. There¡¯s just something about him¡­ I know this guy.¡± ¡°Ask him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ what if I¡¯m wrong? That¡¯ll be embarrassing.¡± A yell interrupted them. A Hajjian burst into rage flames, shoving a Klausian harshly. The latter generated ice across his crystalline green skin, protecting himself from the flames. ¡°Ah, I always like seeing the ¡®higher species¡¯ fighting.¡± Scaaskal gulped down the rest of his drink, making air quotes. He brought out his Pet sphere and recorded the bar fight. Katelyn stood back, knowing better than to get in between two hot-tempered and powerful species. The Hajjian recklessly blasted flames at the Klausian, who shielded himself with ice and quickly put out the fire forming around them. Katelyn was surprised at his selflessness; most ¡®higher species¡¯ like them or like Dnilians and Voraxians weren¡¯t usually concerned about people around them. The Klausian was suddenly thrown over the Hajjian¡¯s shoulder, crashing onto the cloaked Paeseoan, who had remained in his seat, unbothered by the fight¡­ until now, that is. The Paeseoan grunted, annoyed, and his defective Mask deactivated. Only then did Katelyn know exactly who he was. Luckily for him, most people were concentrated on the ongoing bar fight, missing the patron¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, my¡­¡± Katelyn watched as the man hid his face under his cloak and started to leave. There was no mistaking him. She¡¯d seen him enough times on the Versus News platform. ¡°Stay here.¡± She vaulted over the counter, startling Scaaskal. ¡°Hey, wait, where are you-?¡± ¡°Excuse me! Sir! Wait! Uh- pae!¡± She stumbled after the man, who hurriedly entered the code to open the door and exit. She stopped him right as he stepped through the holographic shelf. He exclaimed in his language, snatching his arm away. Katelyn ran ahead of him, stopping him. ¡°Please! Just wait- pae. Uh¡­ ki ennen Katelyn. I mean-¡± Glitch. She¡¯d revealed herself. But someone in the Versus world wouldn¡¯t have a clue who Jennifer Zyben was, surely. ¡°Um¡­ josi no¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t even sure if this was the language this man spoke. There were hundreds of languages on Paeseo. The man smacked his translator into working. ¡°There. Girl, let me through. I need to-¡± ¡°You¡¯re Benson Kalley!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± He looked behind him, paranoid. ¡°Not so loud!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I-I¡¯m a huge fan. What are you doing-¡± ¡°Girl, I¡¯m sorry, I do not have time to give you an autograph.¡± He brushed past her. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Wait!¡± She ran after him, taking off her Mask to reveal her face. ¡°Would you stop making a fuss?!¡± ¡°Just hear me out. Please. I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone if you hear me out.¡± She summoned her confidence and even flashed a smirk. At least she¡¯d inherited something from the Zyben half. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t like anyone to know that the Vice President of Fistborn was at an illegal bar on Genesis X.¡± Benson stopped, sighing. After a few moments, he groaned and returned to the bar entrance. The soundproof hologram kept the ongoing bar fight silent. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked Katelyn. ¡°Okay. So, my name is Katelyn Medley. My sister, Calista, has wanted to be a fighter for literally years, and she¡¯s trained-¡± ¡°Miss, I cannot guarantee admission for any student. It is not only up to me.¡± ¡°I know, I just wanted you to see her. She¡¯s a great fighter. She¡¯s been struggling a lot, and she doesn¡¯t think she can fight, but I know she can. I think¡­ maybe if she heard it from someone like you, she¡¯d feel¡­ more capable.¡± Benson cocked a brow. ¡°If your sister does not believe in herself, how can she be a good fighter? Has she already given up?¡± ¡°Uh- n-no.¡± He smiled. ¡°I have a good cache detector, girl.¡± He tapped his head. Katelyn blushed, embarrassed. ¡°She didn¡¯t give up, she just¡­ I know she wants to be a fighter. She just hasn¡¯t been encouraged enough. You see, our mom¡¯s a Socializer, and she pressures Cali into doing¡­ well, Socializer stuff. But I know she wants to be a fighter. She just needs a chance. If you saw her¡­ and you told her she really has potential, I know she could get into Fistborn.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Applications are open if she wants it. This is up to her.¡± ¡°The last time she applied, they didn¡¯t accept her, even though she has amazing potential. You know it. You talk about it all the time; how higher species are always favored. And you even suggested blending Socializing and fighting together, and a lot of people were angry, but I support it! It¡¯s a great idea.¡± Benson Kalley was very passionate about giving everyone a chance in the Versus, mending the rift between the two ¡®worlds¡¯ on Earth. Maybe by appealing to that passion, she could convince him? He sighed. ¡°What exactly is it you want me to do?¡± ¡°Watch her fight. And tell your colleagues to just consider her. I know that if she hears you say she has what it takes, she¡¯ll apply.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He tapped his foot. ¡°And if she fails? If she does not get accepted, what do you think she will do? Quit? Go back to the Socializer world? The Versus is not for these kinds of people. I am trying to achieve more opportunities for humans to represent their own planet, but I will be smart about it.¡± He patted Katelyn¡¯s shoulder and headed out. ¡°You will have to do better than that.¡± ¡°What if I bring her here?¡± She followed him. ¡°What if I¡­ have her fight in the bar? While you¡¯re there?¡± ¡°Many flaws in that plan, girl. I do not plan to reveal myself, and a bar fight is hardly comparable to a real fight.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯ll be¡­ I know I can show you.¡± Her mind glitched as she tried to make sense of her plan, but it was falling apart fast. This opportunity had presented itself far too suddenly for her to think through her request. Benson smirked. ¡°I admire your persistence, but I am sorry. Your sister needs to prove herself. You cannot prove her for her.¡± Katelyn inhaled. ¡°Okay. Sorry to bother you, Mr. Kalley.¡± She turned, then stopped, hiding a smirk. ¡°Thank you, though. This bar will have a lot more people coming when they know someone so famous-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± He stopped her, pointing at her seriously. ¡°I will sue you.¡± Katelyn shrugged. ¡°My mom won Miss Milky Way twice in a row. We can afford it. Besides, even if you sue me, people will know you come here. I¡¯ll take the fall.¡± Her stomach clenched with anxiety. She had to hope he¡¯d fall for it. They had digits, but Jennifer would be so furious with Katelyn that she¡¯d probably leave her in cache. Benson clenched his jaw, clearly frustrated. Katelyn never thought she could get a Paeseoan so riled up. They were usually very calm and amiable. ¡°So all you want is for me to watch your sister fight in a bar?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He chuckled, partly from ridicule, and partly from incredulity. ¡°Girl, you are a strange one.¡± He blew out his cheeks. ¡°Alright, fine. You have it. I will return tomorrow at this same time. You best be here with your sister. She must show me what she can do, without your help. I will think about helping her into the second stage if she impresses me.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Katelyn jumped excitedly. ¡°Thank you so much. I promise, she won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°That is up to her.¡± He reactivated his Mask, finally fixing it, and left without another word. === ¡°Katelyn Medley requesting to enter.¡± Calista closed her broadcast editor, having finished her admissions broadcast for the school. Her head pounded after having worked all night on re-doing her portfolio until her mother had deemed it ¡®decent¡¯ enough to submit to the admissions board. Now, all that was left was the SociaLights channel showcase to display what the girls would do as professional Socializers. That was going to be uber-fun. ¡°Let her in.¡± She breathed out and leaned back in her hover-chair, grateful for a break. Katelyn was a welcome sight in the midst of the situation. Her younger sister entered, seeming sheepish. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s on the Hub?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± She sat on Calista¡¯s sleep capsule, kneading her hands. ¡°I need to tell you something.¡± ¡°What?¡± Calista sat up, concerned. ¡°I have a¡­ secret.¡± Excitement lit up Calista¡¯s emerald green eyes. ¡°What is it? Is it a boy? Someone from the museum?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but no. It¡¯s something you cannot tell Mom and Dad.¡± ¡°Kate, I keep secrets all the time. You can trust me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The younger Medley girl blew her hair out of her face. ¡°There¡¯s a Socializer coming to where I work. I saw him yesterday. And I know you¡¯re a huge fan, so¡­ you want to come over and see him? I figured if you tell Mom you interacted with a pro, she could lay off a bit.¡± Calista shrugged, nodding. ¡°Good point. Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, uh¡­ Devon Arfi¡­¡± ¡°Arfimez?¡± She stood. ¡°You serious? Devon Arfimez? At the museum? I thought he was a food kind of guy. He runs a cooking channel.¡± ¡°No, not at the museum.¡± She¡¯d convinced her family that she¡¯d gotten a paid internship at an architectural museum as a cover. Her middle child status kept her mother from investigating further to see if she was honest, but eventually, she would have to make up a lie and say she got laid off or something. ¡°Then where?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t work at the museum,¡± Katelyn confessed. Calista¡¯s thick brows quirked. ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°This is the secret part. I work at a bar on Genesis X.¡± She winced, waiting for the scolding older sister rant. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a job at the museum last year because I needed a higher degree. I lied about it. I registered, but that was just for a part-time job that I honestly hate, so I just left my name in there so Mom and Dad wouldn¡¯t ask any questions, and I have a fake name I use for Genesis because I¡¯m underage-¡± ¡°Wait-wait-wait.¡± Calista stopped her, pursing her painted lips. ¡°You mean to tell me¡­ that since last year¡­ you¡¯ve been working at a bar on Genesis X?! The space station?¡± ¡°An¡­ illegal bar.¡± ¡°WHAT?! ARE YOU GLITCHING CRAZY?! WHAT THE GLITCH ARE YOU THINKING-¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I won¡¯t take you to see Devon!¡± Silence. Calista¡¯s face had turned pink, her fingers flexing as she tried to calm down. ¡°Why would he go to a bar like that?¡± she wondered. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know it was him. I talked to him¡­ a-about you.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Yeah, I told him about the SociaLights, and everything. I know he¡¯s a guy, so he won¡¯t be at your school, but maybe if he gives you a shoutout on his channel, you¡¯ll impress people more.¡± ¡°Yeah, that would be amazing!¡± Calista¡¯s cheeks glowed. ¡°I should tell the girls.¡± ¡°NO!¡± Katelyn stood, gripping her sister¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I told you. It¡¯s a secret. Our parents can¡¯t know. This is the only way I¡¯ll save up for design school somewhere else and I can move out when I¡¯m eighteen. Please.¡± Calista¡¯s face softened at the desperation in her younger sister¡¯s eyes. She smiled and kissed her cheek. ¡°I promise. But isn¡¯t there any other way you can save up? Somewhere safer¡­¡± Katelyn shook her head. ¡°Trust me, I tried. But we¡¯ll talk about it later. I¡¯m going to work right now, and Devon¡¯s only coming tomorrow. This is your chance to network.¡± Seeing the look of fear and doubt on Calista¡¯s face, she quickly added, ¡°I promise you¡¯ll be safe. You can wear a Mask or something. I have a couple.¡± ¡°If we get recognized-¡± ¡°We won¡¯t. I promise.¡± Calista looked down at herself and rushed to her closet, tapping on various outfits. ¡°What should I wear?¡± ¡°Nothing too fancy. Something casual. Preferably something you can move okay in¡­ I don¡¯t want to scare you, but Genesis X is pretty crazy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me.¡± She finally settled for a hot pink leotard and long, purple tights. Her long, nylon black hair was raised into a high ponytail. ¡°This work?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s perfect, actually.¡± === Upon entering the hidden bar, Calista¡¯s paranoia was jacked up to 11. She¡¯d shrunken in her barstool, her legs pulled up to her chest, and her now-purple eyes constantly glanced around with fear. Many strong, intimidating species were around; hot-tempered Hajjians, proud Voraxians, stone-skinned Mercurians. Hajjians were the worst, notorious for their tempers, powerful fire abilities, and incomparable strength. Katelyn served a customer, dressed in her Mearthian Mask, as calm as could be. How could she be? Did she really work in this environment for a year already? It was no wonder she¡¯d looked so shaken up after her first day at the ¡®museum¡¯; they¡¯d all assumed she was overwhelmed at having a non-virtual job. ¡°What time was he here yesterday?¡± Calista asked her sister, constantly re-checking her Mask to ensure it was working. She was disguised as a Paesmartian; half-Martian and half-Paeseoan. Mixed species were common on space stations. ¡°Around noon. There¡¯s still time.¡± It was currently 11:30. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°You hesitated.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes, you did!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Katelyn glanced at the other patrons, lowering her voice. ¡°If they see someone riled up, they¡¯ll want to see a fight, and if they don¡¯t get one, they start it.¡± Another customer came in, wearing a cloak and a slightly faulty Mask. A lot of the patrons concealed their identities. Were they escaped convicts? That was what the space stations were known for. Calista shuddered at the thought. Katelyn picked her fake, red hair up into a bun, fanning herself. ¡°It¡¯s hot in here,¡± she muttered. She suddenly froze, staring off to the side. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± ¡°What?¡± Calista followed her gaze. She was staring at a group of customers looking at them. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Katelyn fiddled with her uniform apron. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°What? Tell me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s just some people here that¡­ don¡¯t really like me.¡± Calista glanced back at the group. ¡°Who, them?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it so obvious,¡± Cat said discreetly, fake-smiling. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°No one. Just some people that I had a run-in a few months ago.¡± ¡°A what?!¡± One of the group members stood up¡ª a Martian man with neon green hair. Against his gray skin, it was quite blinding. He sauntered over to the counter, leaning on the surface. ¡°Crockett. Long time no see.¡± Katelyn ignored him, turning to another customer and taking their order. ¡°It¡¯s rude to ignore a customer, you know,¡± the man continued. ¡°I wanted a good Jovin beer.¡± Katelyn sighed and silently generated his order. He smirked, taking his mug, and turned to his group. ¡°Hey, everyone, look who it is!¡± The girl closed her eyes with dread. ¡°Here we go.¡± ¡°Ka- Seema, who are they?¡± Calista¡¯s guard rose as the entire group surrounded the two, all of them wearing smiles she didn¡¯t like at all. ¡°Ah, the little girl.¡± A Mercearthian woman chuckled. ¡°Look how shy she is. Strange. Last time we saw you, you were quite¡­ vocal.¡± ¡°Irritatingly vocal,¡± a Mearthian man added. ¡°What happened to that spunk?¡± ¡°Shut it, Scaaskal.¡± ¡°There it is.¡± Scaaskal stepped into her place behind the counter, nudging her away from the order screen. ¡°We have unfinished business, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Calista stood. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± ¡°Stay out of it, girl.¡± The Mercearthian woman judgingly looked at Calista¡¯s outfit. It probably looked more ridiculous with the Mask she had on; Paeseoans tended to have brightly-colored skin, even when mixed with other races. ¡°What are you supposed to be, a Socializer?¡± Calista hesitated, turning red. The woman chuckled, realizing she¡¯d hit the right code. ¡°A Socializer in Cosmos?¡± another Martian man laughed, this one with blue hair. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought?¡± ¡°I thought only humans were Socializers.¡± Scaaskal nudged Katelyn¡¯s shoulder, a bit harshly. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you¡¯re friends with the likes of her.¡± ¡°Hey, back off.¡± Calista walked around the counter, getting between Scaaskal and Katelyn. ¡°The Socializer being tough? Wow.¡± He glanced at his friends. ¡°How cute. She should give you fashion tips,¡± the other Martian man taunted. ¡°Alright, out of the way, princess.¡± Scaaskal tried to push Calista aside, but the girl stood her ground, planting herself in front of her sister. ¡°Leave her alone,¡± Calista said. She was scared to death, her stomach whirling like a sky-coaster, and her limbs turning to jelly. These people were probably criminals. But she would rather die than let them touch her little sister. ¡°Holly¡­ just leave it. It¡¯s fine,¡± Katelyn said quietly, clearly intimidated. ¡®Holly¡¯ was Calista¡¯s alias for the day. ¡°Get out of the way, or I¡¯ll get you out of my way,¡± Scaaskal loomed over her like a monolith. Her heart rate increased as she stared into his marble-like black eyes, leaning back, but she didn¡¯t move. He smirked and glanced at his group, nodding. Calista gasped when the other three grabbed her arms and yanked her over the counter, throwing her to the floor. Scaaskal grabbed Katelyn¡¯s arm, also shoving her down. ¡°No!¡± Calista tried to run to her sister, but the Mercearthian woman grabbed her ponytail, forcing her away. She struggled, trying to pry herself out of the three pairs of strong hands. In horror, she watched as Scaaskal pinned Katelyn down and raised his fist, aiming at her face. The 16-year old girl closed her eyes, awaiting the blow. ¡°NO!¡± She thrust her heel up, landing it between one of the men¡¯s legs. As he groaned and fell to the floor with his friend, Calista shot her elbow up, hitting the woman¡¯s face. She rushed forward, shoving Scaaskal to the floor and falling with him. A crowd formed around the group, cheers and yells filling the bar as Scaaskal rose with anger in his eyes. He grabbed Calista by the throat with a growl. Gripping his arms, she pulled his elbows down, shooting her own elbow into his chin. The impact hurt her immensely, but it got her out of the choke hold. She turned to the two approaching attackers, kicking one¡ª again, in the nuts¡ª and punching the other in the face. She cried out, holding her fist in pain. It had been years since she¡¯d punched anything. The Mearthian man¡¯s arms locked around her from behind, holding her steady as Scaaskal approached. Katelyn stood, running to him, but one of the others held her back. ¡°Get away from her!¡± she screamed, disappearing into Calista¡¯s peripheral vision. Scaaskal smirked, saying something in a Martian language, and shot his fist at Calista. If there was one thing she wouldn¡¯t let them damage, it was her face. No one touched her face. Her mother would kill her. She leaned to the side, letting his fist collide with his friend¡¯s face instead. Her enemy still kept a firm grip on her, so she lifted her feet up and kicked Scaaskal away, the momentum sending them crashing against the wall. The man groaned, finally letting go of Calista. She ran to Katelyn, who struggled against the woman, and kicked the Mercearthian¡¯s knee. She pulled her younger sister out of the clawing grip and bolted to the door with her. ¡°Let¡¯s get the glitch out of here.¡± They ran from the bar, through the Studitorium, through the atrium. ¡°Cali, wait!¡± She felt Katelyn stumble behind her, but she didn¡¯t stop until they reached the launcher spheres. She shoved Katelyn inside and hurriedly entered their neighborhood¡¯s launcher address. ¡°Take us back, take us back, take us back-¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa! Slow down!¡± Katelyn took Calista¡¯s hands. ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°They¡¯re gonna get us if we-¡± ¡°SECURE will take care of them. Just calm down.¡± Katelyn breathed with her, managing to dissuade her panic a bit. ¡°You¡­ Cali, that was¡­ that was amazing.¡± ¡°Amazing? That was uber-crazy! Who were those guys? Why did they want to beat you up? Has this happened before? How many-¡± ¡°Whoa, stop sounding like Dad!¡± ¡°You need to find another job! That was uber-dangerous!¡± ¡°Stop saying uber¡­¡± Katelyn cringed. ¡°Whatever. Just don¡¯t work there anymore! I¡¯m serious!¡± ¡°But- Cali, don¡¯t you realize what you did? You beat the bugs out of them!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Calista paused. ¡°I just¡­ I just escaped. It¡¯s not a big deal. I just didn¡¯t want them to hurt you.¡± She softly caressed her younger sister¡¯s cheek. For just a second, she saw more youth in her face, taking her back to when they were children. They were barely two years apart, and yet¡­ She looked at her knuckles, finding a small bruise forming. As the adrenaline rush faded, aches started appearing around her body. She cringed at the thought of her mother finding out. She needed to heal her bruises as soon as possible before Jennifer saw them. Thank God her face was untouched. She sighed and launched the sphere, taking them back to Earth. ¡°Never go back there again. Understand?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± 3- Special Request It had been almost a week since the incident at Cosmos. Both Medley girls had kept their mouths shut and Calista healed her bruises as fast as she possibly could, applying all kinds of treatments at the Thinning Spa to avoid scarring. Thankfully, it was enough to fool their mother. Katelyn had stayed home since then. Poor thing probably felt anxious without a job. Calista couldn¡¯t get over the fact. What could¡¯ve happened if she weren¡¯t there? What happened over the past year? She herself had a lot of questions since the incident. She didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d retained so much from her self-defense and combat training. After four years, she expected to have forgotten completely. She fought a gang of possible criminals in a bar, on the spot, and escaped with not a scratch to her face. What did she do wrong in the past, then? Why wasn¡¯t she accepted? It didn¡¯t matter. Applications were closing soon and there was no way she could even try to make it into the 9% that got accepted into Fistborn¡¯s fighting school. Not without her mother, grandmother, and everyone else finding out and ruining her life. At the moment, she was on a call with the other three SociaLights, brainstorming ideas for their channel showcase. They were mainly a gossip channel, talking about the latest controversies, romances, and theories about the bigger Socializers, but occasionally, they¡¯d do something more unique than that. Elizabeth would be allowed to play her music every now and then, and in every single broadcast, they wore a new outfit Calista had whipped up. Elizabeth had some excellent ideas to spice up the channel a little, but neither of the other two girls approved of any of them. ¡°That¡¯s not what our channel¡¯s about¡±, ¡°We don¡¯t think anyone will like that¡±, ¡°That¡¯s uber-old. No one¡¯s gonna like that¡±. Calista didn¡¯t have the same influence her mother did, so nothing she said convinced the girls to at least consider one of Elizabeth¡¯s ideas. If they weren¡¯t letting Elizabeth lend her own spice and style to the channel, why did they even add her? Why didn¡¯t they just ignore her that day at the Sociapalooza? Did they just want someone to pick on? Besides, how did they expect to impress anyone by showcasing their usual gossip? Any Socializer could get a good scoop. It seemed that the girls were relying fully on their family names to get into the school, just like with the scholarship. Their mothers probably weren¡¯t pressuring them as much as Jennifer pressured Calista. Their moms were best friends with Jennifer. Did they expect the Medleys to do everything for them? Did they expect Calista to carry the channel into the school so their daughters wouldn¡¯t have to make any effort themselves? ¡°Calista Medley, you have a message from¡­ Fistborn Academy. Would you like to view the message now, or save it for later?¡± Calista nearly dismissed the notice, thinking Danica had sent some last-minute idea, but she took a minute to pause and replay the phrase in her head. ¡°Did you say¡­ Fistborn?¡± ¡°Correct. You have a message from the Fistborn Academy Board of Admissions.¡± After another long pause, she only said, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Would you like to hear the message now?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± She looked towards the transient wall. ¡°Put it in my Private section, please.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Moving message to Private section. Playing¡­¡± A hologram of a woman wearing the Fistborn jacket appeared. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Medley. We at Fistborn Academy are pleased to extend a special request for you to apply to our 2349 freshman class in the Versus Fighting School. We will guarantee a spot for you to show your skills in the second segment of our application process, provided that all your information is correct and up to date.¡± Calista¡¯s mind glitched as she processed the information. The woman continued, not giving her any space to comprehend the message. ¡°Your application is due by tomorrow. Since you have been specially requested by a board member, your application fee has been waived. Following the application will be a short interview, which will then give us enough information to assess you in your exams. If you pass all three of your exams with a minimum score of 60 tacks out of 100, you will be considered for a spot in the Academy¡¯s new class. Should you have any questions, contact us through this message line. Thank you for your interest in Fistborn Academy¡¯s Versus Fighting School. We look forward to seeing you in action on your examination day.¡± The hologram closed with a flash of the Fistborn logo: a dark blue circle with red letters outlined in white, diagonally spelling out ¡®FBA¡¯. Calista stood in the middle of her room, staring into space for a few moments. She then calmly left and went down the hall to her sister¡¯s room. ¡°Hey,¡± Katelyn said, doing a double take when she saw Calista¡¯s expression. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Calista swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m still trying to figure out what the glitch just happened right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Worried, Katelyn stood and closed her program, turning all of her attention to her sister. ¡°I¡­ I just got this message from the school.¡± ¡°Socializer school?¡± ¡°No. The¡­ other school.¡± It took Katelyn a couple of moments to realize. ¡°Wait, the¡­¡± She brought up a screen on her AIDA band, then glanced at the wall¡ª probably soundproofing it. ¡°The fighting school?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t hear a thing? You sure?¡± ¡°As sure as a firewall.¡± Calista brought up the message from her AIDA band. Once the screen closed, Katelyn¡¯s lighter green eyes burst with elation and she hugged Calista tightly. ¡°I knew it, I knew he¡¯d come around! Cali, that¡¯s awesome! They¡¯re giving you a chance!¡± ¡°Kate, don¡¯t you see? If Mom sees this, I¡¯m dead! Why in the glitches would they request me? I¡¯ve never asked¡­¡± She trailed off, replaying what Katelyn said in her head. ¡°Wait, what do you mean, you ¡®knew he¡¯d come around¡¯? Who?¡± Katelyn¡¯s smile briefly vanished. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You just said that. You were all like, ¡®I knew he¡¯d come around! Yay!¡¯¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°I knew it, I knew he¡¯d come around! Cali, that¡¯s awesome! They¡¯re giving you a chance!¡± Katelyn¡¯s voice replayed from somewhere. The two looked around, confused. ¡°Liar, liar, burn the wire.¡± Quincy came through the wall with a smug smile. ¡°What the- how did you-¡± He held up a small device that looked like a metal spider. ¡°Scrambler. You left it downstairs. Good thing I found it and not our parents.¡± ¡°Give me that, you brat!¡± Katelyn rushed to the boy and snatched the scrambler away, twisting his ear. ¡°You could¡¯ve given us away!¡± ¡°Relax. Mom¡¯s in a conference and Dad¡¯s not back in an hour. Besides, Dad wouldn¡¯t leak your password. He knows how Mom is.¡± ¡°Still! It¡¯s none of your business, anyway, rude-face.¡± Katelyn shoved him aside and put her scrambler away. ¡°Well? You still haven¡¯t told me what you meant.¡± Calista crossed her arms and glared imposingly at her younger sister. She knew she looked very much like her mother that way, so she could easily intimidate her. Katelyn was a great liar, but if anyone could squeeze the truth out of her, it was Calista. Katelyn¡¯s cheeks filled with air and she turned red. Calista didn¡¯t break her gaze, keeping her face as impassive as possible. Eventually, the younger Medley sister broke and she released the truth in a burst of air. ¡°I took you to the bar so Benson Kalley could see you!¡± The truth was more confusing than revealing. Calista¡¯s thick black brows knitted and she shook her head. ¡°Benson Kalley? What?¡± ¡°Fistborn Academy¡¯s Vice President.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know who he is. But¡­ you¡¯re saying he was there at the bar?¡± ¡°What bar?¡± Quincy asked. ¡°Nothing. Get out,¡± Katelyn said. ¡°Hey, I already know enough. Might as well tell me.¡± He then paused and smiled in realization, nodding. ¡°So that¡¯s your real job?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t buying that museum thing. I knew it.¡± Katelyn groaned in frustration. ¡°Can¡¯t you go play some AU games in your room?¡± ¡°This is more fun.¡± ¡°Quincy, just shush. Kate, I didn¡¯t see Benson Kalley at that bar. I know what he looks like.¡± ¡°He had a Mask on. He goes there in secret. I caught him one day at work and I convinced him to give you a shot and see you fight. That¡¯s why I brought you.¡± Katelyn closed her eyes, tensing up. ¡°Scaaskal¡¯s my friend. All of them are. We staged the whole thing so Kalley could see you in action. I guess he liked your fighting and he requested a spot in the test for you.¡± Calista gave Katelyn a long look, blinking rapidly as she tried to form her anger into words. This girl scared the glitches out of her, making her think people wanted to beat her up, and it was all an act? The whole fight? ¡°I am never trusting you again.¡± ¡°Cali-¡± ¡°No, that was sick!¡± Calista snapped. ¡°That was a sick thing to do!¡± ¡°It was the only way! You have so much potential, and I wanted you to get a chance before-¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to NYWS whether I like it or not, Katelyn! It doesn¡¯t matter what I do, what you do, what anyone does! I risked everything for your lie. I should¡¯ve known, I should¡¯ve figured there was something going on¡­¡± How could she be so stupid? Devon Arfimez going to Genesis X. She should¡¯ve known he was too sophisticated and high-profile for that. Something like that would¡¯ve gotten out by now. What if someone recognized her? What if her Mask had failed and revealed her identity? Her reputation, her mother¡¯s reputation, everything would¡¯ve taken a serious hit. Maybe Katelyn and Quincy could get away with one mistake, but Calista already had two strikes: the way she was born, and her interest in the Versus Games as a child. If she glitched up one more time, her mother would have to disown her or do something to punish her. Otherwise, her followers would never forgive her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Calista¡­ please. I just wanted to show you that you have the talent. You¡¯ve still got it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­ matter!¡± Calista ran her fingers through her silky black locks. ¡°You said it yourself. Those were your friends. It was an act, not a real fight.¡± ¡°They went a little easy on you, but they were making it as real as possible. I told them to. You were amazing. Obviously, the vice president of Fistborn thought you were good enough to request you!¡± ¡°Okay, what now? I apply? Then what? I get rejected, and Mom finds out, or Danica and the other girls? What¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°You¡¯re eighteen, Calista. You should be able to decide what you do with your life. You don¡¯t have to go to that stupid school.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t decide.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no choice! If I go for it and I fail, what do I have left? What if I don¡¯t get accepted, and they all find out? I¡¯ll be left in a space station to live off charity digits!¡± ¡°Mom wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Katelyn began. ¡°Yes, she would. She wouldn¡¯t like it, but she would. She has to. If she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d go down with me. And you know she won¡¯t let that happen, especially with you guys.¡± Calista gazed at Katelyn. ¡°If I¡¯m out, you¡¯ll be the next project, Kate. You¡¯ll be the one taking runway classes and making portfolios and¡­ probably end up with the SociaLights.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Katelyn shrugged. ¡°I like Liz, at least.¡± ¡°You know what I mean. If I do this, you can do whatever you want. You can move out. You can escape and no one would really care. But if I do this¡­ what about you? What about Quincy?¡± ¡°We can all leave,¡± Quincy said, turning the girls¡¯ attention to him. ¡°If she disowns you, she¡¯ll just have to disown all of us. Not have any kids left. Then one of our cousins can take the job.¡± He smirked. ¡°They¡¯ve always wanted it, anyway. They hate us because everyone wants us up there. They want you.¡± He looked at Calista. ¡°Give them the throne. The followers won¡¯t give a bug. They¡¯ll forget about us eventually. They just want someone to talk about.¡± Calista sat down on one of the hovering chairs, clutching her head as a terrible headache exploded in her skull. It was too much pressure. She couldn¡¯t lie to her mother. She couldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Calista.¡± Katelyn crouched in front of her, taking her hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was wrong of me to lie to you and trick you like that. I know it was a scary experience for you.¡± A pause. ¡°But I know that if you at least try¡­ you could go so far. If you get up there, on the country team, on the planet team¡­ they can¡¯t say anything. You won¡¯t be Jennifer Zyben¡¯s daughter anymore. You¡¯ll be Calista Medley, Versus fighter. And I¡¯ll be your sister.¡± She smiled hopefully, bringing tears to Calista¡¯s eyes. ¡°And we can all do whatever we want, and no one can ever touch us. Not even the higher species. They don¡¯t care about Socializers, but fighters? It¡¯s so much more.¡± Calista inhaled, swallowing the lump in her throat. She couldn¡¯t let her siblings down. She couldn¡¯t leave them with such a depressing fate. ¡°What if I don¡¯t make it?¡± ¡°What if you do? You used to be so sure of yourself.¡± ¡°That was before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you can do it. It¡¯s not enough when I say it, then?¡± ¡°Kate¡­¡± Calista sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to let you down.¡± Quincy shrugged. ¡°Cali, it¡¯s just a test. If you pass, you pass. If you don¡¯t, then just go to NYWS like Mom wants you to. We love you either way.¡± She shook her head with a small smile. For a nine-year old, he was snarky and aloof at times, but also wise beyond his years. ¡°But we¡¯ll get caught.¡± ¡°Kate¡¯s the best hacker around. She can fix something up.¡± Katelyn nodded. ¡°Yeah. You have an interview after the application, right? I can make sure Mom doesn¡¯t see you. I always get away with stuff. There¡¯s so much I do that she¡¯d hate if she knew, and it happens right on the same wave as hers. She doesn¡¯t know a thing.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°For one, going to work at the bar. Um¡­ hacking her followers¡¯ accounts to get them back whenever they say something about her.¡± Calista laughed. ¡°No way you do that.¡± ¡°If I can do that, I can hide your interview, no problem. You can do it right here at home. Just trust me, okay?¡± Calista¡¯s stomach flipped like a pancake as she squeezed her sister¡¯s hands. Was she really doing this? === Katelyn knew she was taking a huge risk. She could get arrested for this. She didn¡¯t see another way, though. If she got caught, at least she could absolve Calista by painting her as a classic victim of hacking. Sibling rivalry was the best excuse. Calista was the star child, the next ¡®titleholder¡¯, and Katelyn was the ignored middle child. Easy as binary code. ¡°Are you sure this will work, Sati?¡± Scaaskal asked. All Katelyn¡¯s friends were there, keeping watch for SECURE. They were in a hacking lab in The Nebula, another space station, which was a bit closer to the prisons. Katelyn had resumed her job the previous day, taking a ¡®sick week¡¯ off, though her boss didn¡¯t really care about absences. It was an illegal workplace, after all. Now that Calista knew, she had to be a lot more careful. ¡°Our AIDA is the newest model around, so it¡¯s junk. A baby could hack it,¡± Katelyn replied to her friend. She soon accessed her house¡¯s security system, finding her sister in her room, ready for the interview. She¡¯d applied to Fistborn under a disguised platform a couple days ago. So far, their parents had no idea. ¡°That¡¯s kinda creepy now that you say it.¡± Quincy sat off to the side, wearing an Ilamikoan Mask, given his age. Ilamikoans were the only species with a permanent childlike appearance. ¡°If you make anyone mad at your job, they can just hack into our house.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy for me because it¡¯s our own house and I know its code,¡± Katelyn told her brother. ¡°Besides, they don¡¯t even know who I really am.¡± ¡°You probably have a secret boyfriend, too.¡± Quincy rolled his eyes, bringing out his KidPet to play a game. ¡°Why did I bring you again?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m your excuse. I give you an alibi, you get to hack.¡± He¡¯d given Katelyn the idea of giving him a ¡®tour¡¯ of the museum she worked at, with the excuse that it would be inspiring for a boy his age to decide what kind of Socializer he would want to be. ¡°Our deal was you stay quiet. Don¡¯t talk.¡± She returned to her hacking. ¡°And put that thing away. SECURE will find it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Could someone take his Pet away?¡± Alina casually grabbed the sphere out of the air and put it in her pocket. ¡°Hey!¡± Quincy punched her arm, immediately regretting it when his small knuckles scraped against her rough, rocky brown skin. Mercurians were usually black or red, but being half-Earthian, Alina had a different skin color. Quincy curiously picked up one of Alina¡¯s long black braids. ¡°How does your hair not burn?¡± ¡°Quincy, stop being rude.¡± Alina laughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kate. My body doesn¡¯t get as hot as full Mercurians, so my hair doesn¡¯t burn.¡± ¡°Even then, you are quite hot,¡± Scaaskal¡¯s brother, Temmen, said. He wiggled his blue brows flirtatiously. ¡°Stop being such an idiot, Temmen,¡± said Jaylo. He was a Mearthian, so he looked mostly human, except his skin was paler than most and his eyes were blacked out, like Scaaskal and Temmen¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m just saying the truth.¡± ¡°Guys, you¡¯re distracting me,¡± Katelyn scolded. ¡°You¡¯re just watching a screen,¡± said Quincy, who still played with Alina¡¯s tight braids. ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± She perked up when Calista received the call. ¡°Start disguising¡­ now.¡± To the AIDA network, Calista would be on a typical call with the SociaLights. As long as the projector was on, there wouldn¡¯t be any proof. Katelyn¡¯s left screen showed the hack while her right screen displayed the real footage. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Medley,¡± the proctor¡¯s voice said. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Calista¡¯s voice rang. Katelyn could see her twiddling her thumbs and practically shaking in her seat. She needed to loosen up. Fighters were meant to be more aware and in control of their emotions. ¡°Please state your full name and ID code.¡± ¡°Calista Elise Medley. ID 327CEL2331.¡± ¡°Age?¡± ¡°Eighteen. I¡¯ll be nineteen in January.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to ask you questions that¡¯ll assess your fighting experience.¡± Katelyn winced. She hoped the two rejected applications to the Junior Versus wouldn¡¯t hurt her chances too much. Not to mention her lack of training the past four years¡­ They had to know who she was, or at least, who her mother was. Jennifer was very vocal about her anti-Versus views. No doubt fighters had heard of her in some way, unless they truly didn¡¯t care about what Socializers thought of them. ¡°Have you applied to Fistborn Academy in the past?¡± ¡°No, this is my first time. I wasn¡¯t old enough before.¡± Potential students needed to be at least fifteen Earth years old to qualify. ¡°Have you currently applied to any other Versus-certified academy?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Have you applied to the Junior Versus program in the past?¡± Calista hesitated, her cheeks turning red. ¡°Yes. Twice.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t accepted?¡± ¡°No¡­ I wasn¡¯t qualified at the time.¡± She looked like she wanted to add something, but stayed silent. Katelyn nodded, relieved. The less said, the better. She glanced at the left screen, ensuring the projection was working. Danica¡¯s annoying voice rang, prompting Katelyn to lower the volume. She couldn¡¯t stand those girls¡¯ voices at all. ¡°Have any of your family members participated in any Versus?¡± ¡°Not that I know of, no.¡± So they didn¡¯t know the Medleys. That was best. They could simply reject Calista out of spite. That wasn¡¯t ¡®allowed¡¯, but they¡¯d find some excuse. All they had to say was that they didn¡¯t think she was fighter material based on their professional opinion. ¡°On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your fighting skill?¡± Katelyn squeezed her hands together. Knowing Calista, she would underrate her fighting ability. Self-confidence was key in being a fighter in a tournament like the Versus Games, with just a touch of humility. ¡°I¡¯d say about a¡­ seven.¡± Okay¡­ that wasn¡¯t too bad. Scaaskal thought the same, commenting, ¡°Not too high, not too low. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your reaction time?¡± ¡°An eight.¡± That was true; Calista¡¯s reflexes were on par thanks to the DanceSim games she always played. ¡°How about your flexibility?¡± ¡°A¡­ 7.5.¡± Calista nodded to herself. ¡°God, how long will this take?¡± Katelyn¡¯s stomach grumbled from the anxiety. She constantly looked at the fake door, fearing that SECURE bots would burst inside and catch them all up in freeze beams. Her eyes darted from the screens, to the door, to her code screen, and to her brother, who was as calm as ever. It could be that he was panicking, but she¡¯d never know. The boy wasn¡¯t an emotional one. Quincy being a Socializer was a laughable idea. He¡¯d never appeal to that crowd. ¡°Please provide a personal statement on why you want to enter Fistborn¡¯s Versus Fighting School and become part of USA¡¯s Versus team.¡± ¡°Here we go,¡± Scaaskal remarked. Katelyn wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. She prayed the statement would be impressive enough. Even though Calista had a guaranteed spot in the second half of the admissions process thanks to Benson¡¯s request, everything in the process would affect her chances of being a student. ¡°I¡­¡± Calista inhaled. ¡°I could say I¡¯m in it for the fame and the glory, like anyone would be. Hearing people screaming out your name, supporting you, lighting up when they see you¡­ it¡¯s a thrill to know so many people love you and admire your talents and efforts. And it¡¯s true, a little part of me naturally wants that attention.¡± Of course, who didn¡¯t like self-validation? Especially having grown up in this kind of world. Calista¡¯s words got Katelyn thinking. Socializers were often called ¡®narcissistic¡¯, ¡®people-pleasers¡¯, ¡®attention seekers¡¯. But fighters relied on their fans just as much. Whatever fighter provided the most hype would reach the top. There was definitely more to it; talent, determination, strength¡­ but the public¡¯s opinion weighed in a lot. ¡°But truthfully, I want this because¡­ I want to show what I can do. I want to work for something great, something amazing, something my planet and country can use to become greater. That everyone can use to be greater. They can see me and be inspired to do the same, maybe even more. That¡¯s what fighters have done for me all my life. Given me the incentive to be something I never imagined I could be.¡± Katelyn kept glancing at the projector screen, focusing on the hack, but she concentrated mainly on Calista¡¯s words. She¡¯d never heard her sister speak this way before. This was the first time she truly was¡­ honest about what she wanted and what kind of person she wanted to be. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fit into the default form the Utopia has put my species in. I¡¯m not lazy. I¡¯m not mediocre. I work for my goals. I train long and hard until my skills are perfect. My goal is to show everyone what humans are made of, what we can do when we really want something.¡± Katelyn nodded in agreement. Scaaskal chuckled behind her. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good for something she thought of on the spot. Unless she had it saved?¡± ¡°No, she¡­ she wasn¡¯t doing great with the statement. She didn¡¯t know what to say. I guess hearing the question made it all come to her.¡± ¡°I may not have special powers and advanced intelligence like some other species, but I know I can handle the pressure of the Versus, and I know there¡¯s plenty of humans out there that are the same. I¡¯m going to prove it. As a Versus fighter, I will make our academy and our militia proud¡ª of our country, of our species, and of our planet.¡± Katelyn could see the proctor¡¯s face in the screen. She didn¡¯t change her expression, which unnerved her, but there was a brief silence before the next question. Hopefully, that was an impressed pause and not a ridiculing silence. The left screen beeped in alert as the projection glitched. Katelyn cursed and worked to get it back online. To her horror, the house¡¯s entrance screen opened up, showing her mother teleporting inside. ¡°Glitch!¡± Katelyn stood, panicking. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why is it¡­?¡± ¡°Maybe you set something off?¡± Scaaskal stepped closer to help. ¡°How? It was on a loop!¡± ¡°Okay, relax. Jaylo, we¡¯re going to need that chip of yours.¡± The Mearthian sighed, reluctantly pulling the small, black chip out of his pocket. ¡°As promised,¡± he said, handing it to Scaaskal, who plugged it into Katelyn¡¯s hacking device. It was a particularly expensive one that he¡¯d bought off the black market. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s one of your scramblers,¡± Quincy suggested. ¡°You always forget them and leave them lying around. Maybe Mom found one.¡± Katelyn cursed some more. It was natural for people her age to purchase scramblers to get past firewalls and do stuff that normally wasn¡¯t allowed for minors, but if Jennifer saw the glitching projection in Calista¡¯s room, she¡¯d surely put two and two together. As Jennifer approached Calista¡¯s room, Katelyn¡¯s heart raced further. She burst out of her seat and got into the AU chair Scaaskal had brought. She plugged the hacking chip into the input, followed by the projection chip she was using to mask Calista¡¯s interview. ¡°Kate, please¡­ DO NOT glitch this up,¡± Jaylo said. ¡°That chip is practically my life savings. If it gets fried-¡± ¡°I know, I owe you. I¡¯ll pay you back monthly.¡± ¡°No, if it gets fried, I¡¯m dead. It has my name on it.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Jaylo, if this chip is that valuable, then it should work. If not, that means you got ripped off.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got five minutes to do this. If we go over, that¡¯s it. You got it, Scaaskal?¡± Jaylo raised his brows. ¡°Got it.¡± Scaaskal went to Katelyn¡¯s hacking device to take over. Katelyn¡¯s environment changed from the secret room in Genesis X to Calista¡¯s room. Neither Calista nor the proctor would see the projection, being inside the bubble. At the moment, Katelyn was virtually controlling a projection of Calista so she could respond to whatever their mother asked her. The SociaLights¡¯ faces soon appeared as Scaaskal got the projection back online. Just the sight of them made Katelyn roll her eyes. She turned when Jennifer entered the room. ¡°Calista? Are you busy?¡± She turned as gracefully as possible, imitating her sister¡¯s gentle and practiced movements. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± She switched her control to the other girls¡¯ projections in the call screen, turning their faces to Jennifer. ¡°Hi, Jennifer!¡± she squealed, perfectly imitating Danica¡¯s annoying voice. ¡°Hi, girls. I was just checking up on Calista.¡± Jennifer¡¯s shoulders seemed to release tension. What was she tense about? Was she upset about something? ¡°Sorry to interrupt you. Calista, remember our runway class later, okay?¡± Katelyn nodded, smiling demurely. ¡°Uber-excited!¡± Jennifer smiled, her eyes glancing over Katelyn¡¯s projection with a veil of suspicion. She smiled and waved goodbye to all the girls before leaving. Katelyn breathed out in relief, releasing control of the projection. Scaaskal re-installed the projection so it could loop as a call, deflecting any further suspicion. ¡°That was close,¡± Quincy said. ¡°Too close. She probably saw something weird in the SECURE app. Moms have that lie detector, you know.¡± Katelyn smiled at Jaylo. ¡°Thanks for the chip. I owe you.¡± ¡°Anytime, Kate.¡± ¡°And you, too, Scaaskal. You did great.¡± She fanned herself. ¡°I am sweating. AIDA, give me some water.¡± A bottle materialized in her hand and she gulped the ice-cold refreshment down. Thankfully, the interview came to a close and Calista finished her session with the proctor. She slumped into her seat, clearly exhausted from the tension of the situation. She wouldn¡¯t have heard her mother, but she could still see the environment around her outside the projection bubble. ¡°Well, that¡¯s over. I guess all she¡¯ll need is a Mask when she goes to the exams,¡± said Scaaskal. ¡°You think she¡¯ll get it?¡± Alina asked. ¡°She fights very well,¡± said Temmen. ¡°My nuts still hurt.¡± Katelyn spit out her water in laughter. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect her to kick you there.¡± ¡°Did Kalley say anything to you?¡± asked Jaylo. ¡°No, but he watched the whole fight. I saw him there. He hardly blinked. He even left his drink. He must¡¯ve been impressed if he requested her.¡± ¡°I mean, I was, too,¡± said Alina. ¡°A Socializer fighting like that? Not bad at all.¡± ¡°Can I see it?¡± asked Quincy. ¡°Yeah.¡± She projected the fight recording on her Pet for him. Quincy¡¯s brows raised as he watched his sister defend herself. They were all going easy on her, but it was still impressive. ¡°There¡¯s gonna be a lot of people applying, though,¡± said Scaaskal. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised if she is overlooked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. It¡¯s her only chance.¡± 4- Second Stage ¡°Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 9:15 in the morning of August 20th, 2349 in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Your meeting with the Art School recruiters is scheduled at 11:00 AM today at the Museum of Art and Design.¡± === Calista¡¯s mother had been getting weirdly paranoid about hacking lately, partly because of reported hattacks¡ª hack attacks¡ª across the city, but mostly because she found one of Katelyn¡¯s scramblers lying around the house. She hadn¡¯t suspected anything about Calista¡¯s tests, but she was checking their security more often. She would probably chalk it up to some crazed fan trying to spy on them; it had happened once or twice before. Thankfully, since the school year was coming up, Jennifer was getting invited to attend AR conferences in Socializer schools all over the country. She would constantly be speaking, inspiring the newest generation of aspiring beauty queens, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to look at her house¡¯s security at all. During those times, Calista took the verbal and written tests for Fistborn without the need of a projection to disguise her. She could easily take them on an incognito platform that was completely legal. She studied to the point that she missed her usual beauty sleeps and Thinning appointments. She managed to convince the SociaLights she¡¯d simply burned out and needed a break. When she appeared at a meeting with bags beginning to form under her eyes, they crashed. They¡¯d even treated her to a full Thinning Spa treatment so she could look ¡®beautiful enough¡¯ again. This was the first time Jennifer wasn¡¯t constantly hovering over Calista like a SECURE bodyguard. She was so busy that Calista had become a bit like Katelyn; unnoticed. It felt pretty freeing. She wasn¡¯t getting any constant reminders about her waist, or her hair, or her makeup. It almost felt like her childhood, back when Jennifer focused more on being a mother than a celebrity. Her father didn¡¯t know anything about the tests, either. He would¡¯ve been supportive, but it was best not to give him something to lie to his wife about. Their marriage was shaky enough already with their differing opinions on how to raise their kids. It was easy to hide from him, since his engineering firm was working harder the past weeks due to the hattacks. Now it was time for her practical exam, and Calista had to hope no one would recognize her. She would have a Mask on, but as soon as she entered the exam, she¡¯d have to take it off. A fraction of a second was all it would take for someone to spot her and share it to the whole Hub. The sisters arrived at their destination through the travel tubes. Their excuse to go out was that Calista was meeting recruiters for the Art School clique in Katelyn¡¯s museum. Afterward, they¡¯d stop by the Thinning Spa after the exam for some ¡®sister bonding¡¯. The AU Projector building was a simple, one-floor facility with no interior. There were about 10 oval doors on each side, where each user would enter and use the installed Projector to virtually arrive at their real destination for whatever appointment they needed. Calista¡¯s stomach dropped to her feet. Two sides of the building were reserved for the Fistborn applicants, and holy glitch, it was packed. People waited in hovering shelves with comfy seats on them, connecting their AIDA band to the system around them so they could remain entertained during the wait. The Medleys proceeded to one of the shelves with available seats. Calista checked her Mask over and over again, ensuring she looked like a tough Mercurian that totally matched the description of a fighter. Calista squinted, her eyes scanning the crowd. There were all sorts of people; different colors, different sizes, different features. One thing she noticed, however, was that there were hardly any humans¡ª almost none. She sighed. This was one of the reasons she¡¯d decided to do what her mother asked and become a Socializer. What was the point? How could she compete with all of the stronger species? Katelyn¡¯s friends had gone easy on her for the fake ¡®bar fight¡¯. Yet, Benson Kalley requested her. It was still well-known that Benson Kalley was an advocate for giving all species a chance, in particular, species that didn¡¯t have special abilities like fire or ice or telekinesis. He had become controversial after suggesting that the Versus admins start hiring Socializers to further the PR campaign for the tournament. Humans, Paeseoans, and Seeyastians were the three species that were considered ¡®weakest¡¯ in terms of raw power, humans being the weakest of those three. Maybe Benson had requested her just to further the movement. If that was the case, she had to prove she was worth it. Calista connected her AIDA band and played an episode of Astrana on her mini-screen, the bubble blocking off the sound around her. She¡¯d studied and practiced as hard as she could, so she preferred de-stressing before the exam. The past few days were absolutely grinding, mostly on her limbs and abdomen. Under the guide of the free pre-training module Fistborn offered, she¡¯d done push-ups, sit-ups, jogs, and basic fighting exercises to prepare her body for the test. The stress and anxiety about possibly being caught didn¡¯t help. She definitely wasn¡¯t used to so much physical exertion anymore, having collapsed after only 10 push-ups the first time. If it hadn¡¯t been for Katelyn pushing her so hard, she never would¡¯ve made it to 25. And the sweat¡­ ugh! It was revolting. She was too used to constantly being prim and proper for the scanners. Her mini-screen suddenly disappeared, startling her. She blinked and found herself in front of the second door on the left. ¡°Calling Calista Medley,¡± the AIDA said. She closed her eyes, wincing. Glitch. She hoped everyone would chalk this up to her name being common¡ª which it sort of was. But these were all people that wanted to be in the Versus, meaning, they didn¡¯t give a bug about Socializers. Chances were they really wouldn¡¯t know who she or her mother were. She took a breath and summoned her self-confidence, strutting into the projector like a Mercurian would. She glanced back at her sister, whose chair veered off to the right to wait for her. Once Calista entered the portal, she took off her Mask. At first, it was pitch-black. She stopped, apprehension keeping her from walking into pure darkness. ¡°Please stand in the middle of the AU circle.¡± A light shone in the center. She obeyed and placed her feet on the glowing footprint indicators. Instantly, the darkness vanished, gradually lighting up until she was surrounded by sea green. ¡°Projecting to: Hall of Affairs, Versus Wing, Fistborn Academy, #1 North, Versus Grounds. Code VERSUSEARTHUSA-1001.¡± The light softly gave way to the Fistborn examination room. Calista¡¯s green eyes wandered around curiously, wide with wonder and amazement. She arched her neck and turned slowly to take in the details of the room. It was simple, but beautiful. The pale sky-blue walls rose up in geometrical shapes like a kaleidoscope, all the way up to a large skylight. Large windows let in plenty of natural sunlight. In the middle, where Calista stood, was a mat that covered nearly the entirety of the space. At the far end was a wide, white table with five people, the Fistborn Academy crest hovering behind them. It was a red-white-and-blue circle with letters reading ¡®FBA¡¯ diagonally. Among the judges, Calista recognized one face. Lisa White. Anyone would recognize those cat-like amber eyes and dirty blond hair. The only difference was a bit of aging in her face. Calista couldn¡¯t believe she was staring at her childhood idol. Below her was a softly-glowing sign identifying her: Ms. Lisa ¡°Dark Horse¡± White Earthian American Versus Champion 2334 Dean of the Fistborn Versus Fighting School Lisa White was the first human to win the Versus Games in decades. For years, she was accused of cheating and foul play, but there was never any proof, only her raw and prodigious talent. Calista had stopped following her career since joining the SociaLights, but her admiration for her never faded. She only knew that Lisa had become a Dean at Fistborn this year. Since Lisa, there hadn¡¯t been a human winner. There was a human fourth-placer last Versus, in 2346, named Harrison Smith. Despite him not reaching the top three places, there were controversies around him, since he¡¯d beaten a Klausian in his second-to-last match before he lost the third place to a Dnilian fighter. Klausians were one of the most powerful species in the Utopia, able to wield any ice-based elements. To think a human had beaten one of them to the top four was unthinkable. Clearly, since Lisa had taken first place over planets like Hajja, Klaus, and Dnili, the other planets had it out for Earth and were determined to never let a human show them up again. In the middle of the panel was an Emitonian woman that looked around 60 in Earth years, with purple skin and gray hair tied into a bun. Her harsh demeanor and large, cold, calculating eyes gave Calista shivers, not to mention her large forehead sporting numerous wrinkles. Her eyes were colored a shimmering gold, as warm as the sun, but her scrutiny made them icy. Mrs. Josephine ¡°Cruella¡± Chrisman Earth-raised Emitonian Pensan¡ª England Versus Champion 2310 President of Fistborn Academy Emitonians were very powerful, with telekinetic, telepathic, and advanced intelligence abilities. The only reason they weren¡¯t considered more powerful than the top three was because of their weakness being so obvious¡ª their eyes. If anything hit them straight in their huge eyes and broke their concentration, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use their powers for a good while. Still, they were not to be underestimated. Calista didn¡¯t remember much Versus History, but she knew that Cruella lived up to her call sign. She¡¯d pummeled her way through that year¡¯s Versus to the top place. On Chrisman¡¯s right, a kinder-looking Paeseoan man carefully observed her with a smile. He had green skin with intricate markings lining his muscular arms like veins, and red eyes that twinkled with curiosity. Thick blue hair sat on his head, parts of it glowing with the sun rays. Mr. Benson ¡°Kind Killer¡± Kalley Kwantan-raised Paeseoan Silikan¡ª Alik Versus Silver-winner 2334 Vice President of Fistborn Academy Calista knew him from the last Versus she watched before her mom banned the word from their home. He was notoriously kind to everyone¡ª hence his call sign. Paeseoans in general were usually very kind, both from their birth planet and Kwantan. Kwantan was an interspecies planet; it housed many diverse species, but didn¡¯t have an original species in and of itself. It was discovered by Paeseo, so they were the most predominant there. While Earth had the stereotype of being lazy and mediocre, Paeseo and Kwantan had a reputation for being very generous, even na?ve at times. On the vice president¡¯s left was a man that looked as cruel as Mrs. Chrisman. He had icy blue, crystalline skin that sparkled with the sunlight and coal-black eyes. A Klausian on the panel didn¡¯t give her any positive thoughts. They were very prejudiced against humans¡ª as proven by the Harrison Smith controversy. Mr. Islen Estalen Klausian Bastan Combat Technique Professor Versus Fighting School Evaluator And finally, on Lisa¡¯s left, occupying the last seat on the panel, was a Mearthian woman who resembled Lisa quite a bit. She sported a kind smile that curved her glassy black eyes. She had pale, washed-out skin and long blonde locks that spilled over her shoulders. Ms. Gina ¡°Gaslight¡± White Mearthian Yostan-American Versus Silver-winner 2346 Dean of the Fistborn School of Combat Calista remembered her. She was Lisa¡¯s cousin. She wasn¡¯t as famous as Lisa, but she was recognized widely. Born on Mars, she won second place last Versus and had just graduated from Jostif Combat School. Because of her, the second stage of this year¡¯s Versus would be hosted by Mars. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Calista Medley, 17-year old Earthian American, number 385,¡± Professor Estalen rambled off in a bored drawl as he read his screen. A thick accent bled through. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said with a nod. His coal-black eyes glanced up at her, seemingly bothered. She folded her lips and rocked back and forth on her feet, staying quiet. ¡°How long have you been interested in fighting?¡± President Chrisman asked, sporting a heavy British accent. ¡°Um¡­ since I was a little girl,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be a Versus fighter. I actually applied for the Junior Versus when I was younger. I think¡­ I¡¯d do pretty good.¡± ¡°But you weren¡¯t accepted for the Junior Versus, were you? You were rejected twice.¡± Her confidence instantly dimmed. ¡°No¡­ I wasn¡¯t.¡± Chrisman glanced at Vice President Kalley, who shrugged. She then sighed and raised her brows, wrinkling her large forehead further. ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s get on with it. Turn on the CDSim.¡± ¡°The CD-what?¡± Before her question was answered, the mat she stood on glowed brightly. She stepped back as a holographic, man-shaped simulation appeared before her. Now she remembered what the acronym meant¡ª Combat Defense Simulator. ¡°Start with defense. Use all the blocking maneuvers you have practiced up to now. Do not attack back,¡± President Chrisman commanded. The holo-man circled around the girl, getting into a combat position. Her nerves frayed, she quickly did the same. ¡°Begin.¡± The simulation started the fight by lashing out with its fist, aiming for Calista¡¯s jaw. The girl¡¯s instincts clicked and she blocked it by swiping her arm to the side. It tried a kick to the stomach, which she also deflected. Okay, maybe this isn¡¯t so bad, she thought. The hologram suddenly sped up, the cadence of the fight increasing as it unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks. Calista¡¯s defenses were quickly broken and she grunted as its fists and feet landed in her face, chest, stomach, and sides. I stand corrected! She was tempted to hit back. Instead, she held her arms up in a boxing block, shielding her face, but she failed to protect the rest of her body. Her stomach dropped as she was lifted into the air and slammed harshly onto the mat. She groaned in pain and inhaled deeply, her stomach aching as her muscles contracted. ¡°Stop.¡± The simulation ceased its attacks at the president¡¯s command, letting the girl recover. It took her a few moments to get over the harsh blow, but she eventually rose to her feet. Pain was not something she handled well. The entire panel, even the kind-looking ones, stared at her emotionlessly, their eyes unreadable. She could feel her face turning red. ¡°Next stage is offense,¡± President Chrisman said, ignoring her humiliation. ¡°Find openings, land as many hits as you can, and knock your opponent off-balance in the shortest amount of time possible.¡± The hologram shifted into a more defensive position this time. Maybe she¡¯d have more of a chance if she went on offense. ¡°Begin.¡± Calista lashed out with her fist and aimed for the holo-man¡¯s throat. It blocked her attack with her forearm and stepped back. The girl winced at the impact, but kept throwing punches at its face and stomach. It continued avoiding them easily, smoothly dodging every blow. She had to land a hit somewhere. They paused, circling as she evaluated its movements. Glancing at its feet, an idea sparked. She shot her fist towards the projection¡¯s face. As it leaned backwards, she suddenly dropped down and swept its legs out from underneath, making it collapse. Unfortunately, she collapsed as well. The hologram was upright in no time at all. She quickly scrambled to her feet. Well, she landed a hit, at least. The exchange continued, Calista¡¯s movements growing faster and more reckless as her frustration grew. She couldn¡¯t land a good hit anywhere. She punched it in the face and stomach a few times, but she couldn¡¯t seem to defeat it. At one point, her feet clumsily stumbled as she went for another attack. It stepped aside as she fell forward. She knocked herself over. Awesome. ¡°Stop.¡± She tried not to show any shame, but she was just about ready to burst into tears. The embarrassment was unbearable. ¡°The last stage is a combination of both offense and defense. Basically a regular fight. Use what you¡¯ve done in the last two stages. Begin.¡± The holo-man began the fight, swooping down instantly and kicking Calista¡¯s legs out from under her. She let out a small cry as she landed on her back. She quickly rolled over and got to her feet. She dodged and blocked its fists, keeping her feet firmly planted to not lose her balance again. Her heart clenched with desperation as she tried her best to hold herself up. The simulation¡¯s fist connected with her chin and she staggered back. Before she could recover, it grabbed her arm and pulled her forward, twisting her arm behind her back. She winced and let out a strained cry of pain. Adrenaline injected itself into her veins as her face firmed. She gritted her teeth and threw her elbow back into the hologram¡¯s face, following it up with a kick to the shin. Her elbow weakened with pain. Ow, ow, ow, ow¡­ She pulled her arm out of its grip and brought her other fist around to punch it. Her speed grew and her balance improved slightly as she launched all her strength against the simulation. With finality, she kicked the holo-man¡¯s knee, forcing it to the floor, and drove her own knee up to its chin. Its head jerked back and it fell. ¡°Stop.¡± She panted heavily and lightly rubbed her knee, looking up at the panel. None of their expressions hinted at what they thought. She only hoped they couldn¡¯t see the tears pricking at her eyes. ¡°Your practical evaluation is over. Thank you for participating. We will contact you within the week if you are selected for the third stage,¡± President Chrisman said coldly. Her limbs shook, the adrenaline fading. Just as the pain from her injuries settled in, a laser shone over her, healing every bruise and blow she took. That was a relief. She was worrying about the unflattering black-and-blue spreading all over her. The less she had to lie about, the better. Nervously, she thanked the judges before stepping out of the AU boundary. In a flash, she was suddenly teleported outside the building, followed by Katelyn. The younger sister looked around, disoriented, before gathering her bearings and noticing Calista. Her Masked face filled with hope at first, but her smile fell and her eyes dimmed when she saw Calista¡¯s pale complexion, downturned eyes, and slanted lips. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± she asked tentatively. Calista only looked at her, sighed, and went to the travel tubes. She¡¯d predicted it. She knew this would happen. It wasn¡¯t worth it. NYWS was where she was meant to be. Not Fistborn. ¡°Ca- Holly¡­ come on. It couldn¡¯t have been that bad.¡± Katelyn suddenly gasped. ¡°Cali¡­ your Mask.¡± Calista stopped in her tracks, cursing to herself. With a quick glance around, she quickly put the Mask back on, hoping no one noticed. Best case scenario was a few odd glances. How did she forget to put the Mask back on?! How much more stupid could she get today? ¡°What exactly happened in there?¡± Katelyn asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Was it that bad? Did they-¡± ¡°I said, I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Let¡¯s just go home.¡± She went into the travel tube without another word. === The two girls entered the house with casual smiles. Henry was in the HARP room, asleep while the Phoenix game went on. He was probably exhausted from work. Knowing his higher-ups, they¡¯d give the human employees the brunt of the workload the hackers were dumping onto them. Quincy wasn¡¯t around, probably playing games in his room. Their mother was also absent. If she was in a conference, chances were she¡¯d never know where the girls were today. ¡°You want to hang in my room for a bit?¡± Katelyn asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I want to just¡­ be alone right now.¡± Katelyn nodded, understanding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Calista.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You were just¡­ you wanted me to try, and I did. Thank you.¡± Calista smiled sadly before going to her room. After a good cry, she¡¯d be able to clean up and pretend none of that humiliating exchange never happened. But when she entered her room, it wasn¡¯t empty. Jennifer stood imposingly, her hips cocked and her mascara-lined eyes narrowed. Calista felt a shock of panic go through her, freezing her in place. ¡°M-Mom? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You tell me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a great story about your day today, Calista Elise.¡± There was no way she found out. They¡¯d just gotten back! Calista¡¯s mouth flapped as she tried to keep playing innocent. ¡°M-my day? We just¡­ went out. The meeting went uber-great. I feel like I have a chance with the best Socializers.¡± She forced a smile. ¡°And Kate and I had a lot of fun after. We played a lot of games.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re playing games. Playing them with me. You think you can lie to your mother? What, you think I¡¯m uber-stupid or something?¡± She opened her AIDA band and expanded the screen. Calista approached it, watching the recording. Someone outside the AR Projector waiting area, across the street, zeroed in on Calista storming to the travel tubes with Katelyn behind her, still in her Mercurian getup. She watched as Katelyn stopped her and reminded her of her Mask, then watched herself hastily turn it on, covering her black hair and green eyes much too late. The caption on the recording read: ¡®JENNIFER ZYBEN DAUGHTER AT VERSUS TEST¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s just one of dozens that are already out,¡± Jennifer continued. ¡°¡®Jennifer Zyben approves of a fighting daughter¡¯. ¡®Zyben glitched us over¡¯. ¡®Calista Medley- the rebel¡¯. ¡®She ruined her mom¡¯s body, and now her rep¡¯.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Calista inhaled, trying not to cry. Jennifer always scolded her when she cried. ¡°I can explain.¡± ¡°You will. And so will your sister. AIDA, call Katelyn to Calista¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± ¡°When were you going to tell me it was Katelyn hacking our systems this whole time? I¡¯m guessing you pulled your brother into this? Started filling his head with cache?¡± Calista shook her head. ¡°N-no¡­ it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°I risked my code out there for you,¡± Jennifer said, her voice getting louder by the minute. ¡°I got you that scholarship. I got you into that school. I made sure everything was perfect for your future, and you go off and do something so glitching stupid!¡± Katelyn then entered, freezing for a second when she saw Jennifer, then sighing in defeat. ¡°Before you start-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say a word.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just hear us out, Mom? Please?¡± ¡°Hear you out? I¡¯ve heard enough from my followers, your grandparents, and everyone else in the family that¡¯s mad at me for being a ¡®bad mother¡¯!¡± ¡°It was just a test! It¡¯s not like she got accepted or anything, okay?¡± ¡°¡®Just a test¡¯?! Even mentioning that death game is a glitch-up! I¡¯ve spent eighteen years cleaning up your mess, Calista!¡± Jennifer paced, combing her hair with her fingers. ¡°I should¡¯ve been more strict with you from the beginning. It¡¯s my fault for letting your father expose you to that disgusting tournament.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, Mom¡­¡± Calista let the tears go. What would she do now? If everyone knew¡­ Her friends, her channel, her scholarship¡ª she just lost everything, didn¡¯t she? Now she had nothing. She¡¯d screwed up that test, so she had no chance in the Versus now. She¡¯d never survive in NYWS, probably never even get accepted due to the massive reputation hit. She wasn¡¯t good at anything else¡­ what would she do now? Maybe Katelyn could hack something up. A new identity, perhaps. Calista could move out and start fresh as someone else. She could get a transformative makeover and change her appearance. No fan would ever recognize her and attack her. Maybe all three of them could leave. Katelyn and Quincy could avoid having the family name fall on their heads. Their mother would have to clean up the ¡®mess¡¯ herself. ¡°I should¡¯ve known after I saw that pathetic excuse for a portfolio,¡± Jennifer continued. ¡°Astronauts, my cache. How long have you been watching that thing, huh?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t! I swear I wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You better think of an apology, and make it good. I¡¯ll try and get NYWS to still accept you, but now you don¡¯t have a channel.¡± Jennifer grew more anxious. ¡°God, Iva and Braxli will never let us near their girls again,¡± she added, referring to Danica and Rebecca¡¯s mothers. ¡°This is exactly the problem!¡± Katelyn suddenly burst. ¡°Mom, all you ever care about is your stupid followers! All your stupid friends and what they think! You never cared about us! Don¡¯t you worry about what your own family thinks of you?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk to me like that-¡± ¡°Calista worked so hard to do what you wanted, and all you have for her is cache. You might as well make your followers your kids, Mom! She was going to force herself to go to that stupid popularity school with girls she doesn¡¯t even like, girls that don¡¯t respect her, for you! And for what? Your channel? You¡¯re a glitching billionaire! You could become a Versus supporter and still have digits left over!¡± ¡°Get out of this room, Katelyn.¡± ¡°Kate, it¡¯s fine. I glitched up, okay?¡± Calista just wanted all of this to end. She didn¡¯t need her mother¡¯s rant on top of everything else. ¡°No! You¡¯re making her apologize for nothing! They have to get over themselves!¡± Katelyn insisted. ¡°You should apologize for being a buggy mom!¡± ¡°You really think it¡¯s that easy, Katelyn Lakynn?¡± Their mother chuckled. ¡°You really think an apology will cut it? No. All those people that have worshipped the ground we walk on? They¡¯re not forgiving people.¡± She looked at Calista, approaching her with crazed eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you say. You could make a five-hour long apology broadcast. You could donate to every single follower out there. You could grovel on your knees and beg. They¡¯ll never forgive you. You¡¯re someone they admired and respected, someone they saw as perfect. Now that you¡¯re suddenly not perfect, they¡¯ll never accept that. You can¡¯t make mistakes in this world. Everything you do has to be a secret, and a very deep one, because they watch you all your life! They¡¯ll never stop!¡± Shivers crawled down Calista¡¯s spine. She¡¯d never seen her mother like this. She looked so furious¡­ almost manic. She glanced at Katelyn, worried, when their mother started to giggle uncontrollably. ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll never let us live this down, Calista! You probably think they all forgave me for having you! But they didn¡¯t! They still watch me and pour their hearts out to me, but they still talk about it! And they still talk about when I lost my first pageant when I was sixteen, and how I tripped and fell onstage when I was twelve, and how one¡­ single pimple grew on my forehead because I forgot to take my acne meds!¡± Her voice had raised to a shriek. ¡°You have to make up for every single mistake for the rest of your life. This? The Versus? That¡¯s unforgivable. You just made everything so much worse¡­¡± ¡°Then why the bugs should I care anymore?!¡± Calista found herself saying, suddenly overcome by anger. A burning hatred grew in the pit of her stomach, blazing towards all of their followers. All of them. They didn¡¯t understand what it was like to be in the spotlight all their lives. They didn¡¯t understand anything. Henry always told her growing up, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your battery over this,¡± he¡¯d say. ¡°It¡¯s done. Just learn from your mistakes. It¡¯s okay to lag behind a few frames every now and then.¡± Their followers would never say that. Being a Socializer meant being perfect, and Calista just couldn¡¯t do it. Socializers always talked about following one¡¯s heart and achieving one¡¯s dreams, yet they didn¡¯t let her reach her dreams! She could say whatever she wanted to say, as long as they approved. She could do whatever she wanted to do, as long as it didn¡¯t go against their values. She could slip up and fall sometimes, if they decided to brush it off. She could have her opinions, as long as they aligned with their opinions. ¡°It¡¯s always about them. They¡¯re our life, right?¡± Calista¡¯s limbs shook with the urge to punch and kick something, like that CDSim hologram from the test. She¡¯d never felt so angry before. ¡°Our lives are theirs. We can¡¯t have our own. I can¡¯t have my life. Neither can she,¡± ¡ª she pointed at Katelyn¡ª ¡°or Quincy. I can¡¯t marry whoever I want, right? And when I have kids, I¡¯m going to have to do this whole thing over again, right?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s always about them, Calista,¡± Jennifer said spitefully. ¡°They made us who we are. If it weren¡¯t for them, we wouldn¡¯t be in this house! You wouldn¡¯t have the privileges you have! I made a lot of sacrifices for the three of you, especially you!¡± She pointed sharply at her. ¡°And you just threw it all in the cachebin!¡± ¡°Maybe I wanted to! Maybe I don¡¯t want all of this anymore! If I was such a rep hit to you, maybe you shouldn¡¯t have had me!¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right! I should¡¯ve just left you in that pod!¡± Jennifer¡¯s eyes softened, the mania instantly dissolving, when she realized what she¡¯d said. It hit Calista worse than when the CDSim slammed her on the mat. Silence stretched out between the three Medley women. Calista¡¯s face turned as cold as stone as she watched her mother. It was like she was a stranger. Henry and Quincy suddenly entered the room. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Henry asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Calista said icily. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Katelyn burst into tears and hugged her father. Henry instantly looked at his wife, who was still in shock. ¡°What did you do? What did you say to her?¡± He looked at Quincy. ¡°Did you hear what they were saying?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Dad,¡± Quincy said. His face was as impassive as ever, but sadness reflected in his blue eyes. He must have used a scrambler to listen in again. Jennifer then cleared her throat, composing herself. ¡°Think up an apology broadcast. If you work hard enough, you could make people forget about this enough to let you level up in life. You¡¯re locked down. You¡¯re not going anywhere. If any of our fans see you out there, it could be dangerous.¡± She left, quickly followed by everyone else, leaving Calista alone in her locked-down room. 5- Cutoff The next three days were nothing short of agonizing. Calista had to endure the rant from the three other SociaLights¡ª not much so from Elizabeth, but Danica was as screechy as ever, Rebecca backing her up every few seconds. Thankfully, their mothers¡¯ reputations were enough to get them accepted into the school without Calista. If they had been pulled out along with her, they would¡¯ve had more reasons to torture her. Along with them came rants from her family; grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, even great-aunts. The few that supported her weren¡¯t allowed to talk to her at all. As added punishment, she was forced to get on the Hub and see all the hatred the Medleys¡¯ followers were directing at her. Well, not really forced. Since she was locked in the house, Calista didn¡¯t see anything else to do. Unbeknownst to the family, she logged on a guest account and watched everyone react to her coming out of that AU Projector building. It was as if she¡¯d murdered someone. She would understand such hatred if she really had done something unthinkable, like trying to restart the War of Ten, or favoring slave planets. But all she did was try to get a spot in a sports school. She never comprehended why Socializers were so hateful towards fighters. She even did her own research to dig to the cause of it all, but from what she found, Socializers and fighters simply didn¡¯t get along. In binary code, fighters were tough, disciplined, confident, and uncaring about popular opinion. Socializers were outgoing, vain, insecure, and obsessed with popularity. The Versus Games were too violent for most humans back in the day when the Treaty was signed, and they compared it to stories their ancestors wrote about killing for pleasure. Old stories and novels were all they had to compare the Versus Games to. There was only one instance when a competitor died, way back in the 22nd Century, when a fighter¡¯s helmet malfunctioned and they took a severe blow to the head. Socializers always circled back to that one event, as if clinging to a lifeline to make their argument work. Calista felt numb as she drank in the hatred and spite from the Hub screen. Death threats, wishes for her nonexistent birth, jokes about her siblings, her comparison to an Aelket¡ª a notoriously unattractive, unintelligent humanoid species¡ª, among other things¡­ she¡¯d seen it all. She¡¯d been faced with a lot of judgment and criticism over the years, but it had never been like this. She soon got bored and decided to go to the SociaLights channel. She¡¯d long since been banned from the editing side and the newest broadcast was titled ¡®Life without Loyalty¡¯. Oh, please. ¡°Hey, Lights!¡± the three girls greeted, as always, displaying their hand signs for their respective values¡ª a heart for Danica, a peace sign for Rebecca, and a dove for Elizabeth. Calista¡¯s sign used to be a fist on her chest. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Danica continued. ¡°You may be wondering why there¡¯s only three of us today¡ª if you¡¯ve been living in a smartphone. You probably know this already, but Calista has, sadly, left the SociaLights.¡± ¡°More like, we permabanned her,¡± said Rebecca. ¡°Uber-permanently. We¡¯re really, really sad to say this, but Calista¡¯s betrayed everyone. Us, you, and the entire Socializer community. She got caught at the AU Projector yesterday¡­ taking a test for the Versus Games.¡± ¡°Obviously, because one of us was a total virus this whole time¡ª¡± Calista scoffed indignantly at Rebecca¡¯s words¡ª ¡°we understand if you guys don¡¯t, you know, fully trust us. We never expected someone like Calista Medley to do this.¡± ¡°We know you have a lot of questions, and we¡¯ll answer as many as we can so we can be completely honest with you. Unlike Calista, we¡¯re not fake.¡± Calista chortled. These girls were anything but real¡ª even in the literal sense. Danica wasn¡¯t born with the smooth skin she had, nor was Rebecca born with her perfect hair. In fact, Calista was the only one that had never done anything artificial for her appearance; except for the Thinners, but everyone did that. Even Elizabeth had work done after meeting them. The girls had insisted her hair was too ¡®ginger¡¯ and that she had to change it to a ¡®purer¡¯ red. ¡°Let¡¯s go with Addyson Eior¡¯s question,¡± Rebecca said, pointing to the side as a question appeared: ¡°¡®Are you guys true to your signs? Because Calista¡¯s sign was Loyalty and she¡¯s obviously not a loyal person.¡¯¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to say, yes, we¡¯re very true to our signs,¡± Danica answered. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re going to find masky people everywhere, that¡¯s just how it is. Not everyone will stay true to what they¡¯re committed to or what they claim to be. Calista was Loyalty, and she wasn¡¯t loyal. It¡¯s sad. But trust me when I say that we, as Love, Peace, and Freedom, will never abandon our purposes.¡± Calista¡¯s green eyes rolled to the back of her head. What a fake, buggy, masky¡­ ¡°Next question; Dennis Martel. ¡®Do you know if Calista got into Fistborn Academy?¡¯¡± Danica¡¯s smirk showed a hint of condescension. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard anything yet, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll make it. The fact that she actually trained so uber-hard for it, too. Poor thing¡¯s probably desperate for a spa day. Can you imagine all the scars she hid on her face?¡± ¡°Who cares about scars? Imagine the ugly bulges all over her body now,¡± Rebecca snorted. ¡°Without us, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll look as pretty as before.¡± ¡°And Jennifer Zyben¡¯s not going to let her go, even if she did get accepted. Imagine betraying your own mom like that.¡± ¡°I know, right? She deformed her body for her, and she does this?¡± Yeah, her mother was so mad at her that she wished she¡¯d never saved her from the Hajjian terrorists. The logical part of her knew that her mother didn¡¯t truly mean what she said, based on her reaction afterwards. The words hurt, even so, digging into the deepest part of her heart. Jennifer wasn¡¯t exactly Mom of the Year, and she¡¯d said plenty of things that hurt, but that had gone too far. Originally, birthing pods were incorporated into Earth¡¯s technology to save women from the many risks and complications of pregnancy¡ª and, of course, the excruciating pain of childbirth. High-risk pregnancies benefited greatly from the pods, bringing healthy babies into the world and keeping the mothers healthy. There were many debates about it, political tension running rampant, but over time, the population warmed up to the idea and wound up fully migrating to birthing pods. As soon as a mother would discover her pregnancy, she would go to the nearest birthing pod center to transfer the baby. But for some reason, the Socializer population declared natural births completely ¡®immoral¡¯. Anyone that chose a natural pregnancy was reviled by the vast majority of Socializers, even more so than Versus Games supporters. Pregnancy deformed an otherwise ¡®perfect¡¯ body, and the beauty of a woman¡¯s body had to be preserved. Calista knew her mother had gone through a lot when she made her decision to protect her from extremists. But now that she¡¯d said what she said, Calista feared the underlying reason. Did Jennifer really regret having her? Was she harboring a secret hatred because of what she was put through by her family and her fans? The AIDA interrupted her silent musings. ¡°Calista Medley, you have a message from¡­ Fistborn Academy. Would you like to view the message now, or save it for later?¡± There was absolutely no way. It was impossible. Her mother would¡¯ve heard this. She was closely monitoring the girls more than ever. Calista would get a lecture regardless, though. ¡°I¡¯ll see it now.¡± The screen opened, displaying President Chrisman¡¯s stony face and icy, huge eyes. ¡°Miss Medley, it is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to advance to the third section of Fistborn Academy¡¯s application process for the Versus Fighting School. Your pressure exam has been scheduled for Thursday, August 25th at 3:00 PM. Please proceed to your nearest TelePort to arrive in person in Washington D.C. We look forward to seeing you.¡± The screen closed. Calista stared ahead once again. There was no glitching way. She did horrible on that exam. They couldn¡¯t have¡­? Was it Mr. Kalley? Why would he risk his code for her? Did Katelyn do some hacking? No, she wouldn¡¯t do that after what happened. Besides, she didn¡¯t have any way to hack right now. As if reading her mind, Katelyn came through the wall. Calista sat up, confused. ¡°That wall¡¯s locked.¡± Katelyn held up a scrambler in response. ¡°She still hasn¡¯t found my stash.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in your room?¡± ¡°I heard the message.¡± ¡°How-?¡± Calista stopped, giving her sister a look. ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t hack me into this exam.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything. Hand to God.¡± Katelyn raised her palm. ¡°I just made sure she wouldn¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t?¡± Katelyn shrugged. ¡°Had a bit of help from Dad.¡± ¡°Dad¡­?¡± Calista sighed, shaking her head. Her confusion was reaching new heights once again. ¡°I really passed?¡± ¡°Apparently. Maybe you didn¡¯t do as bad as you thought.¡± ¡°No, it was bad. I know it was.¡± ¡°Then¡­ you did something well enough that they advanced you.¡± Calista slumped. What was the point? She would¡¯ve been less disappointed if they told her she was the worst failure they¡¯d had. ¡°I guess I was good at fighting after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not happy?¡± ¡°Kate, I¡¯m stuck in here. Who even cares?¡± She moved from her sleep capsule to her hovering chair. ¡°I care. And Quincy and Dad. We¡¯re all rooting for you.¡± Calista smiled a bit. ¡°Thanks. Doesn¡¯t get me out of here, though.¡± ¡°We could still go.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Dad couldn¡¯t talk sense into Mom, but he¡¯s still our dad. As far as we¡¯re concerned, we have his permission to go. And since Mom¡¯s not in a good state of mind right now¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, but she locked down the house. She changed the access, so Dad can¡¯t override it. How are we¡­?¡± She shook her head, realizing what kind of conversation this was. ¡°What are we, crazy? We¡¯re talking about running away? She could be listening.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°She¡¯s not. I promise.¡± ¡°This is crazy, Kate. And it¡¯s not worth it. I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Yes, you are. It¡¯s not like you have anything to lose anymore. The family hates you, the girls hate you, and the fans hate you.¡± ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± Katelyn sighed and sat on Calista¡¯s sleep capsule. ¡°This is your shot. You don¡¯t have anywhere to go but there. If you fail, then you¡¯re back here; fine. But what if you get in? That¡¯s your way out of this joint.¡± Calista chuckled. ¡°What movies are you watching? Prison breaks?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Katelyn smirked. This was crazy. Katelyn was right, though. She had nothing else to lose but the chance of actually getting her dream¡ª the impossible dream that she¡¯d given up on for her mother¡¯s. ¡°What time are we busting out?¡± === The Medley siblings planned their escape overnight. Calista worried for Katelyn; if something went wrong, her last secret stash of hacking tools would go into the cachebin, and she would lose contact with the rest of her friends from Cosmos. She had to hope their mother would be distracted enough for them to make it out. Katelyn planned to send an urgent message from the Committee of Socializers Dedicated to the Betterment of Humanity¡ª some charity with a stupidly long name¡ª which their mother was a part of. These people usually preferred to meet face-to-face rather than through an AR meeting, so Jennifer would step out. That would give them at least forty-five minutes to override the house¡¯s security protocols, head to the TelePort, and get to D.C. before Jennifer realized what was going on. She wouldn¡¯t be able to contact SECURE about them running away, since that risked another blow to their reputation. Once they left, she¡¯d have no choice but to just let them. Because of the security protocols, if the girls attempted to leave, SECURE was already programmed to return them to their residence. Katelyn would only be able to disable the protocol for fifteen seconds, so to keep the drones from following the girls, Quincy would also run away and distract them. If Katelyn¡¯s friends did their jobs on the other side, they¡¯d be able to keep SECURE drones focused on Quincy and have them forget about the girls. In the morning, Katelyn stayed secluded in her room, as she had been the past few days. As soon as Jennifer finished her breakfast, Katelyn sent the message. Thankfully, their mother bought it and set out for the fake conference right away. Once their father left for another grueling overtime at work, Katelyn started her hack. She went through all the house¡¯s firewalls¡ª with help from Jaylo and his expensive hacking tech on the other side¡ª and managed to turn off the lockdown for thirty seconds, a bit longer than they¡¯d expected. The hack extended outside of the house to the SECURE drones on their street so the girls would have enough time to run to Scaaskal¡¯s getaway Air-Car. ¡°It¡¯s about a minute¡¯s run,¡± Katelyn said as they grabbed their things and headed to the front teleporter. ¡°Quincy should hold them off until we get to Scaaskal.¡± ¡°You sure he¡¯ll be okay?¡± ¡°All they¡¯re supposed to do is teleport him back home and report it to Mom. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t be so worried,¡± Quincy said, waiting for them at the front. ¡°It makes me sick.¡± He fake-gagged and held his stomach. ¡°Shut up.¡± Calista ruffled his hair, causing him to whine. ¡°You ready?¡± Katelyn asked. ¡°As I can be.¡± They left the house and ran full-speed down the street. Quincy ran in the opposite direction. Calista was surprised when she saw him shoot off like a laser. Being the lazy kid he was, she never expected him to be so fast. Scaaskal¡¯s Air-Car waited for them about four blocks down. Looking back, Calista saw the SECURE drones flying around with red alert lights, shooting towards where Quincy went. She shuddered as sweat formed on her forehead. She wiped it away and her stomach turned. It felt so slimy and¡­ just gross. Hearing beeping behind them, both girls looked over their shoulders, finding two drones flying straight for them. ¡°I thought your friends were taking care of that?!¡± Calista panted. ¡°They are! I don¡¯t know!¡± Katelyn ran faster. Calista squeezed her eyes shut as she put all her strength into her legs. She¡¯d gained a lot of stamina from walking perfectly down runways for hours almost all her life, but this was pushing her to her limit. She was running on pure adrenaline, which increased as the buzzing of the drones got louder. Quincy appeared in a hologram projecting from Calista¡¯s Pet, which hovered alongside her. ¡°I¡¯m home. Did you get there?¡± ¡°Already? You couldn¡¯t hold them off a little longer?¡± Katelyn yelled. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault there¡¯s, like, a hundred! I ran as fast as I could!¡± ¡°Let him load, Kate, it¡¯s not his fault,¡± Calista defended him. ¡°Whatever! We¡¯re almost there¡­¡± Calista¡¯s legs burned. She could feel her sweat spreading along her skin, oozing across the various ointments and lotions that coated her like a whole other layer, probably washing it off and replacing it with gross and stinky slime. Why did sweat have to be so gross? She should¡¯ve taken Danica¡¯s advice from a few years ago and had her glands genetically altered. Danica always smelled good¡ª though she always complained about her skin itching fiercely at night. Scaaskal finally noticed the ongoing chase and ordered his Air-Car to get closer, but he couldn¡¯t get too close without being arrested. The girls reached the vehicle and got inside, just barely escaping as the drones shone their red lasers after them. Both girls wheezed, catching their breath. ¡°Holy glitching Trojans,¡± Katelyn cursed. ¡°You guys okay?¡± Scaaskal asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? They were supposed to¡­ take care of that!¡± ¡°They did. They slowed them down. SECURE firewalls aren¡¯t a joke, Sati.¡± His seat rotated so he could face Calista with a smile. ¡°I believe it¡¯s time we properly met.¡± He stuck his hand out. ¡°Scaaskal Tira. One of Katelyn¡¯s favorite customers. Sorry about the little beating at Cosmos; it was your sister¡¯s idea.¡± Calista shook his hand and waved dismissively, still panting. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ I know what happened. Thanks for putting up with her craziness.¡± ¡°Hey, that ¡®craziness¡¯ got you a career,¡± Katelyn told her. ¡°I¡¯m not in yet.¡± ¡°You will be.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± said Scaaskal. ¡°You did pretty good when you fought us.¡± ¡°You guys were going easy on me.¡± ¡°Eh, not that easy. We should be there in a few minutes. By the time your mother is back, you¡¯ll be off to D.C. Good luck on your test.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She wiped sweat off her forehead again and grimaced. ¡°Do you have, like¡­ a disinfecting laser? I¡¯m uber-gross.¡± Scaaskal raised a neon green brow and asked the Air-Car for a cleaning laser, which shone over Calista and cleared the slime off her body. She signed in relief and instantly relax. ¡°Word of advice; you¡¯ll have to get used to sweat if you want to fight,¡± the Martian man said. ¡°Cat¡¯s told me about your¡­ phobia.¡± Calista blushed and smacked Katelyn¡¯s arm. ¡°Yeah, I know. And it¡¯s not a phobia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an aversion you¡¯ll have to deal with.¡± They crossed over to the Travel District, which was nothing more than a large field with various small buildings with teleporters inside. Calista raised her brows when she saw the TelePorts 3 and 4 packed with people. There were regularly a lot of people travelling back and forth, but these were a lot. They left the Air-Car, bidding goodbye to Scaaskal, who went to the launchers that would take him home to Genesis X. The girls went through the security scans before entering the teleportation room. The queue was fast, sending out five families at a time; it seemed that the energy levels were incremented to accommodate more people. Calista glanced up at the hovering letters over the teleporter, swallowing. It changed intermittently from ¡®TELEPORT 3: FISTBORN ACADEMY, WASHINGTON D.C.¡¯ to ¡®VERSUS PRESSURE EXAM TAKERS ONLY¡¯. She looked around at all the people waiting. Some were travelling alone, others were with their families. They varied in terms of age, height, and size, some looking stronger and bulkier, others weaker and leaner. How did she get there? They¡¯d sent her the grades; they were not impressive. Did they really let her in just because it was a passing grade? It was no wonder Earth¡¯s schools were rumored to be lackluster compared to the other planets¡¯. When it came time for the sisters to teleport to Washington D.C., the AIDA scanned them and counted them. Two pairs of foot indicators positioned themselves in their slot. ¡°Please proceed to your respective indicator. Do not step outside the boundary, nor insert any object within the teleportation laser line. Failure to comply may result in malfunction, injury, loss of limbs, or death.¡± The indicators had their names hovering over them, accommodating their heights and sizes. ¡°Preparing to teleport.¡± The machine whirred as a blue protective barrier separated them from the rest of the waiting crowd. ¡°We ask again for you to keep limbs and objects inside your circle to prevent malfunction, injury, loss of limbs, and/or death. Other waiting travelers must keep a safe distance from the teleporter behind the yellow indicator line. Do not move away from your foot indicators during teleportation, do not speak, and stand with proper posture to avoid intense nausea, dizziness, or other discomfort and/or side effects.¡± The machine whirred loudly to the point that Calista¡¯s ears pinched. Protective spheres were activated to shield their eardrums and eyes. ¡°Teleporting to: TelePort 16, #16 West, Travel District, Washington D.C.¡± A bright light flashed around them, swirling around them like a blue flame. Calista closed her eyes, waiting to reach the other side. After a few seconds, they arrived, the blue flames disappearing. The protectors deactivated and they stepped out into the empty room. ¡°Teleportation complete. Welcome to Washington D.C. Please proceed to the security scanners before meeting your transportation outside of the TelePort building.¡± They walked out to meet the rest of the families and test-takers, who boarded triple-decked Air-Buses in groups. The buses were blue streaked with red and white, with ¡®Fistborn Academy¡¯ glowing on both sides. The words then changed to ¡®Welcome to D.C!¡¯. She was really here. She¡¯d actually done it. She ran away from home¡ª literally¡ª, avoided SECURE drones, and was now about to go to her childhood dream school to fight someone. She only hoped this was worth losing all of her friends and fans over. If she didn¡¯t pass¡­ what would she do when she got home? What would her life be like? What would Jennifer do now that she¡¯d betrayed the family and hurt her career¡ª even more so now that she¡¯d run away? She pushed the thoughts away. If she got anxious now, she couldn¡¯t see this through. It was now or never. Calista and Katelyn went up to the second level and sat at one of the circular tables next to the window. She relaxed in the comfortable seats, doing her best to calm any stress she had. She wished she¡¯d had more time to study and train. She¡¯d only gotten a light workout and simulation in that morning. It was indeed a pressure exam. She could feel the pressure since she got the message. Mistakes weren¡¯t permitted if she wanted a spot in the freshman class. Everyone else taking the test would be going in with the same attitude. The pressure exam was the last stage before being accepted or rejected. Every prospective student would battle the 150th best student in the school¡ª the worst-performing member of the latest country team¡ª in front of all the continuing students at the school, who started two weeks earlier than new students. The pressure exams had been going on for about a week now, and they would finish at the end of August, followed by the board¡¯s decisions. The bus sped off so smoothly that they didn¡¯t even feel it move. Calista swallowed to try and dry her throat, her sweaty palms wringing together. Now that they were actually going to the school, her nerves had skyrocketed along with her heartbeat. ¡°Calista, calm down,¡± Katelyn said softly, covering her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± She shook her head, breathing in deeply. ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯m starting to¡­ panic.¡± She paled when she realized she wasn¡¯t breathing at all, rather, she was hyperventilating. Everything she had just done caught up to her. Her future. Her life. Her family. Her happiness. Everything was at stake. If she failed, she would be¡­ nothing. ¡°AIDA, give us a panic tonic juice,¡± Katelyn quickly said, moving to hold her. ¡°What flavor would you like?¡± ¡°Rasp¡­¡± Calista gasped. ¡°Raspberry, please.¡± The drink materialized in front of Calista. She grabbed it and gulped it down greedily. Her sister held the glass to her mouth, her own hands too weak to hold it. ¡°You alright?¡± Calista nodded, feeling the effects relax her. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re overthinking this test.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not overthinking it. This¡­ this is too¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have done this. I should¡¯ve stayed home.¡± Katelyn leaned closer and lowered her voice. AIDA took this as a private conversation and promptly activated a soundproof bubble. ¡°Cali, listen,¡± she said. ¡°All these people here? They¡¯re just as scared as you. Who knows, maybe they bugged up worse on their other tests, but they still got a chance. A lot of people are going to embarrass themselves today. Most of them are gonna be crushed the second their fight starts.¡± ¡°And that could be me,¡± Calista countered. ¡°Stop it. Look, you¡¯ve trained and studied more than ever, and I¡¯ve risked my code a lot, too. Now show them what you¡¯ve got.¡± Calista nodded and sighed, her anxiety diminishing. Of course, that was the drink, not Kate¡¯s words. She wished with all her heart that she could call her mother and reason with her, maybe call the SociaLights and beg for them to take her back. It was unlikely that they¡¯d ever forgive her. If her own family wouldn¡¯t, why would they? She didn¡¯t think her life was so empty. The realization was like being doused in ice-cold water. Did she really center her whole life on appeasing her mother? Was she really good at nothing else other than fighting and looking pretty? After driving through a line of trees, the academy was revealed. Calista¡¯s anxiety instantly returned when she saw the building, but at the same time, awe and exhilaration washed over her. It was a huge expanse of buildings, all colored in different shades of blue and red. The main building in the center towered over all the others with a sky-blue domed ceiling. The FBA crest hovered over the top spire, circling slowly. She was actually at Fistborn Academy. A school that held not only talented and famous fighters, but all sorts of respected scholars and professionals that dabbled in all lines of work in the planetary militia. And Calista was about to fight the 150th best fighter of the Versus in front of everyone in that school. Their whole first impression of her would be based off of this fight. She began to hyperventilate again. ¡°AIDA, another, please!¡± As she gulped down the second tonic, she tried to keep calm for the test. No pressure¡­ no pressure¡­ 6- No Pressure The academy buzzed with excitement from the student body. Everyone on campus¡ª both fighters and inventors¡ª headed to the Arena to see the next bout of challengers. They¡¯d all been entertained by the hopefuls for the past week, secretly betting their digits on who would be a new student or simply a reject stuck with the desire. Fistborn offered three months of summer vacation in between school years, but for Student Coaches, that time was shortened to one. While the other nine wistfully thought about their families and wished for more time, Harrison Smith thought of it as a welcome relief. His home had become the academy. Even in non-Versus years, he opted to staying and taking classes in the Versus Fighting School. Unlike the other careers that usually lasted about four years, Versus students would take up to sixteen years to graduate, depending on their age. Having been fifteen when he started, Harrison had twelve years to go, and three Versus Games to get through. That was plenty of time for more controversies to loom over his head. To think the other planets were angry he got fourth place¡­ it wasn¡¯t even a big deal. If he ever reached a more significant spot, how much more backlash would he get? They were all trying to discourage him from trying to win. On the Student Coach penthouse floor, he left his suite, going to the common lobby to meet his nine fellow coaches. Four of them were new like Harrison while the others had been Student Coaches for over a year. Even so, Harrison was the outcast of the ten. ¡°What do you think about the fights?¡± Elisa asked. She was one of the new Student Coaches this year. She was a pale red-skinned Paeseoan with cream-colored wavy hair that was usually tied up. Harrison had never seen her with her hair down. Catherine shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. To me, they¡¯ve been boring as binary code. They¡¯re a load of amateurs.¡± She had a soft, violet skin tone and blond hair, a perfect mix of the Seeyastian and Earthian species. She was one of the ¡®nicer¡¯ ones to Harrison. ¡°I feel like Houdge has been going easy on them,¡± Disaris said. ¡°She¡¯s usually feistier than this.¡± He was half-Voraxian, which gave him ocean-blue skin, but he definitely didn¡¯t inherit the height. He was a bit shorter than Harrison. However, he was very strong and sported glassy black eyes inherited from his Martian side. ¡°They tell her that,¡± Harrison said, quick to dissolve any criticisms of his best friend. L¨ªlitha Houdge was the 150th-ranked student on their most recent team, but she was a great fighter. ¡°They need the fights to last long enough for them to evaluate their skills. If she knocks them out right away, they can¡¯t really grade anything.¡± ¡°That, or she¡¯s losing her touch,¡± Li Mei muttered. She was a small woman who looked much younger than she was, and she was often mistaken for a full-blooded human. The distinguishing feature was her eyes; star-shaped pupils with orange irises, which made it clear she was half-Seeyastian. ¡°She¡¯s not. You know how she fights. She almost bit Bark¡¯s arm off, remember?¡± Harrison reminded her. ¡°Almost,¡± Reilly interjected, standing up for his student. ¡°He still won the fight.¡± He was ranked as the best student in the academy. A tall, proud Voraxian with skin as white as quartz, he was someone Harrison did not get along with. Harrison always found himself irritated by his presence, especially the arrogance in his British accent. ¡°He didn¡¯t win, Coach pulled the lass off ¡®im,¡± Catherine laughed. ¡°Otherwise, he¡¯d¡¯ve been a one-arm. Serves him right for slagging ¡®er.¡± Reilly frowned, but said nothing else. He had over a hundred students under his tutelage, but he was especially defensive about his Favorites. He had to admit, though¡ª his student, Bark Davies, used to be very reckless and arrogant in his first years at the academy. Being Ilamikoan, L¨ªlitha Houdge¡¯s childlike appearance yielded a lot of insults and species bias from the other students, Bark in particular. As expected of a Hajjian, one of the most biased species in the Utopia. Bark had made a mistake, though, and found himself being beaten by a puny Ilamikoan woman. No one had ever forgotten the incident, and new students would eventually hear about it from the older juniors and seniors. Bark had grown since then, not usually letting his temper get the best of him, but he was still known as ¡®Savage¡¯, taking his fiery revenge when he deemed it fitting. Fighters that received call signs were those that impressed the Versus Games audience enough to be deemed Legends. Usually, they would receive them in the middle of the preliminary international competition, but some fighters needed to work harder to get the crowd¡¯s attention, such as Harrison. He didn¡¯t receive his official call sign until the end of the last Versus Games. And that call sign was ¡®Cheater¡¯. He knew that a lot of the negative attention on him was due to his father; he had left him and his mother during his first Junior Versus and had an affair with a famous Hajjian woman. When they were caught and exposed, Harrison¡¯s family name had taken a hit in the political world. Hajjians and Earthians having romantic affairs was strictly frowned upon. Thankfully, their species were not compatible for reproduction, so no half-Hajjians and half-Earthians would be mixed up in the whole debate. Being his son carried a lot of weight, so the other species settled grudges in the Versus Games, as the Treaty ordered, and ruined Harrison¡¯s reputation when the tournament was over. They wouldn¡¯t openly say it was because of the affair, but he knew it ran deeper than him being a ¡®lowly human¡¯. Harrison was the first full-blooded Earthian to be a Student Coach since Lisa White, so people were still skeptical of his abilities. He¡¯d done extremely well considering it was his first year in the competition, but it was hardly cheating. People also ignored the fact that he had been training since he was a child. The ten entered the Arena and went to the passages leading to the seats. As Student Coaches, they had access to special seats with the best view of the fight; a capsule that moved around the arena circle to see the battle at the best angle. It even had a screen that would zoom in on the fighters when it got exciting. Next to them were the school faculty, and below were the Favorites¡¯ capsules. Harrison slipped into the seat numbered ¡®10¡¯, which had his name beneath. It always swelled him with pride whenever he came here. Even though his rightful position should¡¯ve been Reilly¡¯s number ¡®1¡¯, he was contented with at least being a Student Coach. Even though the other nine didn¡¯t show it as much, he knew they thought the same of him. The experienced Student Coaches always playfully hazed the new ones, but he took the brunt of the force. It didn¡¯t help that he was the only full human among them. Most half-humans didn¡¯t take pride in their Earthian side. They were always fiercely patriotic towards their non-Earthian half, as if they were embarrassed. Li Mei was clear that she hated being assumed as a human. She would blink her bizarre eyes, making it as obvious as possible that she wasn¡¯t fully Earthian. He always tried not to let it bother him. He¡¯d ignore the whispers in the halls, the gossip bouncing between the students. He¡¯d smile among the glares and smirks thrown his way. He¡¯d appreciate those that granted him the barest amount of respect. He looked down at the Favorites¡¯ capsules floating below them. These varied between sizes, accommodating all the best members of each Guild. Students taking apprenticeship under each of the Student Coaches. There were nine in all, but there should¡¯ve been ten. Harrison sighed, shaking away the feeling. He couldn¡¯t think about this right now. It was best if he focused on the fights, as usual. He half-agreed with Catherine; it was getting boring. There were a lot of wannabes having their faces smashed into the ground in the first few minutes. The admissions board was definitely lowering their standards. ¡°Students of Fistborn Academy, welcome to the seventh day of the Pressure Exams!¡± The students clapped and cheered in the stadium seats. ¡°Let¡¯s welcome, once again, Ms. L¨ªlitha Houdge¡ª call sign ¡®Piranha¡¯¡ª, the 150th seed of the 2346 Fistborn Versus team!¡± They cheered again as L¨ªlitha walked out to the arena, dressed in the standard combat armor suit, which clashed with her indigo skin. ¡°I hope there aren¡¯t any more annoying blokes who think they can be Favorites on the first day,¡± Catherine remarked. ¡°Without further ado, let¡¯s welcome the first challenger of the day to the Arena!¡± Harrison could see L¨ªlitha shifting on her feet, stretching her limbs to their longest. The capsule glass zoomed in to show her battle-hungry smile. ¡°She¡¯s going to bite this one,¡± Reilly said. ¡°Yeah, considering she¡¯s been controlling her biting for a while, I don¡¯t blame her,¡± said Delaine¡ª one of the new Student Coaches, like Harrison. She was a notoriously attractive Martian girl with huge, sparkly, blacked-out eyes. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t allowed to use my best move for a hundred fights straight, I¡¯d get anxious, too.¡± ¡°Welcome to the Arena¡­ a talented Paeseoan from Wisconsin, scoring the required 60 on his practical test, but still showing massive potential¡­ Anders Nilsson!¡± Most of the crowd respectfully clapped as the man walked out to the arena, accompanied by boos from the more audacious bunch. He seemed confident at first, but slowed when the announcer yelled out his grade to everyone. His head ducked and he took smaller steps. Li Mei laughed. ¡°I hated when they told my grade to everyone. It was the most embarrassing thing I went through.¡± Disaris snorted. ¡°You¡¯ve embarrassed yourself worse. Like in Teamwork, when you-¡± ¡°Shut the glitch up.¡± She held up a finger. Disaris snickered, hiding his smile with his fist. The Paeseoan hopeful exchanged formalities with L¨ªlitha before heading over to the indicators across from her. There were no weapons or fancy tech around, just them and the arena. ¡°Prepare yourselves! Ready in 10, 9, 8¡­¡± The crowd counted down along with the announcer, stomping their feet rhythmically, as was tradition to keep the excitement high. Harrison narrowed his eyes at the Paeseoan, who visibly gulped as L¨ªlitha flashed her sharp teeth at him. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ FIGHT!¡± Instantly, L¨ªlitha bolted forward, her speed catching her opponent off-guard. In no time at all, she¡¯d stretched one of her legs to wrap around his neck, locking him in a deadly wrestling hold, and bit down on his shoulder. The armor kept her teeth from breaking his skin, but the pain still registered, causing him to yell. ¡°Oh, my- seriously?! She just couldn¡¯t wait, could she?¡± Catherine shook her head. The Paeseoan¡¯s legs gave out so he could slam her onto the floor. It worked, allowing him to twist out of her grip. Rage clouded his eyes as he got back into position, wincing and clutching his shoulder. ¡°His pain tolerance doesn¡¯t look that high,¡± Disaris observed. He charged this time, punching L¨ªlitha in the face just as she rose. She spun, letting the momentum carry her, and stretched her foot out to kick him in the chin. She followed it up with punch in the gut and a knifehand in his throat. His hands raised to his neck as he choked. L¨ªlitha gave him no time to recover, throwing her whole body forward in a tackle. She somehow managed to ride his back, pulling his arms behind him and arching his back. After a few seconds of holding him, he finally yelled out, ¡°SURRENDER!¡± The crowd burst out laughing; not only was he desperate, but the correct word was ¡®Concede¡¯. ¡°GAME OVER!¡± the announcer responded. L¨ªlitha let her opponent go at the prompt, standing and raising her arms in victory. She smiled at the cheering Fistborn students, her teeth glinting in the sun. ¡°She should seriously take it easy with the biting. No wonder people think Ilamikoans eat other mammalians,¡± St?sten remarked. He was a coffee-skinned Mercearthian with huge, beefy arms. His skin wasn¡¯t as rocky as native Mercurians, but it had a sandy, pebbly texture, made softer by his human half. ¡°Well, it¡¯s one of their best weapons. If the applicants can¡¯t handle that, they can¡¯t handle the school or the competition,¡± said Delaine. ¡°Our next candidate is a Mercumartian from Alaska, with a whopping 85 tacks on his practical test! Welcome to the Arena¡­ Emos Casuuumi!¡± The fights went on, most ending the same; with L¨ªlitha either pinning them down, punching them senseless, or trying to bite their limbs off. There were a few who gave her a run for her digits, but none who beat her. She¡¯d upped her game for these candidates, ending fights much faster than usual. The board must have given her more freedom. Either way, they weren¡¯t required to win against her. They just needed to show their prowess in real combat under the circumstances of a real Versus fight. The judges needed to see how they performed against an experienced fighter with thousands of people watching them and cheering for their opponent. ¡°I think too many of them are underestimating her,¡± Kalis said as a Mearthian girl left the Arena in tears, like many before her. He was a lanky, tall Mearthian with light gray skin and electric blue eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even look like they did their homework. If they saw one of her fights, they would know to avoid the teeth.¡± ¡°Most of these are a bunch of wannabes. They¡¯re not going to actually work for this exam,¡± said Delaine. ¡°That last Earthian gave her a good run, though. What was her name again?¡± Melsen Steffensen asked. He had brownish-red skin, but looked otherwise human, only having a quarter of Paeseoan blood. He was another one that was annoyed by assumptions of him being fully Earthian, and he¡¯d try to connect more with Paeseoan audiences to dissolve this identification. ¡°Ellie, I think,¡± Reilly answered. ¡°No, it was Elaine. Remember, Catherine made a huge deal about her name rhyming with mine?¡± Delaine said. ¡°I didn¡¯t make no huge deal.¡± About 1,000 fighters battled L¨ªlitha before the first break. By then, she was exhausted, and she¡¯d even received a few injuries from the better fighters. However, the majority left the Arena crippled and crying from her powerful grips and bites. ¡°She¡¯s a glatchin¡¯ zombie,¡± Catherine repeated every time. After an hour, L¨ªlitha had completed her respite period and was ready for another 1,000 challengers. Fully energized, she was able to beat the first few with no problem. Hopes were being crushed left and right, and the Fistborn students were thriving on it. ¡°And now¡­ the next challenger facing our L¨ªlitha¡­ a young Earthian girl from the state of Indiana¡­ with a score of 62 tacks¡­ Calista Medley!¡± Harrison leaned forward, his sapphire eyes locking onto the human girl. She was anything but confident as she continuously adjusted her orange suit, her feet shifting as she circled to look at the crowds. The screen zoomed in so they could see the fear plastered across her face. Delaine scoffed. ¡°Why is she looking around so much? Focus on your enemy!¡± As if she heard her, the girl looked at L¨ªlitha, who leaned on one of her feet as she scrutinized the human. The little woman¡¯s arms were crossed as she regarded the girl with ridicule. ¡°She¡¯s bored,¡± Reilly observed. ¡°I don¡¯t blame her. All we¡¯re gettin¡¯ are losers,¡± Catherine grumbled. ¡°Hardly anything to fuss over.¡± ¡°The next fight starts in 10¡­ 9¡­¡± The girl quickly got into position, gulping. As she stared at L¨ªlitha, her emerald green eyes hardened with determination. ¡°FIGHT!¡± === Calista uncomfortably twisted and turned in her combat suit. It was nothing fancy, just an elastic second skin that stretched over her body with protective padding stitched in, with the tougher parts covering the most sensitive areas. It was light and flexible enough to move around easily. The color was torturing her. It was all orange, nothing like the suits she¡¯d seen in the competition. Orange wasn¡¯t even part of the school colors! What were they thinking?! She was in the second group of challengers, waiting in the hall for her turn. The first group had already been taken to the dugout, going out one-by-one to confront L¨ªlitha Houdge in combat. Calista¡¯s nerves skyrocketed with every fight that passed. Everyone was humiliating themselves by being smashed into the ground after five seconds, even the ¡®higher¡¯ species. Paeseoans, Seeyastians, Martians, Mercurians, and all sorts of mixed species had the glitches kicked out of them. By an Ilamikoan, no less. Even Earthians underestimated that species in the Versus world. L¨ªlitha was the most vicious fighter Calista had seen in her life. At first, she¡¯d thought she was downright adorable, resembling a 7-year old girl with huge eyes that curled at the ends and a shining, innocent smile. Now, she was her worst nightmare, her sharp teeth glinting threateningly each time she dug them into her opponents¡¯ armor. It was almost as if she wished the armor wasn¡¯t there. She wrung her gloved hands together, sweating profusely. The cooling mechanism in the suit didn¡¯t help her. She felt helpless and completely alone. She shouldn¡¯t have run away. She should¡¯ve just stayed home. She should¡¯ve never taken the tests and just gone to the Socializer school. Well, no use complaining now. What was done was done. ¡°Calista Medley to the arena. Repeat, Calista Medley to the arena. Your fight begins in T-minus 150 seconds.¡± Glancing at the other waiting candidates around her, she took a deep breath, trying not to spit out her stomach. It flipped over and over again like a pancake. She could hear the announcer introducing her as she approached the arena entrance. ¡°And now¡­ the next challenger facing our L¨ªlitha¡­ a young Earthian girl from the state of Indiana¡­ with a score of 62 tacks¡­ Calista Medley!¡± She¡¯d heard the announcer yelling out everyone¡¯s grades, so she expected it, but the shame was overwhelming. She wished her helmet could hide her face. When she stepped out onto the arena, she felt like she would die. She started hyperventilating again and her sweat glands squeezed out every drop of water she had in her. Her suit started feeling tight and uncomfortable, and her helmet seemed to tighten over her head. Was it suffocating her? It wasn¡¯t covering her face; there was an invisible protector surrounding her eyes and chin, but her nose and mouth were completely exposed. Yet she felt like her head was trapped in a little box. She looked around at the crowds, gulping deeply. There were all sorts of people, but hardly any humans. The few patches of humans she found were all jeering at her. Above the seats were numerous capsules holding more people, which circled around the open ceiling. Reluctantly, she looked at her opponent: the childlike, indigo-skinned girl with long, straight dark blue hair. She had her weight leaned on one leg, her arms crossed. Her blacked-out eyes regarded her with boredom. They were supposed to exchange formalities as a sign of mutual respect, so Calista approached her, trying to smile. She was sure she looked like a Smiley virus instead. ¡°Um¡­ hi,¡± she started, cringing at herself. ¡°Uh¡­ just wanted to say good luck. Or¡­ not good luck, but¡­ may the best fighter win. And¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡± L¨ªlitha rolled her eyes. ¡°Just show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± She stretched out her small, blue hand for a fist bump, which Calista returned. They got into position. ¡°The next fight starts in 10¡­ 9¡­¡± The rhythmic stomping echoed with Calista¡¯s heartbeat. L¨ªlitha smirked, her eyes devilishly glinting in the light. Calista closed her eyes and took another breath. Don¡¯t look at the crowd. Don¡¯t look at anyone. Just look at her. She¡¯s your enemy. Her emerald eyes opened again. As she stared at her opponent, they hardened. If she could stand up to that gang in the bar, she could stand up to an Ilamikoan, right? It was this or nothing. The academy or going back home to her mother. ¡°FIGHT!¡± As Calista expected, L¨ªlitha charged forward. That was something she did in every fight. She wanted to gain the upper hand as fast as she could by delivering the first blow. At the same time, the Earthian girl snapped out her leg, her foot arching to meet L¨ªlitha¡¯s head. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard, since she was about a foot shorter than her. This seemed to catch L¨ªlitha off guard a bit as she skidded to a stop, but she managed to duck under the blow. Calista then threw her fist down at her face, hitting her nose. The crowds exclaimed, not in concern, but in surprise. However, L¨ªlitha didn¡¯t allow any pausing. She immediately retaliated with an uppercut to Calista¡¯s chin, stretching her arm to meet the length. Her head snapped back before a foot slammed into her side, immediately knocking her off-balance. While the suit protected her from injury, the pads were designed to take in impact and transfer it to her pain receptors. It would hurt when L¨ªlitha hit her, but it wouldn¡¯t damage her. It was probably to measure her pain tolerance. Unfortunately, Calista¡¯s tolerance was quite low. She scrambled to stand as fast as she could before L¨ªlitha could kick her again. She blocked her foot and stood, staying on defense as she tried to find an opening. But L¨ªlitha found one first. Her foot slammed into her midriff with the same force as a wrecking ball, knocking the air out of her. With her back lowered, L¨ªlitha was able to grab her shoulder and wrap her legs around her waist, her arms snaking around her throat. Calista clawed at her hands as she choked, falling to her knees. She tried to throw her weight backwards, but L¨ªlitha forced her to pitch forward, pinning her onto her face. Despite the girl¡¯s size, she somehow managed to weigh her down like a sack of sand. Calista¡¯s fist struck onto the ground as her frustration grew. She could hear the loud cheers of all the students around her, further fueling her anger. No doubt her former friends were watching this just to mock her. They¡¯d make a broadcast about it for sure. They were cackling. She hated giving them that satisfaction. Them, her mother, her grandparents¡­ everyone in the family would tell her they ¡®told her so¡¯ for the rest of her life. L¨ªlitha¡¯s arm shifted to hold her under her armpit, leaving her shoulder exposed. Calista¡¯s eyes widened when she realized she was going to bite her. But this gave her an opening. With all her strength, she pushed against the ground to lift herself, giving her arms just a bit of leeway. Just as L¨ªlitha opened her mouth, exposing her sharp knives, Calista held all her weight on one arm, jerking her other elbow into her opponent¡¯s face. She could feel the sharp teeth on her elbow, wincing. But the hit worked, eliciting a satisfying groan of pain from L¨ªlitha. With her hold weakened, Calista rolled over and pressed all her weight onto her enemy, practically crushing her. There was no room for her to land a good bite, so she was trapped. However, she was able to stretch her arm out and punch Calista in the cheek. The human girl cradled her jaw as she rolled off her opponent, allowing her to breathe. With a shrill roar, L¨ªlitha leapt, kicking at Calista¡¯s face. As the human girl veered to the side, she was smacked across the face, forced to turn the other way. Her arm was suddenly twisted behind her back as two harsh blows were delivered to her stomach, sending her to her knees. She was unable to block or counter the Ilamikoan as she grabbed her head and smashed her forehead against hers. No doubt it hurt her, but it hurt Calista more. She fell on her back, wailing in pain. As a final blow, L¨ªlitha pinned her down and punched her twice in the face. ¡°GAME OVER!¡± the announcer finally yelled. L¨ªlitha¡¯s fist halted and she stood, glaring down at the Earthian girl. With a contemptuous huff, she turned to the crowds and basked in their cheers, pumping her small fists in the air. Calista remained on the ground, breathing heavily. Her nose itched fiercely before she tasted the metallic tang of blood. She wiped her nose in surprise. The sight of scarlet red goop on her glove instantly nauseated her. Blood wasn¡¯t something she was prepared to see or touch. The adrenaline faded, replaced by exhaustion and horrible pain. It seemed that the invisible protectors left her nose exposed, probably to further test the hopefuls¡¯ tolerance. Calista had an answer for that. She passed out. 7- Potential Lisa massaged her neck tiredly. She¡¯d never felt so stressed in her life. The process of admitting new students was quite rigorous, especially with the admissions officers¡¯ laziness this year. It seemed like they wanted to give the staff extra work by passing those who just barely scored 60 tacks. As she walked through the wide, sunlit halls of the academy, she passed numerous classrooms, the walls turning transparent when she tapped them with her finger. All the students were in holo-desks, paying close attention to their coaches and professors. She then passed over the gyms, where the practicum courses took place. She stopped on the bridge she was crossing and looked down at an ongoing Teamwork course. They were currently playing a classic round of Capture the Flag. The team on the left seemed to be winning as their only Ilamikoan student carried their enemy¡¯s flag to their post. Most of the spectating students were cheering for the team on the right, shouting for them not to lose. Unfortunately for them, the Ilamikoan¡¯s flexible limbs carried her forward, allowing her to win. Her teammates cheered, but many students groaned in disappointment. Lisa tried to keep the word ¡®adorable¡¯ out of her mind, but it was all anyone could think when they looked at L¨ªlitha Houdge. She was a tiny little thing¡ª barely 4 feet¡ª with large, black eyes that rivalled a puppy¡¯s in terms of cuteness. In Ilamikoan standards, she was only 8 years old, but on Earth, she was already 23, a young woman. Still growing, but she was certainly not a child, despite her appearance. In reality, L¨ªlitha was anything but cute. Not only did her flexibility provide her power in her kicks and punches, making them similar to being hit by a wrecking ball, but she had a bite force stronger than a hippo¡¯s. Hence her call sign. Then came the other ¡®outcast¡¯ of the school: Harrison Smith. To the masses, he didn¡¯t give enough effort. Lisa struggled throughout her entire career to get to first place in her last Versus, unlike him. Hajja was especially adamant with their accusations, desperate to salvage a shred of their pride after losing so many competitions already. Of course, they had the excuse of simply being in a slump. ¡°He is always smiling despite everything, isn¡¯t he?¡± Lisa gasped, startled by Benson¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°You scared the bugs out of me,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he chuckled, continuing to observe both Harrison and L¨ªlitha. ¡°He is a positive soul. I¡¯ve never seen him without that smile of his.¡± The two went down the hall, then exited the building and headed to the Hall of Affairs. Students around them politely greeted them. ¡°So¡­ what do you think of the new class?¡± Lisa asked. Benson took a breath. ¡°Hard to say. There were many prospective students with massive potential.¡± ¡°How do you think Josephine will handle this?¡± ¡°My bet is that she will wash her hands and leave it to us. Or she will simply choose the strongest species.¡± ¡°There weren¡¯t a lot,¡± Lisa remarked. ¡°I was surprised. I thought more of the ¡®tops¡¯ would apply.¡± ¡°A few of them piqued my interest. Particularly that human girl.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can tell. When you requested her, I thought¡­ well, I expected more, honestly.¡± ¡°You underestimate her.¡± ¡°Benson, she barely got past 60 on the practical exam. I feel like you¡¯re cutting too much slack just because she¡¯s human. I appreciate that you¡¯re trying to give my species more opportunities, but they still need to put in the work.¡± ¡°She put in plenty of work. She¡¯s merely rusty. With the proper training, she¡¯ll do well.¡± They entered their soundproof meeting room and sat in their respective chairs with their colleagues. Everyone had the same, glassy-eyed expression, their eyes bursting with the desire of a comfy sleep capsule and melatonin tea¡­ or whatever other sleep hormone other species produced. When Josephine entered, she looked exhausted beyond measure, a rare occurrence for her. ¡°Well.¡± She sighed, slumping into her chair. ¡°How many passed with a score over 80?¡± ¡°One hundred candidates, ma¡¯am,¡± one of the professors replied, scrolling on his AIDA band. ¡°How many passed with a score over 90?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± He paused, sifting through the list. ¡°60.¡± ¡°Very well¡­¡± Josephine¡¯s fingers drummed on the table as she frowned in thought. Her golden eyes shimmered as her pupils expanded and contracted. ¡°There¡¯s 330 spots, right? We can admit these hundred and sixty candidates as a start. That leaves us about half to fill in,¡± one of the coaches suggested. ¡°If anything, we can merge some of the other applicants into the School of Combat so they can go for a non-Versus career.¡± ¡°We never should¡¯ve let so many apply in the first place. I don¡¯t know why you disagreed on the limit,¡± Josephine grumbled. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be more selective than this.¡± ¡°We wanted to avoid accusations of-¡± ¡°Oh, please, they¡¯ll accuse us of everything in the Milky Way. I hardly care anymore.¡± She connected her AIDA band to the table. ¡°Well, prepare for a long night. We can admit the top 160 and decide on the other half. Then, it¡¯s the analysts¡¯ problem.¡± ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± Benson began. Everyone knowingly looked at him. Benson was as kind as he was predictable, yet sometimes, he was unpredictable. An enigma, Lisa would think. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn down that suggestion,¡± Josephine said coldly. ¡°Come now, hear me out.¡± ¡°The last time we heard you out, we wound up wasting our time with a girl that just barely passed. Here I was thinking you¡¯d present us with someone more skilled.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing; you¡¯ve admitted many fighters that did much worse in the pressure exam. They were as much a ¡®waste of time¡¯ as my candidate, in that case. Why is it that my suggested applicant is a ¡®waste¡¯ while the other ones you passed had no potential whatsoever?¡± ¡°What are you implying?¡± Josephine asked defensively. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say you were deliberately dismissing my word in these decisions. And as Vice President of this academy, I should have a say in who I deem fit for our school.¡± A tense silence loomed over them. Lisa folded her lips, deciding to say nothing, which implied her silent agreement with Benson. Josephine had definitely been biased when it came to decisions about the new class. Emitonians weren¡¯t very friendly towards humans, or any other species that didn¡¯t have any ¡®special ability¡¯. Even though Josephine was born and raised in England, she was as close-minded as those from her planet of descent. ¡°If we¡¯re all too exhausted to analyze every single applicant that passed, then let¡¯s make it simple,¡± Benson continued. ¡°Each of us on the board has requested one candidate, correct? Let¡¯s admit them. All of them have passed each test. Now we have five less applicants to analyze.¡± He had a point. More than anything, Lisa wanted this to be over with. It was her first time being part of the full admissions process, so it took a toll on her energy. ¡°That¡¯s not fair to those who deserve a place in the school,¡± one of the coaches said. ¡°I could say that to you. There were many applicants with excellent potential that you rejected. Don¡¯t pretend that it wasn¡¯t because they weren¡¯t the species you preferred.¡± ¡°Now listen here-¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Josephine sighed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do that.¡± She brought up the applicant files, which hovered in a circle on the table. Sifting through them, she found the five applicants each member of the board requested; a Hajjian, whom she requested herself¡ª that should¡¯ve been obvious. A Mercearthian that the Evaluator, Mr. Estalen, requested. A Paesearthian Lisa¡¯s cousin took a liking to. Lisa¡¯s candidate was a Seeyastian she¡¯d seen in the last Junior Versus. He was a talented individual with a lot of power to make up for the lack of an ability. He was very adept in Krav Maga, which Lisa herself knew like her own ID code. She could easily coach him in classes. And finally, the human girl Benson wanted. Lisa wasn¡¯t about to refuse a candidate of her species in front of the board, especially with her reputation. That would go against everything she believed in. But she couldn¡¯t fully support giving this girl a spot among the 330. She had potential, but she needed a lot more training to qualify for the Versus school. She could try out in the regular School of Combat for a couple years until she was ready. It was as if she hadn¡¯t trained in years. The girl¡¯s reflexes were sharp, and she evidently retained muscle memory from previous training, but she was too clumsy and unbalanced. She also kept wiping sweat off herself, which was distracting to both herself and the judges. The last thing they needed was accusations of accepting species like humans just so they could dodge suspicions of exclusion. They needed to admit students based on merit alone. They couldn¡¯t go from only accepting the more ¡®powerful¡¯ species to only accepting the more ¡®underestimated¡¯ species. ¡°Our requested candidates know how to fight,¡± Mr. Estalen told Benson. ¡°Yours-¡± ¡°Has potential,¡± Benson said. ¡°I¡¯ve been Vice President for a few years now, with all due respect, Professor Estalen. Every request I¡¯ve had, whether for the Junior Versus or the Versus Games themselves, all of you have doubted. But don¡¯t they usually become the best fighters of the batch?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t notice this girl in her Junior Versus applications,¡± Josephine pointed out. ¡°She said she applied twice.¡± ¡°Perhaps she wasn¡¯t ready. Now she is.¡± ¡°I agree with Vice President Kalley,¡± Gina White said. ¡°The girl just needs a bit of coaching, which is what the school is for. And it¡¯s not like she¡¯s being put on the team. It¡¯s just the first step. There¡¯s a lot of students in the Versus school that have been here for years and haven¡¯t gotten on the team once. Why are we arguing about this particular girl when we have plenty of students we never should have accepted?¡± ¡°Benson¡¯s usually right about these sorts of things,¡± another professor remarked. ¡°He hasn¡¯t disappointed us.¡± Gina was right. These people didn¡¯t care about this girl. They just didn¡¯t like Benson. Perhaps they were jealous of his eye for hidden gems among the applicants. He was always good at this. Still, Lisa couldn¡¯t help a little doubt. Usually, she would see the same potential he did. But this time, she could see the potential, but she couldn¡¯t see the readiness. Maybe if she waited a couple years¡­ How did Benson even know her skills, anyway? Every time he requested an applicant, he would have seen them in action before exam day. This time, they¡¯d all met her the day she came in. How did he know of her? Josephine let out a huge sigh. ¡°Very well.¡± She moved the human girl¡¯s file into the ¡®Accepted¡¯ section. ¡°There. All of our requested applicants are in the school. Now to analyze the rest of them.¡± After a few tiring hours, the board and the faculty finally had their 330 new students for the Versus Fighting School of Fistborn. The rest of the students applying for the other schools would be analyzed by the other respective Deans; poor Gina had a lot of work to do tonight, being the Dean of the non-Versus branch of the Fighting career. She would probably take some of the Versus School rejects so they could polish themselves up in her school. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Benson, a word?¡± Lisa said before the Paeseoan could leave. They waited until everyone was out of the room. Benson chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that would work.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about this,¡± Lisa told him. ¡°She fainted at the sight of blood. How will she handle the training?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s plenty that don¡¯t like blood. She¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t need a human attracting any controversy right now. This is my first year here. They¡¯ll think I hacked something for her to get in.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t think anything. And even if they do, that¡¯s their problem. Why are you so against this girl?¡± Benson said. ¡°I¡¯m not against her, I just think this spot should go to someone that deserves it,¡± Lisa reasoned. ¡°I don¡¯t want students to be admitted just because we need more of a certain species in here.¡± ¡°And it won¡¯t. You should know by now that I always know what I am doing.¡± ¡°How do you even know her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long story.¡± He tapped his fingers on the table, looking away. Lisa narrowed her eyes. ¡°Benson?¡± He was silent for a few moments. Finally, he sighed. ¡°This stays between us.¡± Lisa made sure no recorders were on in the room. ¡°I¡¯ll lock it down. What is it?¡± After a pause, he quietly said, ¡°I may have seen her in the Cosmos bar.¡± ¡°In where?¡± ¡°Cosmos. The illegal bar on Genesis X.¡± Lisa instantly rose from her chair, repeating his words in her head to make sure she¡¯d been paying full attention. It took a few moments for her to reply. ¡°You mean to tell me that your candidate came from a random bar fight in an illegal bar? On Genesis X?!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a random bar fight, okay? You don¡¯t know the whole story.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been going to an illegal bar, Benson!¡± Lisa paced nervously. She had to hope he wasn¡¯t recognized there at all. If this got out, their academy¡¯s already-suffering reputation would take a massive hit they couldn¡¯t afford. Earth was already enough of a laughingstock. ¡°I just needed to take some time away, and I liked it there. Great drinks, no one pestering me-¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have gone¡­ I don¡¯t know, literally anywhere else? Anyone up there can see you and put it on the Hub!¡± ¡°No one has! Well- until now, but-¡± ¡°¡®Until now¡¯? You got spotted?¡± ¡°Could you just listen for a minute? Please?¡± Lisa sighed and sat back down, quieting. She glanced nervously at the door. They were alone, and the room was soundproof, but¡­ ¡°My Mask malfunctioned and the girl working the bar recognized me. She made a deal with me that she wouldn¡¯t report that I was there if I watched her sister fight.¡± ¡°Her sister? So it wasn¡¯t even her?¡± ¡°No. She brought her sister and set up a fight so the girl could show her skills. The girl didn¡¯t even know what was going on. I assume her sister lied to her so she could come to the bar. Under pressure, she did very well.¡± ¡°If it was staged, they must¡¯ve gone easy on her,¡± Lisa pointed out. ¡°Perhaps, but I could see it. She had a good position, good reflexes and form, strong force behind her hits. I think she was simply¡­ overthinking it during the test. If her sister¡¯s working at an illegal bar at such a young age, I don¡¯t know what her home life is like.¡± ¡°Did you do a background check on her?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°I looked up her name. She¡¯s apparently related to some famous Socializer¡ª I don¡¯t know who she is. Miss Milky Way winner. She¡¯s her daughter.¡± ¡°A Socializer? That¡¯s great. The same lunatics who said I was leading the human race into a murderous rampage.¡± Lisa shook her head in disbelief and opened the girl¡¯s file on the table. Calista Medley was her name. She was a pretty one, her waist evidently shaped by Thinning treatments. Definitely a Socializer. Why would she be here if her mother was a famous beauty queen? Weren¡¯t the Versus Games considered a sacrilege by those people? Why would she even be interested? How would she have trained? There were so many unanswered questions about this girl, and Lisa didn¡¯t like it. Everything about this was too masky. ¡°Just give her a chance, Lisa,¡± Benson said. ¡°You saw this girl get lured into a bar by her sister so she could fight. What if she doesn¡¯t even want to be here and her sister¡ª if that was her sister¡ª forced her or something? All of this¡­ it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s hard to explain. But I know she¡¯s worth the shot. Like Gina said, she¡¯ll just be in the school. It¡¯s up to her to get on the team.¡± He disabled his translator chip as he left, saying a Paeseoan phrase that Lisa understood. ¡°Pali nebetem a thia.¡± ¡®It takes a special set of eyes.¡¯ === Calista had become depressed to the point that her mother wasn¡¯t as angry anymore. Seeing her ¡®future beauty queen¡¯ daughter neglect herself, refusing Thinning treatments and not even requesting the AIDA to fix her hair¡ª it took a toll on the whole family. In no time, former fans of Jennifer and Calista found the footage of L¨ªlitha pummeling Calista¡¯s face. Now the humiliation was plastered all over both the Versus and Socializer Hubs. Both worlds were against her; one full of ridicule towards a Socializer wanting to be a fighter, and one full of hatred for a girl betraying her community. ¡°You have to do something,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°Just let me take you to the spa, okay? You don¡¯t have to see anyone. You can just go in an SD tank.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Calista said coldly, keeping her eyes away from her mother. The sudden kindness only angered her. Was she genuinely concerned, or was she more worried about her ¡®perfect¡¯ appearance deteriorating? All her life, she¡¯d been conditioned to caring about what Jennifer¡¯s fans thought of her. Now that they hated her¡­ what did she have left to care about? She was done. Her Versus career was nonexistent, and NYWS was definitely not an option. The SociaLights were already showing off their cute, new uniforms; white cotton shirts that looked airy and comfortable to wear on a nice hot day, and pink, pleated plaid skirts that would¡¯ve looked so cute on her. They were quick to rub Calista¡¯s recent failure in her face. It was as if they knew she was still watching their stuff and missing her place among them. She wasn¡¯t sure if she really missed them, but she missed having something to look forward to. She was even considering moving out of the country. She could go to a remote country that didn¡¯t associate with either world. There were plenty of countries that didn¡¯t partake in the Versus Games or have Socializers. Or she could even move off-planet. None of the other species would care about her and her reputation. She could start fresh without fearing someone recognizing her and trying to ruin her life one way or another. No wonder everyone made fun of humans. They attacked each other over the stupidest things. But when someone actually did something immoral and wrong, they were forgiven, excused, even praised at times. People were quick to defend a Socializer when they defamed a fighter¡¯s family or bullied a 12-year old human that talked about the Games. It didn¡¯t matter if they wrecked a wedding to get attention or used their status to abuse other people. Shortly after Jennifer gave up and left Calista alone, Henry came through the wall. Calista sighed, not looking at him. ¡°I¡¯m not going out,¡± she said. She was sitting in one of her chairs, her knees hugged against her chest. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to.¡± He sat in the hovering chair across from her. ¡°I just wanted to keep you company now that I have time.¡± ¡°Hackers give you a break?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just taking one. There¡¯s plenty of engineers out there that are ¡®better¡¯ than me. If I¡¯m that worthless, they shouldn¡¯t miss me.¡± ¡°How do you do it, Dad? Why didn¡¯t you just do what your family does? It would¡¯ve been easier, right? You keep going to work and letting them talk about you¡­ and you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said. ¡°Sometimes, it gets to me. It hurts and frustrates me. I just don¡¯t let it stop me.¡± ¡°But why? You had the cheat code. You could¡¯ve done stuff on the Hub instead.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to. I never wanted this life, Cali. I just did what I wanted. The fact that it¡¯s more difficult for humans never made me stop trying. Yeah, it was difficult to get to the position I have now, but I made it.¡± ¡°And Grandma and Grandpa didn¡¯t say anything?¡± ¡°Your grandpa doesn¡¯t care. Your grandma¡­ it took some arguing. Eventually, she refocused on my sister and left me alone.¡± Calista sighed dreadfully. ¡°I don¡¯t want Kate or Quincy to go through this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to them. We all have our own lives, Calista. You¡¯re a good kid. You¡¯ve put up with your mom and respected her. But she needs to respect you, too. Once a parent crosses that line¡­ that¡¯s when they¡¯re a problem.¡± ¡°So Mom¡¯s the problem, right? It¡¯s not me?¡± ¡°Your mom¡­ she¡¯s been through a lot. You know she tried so hard to not be married to me?¡± Calista¡¯s chin lifted from her knees. ¡°She did?¡± ¡°Bugs, yeah. She didn¡¯t even like seeing me. Tried everything to get out of it. But her mother wouldn¡¯t let her marry anyone else, and she wanted to marry someone¡­ so she went with me. I gave her as much space as possible. We didn¡¯t start truly being a couple until¡­ maybe three years into our marriage. She eventually started liking me and we became an actual couple in love. She had a huge gamechanger at one point, and she became such a different person¡­¡± ¡°What gamechanger?¡± ¡°You.¡± Calista¡¯s emerald eyes blinked. ¡°Me?¡± she almost scoffed. ¡°When she found out she was pregnant, she was so¡­ so happy. I¡¯d never seen her like that. Her smile wasn¡¯t the same as it was when she was with her channel friends or when she was at a Socializer gala. I¡¯d never seen her like that¡ª or been so in love. But then the Hajjians started killing all the birthing pods, and your grandmother started pressing your mom about her stomach, and her waist getting too large¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°That was the first time she really defied her mom. She didn¡¯t care about what she thought, or her followers, she just cared about you.¡± Calista shook her head, disbelieving. All her life, she always felt like Jennifer resented her for the backlash she got for having her naturally. After all, she did say she wished she¡¯d never saved her. ¡°I guess after a few years, everything everyone said got to her. There were a lot of¡­ horrible things. Especially from the family. And the death threats¡­ maybe she thought that if you ¡®proved yourself¡¯ to the fans, she could protect you.¡± Death threats? Calista saw the cruelty they were giving her just for the Versus test. She never thought about all that Jennifer had to hear for years since she was born. She had to hear threats towards her¡­ towards her daughter. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to talk about it with you¡ª she should, though. She was the same as you, Calista. She just never got the chance to really explore what she really wanted. She was raised to be Jennifer Zyben, Miss Milky Way.¡± ¡°If she didn¡¯t like being a Socializer, then why is she making me? Why do we have to keep this going?¡± Henry breathed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s a complicated answer. The cheat-code version is that¡­ it runs in the family.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯ll end with her, because I¡¯m done. And I hope Kate and Quincy don¡¯t put up with it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to them, just like it¡¯s up to you. They can say what they want about you. They¡¯re not worth it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell her that?¡± Calista shifted to fully face her father. ¡°She listens to you.¡± ¡°She listens to her parents more. Her mother, especially. It¡¯s always been a thing with both our families. I guess it¡¯s my fault for not standing up for you three sooner.¡± Henry reached out, stroking Calista¡¯s hair and tucking it behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, babycodes. I should¡¯ve been stronger¡­ as your dad.¡± Calista looked at the view of the neighborhood through her window. All the mansions, skyscrapers, Air-Cars zooming overhead¡­ would they have any of this if her mother hadn¡¯t followed the family ¡®business¡¯? Would they have lived in a cramped apartment on a space station if Jennifer had followed a different career with more firewalls blocking her just because she was a human? ¡°Calista Medley, you have a message from¡­ Fistborn Academy. Would you like to view the message now, or save it for later?¡± Both Calista and her father looked up at the ceiling, then looked at each other. ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± Calista said. ¡°You want to hear it?¡± Calista looked at the wall. Her mother had mellowed the past few days, but¡­ ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m your father, and you have my permission. That¡¯s final.¡± Calista nodded and asked the AIDA to play the message. The entire panel of judges, including Lisa White and Benson Kalley, appeared before the two. ¡°Miss Medley, we¡¯d like to extend our congratulations,¡± President Chrisman said. ¡°Seeing as you have completed all the requirements expected of a new student, you have officially been accepted to the Versus Fighting School of Fistborn Academy. Please proceed to TelePort 3 to Washington D.C. on September 5th at 9:00 AM. You will be transported to Fistborn with the other new Versus School students. We are thrilled to have you join our academy.¡± Contrary to her words, Chrisman had the most impassive look and the most bored tone. It didn¡¯t diminish the importance of the message for Calista. Once it closed, Calista stared at her father, who was equally shocked. She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m dreaming, right? I fell asleep?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming,¡± Henry said. ¡°They¡¯re serious? But¡­ I didn¡¯t even¡­ I did terrible.¡± ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t. I saw that recording, Cali. You landed a few good hits. I guess it was enough.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Calista covered her mouth, trying not to shout the news out the window to her neighbors¡ª not that they would hear anything through the soundproof walls. ¡°I got in¡­¡± ¡°You got in!¡± Henry took his daughter into a tight embrace, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, my girl.¡± Calista was still dazed when Henry called her siblings over and told them the news. Quincy was excited, but Katelyn was jumping up and down while screaming, crushing Calista in a hug. Calista could hardly believe it. She passed the test. She was a Fistborn student. She was going to be a fighter. For real. The sounds of celebration screeched to a halt when Jennifer entered the room. Her green eyes were filled with tears and her face was tight with emotion. Calista couldn¡¯t tell what she was feeling. Was she angry with her again for leaving the family? Was she regretful about doubting her? Was she proud? Doubtful. Seeing her mother cry was something she hadn¡¯t seen in years. She always repeated her motto: ¡°Don¡¯t let them see you break.¡± Calista¡¯s heart wrenched, but this time, she held back her tears. ¡°Calista, I¡­¡± A tear dropped down Jennifer¡¯s blushed cheek. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t see any reason to stop you now. I¡­¡± Her polished lips parted, flapping as she tried to get words out. Calista felt like going to hug her, but the tension between them was still thick. Jennifer still hadn¡¯t apologized for what she said; either she was too proud or she really didn¡¯t feel sorry. ¡°Good luck¡­ at Fistborn,¡± Jennifer finally choked out before leaving. Henry sighed, then smiled at Calista, kissing her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the TelePort, okay? We should go out to dinner. I know a really good Paesearthian restaurant. I¡¯ll just talk to your mother for a minute, ¡®kay?¡± He left the room, obviously intending to reprimand his wife for not apologizing to Calista. Katelyn hugged Calista once again. ¡°My sister¡¯s a fighter! I¡¯m so excited!¡± She pulled away and jumped around. ¡°Oh, you have to tell me what it¡¯s like when you get there! See if they allow family visits! Imagine if you get on the team, Cali!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Doubt clouded Calista¡¯s excitement. How did she even pass that test? Did they accept her because of Benson? ¡°You don¡¯t know? Cali, you haven¡¯t trained in years and you got into the school!¡± ¡°Exactly. I don¡¯t get how I passed. You saw the recording. I passed out when I saw blood.¡± ¡°But you lasted a while. There were a lot of fighters that didn¡¯t even last a few seconds. I mean- you elbowed L¨ªlitha Houdge in the mouth when she was going to bite you! That was amazing!¡± Katelyn took Calista¡¯s hands. ¡°Don¡¯t you start doubting yourself now. You got into that school for a reason.¡± ¡°Look, if you don¡¯t get on the team this year, then try for next time,¡± said Quincy, playing on his Pet screen. ¡°Then try again and again. You¡¯ve got three tries until you age out. You¡¯re graduating from Fistborn either way.¡± He had a point. Fistborn Versus School students needed to be between 15 and 31 years of age. Being eighteen, she had three Versus years to try and get on the team. Even if she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d still be enrolled and have somewhere to go and escape her family and her former fans. She¡¯d gotten this far. She just needed to truly do her best. 8- Welcome to Fistborn Academy ¡°Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 8:00 in the morning of September 5th, 2349 in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Your TelePortation is scheduled at 9:00 AM in TelePort 3 in the Travel District.¡± === The Air-Bus crossed the campus line and the Fistborn school soon came into sight. Calista¡¯s emerald eyes were wide with childish excitement mixed with fear. After a tearful goodbye to her family¡ª minus her mother¡ª at the TelePort, she¡¯d returned to Washington D.C. by herself. Today, all the new students would go through orientation, then start classes the next day. Calista took a deep, determined breath. This was the place she dreamed of going to as a little girl. She couldn¡¯t give up on that dream so easily. She was never a Socializer, and those girls were never her friends; they were only there because their moms had a channel in their youth. Calista didn¡¯t need any of them. She looked around the Air-Bus, observing the other new students. There were two triple-deckers taking them to the school. 330 lucky applicants on course to becoming part of the American fighter team. Calista felt out of place as she looked at their outfits. She¡¯d chosen a cute outfit; a yellow, off-shoulder crop top that stopped just above her belly button, and a pair of blue slim-fit slacks that showed off just enough of her figure. White cushion shoes completed the ensemble. A silver necklace glinted across her collarbones and her black hair was perfectly straightened in a thick waterfall of ink, a yellow headband holding it in place. The other new students were wearing more athletic outfits¡ª sweatpants, track pants, Fistborn jackets, and sleeveless tops. Maybe she should¡¯ve tried to look the part a bit more. As her mother always said, ¡°Be unique, but not too unique.¡± There were a couple of girls sitting next to her, but neither of them had made any friendly overtures. One was on her AIDA band and one stared at her lap, probably anxious. Calista couldn¡¯t stand the awkward atmosphere between them. Well, if she had to be the one to say hello¡­ ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Calista,¡± she said, looking at the girl next to her. It didn¡¯t seem that she heard her; probably had a sound bubble on for whatever she was doing. ¡°Okay.¡± Calista leaned to talk to the other girl. ¡°Hi, there. I¡¯m Calista.¡± The girl looked at her, a bit weirded out, it seemed. She was a small Mearthian with whitish-blond hair in a pixie cut. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m Raleigh.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Calista said. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re a new student, too?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Cool. You excited?¡± The girl shrugged. ¡°Guess so.¡± ¡®Guess so¡¯? How could she not be happy to get this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? ¡°I¡¯m really nervous. I never thought I¡¯d actually get in. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to be in the same place as Lisa White! She¡¯s my star idol. She¡¯s uber-awesome and so pretty. I love her fighting.¡± Raleigh just stared at her. Calista¡¯s stomach clenched in shame. Was she rambling too much? She sunk in her seat. ¡°Anyway¡­ you have any friends here?¡± Raleigh sighed and turned away. Calista raised her thick black brows and turned to the window. She had to remember this was Fistborn, not NYWS. In the Socializer school, she would be depending on meeting new people to get far in her career. Here, it was different. The Air-Bus went underground, stopping in the station. It opened up onto a platform. ¡°Welcome to Fistborn Academy. Please exercise caution while exiting the Air-Bus¡­¡± Everyone filed off the bus and walked out onto the square platform, being instantly teleported one by one. Calista found herself in a large, red hallway with windows letting in natural light from above. The crowd of new students murmured in awe, looking around with excited eyes. In front of them stood three people; President Chrisman, Vice President Kalley, and Dean Lisa White. Calista instantly squealed at seeing her new idol again. ¡°It¡¯s her! It¡¯s really her!¡± She shook someone¡¯s arm next to her. ¡°Can you imagine Lisa White teaching us? Like, literally teaching us and showing us her cheat codes? Uber-amazing!¡± Her excitement dimmed slightly when she looked up at the person. He was a tall, hulking Mercurian with rocky red skin, probably a good few years older than Calista. She let go of his arm and smiled shyly. ¡°Sorry. Got excited.¡± The Mercurian raised a brow and looked away. Calista couldn¡¯t see his face, but she knew he was smirking at whoever was with him. It was the classic Secret Smile head turn. One of the basics of mocking someone behind their back, yet still letting them know what was being thought of them. She¡¯d known how to hide her mockery since she was a kid¡ª not that she liked to mock people. She would just use it with Danica and Rebecca whenever they mocked someone, mainly Elizabeth. She had to calm down and stop acting like an ultra fangirl. Clearly, everyone else was a lot more serious. If she wanted to be a fighter, she¡¯d have to act like one. ¡°Welcome to Fistborn Academy!¡± President Chrisman announced, smiling a bit. ¡°I hope all of you had a wonderful trip,¡± she said. ¡°Congratulations on passing your admissions exams and becoming our honored Versus School students. We hope the next four to sixteen years of your career are filled with success and victory.¡± ¡°The Orientation program will be on your AIDA bands,¡± Lisa White said. As she spoke, all of their AIDA bands beeped with the schedule for the day. ¡°Prepare yourselves for your first classes tomorrow. A Versus School student¡¯s life is nothing short of grueling. The exams will seem like nothing compared to what you¡¯ll face in the next few months. Any one of you could be traveling with us to Los Angeles for the international prelims. If you want that spot on the country team, you¡¯ll have to prove you¡¯re worthy enough to be accepted.¡± ¡°Once you complete your orientation, you will be shown to your dorms,¡± Vice President Kalley said. ¡°Some of you will have your own rooms, others will have one or two roommates. If you do have roommates, we hope you can get along well. We are all a team, and we expect any differences to be settled in a calm and mature manner. The whole purpose of the Versus is to settle grudges through controlled combat. Self-control is key.¡± Calista hoped to have roommates. She needed at least a couple of friends to start with. Hopefully they weren¡¯t like that girl Raleigh. ¡°I will be virtually heading the tour of Fistborn¡¯s campus,¡± President Chrisman said. ¡°Should you have any questions, please send them through your AIDA band and the rest of the board will answer.¡± Benson Kalley smiled. ¡°Enjoy your orientation, and welcome again to Fistborn Academy.¡± He turned away with Lisa White, leaving Chrisman behind. ¡°Where you are standing now is the Hall of Affairs. Here, you will find meeting rooms, tutoring rooms, the Auditorium, and the widely-used Studitorium, as well as all of our personal offices, should you have any concerns to take up with a faculty or staff member. Now, please stand in the circle.¡± She pointed to the large, blue circle in the middle of the hall, which was big enough to accommodate all 330 of the students. Calista felt a little crammed in by the tall students around her. In a flash, they were all teleported to another building. This building had a narrower hallway, but still wide enough to fit a lot of people. There were classroom signs glowing on the walls and open doorways all down the hall. The ceiling was high, allowing blue banners with the academy¡¯s crest to hang. President Chrisman now appeared in a virtual image, evident by the transparency. ¡°This is your home, the Versus Fighting School. Here, students attend classes for at least four years and at most sixteen years, with year levels divided into four-year sections. The years between Versus Games are optional for students, but we highly encourage constant training to ensure our team is always the best of the best. The Versus Fighting School is a personal wing located in the School of Combat building.¡± What exactly was the difference? Calista heard of the Versus Fighting School being referred to separately from the School of Combat. Were there two, in that case? She input the question in her AIDA band as Chrisman¡¯s hologram led the students down the hall. It seemed that this particular hall had been cleared for the tour. ¡°The Versus Fighting School contains up to 1320 students,¡± Lisa White answered Calista. ¡°It is a sub-division of the main School of Combat that specializes in training the next country team for the upcoming Versus Games. It only accepts students during a Versus Games year, and these students can take time away from the academy during non-Versus years. The School of Combat, on the other hand, offers four years to thousands of students looking to follow a fighting career without participating in the Versus Games. If a Versus student ages out after less than sixteen years in the school, they are transferred to the non-Versus track to complete their education and graduate.¡± ¡°The Versus School is also the only school in Fistborn Academy that gives out full scholarships,¡± Benson added. ¡°The other schools; Fighting, Journalism, and whatnot, do not give out full-rides. They offer partial scholarships, but otherwise have to be paid for out of personal accounts.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Calista breathed. She was attending the Versus school completely for free. Her mother had to use her connections to get her the full-ride to NYWS. They went through an indoor glass bridge that overlooked a large gymnasium. Below, they could see the other students working out and training, all of them wearing athletic blue and red uniforms. Calista paused, pressing her face to the glass as she watched them. Some of the men, humans and aliens alike, were pretty handsome specimens. One in particular caught her eye: Harrison Smith. She¡¯d always remember the gorgeous face she¡¯d seen on the freeze scans around the city. He was cute four years ago, but now that he was older? He was uber-stellar. She watched as he trained on a CDSim, delivering punches and kicks. What if she got to take a class with him?! It would definitely be hard to concentrate! ¡°Move it, human,¡± a marble-white skinned Voraxian woman muttered, practically shoving Calista forward. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Calista said, hurrying forward. Voraxians were known for their monstrous heights and strength. She knew better than to anger one of them. ¡°We have now passed over to the School of Combat for the non-Versus track,¡± President Chrisman said as they entered another hallway. ¡°This school contains thousands of students looking to become coaches, professors, and experts in combat.¡± Unlike the other hallway, this one was full of students, who made way for the tour group. They all wore different uniforms from the ones in the gym; blue blazers with the academy crest shining on their chests and formal red pants. ¡®Why are there different uniforms?¡¯ Calista asked on her AIDA band. ¡°The formal uniforms are used during Combat Theory classes¡ª classes that do not involve physical training,¡± Lisa answered. ¡°The practicum uniforms are used during Practicum classes to allow movement and circulation.¡± The uniforms looked pretty stiff, though. Calista actually preferred the NYWS outfits with the light shirts and skirts. They could use a few modifications. The group stood in another blue circle, teleporting to another building, which was also full of students. This time, Calista noticed a few girls wearing a red skirt instead of pants. So they did have more variants to the uniform. Even so, it still looked¡­ sort of plain, with no flair or eye-catching quality to it. It felt like something was missing to complete the ensemble. ¡°The School of Journalism contains careers for students to follow the Versus Games through a reporter¡¯s lens. They eventually move on to the large Versus News corporations to share the fighters¡¯ stories and progress with the rest of the world, and by extension, the galaxy.¡± Unlike the Fighting students that hardly spared their group a glance, these students stared at them and whispered to one another, much like Calista expected Socializers to do. Being Journalism students, gossip about fighters was their ticket to a job. They always made fun of Socializers, but they were pretty similar, weren¡¯t they? The other two schools were the School of Medical Science, for medics specializing in treating fighters in the competition, and the School of Strategy and Relations created the analysts and PR officers that sponsored fighters, weighed odds, and measured stats. After finishing the tour of the Versus Wing, they also did a quick tour of the other half of Fistborn¡ª the Technological Wing. Here, there were schools for Design, Architecture, Engineering, and Medical Technology. The students here were a bit more excited to see the new Versus School students. After all, once they graduated, they would be operating the game maps and designing the combat suits for the fighters in the competition. Katelyn would thrive here. Her skills in architecture and technology were incredible. But as Lisa said, only the Versus school offered full rides, and after everything that happened, Jennifer would never pay to send Katelyn here. Throughout the tour, Calista couldn¡¯t help her intense anxiety. People were looking at her strangely and laughing at her excited reactions. Just her outfit alone was a sign that she didn¡¯t belong there, just like her family said. But she couldn¡¯t let Katelyn or Quincy down after everything they did for her. She was here for a reason. She was chosen for a reason. Hopefully a good one. She couldn¡¯t waste this opportunity. All she had to do was her best. The class was teleported back to the Hall of Affairs at the end of the tour. Checking her AIDA band, Calista read her orientation schedule. 9:00-10:30 AM: Fistborn Campus Tour 10:30-11:45 AM: Coach Meet and Greet/Schedule Planning 11:45 AM-12:30 PM: Dormitory Assignments 12:30-1:30 PM: Lunch and Q&A 1:30 PM: Free Time ¡°You will now be sent to the Training Center to meet your new coaches and plan out your schedules for the year,¡± President Chrisman said. ¡°Classes at Fistborn start at 7:30 in the morning; one hour after the Breakfast period.¡± She had to wake up at six in the morning?! Were they glitching crazy?! Calista resisted a groan. ¡°Congratulations once again. We are honored to have you join the Fistborn family.¡± President Chrisman¡¯s hologram disappeared, followed by their teleportation into the Training Center, where most Practicum classes took place. It was directly connected to the School of Combat. They were in one of the gyms, where all the coaches stood in two straight lines waiting for them. The coaches ranged from smiling Mearthians to frowning Voraxians; there was even an Emitonian among them. Calista noticed that while there were plenty of mixed species, there wasn¡¯t one Earthian coach, except for Lisa White, who was a ¡®higher¡¯ version of a coach by being a Dean. This school was on planet Earth¡­ yet there were so few humans. === Medley, Calista: Room VW1F-125 Calista made her way through the women¡¯s dorm hall, finally finding her dorm room. It seemed that it was a single room, so no roommates. Calista didn¡¯t know whether she felt disappointed or relieved. She couldn¡¯t help the swell of pride when she read her name on the door: ¡®Calista Medley, Student #165¡¯ She scanned herself before saying her name aloud to open the door. ¡°Wow,¡± she smiled. A large, comfortable sleeping capsule was against the left wall, with all the newest features. A large window gave way to a balcony, bringing natural light into the room. A HARP was installed for her entertainment with a study area built next to it, making up a small office. She giggled and ran up to her capsule, where she collapsed onto the soft pad. It was beyond comfortable. She went up to the clothing selection system next to the capsule and stepped into the changing circle. When she opened the menu, all her clothes were available, having been transferred successfully, and there were Fistborn uniforms tailored just for her. There was the formal one she saw, which had a version with pants and a version with a skirt. There was also a jumpsuit, a bra-and-shorts pair for workouts, a swimsuit, and a sleep suit. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± She tapped on the uniform with the skirt. It replaced her outfit and she turned around to inspect it. It was comfortable and fit her perfectly. The jacket was ocean blue, combined nicely with the dark red skirt and blue cushion shoes. AIDA provided a mirror screen so she could see herself. It looked okay on her, but¡­ eh. It could use some styling. There was just something about these uniforms that didn¡¯t seem¡­ complete. Oh, well. Nothing she could do about it. This wasn¡¯t a fashion school, after all. ¡°AIDA?¡± she called. The speakers beeped. ¡°Hello, Calista. What can I do for you?¡± She smiled. A personal AIDA? Stellar. ¡°How much time do I have until I have to go to lunch?¡± ¡°You currently have 40 minutes,¡± AIDA answered. That was enough time to try and make friends. Maybe she could stop by some of the other dorms and introduce herself. ¡°Incoming call from unsaved code. Identified as Medley Residence, House 986, #356 South, Residential District. Code RESDIS-3445, Indianapolis, Indiana.¡± She smiled and eagerly went to her sleep capsule. ¡°Answer, please! Save the address as ¡®Kate¡¯.¡± The hologram projected in front of her, showing her siblings in one room and her father in another. ¡°Hi, guys!¡± she said. ¡°Hi!¡± Katelyn squealed in excitement. ¡°How is it over there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool. My room is uber-cute! I got a tour, and my uniforms. We¡¯re going to lunch in about 40 minutes.¡± ¡°Have you made any friends?¡± Henry asked. ¡°Eh¡­ not a lot of time. Maybe at lunch, we¡¯ll talk to each other.¡± Calista made sure not to fade her smile. ¡°Did you see anyone you know?¡± Katelyn asked. ¡°Any famous fighters?¡± ¡°I saw Harrison Smith during the tour. He was training.¡± The younger Medley sister gasped. ¡°Really?! I love him. He¡¯s my favorite. What¡¯s he like?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to him, but¡­ he¡¯s GP,¡± Calista said, using the Socializer slang term for ¡®gorgeous¡¯. ¡®GP¡¯ meant ¡®generated person¡¯, which were AI-generated characters that showed up on HARP shows like Astrana. They were always perfect in every way¡ª a Socializer¡¯s eye candy. ¡°They have spas, you know,¡± Calista continued. ¡°It¡¯s in this place called the Recreation Station. No Thinners, but still nice ones¡ª for free!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t need Thinners. They¡¯ll work you to death,¡± Quincy said. ¡°It¡¯s just weird. Could you imagine what the fans would say? No Thinners for the next few months.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not imagining what they¡¯d say because we don¡¯t care,¡± Katelyn shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t think about them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Calista¡¯s heart clenched with homesickness. She was excited, but she kind of wished she¡¯d stayed home. She felt so alone in this huge room, without her sister there to console her, or even her mother to give her advice. Jennifer always told her exactly what to do and how to do it. Now that she was on her own¡­ After a good talk, the AIDA alerted her to proceed to the Recreation Station in five minutes. She wished she had more time with them. She would have to sleep early if she wanted to be up and ready at 6 in the morning the next day. ¡°We love you. Tell us all about your first day tomorrow night, okay?¡± Her sister smiled proudly. ¡°You¡¯ll do amazing, I know it.¡± ¡°Uber-amazing!¡± Quincy mocked in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Shut up,¡± she laughed, hiding her discomfort. If she wanted less people to mock her, she really needed to lose the Socializer slangs. ¡°Good night, I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Bye!¡± The hologram disappeared. She lied down, staring at the window. There were all sorts of feelings bouncing around in her stomach: happiness, excitement, insecurity, confusion, anger, guilt¡­ and fear. Mostly fear. She went to the window and looked out at the courtyard. Below her, she could see a few students milling about, but not many. Most were in class, even though it was a weekend. No vacations or breaks until the Versus Games started. What had she gotten herself into? How could she compete with everyone here? They all knew how to move, how to fight, how to take hits. They couldn¡¯t be more different than she was. === Calista decided to wear something more ¡®athletic¡¯ when she went to lunch. She chose a red crop top with sweat absorbers coupled with black track tights and matching sneakers. Her perfectly Thinned abdomen was in full view. She could already see a bulge forming, though; her mother would glitch out. Since her mother wasn¡¯t here to obsess over it, now she was obsessing. But she couldn¡¯t. She needed to focus on becoming a fighter, not keeping her perfect measurements. Her mind was still on her appearance when she arrived at the Mess Hall in the Recreation Station. There were a few women wearing exercise bras or crop tops, showing off their hardened abs and muscular arms. Nothing like Calista. She probably looked like a porcelain doll. She swallowed to moisten her dry throat as she looked for a table. The other students were in class, so only the new students were here. Many of them had formed groups already while others sat at random tables and went on their Pet or AIDA band screens, ignoring those around them. She needed to make at least one friend. Fighters weren¡¯t all antisocial, right? She slid into an empty seat at one of the tables where the students seemed animated, talking and laughing. None of them noticed her presence, even when the AIDA generated her food in a bright flash. Calista didn¡¯t want to interrupt their conversation, but it didn¡¯t look like they were pausing anytime soon. She nibbled on her flavor-enhanced salad, glancing at the others. They were all intimidating; hardened muscles, crazy hairstyles, even some scars on their faces. They laughed boisterously and shoved each other playfully. Were all fighters like this? Would Calista have to adapt to this kind of interaction? She drank her strawberry-banana smoothie with weight-loss cream, taking a breath before turning to the person next to her. ¡°Hi, how are you?¡± The boy looked at her, off-put by the introduction. He was a young Mercurian, probably around fifteen in human years, with coal-black, rocky skin. Mercurians didn¡¯t grow hair; instead, their scalps hardened into colored lava crust¡ª this boy¡¯s was a bright orange that contrasted against his skin color. Calista ignored the silence, keeping her smile. ¡°I¡¯m Calista. Calista Medley.¡± She flipped her black hair back and scanned the boy¡¯s outfit; it seemed to be made of a sort of rocky material, much like his skin. ¡°Love the vest, by the way!¡± she complimented him. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one like that. I guess I¡¯m, like, uber-focused on human stuff. Should network a bit better.¡± She knew a couple of alien languages from the high school courses she took, but not much else. She always wanted to explore other planets¡¯ cultures, but she wasn¡¯t very encouraged to do so by her friends or family. She had to ¡®focus on the fans¡¯, as always. The boy smirked, glancing at his friends. ¡°Yeah, how about you uber-focus on your pink shake and let us eat, uber-girlie?¡± The group snickered and returned to their previous conversation, now speaking in a non-human language. Calista did not envision her first days as a Fighting student like this. When she was younger, she always dreamed of learning so many disciplines and defeating her classmates until everyone regarded her with admiration. But after all these years, she was focusing so much on making friends. Maybe making friends wasn¡¯t really the priority for a lot of people¡­ but they had friends, obviously. They engaged in social interaction. Maybe they just didn¡¯t want to be friends with her. Was it that obvious she was a Socializer? Was it to the point that all the other girls refused to be her roommates, landing her with a solo room? The divide definitely ran deeper than she bargained for. 9- School ¡°Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 6:15 in the morning of September 6th, 2349 in the city of Washington D.C. Good luck on your first day at Fistborn Academy.¡± Calista was slightly startled when AIDA didn¡¯t mention her home city, but then remembered where she was. She groaned and wrapped herself back up in her covers. She couldn¡¯t sleep one wink the night before, her stomach so wrought with anxiety that the sleep capsule couldn¡¯t do anything to put her out without compromising her health. Before she could psych herself into getting up, she was suddenly shot out of the bed, as if from a cannon, and she landed on her rear in the middle of the room. ¡°Ow! What the glitch, AIDA!¡± ¡°I apologize. But it would be detrimental to your life as a student if you miss breakfast. What will be your order?¡± ¡°Holy Trojans. Don¡¯t do that again.¡± She rubbed her behind. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°It is not recommended to attend class without eating breakfast.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Calista went to the window, seeing numerous students already walking along the pathways below. How could they be so energetic at this ungodly hour? It was probably easy without growing up with a beauty sleep schedule. ¡°God, give me strength¡­¡± She stretched, her eyelids heavy. ¡°What would you recommend for breakfast?¡± Clearly, her usual diet wouldn¡¯t do. Fighters ate heavy stuff with thousands of calories, right? ¡°For humans, I highly recommend meals containing high protein and iron levels, particularly eggs, beans, and meats. There are non-carnivorous options, as well.¡± ¡°I guess an omelet, then.¡± She winced at herself. Her weight would balloon up with such a change. She was 110 pounds, and her mother had been trying to get her down to 105. She would have maybe 1,000 calories a day. ¡°What kind?¡± AIDA asked. She hesitated. ¡°Uh¡­ you pick. The basic one. Least calories.¡± Maybe a more gradual approach to this new diet would be better. ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± ¡°Vanilla-berry latte with weight-therapy cream. Actually, add some coloring to it, make it look like black coffee.¡± ¡°Very well. Please proceed to the Mess Hall for your meal.¡± She dressed into her formal uniform and went to the window again. The Surveillance tower above the Hall of Affairs gleamed with the FBA crest, greeting the students from above. She straightened, puffing out her chest. She wanted to be here almost all her life. If she could handle living with her mother and being with the SociaLights the past few years, she could survive breakfast. === Harrison stepped out of his closet, dressed in his formal uniform, which was a little different from the others¡¯; he had blue pants instead of red and a necktie added to the outfit. The most distinguishing features of his attire were the Student Coach patches on both his jacket sleeves. They were glowing orange patches that read, Harrison Smith, SC-10, which surrounded a large ¡®K¡¯ for Kappa¡ª his corresponding letter. If he had a Guild, it would be called Guild Kappa. He wondered if in the next twelve years he had left in the academy, he could become someone admirable. Maybe he had fans in the new class willing to learn from him. There had to be at least one, right? Of course, fanbases were always the most unforgiving communities. Once they felt betrayed, they never gave their former idols a chance to explain or even apologize. They¡¯d throw them in the cachebin to be scourged upon for the rest of time. There were plenty of students here that treated him okay, acknowledging the Student Coach uniform and patches, but he knew they only respected him out of formality. To directly disrespect a Student Coach, regardless of rumors, was against the academy bylaws. Their way of protesting his position was leaving him Guild-less. He went to the Mess Hall, which was noticeably fuller than usual with the new students replacing the graduated ones. The tables were more packed and animated, leaving just one empty; the glowing orange one that stood beside the line of colored tables belonging to the different Guilds. A constant reminder of how everyone saw him. As he stepped inside to get to the Student Coach table, a student brushed past him, nearly knocking him over. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so-¡± The girl stopped short, her green eyes widening when she looked up at his face. Harrison couldn¡¯t help pausing, raising a brow. He didn¡¯t often get this reaction. ¡°You okay?¡± he finally asked. The girl blinked, looking down as her porcelain skin turned red. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Harrison chuckled. He noticed her uniform; she was wearing a skirt. He¡¯d never seen anyone in the School of Combat wear it. ¡°Um, are you one of the new ones?¡± he then asked. ¡°Y-yeah, I am!¡± the girl said enthusiastically. ¡°I-I¡¯m Calista.¡± ¡°Well, nice to meet you, Calista, I¡¯m-¡± ¡°Harrison Smith, tenth best student in the country, fourth best fighter on the planet.¡± She blushed again. ¡°Sorry, that was rude.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re okay. That¡¯s correct. You need help finding a seat, Calista?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± She looked towards the full tables. Harrison noticed a few students looking at them; probably wondering why this girl bothered to talk to Cheater. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯ve got a seat.¡± ¡°Okay. Good luck on your first day. Welcome.¡± Harrison offered another smile and walked away, brushing his brown curls back. It felt¡­ pretty nice to actually be admired by someone. No one had reacted to him like that in years. He arrived at the table and sat across from Catherine, who smiled. ¡°Made a new friend, eh?¡± she said. ¡°She bumped into me.¡± ¡°Mm. What do you think of ¡®er?¡± He shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s nice. I just met her.¡± ¡°A supermodel, too,¡± Kalis snickered. ¡°She looks like she¡¯s on a runway at a pageant or something. You see how she walks? All¡­¡± He imitated Calista sashaying exaggeratedly, bringing out chuckles. ¡°Where does she think she is?¡± ¡°Imagine her fighting in that skirt,¡± Li Mei added, her thin, orange eyes curving with laughter, sparkling lightly. Harrison didn¡¯t say anything, instead starting to eat his eggs. He had noticed the girl¡¯s walk¡ª it did seem¡­ not weird. It was smooth and confident, and as Kalis said, it was as if she were on a fashion runway. ¡°You don¡¯t find her odd, Harrison?¡± Reilly asked. Harrison sighed. He really didn¡¯t feel like dealing with Reilly¡¯s indirect insults. His British accent made him all the more condescending. ¡°I met her two seconds ago.¡± ¡°You can get a lot out of a person by simply observing them for a few seconds.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she that one that fainted when she saw blood?¡± Delaine asked. ¡°A lot of people fainted.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I remember hers. She just looked at her glove and¡­¡± Delaine imitated Calista passing out. ¡°She got in?¡± Kalis scoffed. ¡°Standards are getting low.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been low. That admissions board is slacking for sure,¡± said Melsen. ¡°Next thing you know¡­ anyone can become a Student Coach.¡± He deliberately gave Harrison a glance. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll loosen up that much,¡± Elisa interjected, also glancing at Harrison with a bit of pity. ¡°Us SC¡¯s will always be the best. We all have different fields of expertise, you know?¡± ¡°True, but¡­ you have to admit Fistborn could use some more exclusivity. Don¡¯t want a bunch of impostors getting a spot in this academy, do we?¡± ¡°Melsen¡¯s right. Let¡¯s face it, we could use some better quality so other planets don¡¯t mock us all the time,¡± Disaris said. ¡°It¡¯s all a matter of improvement,¡± St?sten said. ¡°It¡¯s our job to shape everyone up while they¡¯re still green.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t assume someone¡¯s future off of the first few seconds of knowing them,¡± Harrison finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot of newbies here that don¡¯t look the part, but will become the part.¡± ¡°Of course. People like that girl just need some coaching, right?¡± Disaris said with a nod. ¡°Maybe she can be your student. She¡¯ll need something easy to start with. And, since you¡¯re both the same species, you should know what to teach her, right?¡± He smirked mockingly. ¡°Your expertise in¡­ creating alternative ways to succeed should get her far regardless of her skill level.¡± Harrison inhaled. He was not in the mood for any of their antics or comments about his career. It seemed that he¡¯d have to hit them back with equal force. ¡°Speaking of our students¡­ by the way, Disaris, how¡¯s Gronin?¡± he asked with a wide smile. Gronin Tufts was a student that got expelled from the academy a couple of years ago. Disaris had just been made Student Coach after the 2346 Games, and Gronin had been one of his Favorite students. His rep had taken a good hit when Gronin was discovered in a hidden room consuming illegal enhancers, causing his expulsion and arrest. To this day, it was a sore spot for Disaris. The bulky-shaped Voraxmartian¡¯s smile instantly faded. His blue skin tinged a bit in red. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t inherit his Voraxian side¡¯s inability to blush. ¡°He¡¯s got a couple more years to go in prison, right?¡± Harrison continued. ¡°You should visit him sometime. Maybe if he gets released on Versus parole, he can come back as your star Favorite.¡± He smiled, eating his eggs with satisfaction. ¡°You don¡¯t get to ask-¡± ¡°You walked right into that one,¡± Reilly said, rolling his eyes. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop bothering ¡®im,¡± Catherine laughed dismissively. ¡°He¡¯s not called ¡®One-Punch¡¯ for nothin¡¯, Harrison. Let Disaris calm down.¡± ¡°Sure. I know when to respect someone.¡± Harrison smiled again, relishing in the second-ranking student¡¯s death glare. Hopefully, during the competition, they¡¯d settle grudges. He was dying to show old Disaris ¡®One-Punch¡¯ Okione how strong Cheater was. === Breakfast couldn¡¯t be more awkward. The other new students let Calista sit at their table, but they hardly looked or talked to her. After a couple introductions from some friendly humans, the conversation ended as fast as it started. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Either way, she tried not to let it bother her, hiding her insecurity behind a perfect smile. She¡¯d excitedly eaten her breakfast and gone to her first class when the AIDA bell sounded. She had to focus on her real priority: her new career. It was the first day of what could be a thriving and lucrative life for Calista, and if she got on the team, she¡¯d guarantee being unforgettable to the masses. Graduating from the academy would get her a job, but without the experience of the competition, the best she could do was become a regional coach that worked with small, unrecognized teams. That was not the future she hoped for. She took a look at the first few classes before the break. 7:30 AM: PWU-CO Warm-Ups¡ª Gymnasium 1D, Training Center 8:00 AM: PC1-CO12 Combat¡ª Gymnasium 1D, Training Center¡ª Mathta, Usda; Stisin, Jenna; Somali, Julius 9:00 AM: CT1-23 Weaponry¡ª Classroom 108-VW, Versus Fighting School¡ª Forforran, Jiles; Gowon, Taraji 10:00 AM: CT1-46 Disciplines¡ª Classroom 113-VW, Versus Fighting School¡ªSactha, Nila; Mart¨ªnez, Gustavo 11:00 AM: Break; Mess Hall is open for snacks Combat¡­ so she had to change. She stopped at a Changing Station on the way out of the Recreation Hall, the jacket and skirt disappearing into looser, more comfortable clothing. Calista liked this uniform a lot more. A white T-shirt was below a blue jacket with red accents, the crest on the right. A pair of red tights with white lines running down the sides completed the set, loosely fanning around blue-and-red sneakers. The entire uniform was made for exercise, with breathable fabric and sweat absorbers. It was nicer-looking than the formal one, in her opinion, but it still needed some more¡­ flair. She shrugged it off. She was here to fight, not design uniforms. Using the AIDA band, she followed the directions to the gymnasium. It was equipped with CDSims, combat mats, and a large HARP-ED screen¡ª for educational purposes only. Everyone around them was either talking or doing basic stretches. Was she supposed to stretch? It was the best thing to do. If people saw her stretching and warming up, it would better their impression of her, right? Maybe someone could come and stretch with her. Calista went to a vacant corner and started stretching, copying other people around her. She then got down to do some push-ups. She¡¯d managed to increase her limit to thirty push-ups, but she did need a break halfway through. She breathed rhythmically and tried not to cringe at the sweat building on her skin. Obviously, fighters had to put up with a lot of sweat. She¡¯d get used to it. Her arms started to grow weary as she lifted her body up for one more push-up before her ¡®break¡¯. A foot suddenly slipped into her wrist, knocking her off-balance. She grunted as her face landed on the mat. She looked up, finding the Mercurian boy from the previous day smirking down at her. ¡°Oops,¡± he said, stepping over her. ¡°Sorry, girlie.¡± Calista sighed, ignoring the chuckling boys as she resumed her push-ups. When another shadow loomed over her, she flinched, falling down again. Her face burned with shame. ¡°You good?¡± Calista looked up, finding a Mearthian girl standing over her. Her skin was a light cinnamon and she had shoulder-length brown hair. If it weren¡¯t for her characteristically Martian eyes, she would¡¯ve looked human. ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯m fine. Sorry.¡± Calista rose to her knees and dusted herself off, her stomach turning again at the feeling of her damp skin. She was already craving a calming therapy bath. ¡°You must be one of the 330. Welcome to Fistborn. I¡¯m Belinda Adenifi.¡± She stuck out her hand. ¡°Uh, Calista Medley.¡± She accepted the handshake. She was a bit shocked from the icy temperature of her skin at first. That was another characteristic of a Martian¡ª or Mearthian. They were born cold-blooded, much like an Earthian reptile. ¡°Congratulations on the acceptance,¡± Belinda said. ¡°You want to finish warming up?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Calista¡¯s spirits lifted. Finally, someone friendly! She knew the Socializers were wrong¡ª not all fighters were rude and rough, like the rest of the class¡­ Maybe it was a first-year thing. They all wanted to fit in. If Calista met more experienced students, she could potentially find someone nicer. ¡°So¡­ how do you like Fistborn so far?¡± Belinda asked her as she effortlessly did her push-ups. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ really sure¡­ how I feel.¡± Calista panted in between. ¡°It¡¯s pretty overwhelming, to be honest.¡± ¡°It always is. But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll catch on.¡± Belinda stopped mid-way, quirking a brow at Calista¡¯s exhaustion. ¡°You need a break?¡± ¡°No, keep going.¡± She strained as she forced herself to pass her midway point. She had a bad feeling about this class. If she collapsed in front of everyone, she¡¯d never find any respect. ¡°Well, if you want to get on the team, you¡¯ll want to step your game up in this class. There¡¯s a Student Coach here.¡± Belinda nodded ahead of them. ¡°A what?¡± ¡°Student Coach.¡± ¡°Student¡­¡± Belinda paused. ¡°You mean you¡­ don¡¯t know what Student Coaches are? Didn¡¯t they tell you during orientation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember much,¡± Calista admitted, also pausing her workout. ¡°Still, you haven¡¯t heard of them, at least?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ not really.¡± Calista grew flustered. Clearly, this was something basic that any Versus Games fan would know. The term sounded familiar, but she¡¯d basically locked all her memories of the Games away since her mother started training her. What would people here think of her if she didn¡¯t even know something like this? What if they found out who she was before this? She was in a safe zone as of now, since no one here cared about Socializers, but just the fact that she was one at all¡­ ¡°Okay, well, Student Coaches are the ten best students in the academy,¡± Belinda said, resuming her warm-ups, now doing sit-ups. Calista quickly copied her. ¡°We call them SCs for short. They take students that impress them under their wing to give them some extra coaching. Those are Guilds. If you get in a Guild, you have more chances of getting on the team. That man over there is St?sten ¡®Grill¡¯ Durchdenwald. Do you remember him?¡± As Calista lowered to the mat, her eyes rolled up to see a Mercearthian man, around 20 years old by human standards. He wore a different uniform; the track pants were a dark blue and the T-shirt was red rather than white. There were glowing yellow emblems on both his sleeves. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ I remember his name,¡± she lied. She couldn¡¯t let on that she knew almost nothing about the Games or the academy when it came to famous fighters and players. She only knew Lisa White because she was her idol back in the day, and Harrison Smith because he was handsome and she took the time to look him up. She should¡¯ve been researching more about the Games instead of worrying about her mother and her self-absorbed fans. ¡°Of course. The moment he literally grilled a fighter¡¯s face in a Chaos Round was never forgotten. Good thing combat suits have helmets. St?sten¡¯s the eighth best and he¡¯s been an SC for about three years. He was one of Reilly¡¯s Favorites. People underestimate him compared to the higher-ranked ones, but he¡¯s still a good teacher.¡± ¡°Durchdenwald, huh? His name sounds kind of¡­ German,¡± Calista observed. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s descended from Germany on his Earthian side.¡± ¡°So, three years? He¡¯s a third-year?¡± ¡°Third year one,¡± Belinda answered. ¡°Third year one?¡± The human girl took a break. ¡°Because one ¡®year¡¯ is four years in the Versus career. Like me, I¡¯m a second-year one student, because my first year started last Versus. You¡¯re a first-year one student, and next year, you¡¯ll be a first-year two. You know what I mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to.¡± ¡°ALL STUDENTS, LINE UP!¡± Everyone jumped at the command, getting into a straight line as fast as possible in no particular order. Calista¡¯s back straightened and her forehead released a bit of perspiration. Three coaches marched into the gym, their faces wearing identical deadpans. Calista remembered only one of them from orientation the previous day¡ª a Klausian woman with crystalline purple skin and sharp silvery eyes. The woman stepped forward, the light glistening against her crystal-like bald scalp. ¡°Good morning, everyone. I would like to welcome our new Versus School students to the academy. For those of you that don¡¯t remember, I am Coach Usda Mathta, and I will be one of your Combat and Weapon Use teachers. As is tradition, I assess each new student¡¯s abilities by sparring with them first. Whoever started classes today, please step forward.¡± Glitch. She swallowed and obeyed, stepping forward with about ten other students. Coach Usda¡¯s icy eyes roved over the line until stopping at the first student on the left¡ª a doe-eyed Mercumartian man. ¡°You. Come forward, please.¡± The man was confident as he strutted up, but Calista could see a bit of fear reflecting in his eyes. Klausians were not to be underestimated, even if he had Mercurian fire abilities to counter them. Klausians¡¯ ice abilities were incredibly powerful, enough that they could rival Hajjians. ¡°What fighting style do you think suits you?¡± Coach Usda asked him. ¡°I¡¯m partial to the Paeseoan Stabil discipline, ma¡¯am,¡± he replied. ¡°Very well. I will be using a Hajjian style called Jroak.¡± Calista¡¯s throat dried. She only knew human disciplines. She never thought of learning disciplines from other planets. What if she expected her to use styles from Mars or somewhere? One by one, the new students sparred with Coach Usda. She would either tell them to stop or knock them down, pointing out every single one of their flaws. The other students seemed to enjoy this little initiation ritual, especially when Earthians or half-Earthians went up. For every student, the coach would use a different fighting style, all of them varying greatly. Probably to avoid predictability. Soon, it was Calista¡¯s turn. She wiped her clammy hands on her pants as she approached the coach with a nervous smile. ¡°What style do you prefer, Ms. Medley?¡± Coach Usda asked her. ¡°Um¡­¡± She glanced nervously at the others. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure, ma¡¯am. I¡­ I guess I just know most of the basics?¡± ¡°Did you study any disciplines in particular while you were preparing for your fight with Ms. Houdge?¡± Her face turned red. ¡°N-no¡­ I just studied her strengths and weaknesses and prepared myself according to her style. I guess I know karate, maybe some boxing¡­ sorta.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She nodded. Calista wasn¡¯t sure what it meant. The coach stepped back, getting into a strange fighting position; her feet were apart at shoulder length, her left foot forward, and her left hand was raised beside her head. ¡°I will be utilizing a Klausian style called Tialet.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± Calista raised her fists and separated her feet. ¡°3¡­ 2¡­ 1.¡± The coach dove forward and threw a swiping knifehand at her head. Reflexively, Calista ducked, her heart jumping into action. She dodged the next swing, blocked the third, but stumbled while dodging the fourth. In no time at all, Coach Usda had swiped her knifehand below her ankle and knocked her off balance. Determined to avoid further embarrassment, Calista rolled over when she was knocked down, instantly springing to her feet. The coach didn¡¯t let her rest, following her attack up with a knifehand to the throat. She swiped the woman¡¯s forearm to the side, deflecting her blow, and attempted to kick her in the stomach. Coach Usda blocked it with a knifehand, the impact stinging, and struck again, this time hitting Calista in the throat. The blow was soft, but it still packed enough force to make the girl choke. As her hands reflexively flew to her neck, she was knocked down again. The coach waited a few moments before helping her up. The students clapped, murmurs echoing among them. Calista could see some smirks flashed her way. She hid her face behind her high ponytail. At least she wasn¡¯t the only one that glitched up, right? They made fun of the other new ones, too¡­ ¡°Your balance is a complete mess and you lack finesse. Your attacks are far too predictable and there were openings everywhere. I was even going easy on you.¡± The human girl¡¯s face heated up, hearing snickers. ¡°But it is our job to improve all of that,¡± the coach continued. ¡°I expect you will do nothing more than give your absolute best. If you want to earn respect from your fellow teammates, you must prove you have the conviction and the determination of a Versus fighter. Do you?¡± She raised her emerald eyes this time, her face hardening. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± she said seriously. ¡°Then you best show it while we teach you, unless you want an embarrassing call sign.¡± The coach nodded at the line. ¡°You may return.¡± She obeyed, taking her place next to Belinda, who smiled at her encouragingly. She wanted nothing more to crawl into a hole and shut herself out from the universe. ¡°Now. We will start with our warm-ups. When the Combat period begins, we will proceed to the mats and rotate in pairs.¡± ¡°You okay?¡± Belinda asked her as they began their stretches. ¡°Yeah¡­ sorta.¡± ¡°Coach Usda¡¯s always hard on us. We all did that when we first started here. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯d have to be, right? I mean¡­ a Klausian.¡± ¡°Yeah, they tend to be tough with other species. People like that winding up living on Earth¡­ they get pretty bitter. At least Coach Usda¡¯s fair. She could be a lot worse.¡± She started stretching, though the positions looked weird¡ª probably Martian styles. Calista decided to copy her, hiding the strain on her face. ¡°So¡­ what are Guilds? You mentioned those,¡± she said. ¡°Guilds are groups led by the Student Coaches. When you join a Guild, you¡¯re in that Guild for the rest of your time in the school.¡± She lifted her arm, showing a silver patch on her jacket sleeve. ¡°This is mine. I¡¯m in Guild Gamma and Delaine Evistroma¡¯s my Student Coach. She¡¯s the third best in the school¡ª not to brag.¡± The patch had an upside-down L in the center, and surrounding it was: Gamma- Delaine Evistroma Belinda Adenifi, Guild 3 ¡°Nice flexibility,¡± Belinda said, noticing the perfect split Calista had achieved. ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied. ¡°So what do you guys do in a Guild?¡± ¡°Guild members get an extra hour of training from the SC¡¯s. They basically become our mentors,¡± Belinda explained. ¡°We¡¯re also more respected by the other students, so most don¡¯t like to mess with us, but there are some that like to issue challenges to see if the SC¡¯s are doing their job.¡± The two got down to do splits. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like extra credit. We also have a higher chance of getting their position¡ª only if we get on the team and surpass them in the Versus, though. It¡¯s fame for us, and proof of their worth as a coach for them.¡± Interesting. Maybe if Calista got in a Guild, people would be nicer to her? It could also give her some more friend-making opportunities. ¡°To get into a Guild, you need to get the Student Coaches¡¯ attention. Meaning, you need to do really well in your classes. That way, you show them you¡¯re worth teaching. They can help you with any classes or fighting exercises you¡¯re having trouble with.¡± Well, that would be a challenge. Calista doubted very much that she could make them want to teach her, at least in so little time. ¡°God, there¡¯s just so much to know. I feel like I¡¯m in another world.¡± They stood from their splits. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re in my next class.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Calista checked her schedule. ¡°Weaponry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have Battle Tech. But I¡¯ll walk you there. You¡¯ll be fine. We can get together during Break and go over things if you want. I¡¯ve always been excited about helping the newbies out.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be uber-awesome. Thank you, Belinda,¡± the human girl sighed in relief. She almost felt like crying. Her support was something she desperately needed. ¡°Miss Medley and Miss Adenifi.¡± The girls quickly silenced. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡± Belinda answered. ¡°Please keep the conversations in your mouths until break,¡± Coach Usda said with a frown. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, ma¡¯am.¡± They returned to warming up silently. 10- Teamwork 101 Combat went¡­ fairly well, considering. She did alright against her classmates, getting beaten, but landing good hits occasionally. However, she got tired very easily and was hollered at by all the coaches, most of all Usda. By the end of the class, her limbs ached and trembled violently, all of her energy zapped. In her Weaponry class, every new student was asked to stand and answer a few basic questions about weapons. While she answered some correctly, every wrong answer earned giggles from the others. It seemed that putting new students on the spot was a common thing in the academy. Her theory classes were interesting. The experience of sitting in a classroom recording the teacher¡¯s speeches and highlighting information with AIDA screens was¡­ kind of cool. It was a nice break from the relentless workout in Combat. The staff would physically teach the classes as opposed to letting the AU Teacher do it for them. Now was the 30-minute break, where the students could relax before they returned to class. Calista met Belinda at the Studitorium in the Hall of Affairs. Many students were inside, reviewing concepts and watching training modules. ¡°In our History class, we learned that studitoriums used to be called ¡®libraries¡¯ back in the day,¡± Belinda commented as they walked together. ¡°I think Vorax still has libraries. We¡¯re going there for this year¡¯s Games, I hope I get to see the books.¡± ¡°Are there any guides here about¡­ Guilds and stuff?¡± Calista asked, scrolling on her AIDA band. ¡°There are, but most of the stuff you should know comes from experience.¡± Belinda suddenly stopped and grabbed the human girl¡¯s arm, guiding her away. They went to a corner with personal study capsules, all of which were being used. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I wanted to avoid the Favorites. Most of them love to haze the new ones, especially species like you and me,¡± she explained. ¡°Favorites?¡± Belinda gave her a look. ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡± When Calista only smiled, the Mearthian girl gave a sigh. ¡°Okay. Favorites are the Student Coaches¡¯ best students in their Guilds¡ª at least, by their standards. Aside from the Guild patches, you¡¯ll see a little badge with their Guild color. If I were a Favorite, my badge would be right here.¡± She pointed to the left side of her jacket. ¡°These are students you really don¡¯t want to mess with.¡± ¡°So the Favorites are the best before the best?¡± Calista interjected. ¡°Exactly. Do not bug any of them off. With other Guild members, you¡¯ll have some wiggle room, but with Favorites¡­¡± Belinda bit her lip. ¡°If you get into a Guild, you¡¯ll have some more immunity. Even though you just started, you have a chance. And Student Coaches change all the time.¡± She then led Calista to another part of the Studitorium, where students gathered at tables to study together. The girls sat at a table and Belinda opened the computer, scrolling through the different subjects. ¡°Okay, so what do you think you need to catch up on?¡± she asked. ¡°Um¡­ basically everything.¡± ¡°Well, what do you know? Of the basics?¡± ¡°I know¡­ how to punch and kick?¡± Calista smiled nervously. ¡°And how to look for weaknesses, sorta.¡± ¡°What about weapons?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Armor?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°¡­And no fighting disciplines in particular.¡± ¡°Not that I can remember.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t study at all?¡± Belinda turned to her with her brows knitted. ¡°What did you do this whole time you were applying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± She scratched her head. Belinda blew out her cheeks. ¡°Alright. We have a lot to catch you up on, then.¡± ¡°I really want to know who the Student Coaches are. So far, I only know Harrison Smith¡­ and maybe a few others. Not much, though.¡± ¡°Trojans,¡± Belinda muttered. ¡°Well, you can just look at old Versus News records if you really want to know the SCs.¡± She quirked a brow. ¡°You¡¯ve been following the Games, right? Or¡­ are you a more recent fan?¡± ¡°Sorta¡­ like I said, it¡¯s complicated. I do want to be a fighter, though. It¡¯s what I¡¯m meant to be. I know it.¡± Belinda nodded softly. ¡°What¡¯s your next class?¡± Calista checked her schedule again. 11:30 AM: CT1-97 Armory¡ª Classroom 134-VW, Versus Fighting School¡ª Jinjo, Pilios; Yostako, Emeeli 12:30 PM: Break Period 1:30 PM: PC1-78 Weapon Use¡ª Gymnasium 2A, Training Hall¡ª Mathta, Usda; Stisin, Jenna; Gowon, Taraji 2:30 PM: Lunch Period¡ª Mess Hall, Recreation Hall ¡°My next class is Armory,¡± Calista answered Belinda. ¡°And you have a free period. Use that time to study, okay? They¡¯re always hard on newbies. You don¡¯t want to be humiliated more often than the others in your year.¡± Armory proved very interesting, describing the various designs and types of armor that fit different fighters. During her break period, Calista took Belinda¡¯s advice and went to the Studitorium to review. There were many disciplines that could fit into all sorts of combinations. On Earth, there were at least 300 alone. There were originally human disciplines, like karate, judo, jiu-jitsu. Then, there were mixes of disciplines from Mars and Mercury that were added on after the Utopia came to be. As Coach Usda had shown Calista in her first class, every planet had their own original and mixed disciplines. Those disciplines would combine with others, making many more. In the end, it was up to the fighter to decide which ones worked best with them. Calista found herself partial to dance-fighting styles. She was surprised they even existed. Many famous fighters had used these sorts of styles and prevailed marvelously. Later on, after her Weapon Use class, Calista was exhausted. During class, many of the superpowered students had continuously teased her by flicking flames, ice, and other elements at her. At least Coach Usda eventually noticed and scolded them for being ¡®distracted¡¯. Belinda met Calista on the way to the Recreation Station for lunch. Calista was still in her Practicum uniform. She felt disgusting, covered in sweat, and she was dying to go to the spa. ¡°You look tired,¡± Belinda observed as they entered the Mess Hall. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯m dead.¡± Calista wiped sweat off her forehead, grimacing in disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you guys do this.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°I doubt that.¡± She shuddered at the stickiness of her skin. ¡°You want to sit at my Guild table? We can bring guests.¡± Belinda asked her, nodding to the silver-colored table, which was packed with patch-wearing students. Normally, Calista would jump at the chance to sit with an influential group of students. She could already hear her mother screaming at her to go for it. But after the way she was treated so far, with the only nice one being Belinda, and maybe Harrison¡­ she wasn¡¯t feeling too confident about socializing with these people. It was a culture shock she didn¡¯t expect. ¡°Um¡­ I think I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, uh¡­ I¡¯ve made a couple other friends at the¡­ ¡®newbie¡¯ table,¡± she lied. ¡°Thanks, though.¡± ¡°Sure. You¡¯re invited anytime. I¡¯ll see you.¡± She walked off to meet her fellow Guild members. Calista watched her as she joined the group, engaging in conversation with a few other girls that seemed nice. Maybe later on, she could join them. Once she studied enough and didn¡¯t seem like a formatted file that had absolutely nothing to offer. === ¡°Weightless Dodgeball is not to be confused with Hitball. Many commit this mistake despite the two games being very different in nature.¡± Coach Tostama Kolaka walked at an amble pace between the two lines of students flanking her, all of them facing her with their backs straight and their hands laced behind them. Being the only Hajjian coach in the school made her, by default, the toughest. Calista was relieved to see Harrison Smith in her class, but she was also confronted with two people she wasn¡¯t fond of seeing. L¨ªlitha Houdge stood out among the throng as the shortest and youngest-looking in the room, her black eyes staring into space impassively. Calista was afraid she¡¯d recognize her at first, but the little woman hadn¡¯t even glanced her way. Why would she remember her? She¡¯d fought thousands of other students throughout the week, and it wasn¡¯t like Calista was all that impressive. She was being too self-centered. The other person was a Hajjian girl, a Favorite who wore platinum-colored patches and a badge on her shirt. Calista wasn¡¯t sure who she was, but she didn¡¯t look friendly. Her rose red eyes had caught Calista¡¯s emeralds by chance, and they had instantly filled with contempt. ¡°I want all of you to split up into 12 teams of five. In this game, you will play a single round of dodgeball. ERMM, please generate a basic team training field for the Weightless Dodgeball game.¡± The corners of the room glowed blue as squares appeared on the floor beneath the students¡¯ feet. Calista stepped back as it lit up like a checkerboard, patterns of blue and red glowing brightly. Panels lined the walls and a thick, black line divided the room in half, as well as outlining the boundaries of the game area. ¡°For our new students who may not know the game: the objective is to stay on your side of the field and defend your teammates, while also trying to eliminate your opponent team. The blue squares are safe; the red squares signify elimination and will teleport you out of the area the moment you touch them. The team that is fully eliminated first, or has less teammates than their opponent¡¯s before time runs out, loses.¡± She pointed her sharp fingernail at the panels running along the boundary walls. ¡°These generators will dispense the dodgeballs throughout the course of the game. They¡¯ll change color whenever a player touches them, indicating which team it belongs to. You can hit, kick, throw, or punch the dodgeballs to the other team. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the new students said. She turned to the others. ¡°Abilities are not allowed for this game. If I see a flicker of a flame, or a hint of ice, or any sign of distraction caused by Martian influence¡­ any use of powers will automatically disqualify you and lower your grade by 20 tacks. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± everyone chorused. ¡°Now, let¡¯s choose the captains of each team today.¡± She brought up an AIDA screen and scrolled through the names, tapping all 12 leaders. ¡°Esther Hoffman, Martin Brown, and Jerry Trolocan, please stand in front of the group and pick your teammates.¡± The throng of students got smaller as everyone divided into their respective groups. As more and more students were picked, Calista got more discouraged. One of the leaders, Hillary Kaye, looked over the group with scrutinizing, grass-green eyes that contrasted against her yellow skin. She had wavy blue hair tied up in a high ponytail. Being Paeseoan, Calista expected her to be friendlier, but she didn¡¯t seem that way. A teammate of hers nudged her, whispering something in her ear. She sighed, rolling her eyes, and reluctantly called out, ¡°Claudette Dubois.¡± A human girl approached them, her face glowing with relief. Her curly red hair wildly fanned out around her head, her icy blue eyes sparkling. The Paeseoan team leader sighed again and led her team away. ¡°Harrison Smith, Peng Wu, and Friedrich Sooto, step forward and choose your teammates, please.¡± Calista perked up at Harrison¡¯s name, watching him come forward with the other team leaders. ¡°Isa de Merced.¡± Harrison pointed at a Mercearthian woman with pebbly brown skin. ¡°D¨¦mus Astro,¡± Peng Wu called out. A snow-white Voraxian man walked up to him, towering over everyone else with his lanky but muscular frame. Name after name and Calista was still standing there. Harrison noticed, his brows knitting, but he didn¡¯t call her just yet. ¡°L¨ªlitha Houdge,¡± he said. Are you kidding me?! She felt herself burning with humiliation when she wound up being the only student left out. ¡°Calista Medley.¡± Harrison motioned to her, his gaze turned down. Her fists clenched. She reluctantly walked to Harrison¡¯s group, glaring at the Student Coach. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said sarcastically. His sapphire blue eyes glanced at her, but he said nothing. They weren¡¯t friends or anything, but did he really have to pick her last? Did she make that bad of an impression when she bumped into him? The chosen groups were randomly picked to compete in the dodgeball rounds. It was quite exciting to watch, but also nerve-wracking. As the dodgeballs bounced around the court in all directions, students redirected them to their opponents, harshly shooting them at their faces. A Klausian man even iced one of the balls, getting him and his team disqualified. He got quite the loud earful from Coach Tostama. ¡°Team 4 vs. Team 12. Both teams, please step up.¡± Calista glanced at their team leader, swallowing nervously. They took their positions on the blue squares, standing on the left side of the tiny arena. By a happy coincidence, they were pitted against the Hajjian girl¡¯s team. On Calista¡¯s team, herself and Harrison were the only humans playing, joined by a Mearthian, a Seeyastian, and L¨ªlitha. The countdown started from three and reached zero. The gravity field was reversed and they all floated off their squares. While the others kept a good balance, some occasionally wobbling, Calista was a mess of flailing limbs. The other students watched with mockery as the human girl struggled to get back into an upright position, having flipped upside down. The dodgeball dispensers then started working, projectiles bouncing all around the map. It was an endless array of chaos literally raining down on them. ¡°Don¡¯t move so much. You have to ¡®swim¡¯,¡± Harrison said to her. ¡°Trying¡­¡± She kicked her legs, wobbling unsteadily. A dodgeball bounced off the wall and headed right towards her. Squealing, she closed her eyes and hit it instinctively. It shot across the line, bounced off the wall, and got into one of the opponents¡¯ hands. Her green eyes widened as her opponent smirked, shooting the ball back in her direction. She quickly ducked and let it soar over her, flipping over again. L¨ªlitha exclaimed angrily, saying something in her native language. The Ilamikoan kicked off the wall and soared to the right, punching a ball in the other direction. It hit one of their opponents hard enough to slam him into a red square. He teleported outside and groaned, punching the floor. With a grunt, Calista lifted her foot and kicked a projectile with full force. It bounced off the ceiling, the opposite wall, then hit an opponent in the back. The girl was shot downwards, directly into a red square. Calista smiled in satisfaction, but ducked with a scream when a dodgeball flew over her. Looking back, she saw the Hajjian girl smiling, catching another ball to throw at her. She quickly kicked off the wall and avoided it by a few inches. The momentum caused her to crash into L¨ªlitha. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, human!¡± she barked, her black eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°Sorry.¡± She couldn¡¯t imagine how much more terrifying this game would be in the real Versus. One of her allies suddenly brought his limbs close to his chest, curling into a ball. He sunk down to the floor and pushed off a blue square with his feet, shooting upwards. His leg flew in a spinning kick, sending a ball into one of the opponents¡¯ faces. The force wasn¡¯t enough to eliminate him, but it was a good idea. Calista copied him, curling up to float downwards. Springing off her toes, she leaped up and hit one of the dodgeballs, which bounced on the dividing line and hit the Hajjian girl in the face. She flipped over from the momentum, legs kicking to balance herself. The Hajjian¡¯s red eyes slowly turned to glare at her, but a smile curled on her lips. She reached up and caught a ball, throwing it at the human with full force. Calista moved to avoid it, but just a second too late¡ª the dodgeball hit her right in the shoulder. She slammed against the wall, groaning in pain. It felt like a high-speed Air-Bus had hit her. She maneuvered to the right as another ball slammed on the wall, bouncing in all directions. It finally hit one of Calista¡¯s team members and forced him into a red square. ¡°Look out!¡± Harrison suddenly shouted. Just as she heard the warning, a dodgeball bounced off the blue square ahead of her and shot straight for her stomach. She doubled over, the air knocked out of her, and started floating down. As she tried to kick her legs, another ball was sent for her, pushing her into a blue square. Her face flattened against the floor, the pain unbearable. At least she wasn¡¯t eliminated. Another dodgeball bounced off the wall and slammed into her again, pushing her into the red square beside her. She then found herself outside of the map. Laughter bubbled from the students around her. Her face burning, she took a deep breath and clutched her stomach as she rose, looking for a corner to sit in. Once the game ended, the Hajjian girl made a point to further intimidate Calista, shoving her as she went to a corner to talk to her fellow Guild-mates. It was clear that this girl was the ¡®queen bee¡¯ of Fistborn, and Calista had gotten on her radar. So much for teamwork. 11- Fighter’s Fashion Calista¡¯s second day was only slightly better, but still anxiety-inducing and intimidating. Like the first day, classes passed by in a surreal blur, and she could feel every pair of eyes on her, judging her. She was able to avoid the impending soreness that morning, thanks to a painkilling lotion she was sure to include in her belongings. But she had to jump right back into the torture, enduring another bout of embarrassment when she collapsed from exhaustion during Combat class. The coaches were absolutely merciless. At breakfast and lunch, Calista chose to eat somewhere else on campus. It provided her with some solace, away from the judgment of her new peers. After school, she skipped dinner and went straight to the spa for a massage and a deep cleansing bath. Thankfully, the spa was hardly used, so she could be alone. She never thought she¡¯d like being alone. She hadn¡¯t realized what a comfort it was. She wondered what it would¡¯ve been like if she¡¯d gone to NYWS instead. Would she have fit in better? Her third day had started with three practicum classes in a row; Combat, then two periods of Teamwork. For the present day¡¯s lesson, they played a game called Freeze Race. Her team ran through an obstacle course and their opposing team chased them, freezing them in place when they touched them. Calista was frozen within 20 seconds of the game and eliminated before her teammates could free her¡ª not that they bothered. She went to a corner after her loss, embarrassed once again. Once the day was over, Calista confined herself to her dorm room, now relieved that she didn¡¯t have roommates at all. If she had to choose one, she¡¯d choose Belinda. So far, she was the only one that treated her like a person instead of a joke. She spent the rest of the night taking Belinda¡¯s advice and watching coverage of the previous Versus Games in the last twelve years. She now had an idea of who was who and which ones were the most dangerous. Reilly ¡®Clocker¡¯ Campbell was one of the Student Coaches she remembered. He was the best student in the academy, even though technically, Harrison had surpassed him in the previous Games. The controversy caused Harrison¡¯s first-ranking position to be revoked and reallocated to Reilly. He earned his call sign in his first Versus when he used the giant clock in the Clock Tower game to take out many opponents at once. Reilly was a full-blooded Voraxian, but he¡¯d lived on Earth his whole life, raised in England until his family moved to the US when he was eighteen. He was in his last year before graduation, and even though he was already 27 in human terms, he tended to make little comments about Harrison, who was eight years younger. Calista thought it was a bit immature of him. She expected that sort of behavior from a Socializer, not a professional fighter that was supposedly taught self-control and teamwork skills. A shame. Reilly was very handsome. His marble-white skin didn¡¯t make him look pale at all; in fact, it seemed to enhance his beauty. Voraxians were always good-looking. Oh, well. He was much older than Calista, and it was rumored that he had a girlfriend, anyway. Disaris ¡®One-Punch¡¯ Okione was a Voraxmartian¡ª shorter than the average Voraxian, but still possessing unparalleled strength. He¡¯d knocked out his first quarter-final opponent with one punch after only five minutes into the match. He was usually cool-tempered, but he flared up if one pressed the right buttons. It was well-advised not to antagonize him. Delaine ¡®Minx¡¯ Evistroma reminded Calista a lot of the average Socializer in terms of appearance. She was a beautiful Martian with clear gray skin, perfectly wavy blond hair, and large, sparkly black eyes. She was notoriously flirty towards her male opponents, successfully distracting many of them enough to catch them off-guard with her attacks. She was Belinda¡¯s SC, and while she did seem nice, it was clear the power of her third rank got to her head at times. Calista couldn¡¯t believe she had the figure she had without any Thinners or weight-loss therapy creams. All Delaine did was work out and eat well. Maybe it was a Martian gene that helped? If only she had that naturally perfect figure; her mother wouldn¡¯t have nagged her as much. Li Mei ¡®Knifehand¡¯ Hoss was a fighter that sort of frightened Calista. She was a Seeyastearthian descended from Japan¡ª a combination of two species that had no special abilities. She was more human than Seeyastian; if it weren¡¯t for her eyes, Calista wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell. In terms of abilities, she was as good as any other of both her species, and she was smaller than the average female fighter, but she made up for it with skill and discipline. Her famous ¡®knifehand¡¯ moves had won her many matches and earned her the call sign. She was the oldest of the Student Coaches and the harshest, despite being fourth in line. These four were the scariest, but if Calista could somehow impress them, she could really up her chances of becoming a successful fighter and not just a no-name. But how could she thrive if everything that made her feel confident had been taken away? Her looks and her social skills were the best she had. She felt insecure all the time around her mother and the SociaLights, but it was still better than here. ¡°Incoming call from ¡®Kate¡¯,¡± AIDA announced. ¡°Answer.¡± Katelyn¡¯s hologram appeared next to her. ¡°Hey, Cali. You busy?¡± ¡°Nah. I can talk for a few.¡± ¡°Only your third day and you¡¯re already so busy. Pretty tough, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say so.¡± Katelyn cocked her head. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s stellar. Everything I ever wanted.¡± Calista put on her happiest smile. Katelyn smirked back. ¡°Those fake smiles may work with our cache-head fans, but not with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Kate. It¡¯s just¡­ you know, it¡¯s a new place. New life. It¡¯s all happening so fast. I just need to adapt.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s hard for you.¡± Katelyn¡¯s smirk faded to a look of concern. ¡°I get it. You¡¯ve been preparing for that New York school for years. Now you¡¯re somewhere where all your training got deleted. You wanted this for so long, but since you thought you¡¯d never get it, you couldn¡¯t be ready enough for it. Everyone there is different from what you expected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re hacking into my personal code,¡± Calista muttered, turning away. Katelyn laughed. ¡°Hey, I know you. And it¡¯s obvious. I¡¯m guessing the other fighters aren¡¯t that friendly?¡± ¡°I made one friend. Her name¡¯s Belinda. She¡¯s really nice. But even her¡­ I can tell she¡¯s probably wondering why I¡¯m even here. I know I probably act too much like Mom and her friends. I don¡¯t know if they really know I¡¯m a Socializer, but they can probably tell. The way I talk, the way I¡­ act. I can¡¯t even do thirty push-ups!¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Cali. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot of other students that aren¡¯t that great at fighting. You have a gift. You just need to get back in the habit. It¡¯s only been three days. After the months of training, you should be fine. And even if you don¡¯t get on the team, you¡¯ll still be there.¡± ¡°But I need to get on the team,¡± Calista insisted. ¡°I know, but you¡¯ve got three more Versus Games in your career. It won¡¯t end this year,¡± Katelyn reassured. ¡°I have to get on the team this year, Kate. How am I going to prove them wrong if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Fighters are like that. They try to discourage other people and they think that¡¯ll increase their own-¡± ¡°Not just them.¡± Katelyn paused, then sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking at the Hub, haven¡¯t you?¡± Tears pushed against Calista¡¯s eyelids. Before she started studying the Student Coaches, she had taken a glimpse at the SociaLights channel. The girls had dyed their hair different colors and showed off how their first day at NYWS went. They did the whole runway contest Calista had been preparing for all these years. She couldn¡¯t help cringing at their attempts at fashion¡ª the only one that looked decent was Elizabeth. In the three days classes had been in session, the girls had made sure to tear down Calista¡¯s name and spread the news that she entered Fistborn. The comments from the other students were beyond cruel. They were even taking bets on how fast she¡¯d fail out of the academy. Jennifer always hid their fans¡¯ comments from Calista, probably to try and protect her somehow. She always reminded her, though, that once she was independent, she had to take note of all the comments she got, good and bad, for ¡®feedback¡¯. If most fans didn¡¯t like her hairstyle, she needed to change it. If most fans didn¡¯t like her fashion choices, she needed to modify it. If most fans thought she didn¡¯t know enough languages, she needed to take some more courses. Seeing the kind of ¡®feedback¡¯ she was getting now¡­ it hurt and frightened her. A lot of people joked about her dying. Some threatened to go to the school and kill her, others talked about paying a fighter to do so. There were a lot of threats against her family, which worried her. She wasn¡¯t there to protect them with the little fighting knowledge she had. She knew that if anything, SECURE was protecting them, and Katelyn could rig up an extra-deadly security system¡­ but the thought haunted her. Was this why Jennifer was so hard on her? She would see these kinds of things every single day. There were times when she was harsher than usual and demanded a perfect pose, smile, and shape with no flaws whatsoever. Was it because of the fans saying those things? Did she think that by making her perfect enough, the threats would stop? ¡°I feel like this was a huge mistake,¡± Calista confessed. ¡°It¡¯s ruining your lives. I¡¯m starting to get why Mom was so mad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ruining anyone¡¯s lives,¡± Katelyn countered. ¡°Your life is only ruined if you let them. And if you¡¯re worried about our safety, we¡¯re fine. No one¡¯s tried to attack us or anything, and Mom reinforced all our security systems. I can¡¯t even hack into it anymore. On the Hub, they¡¯re all talk because no one can see them. Don¡¯t take them seriously.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do this. And I¡¯m looking at everything here¡­ it¡¯s all so difficult. I don¡¯t¡­ belong here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t belong there because other people told you? Because you¡¯re telling yourself? It¡¯s always going to be up to you, Cali. Your life isn¡¯t about other people¡¯s opinions anymore; it¡¯s about yours. If they can¡¯t see the person you really are, then they don¡¯t matter. You¡¯re going there to learn how to be a fighter, not become popular.¡± ¡°I know. I know that, I keep telling myself that. But¡­¡± A pause stretched between the two sisters. Calista looked at the list of Student Coaches. Whether they admitted it or not, popularity did play into fighters¡¯ lives. It wasn¡¯t just their skills. If they got more of a reaction from Versus fans, they would have a better career. These SCs were all popular, with students dreaming to be in their Guilds¡­ all except Harrison. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Katelyn seemed to have the same thought. ¡°Look, Fistborn is just like NYWS, except that they look at fighting skills and not fashion or looks,¡± she said. ¡°You still have to develop your fighting, so do that. Focus on studying. But do what you usually do¡ª be confident. Don¡¯t care about any of them. When they realize they¡¯re not bothering you, they¡¯re not going to be laughing anymore. It won¡¯t be as fun if they don¡¯t get a reaction from you.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t fake confidence that well-¡± ¡°Girl, you¡¯ve basically been an actress the past few years. What do you think people like Mom do? They pretend! Every minute of every day. Just fake it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different here. They don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s not,¡± Katelyn insisted. ¡°You feel more confident when people look at you, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and when they like me¡­ or they don¡¯t like me, but want to be me.¡± Katelyn shuddered. ¡°Spoken like Mom.¡± Calista shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll be a while until I speak like me¡­ I don¡¯t know how to be me.¡± The sudden realization hit her like a virus. She¡¯d spent so long worrying about being the ¡®her¡¯ that her mother wanted that she¡¯d forgotten what it was like to just be her. From what she remembered, she was a confident person who focused on her goals. It would be a while until she could bring that version of herself back, though. ¡°Well, for now, use that. Every fighter has a unique signature. You make yours. If they think it¡¯s weird, then be weird. When they see how confident you are about it, they¡¯ll want it and think it¡¯s¡­ ¡®uber-unique¡¯, as you would say. Basic human psychology. Heck, if literal criminals make themselves likeable to Socializers because they have something unique, then anyone can do it.¡± ¡°You think? I really don¡¯t act like any of them. I feel like I should be¡­ I don¡¯t know. Not this,¡± Calista said. ¡°Well, don¡¯t try to be like them. You¡¯re not them. You¡¯re you. If you try to force another personality, they¡¯ll see it and you¡¯ll end up looking ridiculous. Don¡¯t try to be what you¡¯re not.¡± Maybe she was right. Calista needed attention¡ª good attention. She was already conditioned to take that as a sort of fuel for her self-image. If everyone else admired her, even envied her, she could use that as motivation. All she had to do was project confidence and make everyone feel inferior, even if they tried to mock her, just as Jennifer always told her. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You should get to sleep,¡± Katelyn said. ¡°You start at six in the morning, right?¡± Calista blew out her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. I don¡¯t have bags under my eyes, do I?¡± ¡°Cali.¡± ¡°What? Just asking.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You have that lotion of yours, anyway. Try to stay healthy, okay? That¡¯s a fighter¡¯s best bonus. And don¡¯t worry about us. Trust me when I say we¡¯re safe. They¡¯re just crazed fans. Eventually, they¡¯ll find someone else¡¯s drama to live off of and they¡¯ll forget about us.¡± Calista nodded. ¡°Okay. Love you, Kate.¡± ¡°Love you, too.¡± Her hologram disappeared. Calista decided to turn away from her mini study session and get out of bed. It was getting late, but the conversation had given her some inspiration. ¡°AIDA, are we allowed to customize our uniforms?¡± ¡°Uniform alteration is permitted under two conditions: that the student complies with their species¡¯ corresponding Appropriate Attire Guidelines according to Fistborn Bylaws and that the uniform retains the academy colors¡ª with the exception of Guild colors¡ª and representational crests, badges, or patches. Color alteration is not permitted.¡± It seemed that Calista had some more homework to do. === The AIDA wake-up alarm couldn¡¯t stop Calista from groaning herself awake, despite how soothing it was supposed to be. It would be a long while until her body wouldn¡¯t mind such an ungodly hour. As she sat up, stretching and smoothing her hair, she found herself staring at a Pet hovering over her. She screamed and fell out of her capsule, crab-walking away as the Pet followed her. It beeped and two small, blue eyes appeared on a black screen on its face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to scare you,¡± it said in a young girl¡¯s voice. Calista screamed again, backing away faster. ¡°Relax! Don¡¯t scream so much,¡± the Pet said. The human girl pointed at the flying sphere with a shaky finger. ¡°Y-you talk.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± It sounded confused. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a talking Pet before?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Seriously? Not even on the Versus News? All fighters have one. You should¡¯ve seen us last Versus. I know we¡¯re a bit new, but we were all over the Hub last time-¡± ¡°Okay, okay, stop talking for a sec.¡± Calista stood. ¡°What are you supposed to be?¡± ¡°Your Pet.¡± ¡°I have a Pet.¡± She detached her current Pet sphere from her belt and let it hover beside her, its small wings buzzing like a hummingbird¡¯s. ¡°This one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your Versus Pet,¡± it explained. ¡°I have all the same functions as a regular Pet, but the special part is that I record and study your fighting patterns. I¡¯ll track every aspect of your style; the way you move, your rhythm, your patterns, favorite weapons, everything. If you get on the team, you get to use me as a weapon. And I¡¯ll keep developing the longer you stay in the competition. I¡¯ll be even better if you get past the preliminaries.¡± ¡°Whoa, okay¡­ slow down.¡± Calista approached the Pet carefully. It was blue and red with the academy logo on the back. ¡°A Pet with a personality.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, we were basically a gift from Mars. They built us with real artificial intelligence. You humans are so afraid of a takeover that you built¡­ those.¡± It looked at Calista¡¯s pink Pet, which still hovered silently in place. ¡°At least you made AIDAs. That¡¯s close enough, I guess.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re my Pet now?¡± ¡°Yup! Everyone in the Versus school has one, and all of you newbies are receiving one today,¡± it said. ¡°You can name me if you want, or customize me. You can just send your other Pet back home.¡± Calista glanced between the two. ¡°O¡­ kay. Um¡­ AIDA, send my Pet back to my house. I¡¯m keeping my Versus Pet.¡± ¡°Object: Calista Medley¡¯s Pet marked for delivery.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just attach to your belt. During classes, you¡¯ll want me in rest mode so I can properly study your movements,¡± it continued. ¡°Okay¡­¡± She calmed her racing heart, still weirded out by this¡­ new Pet. Versus people got all the good stuff, didn¡¯t they? Socializers never had talking Pets. ¡°Are you gonna pick out a name for me?¡± the Pet asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got a generator if you don¡¯t know-¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± the human girl exclaimed. ¡°Can I name you Lindsay?¡± ¡°Lindsay?¡± ¡°Lindsay Leigh! She¡¯s Miss Milky Way 2348! She was my mom¡¯s role model. She has one of the biggest Socializer networks in the Hub! She¡¯s amazing. Her style, her talent¡­¡± She trailed off. The Pet¡¯s eyes stared at her blankly. ¡°Lindsay it is,¡± it finally said. ¡°Hey, I know you¡¯re judging me. If you¡¯re my Pet, you should be more supportive.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have breakfast in my dorm today. I want to learn more about you before I try to use you anywhere. Don¡¯t need more people wondering why I don¡¯t know anything.¡± === ¡°Hey, Calista. I didn¡¯t see you at-¡± Belinda stopped short when she reached her in the hallway. ¡°Calista, your uniform¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. You like it?¡± Belinda gawked at her, completely blindsided by Calista¡¯s sudden confidence and change in fashion. ¡°O-of course, it¡¯s just¡­ wow. You know how to design.¡± ¡°Why, thank you.¡± Calista¡¯s smile never left her face as they walked down the hall. All of their classmates¡¯ eyes turned to her. After breakfast, Calista had gone straight to class with her new formal uniform, which caught everyone¡¯s eye, even the professors¡¯. But the one that she was really excited to show off was her Practicum uniform, which she was now wearing to her Teamwork period. She had taken her cue from the ¡®cheerleaders¡¯ human schools had in the pre-Utopian Information Age. She¡¯d blended the exercise bra and workout shirt together to make a long-sleeved, blue-and-white midriff top, with red-rimmed letters spelling out ¡®Fistborn¡¯ that intermittently changed to a bald eagle¡ª their school mascot. A pair of blue tights with white lines running down the sides completed the set. ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit¡­ exposing? During combat, you don¡¯t want your midriff open to attack,¡± Belinda pointed out. Calista fingered an invisible fabric over her flat stomach, pinching it so it could become visible. It was a thick, transparent material covering her waist, perfect for absorbing impacts. ¡°Wha-¡± The Mearthian girl shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable. How¡¯d you come up with this so quickly?¡± Calista flipped her high ponytail. ¡°It was easy.¡± ¡°Sorry, but the Versus doesn¡¯t have cheerleaders,¡± a girl called, mockingly smiling at her with her friends. ¡°Unless you¡¯re looking for a boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking for your boyfriend.¡± She flirtatiously waved to the boy holding the girl¡¯s hand. The girl¡¯s smile instantly disappeared while her boyfriend snickered. She smacked his arm and stormed off, leaving him to chase after her. ¡°You¡¯re a lot more confident than yesterday,¡± Belinda observed. ¡°I figured, people are gonna make fun of me for being so ¡®girly¡¯ no matter what, so I might as well own it.¡± Belinda smiled disbelievingly, but seemed to approve. ¡°Well, good luck. You look great. I¡¯ll see you at lunch.¡± They split away at the crossing hallway; Belinda to her Theory class and Calista to her Practicum. She bathed in the attention she got when she entered her Teamwork classroom. Everyone¡ª including the Alpha Guild girls, who were studying under Reilly Campbell¡ª turned to look at her. Calista even saw Harrison Smith and L¨ªlitha Houdge looking at her. If this impressed them, she knew she¡¯d done a great job. Once the coaches entered, everyone scrambled to line up, eyes still glancing over to check out Calista¡¯s new look. Most of the males were especially curious. The coaches walked inside and stood across from them. They saw Calista, but didn¡¯t seem to pay her any mind. ¡°Good morning, students,¡± said Coach Tostama. ¡°Today, we will be playing more complicated team games. This time, we will assign teams. It¡¯ll be a more grueling round than usual, so begin your stretches. And stop looking at Miss Medley.¡± The males still gawking at the human girl quickly looked away and stretched. Calista pretended not to notice, contenting herself with a smirk. The rest of the school day went well enough. Calista relished in the attention she got from her new uniforms. With the formal uniform, she¡¯d shortened the red skirt by a half-inch and decorated it with a pattern of small, blue stars. She¡¯d gotten rid of the suit jacket and replaced it with a tight blue vest and a red necktie over a white short-sleeved shirt. Her favorite part of the ensemble were the blue leggings and red midcalf boots. She knew that this time, her runway strut was perfect. If only her mother could see it. This would no doubt confirm any suspicions of her being a Socializer, if there were any. Katelyn was right. If Calista showed she wasn¡¯t bothered by the judgment, they¡¯d probably get bored and look for a different new student to pick on. Ironically, the attention she got helped her focus better in class. Since she wasn¡¯t worrying about how she looked to the other students, or what they were thinking of her, she could fully concentrate on improving. At lunch, she strutted right up to the shrinking ¡®new student¡¯ table and sat down, not giving a bug whether they wanted her there or not. Lots of the other newbies had found groups of students they felt comfortable with, peeling off to join their tables, but there was a cluster of newbies that made their own group. To her surprise, someone soon sat next to her, saying, ¡°Hi.¡± Calista was a bit startled, leaning away instinctively. The Seeyastian woman¡¯s loud pink skin made it a bit more startling, coupled with her matching pink, long dreadlocks. She looked a few years older than Calista. The most striking detail was her eyes¡ª rhombus-shaped pupils surrounded by purple irises. ¡°Hi,¡± Calista said back, trying to maintain her confident front. She noticed the glowing green patches on her sleeves and the green badge on her lapel. Wasn¡¯t that for Favorites? If Calista remembered correctly, the green patches belonged to the Eta Guild¡ª seventh in line, led by Elisa ¡®Double-Dutch¡¯ Fiosda. Calista recognized the Paeseoan over at the Student Coach table, her cream-colored hair tied up in a messy bun. She had charmed the masses last Versus by surviving a Chaos Round without fighting anyone, just using her skills in Double-Dutch rope jumping to get through. If this girl was Elisa¡¯s Favorite, why the glitch was she talking to Calista, then? ¡°I¡¯m Camelithia Courier,¡± the woman continued, sporting a British cockney accent. ¡°You can call me Cam if that¡¯s a mouthful. Do you mind if I sit here?¡± ¡°N-no, not at all.¡± ¡°Yes, sorry if I was a bit startling. I just couldn¡¯t help noticing your uniform. It¡¯s quite hyped. Did you design it yourself?¡± ¡°Yeah, the AIDA told me I could customize,¡± Calista said. ¡°Right¡­ no one here¡¯s done that before, at least not in the years I¡¯ve been here. It looks great. I should try it.¡± Calista snuck a glance towards the green table, seeing lots of the students there looking towards her and Camelithia. Some were smiling, laughing behind their hands. What made their fellow Guild member want to come over and sit with her? Did they have a falling-out? Belinda had said that offending a Favorite student was a social death sentence¡­ or even a literal death sentence. Why would all those students be openly mocking a Favorite? ¡°So, you¡¯re one of the newbies, aren¡¯t you?¡± Camelithia continued, eating her lunch, which was a bowl of what looked like slimy purple slugs. Calista looked away, resisting the urge to gag. That would be pretty rude. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± ¡°Well, no one here has ever dressed like you, and you¡¯re sitting at the newbie table.¡± Camelithia smiled at the other students, who were also looking at the two, probably admiring the woman¡¯s patches. ¡°How are you all? Camelithia ¡®Dropkick¡¯ Courier. Welcome to Fistborn.¡± Some of the students smiled shyly and waved, too flustered to say anything. ¡°Dropkick?¡± one of them said, gasping. ¡°You were in the 2342 Versus Games, right? You slammed that huge Dnilian into the ground!¡± ¡°A Dnilian?¡± Calista said. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Dnilians were shapeshifters, making them very powerful contenders. To think a Seeyastian beat a Dnilian in such a smashing style was incredible. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Cam said with a humble shrug. ¡°All of us are capable of great things. On the team, you impress people one way or another, even if you only last a few rounds. The important thing is that you own it through and through.¡± She looked at Calista. ¡°You all don¡¯t mind me joining you newbies for dinner later tonight, do you? Oh, and you should give me some tips on uniform design. I¡¯d like a custom outfit myself, but I¡¯m afraid my fashion eye is something I need to work on.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love to,¡± Calista said with a genuine smile. It seemed that Katelyn was right. Project enough confidence, and everyone would covet the same thing, no matter how strange. 12- NYWS Elizabeth was more than relieved when she exited her ¡®Charm and Wit¡¯ class. Their teacher was anything but charming and witty. She was more pretentious and rude. She inwardly seethed when Danica and Rebecca came up next to her, clucking like chickens about their latest gossip targets. She didn¡¯t even mind being ignored by them anymore. Having them in almost all of her classes¡ª as they¡¯d requested¡ª was torture. Not to mention the constant brown-nosing everyone did just because of their mothers¡¯ reputations. Even with what Calista did, because of how much they openly hated and shamed her, they¡¯d made up for the rep hit. Elizabeth really missed Calista. She was the only one out of the three that was actually nice to her. Sometimes she¡¯d holo-call her just to see how she was doing or to ask about her family. Danica and Rebecca only included her on SociaLight calls to talk about the channel, and even then, her opinions were always shut down. She always wondered why they¡¯d invited her to join the channel in the first place. Maybe they just needed a fourth member for some reason? The truth was, she never really wanted to be in this school. She didn¡¯t know what she wanted to be. Her parents never cared about what she liked or was interested in. They hardly ever listened to her, instead concentrating on their gaming careers. Maybe she should¡¯ve become a gamer like them¡­ but she didn¡¯t find a lot of enjoyment in games. She liked music and art¡ª real music and art, not the computerized stuff that everyone did. She always admired the more ¡®old-fashioned¡¯ planets that still valued real talent. Like Vorax; they were considered ¡®down-dated¡¯ by a lot of humans. They¡¯d never let technology get the best of their musicians. Socializing seemed like the only way she could get out there. She¡¯d just started a music-centered channel before meeting the three girls, but she wasn¡¯t getting a lot of coverage. So, to try and boost her ratings, she crashed the Sociapalooza and bumped into Calista and the other two. When they invited her, she thought she¡¯d gotten her big break and that she¡¯d be able to reach fame through their connections. Calista had said her talents would add some flair to their channel. Instead, she was just a placeholder. She was their verbal punching bag. She did everything to please them, but none of it was ever good enough. She changed her hair from her ¡®ginger¡¯ red to a ¡®pure¡¯ red, then radicalized it into a loud blue color she hated. Her curls were gone, now straightened in a short bob. Despite the drastic change, her parents hardly even looked at her before she left for the school. ¡°You know, I heard Calista¡¯s going to get expelled from Fistborn,¡± Rebecca said to a cluster of girls that had followed them out of the building. ¡°Pfft. That was obvious. She wouldn¡¯t survive a day in there.¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you hear it?¡± ¡°My mom. She said Calista¡¯s mom talked to her and they think she¡¯ll get dropped. I feel like Jennifer¡¯s gonna keep her locked down for, like, uber-forever.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to go right in the cachebin,¡± Danica said. ¡°We don¡¯t want her, the Versus ragers don¡¯t want her, and no one cares about her. She¡¯s nothing.¡± God, did they not have anything else to talk about? The whole school was always betting on when Calista would fail out of Fistborn. Wasn¡¯t there some other gossip to talk about? ¡°Oh, there goes Wendy Wannabe.¡± Danica sneered at a girl exiting one of the buildings, walking by a few meters away. ¡°What is that uniform?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just gross. Is that allowed?¡± Rebecca shrugged. ¡°We can do what we want with our uniforms.¡± ¡°Uh, no,¡± one of their companions said. ¡°You need at least 30,000 followers to customize.¡± ¡°She¡¯s cheating, then.¡± Danica smirked, opening her AIDA band. ¡°Oops, I just accidentally sent a freeze shot of her to the fashion director. Guess she¡¯ll be wearing the normal uniform from now on.¡± The other girls giggled, taking some freeze shots of their own, probably to put up Shame posts on the school¡¯s Hub. ¡°You saved our eyes.¡± Elizabeth kept staring after the girl, who had customized her pink uniform into a goth-like version. She was one of the school¡¯s outcasts at risk of expulsion. Maybe she could do that. Break enough rules, lose enough friends, and she¡¯d be out of here. The big downside was that these girls and their fans would stop at nothing to ruin the rest of her life and ensure she never recovered. Socializers were as vindictive as they were manipulative. If one made a life choice they didn¡¯t like, whether it affected them or not, they would never let it go. She could try some kind of secret job or fund so she could get enough digits to move off-planet. She could go to one of the friendly Interspecies planets¡ª planets that were welcoming to other species besides their own. Mars was too close, being their neighbor, and there were even Socializers there. Maybe a place like Paeseo or Kwantan. They were usually nice to humans. Utopaea was ranked as one of the most peaceful planets in the Utopia¡ª hence the on-the-nose name¡ª, but it was light years away. Even if Elizabeth¡¯s family was disconnected, she didn¡¯t want to be that far away. ¡°You¡¯re quiet,¡± Danica observed, her brown eyes narrowing at Elizabeth. ¡°What¡¯s the bug?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ tired.¡± ¡°I can tell. You¡¯re getting bags. You should go to the Spa,¡± said Rebecca. ¡°It¡¯s full. It¡¯s always full.¡± ¡°It¡¯s less full at night. You need some beauty sleep and cucumber patches.¡± ¡°And a Thinner,¡± Danica added. Elizabeth bit her lips together. ¡°I Thinned yesterday.¡± ¡°Not enough. There¡¯s a bulge right through your shirt. You see it, too, right, girls?¡± Danica raised her brows at the other girls, who immediately agreed. ¡°If I keep using a Thinner, I¡¯ll turn into a stick,¡± Elizabeth argued. ¡°Stop exaggerating. Just use it for five minutes, at least.¡± Rebecca glanced off to the side and snickered, covering her mouth. ¡°Now that¡¯s someone who¡¯s Thinned too much. You ever heard of food?¡± The other girls also sniggered and took some more secret freeze shots. Turning, Elizabeth saw the skinniest girl she ever saw heading to the Spa. It was to the point that she looked pretty frail¡­ maybe she was sick. ¡°I¡¯m getting so many likes already,¡± Danica said. ¡°You should post something, Lizzie. The more likes, the more followers, and the sooner we all graduate.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll post it when I get to our room.¡± ¡°What are you going to our room for?¡± Rebecca asked. ¡°For my beauty sleep. I¡¯ll see you in class.¡± Elizabeth speed-walked ahead, desperate to get away from these girls. Once she arrived in their shared luxury apartment, she locked herself in her personal bedroom and screamed into her pillows. She should¡¯ve trained herself to fight so she could go to Calista¡¯s school. She was so done with all of this, but now she was in too deep. If she ever tried to get out, the cost would be too high. She was stuck with these girls for the rest of her life, serving as a placeholder on a channel that centered around glitching on other people, specifically Calista recently. The SociaLights should¡¯ve changed their name to Anti-Calista League. She got on her AIDA band screen and checked the school Hub, which was full of cruel comments about unpopular students and ¡®bad¡¯ fashion, as usual. Danica and Rebecca¡¯s recent posts were already getting a lot of traction. Her heart stung for the two girls they¡¯d targeted today. The Art School girls¡ª the most popular and famous girls in school¡ª had already taken notice of Danica and Rebecca, who immediately jumped at the chance to use their mothers¡¯ identities as a power-up. They¡¯d wasted no time in breaking their stupid promise; ¡®SociaLights always stick together¡¯. They¡¯d ditched Elizabeth all day at orientation and only bothered to introduce her as a courtesy, since she was still part of their channel. Since then, though, none of the Art School girls had taken notice of the SociaLights. Elizabeth had a feeling they weren¡¯t planning on boosting their popularity anytime soon. After all, their outfits at the new student fashion showcase¡­ weren¡¯t good. Calista would¡¯ve made something incredible to wear. Even her most bizarre ideas were tasteful and unique. She loved to take inspiration from pre-Utopian eras, even from centuries as old as the 17th. She was a genius in Elizabeth¡¯s opinion. She glanced at the door. If they were all busy gossiping, she could take a look¡­ Her anxiety rising, she opened her incognito program and searched up the Versus News Hub. The Journalism students at Fistborn Academy ran it. Maybe they would do a report or something for the new students there. They always made a big deal out of the few hundreds that would get in. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. On the Hub, Elizabeth didn¡¯t see much at first. There were statistics, bets on who would replace Reilly Campbell¡ª whoever that was¡ª, tension between Campbell and someone else named Harrison Smith. She was a bit surprised to see how gossipy the academy¡¯s news Hub was. Considering how much fighters and Versus reporters criticized Socializers for spreading rumors all the time, they were being a bit hypocritical. She finally found an article about the new class in the Versus Fighting School and opened it up. It mostly talked about the overall impression the class made during the entrance exams, where they fought one of the students there. There was a mention of an applicant passing out at the sight of blood¡ª not by name, but it was obvious it was Calista. Danica and Rebecca loved that part. Other than that, there wasn¡¯t anything specific, but at the end, it mentioned that new students would be doing their ¡®quadrennial interviews¡¯ with the senior Journalism students. Elizabeth found herself anxious for Calista. She had to hope she was doing well. Maybe she could call her¡­ maybe not. She probably wouldn¡¯t even bother to answer after the falling-out she had with them. Elizabeth hadn¡¯t said anything, but she was too afraid to tell the other girls she didn¡¯t care much about Calista ¡®betraying¡¯ them for the ¡®death game¡¯. In fact, she actually kind of liked the Versus Games. They were exciting, inspiring, and fun to watch overall. She missed following them. Ever since she decided to start a channel, she¡¯d stopped watching, since everyone on the Hub made it abundantly clear that fighters and Socializers never mixed. Even with some famous people suggesting they unite both worlds, no one would be willing to let it actually happen. What was Calista going through? How were the other students treating her? She was kind, but she definitely didn¡¯t act like a fighter. How did she last this long already? She sincerely hoped Calista would make it on the team. If there was anything Elizabeth wanted, it was for someone to prove Danica, Rebecca, and all of those other mean girls wrong. === In Cosmos, Katelyn thought she¡¯d seen it all. She¡¯d seen bar fights, drunken arguments, breakups, and cheating partners. All sorts of species from all sorts of countries and planets coming together to be complete glitches to each other. But nothing could prepare her for this moment; the moment all her lying caught up to her. After her grounding period was over, her mother allowed her to resume work, still deciding to believe her after everything that happened. One would think her mother would be less gullible with how much backstabbing happened in the Socializer world. It was like any other day. Scaaskal was annoying her, customers poured in and ordered their drinks, bottles shattered as fights broke out. Soon, Cosmos¡¯s criminal owner would have to hire an additional bartender, since the Versus season was coming up. This place would be twice as full with Earthian citizens once the prelims started in a few months, and even more full when the interplanetaries started. Katelyn wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to work during that season, since more people meant more fights and more danger. The whole space station would be bustling with fans and criminals alike. Crime always shot up during the Games, especially with illegal betting. Any losing betters would surely start their own Versus Games right at the bar. As if reading her thoughts, another bar fight broke out, but this time, it was dangerously close to the disguised ¡®Seema Crockett¡¯. Katelyn was quick to scoot away from the Mercurian and the Voraxmartian going at it. Voraxians had the ability to control the weather and elements in their immediate vicinity, but by being only half, this guy was at a disadvantage. The Mercurian was literally burning with fury, his rocky red skin glowing. ¡°Looks really personal,¡± Scaaskal said with an amused smile, scooting a few seats away. Katelyn served another patron before ducking under the counter, dodging flying bottles. She sighed in annoyance and reached for her taser to end the fight. Once an altercation interfered with her job, she was forced to intervene. She powered the taser to Level 10, which was enough to kill a human but only enough to stun a Mercurian. As soon as the fiery patron turned his back, she rammed the taser into his nape. The Voraxmartian pushed him off, laughing and cursing at him in his language. Katelyn wasn¡¯t as well-versed in languages as her sister, but she knew a few of the insults, and they were very offensive. ¡°Aw, come on, I was having fun watching that, Sati,¡± Scaaskal said. ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t feel like getting stabbed by an airborne bottle.¡± She returned to her bartending, but paused when she heard the Mercurian mutter something. He rose to his feet, his blazing eyes now focusing on her. Katelyn froze in place. She¡¯d done her best to keep a low profile at the bar to avoid confrontations like these. The only fight she ever got into was the staged one she made up with Scaaskal and the gang. Usually, the taser worked and whoever she knocked out would be carried out of the bar and humiliated the rest of the week. The Mercurian smiled, showing his black teeth, and muttered a curse Katelyn didn¡¯t understand. Almost immediately, Scaaskal turned, putting his body in front of her. He didn¡¯t know any Mercurian languages, but he still tried to talk the guy down in his own language. ¡°Walk away,¡± he said in Eseti. The guy replied, chuckling. Scaaskal only repeated ¡°Walk away¡±, flashing the concealed weapon in his tattered vest, which he never used unless necessary. This only seemed to anger the patron, who grabbed Scaaskal¡¯s arm and threw him across the room before Katelyn could react. Raising her taser again, she set it to Level 12 and held it up defensively. The Mercurian grabbed her wrist, his hand heated up, and the burning pain made her instinctively let go of her only weapon. Her head jerked back when the man punched her in the eye. ¡°Get off her!¡± Scaaskal grabbed the Mercurian¡¯s shoulders, ignoring the burn, and pulled him away from Katelyn. She was pulled forward from the force, stopped by the counter, which knocked the air out of her lungs. She watched in shock, nursing her hurt eye, as Scaaskal drew his shiv and started defending himself against the enraged Mercurian. She gasped when the Mercurian flattened his hand over Scaaskal¡¯s face, bringing out a bloodcurdling scream as his eye burned. It was enough to snap Katelyn out of her stupor and generate a bottle. She leapt over the counter and raised it high, smashing it on the Mercurian¡¯s head with all the force she had. He slumped forward, falling into her and causing her to fall against the barstools. ¡°Scaaskal!¡± Katelyn pushed the unconscious man off her and went over to her friend, whose hand covered his now-burnt face. She couldn¡¯t hide this. She needed to get him to the hospital. If they didn¡¯t reconstruct his face right away, there would be permanent damage to his eye. She shouted at the other patrons to clear the way as she picked Scaaskal up, slinging his arm over her shoulders. One of the others was kind enough to lend a hand and take the Martian¡¯s other arm. They hurriedly led Scaaskal out of Cosmos and out to the space station lobby, catching a few people¡¯s eyes as they hobbled to the hospital wing. ¡°Thank you,¡± Katelyn said to the man helping her. Her right eye twitched in pain, but she couldn¡¯t imagine the pain Scaaskal had endured. ¡°Your Mask,¡± he replied. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It failed. You¡¯re back to normal.¡± Katelyn¡¯s heart stopped and she cursed, trying to reactivate the Mask with one hand. The damage was already done, though. The man must¡¯ve broken it when he punched her. She just had to hope no one would report her. At the hospital, Scaaskal was immediately treated and Katelyn¡¯s eye was healed. Thankfully, the space station¡¯s medical services were free, but the medical machines were a bit outdated; Katelyn¡¯s eye took a few hours to heal instead of the usual ten seconds. Scaaskal would have to stay in the wing for a few weeks to be fully healed. It was already nighttime when Katelyn was finally cleared to return home. She rehearsed her story over and over in her head¡ª she was asked to stay late at the museum due to some rare art pieces being surprise delivered to them, and then she went to the Thinning Spa for a relaxation treatment. She would hack the records later when she got the chance. Hopefully, her parents were too busy with work to really notice. Her father would cover for her once he understood the story, but he wouldn¡¯t be happy. When she teleported into her house, she hurried to her room. The HARP room was on, but she didn¡¯t bother looking. Probably her brother watching cartoons. ¡°Hold it right there.¡± Katelyn stopped at her room, wincing. Her mother stood imposingly behind her, her hands on her hips. She expected Jennifer to be mad, but not this mad. This was the look she got when she found out what Calista did. ¡°I had to work late, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Katelyn began. ¡°They dropped off some-¡± ¡°Cut the cache. I know what happened.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jennifer opened her AIDA band. ¡°What the glitch were you doing here?¡± On the holo-screen, a camera followed Katelyn¡¯s figure as she hurried across the lobby with Scaaskal and the other man, probably using Face-Lock to catch up. It zoomed in as she turned her face, showing her busted eye. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s also this.¡± Jennifer opened another recording that took place in the Cosmos bar. Katelyn watched as the Mercurian slammed his fist into her face and the Mearthian appearance flickered off, revealing her real face. The recorder gasped and added the caption: ¡®JENNY ZYBEN¡¯S GIRL?!?!¡¯ Comments popped up as other people reacted to the revelation, saying, ¡®I feel uber-sad for Jenny. Both of her daughters betraying her¡¯, ¡®HA both her daughters are failures¡¯, ¡®that whole family needs to GO¡¯. ¡°Do you want to bring this family down?¡± Jennifer said. ¡°Mom, I¡­ I can explain.¡± ¡°What is that place? That bar? Why are you wearing a Mask?¡± ¡°It was just¡­¡± Katelyn¡¯s voice failed her. She should¡¯ve considered that she would get caught sooner or later. How would she ever get out of this? ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say, Katelyn.¡± Jennifer shook her head, folding her painted lips. ¡°First, I¡¯m dealing with Calista and that war school, and now you? Almost getting glitching killed by a glitching Mercurian?¡± ¡°He just punched me.¡± ¡°He just- do you hear yourself?¡± ¡°Scaaskal saved me, okay? He got hurt a lot worse.¡± ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT THE-¡± Jennifer cut herself off, taking a breath. Katelyn stepped back, a bit startled. She was still jumpy after what happened, and she¡¯d never seen her mother this frustrated before, not even during her argument with Calista. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re sorry. Don¡¯t say anything.¡± Henry came up behind Jennifer, glancing between the two. ¡°Jenny?¡± ¡°What do I do? Henry, what do I¡­ what do I do?¡± Jennifer crashed onto her knees and burst into uncontrollable tears. Katelyn wanted to hug her, but she wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d react. It felt like her mother would crumble into nothing right before her eyes. She¡¯d never seen her cry like this. She should¡¯ve quit after Calista left for school. She should¡¯ve found a safer job. She should¡¯ve been more prepared for something like this. Now, because of her, Scaaskal was hurt, and her family would be attacked even more. ¡°Katelyn, go to your room,¡± Henry said, giving her a subtle glare. ¡°We¡¯ll talk in a bit.¡± He definitely wasn¡¯t happy. After all, she did commit a crime. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Katelyn turned away from her parents, leaving Henry to console his wife. Once she went through her wall, she let her own tears spill. She just made everything worse. No doubt people at Fistborn would hear that one of their students¡¯ sisters was a criminal. Calista was already having a hard time. She¡¯d probably never leave the house again. She¡¯d probably have to take Calista¡¯s place as the new beauty queen and take over her mother¡¯s job when she was older. She¡¯d spend the rest of her life trying to make up for this mistake, and no matter what she would do, people would hold this over her for the rest of time. No one would ever forgive or forget. Celebrities couldn¡¯t make mistakes, let alone mistakes like these. They always had to be perfect, or face the consequences. Would they have to move away? Katelyn had lied to Calista about them being safe; there were many protesters and attackers on the borders of their SECURE bubble every night, threatening them, threatening Calista. She was lucky to have snuck past them when she got home. Would they ever be free to just have their lives? Were they even free from the beginning? 13- Human to Human ¡°So you¡¯d say that Fistborn¡¯s culture is a bit of a learning curve for you?¡± ¡°A little bit, but¡­ a fighter is nothing if not adaptable, right? I know all of us will find our unique niche eventually. All the great fighters went through some kind of doubts when they started, I imagine. But they¡¯re great fighters now. If they could do it, we can do it.¡± ¡°Well said. Okay, I think that¡¯s it. Thank you for your time, Calista.¡± Senior Journalism student Tamara Wallace rose from her hovering chair, reaching out to shake Calista¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you. This was fun!¡± Calista smiled brightly and sauntered out of the interview room, letting the next student in for their turn. The graduating seniors from the Journalism school had summoned all 330 of the new students to engage in their quadrennial interviews. Whoever was graduating in Journalism during a Versus year was extremely fortunate. Other students interviewed a retired fighter, one of the coaches, or someone else that had achieved fame during the Games, but this was the chance to assess each new student¡¯s capabilities and expectations in the Versus Fighting School. These sorts of interviews would look stellar on a Journalism student¡¯s record and give them better chances of getting a high position in the Versus News outlets of Earth, or maybe even outside of Earth. Tamara was surprisingly friendly and charismatic to the point that she could pass for a professional Socializer. Calista had never felt this comfortable at Fistborn. She hadn¡¯t revealed too much of her past, still concealing Jennifer Zyben¡¯s name, but she talked about her passion for fighting and all the other interests she had, like learning alien languages. Tamara had seemed quite impressed. It had been two weeks since Calista started classes at Fistborn. She kept her sister¡¯s advices and projected confidence wherever she went, not caring a bug whenever other students made fun of her custom uniforms or her model walk. She¡¯d stayed away from the Socializer Hub, focusing on learning about Fistborn¡¯s school culture and expectations. Camelithia had continued interacting with her, being nice enough to educate her on who was who and who not to glitch with. Apparently, she was Belinda¡¯s roommate, which explained her impulse to approach Calista during lunch that day. The two had stuck by her side and become her friends. Friends. Real friends. Calista had never really experienced such a thing. She was only ever with the ¡®friends¡¯ Jennifer introduced her to, all of whom were some sort of relative to her old Socializer partners. The only real friend Calista could think of was Elizabeth, but they were never that close. Being with Belinda and Cam was refreshing. They let her be her and helped her out whenever they could. She had the thought of requesting a schedule change to be in class with them all the time, but decided against it. If she couldn¡¯t fight on her own, she wouldn¡¯t know how to fight at all. In terms of her fighting skills, Calista was getting extremely frustrated. She endured insults from her classmates and frustration from her teachers every day. Theory classes were easy enough, but Practicum was going to kill her. Her body simply wasn¡¯t adapting well to fighting anymore. She¡¯d increased her caloric intake by a few hundred to receive more energy, but her limbs weren¡¯t strong enough for the routines. She didn¡¯t go to the spa anymore during Break periods. Instead, she spent every free minute she had at the gym, practicing on CDSims. Belinda and Camelithia would try to help, but in the end, it was up to Calista to improve herself. She could say goodbye to ¡®impressing¡¯ the Student Coaches now. She was sure that even Harrison wouldn¡¯t want her as a student. Over a quarter of the new students had already gotten invited into Guilds. Calista downed some water once again after another struggle with the CDSim. Her ears were filled with the sound of the machine¡¯s irritating beeps. Every time she kicked or punched, it would tell her there was something wrong, whether it was her form or her balance. She could feel it, too; her leg wobbled every time she tried a high kick. She got back on the mat, took a breath, and loaded the program. She carefully followed the hologram¡¯s movements as it performed a sequence of attacks. On the fifth move, the hologram beeped in red and paused, pointing out the exact flaws. Her knee was too bent and she was leaning back too much. Calista groaned again and restarted, messing up over and over again. She even punched the CDSim out of frustration, but her fist went through. She heard some of the other students in the gym laughing at her in ridicule. She panted, leaning on her knees, and gave the group of students an annoyed glare. Their smiles faded and they quickly went back to training. Were they suddenly intimidated? ¡°One tip I¡¯ll give you: the more tired you are, the more difficult it¡¯ll be to keep your form.¡± Turning with a start, Calista saw Lisa White herself walking up to her. Ah. That explained it. Even if she was controversial, she was still intimidating. ¡°Dean White,¡± Calista addressed, immediately getting flustered. ¡°Uh¡­ is there- I mean- how can I- ahem.¡± She wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts. ¡°Good evening.¡± Lisa gave a small smile. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been working a good while. You should take a break.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a break when it¡¯s curfew,¡± Calista said, drinking water again. ¡°I think you need it now. It¡¯s almost nine. You need to sleep enough if you want to do well tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just do a couple more rounds.¡± Lisa shrugged. ¡°Well, I guess, in a way, you¡¯re improving like this. The more you push your body, the more stamina you¡¯ll build. I noticed when classes started that you tired pretty easily.¡± Calista blushed. ¡°Yeah¡­ I wanted to improve that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. But if you push yourself too far, you¡¯ll have the opposite effect. I know you probably look at the other students and think you have to train 24/7, but that¡¯s a common misconception. Rest is as important as training. If you don¡¯t give your body enough relief, it¡¯ll demand rest in the middle of class, and you¡¯ll collapse.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± Calista looked back at the paused program. ¡°Look, the CDSim is a perfectionist. It¡¯s a simulator. It¡¯ll want you to be as precise as possible. We program them like that to set high goals and expectations, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to do it perfectly.¡± Lisa walked up to the program and opened up another screen, showing some sort of list. ¡°A lot of students don¡¯t focus on this, but in my expert opinion, you should know how much you¡¯ve improved to know how much more you can improve.¡± Calista wiped sweat off her neck, grimacing in disgust, and went to the screen. It was a series of notes such as: ¡®Improved high kick- raised leg by 2 degrees¡¯, ¡®Improved balance on right leg- stability increased by 0.2%¡¯. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked Lisa. ¡°It¡¯s your progress report. The CDSim records every single improvement you make, no matter how small. Students don¡¯t look at this often enough.¡± Calista scrolled down the screen, awed by how many improvements there were. She could even look at holo-images of her previous forms and compare them to the current form. She didn¡¯t realize how much she¡¯d already improved the past two weeks. ¡°You don¡¯t become a fighter when you get into the academy, Miss Medley,¡± Lisa told her. ¡°Sure, you should have some fighting experience before you apply, but we don¡¯t expect you to be a pro. If you were a pro, you wouldn¡¯t need schooling, would you?¡± She had a point¡­ ¡°But I want to get on the team.¡± ¡°I know you want to get on the team. Everyone wants to. But you can¡¯t expect to perfect your skills in just two weeks. That¡¯s why we train for four months before the competition, and even then, you¡¯ve got a long way to go.¡± ¡°I just really want to be in the Games this year. I know it¡¯s fast, but lots of first-years go, and I want to be one of them. I don¡¯t want to let anyone down. I need to get on the team, and to get on the team-¡± ¡°You have to give your all,¡± Lisa finished for her, smiling. ¡°Quoting me, huh?¡± The girl chuckled, embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it. I guess¡­ lots of what you said stuck.¡± ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s the case, then I hope this sticks, too: know when to fight and when to fall back. A fighter is strong, tough, and fearless, but they¡¯re also wise and follow common sense. If they know they can¡¯t face a threat, they retreat and try another way. They rest, recover, treat wounds, try to regroup. We¡¯re all essentially training for war, Calista. We¡¯re soldiers in the making. God forbid, we won¡¯t have to fight in a war, but if it ever happens, we¡¯ll be ready. War isn¡¯t something that gives you a heads-up.¡± She closed the CDSim for her. ¡°A soldier that¡¯s starved and beaten up after a battle doesn¡¯t go running into the next one. They take cover in a safe place and treat their wounds first. So you do that. Don¡¯t neglect your body.¡± She left Calista and turned to the other students, dishing out some more advice and tips. Calista looked back at the powered-off simulator. She still wanted to keep going, but¡­ Lisa had a point. Just like Socializers needed their beauty sleep, she needed her rest and recovery. Maybe the workaholic environment the other students put up got to her. She couldn¡¯t figure out what was enough to be on the team. Grades, practicums, training, Guilds¡­ there were so many ways to try and advance, yet no matter what she did, she never felt good enough. === ¡°Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 6:15 in the morning of October 1st, 2349 in the city of Washington D.C. You have a pending message from¡­ Cam Courier¡­ which arrived at 9:00 PM on September 30th, 2349.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to it,¡± Calista said as she rose from her sleep capsule and the AIDA fixed her hair. ¡°Acknowledged. Playing message¡­¡± Cam¡¯s hologram appeared next to Calista as she picked out her uniform for the day. ¡°Hey, Cali. Bel and I couldn¡¯t help noticing you¡¯ve seemed quite stressed lately. We thought we could try out the spa in the Recreation Station. Honestly, we should¡¯ve tried it ages ago. It¡¯s no wonder everyone here is always so grouchy. So, if you want, we can go after school ends, say, around eight-thirty? See you at breakfast tomorrow.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. A spa day? It almost sounded foreign. Calista had done her best to ignore the little bulge around her stomach, but every night, it got her anxious. She knew she¡¯d been neglecting her appearance lately, spending time training instead of infusing her skin in lotions. Even her hair didn¡¯t feel the way it used to. She was sure she had split ends. She¡¯d tried following Lisa¡¯s advice to rest, but every time she did, she was hit with extreme anxiety that kept her up anyway. Every minute she felt she was wasting time, she could practically hear all the other students laughing at her, wondering when she¡¯d quit. The SociaLights¡¯ cackles reached her ears all the way from NYWS, where they were surely soiling her name and telling rumors to all the girls there, especially the Art School girls. She wanted to try and destress by talking to Kate, but she couldn¡¯t reach her. She¡¯d left a message saying she was unable to answer any calls, but that there was ¡®nothing to worry about¡¯ and that she¡¯d get back to whoever contacted her. That only worried Calista more. Her parents and her brother were pretty silent, too. Quincy did answer her once and reassure her that they were fine, just that they were busy. She sighed in frustration and put on the default Practicum uniform. She was wasting too much time on designing uniforms. She wasn¡¯t a Design student, she was a Fighting student. When she went into the mess hall for breakfast, she noticed a lot of people staring at her, which was weird. She wasn¡¯t wearing anything outrageous, and after over three weeks, everyone was pretty much used to seeing her in a new outfit every day. The looks didn¡¯t diminish when she went into her Teamwork classroom. She got down to do some stretches, pretending not to notice. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve properly met,¡± someone said. Looking up, Calista froze, meeting the rose red eyes of the Hajjian woman in her class. After studying, she¡¯d read that her name was Rosalina Wiasod, call sign ¡®Hothead¡¯, and she was the best Favorite in the top-ranking Alpha Guild, led by Reilly Campbell. And of course, she was Reilly Campbell¡¯s girlfriend. She was a pretty woman, but being a Hajjian, she was naturally intimidating. Her skin was a carmine red and her hair was fiery orange, tied up into tight braids. Her most distinguishing characteristic was her forehead; Hajjians had black age ridges on their faces. Men had them on their chins and women had them on their foreheads, fanning out in a triangle from their glabella. They enhanced Rosalina¡¯s orange eyebrows and made her look fierce, as Hajjians usually were. ¡°I had a thought,¡± Rosalina said with her heavy accent. ¡°Let¡¯s start over, shall we? We haven¡¯t had the chance to try and get along.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ okay?¡± Calista said, pausing her stretches. ¡°Rosalina ¡®Hothead¡¯ Wiasod, 23rd-seeded student in the academy, 34th worldwide.¡± Rosalina stuck out her hand. ¡°And you¡¯re Calista, right? One of the newbies. I never gave you a proper welcome to the school¡ª any of you, really.¡± Calista took Rosalina¡¯s hand for a handshake, also pulling herself to her feet. ¡°Nice to meet you?¡± ¡°I suppose you hadn¡¯t heard much of me before today.¡± ¡°Uh, no, I know of you. You¡¯re a pretty famous fighter, right? You set all your opponents on fire last Versus.¡± Rosalina raised her brows. ¡°Impressive. You¡¯ve studied.¡± ¡°W-well, yeah, I mean, obviously. If I¡¯m here, I¡¯m going to know all the fighters. I¡¯m a huge Versus fan.¡± ¡°Are you now? Because from what I hear, you¡¯ve been on a Socializer channel the past few years.¡± Calista¡¯s knees locked in place. She anxiously chuckled. ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see your interview on the academy Hub? I¡¯m shocked. You Socializers usually follow anything relevant to yourselves.¡± ¡°I¡­ I never mentioned¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes, the Journalism students do background research before they interview new students. Most of the time, they try and see if they have any Junior Versus champions among the bunch. This time, they got something different. You¡¯re quite controversial in your community, no?¡± She laughed. ¡°All that talk about the Games promoting violence, and they¡¯re all obsessed over taking you down.¡± Calista sighed, her body melting in shame. She had to know that one of these days, the truth about her would be revealed. She had just hoped she could keep it up for a little longer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t beat you up because you had a channel.¡± Rosalina smirked as two of her fellow Guild members came up to them, joining the conversation. ¡°SociaLights out!¡± one of the girls mocked, imitating Calista¡¯s symbol of Loyalty. Calista tried to smile and play it off as if it were all a joke. Maybe if they saw that she wasn¡¯t offended and that she had completely rejected her past identity, they wouldn¡¯t hold too much against her. Socializers had done a lot of damage to fighters despite being a ¡®pacifist minority¡¯. Through their skills in gossip and rumor-making, they¡¯d stained a lot of fighters¡¯ reputations, fueled further by the more toxic half of Versus Games fans. Socializers and Versus Journalists constantly clashed, each side trying to push a different narrative, all of which were usually false. ¡°I¡¯m not into that anymore,¡± Calista said. She wasn¡¯t really lying; she never truly wanted any of that. ¡°I realized what I really wanted to do, and I¡¯m going for it. Fighting has always been my dream, and¡­ my purpose.¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that inspiring?¡± one of the Alpha girls said. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just trying to glitch us up? You going to fail out of the academy and tell everyone how horrible everyone was here? How we¡¯re all natural-born killers?¡± ¡°No, I¡­ where are you getting all this?¡± Calista said, flustered. ¡°Don¡¯t make her so nervous,¡± Rosalina said. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give Miss SociaLight a chance. I know this must all be difficult for you. It¡¯s a whole other culture, no? Especially with your sister¡¯s situation¡­¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Oh, yes, how unfortunate,¡± Rosalina¡¯s friend said with a pitiful pout of her lips. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Genuine confusion reflected in Rosalina¡¯s eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know what?¡± Rosalina¡¯s fangs flashed as she smiled in disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t talk to your own family? Oh¡­ they must have disowned you after you betrayed them, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ my sister and I talk. My family just hasn¡¯t talked much lately. They¡¯ve been busy.¡± ¡°Yes, busy dealing with the fact that your sister works at Genesis X.¡± Calista stepped back. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you Socializers practically live on the Hub?¡± one of the other girls said. ¡°How do you not know this? We know it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ focused on studying the past few weeks. I don¡¯t have time for that.¡± ¡°What admirable discipline.¡± ¡°How do you know about that? Did someone see her?¡± ¡°I suggest you catch up on your gossip. If we heard about it, you should have,¡± Rosalina said. ¡°Three against one¡­ how cowardly.¡± The three girls turned, revealing L¨ªlitha Houdge standing nearby, her hips cocked and her arms crossed. ¡°I expected better from the Alpha Guild. Even from you, Hothead.¡± ¡°It seems your parents never educated you on minding your own business, Piranha,¡± Rosalina replied. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. I never knew Alpha members were so interested in Socializer gossip. That¡¯s low, even for you.¡± Calista felt a bit confused. Why was L¨ªlitha arguing with Rosalina? L¨ªlitha had completely ignored Calista to the point that she most likely forgot about their fight from the pressure exam. During class, L¨ªlitha would seem annoyed by Calista¡¯s clumsiness and lack of skill, but all she ever did was roll her eyes and huff. Calista had noticed that L¨ªlitha was close friends with Harrison. They almost always teamed up and she¡¯d seen them talking in the mess hall often. Harrison was courteous to Calista during class, giving her tips and advice every now and then, but otherwise hadn¡¯t talked to her much. She didn¡¯t blame him; obviously, the school knew who she was now, and Harrison couldn¡¯t afford that sort of social suicide, even in the fighting world. ¡°What I find low is how you make assumptions,¡± Rosalina retorted in response to L¨ªlitha¡¯s remark. ¡°Remember your place, likata. Good little girls learn to respect authority.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s authoritative about a walking firebomb that explodes over every little thing. You¡¯re more of a spoiled brat to me.¡± ¡°Speaking of authority, our coaches are starting warm-ups.¡± Harrison approached the group, his face stone-cold. He nodded curtly at Rosalina. ¡°Hothead.¡± ¡°Cheater.¡± Rosalina nodded back with a smirk. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t gotten more acquainted with the new students. Especially the other humans.¡± She gave Calista a condescending glance. ¡°Don¡¯t you need it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more focused on training than making friends,¡± he said. ¡°Yes¡­ you need that, too. Well.¡± She smiled at Calista. ¡°Good luck to you and your sister, Calista. I hope you can regain your followers someday.¡± ¡°Otherwise, congratulations, you left your cult,¡± an Alpha girl giggled, leaving with Rosalina and her other friend. ¡°You should be warming up, not talking to Hothead. She doesn¡¯t even like you,¡± L¨ªlitha said bluntly. ¡°My advice? Stay away from her.¡± Her thin, blacked-out eyes narrowed further at the Hajjian woman with utter hatred. ¡°She¡¯s a snake.¡± She turned away. Harrison offered Calista a friendly smile. ¡°Don¡¯t let her get in your head. Hajjians generally don¡¯t like humans. And Rosalina likes to intimidate people, especially the newbies.¡± ¡°What did she mean by my interview? Did you see it? What is she talking about?¡± Calista asked anxiously. ¡°Don¡¯t focus on that. Just focus on your training. She¡¯s trying to distract you.¡± The coaches called them to start their lesson, the AIDA bell ringing to finish the warm-up period. Calista tried to follow Harrison¡¯s advice. She did her best to clear her mind of her worries and not give Rosalina the satisfaction. But Katelyn remained in her head, torturing her with worry. If people found out about her profession, what would become of the family? How many more crazed fans would try and take some sort of ¡®revenge¡¯ now that their idols had fallen? Once the day was over, Calista repeatedly tried to call Katelyn and find out about the situation, but received no answers. They were probably completely locked down for their safety. Did Katelyn become careless? How did she get exposed? Did her Mask fail? After giving up on contacting her family, she went onto the school¡¯s Hub and looked up the interview. ¡°New Student #165: Calista Medley,¡± Tamara¡¯s voice-over announced. It started off with Calista¡¯s basic profile and some highlights of the embarrassing moments of her fight with L¨ªlitha. ¡°The girl that fainted at the sight of blood,¡± Tamara dramatically narrated, which had Calista withering in shame. The interview footage soon came up, focusing on the questions she answered about what her aspirations and goals were in Fistborn. Calista smiled a bit at how calm and confident she sounded. ¡°You think you have a chance of making the team?¡± Tamara asked her. ¡°I feel like everyone has a chance. They just have to take it.¡± Calista¡¯s thick brows furrowed. She¡¯d said a lot more than that. The line sounded weak with how they cut it off. ¡°Would her family say the same?¡± Tamara narrated, now showing clips of her family and her mother¡¯s legacy, all of it edited with an ominous, flashy black-and-white filter, as if showing footage of a mass murderer. They even added some lines from Calista¡¯s old broadcasts, where she was basically forced to criticize fighters with the other three. ¡°What kind of people support this?¡± her 16-year old self wondered. ¡°Evil people,¡± Danica had responded. The recording got worse as Calista watched on. It twisted her words, taking them out of context. It made her sound so stupid and out of touch. Yes, she¡¯d said stuff about fighters¡­ but she didn¡¯t have a choice! And why didn¡¯t they show the better parts of her fight with L¨ªlitha? She cringed as the footage replayed her screaming in pain and passing out at the end, over and over again. Her fists clenched when they started talking about her family, mostly her mother. There were many lines played side-by-side, showing just how much Calista had repeated her mother¡¯s phrases throughout her SociaLights career. ¡°The fans are everything. They¡¯re our whole world.¡± ¡°I do this to put smiles on people¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°Style goes with your personality. It can be anything.¡± Chills wracked her body. Was she a carbon copy of her mother this whole time? Her mother always told her to be unique, to add her own flair¡­ either she secretly wanted her daughter to be the same, or Calista just didn¡¯t¡­ have a flair at all. Had she ever shown anything unique? Was that what Jennifer meant when she said her portfolio wasn¡¯t good enough? It was too much like her own? ¡°Katelyn Medley was found on the Genesis X space station carrying an injured patron from an illegal bar, which has been shut down by SECURE.¡± Footage of Katelyn appeared, zooming in on her face as she helped someone through the crowded lobby. She had a black eye and she looked terrified. What had happened? Was it a bar fight?! Calista shook her head, clutching her black locks in her fingers. This couldn¡¯t be happening. What would they do now? What had their mother done? Did she forbid Katelyn to talk to Calista? Was that why she hadn¡¯t heard from them? Were they even home? Did they move out after their fans started attacking them? She couldn¡¯t bear it. She closed the interview and pulled her covers over her head, crying it out. Katelyn and Quincy were her motivation. She wanted to ensure their future, show them that they didn¡¯t need to do what their mother did. She wanted to give them a chance to escape that life with her. Now that this had happened¡­ what was the point? 14- The Kappa Guild Harrison had acquired the habit of staying up long past curfew. The curfew was there to ensure that students would get enough natural sleep, preferably eight hours, but Student Coaches were allowed to stay up until late if need be. He usually went to his Guild¡¯s training room to practice and destress after the day. It came as a welcome relief to him, giving him the chance to generate one of his peers¡¯ holograms¡ª like Reilly or Disaris¡ª and give himself the satisfaction of slamming their faces in, even if it wasn¡¯t real. As he crossed the bridge overlooking the gym, he stopped in his tracks, noticing someone training below. He thought it was one of the other SCs at first, but why would they use the regular gym? When he saw the long black ponytail whipping back and forth, he knew. How¡¯d she get past the curfew detector? There wasn¡¯t any way she could bypass it. Faking an emergency wouldn¡¯t work. Was there an emergency? But she was training. Too curious to ignore her, he went down to the first level and stood at the gym entrance, watching her. Her movements were jerky and reckless, clearly motivated by rage. A dangerous form of fighting. But if she was simply letting it out through a CDSim, it was fine. He didn¡¯t blame her. He could relate to the girl in a lot of ways. There were many rumors about her, enough to make everyone forget what truth really was. As soon as those interviews came out, Calista was the talk of the school. Yet another reason for the other new students to dislike her; hardly anyone was acknowledging their interviews. The other seniors in the Journalism school were probably seething at Tamara Wallace. She¡¯d stolen all their thunder with her controversial project about the Socializer who wanted to be a fighter. She¡¯d become a Versus News anchor in no time with this kind of turnout. Calista didn¡¯t even notice Harrison as he approached her. Her emerald eyes were laser-focused on the CDSim hologram, her dainty fists flying in the air as she furiously attacked the man-shaped projection. She practically screamed in frustration when it got past her defenses and slammed her on the mat for the umpteenth time. Harrison stopped in his tracks, his brows raising when the girl rose with a vengeance, tackling the CDSim to the ground and punching it repeatedly. The program halted, with the words ¡®SELF CONTROL¡¯ blinking on the error screen. ¡°I¡¯m not glitching controlling anything, you son of a GLITCH!¡± Her hands slammed on the mat and she remained on her knees, panting. Her ponytail had come loose, her black locks now shading her face. Harrison momentarily wondered if he should turn around and leave her alone, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so. ¡°How¡¯d you get past the AIDA?¡± he found himself asking. Calista¡¯s greasy hair flipped when she looked up, a bit startled. She wiped forming tears from her eyes and composed herself, standing up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°SCs can stay up. You should be sleeping, though.¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re sleep-fighting?¡± ¡°The AIDA thinks I¡¯m still in bed,¡± she sighs. ¡°Fistborn¡¯s systems aren¡¯t as strong as you think they are.¡± Harrison couldn¡¯t help a surprised chuckle. ¡°So you¡¯re a hacker, too?¡± ¡°My sister.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Genesis X.¡± Calista rolled her eyes, turning away. ¡°Did you need something?¡± Harrison smirked. Calista was always trying to impress him in some way during class. There was a certain shyness about her whenever she was around him, like a suppressed fangirl. Now, all of that was gone. She was done talking to him. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering why you¡¯re up¡­ and very bugged off.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡± Calista reset the CDSim. ¡°My family won¡¯t talk to me, my sister got exposed, everyone on the Hub hates me, everyone here hates me, I have no home to go back to, and I can¡¯t fight. That¡¯s a few reasons to be bugged off.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t fight,¡± Harrison said. ¡°Not like that.¡± ¡°Then how?¡± ¡°For one, don¡¯t attack your opponent like a crazed gorilla. You¡¯re asking them to slam you into the ground like that. Anger¡¯s good, but as long as you keep it under control.¡± ¡°Yeah, control. Always control. Keep a smile on your face and pretend nothing bothers you because if you don¡¯t smile and pretend it¡¯s all a joke, you¡¯re immature and spoiled and have a thin skin. They can write the code for other people, but not for themselves, because they all get offended over absolutely nothing, but of course, they¡¯re always right and they always have a reason, but when I get mad, I¡¯m the problem, and it just goes around and around and around until I end up Thinning or doing something to get a compliment so I can forget the whole thing!¡± Harrison only stared, not knowing how to respond. He found her strangely relatable. He never thought he¡¯d ever relate to a Socializer, of all things. ¡°Never mind. What would you know?¡± Calista muttered, turning off the CDSim. She flicked back her sweaty, messed-up hair and started leaving. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Calista stopped, not looking at him. He heard a sniffle and her finger ever so subtly wiped a tear away. He couldn¡¯t believe he was about to say this, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say. ¡°I can help you,¡± he began. Calista finally looked at him, a quizzical frown knitting the space between her thick brows. ¡°You can help me? How?¡± ¡°I am a Student Coach. After dinner, all the Guild members go with their Student Coaches. You could fit that in your schedule.¡± His stomach jumped. What was he thinking? Asking the most reviled student in the academy to join his nonexistent Guild? Reilly and Disaris would have a field day with this. Calista seemed to be thinking the same thing, the confusion increasing on her face. ¡°You want me to be in your Guild?¡± ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of reasons why not.¡± ¡°Look, I know I¡¯m not the most popular SC in the academy, but even my Guild can offer you some protection and advantage here. It¡¯s a cardinal rule.¡± ¡°You know what they¡¯re going to say,¡± Calista said. ¡°You¡¯re the unpopular, human Student Coach. I¡¯m the human Socializer that got exposed. Now, you¡¯re inviting me into your Guild, and-¡± ¡°People are going to criticize us whether you join my Guild or not. It doesn¡¯t matter what we do.¡± Harrison sighed resignedly. ¡°We might as well try and help each other out. I can help you get on the team. I¡¯m not a fan favorite, but I know a lot about fighting. And if you get on the team, it¡¯ll say a lot about my coaching skills.¡± ¡°Why me, of all people?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one that¡¯ll say yes.¡± ¡°What about¡­ L¨ªlitha Houdge? You guys are friends, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but she doesn¡¯t want to join a Guild. She wants to make it on her own. And I get that.¡± ¡°Maybe I can make it on my own.¡± Calista turned away, heading to the door. ¡°That¡¯s fine, too,¡± Harrison said after her. ¡°But the offer¡¯s out there if you want it.¡± Calista paused, still not looking at him. Harrison stared at her back, which was covered by her long, silky, black hair. She was wearing the school-issued exercise bra and pants pair, without any customizations. Harrison liked her fashion ideas, though. She had a talent for it. He would daresay she was better-looking than Minx, which said a lot. Delaine was a bit more arrogant than Calista. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Calista finally said, leaving the gym. === Harrison¡¯s offer had kept Calista awake all night, despite the AIDA trying to put her to sleep in her capsule. She had wanted to instantly accept the offer, throw her arms around him, and thank him over and over again for even considering teaching her. But for some reason, she¡­ didn¡¯t. She was embarrassed that he saw her raging in the gym in the first place. Katelyn had given her a few hacking chips, just in case she needed them. Calista used one to get past the AIDA in her room so she could go down and work out, and Lindsay had projected an image of her sleeping to fool the security systems. It was a good thing it was Harrison and not someone else; they probably would¡¯ve reported her just out of spite. Calista snuck past plenty of other students bypassing the curfew bot to get some extra training in. Belinda did say that joining a Guild offered a lot of advantages. She¡¯d have more chances of getting on the team and have extra coaching so she could improve. But would it be worth joining Harrison¡¯s Guild? Would people respect her or treat her even worse? Why was Harrison sacrificing the last kernel of reputation he had to train her? If she got on the team under his tutelage, it would look good for him, but what were the chances of that? The thought plagued her the entire day. She tried to hide it when she ate with Cam, or talked to Belinda in the halls. She did her best to focus in class so she wouldn¡¯t be too humiliated in Practicum. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t have Teamwork class on Mondays, so she could avoid Harrison the whole day. In the Mess Hall, she could see him glancing at her from the Student Coach table until his fellow coaches started teasing him. Why would he risk more teasing and rejection from the other coaches with her? She knew that Reilly Campbell and Disaris Okione already had a less-than-cordial relationship with him. This would give them all the fuel they needed to destroy his name. They really weren¡¯t different from Socializers at all. She wanted to get on the team herself, on her own merit¡­ but she did need help. But what if they all talked about her relying on Harrison because he was human like her? What else would they say about her and her family? The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Hello? Calista?¡± Camelithia¡¯s bright pink hand waved in front of her eyes, breaking her out of her imagination. Both her and Belinda had joined her for dinner in the Mess Hall for the evening. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Calista said dazedly. ¡°You¡¯ve been zoning out all day,¡± said Belinda. ¡°Is anything wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not still thinking about that stupid interview, right?¡± Cam asked her. ¡°No, no¡­ just other stuff. My sister, mostly.¡± ¡°She still hasn¡¯t communicated?¡± ¡°She sent me her location. They¡¯re out of state right now with some of my dad¡¯s family. But no, she hasn¡¯t actually talked to me.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. That means they¡¯re all safe. I¡¯m sure that if something happened to them, you¡¯d know it,¡± Belinda pointed out. ¡°I know, but¡­ I wish I could hear from them, that¡¯s all.¡± Cam smiled empathetically. ¡°I get you.¡± Calista noticed a change in her tone, as if she¡¯d gone through a similar experience. The bell dinged for the dinner period to end. ¡°Alright¡­ I wish I could go to training late, but Delaine doesn¡¯t like tardiness,¡± Belinda said, rising from her seat. Guild Training. Usually, Calista would confine herself to her dorm and study, but¡­ ¡°Where do you guys go? I¡¯m curious. I¡¯ve never seen where you do your extra training.¡± ¡°You want to come with us?¡± Camelithia asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Calista¡¯s stomach leaped. She still hadn¡¯t fully decided whether she¡¯d accept Harrison¡¯s offer, yet she felt as though something was calling her to go. The girls kept her chatting, staving away the rising anxiety as they approached the hall of Guild Training rooms in the Training Center. Calista immediately noticed the other patch-wearing students glancing at her quizzically, smirks forming on their lips. ¡°Here we are,¡± Cam said, completely oblivious to the attention they were getting. Or maybe she merely ignored it. After all, she seemed to be the ¡®outcast¡¯ of the Favorites. Calista rarely saw her with any of her Guild members. ¡°This is my room.¡± Cam motioned to the green door where many Eta Guild members were gathered, haughty eyes glancing over at the trio as they entered. ¡°Mine¡¯s over there.¡± Belinda pointed at the bronze door a little further down the hall, which was also blocked by a cluster of Gamma members. ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re all early.¡± ¡°Elisa is a lot more lax compared to Delaine,¡± said Cam. Calista tried to look at Harrison¡¯s orange door as subtly as possible. It failed, though, with how many people were looking at her and questioning her presence. A few people followed her gaze and immediately whispered their theories to each other. ¡°That¡¯s Harrison Smith¡¯s door,¡± said Cam, slinging her arm around Calista¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Yeah, I feel bad for him. I suspect it gets lonely in there.¡± ¡°Does he ever use that room?¡± Calista asked. ¡°Yeah, as his own training room. I suppose it offers him some solace. Then again, SC¡¯s have their own training rooms in their penthouse.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s an escape from the other coaches. He doesn¡¯t get along with all of them,¡± said Belinda. Cam shrugged. ¡°True. I don¡¯t know if the other coaches ever use these rooms for themselves. They¡¯re huge gyms. Would make me lonely.¡± ¡°I¡¯d better go,¡± said Belinda. ¡°We¡¯ll see you after training, Cali.¡± Calista turned to leave the hallway, her eyes repeatedly glancing at Harrison¡¯s door. Was he in there right now? Or did he wait until everyone was done training? She would wait. She¡¯d hate the constant mocking of not having a Guild if she were in his shoes. She left the area and pretended to go towards the spa. Normally, she¡¯d love a nice bath and massage, but she was far too anxious today. She knew what she needed to do, and she hated the thought of it. Nothing she¡¯d do would ever make them stop seeing her the way they did. She¡¯d always be ¡®that Socializer¡¯, just like how Lisa would always be a fraud, and Harrison would always be a cheater. Two professional fighters, and they couldn¡¯t dispel the rumors. Her grandmother had said it, after all. Rumors were as permanent as time itself. They¡¯d never go away. Even if only one person was left believing a rumor, that would be enough to revive it in other people¡¯s memories. It was an endless debt to pay. Well, she was tired of trying to pay off something unpayable. Why not add more to her tab? She returned to the hallway, which was now empty, all but one of the Guild doors marked as ¡®Locked¡¯ with ¡®Training in Progress¡¯ flashing across them. Calista slowly approached the orange door with the large white ¡®K¡¯. She nervously glanced up, knowing that there was some micro-camera watching her every move. She had to hope that no one in the academy was crazy enough to look at the security footage. If she could fool the curfew program with a hacking chip¡­ ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± Calista jumped, a small squeal leaving her throat, and sighed in frustration, ejecting Lindsay from her belt. The pink sphere hovered beside her with her practically invisible wings, her blue screen eyes narrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Calista snapped. ¡°Why are you just standing here like a holo-model?¡± Lindsay chastised. ¡°I need to think.¡± ¡°Girl, a Student Coach offers you Guild membership on a silver platter, and you¡¯re not taking it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not taking it, Linds!¡± Calista stepped away from the door. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything on a silver platter. I want to¡­ I just want people to think I¡¯m capable. That I can do things myself. That I¡¯m not helped along all the time.¡± She sat on the floor and leaned against the wall, breathing out. ¡°They¡¯ll never respect me. Not like this. I¡¯m hopeless.¡± She swallowed down a knot in her throat and brought her knees up, putting her head in her arms. ¡°I never should¡¯ve come here.¡± Lindsay slowly approached her, her eyes now softer. ¡°Calista¡­ you said you¡¯re here because of your sister, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. She wanted me to be a fighter so badly.¡± ¡°Do you want to be a fighter?¡± ¡°More than anything. But¡­ now more than ever, it¡¯s just so important. I feel like this is the only way I can sort of¡­ flip the program. That way Kate doesn¡¯t have to make up for working on Genesis X the rest of her life. She can still do what she wants. I¡¯ll just take the fall for her.¡± Her fingers twiddled. ¡°Maybe I can say I forced her to work there¡­ that I wanted to pay my way through the academy. Or- wait, no, I have a scholarship. Maybe I can say¡­¡± ¡°Girl, no.¡± Lindsay landed in Calista¡¯s palms, retracting her wings. ¡°Listen, what¡¯s happening with your sister¡ª that¡¯s out of your control. That¡¯s something your family has to deal with. You need to worry about you right now. Just keep going.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people here that have stuff going on, but they keep training, anyway. Some people have family in prison. Some don¡¯t talk to them at all. Some have planetary disasters near their hometowns. But in the end, they¡¯re fighting for them. Remember, the Versus Games were originally created to train soldiers.¡± ¡°I thought it was to keep the peace between planets.¡± ¡°That, too. But lots of soldiers go into their planet armies and deal with their own wars and conflicts. It¡¯s to make sure you¡¯re all prepared in case their wars spill out. And it¡¯ll happen eventually.¡± She never thought about that. If an interplanetary war broke out, would she be called to fight? Would she be on the frontlines? That wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d ever considered. She wasn¡¯t sure what to feel about it¡ª except that she didn¡¯t want to be a coward. ¡°You¡¯re here for yourself and your family. I know you want to do something to help them, especially Katelyn, but there¡¯s nothing you can do. All you can do is keep training for her. Stop thinking about what other people think about you. It doesn¡¯t matter. If you let people¡¯s opinions block you, then that means you¡¯re putting them over your sister. Why should they be the priority? They¡¯re not worth it.¡± Shame quivered in Calista¡¯s stomach. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it that way.¡± ¡°The best thing a fighter can do is admit when they need help. Like Rosalina, she¡¯s training under Reilly. That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s building her career. She just acknowledges that there¡¯s stuff she doesn¡¯t know about fighting, and that someone needs to teach her.¡± ¡°This is different,¡± Calista argued. ¡°Reilly¡¯s the best fighter in the entire school. They¡¯re not going to say anything-¡± ¡°What did I say about caring what other people say about you?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Hey, people say stuff about Rosalina Wiasod all the time. She¡¯s here on Versus parole. She got arrested on Earth and she¡¯s required to learn discipline and self-control through the academy. Then she¡¯ll be allowed to go back to her home planet and see her family.¡± ¡°Wh- wait, what?¡± Calista shook her head, her mind glitching. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying- Rosalina¡¯s a criminal?¡± ¡°Charged for illegal planetary entry, robbery, and assault. The Versus is a pretty good way to beat criminals into shape. If they violate it, they go back to prison and don¡¯t get another chance to leave early. Interplanetary crime is no joke. There¡¯s quite a few people in the Earth academies on this parole.¡± ¡°There¡¯s criminals. Here. Taking classes. Fighting people.¡± ¡°My point is that people talk about that. They criticize Rosalina. They say stuff about her and Reilly, too. They may be ¡®tops¡¯, but they¡¯re not immune. People just don¡¯t have the guts to say anything to their faces.¡± Like her followers, Calista realized. Her mother¡¯s followers. They¡¯d criticize all they wanted on the Hub, but they¡¯d never say anything directly to them. The students in the academy were more vocal, insulting and mocking Calista pretty openly. She didn¡¯t know that they criticized the more ¡®respected¡¯ students behind their backs. They didn¡¯t respect them, they were just afraid of them. But no one was afraid of Calista. They knew that they could mock her as much as they wanted and she wouldn¡¯t even think of trying to get them back. L¨ªlitha was another example. She wasn¡¯t very respected by most of the school, yet people were afraid enough of her to leave her alone for the most part. Her bite was terrible. Was that how she¡¯d survived the academy so far? The academy was supposed to teach them all self-control¡­ maybe they feared the repercussions in training, or in the competition, if they dared insult any of the big fighters. Did Harrison instill that same fear? Probably in the weaker students, but definitely not in the other coaches. He¡¯d never be at the top of the food chain. ¡°Look, they¡¯re never going to stop,¡± Lindsay told her. ¡°Fighter or Socializer, you¡¯ll never be liked by everyone. But if you let that stop you, then you¡¯ll prove them right. You need help with your training. You want to get on the team. So do it.¡± Calista looked up at the orange door. Lindsay was right. She¡¯d regret it if she passed this chance up. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is a yes?¡± Calista stood, startled, and found Harrison standing outside the hallway. Lindsay went back into her belt. ¡°Oh¡­ I thought you were in there.¡± She pointed at the door. ¡°I always come a bit later.¡± Harrison smiled, showing his handsome dimples. He went up to the door so the AIDA could scan him and looked back at Calista. ¡°I have to add you as a Guild member if you want access to the room.¡± All Calista¡¯s life, she¡¯d been preoccupied about what people thought of her. Her whole existence was based on what the fans said, what the fans wanted, what the fans accepted. Her mother had hammered that in her head. She¡¯d never be good enough for them, or for the fighting fans. She could only be good enough for herself. For Katelyn. For Quincy. ¡°Sounds good,¡± she said, approaching Harrison. He went on his AIDA band and swiped something to hers. Calista found something added to her academic schedule: 7:30 PM: PC-GTK10 Kappa Guild Training¡ª Kappa Training Room 10GT-P, Training Center¡ª SC #10 Smith, Harrison ¡°AIDA, add Calista Medley as a Kappa Guild member.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Calista Medley is now a Kappa Guild member and has access to this training room.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± The door phased into a transparent, intangible state, letting the two of them inside. The blue-and-red colored surroundings turned into an orange-and-beige theme. The gym was spacious with high ceilings and beams of orange and white light running along the edges. There were a few CDSim mats and study capsules lined up against the walls. There was even a separate room for entire map simulations, locked behind a glass wall. The center was wide open with a large, circular combat mat, probably for members to fight each other. ¡°Well, congratulations, Calista Medley. You¡¯re my first student.¡± Harrison ejected his orange Pet, which instantly scanned her. ¡°Here¡¯s your patches.¡± Orange Guild patches appeared on her sleeves. She turned her arms to see it. Surrounding a ¡®K¡¯ were: Kappa- Harrison Smith Calista Medley, Guild 10 ¡°Welcome to the Kappa Guild,¡± Harrison¡¯s Pet said. Calista felt an excited chill run down her spine. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see anyone wear one of those.¡± Harrison tapped the patch. ¡°Oh, and you get new uniforms, too.¡± ¡°I do?¡± ¡°Any Guild member can wear their colors. Although, most wait until finals week to wear them. For our practical exam, we fight each other in the arena, like a mini-tournament for Fistborn. It¡¯s a bit more intense for Guild members.¡± ¡°That sounds scary.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Scary but fun.¡± He tapped another button on his AIDA band. ¡°So, you want to change from that¡­ to this.¡± Her uniform changed from blue and white to orange and white. Calista couldn¡¯t help the grimace. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± he asked. She smiled sheepishly. ¡°Orange isn¡¯t my color.¡± He laughed. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t pick. If I got to choose, I¡¯d choose platinum¡­ like Reilly¡¯s Guild. But I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Maybe make it lighter?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± He adjusted the orange shade, slowly turning it to a lighter, cream-colored sort. ¡°Bit more¡­ bit more¡­ there.¡± Calista stopped him. It was now a strong peach color, the letters traced by a darker orange. Harrison chuckled. ¡°All we do is train, and I expect you to be up for that.¡± His tone turned more stern as he crossed his arms. ¡°You didn¡¯t train enough before getting into the academy. You have a lot to work on. Are you ready for this? Because I¡¯m not going easy on you.¡± Calista stared into his blues. She expected herself to feel insecure, but she instead felt a rising strength within her core. She firmly nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to work.¡± 16- Power Down Calista kept a low profile throughout the week following the incident, even reversing the customized uniforms and the look of her room. If she didn¡¯t add more fuel to the gossip flame, maybe she¡¯d be able to survive until finals week. Not even a month into her stay in the academy, and she¡¯d made plenty of enemies. Her fighting was slightly better; she memorized routines well, her balance had improved, and her flexibility was always above average. But her strikes were too gentle and she moved more like a dancer than a fighter. Coach Tostama would tap her legs and her fists, reminding her, ¡°This isn¡¯t a ballet class, Miss Medley.¡± After the incident with the Favorites, Calista found herself laser-focused on improving. Her Break periods were dedicated to the Training Center or the Studitorium. After Guild Training, she worked out at her dorm. Her diet no longer had vanilla-berry lattes or weight-therapy ingredients. She tried her best not to use Socializer slang whenever she talked to Belinda or Camelithia. She never went to the Infirmary to heal her eye, or even applied an ice pack. Despite the circumstances, she wore it as proudly as she wore her Favorite badge. A lot of students gawked at her the day following the incident, and she knew people were talking about the guy she scratched in the face. Calista found out it was a bulky Paesearthian guy named Horace, call sign ¡®Tarzan¡¯, who was in the Epsilon Guild. He wasn¡¯t even a Favorite; he had been invited by Hillary Kaye to the little party. Hillary herself was Bark¡¯s guest, being his girlfriend. She was a Delta, but not a Favorite; not yet, according to her. The first few days passed by in an angry haze. Calista hadn¡¯t wanted to talk to anybody, and she avoided the other Favorites as much as she could. Harrison told her the following night that she had just gone through an unofficial form of ¡®initiation¡¯. He tried reassuring her that every new Guild member was ¡®initiated¡¯ in some humiliating way, even giving her examples of some of the recent ones; a new Gamma member had to eat Hajjian ash cakes; they were disgusting and most non-Hajjians were allergic. A new Zeta had to dive into one of the swimming pools with piranhas in it¡ª she was half-Mercurian, so piranha bites weren¡¯t too harmful for her. ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®surprise attacks¡¯,¡± Harrison had told her. ¡°They catch a new member off-guard and force them to do stuff, or like most of the time, beat them up. I guess since you don¡¯t have any other Guild members, the Favorites did it for you. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about it. It slipped my mind.¡± He was calm when they talked about the incident, but Calista could tell he was enraged, his fingers flexing and his sapphire eyes blazing. Hearing that Harrison ¡®forgot¡¯ to tell her about an initiation ritual that would inevitably happen to her just made her even angrier. She knew they didn¡¯t just initiate her because she was a new Guild member. They probably would¡¯ve targeted her whether she was a Kappa or not. More than anything, she wanted to hit back. She wanted to punch every single one of the students that terrorized her that night, make them beg for mercy and grovel to her on their knees. But she knew she couldn¡¯t do that, at least not yet. She studied far past curfew, holed up in her room with screens opened all around her, memorizing the different disciplines and practicing on the CDSim in the Kappa training room. Harrison confronted the culprits in the Mess Hall about it, determined to defend his student and do his job as her Student Coach. Calista knew he meant well, but she couldn¡¯t help but think he made it worse. Maybe people like Tarzan or even Hillary would be intimidated, but Rosalina Wiasod wouldn¡¯t even bat a lash. She wanted to deal with this on her own. She wanted to earn this dream of hers. She didn¡¯t want any unnecessary help. Harrison could help her along as her Student Coach, but that was all she¡¯d allow. Her black eye and the rest of her bruises faded as the days went by. She hadn¡¯t even noticed they were gone until weeks later, when she finally bothered to check herself in the mirror. She¡¯d noticed that her body looked¡­ different. Stronger. Her arms and legs were more muscular, abs were forming along her midriff, and light scars were etched into her knuckles. Her nails had grown unevenly, the polish chipped and faded; her mother¡¯s nightmare. She looked stronger¡­ but she didn¡¯t feel any stronger. Every morning, she felt more and more tired. There were times she wondered whether any of this would amount to anything. All the bullying, the doubting, the bruising and battering¡­ then Katelyn and Quincy¡¯s faces would flash in her mind, followed by the Favorites¡¯ taunting faces, and she¡¯d go right back to work. Katelyn finally sent a message towards the end of October. It was short, but it reassured her that the family was still safe and sound up in Montana with their paternal relatives, and that they were simply limiting communication until the worst would blow over. The fans weren¡¯t their only problem. Now that Katelyn¡¯s identity was leaked, every patron she ever crossed in the two years at Genesis X had taken it upon themselves to settle grudges. SECURE was working hard to catch them and arrest them. Scaaskal had also been attacked again, leading him to go into hiding, since he did a lot more illegal work than Katelyn ever did. Calista silently ate her breakfast at the Kappa table, ignored by everyone else. Her limbs felt like lead and her head spun every few seconds. She was sure it was just stress, but she didn¡¯t have time for the spa with all the training and homework she had to do. Belinda and Cam sat at her table. Cam had always accompanied her, but Belinda had talked to her, but she hadn¡¯t eaten with her in a short while, probably pressured by the other Gammas. Calista didn¡¯t blame her; she was probably afraid of a surprise attack just for being friends with someone like her. She appreciated that Belinda decided to sit with her now. ¡°Cali¡­ are you feeling alright?¡± Camelithia asked. ¡°Fine. Why?¡± ¡°Your¡­ you¡­¡± Cam cleared her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t know the polite way to say this, but you look like glitch.¡± She winced when Belinda lightly punched her arm. ¡°I feel like glitch. I know.¡± ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s an unhealthy kind. Have you slept alright?¡± Calista shrugged. ¡°Okay enough.¡± ¡°Lindsay, how much has she slept?¡± Belinda asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to-¡± Calista bit her lip in frustration when her Pet answered. ¡°She¡¯s doing around five, six hours a night. Sometimes seven.¡± ¡°Could you not openly talk about my health problems?¡± ¡°You never told me they were secret,¡± Lindsay said. ¡°Why should I have to-¡± Calista pushed down her rising anger. ¡°Fine. From now on, do not discuss my health with anyone unless I give you permission.¡± ¡°Okay, acknowledged.¡± ¡°You need at least eight hours a night, Cali,¡± said Cam. ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m busy. I got a lot of homework.¡± ¡°We all do,¡± said Belinda. ¡°You guys know how to fight. I need more training.¡± ¡°Harrison will give you all the extra training you need.¡± ¡°I need more,¡± Calista insisted. She finished her Eggs Benedict and gulped down her protein fruit smoothie. She hoped to get some extra warm-ups in before the actual warm-up period, that way she could use that time to practice her high kicks. Camelithia hastily stood, following Calista as she headed out. ¡°Calista, wait. As your friend, fellow student, and honestly a higher-ranked fighter than you¡­ I really advise you to slow down. You need a break. You¡¯re doing great in your progress, but you need to give your body some rest. You don¡¯t look healthy at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Cam, I¡¯m just tired, alright? I¡¯ll see you guys around.¡± ¡°Cali, we don¡¯t even have-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you in class, Bel.¡± She walked off before she could hear any more lecturing. At the gym, she got down for her morning push-ups, which she had increased to sixty. She would get tired around forty, but pushed through anyway. Sweat was no longer a source of disgust to her. Every time she worked out, she heard the Favorites¡¯ laughing in her ears, their glee as they threw her around like a basketball and flipped her over to show off how light and weak she was. Her eye, while completely healed, throbbed with the memory of Tarzan¡¯s fist crashing into it. By the time her Combat period started, Calista¡¯s limbs were feeling like gelatin. She couldn¡¯t understand why she felt so weak. She¡¯d eaten enough calories for breakfast. Her stamina should have increased. She did her best to keep her focus while she sparred with one of her first-year classmates, but her dizziness kept messing with her balance and reaction times. She nearly fell when she dodged a couple of times, and she couldn¡¯t seem to hit her opponent at all. ¡°Miss Medley, you¡¯re unbalanced. Keep a steady stance,¡± the Mearthian coach, Julius Somali, told her. Calista hardened her legs, trying her best to not stumble or sway. Her opponent took a swing at her face. She caught his arm and pulled so he could land on the floor, quickly pinning him down with her knee before he could counter. The sudden movement made her head spin again, and her knuckles hit the mat when she was going for his face. He palm-heel struck her in the chin and rolled away, getting back on his feet. ¡°Too slow,¡± one of the other coaches said. Calista blinked. Her opponent¡¯s face began to blur. She shook her head to clear it, but left a clear opening, and a knifehand just barely caught her throat as she leaned back in an arch. The movement sent her stumbling backward and she collapsed on the floor. ¡°Alright, match over. Next pair,¡± Coach Usda said impassively. She wanted to stand up, but she couldn¡¯t. Her limbs felt like they were fading out of existence. ¡°Miss Medley, get up. Your match is over.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She lifted her head, but a wave of dizziness washed over her. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s something wrong,¡± someone else said, their voice fading as well. Calista blinked up at the brightened ceiling, which grew brighter, hurting her eyes, and shadows loomed over her with weird and distorted sounds. Just this once¡­ she would succumb to slumber¡­ === Calista¡¯s mind was haunted by images of her family. She dreamt that Katelyn was the one being beaten by the Favorite gang, Rosalina especially enjoying her suffering with a sadistic smile. Katelyn and Quincy were both sagging in their attackers¡¯ grips, their faces and bodies bruised horribly, while Calista was trapped in a glass box, forced to watch on helplessly as all the muscles she¡¯d developed in her body shrunk back to the perfectly skinny figure she had before. Camelithia and Belinda stood far away with their fellow Guild members, laughing and smirking at her. Then her parents arrived with disappointed scowls, her mother insisting on locking her in a birthing pod to hide her away from the crazed fans, who were barreling towards them in a raging storm. As her body shrunk further in the pod, undoing all her hard work, and she banged on the glass begging for release, Danica and Rebecca loomed over her with their mouths open in cackles, their Pets recording her misery. Behind them, she could see the crazed fans reaching her siblings¡¯ unconscious forms, the Favorites having left them to be stampeded. The images soon blurred out and became confusing shapes Calista couldn¡¯t understand. She waited until they stopped, clearing into a pure white ceiling with circular lights dotted all around. She breathed in, moving her tired limbs. ¡°Patient number¡ª 23¡ª is now conscious,¡± the AIDA announced. That was enough to confirm she was in a hospital or a clinic. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Hello, Miss Medley.¡± A nurse entered with a smile. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ kind of groggy.¡± Calista rose, prompting the bed to rise so she could sit up. On her arm were small stickers with little balloons of multicolored liquids; her nutrition and hydration sources. ¡°Do you remember anything?¡± the nurse asked, summoning her Pet, which started recording what Calista said. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ I passed out in class, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, you did. Overexertion.¡± The nurse put away her Pet and brought up a data table from her AIDA band, which she moved towards Calista so she could read it. ¡°You haven¡¯t been sleeping well and while your caloric intake increased, you were exercising a bit too much. I know you¡¯re a Fistborn student, but even fighters have their limits.¡± The data table was easy enough for the average layman to understand. It showed percentages of her sleep, nutrition, hydration, and calorie levels. The sleep percentage was pretty low, and the ¡®Effect on Health¡¯ section read: Fatigue, anxiety, low blood oxygen¡­ ¡°Your diet won¡¯t keep you from collapsing if you¡¯re not sleeping enough,¡± the nurse told her. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Calista sighed, relaxing. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 7:30 at night. And before you get up-¡± The nurse quickly pressed on Calista¡¯s shoulders to avoid her standing up. ¡°You¡¯re not going to Guild Training. You¡¯re staying here and resting.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± Calista asked anxiously. ¡°With the AIDA evaluations, I want to keep you here for just one more day. Tomorrow night, you¡¯re going to your dorm, and you¡¯re going to sleep. No studying, no working out.¡± ¡°What about my classes? I missed them, right?¡± ¡°You have all your catch-up info in your AIDA band. The professors and coaches sent them over. You can do that after breakfast. For now, I¡¯m giving you some melatonin aid so you can sleep enough. I¡¯ll give you your prescribed schedule then, okay?¡± ¡°My what?¡± ¡°Your routine to make up your sleep debt. You¡¯ve got a lot to pay back.¡± The nurse gave her a stern, but playful smile and gently pushed her shoulders so she could lie down, flattening the bed back down. Calista fingered the silken fabric of the infirmary PJs. ¡°Can I keep these?¡± She yawned as the nurse stuck a balloon full of purple liquid on her arm. ¡°Of course. They¡¯re comfy, right?¡± Calista quite literally nodded off, sinking into a deep slumber. She felt more well-rested when she woke up around ten in the morning, her stomach growling for breakfast. The stickers were taken off her arm and she ate a hearty meal of poached eggs with toast and fruity oatmeal, accompanied by a strawberry banana protein shake. Visitors weren¡¯t permitted so Calista could fully focus on make-up work during the day and sleeping exactly at eight in the evening so she could get a 12-hour sleep, making up a few hours of sleep debt she owed to her body. As instructed by the infirmary¡¯s AIDA, Calista was to sleep no later than 9:00, wake up no earlier than 6:00, and train no more than five to six hours a day. Her Practicum classes and Guild Training were perfectly enough for that. She would stick with the 3,000-calorie diet, which would be enough for the exercise she was doing. After a few days of this new routine, Calista already felt stellar. She didn¡¯t feel as tired every day and she was steadily improving in classes. There were plenty of students making fun of her collapse in Combat, but she did her best not to pay it any mind. She would be sure to not pass out again. Her moment of relief was short-lived, ending about five days after her collapse. It was her Break period, followed by her Lunch period, so she had time to do some homework and study. She was in the Studitorium going over Versus History when Belinda came running in, startling many quiet study groups around her. ¡°Bel?¡± Calista closed her AIDA screen. ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s, uh¡­ something going on. You should get back to your dorm,¡± Belinda said in a rush. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I just think you should go to your dorm for a bit. Study there, maybe eat somewhere else.¡± ¡°What? Why? What are you-¡± ¡°There¡¯s just something sort of¡­ weird going on and they might¡­¡± Belinda bit her pale lip. Calista stood. ¡°What is it? The Favorites? They want to beat me up again?¡± Belinda sighed. ¡°Just¡­ come with me.¡± Now worried, Calista closed her screen and followed Belinda out of the Studitorium, feeling the other students¡¯ eyes on her back. She gripped the fringes of her skirt, trying not to fidget. Was it a message? Another prank? Had the Alpha Favorites coerced Belinda into tricking her? A meeting with Dean Lisa? Was she about to be expelled? Belinda led her outside the Hall of Affairs Building, which was right at the campus border. Fistborn had a force field set up around the school that kept any intruders or dangers out. People could only leave campus with permission. Outside the invisible field was a group of people with a bunch of projected images floating over their heads. Clusters of students had gathered around the area to see. Calista was confused at first, wondering who these people are and what they had to do with her, until she got closer and could make out the pictures. The crowd was roused when they saw her, shouting and raising their arms, but the barrier blocked out the noise. There were many, but few really stood out to her; one image was a loop of herself screaming and crying, banging on an invisible wall, with magnetic chains around her neck and wrists. The caption above read, ¡®LET HER OUT¡¯. Another projection showed Calista in her academy uniform, splattered with a rainbow of blood colors while holding a battle bat. This one read, ¡®DON¡¯T MAKE HER A MURDERER¡¯. The one that Calista stared at the most was a projection of her younger self, from one of the pageants she competed in. She looked around fifteen, wearing an emerald green dress that matched her eyes. She watched herself blowing kisses and smiling at the hidden audience around her. She never realized how skinny she really was. How did she maintain that weight all those years? The caption was, ¡®GIVE US THIS GIRL BACK¡¯. ¡°Bel, wh-what is all this?¡± Calista looked around at the other students, who stared at the protesters with confusion and ridicule, some even recording them with their Pets. ¡°It got out¡­ you passing out in class the other day, and the initiation in the Favorites¡¯ Lounge. One of the first-years in Theta put it up on the Hub, and it got to the Socializer crowd. Now they think you¡¯re a hostage and that we¡¯re keeping you here by force.¡± ¡°What? That doesn¡¯t even¡­¡± Calista shook her head, her eyes falling on a projection of her family. The protester showing it had smeared makeup all over her face haphazardly, as if she had been crying, although makeup never smeared. She banged on the barrier, startling Calista, and her mouth formed the words, ¡°COME BACK, PLEASE COME BACK¡±. ¡°So this is your little fan club?¡± Hillary Kaye approached with Bark and a few other Alphas and Deltas. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, human, I expected a bigger crowd.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised she even has a crowd,¡± Bark said, his face impassive. ¡°You should go live with them. Give yourself a nice vacation from the horrible training. Your body clearly can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, they¡¯ll fix you up, won¡¯t they?¡± Hillary taunted. ¡°They¡¯ll give you Thinners, and makeup, and weight-therapy lattes. Doesn¡¯t that sound tempting?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go,¡± Calista said, turning away. She heard the students exclaim behind her, so she turned again, seeing the protesters grow more rowdy and angry. ¡°I think they wanted to see you¡­¡± Belinda trailed off, unsure. Calista shook her head in frustration and marched back to the barrier. ¡°You need to go home!¡± Realizing they couldn¡¯t hear her, she mouthed her words: ¡°GO. HOME.¡± She pointed away from the campus. ¡°You should ask the President to let them pass,¡± said Hillary. ¡°They can be your servants.¡± ¡°Good idea. They can do something useful,¡± said Bark, now giving a small smirk. ¡°I should do a pageant. Have enough people fall in love with me so they can do all my studying and training, and I can relax for once.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be convenient?¡± ¡°Just go!¡± Calista yelled, now more frustrated. She looked around at the pointing and laughing students. Hillary¡¯s cackle was starting to rouse her rage. ¡°Please, go home! Leave me alone!¡± ¡°Oh, but they¡¯re your pets, Calista. They need their mommy.¡± Calista turned, stalking towards Hillary, but Belinda gripped her arms to keep her back. ¡°Listen, you conniving little-¡± ¡°Alright, show¡¯s over. Everyone clear out. Lunch period is starting.¡± Harrison clapped his hands loudly to grab everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Go before I report you for missing lunch. You need to eat. This is an academy, not a theater.¡± He approached the group, followed by L¨ªlitha. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°It seems the Socializers don¡¯t approve of the harsh training for poor Calista.¡± Hillary put on a fake pout. ¡°I don¡¯t think they like you,¡± Bark said, amused, as he watched the Socializers suddenly grow more hostile. They banged more insistently on the barrier, making faces and shouting in Harrison¡¯s direction. ¡°Harrison, I¡­¡± Calista felt her face heat up like lava. ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know these people.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ve never seen them before.¡± Hillary smirked at her clique. ¡°Cali, I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted you to see it before people started talking to you about it¡­ we should just go.¡± Belinda nudged her to leave. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± L¨ªlitha interjected. ¡°If anything, they look like the few hundred fans you have, Gravity.¡± Hillary¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Like you have any fans.¡± ¡°At least I don¡¯t pretend I¡¯m famous when I¡¯m not. You¡¯re more of a Socializer than you think, Kaye.¡± Hillary twitched, but Bark held her shoulder. Calista blinked in surprise. Usually, it was the other way around; Paeseoans were calm while Hajjians were hot-tempered. Perhaps it was the bad history L¨ªlitha had with Bark; by extension, Hillary. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Harrison gave L¨ªlitha a warning look. ¡°Leave them to do¡­ their protest. That¡¯s their right. Let¡¯s get to lunch.¡± He took Calista¡¯s shoulder, giving her a reassuring look. Calista looked back at the crazed fans, watching them desperately sob and lean against the barrier separating them. They made obscene gestures and shouted with ugly faces at Harrison and the others around her. ¡°Can¡¯t they send them away?¡± Calista asked Harrison desperately. ¡°It¡¯s a protest. They¡¯re not on our grounds, so they¡¯re free to do it.¡± L¨ªlitha huffed and turned to the protesters. For a moment, Calista was afraid she¡¯d scare them or even try to bite them through the barrier. To her surprise, L¨ªlitha¡¯s sparkly eyes widened and she twiddled her fingers, looking up at the protesters innocently. They all calmed down, as if hypnotized by her gaze. L¨ªlitha sniffled and sat on the grass, hugging her knees and pretending to cry. Even though Calista couldn¡¯t hear their voices, she knew all of them were saying ¡°aww¡± as they knelt down to L¨ªlitha¡¯s eye level, watching her with tenderness. Calista and the others watched on with curiosity, even Bark and Hillary. ¡°What is she-¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Harrison shook his head at Belinda. Just as the protesters were bringing out their Pets to take freeze shots of her, L¨ªlitha suddenly stretched to a monstruous height and opened her mouth in a snarl, elongating her jaw and baring her sharp teeth. The protesters all scrambled away, their mouths open in screams as their projections flickered off and their Pets crashed into each other, reacting to their owners¡¯ panic. L¨ªlitha sank back to her usual height and shape, dusting her hands off. ¡°Problem solved.¡± She marched past the group. ¡°Oh, yes, very intimidating,¡± Hillary said. ¡°You only ever show any presence with weak Socializers, don¡¯t you, Piranha?¡± ¡°Try me.¡± L¨ªlitha¡¯s fangs flashed dangerously. ¡°I said, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go.¡± Harrison pushed Calista more urgently away from the barrier. She couldn¡¯t help stealing another glance, seeing the protesters further away from the barrier, staring at her with scowls. All together, they projected a large image of her smiling with blood all over her, with the caption ¡®TRAITOR¡¯. The word continued flashing in her mind the rest of the day. She didn¡¯t understand why. It wasn¡¯t just because of the whole incident, or because of the students taunting her about it in the halls all the way up to Guild Training. There was just something that bothered her, something she couldn¡¯t figure out. It was 8:30 by the time Calista finally cleared her head. The AIDA would insistently remind her to go to sleep once 9:00 hit, so she didn¡¯t have a lot of time. After a lot of mulling over, she set Lindsay up to record her. ¡°You sure about this?¡± said Lindsay. ¡°I should¡¯ve done this a long time ago. I never really¡­ ended it.¡± ¡°You make it sound like a breakup.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it kind of is.¡± She sat back in her office chair. ¡°Okay¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°Start¡­ now.¡± She tried to get herself in the mindset of just another broadcast for the masses. She put on her prettiest calm smile and puffed out her chest confidently¡ª not too much, of course. ¡°Hello, everyone. I know that a lot of people have been talking about me, but I¡¯ll introduce myself anyway. My name is Calista Medley. I¡¯m 17 years old. I was part of a channel called the SociaLights. And I¡¯m Jennifer Zyben¡¯s daughter.¡± She tried not to pause. She didn¡¯t want to have to edit anything. She wanted to be as real and raw as possible. ¡°Most of you probably hate me. I betrayed you. I left my channel and went to Fistborn, the school for Versus fighters. Socializers shouldn¡¯t be fighting, but promoting peace and unity between us. I know a lot of you think I¡¯m deformed, damaged, and ruined by the training I¡¯ve gotten here. You think I¡¯m going off to a war to kill people for sport.¡± She hesitated. Maybe this was taking too long. She shook her head and took another breath. ¡°I¡¯ll just say this: I¡¯m not apologizing.¡± Her stomach flipped. It felt like she was defying some sort of monarch, breaking the laws of the kingdom. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m sorry for what I did. I¡¯m not sorry. And what¡¯s even the point?¡± Anger inched into her voice. ¡°If I quit Fistborn and go back groveling to all of you, you¡¯d still toss me to the curb. So, really, what¡¯s the point? Why apologize, especially when I¡¯m not even sorry?¡± Her composure started to wane. She wanted to be real, and trying to put on a pretty face wouldn¡¯t accomplish that. ¡°So what if I¡¯m going to a fighting school? What¡¯s it to you? I¡¯m not forcing you to watch. I¡¯m not demanding that you treat me a certain way, or threatening to hurt you, or¡­ I¡¯m not doing anything but becoming the woman I¡¯ve always wanted to be. I¡¯m following a career. And I¡¯m not killing people! Seriously, where does that come from?!¡± She was ranting now. She took a breath, trying to calm down. She needed to be honest, but she needed to make sense, too. ¡°Anyway¡­ you can hate me all you want. You can talk about how ugly I am now, or bet on when I¡¯ll fail out, or call me a traitor or any other name. I don¡¯t care anymore. None of you ever really cared about me or my family. You¡¯ve been shaming my own mother just because she wanted to protect me. Hajjians were blowing up the pods. And you didn¡¯t care. Well, you know what? My mom is more beautiful than any of you glitches combined. She could have given birth to triplets and still been uber-hotter than you. She¡¯s still trying to protect my dad and my siblings from all of you because of this. You call fighters ¡®ragers¡¯? What about you?¡± She chuckled. ¡°People have been cruel to me here, but you¡¯re on another level.¡± Tears pressed at her eyes, but she wouldn¡¯t cry. Not for them. They didn¡¯t deserve it. ¡°This is my life now. I¡¯m a fighter. Not a Socializer. So I¡¯m disowning you.¡± She held up her hands. ¡°And when I¡¯m ready, I¡¯ll hunt every last one of you down if you even think about going near my family. Especially my sister, who was just trying to make her own living so she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about dealing with you.¡± Her jaw trembled, but she swallowed her tears. ¡°Now that¡­ Kate¡­ If you¡¯re watching this: I¡¯m sorry. I owe you, Dad, and Quincy an apology. You¡¯re going through this because of me. Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done¡­¡± Now she shed tears. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here without you. You¡¯re the only ones that have been family to me. Thank you. I love you with all my heart, and I¡¯ll keep going for you. I hope I see you again¡­ that you¡¯re safe.¡± She paused again. She felt like she should say something to her mother, but decided against it. She didn¡¯t even know what to say to the woman. ¡°That¡¯s it. I just wanted to make it clear. I¡¯m here by my own free will. I want to do this. I want to be a fighter. And none of you¡ª people here, or out there¡ª are going to stop me. I don¡¯t give a bug about any of you, and none of you matter to me, so why should I care what you think? I¡¯m getting on that team whether you like it or not. Calista¡¯s out.¡± She leaned back, her tense muscles relaxing. ¡°End the recording.¡± Lindsay hovered over to her. ¡°You want me to send it out like that? No¡­ cuts or anything?¡± ¡°No. Just like that. I wanted to say a lot more, but¡­ I think that¡¯s enough.¡± 17- Bark and Hillary Lisa had taken a liking to a local pub at the edge of D.C. It wasn¡¯t anything like the bars up in the space stations; it had actually become sort of a fighters¡¯ bar that Fistborn faculty frequented. She understood that Benson wanted to be away from his life at the academy, but he could¡¯ve chosen better than Genesis X. She ordered a stress-reducing Mai Tai and sat at the counter. She didn¡¯t often indulge, wanting to avoid the lure of alcohol, but decided to spoil herself this time. Finals week was approaching at the end of the month, and she, along with the rest of the staff, would have to evaluate all the students¡¯ grades and progress to decide the 150 that would be representing the United States in the preliminaries. Behind her, through the reflection in the decorative glasses overhead, she could see some patrons gawking at her in admiration in excitement. She didn¡¯t turn, pretending to be completely indifferent. She wondered how Socializers managed to pay attention to so many fans, signing digigraphs and even doing Q&A sessions. Fighters were more standoffish in that sense. They basked in the attention during the competition, especially in the arena, but they didn¡¯t interact with regular fans that much. Mostly, they would humor certified journalists, especially Versus journalists, so they could give the fans the information for them. Maybe that was why Benson thought about including more Socializers that supported the Versus in the PR process itself. Knowing him, he¡¯d want fighters to be more open and connected to their fans. Lisa always focused on the fight, blocking out anything that could be a distraction, including her supporters. It would be a bit of an improvement; they were a little stuck-up. They could use some more interaction. A strange language caught her ear from the patron beside her, who ordered a foreign drink. It looked like a large glass of thick, black tar. The woman had a hood over her head, covering her face, but her hands were exposed, showing smooth, dark blue skin. She could rule out Voraxians; they were much taller, unless this woman was half. It wasn¡¯t very common, but it wasn¡¯t rare, either. The language didn¡¯t sound like anything Lisa had heard, though. She¡¯d heard plenty over at the academy, with the mix of races and species they had. Ilamiko was also out of the question; they were smaller, and they couldn¡¯t procreate with other species at all. They had a very different form of reproduction. The woman seemed to look Lisa¡¯s way, and she quickly pretended to stare at her drink. Her curiosity must¡¯ve come off as rude. She quickly tried to finish her Mai Tai. ¡°Wondering what planet I¡¯m from?¡± the woman said, sporting an American accent. ¡°Sorry, I-I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°No worries. I get it a lot. Our language is pretty distinct, isn¡¯t it?¡± The woman took a gulp of her black tar. ¡°After all, there aren¡¯t a lot of my kind on Earth.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to stare. It was rude.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize for some morbid curiosity, Miss White.¡± Lisa didn¡¯t feel startled. She was, after all, a famous fighter and Dean of the Fistborn Versus Fighting School. But the following statements did surprise her: ¡°That Medley girl is on your mind, isn¡¯t she? Wondering if she¡¯s the next you? And of course, doubting whether she¡¯ll ever make it, if Mr. Kalley made a mistake¡­¡± Lisa narrowed her amber-colored eyes. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°You closer to guessing what I am?¡± the woman chuckled. Lisa¡¯s mind clicked. This was unexpected¡ª they were so rare on Earth. Their home planet was light years away. Why would she be here? ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. We tend to travel far when we¡¯re banished.¡± The woman finally revealed her face by turning completely towards Lisa. She had large, black eyes similar to an Ilamikoan¡¯s and markings on her cheeks and chin. The big giveaway was the lump in her forehead between her eyebrows; her third eye, which was closed. Ruhirians were the only species that had true Second Sight, as the humans called it. They received visions of the future through deep meditation, which was a rare occasion for them. Most of the time, they¡¯d see unclear snippets of whoever or whatever they were thinking about. It was extremely rare that a Ruhirian would see a full-blown, clear-as-day vision. It would take tremendous strength and connection with the ¡®Beyond¡¯¡ª which was how they referred to God in their language. If this woman was here, she must have been misusing her gift. Many Ruhirians would illegally sell their visions on the black market, even making them up to scam people out of money. If they were found out, they were banished by their planet¡¯s government. They could still See if they tried, but it would be more difficult on another planet, and they could still get in trouble for fraud. ¡°How long?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking.¡± ¡°Oh, I grew up here. It was my father that got our family banished. I can¡¯t really speak, though. I sort of fell into it¡­ I guess it¡¯s the ¡®family business¡¯ now.¡± She finished her black tar. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve had a vision about me? Or¡­ my students?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been having visions about this year¡¯s Games for a few months now. Any Ruhirian worth their salt knows that frequent visions are a sign that something very significant is to happen. It could be in a year¡¯s time¡­ or ten years¡¯ time. But it¡¯ll happen.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here? To sell me those visions?¡± Lisa inquired suspiciously. ¡°Oh, no. No, I¡¯m not working right now. I¡¯m actually on a very tight schedule. If I¡¯m here for too long, I could get caught. I¡¯m supposed to be across the country.¡± Lisa glanced around, hoping no one noticed her interaction with this woman. She scooted closer, pretending she was familiar with the woman so she wouldn¡¯t be too conspicuous. ¡°You didn¡¯t put a lot of work into your disguise, did you?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get your attention, otherwise¡­ or your trust.¡± ¡°You have my attention. Not my trust. I don¡¯t even know your name.¡± ¡°My name isn¡¯t important. But I¡¯ve risked a lot to bring you this message.¡± ¡°What message is that?¡± The woman¡¯s face grew serious. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clear answer. I¡¯ve only seen very vague¡­ images. But when you go to the Games this year, you need to be careful. Keep an eye on each of your charges. Especially the human girl.¡± ¡°There are hundreds of human girls in Fistborn.¡± ¡°You know which one I mean.¡± Lisa shook her head. ¡°Does she make the team?¡± ¡°Just keep an eye on her, even now,¡± the woman said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clear view on when all this will happen, but it¡¯ll be soon. I¡¯ve gotten too many of these visions.¡± ¡°Why keep an eye on her, specifically? What have you seen?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen her fighting¡­ and not just in sports. Fighting for her life. Her family is involved, too¡­ I don¡¯t know how. Her and the Smith boy. They will be confronting something dangerous.¡± Lisa¡¯s heart quickened. ¡°What are they confronting?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. They will confront something during the competition, something that can threaten them¡­ and you. All of you. All your students. I have a feeling¡­¡± She stopped. Lisa nodded insistently. ¡°Yes? Go on?¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°No. I can¡¯t give you my speculations. I may be banished, but I¡¯m not stupid.¡± ¡°What? What are you-¡± ¡°I can only tell you what I¡¯ve seen. Not what I think. In short: something dangerous will happen in this year¡¯s Games, and it involves your students, especially the boy and the girl. I don¡¯t know how long the repercussions will last, but it¡¯s a game-changer.¡± ¡°Is there¡­ is there a way to prevent it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way to prepare for it. Just keep an eye on your students. Be alert and vigilant. Remember why the Games exist in the first place.¡± Without another word, the Ruhirian slipped off her barstool and went out the door, leaving Lisa in a confused frenzy. What did she even mean? How could they prepare for something so vague? Were the other planets doing something illegal? Would someone be hurt? Could she even trust this woman? She was a banished Ruhirian. She couldn¡¯t be sure she was telling the truth. She gulped down her Mai-Tai, hoping the alcohol would make her forget about the interaction, at least temporarily. She had to hope this wasn¡¯t serious. === Calista stood in front of a screen in the gym, which replayed an old fight from the 2314 Versus Games on a loop. Harrison had showed her the clip in Guild Training the previous night, and it had filled her head since. Two female fighters battled in a classic arena; 1-on-1 battles didn¡¯t take place in atmospheric simulations until a decade later. One of the fighters was Cruella Chrisman, Fistborn¡¯s current President. Of course, she was a lot younger, though her frown and her wrinkly, large forehead were pretty much the same. Her opponent was who Harrison called ¡°one of the dark horses of the era¡±: Irenna ¡®Lalaasa¡¯ Kalley, Benson Kalley¡¯s older sister. Her call sign was named after the Kwantanese fighting discipline she used. Calista¡¯s eyes stayed on the green-skinned woman bearing Kwantan¡¯s white, orange, and beige colors. Pirouettes, jumps, and steps were incorporated into her offense, seemingly confusing her opponent, who was trying to block and predict her moves, but failed to do so. She couldn¡¯t believe it the first time she saw it. The woman was dancing. It was a deadly routine, graceful and beautiful, all the while hitting Cruella in the face, stomach, and chest. ¡°Kwantan created it so they could have their own original culture, you know, since the planet didn¡¯t have a native species,¡± Harrison had explained. ¡°But when the Versus started, it wound up being a fighting style instead of an art style.¡± ¡°Do people use it a lot?¡± Calista had asked. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Not in recent years, no. But you could.¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°Fighting isn¡¯t just punching and kicking super hard and acting all ¡®ooh, I¡¯m big and tough and scary¡¯. You make your own signature. Every fighter¡¯s different, and different styles exist to suit different people. You can¡¯t fight like everyone else. You need to fight like you.¡± Calista watched Irenna dance around Josephine Chrisman gracefully while also hitting her hard, forcing her back into the wall. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Maybe that was why President Chrisman didn¡¯t like Mr. Kalley that much. They didn¡¯t make a lot of appearances on campus, but when they did, it was clear how much she didn¡¯t like being around Benson. To make matters worse for her, Irenna Kalley won the 2314 Versus, right after Chrisman had won in 2310. It was a harsh blow to her reputation, since Paeseoans were pretty much like humans, with no special abilities in particular. ¡°Always remember. There are thousands of ways to fight,¡± Harrison¡¯s voice reminded Calista. ¡°Thousands of offense moves, defense moves, escapes. So don¡¯t ever say you can¡¯t move, because there¡¯s always a way you can.¡± Calista shut off the recording and pulled up a different one of the previous Games, in 2346. This one was of two male fighters in a strange map made of discs flying all over. One was a Dnilian, his coal-black skin matching his brown and beige armor. His green veins pulsed with energy. On the other side was a fighter dressed in the blue and green of Earth. Calista watched in awe as 14-year old Harrison maneuvered around the Dnilian¡¯s powerful kicks. He was like a ribbon, weaving in and out of every attack. When he went on offense, he jumped high in the air and kicked repeatedly at his opponent¡¯s face. She could see why Harrison was so arrogant at times. He had started his career a year earlier than the standard, and he¡¯d won a Junior Versus when he was only 10 years old. Such a talented fighter¡­ yet no one appreciated him. Everyone thought he was a cheat. It was clear he was a fighting prodigy from the start. Were the ¡®higher species¡¯ really that prideful? Calista stopped the recording and powered on the CDSim nearest to her. She loaded the basic moves of the Lalaasa discipline and got into position, as the holographic person indicated. The CDSim beeped red when she tried her first pirouette kick. She was only 5% off the accuracy. The complicated spin would disorient her, making it hard to aim properly, and her leg wouldn¡¯t stretch out in time. She prepared herself for the long string of annoying beeps as she repeated the kick over and over again. ¡°Hey, human, cut it out! You¡¯re distracting us!¡± She turned, seeing a familiar Paeseoan girl across the room. What was this girl¡¯s problem with her? Rosalina taunted Calista for fun, but Hillary seemed to be genuinely irritated by her. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone intimidate you,¡± Harrison would tell her. ¡°That¡¯s a key point in fighting. We try to make ourselves ¡®bigger¡¯ than our opponents. If they growl at you, growl louder. If you get all shy, you¡¯re letting them know you¡¯re weak and easy prey.¡± With her Student Coach¡¯s advice in mind, the Earthian girl ignored Hillary, returning to her repetitive training. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, Earthian!¡± Her guard rose when she heard footsteps approaching. She continued her exercises, as if the other girl didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Hey. I told you to cut it out.¡± Hillary now stood next to her. ¡°Why? I¡¯m training. That¡¯s what the gym is for,¡± Calista retorted, keeping her eyes forward. ¡°You¡¯re distracting everyone around you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing the same thing.¡± She jerked her head towards some other students using the CDSims, which were also beeping red repeatedly. She grunted as she kicked again. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be a smart-code with me.¡± ¡°You came up to me. I¡¯m training, okay?¡± After a few beats, Hillary walked over to the computer and turned off the program. Calista sighed, vexed, and pushed down any rising fear in her stomach. She turned the program on again. She gasped as her foot suddenly flew off the floor, landing on her back. The impact caught the attention of other students around them. Calista sighed again, carrying a bit of resignation. It seemed that this would end in a fight, after all. She stood and faced the Paeseoan, who was just about her height. ¡°Hill, are you done?¡± Bark Davies approached them. ¡°I shut her up now. We can train properly.¡± Hillary smiled smugly, tossing her blue ponytail. ¡°About time.¡± Bark glared briefly at the human girl. ¡°Or you guys can train somewhere else where there¡¯s no noise.¡± Calista got into position to resume her training. ¡°So you didn¡¯t get my message.¡± Hillary turned off the CDSim once again and got in Calista¡¯s face. ¡°We are training. You are wasting time. Go to your room and live your fantasy without annoying the rest of us. Maybe make another broadcast for your followers and tell them how happy you are here.¡± The close proximity of the woman roused Calista¡¯s anger. She flattened her hand on Hillary¡¯s face and shoved her harshly. Bark quickly reacted, shoving Calista to the floor. ¡°What? She was in my face,¡± Calista retorted, standing up. She hid her hands behind her so she could twiddle her fingers. Her heart pounded with adrenaline and her legs were tempted to carry her out of the gym to safety. ¡°Okay. You want to train, human?¡± Hillary pulled Bark aside. ¡°AIDA, initiate a personal combat ring. Hillary Kaye and Bark Davies versus¡­ Cheater¡¯s student. Whatever her name is.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Initiating sanctioned personal combat sequence: Bark ¡®Savage¡¯ Davies and Hillary ¡®Gravity¡¯ Kaye versus Calista Medley.¡± A square highlighted around them and students hurriedly rushed to the sidelines to watch, their AIDA bands and Pets at the ready. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Calista looked around, panicked. She tried backing out of the square, but was pushed back in by the barrier. ¡°Hillary, we don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Bark groaned unenthusiastically. ¡°She should know the consequences, shouldn¡¯t she?¡± Hillary cracked her knuckles. ¡°If she¡¯s such a tough fighter, she should have no problem sparring with us.¡± ¡°Kelha, I don¡¯t feel like feeding into your personal-¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late now. How will it look if you turn down a fight against a pathetic Makakian like her?¡± ¡°You did not just call me a Makakian,¡± Calista snapped. Makakians were a well-known, cowardly species. They had voluntarily elected to stay slaves to Hajja after the War of Ten, too afraid to be free. ¡°And how is this fair? Two versus one?¡± Calista followed. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Calista¡¯s fists clenched and her teeth gritted. She was trapped now. All she could do was her best. Bark didn¡¯t seem that excited, but he rolled his eyes and got into a fighting position, along with his girlfriend, and they circled around the Earthian girl. Calista noticed Bark was crouched down low, like a predator ready to pounce. Hillary had her arms protecting her chest, her legs spread out widely. Calista wasn¡¯t familiar with either of these styles. She took a basic karate position, recalling Harrison¡¯s words: Evaluate your opponent¡¯s style so you know which style to use yourself. Bark struck first with a calculated punch. Calista evaded, but then had to weave to the side to avoid Hillary¡¯s foot. She lost her balance momentarily, allowing Bark to trip her. Thankfully, she rolled to her feet instantly, having ingrained that in her muscle memory. Hillary struck next, aiming a knifehand at her throat. Her sharp nail just barely grazed Calista¡¯s neck, leaving a small cut behind. She followed up with a high kick, hitting Calista¡¯s chin. Her head snapped back and she fell on her rear. She cradled her jaw in her hand, dizzy from the impact. She heard a collective chuckle from the formed audience. ¡°Tired already, human?¡± Hillary taunted. ¡°In your dreams.¡± She stood, raising her fists again. As the fight escalated, the gymnasium filled with more students, including Student Coaches and other Favorites. Calista stayed on defense, trying to find an opening, but focusing on both was hard. Being a couple, they naturally worked well together. After a few minutes, she was running out of ideas. Hillary flew into a strange kick that completely caught the human girl off-guard. She grunted as her head snapped to the side, her neck aching, and she landed harshly on the floor. Bark approached and grabbed her arms, twisting them behind her to hold her down. Hillary smiled eagerly and moved to kick her face. ¡°Hill!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Bark hardly struggled, his strength incomparably greater than Calista¡¯s. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Hill, I¡¯m not taking chances. Just fight clean for me, please.¡± Calista couldn¡¯t help the curious perk of her ears. She grunted, her face flattened on the mat, and scanned the crowd for a helpful face. You have to move. Be conscious of every inch of your body. Know what weapons you have available. Your body is your weapon. She couldn¡¯t move her arms, her head, or her- Her legs were free. With a grunt, she kicked her heel into Bark¡¯s rear full force. He gasped, his grip weakening. Calista pulled out with all her strength and got to her feet, albeit clumsily. ¡°You¡¯re babying the girl!¡± Hillary snapped. ¡°What, do you like her or something?¡± ¡°What?! Hillary, I-¡± He groaned when Calista threw a kick to his stomach, but wound up striking lower than intended. The Earthian¡¯s hands went to her mouth as Bark fell to his knees. ¡°Oh-my-God, I¡¯m so- aah!¡± She dodged a swipe from the Paeseoan girl. She tried pulling her opponent by the wrist, but this only propelled her forward, allowing her to headbutt her. With a cry, Hillary threw Calista back on the mat and kicked her a couple of times. The human panted, coughing lightly. The crowd was now rowdy, many shouting for Hillary to ¡®finish her¡¯, as ominous as it sounded. To Calista¡¯s surprise, there were students rooting for her. It was as if the spectators had divided throughout the fight. Bark stood, recovering from the earlier kick. His face was now dangerously dark and his blood-red skin sizzled with rage. ¡°Nowhere left to run, human.¡± Calista looked up at her two enemies. She stood, backing against the wall. The wall¡­ a hard, firm surface. That would help. If only she had another weapon¡­ ¡°You know, I could help you out if you just let me,¡± Lindsay piped up. She paused. Duh. This wasn¡¯t like the Favorites¡¯ lounge. She could access her Pet. ¡°Play something for me,¡± she whispered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A song. You pick.¡± A cover of an electro-pop song played in her ears. She glared at Hillary, trying to hide a smile. ¡°Come on, glitch.¡± The woman growled and charged forward. Calista stepped out of the way, giving her a shove into the wall. She didn¡¯t wait this time, immediately kneeing her in the stomach. Bark¡¯s strong arms came around her from behind, locking her in a full nelson. A kernel of excitement twitched in her stomach; she¡¯d finally learned how to get out of this during Guild Training. She breathed in deeply and leaned forward, then stepped behind Bark and pushed him off. The break worked, but Bark maintained a grip on her, causing them both to fall back. Calista heard Bark gasp when her weight pressed on his stomach, the air squeezed out of him. Bark¡¯s forearm pressed against Calista¡¯s throat. While she could breathe, it was a tight squeeze, enough for her survival instincts to kick in. She grabbed his arm and pulled down, but couldn¡¯t stop him. He flipped her face-down and squeezed hard. What¡¯s your move? She poked her long, uneven fingernails into his eyes as the beat dropped in her ears. He exclaimed, reflex tears spilling, and loosened his grip. Calista pushed off the mat and flipped over so Bark could land on his back. She elbowed him in the face and rolled off, gasping for breath. For the first time, she was thankful she¡¯d skipped a mani-pedi. Hillary chose to intervene and engaged in hand-to-hand moves, punching and striking wherever she could. Calista followed the fast-paced rhythm of the song until it suddenly changed to a slower-paced pop rock track. Her rhythm broke and a bruise formed on her cheek, then her lip. She leaned backwards, dizzy, and the barrier pushed her back to her feet, forcing her to continue. ¡°What did you do?!¡± she told Lindsay. ¡°You can¡¯t have the same rhythm, remember? I¡¯m helping you!¡± ¡°Help me out by doing something!¡± The distraction allowed Bark to punch her in the face. She growled in frustration and struck his throat, then scratched at his cheek. ¡°Stop touching my face!¡± she shouted. ¡°Oh, trust me, your pretty face is the least of your worries.¡± Hillary blew her blue hair out of her eyes. ¡°You have to tell me to attack, otherwise, I¡¯ll stay sitting here.¡± Lindsay huffed as she detached from Calista¡¯s belt, her wings turning into helicopter rotors. She spun around Hillary at high speed, distracting her. ¡°Hit her!¡± she yelled as her rotors smacked Hillary¡¯s face. With the slightest hesitation, Calista punched her. Lindsay¡¯s rotors turned back into wings, which elongated and strengthened to wrap around Bark¡¯s arm and pull him to the floor. He grunted, annoyed, and summoned his own Pet, which slammed into Lindsay with explosive force. The music in Calista¡¯s ears stopped. ¡°Pathetic,¡± Hillary scoffed, rearing back to punch Calista. With an unexpected rage, Calista dodged her blow and rammed her fist into her nose with all her strength. She felt her knuckles crack and pain shot up her arm. Hillary landed harshly, her yell of pain muffled by her hands. Calista held her fist, refusing to show any pain herself. She just broke Hillary Kaye¡¯s nose. Paeseoan bones were much tougher than humans¡¯, so that last punch surprised even her. She didn¡¯t know what she was trying to do, but she was too angry to think it through. Her hand throbbed horribly and she tried not to let reflex tears leak out. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± The crowd parted, letting a coach through. ¡°The AIDA bell is about to ring, so clear out. This fight is over.¡± ¡°It¡¯th not ober,¡± Hillary protested. She stood, holding her bleeding nose, which was covered in green. Calista¡¯s stomach turned at the sight. ¡°It bath barely fibe minuteth!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting for 15 minutes,¡± the coach corrected her. ¡°I was supervising. When I say it¡¯s done, it¡¯s done.¡± The AIDA bell then dinged. ¡°Break period has ended. All students, proceed to your Period 4 classes.¡± The crowd grumbled in disappointment as they cleared the gym. Bark summoned his Pet back to his belt, glaring at Calista. He arrogantly scoffed at the girl and went to help his girlfriend, who continued ranting, which sounded pretty funny with her nose as bloodied up as it was. Lindsay was slightly broken as she retreated into Calista¡¯s belt. ¡°Well, you just made Savage and Gravity your enemies,¡± she said. ¡°You gave them a good run. They underestimated you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight them again,¡± Calista breathed. ¡°Just keep doing what you¡¯re doing and practice. You have to get used to sudden cha-anges.¡± Her voice glitched out. ¡°O-okay, I¡¯m going into sleep mo-ode. You can access m-me in about an ho-our.¡± Calista closed her injured fist. She hurried out towards the Infirmary to get her knuckles healed up. She couldn¡¯t go to her Weapon Use class with what felt like shattered bone brittle in her fingers. 18- Kappas ¡°Good morning, Miss L¨ªlitha Houdge. It is now 6:20 in the morning of November 18th, 2349 in the city of Washington D.C. There will be three inches of snow today and the weather barrier has been disabled. Enjoy the season!¡± L¨ªlitha¡¯s small blue feet gently descended onto the soft carpet. She immediately changed into her formal uniform. Her morning was already dampened at the thought of snow. They always turned off the weather barrier for people to ¡®enjoy¡¯ it. What was so enjoyable about cold, white powder? These next few weeks were about to be more challenging for the Ilamikoan student. She was regretting this decision, but she felt it was appropriate. It was the only way she could finally gain a proper advantage in the Games. She¡¯d initially planned to go to the small, barely recognized Tathi Fighting Center in her country on Ilamiko, but after she turned of age on her planet, she pushed herself to try a bigger, more recognized school. The best Ilamikoan fighting school, Woegih Academy, required her family¡¯s permission regardless of her age, so she took the first space shuttle out of Ilamiko and looked for a school that would accept her. Somehow, she wound up on Earth. Being one of the 625 Ilamikoans on the entire planet, she struggled to find a place to live and sustain herself, later applying to the academy. Her relentless training throughout her childhood and teen years paid off, getting her in the school at 5 years old¡ª 15 for humans. Time had literally flown by. Earth¡¯s time pace was very different from her home¡¯s. She sometimes wondered how her family fared back on Ilamiko, but she would probably never know until she graduated from the academy. None of them had contacted her since she left. She never understood their logic. How could she differ from the other Ilamikoan fighters on their planet team? Just because they weren¡¯t as widely recognized as the other planets didn¡¯t mean they were wasting their time. She needed to do what she had to in order to prove them wrong. Unfortunately, she would do so through a different planet that wasn¡¯t her first choice. Being in the human fighting school was a bit counterintuitive to her goal. Fistborn was historic, with over 200 years¡¯ worth of progress, and respected enough to be accredited. But the species bias was real. That Medley girl made everything worse, being a no-name Socializer who didn¡¯t know the first thing about fighting. What a blow to the name. Either way, she had a better chance of standing out here than the other schools. She could¡¯ve tried Paeseo or Kwantan, but their solar system was further than Earth¡¯s, and she couldn¡¯t afford such a long trip. She¡¯d squandered most of her savings to get to Earth. She wasn¡¯t about to glitch up her chances like she did last Versus. She finally got on the planet team in her second year one, only to get herself eliminated in the first rounds of the main Versus thanks to her overconfidence, which landed her in the 150th place in the entire school. She learned her lesson. Now, it was time for her to swallow her pride and do something that would either make or break her career. It was a 60/40 chance, hopefully. She was anxious as she entered the gym for her second period, Combat class. Rosalina Wiasod¡¯s rose red eyes met hers. The two stared each other down with equal hatred. It was as if they were regressing to their ancient roots, when Ilamiko used to be a slave planet to Hajja. L¨ªlitha wasn¡¯t sure if Rosalina was following her ancestors in hating them. Then again, she seemed to hate everyone in general. Wiasod had gotten herself trapped on Earth through her own free will. She didn¡¯t have the right to take it out on everyone else. As far as she was concerned, it was everyone¡¯s fault but hers. When the first Break finally started, L¨ªlitha headed to the Student Coach dorms. Harrison usually rested there until his next class. She requested access, waiting outside for a little while until finally being let in. To her chagrin, Rosalina was there, lounging on her boyfriend¡¯s lap while watching the HARP. ¡°Look what the cat dragged in.¡± She rose, smirking at the little woman. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Hack off.¡± Harrison appeared in the teleporter before the argument could escalate. ¡°Hey. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Could we talk? It¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± They walked off to the training room, which was being used by a couple of coaches. Harrison entered an isolated study room and turned on the soundproofing. ¡°How is training with the human?¡± L¨ªlitha asked. ¡°Good. She¡¯s improved¡­ a lot, honestly. You know she broke Gravity¡¯s nose the other day?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard about that. Everyone talked about it for a week straight, and Gravity walked around with a brace on her nose.¡± She smirked at the memory, enjoying Hillary¡¯s humiliation. ¡°You hear everything about this girl.¡± ¡°People like to talk, I guess.¡± Harrison leaned against the wall. ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Well¡­ you know the Versus is soon. Finals are in about two weeks.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s crazy. Feels like we just started.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure if I¡¯ll make the team this year.¡± ¡°Oh, come on.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I bugged up pretty badly last time.¡± ¡°It was a Chaos Round, Li.¡± ¡°Still¡­ there¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll get in. And I want to. I have to.¡± She scratched her head. ¡°So¡­ I thought I could maximize my chances¡­ and join a Guild.¡± ¡°A Guild?¡± ¡°Your Guild, specifically.¡± She looked away, feeling her skin go from ultramarine blue to a sky blue; her version of blushing. Harrison smiled, self-satisfaction seeping through. This irritated the little woman. ¡°Finally coming through, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky.¡± ¡°¡®Absolutely not. No, Harrison, I can¡¯t join a Guild. I can fare on my own¡¯.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t, but¡­ it¡¯s funny. That¡¯s what teams are for, I suppose.¡± He sighed dramatically, smiling wider. ¡°Harrison, I will bite your head off.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he laughed. ¡°What changed your mind?¡± ¡°Just¡­ seeing how the human has improved¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel a bit¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I just want to be on the team. And if being in a Guild helped her, then maybe I should try. None of the other Coaches will take me, and even if they did, they¡¯re not worth it. I¡¯d rather be with someone I trust¡ª the only one I trust.¡± Harrison put his hand on his heart. ¡°I¡¯m so touched.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°Well, you know it¡¯s not guaranteed. You don¡¯t have to be so hard on yourself if you don¡¯t make it, Li,¡± he advised her. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it too much.¡± ¡°Anyway, will you¡­ let me in your Guild?¡± ¡°Yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I? I¡¯ve been trying to convince you since I became Coach.¡± He messed up her hair. She growled and smacked his hand, baring her fangs. He backed away, smiling. ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Thank you.¡± She exited the small room. ¡°Where do I¡­ sign up? Or¡­ what?¡± ¡°Come to Guild Training after dinner. Oh, you might end up being a Favorite, since you¡¯re just the second member. That might trigger¡­ you-know-who.¡± L¨ªlitha crossed her arms, nodding. ¡°I saw that coming.¡± She then shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with her long enough. Plus, I like irritating her. It¡¯s hilarious, the way she starts smoking.¡± She laughed at the thought of the Hajjian woman¡¯s red skin brightening, her eyes glowing with fury. The look on her face¡­ she couldn¡¯t imagine how priceless it would be. L¨ªlitha even hoped she¡¯d explode and set the place on fire; she¡¯d be stuck on Earth for even longer than intended. ¡°Don¡¯t make her blow up,¡± Harrison said, as if reading her mind. ¡°I know you can handle yourself, but¡­ you know.¡± The rest of the school day went by in a blur. Their classes now focused on the upcoming Versus, reminding them of the intensity and confusion of the games. The competition was a lot scarier than anyone could imagine. School could only get a fighter so far. Harrison didn¡¯t show up in Teamwork class, strangely enough. Calista was there, but L¨ªlitha didn¡¯t tell her the news. It would be strange if she suddenly started talking to her. L¨ªlitha ignored the eyes on her when she arrived at the Guild doors. Rosalina smiled contemptuously at her when she passed. L¨ªlitha didn¡¯t spare her a glance, but gestured subtly. It was an Ilamikoan insult, but Rosalina understood, the smile instantly wiped off her face. She reached the orange Kappa door and requested access. She entered, finding Harrison stretching on the mats. There was no sign of the human. ¡°Where¡¯s Medley?¡± she asked. ¡°She¡¯s running a bit late.¡± L¨ªlitha scoffed and started her own stretches, extending her limbs to their full length. They reached all the way across the room. ¡°You weren¡¯t in class today,¡± she said. ¡°I got busy. Since you joined, I had to change up the lesson plan. With finals¡­ SCs have a lot more to do.¡± ¡°Did you tell your student yet?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her all day.¡± Calista then entered, stopping short when she saw L¨ªlitha. The woman tried not to laugh as the Earthian girl¡¯s face paled. ¡°Um¡­ hi.¡± Her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat. ¡°Hi,¡± she repeated, her voice normal. ¡°Um¡­ what are you¡­ doing here?¡± This girl was a serious wimp. They had one fight, for a test. What was she so afraid of? The girl beat Savage and Gravity, and she was still afraid of her? ¡°I¡¯m your new Guild-mate.¡± She offered a friendly smile. ¡°Surprise.¡± Calista forced on a smile and looked at her Student Coach. ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡± ¡°I forgot to message you, I¡¯m sorry. I got busy. Li could¡¯ve told you in class.¡± L¨ªlitha scoffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to talk to her in front of Hothead. That¡¯s asking for trouble.¡± She looked at Calista. ¡°I¡¯m here. Deal with it.¡± Calista approached slowly, also getting down to do stretches. Her emerald eyes flickered towards the blue woman every now and then. L¨ªlitha scanned her Guild uniform; a peach-colored exercise bra and matching shorts. ¡°Okay, Li, let me scan you real quick.¡± Harrison paused his stretching. He scanned L¨ªlitha with his Versus Pet and entered her into the Guild. The orange Guild patches then appeared on her sleeves and her standard Practicum uniform changed from red, white and blue to orange and white. ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Let¡¯s start. With Calista, we¡¯ve been going over dance-fighting disciplines. She¡¯s partial to Lalaasa. With you¡­ well, you like to bite.¡± Calista shuddered, as if in agreement. L¨ªlitha covered her snicker, pretending to sneeze. ¡°Bless you. Li, you¡¯re pretty advanced, and you know your style. I¡¯d say just do what you always do. I want you two to spar so I can evaluate both of you.¡± ¡°I have to fight her?¡± Calista asked. ¡°Do you want to fight the wall?¡± L¨ªlitha retorted. The Earthian girl glared at her, finally showing a bit of ¡®bite¡¯. L¨ªlitha hoped she¡¯d get used to her. The constant cowering was getting on her last nerves. ¡°We¡¯ll do some warm-ups, then start fighting. You have a chance to show Piranha what you¡¯ve learned since your test, Cali.¡± He turned to the screens behind him. After practicing by themselves, Harrison had them do a basic spar against each other. The usual boyish humor in his face was gone, replaced by a neutral, calculating poker face. L¨ªlitha didn¡¯t get a lot of chances to see him be a Student Coach, so this was an interesting side to him. ¡°You guys ready?¡± he asked. The girls nodded. The Earthian looked a bit more focused now, her previous intimidation faded. L¨ªlitha never really focused on how young the girl was. She was barely 6 years old by Ilamikoan standards. Her impression of her softened just slightly, remembering how na?ve she was when she started at the academy. She really was just a girl. ¡°Go.¡± She let the Earthian strike first. She immediately noticed the change in her fighting style; it was more precise and strategic. There were some flaws in her force, but her balance was fixed and she knew how to move. This was a far cry from her first fight, when her technique was all over the place. She flipped over Calista¡¯s kick and aimed her foot at her face, stretching her leg to reach her. Calista flipped backwards, cartwheeling and catching L¨ªlitha¡¯s ankle between her legs. However, the elasticity allowed the Ilamikoan to pull it back forcibly and throw the girl off balance. Still, that was very good. L¨ªlitha didn¡¯t go easy on her. When the Earthian fell, she followed with a harsh stomp. Calista rolled out of the way in time and got back on her feet in no time flat. L¨ªlitha hid her impressed reaction, punching at her face. Her fist grazed her chin. Calista caught her wrist and threw it down, but didn¡¯t let go. Since L¨ªlitha¡¯s arm was stretched, the motion caused it to bounce off the mats like a rope. She gasped, the pain shooting up her elbow all the way up to her shoulder. She let her arm retract and pull her towards the human girl so she could punch her with her free hand. The girl let go of her arm, but it was useless, weakened from the snap. L¨ªlitha then reached up with her leg and wrapped around Calista¡¯s throat. She pulled back and got her on the ground, squeezing, but she was careful to not completely cut off her air supply. Calista stayed still, squirming only slightly. She moved her legs and bridged, using her core strength to try and break free, but she was unable to. She tapped L¨ªlitha¡¯s leg to yield. She let her go, panting lightly. Her arm was recovering from the fight, regaining its feeling. It was a notorious weakness in Ilamikoans, so she wasn¡¯t too surprised that Calista found it. Calista stood, sweating and panting more heavily than L¨ªlitha. She looked at Harrison, who was evaluating their performances on the screen. ¡°What¡¯s the verdict?¡± she asked. ¡°L¨ªlitha, you were going a bit too easy on her,¡± he commented. ¡°I would¡¯ve bitten, but you¡¯re always saying, ¡®No biting¡¯.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to bite. Just use anything else.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re like a cannibal.¡± L¨ªlitha flashed a huge, innocent smile. ¡°Calista, you did pretty good finding ways around L¨ªlitha¡¯s attacks and defenses. You have to work on avoiding holds. That hold was inescapable, so it¡¯s an automatic loss unless you have a weapon or external force helping you. But good job.¡± The period went on. Most of Harrison¡¯s teaching was focused on Calista, but L¨ªlitha understood. He already knew her fighting style, and she was a lot more advanced. Calista needed his help more than she did. The main reason she wanted to join Kappa was to increase her chances of getting on the team again. Hopefully, she and Calista could eventually make a good team. === Camelithia laughed at the comedy she was watching on the HARP. She was lounging on her sofa, her hair a mess and her PJs wrinkled. She crunched another kernel of licorice popcorn between her teeth. It was an unpopular snack, but there was something about it that Cam loved. She couldn¡¯t figure out what. No one she knew understood her tastes. Well, no one she knew understood her in general. She would be lying if she said her reputation didn¡¯t bother her at least a little. She didn¡¯t make any effort to gain approval from her fellow Guild-mates or other people in the academy. She did whatever she wanted to. But sometimes, the rumors she¡¯d hear bouncing around the halls would hurt¡­ sometimes. She was always the oddball of her family back in Britain. Her family treated her well and loved her for who she was, but she noticed differences between them. Outwardly, they dressed and acted the same. The differences were more internalized; the way they thought, what they believed, their interests. None of her family ever expressed interest in becoming a fighter. Her siblings were beyond excited, being longtime Versus fans, but they wouldn¡¯t dream of actually participating. They were surprised when she went up to them one day, only seven Seeyastian years old at the time, and casually told them she would be a fighter when she grew up. It was hard to believe that was ten Earth years ago. After two attempts, she was accepted into Fistborn, and in her first Versus, she¡¯d made it to the eighth-finals, impressing the crowd with her iconic dropkick that gave her a call sign. She was determined to achieve better notoriety this year. Lots of her old friends from the UK had entered Kingsbury Academy, England¡¯s premier institution of combat. Camelithia¡¯s parents expected her to go there, but she wound up in the American school instead, having moved to the US and gained citizenship after she completed her education. Cam loved her friends, but there were more Seeyastians in the US than Britain, and she never really connected enough with people from her ancestors¡¯ planet. Despite that, she was still the odd one out. When Calista came, she figured they could be friends. They were both ¡®odd ones¡¯. She could imagine Calista was more affected by what people said, but she hoped she could help her grow numb to all that. What mattered was that she was a good fighter who could easily kick someone¡¯s face in if they bugged her off. A message interrupted her show. She sighed unenthusiastically, but opened it anyway. Alicia Guti¨¦rrez, the first Favorite of her Guild, appeared in a hologram. She was one of the few students that liked her, and the main reason why Cam wasn¡¯t as disrespected by the other Etas. ¡°Hey, Cam,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m kind of going through a thing right now¡­ do you mind coming over? If you can¡¯t, it¡¯s cool. It''s¡­ you know, boy stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, boy,¡± she said aloud. That on-again, off-again boyfriend of hers. She shrugged and headed out. It wasn¡¯t like she had much to do¡­ except homework, but that was Future Camelithia¡¯s problem. Alicia was a third-year one student, so Cam had to cross buildings. She wore a thick blue overcoat with white fur trimmings over her uniform. Calista¡¯s fashion skills had really rubbed off on her. Who knew one could experiment so much with clothes? She took a moment to taste the falling flurry of snowflakes, her feet crunching in the white powder. Winter was one of her favorite seasons. If only everyone at Fistborn were more fun. A snowball fight would¡¯ve been a nice way to destress. Her coat disappeared when she entered the third year building. When she entered the Women¡¯s Wing, a barrage of loud voices hit her. ¡°-you don¡¯t know anything about me, you caching glitch!¡± ¡°I know just enough about you. That¡¯s why you¡¯re like this. You¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°Please. Earthian ants would scare me more than you ever would. I¡¯m bugged off because you walk in, soaking up all the privilege, when you had a friend to give it all to you!¡± ¡°Says the one who¡¯s Campbell¡¯s girlfriend.¡± What on Earth¡­? Camelithia cautiously approached. Rosalina and L¨ªlitha stood in the hallway, surrounded by many other girls. To her surprise, Calista was in the hallway, pressed up against the wall, as frightened as a deer. The minute her emerald eyes met Cam¡¯s pink rhombuses, she hurried over as fast as she could. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Cam asked her. ¡°They just started yelling. I came over to visit L¨ªlitha, then Rosalina saw me, and they started going at it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re visiting Piranha? Doesn¡¯t she hate you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s part of my Guild now¡­ she wanted to talk about training during Breaks.¡± Ah. That made sense. But why would Rosalina or anyone else be so angry about it? Many other Guild girls were in the hall, antagonizing the little woman. ¡°It¡¯s so unfair that you¡¯re already a Favorite while lots of people are struggling to get a badge. Hillary¡¯s been in Delta since her first year, and she hasn¡¯t gotten one. I haven¡¯t gotten one,¡± a Delta girl said with disgust, her bronze patches flashing. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s struggling because she¡¯s an insufferable likata. Li Mei can see that.¡± Cam snickered at the insult. Calista leaned over and whispered, ¡°What the heck is a likata?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an insect on Ilamiko. It¡¯s annoying and makes whoever touches it ill.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rosalina stepped closer to L¨ªlitha, towering over her. The girl didn¡¯t look the least bit intimidated. Even Cam couldn¡¯t be that brave. This woman must¡¯ve been through more than anyone could know. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d choose my words carefully,¡± the Hajjian woman said. ¡°Why should I? You can¡¯t hit me.¡± L¨ªlitha widened her eyes so the light could reflect off her black marbles. She twiddled her thumbs and shifted on her feet. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hurt a helpless little creature like me, would you? After all¡­ I can only do so much to defend myself. My powers are nothing compared to yours.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± Rosalina cracked her knuckles. ¡°You¡¯ll be stuck here forever, you know.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be worth it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Camelithia got in between them. ¡°Can we not do this? I¡¯m sure no one here wants Hothead setting their rooms on fire.¡± ¡°There¡¯s shields, you moron,¡± Rosalina snapped. ¡°Knowing you, they¡¯ll break.¡± ¡°Rosa!¡± Alicia ran over to intervene. ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯re going to get yourself arrested again!¡± ¡°Why are you so riled up?¡± Cam asked. ¡°So L¨ªlitha¡¯s a Favorite. So what?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with that. One look at that disgusting, manipulative little face, and I feel like exploding.¡± ¡°What is your problem? Both of you. This rivalry has got to stop,¡± said Alicia. ¡°Oh, it won¡¯t.¡± L¨ªlitha glared at the Hajjian, smiling demonically. ¡°Not as long as this woman can¡¯t bring down her pathetic ego. She¡¯s just upset because I can always choose to go home and see my family, but she can¡¯t, because she¡¯s an idiot.¡± ¡°Watch it, Houdge.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? You really thought assaulting someone on another planet would be a harmless crime?¡± Camelithia shook her head. ¡°L¨ªlitha, could you shush?¡± She was pushing Rosalina to her limit. ¡°And for what? A couple thousand digits. You¡¯re so pathetic. Crying to your family about how much you miss them. You should¡¯ve thought of that before coming here to glitch people up.¡± ¡°I said, watch it.¡± The woman looked beyond enraged. It was amazing how she had controlled herself until now. ¡°This is hilarious. You¡¯ll never see them again if you keep this up. Although, you must¡¯ve been a handful for them. Maybe they¡¯re better off.¡± Rosalina grabbed her collar. L¨ªlitha turned her head and bit the woman¡¯s wrist. Rosalina cried out, letting go. She hadn¡¯t used much force, but her fangs were sharp enough to cut her a bit. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Her face glowed. ¡°Oh, cache-¡± Everyone screamed and jumped out of the way as she breathed out a stream of fire. L¨ªlitha had jumped in time, pushing off the ceiling and crashing into Rosalina¡¯s face. She wrapped her arms around her mouth to gag her. ¡°Someone do something!¡± Cam looked at a Voraxmartian girl near her. ¡°Put her out!¡± ¡°I need water!¡± ¡°Kwen¨¦!¡± she called her Pet. The sphere detached from Camelithia¡¯s belt and flew away. Many cleared the hallway as the two women brawled furiously. L¨ªlitha was whiplashing her fist across Rosalina¡¯s face, breaking her nose and spraying blood everywhere. Calista looked away, sickened at the sight. Rosalina threw L¨ªlitha down. The small woman rolled to her feet, standing defensively. Calista quickly blocked Rosalina, standing in front of her Guild-mate. ¡°Rosalina, look, I know you¡¯re angry right now, but this is crazy. You need to control yourself-¡± ¡°Move!¡± She grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall. The Earthian girl gasped at the pain. Kwen¨¦ returned, holding a large cup of water in a beam. ¡°Here!¡± She gave it to Cam, who passed it to the Voraxmartian. Using her powers, she expanded the molecules, turning it into a huge, floating bubble. Rosalina lifted L¨ªlitha by the throat and threw her on her back. She grabbed her wrists and snapped her elastic limbs on the floor. L¨ªlitha cried out as her arms slackened. The Hajjian woman¡¯s face glowed again and she inhaled to fuel her powers. Before she could blowtorch her enemy¡¯s face, the half-Voraxian soaked her with the water. She coughed, her skin sizzling, and stood. L¨ªlitha stayed down, panting. The girl raised his hands defensively when Rosalina looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just didn¡¯t want anything crazy to happen.¡± ¡°Crazy? She¡­¡± She pointed at L¨ªlitha. ¡°I swear. I will do something about this.¡± She looked around at the other students, who all stared at her fearfully or cautiously. She scowled at L¨ªlitha and stormed down the hall. The girls parted like a wave, not daring to provoke her further. ¡°That was crazy. She was going to kill you,¡± Calista said. L¨ªlitha sat on her elbows, regaining feeling in her limbs. She wiped the water off her face. ¡°She¡¯s as crazy as they come.¡± ¡°Glitch, you provoked her. You should¡¯ve just shut up,¡± Alicia said. ¡°She began the altercation. She¡¯s just mad I can see right through her¡ª literally and figuratively.¡± She stood. ¡°She has a weird skeleton, by the way.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Calista asked, shuddering. L¨ªlitha blinked. Her black marbles suddenly turned white. The human girl gasped, stepping back. ¡°What the-¡± The other girl sighed. ¡°Seriously, human. Study other species. You can¡¯t go to the Versus if you¡¯re so clueless.¡± She went to her door. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss training tomorrow instead. Go back to your building.¡± Everyone murmured as they cleared the hallway. ¡°You good?¡± Cam touched Calista¡¯s shoulder. She nodded, still trembling from the confrontation. ¡°Yeah¡­ does this happen all the time?¡± ¡°Not like this. Let me take you back to your room. Next time, L¨ªlitha should visit you.¡± Cam looked at Alicia. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± Alicia went back into her room. Both Rosalina and L¨ªlitha had been in the academy longer than Camelithia had. She knew their rivalry stemmed from their very first year at school. She¡¯d heard enough from the rumors, but for them to hate each other to this extent¡ª something horrible must have happened. From what she knew, Rosalina was bitter because of her criminal circumstance, and she was also a species elitist, as most ¡®higher¡¯ species were when they considered themselves above everyone else. Ilamikoans were classified as a ¡®weaker¡¯ species, much like Cam¡¯s or Calista¡¯s species. There would already be some natural tension there. L¨ªlitha had come to Earth to get into the Versus, but the reason was unclear. It seemed like a quest to prove herself. There were many students with the same goal, but L¨ªlitha was the only Ilamikoan in the entire school. The girls would almost always clash when they were together, and that cycle repeated up to now. Cam had heard of and witnessed many incidents between them, ranging from insults to violent exchanges like this one. But the question remained: why so much hatred? It couldn¡¯t be as shallow as their difference in species. She would know; Hajjians enslaved Seeyastians, too. She wouldn¡¯t hate Rosalina just because she was one of them. She didn¡¯t even hate her, really. Her impression was just a general dislike of her hostile personality. This academy was filled to the brim with drama. Herself, Calista, Rosalina, L¨ªlitha, Harrison¡­ how many more would become the main subject of gossip for Fistborn? They criticized Socializers, but were they that different? Versus training was harsh. But social life? How did Calista make that her focus for so long? 19- Homecoming ¡°Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 6:15 in the morning of November 22nd, 2349 in the city of Washington D.C.. Your TelePortation is scheduled at 7:30 PM in TelePort 5 in the Travel District.¡± === Calista had expected to remain by herself in the academy while everyone went home for their Thanksgiving break, but received an unexpected message just four days before Thanksgiving Day. Katelyn finally got to call her, and after a few tearful exchanges about how much they loved and missed each other, proceeded to tell Calista all about what they did with their paternal family in Montana. Having been prohibited to use the Hub or any external comms until SECURE deemed it safe enough, they had no choice but to entertain themselves with the many features and amenities their aunt and uncle¡¯s cabin provided. They owned a modern cabin in a controlled-weather forest, where the weather barrier let in enough snow for residents to enjoy while protecting them from the biting cold. It had been snowing since late October, and Katelyn and Quincy enjoyed themselves by playing in the snow and swimming in the huge pool house. Calista was relieved that they were having so much fun. She¡¯d worried they¡¯d been living a prison-like life, hiding and waiting in agony until all the stalkers, Genesis X criminals, and crazed fanatics would finally leave them alone. They were still at risk, but SECURE gave them permission to use the Hub again and talk to Calista regularly. When Katelyn begged Calista to come over to Montana for Thanksgiving, Calista couldn¡¯t find it in her heart to say ¡®no¡¯. She wanted to see her family more than anything, but the thought of confronting her mother after all these months of drama and uncertainty brought her more dread than finals week. She sat on her bed in her dorm, which had become a sort of sanctuary for her. Lindsay was nestled in her wall space, unable to leave Fistborn¡¯s grounds until the competition started, if Calista got on the team. She would have to brave this alone. With a sigh, she sent her selected outfits to the cabin in Montana and tightened her navy blue winter coat around her. Even with the weather barrier, the snow itself would chill her. She headed to the Recreation Station, hoping to catch Camelithia and Belinda and say goodbye before she left. They wouldn¡¯t be leaving until the following morning. As she approached the building, she spotted Harrison leaving the Training Center, heading towards the dorms. She quickly trotted over. ¡°Hey, Harrison!¡± ¡°Hey, Calista.¡± ¡°You going anywhere for break?¡± ¡°Nah. Staying here, like usual,¡± he said. ¡°I have to work on lesson plans for you and Lil. I want you to represent Kappa during finals.¡± Calista blushed. ¡°I hope I do it justice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will. So, you doing anything for break?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m leaving tonight. SECURE cleared me to go see my family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She hesitated. ¡°But¡­ your mom.¡± She blinked. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°I think all the stuff on the Hub gives me enough of a hint,¡± he said with a small smirk. ¡°Right¡­ all of that.¡± ¡°Maybe after not seeing you for so long, she¡¯ll come around,¡± he reassured her. ¡°I can tell she loves you. She just needs to be more open-minded.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Calista hesitated again, a question bubbling at her lips, but she didn¡¯t dare. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Harrison asked. ¡°Nothing. I¡­ I was just wondering if you¡¯re also staying during Christmas break.¡± He inhaled. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m always here, actually. Even during the summers, and non-Versus years. My family and I aren¡¯t exactly¡­ simpatico right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s always been like that. I know you¡¯ve been through a lot, too. I¡¯m glad you have the chance to see them, especially your sister.¡± He smiled and patted Calista¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Have a great Thanksgiving, Calista. I¡¯ll see you Monday.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ see you.¡± Calista watched Harrison walk off. She didn¡¯t know much about his personal life, but she had an inkling that she¡¯d see plenty of details if she searched him on the Hub. Versus Journalists were just as nosy as Socializers were. As tempted as she was, she decided against it. She didn¡¯t want to be as prying as they all were. Cam and Belinda were relaxing in the spa, chatting animatedly. Calista sweated in her winter coat upon entering, but knew better than to take it off. She only had a few minutes, anyway. The Air-Bus would leave for the TelePort at exactly 7:00, and she¡¯d have to wait another hour for the next one. ¡°Cali!¡± Camelithia rose from her sunbath recliner, leaving the warm light of the huge lamp. She was dressed in a red and blue full-body swimsuit. Her pink skin was especially strong now, with some beads of sweat sparkling here and there. ¡°You leaving now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just wanted to say bye.¡± She gave Camelithia a hug. Belinda rose from her recliner, her swimsuit matching Cam¡¯s. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Okay. Excited to see Kate, and Dad, and even Quincy,¡± Calista said. ¡°You¡¯re not too nervous?¡± Camelithia said, squeezing her gloved hands. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she lied smoothly, ignoring the pancake flips her stomach was performing. She looked longingly at the sunbath lamps shining over the recliners, wishing more than anything to take off her winter clothing and relax with the two girls. A sunbath sounded nice¡­ But sooner or later, she¡¯d have to face her mother. Might as well be now. === When Calista arrived at the Northern Montana TelePort, she was met with a joyous sight: her father and siblings waiting for her outside. She felt a rush of delight she hadn¡¯t felt in forever. She needed this break from the academy, some solace from the prying eyes of students, coaches, and enemies. Her family¡¯s embrace offered her great comfort. On her father¡¯s side, she wasn¡¯t particularly close to anyone, since she only met them a few times. She knew plenty of people on her mother¡¯s side, and they were all fake. Their family gatherings were much like their own personal Sociapaloozas. The Zyben family wasn¡¯t very pleasant to spend time with, bearing similarities to girls like Danica and Rebecca. The Medley family, on the other hand, was calmer and more relaxed when it came to socializing with each other. Many of them had their channels, but they were very humble in comparison. Maybe that was why they weren¡¯t as popular as the Zybens¡¯ channels. With those differences, Calista didn¡¯t see her father¡¯s family as often as she did her mother¡¯s. The cabin owners were her Aunt Ellie and Uncle Shay; Ellie being her father¡¯s sister. They had three children, two of which were around Calista¡¯s age, but weren¡¯t as close as she wanted them to be. She was admittedly nervous about seeing them all; it had been a few years. They didn¡¯t even holo-call each other that often. Calista had always been too consumed with the SociaLights channel and her personal beauty queen lessons with her mother to bother keeping in touch with them. Thinking about her mother sent her into an anxious mood again. As much as Katelyn reassured her that she just needed a good talking-to, and that everything would be fine, she couldn¡¯t erase the dread of the upcoming reunion. They arrived at the cabin in a small Air-Taxi. Aunt Ellie and Uncle Shay waited at the front doors. Aunt Ellie was exactly as Calista remembered her; shorter than average with short, wild, curly golden hair and long, sparkly earrings that reached her shoulders. She was partial to wearing colorful, patterned frocks, which her mother would vehemently criticize behind her back. Uncle Shay, on the other hand, had changed a bit. He used to have bright orange hair, but had now changed it to a pale violet color, and it was shorter than Calista remembered, too. He was a tall, handsome man with steady gray eyes and ebony-colored skin. Ellie greeted Calista with a warm smile and an embrace. ¡°You¡¯ve grown, sweetheart!¡± She took Calista¡¯s delicate hands, holding her arms out. ¡°I can see a fighter¡¯s build in you already!¡± ¡°You think?¡± Calista said shyly. ¡°Of course! Let¡¯s go inside, shall we? The snow¡¯s cold.¡± They went into the big, spacious foyer with two doorways on either side, leading to the HARP room and formal dining room, and a teleporter was in the middle, leading upstairs to the second floor. ¡°Your cousins should be down soon.¡± As if summoned, the two cousins teleported into the foyer. The middle child, Soko, was a skinny boy with broad shoulders, which gave him sort of an odd shape, and he had long, black hair that fell over his dark eyes. The youngest was Gliss, around her brother¡¯s height, with waist-length blond braids and big, blue eyes. It was clear Gliss had recently been focusing on Socializing, with her perfect figure and fashion sense. Her outfit was of soft, pastel colors, the fabric light and breezy. The third cousin was Cassidy, who was the oldest. She had long since gone to the Socializer school in California with her fellow channel hosts. Her channel was called CSD-Vibes, focusing on charitable acts and helping communities in space stations. Calista didn¡¯t know her well, but she hoped to meet her again sometime. ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re so tall!¡± Gliss squealed, taking Calista by surprise by giving her a tight hug. ¡°They beat you up a lot there, huh? You look like you¡¯re battle-ready already!¡± She snorted a bit, covering her mouth. ¡°Ooh, what was that? Sorry!¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Calista expected her father¡¯s family to support her, but she didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be this excited. Of course, they were probably supporting her in secret, not mentioning a word of it to their followers. ¡°We¡¯ve got a nice room for you! Come on, I¡¯ll show you!¡± Gliss excitedly led Calista to the teleporter, Soko following silently. Calista didn¡¯t remember him being much of a talker. Gliss bounced into her bedroom, which had three beds. One was Gliss¡¯s own, the other was evidently for Katelyn, the sheets in a gradient of her favorite colors; royal purple and sea blue. The last one was blank, waiting for Calista to customize it. It was a little cramped, but nothing too uncomfortable. ¡°All your clothes arrived here,¡± Gliss said, motioning to the clothing selection system. With relief, Calista instantly went and changed into something cooler. ¡°So you¡¯re sharing your room with us? You sure that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Sure! Quincy¡¯s sleeping in Soko¡¯s room, and Aunt and Uncle are in the guest room. Perfect for all of us, right?!¡± ¡°Yeah, looks like it,¡± Calista smiled, a bit overwhelmed by Gliss¡¯s energy. She¡¯d forgotten how pepped-up she always was. ¡°Girl, look at you! You look so strong!¡± Gliss pumped her arms, as if showing off her own muscles. Calista had chosen Fistborn¡¯s workout uniform, but with a full shirt rather than the bra, wanting to be more appropriate. The red shirt was sleeveless and the blue pants were loose around her waist. Even though she couldn¡¯t compare to the other female students at the academy, her arms had toned up nicely. She smiled and playfully showed off her biceps, making Gliss laugh. ¡°How¡¯s Fistborn?¡± Soko finally spoke. ¡°Yes! I want to know all about it! You¡¯re friends with Harrison Smith, right? I didn¡¯t know anything about him until now. When I looked him up, I was so AAH!¡± The scream made Calista jump. ¡°He¡¯s so GP! How can you play cool in front of him?! He¡¯s SOOO HANDSOME! Is he nice?! Is he a good teacher? Do you like him?¡± Gliss winked. Calista chuckled and sat with her cousin on her assigned bed, put at ease despite Gliss¡¯s intense nature. But before she could delve into the long story that was Fistborn Academy, her mother walked through the wall. The sight of her froze Calista on the spot. She looked so different. She was skinnier than she was before¡ª to a very unhealthy degree. She could see circles under her eyes through the thick layers of makeup and her hair wasn¡¯t as nicely done as usual. Even her clothes were lackluster, in tones of pale and dark grey. ¡°Um¡­ we¡¯ll leave you two alone.¡± Gliss patted Calista¡¯s shoulder reassuringly, jerking her head at her brother to leave the room. Calista¡¯s throat dried, longing for Gliss to return and continue the conversation. For a few moments, Calista endured the agonizing silence. She stared down at her lap, squeezing the loose fabric of her pants. ¡°I¡­ saw your broadcast,¡± Jennifer choked out. Her voice sounded hoarse. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yeah. Um¡­ I¡¯ll admit it was gutsy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It actually worked a bit¡­ some people backed off. Some¡­ lots of others were pretty mad. Although I think you scared off the people from Kate¡¯s bar.¡± Jennifer grimaced, probably attempting to smile. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± Jennifer nodded. ¡°Yeah. And¡­ um¡­ well, the fans are sort of¡­ fighting now. Some support you, some don¡¯t. It¡¯s been a little-¡± ¡°Do we need to talk about the fans?¡± Calista said, irritation rising. Was that all she wanted to tell her? The reactions of a bunch of strangers that forced her into a life she never wanted? ¡°Right.¡± Jennifer cleared her throat. ¡°I¡­ I want to support you.¡± She sat down next to Calista on her bed. ¡°But¡­ you need to understand the position I¡¯m in. It¡¯s not just about the fans, it¡¯s about you and your siblings, your future. It¡¯s good to have a backup, you know, in case¡­ in case things don¡¯t go your way.¡± ¡°In case I fail.¡± Calista smiled humorlessly. ¡°No, I mean¡­ things happen. You never know. I just want you to have something to fall back on, and that means I need to keep up an image. This is my job. It¡¯s been my career for years on end, and I can¡¯t do anything else. I don¡¯t know¡­ how to do anything else.¡± Desperation crept into Jennifer¡¯s voice, and Calista almost apologized for everything that had happened, but she pushed down the fleeting urge. She knew how she felt. When she thought she¡¯d destroyed any chance of getting into the academy, she felt like it was the end of her world. She imagined fleeing to some distant planet and starting over. She wasn¡¯t good at anything else, either. So, yes, her mother was sort of stuck in the position she was in. But she didn¡¯t realize that Fistborn itself secured a future for Calista. Even if she graduated without getting on the team at all, and landed a job as a no-name, regional coach¡ª which was a future she wasn¡¯t keen on¡ª, it would still be better than continuing as a professional Socializer. She would get paid a livable wage, she¡¯d be able to have her own life, marry someone she really loved and have children without pushing the generational trauma of a channel and millions of fans on them. ¡°I just want you to know that I¡¯m supporting you here, but I can¡¯t go out and say anything,¡± Jennifer finished. ¡°I never asked you to,¡± Calista pointed out. ¡°Yes, I know. But¡­¡± Jennifer looked away, her mouth flapping. ¡°We¡¯ve both chosen different paths now. So¡­ we¡¯re going to be different people. But know that¡­ I do still love you. You¡¯re my daughter. And just because we might not be as¡­ close as we were doesn¡¯t mean¡­ it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t love you.¡± Calista nodded. ¡°Yeah. Same here.¡± She looked into her mother¡¯s matching eyes. She¡¯d inherited her emerald eyes. Sometimes she wondered if Jennifer made any genetic modifications so her firstborn could be an exact copy of herself. ¡°I just want to make something clear,¡± Jennifer added. She cleared her throat and took a nervous breath. ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t¡­ talk about the Games and the academy with me. It¡¯s just a lot to take in. Just save it for when I¡¯m not around¡­ not that I¡¯m around that much, I¡¯m pretty busy now. I just need a break from it, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. Only if you don¡¯t talk to me about your fans or anything about the channels. I don¡¯t even want to hear the word ¡®fans¡¯. Especially after what they did at school.¡± ¡°Well, Calista, they were just worried about you,¡± Jennifer reasoned. ¡°Word got out that you passed out in class, and they were just trying to make them give you a break.¡± ¡°They showed me a projection of me covered in blood with the word ¡®traitor¡¯,¡± Calista told her. ¡°They didn¡¯t seem that concerned to me.¡± ¡°But you saw their faces. They were crying for you. They really don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Mom, the girls smeared makeup so they could look like they were crying. You know makeup doesn¡¯t smear.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a few types-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear you take their side again, Mom!¡± Calista snapped. She frowned when Jennifer flinched, scooting away defensively. The reaction made no sense. She looked at her hands, which were still flattened on her lap. She hadn¡¯t moved at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jennifer said, swallowing. ¡°Force of habit.¡± She didn¡¯t scoot closer. She turned away, her body tense, as if expecting some sort of blow. ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Calista whispered. ¡°What? No.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I just¡­¡± Jennifer breathed out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯ve taught you at that school, that¡¯s all. One of your friends attacked those fans.¡± ¡°Atta- that¡¯s what you think?¡± Calista stood, chuckling as she paced in frustration. ¡°You of all people should know how rumors work!¡± ¡°I saw it! That Ilamikoan girl turned into-¡± ¡°She was just scaring them off! There was a barrier between them; she couldn¡¯t even touch them! This is such a stupid conversation!¡± Calista turned her back on her mother, not wanting to look at her anymore. ¡°I should¡¯ve known. You haven¡¯t changed a bit. All you care about are your stupid, mindless fans that worship the ground you walk on-¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want people to think you¡¯re some kind of¡­¡± ¡°Monster? Killer? Rager?¡± Calista glanced back at her. ¡°Clearly, you do. You thought I was going to hurt you.¡± She let a couple tears reach her eyes, but stifled her sobs. ¡°I would never hurt you,¡± she whispered. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just make a deal, Mother.¡± Calista wiped the small tears that had gathered and stuck her hand out. ¡°You don¡¯t mention your fans to me, and I don¡¯t mention school to you. As far as you¡¯re concerned, we¡¯re just two strangers from completely different worlds that don¡¯t even talk to each other. Truce?¡± ¡°Calista, no¡­ that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Do we have a deal or not?¡± Jennifer¡¯s jaw trembled and she let tears out. She sighed and took Calista¡¯s hand. Calista gave it a firm pump and let go. ¡°There. Now, I¡¯d like to tell everyone else about my experience, so you should go back to your broadcast.¡± She coldly turned away. A pit formed in her stomach, as hard as stone. Jennifer lingered a few seconds before leaving. Calista didn¡¯t want to cry. She was too angry. She didn¡¯t even apologize for all that she said and did¡­ not a word about everything that had happened before she got accepted. All she cared about was her stupid, vindictive, horrible fans. Maybe it was easier to pretend she wasn¡¯t Jennifer Zyben¡¯s daughter at all. From now on, she was Henry Medley¡¯s daughter. The daughter of a man who loved her, considered her, and supported her. The daughter of a true father that comforted her, advised her, and kept in touch. Him, Katelyn, Quincy, and even her aunt, uncle, and cousins¡ª they were her family. === Calista lowered herself to the floor, breathing in and out to avoid panting unevenly. She had just completed her 60 push-ups. She now got tired after the 40th pushup, having to force herself to finish the last twenty. It was a vast improvement from how she started out. Thanksgiving was very enjoyable, with just a sprinkle of awkward tension between her and Jennifer. They¡¯d made sure to sit far away from each other at the table and avoid even making eye contact. Calista had a wonderful time feasting on turkey, biscuits, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and the works of Thanksgiving, feeling very grateful for the first time. Past Thanksgivings were¡­ alright. When they were children, Jennifer would let them indulge in the traditional human meals for the holiday, but once she got into the phase of turning Calista into a younger, better version of herself, the plentiful meals were gone. Calista would usually have a mushroom spaghetti with red grape juice, which would have a bit of weight-therapy powder in it. The others were allowed to eat what they wanted, but they wouldn¡¯t have much, just so they wouldn¡¯t leave Calista with longing for a better meal. Once Calista had stuffed herself full, finishing off with a juicy cherry pie, she knew she¡¯d probably gained a few pounds, maybe enough to reach her goal. She drank some water and wiped her sweat away with a towel. Deciding that she¡¯d worked out enough for the moment, she started towards the bathroom to take a soothing, hot shower. ¡°Incoming message for¡­ Calista Medley¡­ from¡­ Elizabeth Devon.¡± AIDA¡¯S announcement stopped her. ¡°Could you repeat that?¡± ¡°You have a new message from Elizabeth Devon.¡± Calista¡¯s mind glitched. Elizabeth? Why would she be messaging her? Even if she was the nicer one of the clique, she wouldn¡¯t risk something like that. ¡°Um¡­ open the message, please.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s figure appeared. Calista couldn¡¯t believe how different she looked. She wore the NYWS uniform and her hair was a bright candy blue, cut into a bob. The style didn¡¯t suit her at all. Calista preferred her natural red curls. The image seemed to glitch a bit, as if she were using a hidden channel. ¡°Hi, Calista, it¡¯s Liz. Elizabeth. Um¡­¡± She stammered for a bit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± She cleared her throat, glancing over her shoulder. ¡°I just wanted to let you know that¡­ I¡¯m happy for you. I support what you¡¯re doing. You seem a lot more confident now that you¡¯re at Fistborn.¡± She smiled ruefully. ¡°I actually used to be a Versus fan before I joined your channel. I never said anything, though. But I just wanted to reach out and let you know I¡¯m on your side. Your broadcast last month was pretty inspiring.¡± Last month¡­ it had already been a month? It felt so much more recent¡­ ¡°I¡¯m trying to find a way out of here,¡± Elizabeth continued, her voice glitching slightly. ¡°I have to tell you, this place¡­ it¡¯s awful. You saved yourself, really. Everyone here is so mean and masky. All they ever do is talk behind people¡¯s backs and pretend to like each other. Dani and Becca only ever talk about their ¡®best friends¡¯, and what they hate about them.¡± She chuckled. ¡°And I know they¡¯re talking about me, but I¡¯m probably the only one who doesn¡¯t even care.¡± Calista¡¯s heart clenched with pity. Elizabeth was essentially stuck there, unless she found some other career path that wouldn¡¯t be completely destroyed by the vindictive girls at NYWS. Their hatred and lies about her would be enough to block plenty of potential jobs for her. ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯m going to try and build up my own channel. Something different and unique. That way when I get found out, I can still fall back on it. Otherwise¡­ I guess I¡¯ll move off-planet or something. Go completely off-network. My parents wouldn¡¯t notice.¡± Elizabeth took a breath and put on a smile. ¡°I hope you¡¯re doing well there, and I¡¯ll be following you. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving. I¡¯ll see when I can message you again; I can¡¯t receive messages through here. Got one of the ¡®outcasts¡¯ here to hack it up for me. I owe her.¡± Calista wished she could reply back. She wished she could help Liz somehow, maybe ask someone if she had a place in one of the schools in Fistborn. She¡¯d probably do great in Design or something; but those schools weren¡¯t free. It was pretty much impossible to get her out of the Socializer school. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the prelims, Cali. I know you can do it.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s image vanished. Calista stared into empty space for a minute. She wished she could call Liz back and tell her everything that had happened. Knowing she was supporting her¡ª even secretly¡ª was enough to make her heart swell. In a way, it also pressured her a bit. A lot of people were counting on her to get on the team. Finals week was starting in two days. She had to hope she¡¯d done enough. 20- End of the Line The excitement in the academy was palpable when Calista returned from her break. It truly felt like a mini-tournament for Fistborn. The students in all the other schools, including the Tech Wing, were invited to watch the fights in the arena throughout the last two weeks of the semester. Red, white, and blue digital confetti rained down, banners were hung everywhere, and stat boards were set up in every courtyard. The Guilds had gone all out in showing their pride. The members used their custom-colored uniforms, some of the girls even inspired by Calista¡¯s fashion sense. Banners sporting their Guild letter or their Student Coach were hung on the walls, especially at the dorms. When Calista got back on Sunday evening, Cam and Belinda came over to her room to help her design a few banners for Kappa, proudly showing the orange-and-white K, Harrison, Calista herself, and L¨ªlitha. Exams started immediately on Monday. Calista went through her Weaponry exam with anxiety and stress tensing up her shoulders. She¡¯d studied hard over the break, but once she finished, she felt like she¡¯d answered fifty questions wrong. The next day, she would take her Armory and Versus History exams; Versus History being the most difficult of all her Theory classes. As for her Practicums, they all evaluated students through the finals week tournament. Combat, Weapon Use, and Disciplines would all be factors in a one-on-one battle. The only Practicum class having its own exam was Teamwork, which Calista would have on Wednesday. Every day, there were series of battles scheduled in the Arena. Since the coaches were also watching so they could grade the fighters, classes from 11:00 and on were canceled, allowing them to spectate. Calista was especially excited to properly watch a live fight for the first time in years. The Student Coaches were going first. The only ones that could challenge them besides each other were their Favorites. After them, the Favorites would go against each other, or against other Guild members. Then, the remaining Guild members and non-Guild members would go up, and finally, the last few that weren¡¯t part of a Guild. The first fight was between Delaine and Li Mei. The competition was fierce between the Gamma and Delta Guilds. When Calista entered the Arena with Harrison and L¨ªlitha, she was awed to see the silver and bronze colors littering the seats. It looked like a glittering sea of ancient coins. Being Favorites, Calista and L¨ªlitha got one of the best views in the Arena. They joined the other badge-wearing members in one of two Favorites¡¯ capsules, floating high above the other Guilds and the stadium seats below. Despite most of the Favorites not being Calista¡¯s friends, except for Camelithia, it wasn¡¯t so bad being in a capsule with them. Rosalina and Bark hardly looked at her when she arrived. Unlike the other color-coded capsules and the nearly-divided crowd of students, the Favorites¡¯ capsule was full of different colors from different Guilds. There was a lot more cohesion; Alphas sat with Deltas, Iotas sat with Epsilons. Calista and L¨ªlitha took seats near Camelithia, who wore a cute green uniform with a skirt similar to Calista¡¯s originally-designed one. Calista smiled; Cam really did like her style. ¡°HELLLOOOOOOO EVERYBODYYYY!¡± The crowd roared. Chills wracked Calista¡¯s spine. Even when she was a child, she didn¡¯t have the luxury of watching a Versus fight in the actual arena, much less in a special viewing capsule. For a moment, she was 9 years old again, cheering for Lisa White, watching the epic battles from the HARP. ¡°Welcome to the first day of Fistborn¡¯s Finals Week Fights!¡± the announcer said. He sounded like one of the coaches, but Calista couldn¡¯t tell who. ¡°We have 48 exciting battles to watch today! Having won the raffle to kick off the school-wide competition, let¡¯s welcome the Gamma Student Coach, Delaine ¡®Minx¡¯ Evistroma; going up against the Delta Student Coach, Li Mei ¡®Knifehand¡¯ Hoss!¡± The crowd roared once again. The capsule kept the thundering noise from damaging the Favorites¡¯ ears, but they could hear it clearly enough so they could join in, too. Epic freeze shots of the fighters floated on the main projector, with a bold ¡®VS.¡¯ between them. Calista leaned forward, watching the two women approach each other from opposite sides of the Arena. Both proudly wore their Guild-colored battle suits. Calista tapped the glass in front of her so she could zoom in on their faces. ¡°Let me hear the beat!¡± the announcer shouted, followed by quick stomping from the crowd. The Favorites joined in, prompting Calista to also stomp with them, her adrenaline rising. It was almost as if she were the one down in the arena. ¡°Five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ FIGHT!¡± The two girls moved so fast that Calista nearly missed it, quickly zooming her screen out. She saw a blur of bronze and silver, the girls flexibly kicking their legs at each other. She could hardly keep up with their movements. ¡°What is she using, Tialet?¡± one of the Zeta Favorites inquired. ¡°No¡­ looks like Damantri,¡± a Beta said. Camelithia shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s similar, though. It¡¯s a Seeyastian discipline; Kinnar. It¡¯s like Damantri, but more graceful in its movements.¡± ¡°I was talking about Minx,¡± said the Beta. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s who I¡¯m talking about, too.¡± ¡°Why would she use a Seeyastian discipline against Knifehand? Isn¡¯t she part Seeyastian?¡± ¡°She is, but she¡¯s partial to other styles,¡± said one of Li Mei¡¯s Favorites. ¡°It looks like¡­ maybe a Hajjian or Mercurian style. It suits her knifehand moves.¡± Calista hoped she¡¯d be able to tell between different disciplines like that soon. With how fast the two were moving, she really couldn¡¯t tell the difference. The crowd groaned when Li Mei kicked Delaine square in the face, sending her flying across the arena. Calista glanced up at the capsule that held the faculty, floating high above them. The thought of them watching her like this made her queasy, even more than her entrance exam had. Delaine retaliated with a spinning kick, which initially missed, but her follow-up uppercut hit Li Mei¡¯s chin, snapping her head back. Calista cringed, knowing that while the armor kept her bones safe, she¡¯d feel all the pain. The stomping from the crowd below seemed to move from side to side, depending on which fighter was dominating the battle. The silver side would rise and make their noise, but then the bronze side would counter with an equally loud force. It was as if the girls were controlling the crowd with their fighting. ¡°What happens if Knifehand beats Minx?¡± Calista asked L¨ªlitha. ¡°Does she get her position?¡± L¨ªlitha shook her head, munching on some candy she¡¯d ordered. ¡°Student Coach positions are determined through their performance in the competition. They¡¯re especially pressured during the interplanetaries.¡± ¡°What if they don¡¯t make the team?¡± ¡°Oh, Student Coaches get a guaranteed spot on the country team. It¡¯s the planet team they need to worry about.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. So¡­ Harrison¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to the prelims. But there¡¯s no guarantee he¡¯ll be on Earth¡¯s team.¡± Calista nodded in understanding, now feeling a little giddy. It comforted her to know that Harrison would be at the prelims with her if she got on the team. She didn¡¯t doubt he would, but with the controversies against him, she had worried they¡¯d rig it and exclude him. ¡°So these fights don¡¯t affect the positions at all?¡± Calista asked. ¡°It affects the student body¡¯s opinion of them,¡± L¨ªlitha explained. ¡°Ranks don¡¯t fully determine how popular the Guilds will be. Delta actually has a few more members than Gamma.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°If Li Mei wins against Delaine, it could affect how people see Delaine as a Coach. If they¡¯re both still SCs when the Games are over, and suppose Delaine is still a rank higher than Li Mei, she could still get less students than Knifehand just because of how she fared in this fight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so¡­ confusing,¡± Calista said. ¡°Opinion is confusing,¡± L¨ªlitha shrugged. ¡°What if Harrison wins his fight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a whole other issue. Rumors and all that.¡± L¨ªlitha then smirked. ¡°You¡¯re right. Fighters really aren¡¯t that different from Socializers.¡± She threw another piece of candy into her mouth, then offered Calista the bag. ¡°Want some?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Cee Beans. They¡¯re from my planet. They¡¯re really tasty.¡± Calista picked up a couple of the greenish-orange beans. The colors were unappetizing, but she tried them anyway, confronted with a tangy, sweet taste spreading across her tongue. It was like sour candy, only¡­ better, to say the least. ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± she said. ¡°Order a bag for you. I don¡¯t want to share too many of these.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Calista ordered her own pack of Cee Beans. She was glad L¨ªlitha was talking to her a lot more now. They¡¯d never been enemies like Rosalina or Hillary, but L¨ªlitha had acted very indifferent towards Calista until now. It seemed that being in the same Guild¡ª and maybe the fact that Harrison was also her friend¡ª opened L¨ªlitha to a new friendship. Calista glanced at the timer. It had been eight minutes. They had a ten-minute limit for each fight. Ties didn¡¯t matter in this case; the fights were purely for examination. The crowd was thrown back into excitement when Li Mei finally used her iconic knifehand when Delaine least expected it. Delaine dodged the follow-up attack quickly, but lost her balance, still trying to regain her breathing. Li Mei jumped high, raising her fists to hammer down on Delaine¡¯s stomach. Delaine was quicker. She rolled out of the way and jumped on Li Mei¡¯s back, snaking her arms and legs around her in a complicated wrestling hold. As Li Mei tried to break out, the seconds counted down¡ª 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ ¡°GAME OVER!¡± The silver end of the crowd burst into celebration, the Gamma members in the capsule also screaming with joy. Delaine let Li Mei go, letting her breathe, then helped her up and gave her a high-five. Seeing this display of sportsmanship, the Delta-supporting half followed suit, applauding and cheering. ¡°The match goes to Delaine ¡®Minx¡¯ Evistroma!¡± the announcer said, the live projection of Delaine rotating in the air as she pumped her fists. ¡°What a great start to finals week! Now, up next, a rather unexpected pairing of two great Student Coaches¡­ the best of Fistborn Academy-¡± The announcer was cut off by deafening cheers. Calista watched in awe as a wave passed over the crowd, turning the silver and bronze colors to platinum and blue. The Zeta members in the capsule gasped in surprise and also cheered. There were only five Zeta Favorites, but they made quite the ruckus. ¡°Our Alpha Student Coach, Reilly ¡®Clocker¡¯ Campbell, versus our Zeta Student Coach, Melsen ¡®Spider-Man¡¯ Steffensen!¡± Reilly exited in a platinum suit that practically matched his white marble skin. He looked monstruous compared to Melsen in his blue suit. Calista momentarily mistook him for a human, then remembered he was a fourth Paeseoan. Next to Reilly, his height was greatly diminished, even though he was nearly six feet tall. This was an odd pairing. Did they get to choose their opponents? Maybe they didn¡¯t want to be predictable. It was only exams, anyway, not the real competition. Reilly, unsurprisingly, won the fight, but the pair had entertained the masses well, lasting the entire ten minutes. It was slightly obvious Reilly was holding back, putting on a show, much like a performer. The fights went on; Kalis Siip vs. Elisa Fiosda¡ª Camelithia was especially vocal during this fight¡ª, Catherine vs. Disaris, and finally, St?sten vs. Harrison. Calista had decided to go all out, whipping up a projection to show off during the fight. She put it in the capsule projector, showing a huge hologram of Harrison over the Favorites¡¯ capsule. She didn¡¯t care if they thought it was ridiculous. It seemed that many seemed to like it, though. Calista was both surprised and pleased to see over a quarter of the arena showing orange colors for Kappa. Harrison had won over a lot of students. He lost the fight in the end, St?sten being an older, stronger, and more experienced fighter, but it was by no means dishonorable. Harrison had impressed the crowd greatly with the Paeseoan fighting style he chose and he lasted up to the end of the ten minutes, until St?sten had delivered a final kick that forced him to stay down. Calista had never been prouder; even L¨ªlitha screamed her support. After the SCs went many of the Favorites. Rosalina was one of the first to go up against a Beta Favorite, followed by Bark, and the ¡®Choker¡¯ guy Calista remembered from her ¡®surprise attack¡¯; he was a tall, bulky human¡ª which surprised her¡ª from the Epsilon Guild under Kalis Siip. Camelithia got to go up against an overconfident Mearthian from the Beta Guild, a non-Favorite. Calista imagined Disaris was very embarrassed after Camelithia slammed the guy into the ground. An Eta winning against a Beta was pretty humiliating. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°What happens to the Betas now that Cam won?¡± she asked L¨ªlitha. ¡°Nothing, but it looks bad. Says a lot about Disaris¡¯s coaching, and Elisa¡¯s, too. Eta gets a rep boost.¡± Calista shook her head. The reputation system in this school was so confusing. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re fighting yet?¡± L¨ªlitha asked. ¡°Oh¡­ not yet.¡± L¨ªlitha looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re fighting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t assign yourself an opponent, they¡¯ll do it for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone.¡± ¡°What about Adenifi?¡± ¡°Belinda?¡± Calista said. ¡°She¡¯s already fighting someone else.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to decide,¡± L¨ªlitha sighed. ¡°With your reputation, it can go either way. People will either want to challenge you and humiliate you, or not bother fighting you.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Who are you fighting?¡± Calista then asked. ¡°Some girl from the Theta Guild. I fight her tomorrow, too.¡± Calista¡¯s anxiety rose to new heights, distracting her from the exciting fights in the arena and the swelling noise of the crowd. She really didn¡¯t know who to challenge. She couldn¡¯t challenge Harrison or L¨ªlitha since they were both Kappas, and Cam and Belinda had been challenged since before Thanksgiving. The only option was to wait and see who wound up matched with her. Who could she trust enough to issue a challenge to? She needed to play it safe. It was her exam, and her chance to get on the team. She couldn¡¯t challenge anyone better than her, which would guarantee her failure. She thought about challenging someone that wasn¡¯t in a Guild, maybe a first-year like her, but no one liked her or even bothered to interact with her. They would probably laugh in her face. It would be better if people thought she wasn¡¯t worth challenging; it would mean no one powerful would go against her. Her luck was running out. === The second day of exams came. Calista powered through her Armory and Versus History tests, trying hard to concentrate on the questions instead of her impending Practicum exam in the Arena. She worked up the nerve to ask a few first-years for a challenge during Lunch, but they either said they already had an opponent or flat out refused. On the other hand, it seemed like she wasn¡¯t much of a worthy challenge, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about a big, scary fighter confronting her in the arena. Maybe it would end up being some nobody. When the fights started, Calista was listed as the sixth fight of the day, after L¨ªlitha. The girl she was fighting was Geija Herifa, a raspberry red-skinned Paeseoan with medium-cut green hair and yellow eyes. Calista had offered her a friendly smile, but the girl merely glared at her and turned away. Another Paeseoan who was definitely not the sweet and friendly stereotype. Calista paced in the arena dugout as L¨ªlitha and Geija¡¯s fight played out. She stole a few glances, pleased to see L¨ªlitha doing very well. She made sure to retract her limbs quickly enough so Geija wouldn¡¯t snap them and weaken them, as many fighters knew how to incapacitate an Ilamikoan. Surprisingly, she hadn¡¯t attempted to bite her. For a moment, she was brought back to when she took her pressure exam, hearing applicants¡¯ names and grades being called out, and watching them leave in tears or even unconscious after facing the fearsome Piranha. Who would¡¯ve thought she and L¨ªlitha would end up being cordial Guild-mates? Five minutes into the fight, Calista stepped into the Changing Station and got her orange armor on. As much as she hated the color, it still looked pretty good. It made her look more muscular than she was, it was light and easy to move in, and her name was printed in white on the back of her helmet and back plate, changing intermittently to Kappa Guild Favorite. The large number underneath was ¡®1¡¯, since she was the first Kappa member to be admitted. ¡°GAME OVER!¡± Calista¡¯s heart leaped. Her turn was approaching. Looking outside, it seemed that L¨ªlitha had won her match; Geija was rolling on the ground in pain, her hands covering her eyes, while L¨ªlitha pumped her fists. The smaller half of the crowd in Kappa orange was cheering madly while the yellow Theta-supporting half was mellow and grumbly. The next student going after her teleported into the dugout. It was a male Martian student from the Iota Guild¡ª Catherine ¡®Lasso¡¯ Graham¡¯s Guild, which was just a rank above Kappa¡ª, wearing an all-white uniform. ¡°Hey, uh¡­ good luck out there,¡± the Martian boy said with a small smile. Calista was momentarily stunned by the overture, so it took her a minute to respond. ¡°Thanks. Uh¡­ y-you too.¡± ¡°Who are you up against?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I decided to let someone random go up.¡± Calista gulped, trying to moisten her dry throat. ¡°Nice. That¡¯s gutsy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Facing the unknown is big,¡± he said. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Oh, just a friend from Theta.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be watching.¡± ¡°Calista Medley to the arena. Repeat, Calista Medley to the arena.¡± Calista adjusted her helmet, which was already fitted perfectly on her head. It was only ten minutes. It would be over before she knew it. L¨ªlitha entered the dugout, giving Calista a reassuring high-five. ¡°Good luck,¡± she said, heading to the Changing Station to get out of her armor and teleport back up to the capsule. ¡°Calling the underdog of the freshman class¡­ the first Kappa member in years, and the last Favorite left to fight¡­ Calista Medley!¡± Calista felt a bit of encouragement from the cheers in the arena as she exited. She did her best to mimic her usual, confident model walk, waving gracefully at the stands. She glanced up at her freeze shot, which looked positively fashionable. Even her mother would love it. She then looked at the Favorites¡¯ capsule. It was too high for her to see, but she knew that Cam would be cheering her on, and maybe even L¨ªlitha. The Gamma Guild capsule was also too far for her to see Belinda. ¡°And the challenger¡­ a great surprise! Calista Medley will be testing her mettle against¡­¡± Calista held her breath. ¡°Delta member Hillary ¡®Gravity¡¯ Kaye!¡± Her stomach dropped. The Paeseoan woman walked out in her bronze-colored combat suit, waving smilingly at the crowds. Cheers swept across the arena for her, nearly everyone changing their colors to bronze. She smiled cockily and turned her grass-green eyes onto Calista. Now was the formal exchange of ¡®good sportsmanship¡¯ before the fight. Hillary approached Calista, holding out her fist. Trying to get past the shock, Calista accepted the fist bump. Hillary leaned over and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t expect it, huh? You look like a scared rabbit.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny it. She should¡¯ve seen it coming after she broke Hillary¡¯s nose that day. It was obvious she would want a rematch. ¡°I figured. You should have learned plenty by now, right?¡± Hillary said. ¡°Especially with your Student Coach and your feisty new Guild-mate. You¡¯ve been studying so hard.¡± She pouted her lips with pity. ¡°What a determined kid.¡± Calista¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve learned plenty.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see it.¡± Hillary smiled sweetly. ¡°Get ready! 10, 9, 8¡­¡± The women backed away and got into position. The crowd got louder. ¡°GRA-VI-TY! GRA-VI-TY! GRA-VI-TY!¡± Everything Calista had studied was starting to blank out of her brain. She couldn¡¯t remember what discipline she¡¯d planned to use. Without knowing who she was fighting, she couldn¡¯t know her opponent¡¯s weaknesses. Why didn¡¯t she try to challenge someone? She should¡¯ve asked more people, or even tried to intimidate someone, reminded them of how she broke Paeseoan bones with her bare hands. Hillary wouldn¡¯t let her repeat that. She would be going all out for this match. ¡°FIGHT!¡± Hillary didn¡¯t give Calista room to start. She instantly attacked, starting with a jab at her face, then a punch in her stomach. Calista gasped and tried to regain her bearings, getting some distance between her and the other fighter. The armor took most of the force, thankfully. Her arms moved, working to block the rest of her strikes. The pain receptors were on, so she felt every sting and graze on her sleeves. Hillary¡¯s attacks never ceased. Calista worked on focusing her brain, seeing past the thunder of adrenaline. She needed to concentrate. She turned her attention to how Hillary was striking, taking in the way her feet stepped and her arms moved. She knew this style. It was called¡­ a weird Mercurian style. Dape-something. Dapeda? She ducked under a swiping blow. This style consisted of various fast strikes. It was a reckless way of fighting, but it worked great as an opener, depending on the fighter. They would have to catch their opponent off-guard in order to get the upper hand, which came easy to Gravity. The disadvantage was that soon, she would get tired. Most likely, she planned to change to a more civilized style once she locked the fight in her favor. Calista needed to find an opening and turn it around so she could exhaust her. She stayed on defense for a few more moments before backflipping. ¡°Whoa!¡± The suit was a bit more powerful than she thought. She landed on her feet, but wobbled unsteadily. Hillary laughed arrogantly and walked casually towards her. Her overconfidence was getting on the human girl¡¯s last nerves. It was as if she viewed her as a cute puppy trying to bare its teeth. Now she knew how L¨ªlitha felt all the time. ¡°Alright, Linds. Play ¡®Natural¡¯. The cover,¡± she said quietly. The song started playing in her helmet. She ran forward and jumped high, aiming her foot at Hillary¡¯s face. The woman caught Calista¡¯s foot and heaved her away. Calista caught herself, flipping back onto her feet, and struck again. She didn¡¯t hit Hillary, but at least she wasn¡¯t humiliated yet. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to show a lot more than that, sweetie.¡± Hillary¡¯s suit suddenly projected a holo-sword from her wristband. ¡°What the-¡± Calista yelped, dodging a swipe. Since she hadn¡¯t expected the sudden weapon, Hillary was able to use Dapeda again. Her holo-sword grazed her armor, not injuring her, but the pain came through. Calista should¡¯ve paid more attention in Weapon Use. She should¡¯ve trained more with weapons. She should¡¯ve listened to Harrison. She did pay attention in Armory, though. Harrison had said that during finals, her Guild armor would be equipped with features that matched her style. Armor could provide a lot, from shields to projectiles. Maybe if she could weaken Hillary somehow? ¡°Um, armor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m controlling your armor,¡± Lindsay said, speaking through her headset. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°I need to¡­ push her off!¡± She grunted as she blocked another strike. A pulse emerged from her chestplate, sending Hillary flying to the other end of the arena. ¡°You have to use weapons! That¡¯s part of your grade, you know!¡± Lindsay reminded her. Calista chose a heavy mallet and ran to Hillary, lifting it to hammer down. As Hillary rolled over and dodged it, flashing a confident smile, Calista changed the course of her swing. ¡°¡®Cause you¡¯re a natural, a beating heart of stone¡­¡± Hillary¡¯s smirk disappeared before the mallet slammed into her like a wrecking ball. She flew into the arena wall and landed on the sand in a limp pile. The crowd groaned, completely taken aback. Calista momentarily hoped she was unconscious, but was dismayed when Hillary stood again, her skin contorted in rage. ¡°Take the offense before she does!¡± Lindsay shouted. Calista ran forward as fast as she could, but the weight of the mallet slowed her down, giving Hillary enough time to leap into the air, using her boots as a boost. Calista heaved her weapon with all her might and threw it at Hillary. Her throw wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough, and Hillary caught the mallet on the way down. ¡°Oh, glitch.¡± Calista moved to dodge her. Her breath was completely taken away when Hillary and the mallet slammed into her stomach. Her armor kept her body from taking any real, serious damage. Without it, she probably would¡¯ve been cut in half. ¡°And that¡¯s why they call her ¡®Gravity¡¯¡­¡± Lindsay commented. ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± Calista wheezed, barely able to speak. Trying to remind her brain that she wasn¡¯t really injured, she took a deep breath to deactivate the pain sensors and recover. She stood up with a struggle. Hillary threw the mallet away, causing it to disappear in a flash. ¡°I¡¯ll give you points, human. I didn¡¯t want an easy fight. That would¡¯ve been pathetic as cache.¡± Clearly, heavy weapons weren¡¯t fit for Calista. She opted for a baton instead. Hillary laughed at the sight, looking at the crowd to ridicule her opponent. ¡°What, you¡¯re going to do a little fighting jig? Is this a dance battle now?¡± Calista didn¡¯t have a plan with the baton, but Hillary had given her an idea. She twirled the baton in her fingers, spinning around. As Hillary bent over in laughter, Calista smacked her across the face with the baton. ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Lindsay quickly advised her. She followed with a high kick, stretching her leg up as if she were dancing ballet. Her body turned and pirouetted so she could kick Hillary in the stomach, using her boots¡¯ jump function to shoot her away. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a na-tu-ral!¡± The Paeseoan girl screamed as she hurtled into the sand far away. She coughed and gasped from the sudden, powerful barrage the human had unleashed. As Calista approached her, the crowd got louder, and both fighters had to pause when they realized what they were saying. ¡°CA-LIS-TA! CA-LIS-TA!¡± The women¡¯s eyes met. The song in Calista¡¯s helmet changed to a fast electro-pop song. Calista felt a confidence she had never felt before, not in a long time. Hillary screamed out a Paeseoan swear and bolted towards Calista. Calista also ran to her and slid low to trip her. While Hillary dodged her foot, she didn¡¯t notice the human¡¯s hand wrapping around her ankle. Calista yanked hard, sending her to the floor. She prayed her muscle memory would serve her as she twisted Hillary¡¯s arms behind her and wrapped her limbs around her to keep her from moving. The woman struggled, visibly enraged, as she tried to shake the Earthian girl off her back. ¡°You just need to hold her for 20 seconds,¡± said Lindsay. ¡°Just keep her from-¡± Hillary activated her boots, forcing them both into the air. She turned so Calista¡¯s back was facing the ground, and she let gravity do its job, slamming her onto the sand. The baton flew far away from her. ¡°¡­ doing that,¡± Lindsay finished. Calista was once again unable to breathe, but she tried her best to keep herself focused. She forcibly sucked in a breath of air as she held her arms up in an ¡®X¡¯. Hillary reused her previous style, overwhelming the teenage girl with fast, incessant strikes. ¡°You want to use me now?¡± ¡°Go!¡± Lindsay beeped before detaching from her belt, shining a light into Hillary¡¯s eyes. The woman cried out, shielding her face. Lindsay then rammed into her nose and took out her helicopter blades, spinning around Hillary¡¯s head like a bee. Calista breathed in and stood, punching Hillary while she was disoriented. Lindsay assisted by smacking her repeatedly with her helicopter rotors. She then pushed Hillary forward so Calista could spin around and smack her. Hillary fell on her back, breathing heavily. Her face was bruised and her nose was broken once again, Calista having hit her through the open part of her helmet. Hillary had been overconfident enough to deactivate the invisible nose and jaw protectors. She sniffled, wiping some of the green blood off. Calista felt a bit queasy, but stood her ground. Hillary chuckled. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll give you points for that.¡± She reactivated her facial protectors. ¡°Put your points in the cachebin.¡± The song in her ears grew faster, rising in pitch. Lindsay returned to her belt. Calista kept to the fast beat, her arms reacting faster than she thought she could ever move, blocking Hillary¡¯s impulsive, angry attacks. Having her nose broken for a second time clearly triggered her. Calista had a feeling that she didn¡¯t usually do well in her Self-Control class. Feeling a bit more confident, Calista allowed herself a couple pirouettes, dizzying Hillary as she spun and flipped flexibly in a circle around her. Hillary growled in frustration and brought out a pair of nunchaku, spinning them in her fingers and smacking Calista across the face. The invisible protector saved her jaw, but it still hurt terribly. She glanced up at the timer. Fifteen seconds left. She gasped and bent over backwards to dodge Hillary¡¯s fist, momentarily distracted. ¡°Finish off strong!¡± Lindsay said. Calista flipped backwards a few times, twisting in the air like a gymnast, and landed, but wobbled a little bit. She really needed to improve her balance. Having distanced herself enough, she ran full-speed ahead at Hillary, the Paeseoan also bolting like a bullet. Just before they would ram into each other, Calista slid below, passing Hillary by. Just as Hillary turned around, Calista raised her elbow and caught Hillary¡¯s cheekbone. Hillary fell harshly from the force. ¡°GAME OVER!¡± Calista stared at Hillary, panting. Hillary remained on the ground, also as exhausted, lifting herself to her hands and knees, then finally standing up. Looking up, they saw Calista¡¯s freeze shot projected, announcing the winner. ¡°Victory goes to Kappa Favorite Calista Medley!¡± Calista could hardly believe her eyes. She blinked a few times, wondering if she¡¯d wake up in her dorm on the morning of her exam. When she didn¡¯t, she looked at the stunned Hillary Kaye and offered her hand for a handshake. Hillary stared at it, her nose now covered in crusted green blood. Her grass green eyes hardened and she brushed past Calista, heading to her dugout. Calista looked at the cheering crowd. The Hillary-supporting half was clearly upset, clapping begrudgingly. Some of the crowd had changed loyalties and now sported orange, covering half of the spectators, and they cheered fiercely. Calista could see a few of the Guilds applauding, the Favorites capsule especially active, probably with Camelithia¡¯s celebration. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, take a bow or something!¡± Lindsay said. ¡°Ooh, do a helmet throw!¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°You just won your first fight! Take off your helmet and throw it in the air! It¡¯ll be better if you catch it, too.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Calista took off her orange helmet with a smile and hurled it up in the air. The crowd cheered again, watching it soar up, then fall down. Calista reached forward, clumsily catching it. She blushed, embarrassed at the goof, but the shame didn¡¯t outweigh her happiness at all. Victory was an amazing feeling. Bonus Conclusion- The Finishing Banquet Finals week was finally over. Just about everyone was able to relax on Sunday¡ª with some exceptions, like the Student Coaches. Harrison had a stressful weekend, completing the last parts of his SC Report, but he was done by 10 PM that night. Despite only having two students, one of which joined late, he still had a lot to describe. He couldn¡¯t imagine what workload Reilly Campbell had; he had 102 students in his Guild. During the last week of the semester, after exams, every class did a quick review of what they¡¯d learned and explained what would come in the prelims and the main Versus Games. Homework was no longer assigned, giving everyone some well-deserved leisure time after a stressful and long training period. The last day before their Christmas break was December 11th, and they would finish off with Fistborn¡¯s annual Finishing Banquet, usually hosted in the Auditorium. Everyone in the Versus Wing, including students in Journalism, Strategic Analysis, and other schools, would be in attendance. The Technological Wing held their own celebration for their students to commemorate the end of the semester. While everyone else at Fistborn would be returning to the academy for the second semester, the United States Combat Team would be out, competing in the preliminaries. The rest of the Versus Fighting School that didn¡¯t make the team would be attending the competition while the other students would watch virtually in between classes. Once the prelims were over, the entire Versus Wing would have the choice to attend the interplanetaries in person. Harrison would be staying in the academy for Christmas break. He hadn¡¯t gone home in a while. He kept himself busy with extra training and preparation for the tournament, but he got lonely every now and then. If only their circumstances weren¡¯t what they were¡­ if only his mother weren¡¯t such a pushover that let everyone walk all over her, if only she would stand up for her own son instead of bending to some son of a glitch¡¯s every whim¡­ He checked himself out in his mirror screen. He wore a navy blue suit, his orange Student Coach patches shining proudly. His normally messy brown curls were tamed and smoothed down. He twisted his lips at the look. ¡°AIDA, change my hair back, please.¡± His curls returned. He didn¡¯t like them flat; he looked like a weird Generated Person model. Those fake people appearing in ads and movies¡­ they always creeped him out. They were too¡­ perfect. How did Calista find them attractive? They weren¡¯t even real. He left his suite and joined his peers in the lobby. All of them wore elegant suits, with some exceptions; Delaine and Li Mei wore dresses. Li Mei stood, tripping over her red skirt as she walked. She huffed in annoyance. ¡°I hate dresses.¡± ¡°Shorten the skirt,¡± Catherine told her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good that way.¡± ¡°Then wear a suit.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°Then buy one!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wasting digits on a suit.¡± ¡°Bloody bugs.¡± Catherine held her forehead. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Reilly asked, looking around at the others. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Harrison shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± Delaine shut off the HARP and rose from the sofa. ¡°They¡¯d better have good food.¡± They set out to the Hall of Affairs. Harrison glanced over at the distant dorm halls. Calista would most likely design a dress for herself. She had an eye for fashion like no one else¡¯s. ¡°Patience. Your girlfriend¡¯s probably gonna take a while,¡± Elisa teased. ¡°Very funny.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I can imagine. All the makeup, and the hair. She¡¯ll spend hours asking the AIDA to change her dress,¡± Delaine laughed. ¡°How did she survive this long?¡± ¡°She¡¯s tougher than you guys give her credit for,¡± Harrison replied. ¡°Yeah, her match with Kaye was impressive, I¡¯ll give her that,¡± Li Mei admitted. ¡°Kaye is easy to beat, though. She has a terrible attitude and thinks she¡¯s better than everyone. She even deactivated her facial protection. Girl doesn¡¯t think.¡± ¡°Calista still beat her,¡± Harrison defended. ¡°She didn¡¯t even know she was fighting Hillary, and she still won.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to downplay her, Harrison. I¡¯m just saying that if she gets on the team, she shouldn¡¯t expect her matches to be as easy as that one.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not the confident type,¡± Melsen pointed out. ¡°In fact, she looks like the doubting kind of fighter. She should be fine as long as she can control her ego.¡± ¡°For a Socializer, she¡¯s not that egotistical,¡± said Kalis. ¡°She¡¯s a bit self-conscious with her appearance and all that, but she¡¯s not as annoying as I thought she would be. She¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°She still likes attention, I noticed,¡± said Melsen. ¡°To be fair, we all like attention. What¡¯s not to like?¡± Catherine smiled. ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± St?sten chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± The two started bickering. Harrison looked away, conflicted. Even his own group had different opinions about Calista. It took a toll on him, weighing down along with the rest of the judgment he received about his career. ¡°Harrison, you did a good job,¡± Kalis told him. ¡°You¡¯re a good teacher. Congratulations.¡± Harrison hid his surprise, feeling a bit of relief blossom in his stomach. ¡°Thank you, Kalis.¡± He heard Reilly scoff up ahead. Biting his lip, he kept his cool. ¡°You wanted to say something, Reilly?¡± Disaris subtly elbowed the Voraxian, who cleared his throat. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± A hint of venom laced his voice. ¡°Guys. Let¡¯s save the rivalries for the tournament,¡± Elisa chided. ¡°There¡¯s a cute Seeyastian guy I know and I don¡¯t need you guys glitching it up.¡± ¡°How are we glitching it up?¡± Melsen asked, indignant. ¡°Being¡­ who you are. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re charming. Come on, we can be your wingmen,¡± said Kalis. Elisa glanced at the men with disgust. ¡°Yeah¡­ no thanks.¡± They soon arrived at the Hall of Affairs. Everyone was dressed in their best for the dinner, chatting excitedly. Harrison scanned the crowd for the emerald green eyes and long black hair, but didn¡¯t find them. In the large, wide Auditorium, there was a circular table at the head of the room reserved for the Student Coaches. The Guilds all had their own tables except for Harrison¡¯s; his two members would be sitting at the Favorites¡¯ table. The rest of the students accommodated themselves at the longer tables. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He took his assigned seat and watched the door. He soon saw L¨ªlitha, who wore a deep violet pantsuit with a matching necklace and earrings. Despite her childlike appearance, she looked really good. He waved to her when she took her seat at the Favorites table, keeping a wide berth between her and Rosalina Wiasod. But where was Calista? ¡°Hey, lover boy. Look over there.¡± Catherine nudged him and nodded at a group of three girls by the stage. Harrison¡¯s stomach quivered when he saw her. Her long black hair was fixed in beautiful, cascading waves. Lapis lazuli-colored earrings glinted with a matching necklace. Her dress was breathtaking; a strapless red dress that stopped at her knees, with the ¡®skirt¡¯ cut off to the side, draping behind her. One of her arms had a sleeve, but the other was bare. Her Favorite badge was set in the center of her neckline. She didn¡¯t take notice of him as she walked with her two best friends, separating once she reached the Favorites¡¯ table. She sat with L¨ªlitha and turned to look for him, meeting his gaze. She giggled and waved with a sweet smile. He smiled and waved back. Their gazes held for a bit. ¡°Earth to Harrison.¡± ¡°What?¡± He turned. The rest of the coaches were eyeing him with mirth, except Reilly and Disaris, who were on their AIDA bands. ¡°He is programmed,¡± St?sten laughed. He looked back at Calista, but her attention was elsewhere. He shrugged off the strange feeling. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Socializers were your type, honestly,¡± Delaine teased. He rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re friends, okay? She just looks pretty. It¡¯s not wrong to think she looks pretty.¡± ¡°Of course not. She¡¯s stunning. But that look¡­¡± She laughed. ¡°You¡¯re like a lost puppy,¡± Li Mei chimed in. ¡°Shut up.¡± After a while of students being seated and mindless chatter, President Chrisman appeared and walked up to the auditorium stage. ¡°Silence, please,¡± she said in her clear British accent. The chatter dissolved. ¡°Thank you. Students of the Versus Wing, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Finishing Banquet this evening. I know that this year¡¯s training period has been especially interesting and exciting for many of you.¡± Especially interesting? What did she mean by that? ¡°All of you have done exceptionally well in your respective careers. As president of this proud academy, I can say that you are living up to the standards of our predecessors. And I pray that we can set the bar even higher for the generations to come. As for the Versus Fighting School students, you have a tournament to look forward to, whether you are part of the American team or not. Even if you are not part of the Versus School, you are part of Fistborn. We are a family, and we will always steadfastly and earnestly support each other. I expect many to attend the preliminary tournament, whether physically or virtually, to show our spirit and pride of our team. I will now pass the floor to the Dean of the Versus Fighting School, Ms. Lisa White, call sign ¡®Dark Horse¡¯.¡± The room applauded, then fell silent when Lisa took the stage. ¡°Thank you, President Chrisman.¡± She nodded at the Emitonian. ¡°My students, I know you¡¯re probably feeling nervous about making the team, or performing well. Lots of you tend to worry so much about your future accomplishments that you forget to look at the accomplishments you¡¯ve reached. Starting with the freshman class of this year: you have done so much. You were accepted into this academy. You studied and trained so hard for four months straight. The seniors: you¡¯re finishing your sixteenth Earth year here! You¡¯ve made it to the end. Be proud of yourselves.¡± She clapped, eliciting applause and some cheers. ¡°Now, to whoever makes the team this year: this career isn¡¯t just to be ¡®the best¡¯ or ¡®the strongest¡¯. Fighting is a passion. Going to this tournament is a dream. You¡¯re doing this because you love it. Focus on that. I know there¡¯s a lot of importance put on the ranks and status, especially by the news anchors. People¡¯s opinions of you are always different, and they affect you on many levels. But that¡¯s not what the Versus is about. ¡°You¡¯re in here because you want to make your mark. Every mark is different. Unique. In shape, size, depth. Don¡¯t look at others¡¯ marks and think, ¡®That one¡¯s bigger¡¯, ¡®That one¡¯s deeper¡¯. Be happy with whatever mark you make. Live in this moment and enjoy what you have, regardless of the results. You always have a chance in your career¡ª whichever one it may be. ¡°I¡¯m very proud of what this school has become. Seems like only yesterday I was sitting right where you are. It took a lot of effort and strength to get to this spot. I had my breakdowns and my moments of weakness. But I¡¯m here. I¡¯m so proud of all of you, and I believe in each and every one of you. Congratulations, Fistborn Academy.¡± The room erupted with applause. President Chrisman had a bit of a disagreeing glint in her eye, but said nothing. After the rest of the formalities, the food appeared and they got to eating. The food varied in terms of planet origin. Most of it was Earthian food, but there were mixes of their neighbor and ally planets¡¯ cultures. Once everyone finished eating, the tables were cleared, save for the ones against the walls, and music was put on. The lights dimmed for everyone to get out on the dance floor. Harrison remained in his seat, watching Calista. Maybe he could ask her to dance? She stood and went with her friends. He sighed, disappointed, and went on his AIDA band. ¡°Ow!¡± He looked up with indignation when someone smacked him up the head. Catherine stared at him with disbelief, her hands on her hips. ¡°What was that for?¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Go ask her to dance, you bughead!¡± ¡°She¡¯s with her friends.¡± ¡°So? You¡¯re a ¡®friend¡¯ too, aren¡¯t ya? Go!¡± ¡°I dunno-¡± She yanked him out of his seat and shoved him to the dance floor. ¡°Ask her.¡± He rolled his eyes, but went deeper into the thin crowd. She was right. No reason to feel awkward. It was just a friendly invitation to dance at an event. He soon reached her, watching as she laughed and enjoyed the dance with her friends. She raised her arms and started showing off a bit, performing some common, but well-executed dance moves. Taking a deep breath, he went up to her, reaching out and touching her shoulder. She turned, her green eyes sparkling. ¡°May I have this dance?¡± he asked with a smile. Her cheeks tinted and she nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± He noticed Belinda and Camelithia watching them with teasing eyes, glancing at each other knowingly. Along with them were some more suspicious, judging glances. He looked away. It was none of their business. If he wanted to dance with someone, he would. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you guys were the party type,¡± Calista said over the music. ¡°We know how to have fun.¡± He spun her around. ¡°You need to loosen up.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not that bad.¡± ¡°No, I mean you. Why are you dancing so stiffly?¡± She took his hands. ¡°Relax.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± He laughed, a bit embarrassed. ¡°I guess¡­ I dunno. I¡¯ve never really danced before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come to the last banquet,¡± he explained. ¡°Oh. Well, you¡¯re here now.¡± She leaned back, stretching their arms out. She suddenly spun, tangling his arms, then wound up on the other side, their arms straight again. She spun into him, then back out again. ¡°Okay, Fancy Feet,¡± he teased. ¡°That should be your call sign.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start.¡± A song came on that made everyone groan, many clearing the dance floor right away. Calista, on the other hand, was ecstatic. She squealed inhumanely high, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I LOVE THIS SONG! You have to dance this with me!¡± She pulled him towards the center of the floor. Harrison felt a blush creeping up his skin and quickly pulled away. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Come on! It¡¯ll be fun!¡± ¡°Maybe you can¡­ start it, and I can watch, then¡­ join you?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Okay.¡± All eyes were on the Earthian girl as she started moving with the song. It was a pretty old song, from the early 30¡¯s, when most of them were children. It was one of those repetitive tunes that people got tired of, and once Socializers started using it, its popularity dropped. ¡°You have me re-e-e-e-eling over you, You have me wai-i-i-i-iting for you, I don¡¯t want to stop thinking about you, Don¡¯t let me go without you¡­¡± Calista sang along with the song¡­ quite badly, unfortunately. But her dance was nice, despite being repetitive. She seemed to enjoy the attention she was getting from everyone else. Camelithia and Belinda soon stepped forward, albeit hesitantly, and copied Calista¡¯s dance moves. She showed them a couple more times, and almost instantly, they got the hang of it. Cam went over to a group of her Guild members, forcefully dragging them onto the dance floor. Reluctantly, they joined, but their annoyance quickly faded from their features. Harrison couldn¡¯t help his surprise as more and more people joined. This girl¡¯s charm was contagious. Cam¡¯s bold, outspoken nature assisted her, but the way Calista was¡­ it was something. From the way some rushed to dance, it was as if so many of them wanted to enjoy the time with her and be like her, but their fear of judgment stopped them. The dance floor was soon filled with people dancing in sync, repeating the same moves. Harrison took his place next to his Favorite and danced with everyone else. He saw L¨ªlitha sitting at a table, watching with a genuine smile. He motioned for her to come, but she politely shook her head. Many others went to sit down; Reilly, Rosalina, Bark, Hillary, and the like. Rosalina seemed mildly annoyed, but uncaring otherwise. Hillary was the one who was fuming and ranting to her boyfriend. She was probably still upset about having her nose broken a second time, even though it was perfectly healed by now. They had to give Socializers credit for this: they knew how to really have fun. Harrison never realized how much of a workaholic environment Fistborn generated up to now. The constant pressure, both academic and social, and the Versus news anchors emphasizing everything that put pressure on them¡­ Calista had to get on the team. She sacrificed so much when she arrived at the academy, went through so many challenges and pressure. She¡¯d changed and forced down her old habits in only two months. Harrison¡¯s perception of her at the very beginning was much like everyone else¡¯s, but it changed quickly. He could hardly wait for the list to come out. It would be a great Christmas present to see both his Favorites on it for the first time. Now it was just a waiting game. Bonus Chapter- Second Sight ¡°Dalirena. Are you coming in?¡± ¡°Just one minute.¡± Dalirena¡¯s glassy black eyes regarded the night sky. She had such a perfect view of the Washington D.C. skyline from her balcony. In the distance, she could see the numerous trees hiding the Fistborn Academy campus. Ruhirians carried a large weight on their shoulders. They were meant to be messengers of God to all members of the Utopia, no matter what species. He would grant them the privilege of peeking ahead and saving people from danger or bad decisions. They weren¡¯t supposed to outright tell people what would happen in these visions, but they would drop hints, warnings, and choices wherever they could. Unfortunately, with that power came greed and arrogance. Dalirena¡¯s father had fallen into the former of these, thinking he could make an extra digit off of the gift he had. He sold visions to hundreds of people, on many different planets. After the Ruhirian Planet Seers discovered his betrayal of the code and their purpose, he and his family were banished from their planet to Earth for nine Ruhirian years, which would¡¯ve been only three years on Earth. Dalirena¡¯s father had to make a living for his family, however, and continued selling visions until he was caught and wound up dying in prison, murdered by those he lied to for some extra money. They would¡¯ve been able to return to Ruhiri after her father¡¯s death, but Dalirena fell into the same trap, and earned them another three years on Earth. But it was practically impossible for Ruhirian exiles to find jobs on Earth, what with their background. Other species didn¡¯t fully trust them, thinking that they would have some sort of advantage over them by seeing their future. Selling visions was all Dalirena could do to make a living for herself, her mother, and her sister until they got to return home. As long as she didn¡¯t get caught like her father, she could make it. So she kept going. She feared the impact this would have on her soul, the consequences this dangerous, illegal business would bring on her and her family. But otherwise, they would starve to death on a foreign planet. Her sister would never know her secret¡ª hopefully. They were close, but there was that underlying resentment and mistrust, reminding Dalirena of what she did, repeating her father¡¯s mistake. If she ever found out about her continuing her business¡­ she would never forgive her. For now, she thought she was teaching Ruhirian languages to Earthians. Misusing her gift would cost her one day. It would bite her back, corrupt her soul. But the more Dalirena continued, the deeper she sunk into the void. As long as her family was okay¡­ ¡°Isa, come on,¡± her sister, Pustani, beckoned. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right in.¡± Closing her eyes, she let her vision eye open. The golden iris glowed in her forehead. Her mind fell into a state of tranquility, her soul pulsing. She could feel herself getting closer to God. She now saw time fast-forwarding, the movement of the city bustling and the sun and moon flying across the sky. Then, she saw her. Nylon black hair, emerald eyes, a perfectly Thinned waist. But now¡­ she looked different. Stronger. Her body was tougher than before. The vision then transformed, showing the human girl in a combat suit, but the colors were off. It was as if it were unclear whether she would make the Earth team or not. Dalirena felt herself traveling backwards on the timeline, now seeing the girl¡¯s sister, the one with matching eyes, but blonde. She was crying, sitting in a corner. She looked dirty and tired, maybe beaten. There was an aura of danger and fear around her. What was this? How did it connect to Calista¡¯s fight? She gasped, shot forward again. Now, she saw Calista running with¡­ a boy? Curly brown hair, blue eyes¡­ that was Harrison Smith. She returned to the scene of Calista¡¯s fight. The girl punched and kicked with the grace of a ballet dancer. Her opponent still managed to subdue her, grabbing her by the neck and holding her over what looked like¡­ a pit of some sort. Dalirena couldn¡¯t tell. It had lava at the bottom¡ª a volcano? The vision blinked, cutting to Calista falling into the pit of lava. Dalirena could feel the sharp blade of death nicking at her throat. As the vision faded, she could hear various screams, many desperately shouting familiar names. The feeling of death and danger got heavier. Her vision eye stopped glowing and closed, returning her mind to the real world. She panted, overwhelmed from the wild travel through time. The thrusting back and forth had made her dizzy and nauseous. Her visions didn¡¯t often do that; usually it was linear, showing snippets of events in order. This one was very unclear, confusing, and unorganized. Realizing what she saw, she covered her mouth. One thing she understood: the Fistborn team was in a lot more danger than she initially thought. She ran inside, heading to the office. Pustani was there, browsing on an AIDA screen. She exclaimed when Dalirena shoved her out of the seat and logged on. ¡°What is your problem?!¡± Pustani yelled in their native language. She huffed and dusted herself off. Dalirena stopped, realizing she would be outed if she used her own AIDA. She ran down to the front door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± She needed to warn Lisa White again. Whatever happened during the Versus, it obviously meant danger for her and her students, especially that human girl. If she got her out of the academy, maybe she could change the vision. She was clearly one of the key components of the outcome. Dalirena had a feeling Lisa wouldn¡¯t take her seriously the first time at the bar. She hoped that she would at least feel a bit paranoid and keep a watchful eye on her students when they went to LA. This vision was a lot worse, though. While she couldn¡¯t understand exactly what would happen, she got a dreadful feeling. She scrambled out of her Air-Car and ran into the alleyway. She stopped in front of a glitchy door. ¡°Pass-s-word?¡± Dalirena spoke a word in her Ruhirian language. She was granted access. She rushed to one of the available stations, using her secret account to message Lisa. ¡®Lisa, this is your business partner from the pub. Once again, I¡¯m trying to contact you about the deal with the other company. You need to break this deal. There are motives behind it. Please respond to me ASAP. This is entering very dangerous territory for your entire company, especially the new employee you recently hired. Please respond. If you see this too late, I will try to reach you during the trip. Please read this. Regards, Your Pub Pal¡¯ She hoped that the pub hint would be enough for Lisa to figure it out. She would probably have to message her a few times so she could actually open the messages; it was likely she¡¯d block her or ignore her. She went onto the black market for Versus Preliminary tickets. She hadn¡¯t planned to go at all, but with that vision, it was crucial. Being pulled back and forth in time¡­ that never happened. It had to mean something serious. If only her father were alive so she could ask him. ¡°Well, well, look who it is.¡± Dalirena didn¡¯t realize they were talking to her until a spidery hand touched her shoulder. She turned in her seat, confronted by a gang of tall Earthians, Mearthians, and a couple of Emitonians. They were eight people in all. She instantly recognized them, and her stomach sank. She¡¯d forgotten about them. They were a gang of Black Market fighters¡ª those that fought underground, making a whole separate Versus away from SECURE radars. Unlike the real competition, they fought to the death, as Socializers claimed the Versus Games would do. This group of fighters had found Dalirena a few months back and demanded she give them a vision about who would win their next tournament in D.C. Visions were never summoned on command; if a Ruhirian attempted deep meditation, they had a small chance of achieving an actual vision. Most clients didn¡¯t understand that, which was why most Ruhirians in the illegal vision business lied their way through, making plenty of enemies. ¡°My savior,¡± one of the humans said with spite. He was a tall one with bulky muscles. ¡°The one who would make me rich.¡± ¡°How did that turn out?¡± his Mearthian friend asked. ¡°Oh, it turned out to be the opposite, actually. I lost 300,000 digits that day.¡± He smiled humorlessly at Dalirena. ¡°Be honest, three-eyes, do I look like I have 300 grand worth of digits in my account?¡± Ignoring the slur, Dalirena calmly smiled, her eyes darting around for an exit. Without visible pupils, they wouldn¡¯t notice she was that frightened. She tried not to spend her time wondering how they found her regular workplace and concentrated on escaping. ¡°Sometimes outcomes vary,¡± she said serenely. ¡°I don¡¯t remember having told you to bet digits you don¡¯t have to get the outcome I saw. It could be that you broke my vision with that decision.¡± She hadn¡¯t seen any vision about them at all, but nonetheless, betting 300 grand on a fight was a foolish decision to make, even if she did have a vision of these people getting rich. The human chuckled, looking at his friends with indignation. ¡°So it¡¯s my fault, is it? After you told us we would be showered with riches and have enough to pay off all our debts from the last decade?¡± ¡°In fact, we have more debtors now that we listened to you,¡± said one of the human women in the group. ¡°And you know what they¡¯ll take if we don¡¯t pay up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming you want me to give you a vision guiding you to a way to pay these new debts?¡± The group of eight laughed. ¡°Oh, no. You¡¯re going to pay the debt,¡± said one of the Emitonians, his large forehead wrinkled in anger. ¡°Do I look like I have that many digits in my account?¡± Dalirena echoed the muscular human man. ¡°Don¡¯t you play smart with us now.¡± One of the Mearthian men leaned forward, his hands on Dalirena¡¯s chair¡¯s armrests, closing her in so she couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of ways you can pay. And considering how much you chiseled us out for, I¡¯d say this is a fair deal. You pay the debt for us and we give up trying to find where you live.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you can find where I live.¡± ¡°How many Ruhirians are on this planet?¡± said the Emitonian man. ¡°We found your workplace, didn¡¯t we?¡± She had to get rid of them. If they found where she lived, her family would be in danger, but she couldn¡¯t go with them and pay their debts¡ª which would no doubt end up paid in blood, knowing what kinds of people went to these fights. But Dalirena, unfortunately, didn¡¯t know how to fight. All she could do was escape and hope that SECURE found the group before they got to her. ¡°Now, be a good little three-eyes and come with us quietly.¡± Dalirena felt a sharp poke in her ribs. Realizing she had no escape at the moment, she rose from her chair and let them lead her out of the underground communication caf¨¦, the sharp object staying at her ribs, which had wider gaps than most species¡¯, making it easier for them to wound her. They walked down the alleyway and approached an Air-Car waiting for them in the shaded dark. Dalirena stole a glance behind her, towards the street. If she could somehow run out and trigger a SECURE bot without giving herself away¡­ An idea sparked. She cried out in mock pain and clutched her head, sinking to her knees. The gang stopped, watching her with confusion. ¡°What¡¯s her problem?¡± someone asked. ¡°I¡­ I see something!¡± She ducked her head so they couldn¡¯t see that her third eye wasn¡¯t opening at all. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± a woman said. ¡°I see¡­ all of you! I think¡­¡± She cried out again, pretending to fall so she could crawl away from the group. Thankfully, they were too confused¡ª and too dense¡ª to stop her. ¡°She¡¯s lying,¡± the human man said. ¡°No, wait! Maybe she actually does see something. She can get us out of the debt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not falling for that again.¡± ¡°It looks pretty real to me.¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± As the group began to argue, Dalirena crawled away fast enough to spring to her feet and bolt to the street with all her might. The group noticed her departure almost instantly and ran after her. Dalirena turned down the sidepath, looking for a SECURE help button to press. She needed to be far enough away from the alley so it wouldn¡¯t implicate her in the crime. As the group was starting to gain on her, she reached out and slammed a button just as she got to a travel tube. The group yelled out and ran the other way as SECURE drones activated and scanned the area. Dalirena watched the street zoom away as she zipped to the other side of town, far away from home, in case the group would read the last destination on the travel tube. She stepped out of the machine and collapsed from exhaustion. That was way too close. She couldn¡¯t use that location for her communications anymore. She¡¯d have to find some other way to contact Lisa. If she had another vision about her and her students, especially the Medley girl, that would be confirmation that something very wrong was yet to come. Bonus Prelude- They Call Him Cheater Harrison¡¯s sapphire blue eyes stared blankly at the HARP screen. His picture stared back at him, his eyes filled with confidence, coupled with that ¡®charming smirk¡¯ girls loved about him. His current expression was the complete opposite of that. ¡°There has never been a fourth-placer that stirred up this much controversy, has there, Yvonne?¡± ¡°Actually, Xavier, there have been a few controversial figures that placed below the top 3, but it hasn¡¯t happened in a long time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame anyone, though. With the ¡®prodigious¡¯ way Mr. Smith climbed up to the tops, I¡¯m suspicious, too. It all seemed to come too easy for him. Fans have voted to call him ¡®Cheater¡¯, and the votes were so overwhelming that ¡®Cheater¡¯ is now his call sign.¡± ¡°L¨ªlitha Houdge has requested to enter,¡± AIDA said. ¡°Let her in,¡± Harrison commanded. The small woman entered. It was so hard to believe she was 19 human years old. Harrison could never get over her appearance. The first time he¡¯d seen her, he thought she was visiting with her parents. He didn¡¯t know much about Ilamiko until now. ¡°AIDA, turn off the HARP.¡± L¨ªlitha climbed onto the sofa. AIDA obeyed, Xavier Hennett and Yvonne Macon¡¯s faces dissolving. ¡°I was watching that.¡± Harrison looked at her. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t.¡± She leaned back leisurely. ¡°Why should you? That¡¯s not going to help you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to hear it anyway.¡± ¡°Are you staying?¡± she asked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°In the academy. Are you staying, or are you waiting until next Versus?¡± Harrison breathed in, thinking carefully. ¡°I dunno. I don¡¯t need to hear my stepdad talking about¡­ you know. It¡¯s probably gonna get worse if I go home.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have anywhere else you can stay?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m kinda like you.¡± There was a pause. Harrison then said, ¡°AIDA, turn the HARP back on.¡± ¡°¡­his age is astounding. 14 Earthian years old, given early admission to Fistborn Academy. So many others his age have tried to get early admission, but for some reason, he had to. In his Junior Versus, he entered when he was only 10¡­¡± ¡°Why do you keep watching?¡± L¨ªlitha chided. ¡°It¡¯s not going to help you, kiddo.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He ran a hand through his messy curls. ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with me being ¡®young¡¯?¡± ¡°They associate it with experience.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been training since I was five. I won a Junior Versus.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t count for them, unfortunately. Take it from me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Right. So even if you¡¯re not young, but you look young, they don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°They just think you¡¯re not experienced. Which is partly true, but same goes for everyone who gets on the team for the first time.¡± She mussed his curls. ¡°Come on, kiddo. Turn off the cache and let¡¯s go.¡± He looked at her questioningly as she stood. ¡°Go where?¡± ¡°Kick some butt.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She sighed. ¡°Just come on.¡± They left the dorms, going to the Training Center. It was late at night, so not many students were up. ¡°You¡¯re bugged off, right?¡± L¨ªlitha said as they entered a gym. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What else did they say about you? Besides you being young?¡± ¡°Stuff about my parents. They said my dad paid for me to get in to win me over. Um¡­ that I was ¡®adopted¡¯ by a¡­ ¡®higher species¡¯, like my stepdad. Stuff about my family and everything that happened. Oh, and my call sign is ¡®Cheater¡¯ now.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be a Student Coach anymore.¡± L¨ªlitha nodded, twisting her lips. She shrugged. ¡°Well, to be fair, even if you were a Student Coach, people wouldn¡¯t be that comfortable learning from a kid.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. He gave her a sour look. ¡°Hear me out. You just started. You have great strength and incredible skill. You have a talent in fighting. But you need experience and maturity. Give yourself time, then you can start teaching people.¡± She chuckled, stretching her arm up and mussing his hair again. ¡°You need a lot more authority than this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m intimidating,¡± he argued. She winced. ¡°Sorry. But you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°Hey-¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m one to talk. But I¡¯m older than you.¡± She led him to a combat mat. ¡°I know how to scare people despite looking like this. You, on the other hand¡­ you¡¯re just a kid, inside and out. You need to learn.¡± Harrison looked at his feet. She was right. ¡°Take it from ¡®Piranha¡¯, ¡®kay?¡± She stretched her limbs and got into a fighting position. ¡°Now¡­ the rest of the stuff they said is all cache, so punch me like I¡¯m that¡­ what¡¯s-his-name. Xavier Hackett.¡± ¡°Hennett,¡± Harrison corrected with a boyish giggle. ¡°That. I¡¯m Xavier Hennett. Kick the glitches out of me.¡± Harrison breathed and also got into position. While they were right about his youth and inexperience, their envy reached high levels. Because of them, he would be called ¡®Cheater¡¯ forever. That was his mark in the Versus: being the fraud. It wasn¡¯t fair. He would continue training. He would study and practice as much as he could for the next years. Even during vacation times, he¡¯d be training. It wasn¡¯t like being at home gave him any reprieve, anyway. He ran forward and started fighting L¨ªlitha. She never went easy on him. The first time they fought, she¡¯d unhesitatingly slammed him into the floor and broken a couple of his ribs. It was better than getting bitten, though. She was one of the few that didn¡¯t underestimate him. She fought him like she would fight anyone. He appreciated that, even if it left him bruised and battered at times. The only thing she didn¡¯t do was bite¡ª a huge sign that he was on her good side. Harrison¡¯s wrists were locked in L¨ªlitha¡¯s small hands, her fingers stretching to wrap around them completely. She pulled hard and threw him on his back. He wriggled out of the disadvantageous position, kicking her in the face and pulling her down. She stretched her arms and lifted herself, then let go so she could rubber-band into his face. Her head knocked against his and he groaned in pain. Her arms then wrapped around his neck, then her legs around his waist. She pulled back and slammed his face on the ground. He tried using his strength to get out of the deadly hold, but failed. He finally tapped her so she could let go. ¡°How do you do that?¡± He breathed heavily, his body slacking in exhaustion. L¨ªlitha hardly broke a sweat, flipping her ponytail. ¡°It¡¯s all muscle memory, my dear Harrison. It¡¯s harder on bigger guys. My elasticity helps, but if the opponent¡¯s too huge, I usually can¡¯t do it. Like Unadra Illa? No way.¡± Harrison finally regained his strength and stood, ready for another round. At the door, he noticed a couple of familiar faces enter. L¨ªlitha followed his gaze, turning. Both Reilly Campbell and Rosalina Wiasod approached the training area next to them. Rosalina smiled at the sight of them. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the children. Look at you fighting each other. How adorable.¡± ¡°Hack off, Hothead,¡± L¨ªlitha retorted. ¡°Why are you here so late? Isn¡¯t it your bedtime?¡± ¡°Rosa, let¡¯s just practice,¡± Reilly said. L¨ªlitha took Harrison¡¯s arm and led him away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hey, Cheater, are you going to stay? You¡¯re going to need practice if you¡¯re going to the Versus next time.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m staying,¡± he retorted. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± ¡°Ah, wonderful. Just thought you would need help.¡± ¡°Rosa. Come on.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Rosalina grinned at them. ¡°Good luck training, kiddos.¡± ¡°God, why can¡¯t you ever shut the cache up?¡± L¨ªlitha snapped. ¡°You really love the sound of your own voice, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not as much as you.¡± ¡°Li, let¡¯s go. You wanted to leave.¡± Harrison nudged her arm, but the Ilamikoan woman continued the argument. ¡°You¡¯d think having your stupid status would make you a little less desperate for attention. You¡¯re so pathetic, Rosalina. You¡¯re so afraid that someone will take everything away that you keep bugging us-¡± ¡°Afraid?¡± Rosalina scoffed. ¡°You only wish.¡± ¡°Will you two save your bickering for some other day?¡± Reilly glared at L¨ªlitha. ¡°Excuse us, Piranha, but Rosalina and I need to train.¡± ¡°Excuse you. We were here first. Go get your own gym.¡± She looked at Harrison. ¡°We¡¯re staying. They intruded.¡± ¡°Who says you own the gym?¡± said Rosalina. ¡°I can say the same to you. If you¡¯re so easily distracted by us, go find another gym.¡± ¡°Make us.¡± L¨ªlitha leapt forward and caught Rosalina in the deadly hold she used on Harrison before. Reilly quickly intervened, trying to pry her off. Harrison hesitated, unsure whether to get involved or not. ¡°I can handle her myself!¡± Rosalina snapped, her voice strained. Her hands glowed as she burned L¨ªlitha¡¯s arm. The little woman cried out and let go, but she still bit down on Rosalina¡¯s shoulder¡ª it wasn¡¯t too harsh, but her fangs were terribly sharp. The Hajjian woman let out an enraged scream. Her face burned bright red and her skin smoked. She pinned the little woman down and punched her repeatedly. Purple blood spilled. Harrison chose that moment to run forward and push her. ¡°Stop!¡± She shoved him, her strength forcing him away a few feet. ¡°Stay out of this, kid.¡± ¡°Rosa, will you please¡­¡± Reilly seemed more irritated than ever as he pulled his girlfriend off of L¨ªlitha. ¡°What is the matter with you today? Let¡¯s just go.¡± L¨ªlitha coughed and wiped her nose, sitting up and glaring at Rosalina. ¡°Go get a virus, glitch.¡± Reilly sighed, leading his angry girlfriend out of the gym. Harrison helped L¨ªlitha to her feet. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a night, okay, kiddo?¡± ¡°Why were you so mad?¡± They went to the door. ¡°She just gets me mad.¡± ¡°But why like that? People call you stuff all the time. Did you fight with her earlier?¡± ¡°I told you, she just gets me mad. I can¡¯t stand her. Her presence alone makes me want to go on a killing spree.¡± She looked away, giving Harrison the hint that she wasn¡¯t telling the full truth. Rosalina definitely did something to L¨ªlitha. They were both unusually hostile. Harrison decided not to ask any further questions, heading towards the Infirmary in the School of Medical Tech. L¨ªlitha noticed where they were going and stopped. ¡°What?¡± Harrison said. ¡°I¡¯m going to my room,¡± she said. ¡°Your nose is broken.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it. You just worry about you. Besides, I don¡¯t feel like getting a penalty for an unauthorized fight.¡± She patted his shoulder and held her nose as she walked away. ¡°Good night, kid.¡± Harrison stared after her. He sighed and headed to his dorm building. Once he arrived, he collapsed into his sleep capsule. Maybe going to the Versus was a bad idea after all. 21- The Final List Calista was more than happy to finish the semester at Fistborn and go back to the Medleys¡¯ cabin in Montana. She had a lot to tell them after the eventful finals week she had after her Thanksgiving break. Her siblings never tired of hearing the story of how Calista beat Hillary ¡®Gravity¡¯ Kaye in front of the entire school, to the point that Calista herself was getting tired of telling the story. She would have to restart every now and then when her mother chose to enter the room, her presence alone reminding her of the deal they made during Thanksgiving. Fistborn released the finals week tournament footage on their Hub a few days after break started, allowing Calista to show her family exactly what happened. Her father was especially excited, giddily repeating, ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡± and squeezing her tight. Calista felt a bit surprised at how she moved in the fight; she didn¡¯t know how awesome she looked, minus the times she wobbled and got smashed by Hillary. She did her best to use her break as an opportunity to destress and not think about the final list that was coming out on Christmas Day. 150 students out of the 1320 would be going to LA to compete in the preliminaries, and even though Calista got pretty good grades, she couldn¡¯t be sure that she would make the team. Katelyn continuously reminded her that she was still a Fistborn student regardless, and she had plenty of opportunities in the future to make the team. But four years was a long time to wait, and Calista didn¡¯t want to give anyone the satisfaction, especially after what they put her through during the semester. Insults, threats, interviews, and initiations¡­ she wanted to pay it all back, and the competition was the best place to do so. After all, the Versus Games were all about people settling their conflicts through controlled battle to avoid war and uncontrolled violence. That was exactly what she wanted, a chance to show off her skills while punishing her enemies for what they did. Four years of pent-up anger wasn¡¯t something she wanted to endure. Ten days before Christmas, the cabin got a fresh shower of three inches of snow, which was perfect for a snowball fight and all sorts of fun for the cousins. The nearby lake was perfect for some ice skating lessons¡ª Aunt Ellie opted to try and skate the old-fashioned way, since her talent in figure skating was what got her the popularity she had on her Socializer channel. Calista struggled quite a bit with her balance, but had fun nonetheless, returning to the cabin with an icy butt. As Christmas approached, Calista¡¯s anxiety grew. Why did they have to release the list on Christmas? Why distract them all from their regular festivities with their families? She thought of Harrison, all alone in the academy. She had thought about inviting him to come with her for break, but thought it was a bit too forward. After all, they only knew each other for a few months, and he was her Student Coach. Maybe he would¡¯ve refused, anyway¡­ She couldn¡¯t erase the guilt. She should¡¯ve said something. Christmas Eve came and Calista received a mountain of presents from her family. The gift boxes would open with a light tap on the top side, which made it explode into digital confetti with festive bells, and the gift would be revealed inside. As expected, she got a lot of cute clothes and makeup sets added to her digital closet, along with custom freeze shots of her in fighter suits, showing off cool poses. Her mother¡¯s gift was smaller than usual: a 40-digit gift voucher to a fitness store. Calista didn¡¯t know how to feel about it. Maybe it was Jennifer¡¯s way of saying she¡¯d accepted her new career? She couldn¡¯t really complain, though; her gift to her mother was lackluster, too. She¡¯d gotten her a new pair of sage green heels from Dreamton¡¯s, one of the best fashion stores, which reflected a retro style from the 22nd Century with touches of the current 23rd Century. For other women, it would be a dream, but for a woman who was constantly immersed in fashion and had an outfit for every trend imaginable¡­ The celebration continued well into the night, ending in the family waking up very late on Christmas morning. At noon, the Versus News channel played in their HARP room, the whole family (minus Jennifer) waiting with delicious anticipation for the final list. The annual hosts of the American Versus News channel, Xavier Hennett and Yvonne Macon, both appeared before the family with bright smiles. Calista barely recalled them from her childhood days of watching the tournament, but saw them many times while studying previous fights in school. They were both humans with clean-cut and well-trimmed haircuts and outfits. Xavier wore a navy blue suit, his black hair perfectly combed back. Yvonne¡¯s brown hair was cut into a bob and she wore a slim, red dress with white jewelry¡ª of course, they were both wearing the flag colors. ¡°Welcome, Versus fans, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!¡± Xavier Hennett began. ¡°Today, we¡¯re delivering a very special Christmas gift to those celebrating among the 150 chosen students for the American Versus team. It¡¯s been a heck of a training period, hasn¡¯t it, Yvonne?¡± He looked at his co-host. ¡°Sure has, Xavier,¡± Yvonne responded. ¡°This year¡¯s string of interviews from the Journalism School students were especially interesting.¡± Calista squirmed. She hoped they wouldn¡¯t specifically mention her interview¡ª not that much was used from the actual interview. Tamara Wallace had taken snippets of her weakest answers and mixed them with footage of her Socializer past, her mother¡¯s past, and her sister¡¯s spotting at the Genesis X space station. If only Tamara Wallace were a fighter so Calista could exact her revenge in the competition. ¡°Certainly,¡± Xavier responded. ¡°Fistborn¡¯s student Journalists did an excellent job of telling us all about the new class of freshmen that got in this year. But the question is, which one of those interesting new fighters got to be the new kids on the team?¡± ¡°150 students out of over 1,000. Many hearts will be disappointed.¡± ¡°Technically, it¡¯s 140 spots. 10 of them are already reserved for the Student Coaches, unless one of them chooses not to join the team.¡± ¡°You see, I always feel like that¡¯s unfair,¡± said Henry, munching on some flavored popcorn. ¡°They¡¯re the best students in the school,¡± Calista pointed out. ¡°The team needs them. They earned their spots.¡± Especially Harrison, she added in her head. ¡°So, starting with the first 10¡­ Fistborn¡¯s famed Student Coaches.¡± Xavier faded into a hologram of Reilly Campbell, crossing his arms seriously for his pose. He was wearing his platinum Guild armor from the finals week fights, save for the helmet. His stats hovered next to him. Name: Reilly Campbell Call Sign: Clocker Academic Year: 4 (16th Earth Year) Guild: Alpha *Student Coach* Birth Planet: Earth Species: Voraxian Country of Origin: UK ¡°Clocker got to the top place after the last Versus Games, being the best of Fistborn,¡± said Xavier. ¡°He got pretty far in the last Games, but was unfortunately beat by the Legends of Hajja¡¯s planet team.¡± Calista shook her head. Harrison was supposed to be the best in the academy. It was so unfair, the way they slandered a little boy out of pure envy and species bias. The rest of the coaches then appeared: Disaris ¡®One-Punch¡¯ Okione Delaine ¡®Minx¡¯ Evistroma Li Mei ¡®Knifehand¡¯ Hoss Kalis ¡®Glaiver¡¯ Siip Melsen ¡®Spider-Man¡¯ Steffensen Elisa ¡®Double Dutch¡¯ Fiosda St?sten ¡®Grill¡¯ Durchdenwald Catherine ¡®Lasso¡¯ Graham All those call signs sounded so amazing. Meanwhile, Harrison was stuck with ¡®Cheater¡¯. He was generally a positive person, so he¡¯d probably find some way to take advantage of the name. ¡°Speaking of Cheater, after my interviews with Fistborn¡¯s famed coaches, I did get a bit of an inside scoop,¡± Yvonne said, prompting Harrison¡¯s image to disappear. ¡°Oh?¡± Xavier leaned forward curiously. ¡°Harrison Smith was officially made Student Coach this year, his position delayed after the debate during last Versus. For those uninformed, Student Coaches in Fistborn Academy have Guilds, identified by their own color and Greek letter. This system is also applicable in the Canadian, English, Irish, Greek, and German fighting institutions. ¡°Apparently, after Cheater took the mantle, everyone in his Guild¡ª Kappa¡ª quit and transferred to the other Guilds available, most likely due to the controversy surrounding him. His Guild reopened when one of the new students, Calista Medley, decided to join.¡± ¡°Ah, Calista Medley,¡± Xavier nodded. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Calista¡¯s uncle said. ¡°She¡¯s a famous Socializer¡¯s daughter, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Jennifer Zyben¡¯s daughter. Zyben won a Miss Milky Way during her career,¡± Yvonne said matter-of-factly. ¡°A lot of rumors were circulating about her during the semester. She got a lot of attention when she joined Kappa, and she became a Favorite student by default¡ª that indicates a student¡¯s higher status in their Guild, and they often end up being their Student Coach¡¯s successor when they graduate or step down.¡± ¡°So Ms. Medley is Harrison¡¯s only student?¡± ¡°Along with recognized student L¨ªlitha Houdge, call sign ¡®Piranha¡¯, who joined Kappa only recently,¡± Yvonne said. ¡°They¡¯re both Favorites.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Xavier said with a crooked smile. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be talking about rumors, glitchheads!¡± Katelyn shouted at the projections. ¡°Kate,¡± Henry scolded. ¡°What? They are.¡± ¡°Well, Harrison has another chance to clear his name this Versus,¡± Xavier continued. ¡°He could just be that prodigious. It¡¯s not the first time such a young Versus fighter has accomplished so much. Let¡¯s see who else we have on the roster that Mr. Smith beat with his 10th-ranking position.¡± Name after name passed. As expected, Rosalina showed up, ranked #20. L¨ªlitha was previously ranked #150 due to her early elimination in the last Versus, but had now climbed up to #23. Bark Davies was #26. Calista cheered when Camelithia¡¯s name showed up, ranked #33 on the list. Belinda got the 85th rank. To her dismay, Hillary Kaye also made the team, but as #123. The family clapped for Calista when Xavier and Yvonne mentioned her having broken Hillary¡¯s nose twice during the semester, replaying the portion of Calista¡¯s fight with her. The human Socializer girl breaking an experienced Paeseoan fighter¡¯s nose was evidently a big deal, enough to get to the main hosts of the channel. ¡°Paeseoan bones are notoriously very strong,¡± Yvonne emphasized. ¡°Yeah, my knuckles were practically powder when I hit her,¡± Calista commented, bringing chuckles from the family. ¡°You didn¡¯t break your hand in the fight, though,¡± said Quincy. ¡°I had armor on, bughead. Duh.¡± More names came and went, but Calista¡¯s was nowhere to be found. With every name, she lost hope. Geija, Alka, Charlotte¡­ ¡°Fighter number 146 is Neka Barina, one of the Gamma Guild members.¡± Calista sighed, her stomach becoming as heavy as lead. ¡°I didn¡¯t get in.¡± ¡°There¡¯s four more names,¡± her Aunt Ellie reassured her. ¡°Just wait.¡± 147, 148, 149¡­ Calista buried her head in her arms, unable to watch. This was the deciding moment. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°And the last fighter¡­¡± The room froze. ¡°Will you look at that,¡± Yvonne chuckled. Calista watched in awe as her figure appeared, copied from the scan she¡¯d taken before leaving the academy. She flipped her hair and cocked her hips, modeling in her orange Kappa armor. Her lips were curved in her most confident smile. Name: Calista Medley Call Sign: N/A Academic Year: 1 (1st Earth Year) Guild: Kappa *Default Favorite Status* Birth Planet: Earth Species: Earthian Country of Origin: USA Her family cheered, drowning out Xavier Hennett¡¯s voice as he commented on Calista. Her cousin Gliss embraced her tightly, squealing excitedly. Even her apathetic brother, Soko, couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement. Katelyn was dancing in her seat and Quincy ran around the HARP room, whooping and pumping his fists. ¡°Jenny!¡± Henry called through the AIDA speaker in the ceiling. ¡°Jenny, come down!¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s okay-¡± Calista began. ¡°Jennifer, she got in! Come on!¡± ¡°Dad¡­ it¡¯s fine.¡± The family waited for Jennifer to appear in the room, but nothing happened. Calista shrugged, expecting it, but Henry left the HARP room, probably going to lecture his wife. ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s have the cake!¡± Aunt Ellie said with enthusiasm, trying to dissolve the tension. They moved to the dining room, where Aunt Ellie presented the huge, scrumptious red velvet cake with green frosting she¡¯d ordered for Christmas. All the anxiety and anticipation in Calista¡¯s stomach had gone away. It truly felt like a Christmas miracle. She was on the team. She was on the United States Combat Team, and she was going to LA to compete against 31 other Earthian countries. If only she could see Danica and Rebecca¡¯s jealous faces. They spent so much time on their channel predicting that Calista would fail out of the academy, only to see her face on the team list. How many people in the academy did she beat out? All those people that thought she wouldn¡¯t make it, who wound up staying in the academy while she went to LA¡­ And now she could show up those people that ¡®initiated¡¯ her in the Favorites¡¯ lounge. Rosalina, Bark, that ¡®Choker¡¯ guy, and ¡®Tarzan¡¯¡­ No doubt Hillary would be looking for a grudge match after getting beaten by her twice, and Calista knew she would actually put effort into her fighting this time. She was ready, though. She found herself looking forward to her eventual fight against Gravity. She felt as though she could do absolutely anything. ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡± Uncle Shay said, looking around. ¡°He didn¡¯t come back down?¡± ¡°Probably still talking to Jennifer.¡± Aunt Ellie looked up at the ceiling, shouting through the AIDA speaker: ¡°Henry, come on, you¡¯re missing out on the cake! It¡¯s almost gone!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll save a slice for him,¡± Quincy said, serving a big slice of cake and asking AIDA to reserve it for Henry. Calista wished her father would quit trying to convince her mother to support her. Everyone knew Jennifer would always worry more about her fans than her family. Calista imagined that when Jennifer heard Henry announcing Calista¡¯s success, she would¡¯ve had an anxiety attack thinking about what the fans would say. She imagined she was also homesick. They were cut off from the Zyben half of the family, and they still couldn¡¯t go back to their home in Indiana until SECURE identified all of the crazed fans trying to get at them, who were doing their best to keep themselves hidden from SECURE and free to attack their former idols. ¡°I can go get Dad,¡± Calista said, finishing her second slice of cake and excusing herself from the table. As she passed Katelyn¡¯s seat, she felt Katelyn take her hand and press something in her palm. She didn¡¯t react, continuing her walk to the floor teleporter. She didn¡¯t have to look at it to know what it was, feeling the metal legs poking against her skin. She appeared on the second floor and approached the wall, holding the scrambler out to find the empty space leading into the guest room her parents were sleeping in. The wall rippled a bit and she held her hand out, gently pressing on it. It wouldn¡¯t give way; it was locked. Calista gently placed the spidery scrambler on the surface and its legs sunk into the malleable material, playing the voices coming from within. Instantly, she heard arguing. ¡°-this is our daughter, Jennifer,¡± Henry was saying. ¡°No kidding.¡± ¡°Okay, then why don¡¯t you act like her mother? We¡¯ve been at this over and over again¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t pretend to be happy for something I¡¯m just not happy about, Henry,¡± Jennifer said calmly. ¡°You need to get over it!¡± ¡°Henry, I¡¯m tired. I want to go to our home. I want my regular job back. I want¡­ I want our lives back! Don¡¯t you see that the further she goes, the worse it gets?¡± ¡°The worse it gets for you. Don¡¯t you see how happy the kids are here?¡± Henry argued. ¡°They think this is a vacation. We can¡¯t be living here, in someone else¡¯s home-¡± ¡°If you want to go back to our house, you can. Go and have your conferences or whatever. It doesn¡¯t make a difference whether we¡¯re in the house or not.¡± ¡°You know why I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Honey, SECURE exaggerates all the time! You know that. We have the money to put up a better security barrier-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not spending money on-¡± Henry burst out of frustration. ¡°Then what do you want, Jennifer?! You want to go home, but you¡¯re too scared to; you have the money to improve our security, but you don¡¯t want to spend it; you criticize my sister even when she¡¯s the sweetest woman you could ever meet; you choose to live like you¡¯re in a glitching prison instead of enjoying our time as a family here until we can go back, and we will go back, very soon, because SECURE is a perfectionist. They said it was 80% secure enough to go back home, but that¡¯s not enough for you, is it?¡± A pause. Calista sighed, feeling a bit guilty. It was, ultimately, her fault that her family wasn¡¯t at home right now. Jennifer probably felt paranoid because of all the death threats, and while most people wouldn¡¯t actually act on all the cache they said on the Hub, it would be scary for anyone. ¡°Your daughter has such a bright future ahead of her, and you don¡¯t even try to be happy for her. I¡¯ve never seen her so happy and sure of herself. You should¡¯ve seen her in her fight,¡± Henry said, his voice trembling with pain. Calista¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°If you can¡¯t see that, then¡­ I don¡¯t even know.¡± Calista took the scrambler off the wall and headed back down to the dining room. It sounded like their hours-long argument had finally ended. She put on a smile when she arrived, still retaining the skill of faking happiness while feeling rotten inside. Her father came down after her, also faking a smile, though not as skillfully. Would this be the end of her parents¡¯ marriage? A dream she followed, a career she chose¡ª would that be the end of her family as she knew it? === Fistborn Academy students were spread out all over the planet for winter break, waiting with twisting stomachs and pounding hearts for the final list to come out on Christmas. For those whose names never came up on the list, it was quite disheartening, but nothing could match their anger at the 150th name and face that appeared on their HARPs. Even the satisfied, reputable fighters bearing memorable call signs had their holiday gifts soured when they saw the latest competition, one that shouldn¡¯t have been competition at all. The reactions varied from outrage, to fury, to despair, to annoyance, and to some extent, indifference. And of course, there were a good few that were happy and excited. However, one of her most notorious adversaries had a more¡­ neutral reaction. Rosalina¡¯s mother had called a few minutes after her own name appeared on the list. Name: Rosalina Wiasod Call Sign: Hothead Academic Year: 3 (9th Earth Year) Guild: Alpha *Favorite Status* Birth Planet: Hajja Species: Hajjian Country of Origin: Biz ¡°Congra-atulations!¡± Rosalina¡¯s mother exclaimed, her voice cutting out due to the poor quality. Labeled as a criminal, Rosalina didn¡¯t get the best technology to communicate. ¡°Thanks, amma,¡± she said in her native language, smiling genuinely. ¡°Is abba there?¡± ¡°He is working, but he will be around.¡± ¡°And brother? Has he seen it?¡± ¡°He must have. He has not ca-alled, but I will alert you.¡± Rosalina gazed at her mother¡¯s face. ¡°I miss you so, mother.¡± ¡°I miss you too, my bennina. It feels like fore-ever¡­ how long has it been?¡± ¡°18 years,¡± she replied, using Hajja¡¯s time zone. ¡°Kusto,¡± her mother sighed. ¡°Well, you will be here soon. They let you visit halfway, no-o?¡± ¡°¡®Halfway¡¯ was last year. But I¡¯ll request to visit after the Versus.¡± Her jaw trembled and she smiled humorlessly. ¡°If I didn¡¯t do¡­ what I did¡­ I would have been there last year. Back home. I wouldn¡¯t have to do all this¡­¡± ¡°Ro-osa, what have I said about the blaming?¡± ¡°I know, I know. I just¡­ get so angry with myself.¡± She looked back towards the HARP screen. They were up to student number #25 on the list. ¡°I could do so much more¡­ I¡¯m stuck in this stupid place because-¡± ¡°Rosa.¡± Her mother looked at her sternly. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m sorry, mother. I just miss you. And abba. And Cohen.¡± Her mother smiled, suddenly beaming. ¡°I confess, I have a surprise for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± She projected some images. Rosalina read them. They looked like¡­ passes? She gasped, her mouth dropping. ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Her mother nodded excitedly. ¡°Our list came out already. Your bro-other has passed to the preliminaries here on Hajja.¡± Rosalina covered her mouth, her eyes welling up. The tears were a welcome feeling, cooling her naturally hot cheeks. ¡°Tell him I¡¯m proud, please.¡± ¡°I am very sure he will pass to the Versus. But even if he does no-ot, we bought him a card, as well!¡± Her mother projected Cohen¡¯s pass. ¡°If he does pa-ass, we will clear and sell his card, so do not worry about us spe-ending too much.¡± ¡°Oh, mother.¡± She wiped her eyes. ¡°I cannot wait to see you. I do not want anything more than to hug you and feel you again¡­¡± She went back to crying. ¡°I miss you so, my daughter. But we wi-ill see each other, hopefully in a few weeks!¡± ¡°And I can see Cohen. I cannot imagine how grown he is.¡± ¡°You have seen him before,¡± her mother pointed out. ¡°I know, but it¡¯s different face-to-face, you understand what I mean? He is probably so tall.¡± ¡°He is very tall. He is nearly his father¡¯s height!¡± Rosalina¡¯s jaw dropped yet again. ¡°No! He¡¯s only¡­¡± She counted. ¡°He cannot be more than 40.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But he is growing fast.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since he was 22. He was so small¡­¡± Her voice shook. ¡°He told me¡­ not to go. So young, yet so much wiser than I was. He never trusted those sons of¡­¡± ¡°Rosa. Do not dwe-ell on this. You were young.¡± ¡°I know, amma.¡± ¡°I am pro-oud of you. You made a mistake, but you have made the mo-ost out of it. You have become su-uch a strong, fierce woman. You just need to control tha-at temper of yours. I hear my daughter being ca-alled ¡®Hothead¡¯ and I already know you beat someone up. Even for our spe-ecies, you are much too reckless.¡± Rosalina chuckled and sniffled, nodding. She wiped her eyes again. ¡°I suppose I get a bit too angry at times. It¡¯s just hard for me to control. In the tournament, I control easy enough, but with certain people¡­¡± ¡°Like L¨ªlitha?¡± her mother inquired. She shook her head. ¡°I cannot be around her. I feel like she judges me so harshly.¡± ¡°I remember you told me she was your be-est friend. The ¡®sister you never had¡¯.¡± ¡°That was nearly two decades ago, amma.¡± ¡°Whatever happened, happened long ago,¡± her mother said calmly. ¡°What is fueling thi-is rivalry, my bissin? Why do you continue?¡± ¡°Because she has tried to make my life miserable since then!¡± Rosalina snapped. ¡°It is¡­ partly because of her that I am still here. I know it was mostly my fault, but if she hadn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Rosalina, I am sorry, but I do not bla-ame her. Not after what you did. I understa-and you were desperate to get home, but it was wro-ong.¡± ¡°That is what I am saying. It is mostly my fault. But she kept¡­¡± She looked back at the HARP. They were almost at number #40. The reporters discussed each fighter, narrating their odds and history. ¡°Never mind,¡± Rosalina continued, dismissing the subject of L¨ªlitha. ¡°At least I have Reilly. I feel like he is the only person I fully trust on this planet.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Reilly. How is he?¡± ¡°As always. Being the best. He is very protective of me, you know? He does not like when others mess with me, or get me upset.¡± She chuckled. ¡°He is too much at times. I find it adorable. He does not like when I tell him this, however.¡± She laughed again, a little more tenderly. ¡°He was never raised on Vorax, yet he is as proud as any of them.¡± ¡°I would love to meet him, Rosa. He seems to make you very happy.¡± Her mother smiled. ¡°He does. If it weren¡¯t for him, I would be even more miserable here. He makes everything bearable. It is a shame he will be graduating.¡± ¡°Graduating already? How old is he?¡± ¡°Only two years older than I, but he has been in the academy for much longer.¡± She went to sit back down on the sofa, tired of standing. Hennett and Macon continued down the list of fighters. ¡°I have not called him. It is Christmas here on Earth. He celebrates it. He is in England visiting his relatives at the moment.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember you te-elling me of this ¡®Christmas¡¯. It sounds so joyful. You should celebrate it with hi-im.¡± ¡°I would if I were allowed out of the academy,¡± Rosalina reminded her. ¡°You cannot celebrate virtually?¡± ¡°I suppose I can¡­ for the time I am allowed.¡± A red dot blinked at the corner of her mother¡¯s hologram. She sighed sadly. ¡°Speaking of that, our time is nearly up. I will call you tomorrow night, amma. I hope to see abba.¡± ¡°I will tell hi-im.¡± Her mother gazed at her lovingly, a tear shining. She was so close, yet so far¡­ ¡°I lo-ove you, my beautifu-ul Rosali-ina. We will see yo-ou soon. We are pro-oud of the woma-an you are. Do no-ot beat yourself u-up. Beat up the o-other people in that competi-ition instead.¡± Her hologram started to distort. Rosalina smiled, swallowing down her tears. ¡°I will. I love you, too. I am so happy¡­ so happy you will come to the tournament.¡± ¡°I a-am, as we-ell.¡± The red dot blinked faster, now beeping. ¡°Good ni-ight, my da-arling.¡± ¡°Good night, mo-¡± She disappeared. ¡°¡­Mother.¡± Rosalina leaned back, sighing wistfully. Knowing her family would be attending the Versus brought her comfort, but she wanted that moment to come as soon as possible. It had been far too long. After a long while of thinking to herself, letting the news play out, she decided to contact Reilly. He¡¯d said they wouldn¡¯t be watching the list release, since he was already guaranteed a slot. As the call sent out, the list was concluding. ¡°And the last fighter¡­¡± A pause. ¡°Will you look at that.¡± Rosalina frowned and looked at the screen. The human girl appeared, posing like a supermodel, as the 150th-ranked fighter. ¡°Well, Versus fans, looks like the infamous Socializer of Fistborn has made it on the team,¡± said Xavier Hennett. ¡°I feel like I should be surprised, but for some reason, I¡¯m¡­ not. What do you think?¡± ¡°I feel the same, honestly,¡± said Yvonne Macon. ¡°I feel the same. It feels¡­ expected. I mean, what with the way she was picked out of so many other fighters, more capable fighters, to attend Fistborn¡ª it¡¯s sort of the same way here. Fistborn Academy has a lot of talented students that have studied and trained harder and longer than she has, and yet she took one of those spots.¡± ¡°There are rumors that Benson Kalley had actually recommended her as¡­¡± Xavier¡¯s voice faded in the background when Reilly appeared in the hologram. ¡°Hey, sweet,¡± he said. ¡°Hi. Merry Christmas.¡± Rosalina¡¯s eyes stayed on the HARP screen. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± She smiled at him. ¡°No, nothing. Just wanted to see you. I know Christmas is important to you.¡± ¡°Thanks. I got, uh¡­ this.¡± He projected a Versus/Christmas themed bodysuit. ¡°From my grandmum.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s hideous. You can be honest. She¡¯s not here.¡± Rosalina laughed. She looked back at the HARP. The reporters were still talking about Calista, speculating all the ways she could¡¯ve gotten in other than her talent; Benson Kalley¡¯s influence, her Socializer mother¡¯s money, Harrison¡¯s ¡®cheating¡¯¡­ ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Reilly asked. ¡°Um¡­ the human got on the team,¡± she said. ¡°Which human?¡± She gave him a look. ¡°Medley. Who else?¡± ¡°Oh. Look at that.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Oh, well. She probably won¡¯t make it far. What rank is she?¡± ¡°The last.¡± Rosalina stared at the screen. ¡°I guess¡­ well¡­ she did well during finals; I¡¯ll give her that. She¡¯s improved.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll deal with her when it comes to it.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help the internal conflict. She expected herself to be outraged, thinking of everyone else that deserved that spot, but for some reason, she felt¡­ nothing. No anger. The girl had changed since they ¡®initiated¡¯ her as a Favorite earlier in the semester. She¡¯d picked up a barstool as a weapon in panic and given completely into her adrenaline, earning her plenty of bruises. But when she fought Gravity in the arena, she was different. Hillary Kaye had been very overconfident and foolish, and Calista had made a lot of mistakes, but she still did very well compared to how she started out. Rosalina didn¡¯t like her at all, but she wasn¡¯t going to blindly and foolishly deny her improvement. It was evident that she was serious about her career in fighting, despite her past. Once the competition started, they¡¯d see how she¡¯d fare. 22- Preliminaries New Year¡¯s was stellar. Calista virtually visited Las Vegas with her family and watched the light show countdown in Digit Square, surrounded by professional dancers flying through the air, and digital fireworks bursting in the sky. She could feel 2350 smiling down at her, promising her a great future as a Versus fighter. She and her mother were still at odds, treating each other more like acquaintances than family, but during the midnight celebration, Jennifer finally let herself smile and even had a couple of drinks. Calista could see that her father wanted to loosen his wife up a bit, offering her a sort of strong champagne so she could forget her anxieties and be her old self. While Calista enjoyed seeing her mother so joyful again, her mood was dampened once the night was over. Was that how she would be able to spend time with her mother and genuinely enjoy it? By getting her drunk enough that she wouldn¡¯t be thinking about her fans all the time? After a couple of weeks, the winter break was over, and Calista had to return to the academy and leave her family again. She could hardly wait to see them again at the preliminaries. They would arrive at the arena a little after she would. Calista met Belinda and Cam on the Air-Bus after teleporting back to D.C. She remembered the first time she¡¯d gone to the academy with her family, getting panic attacks from the impending fight with L¨ªlitha. Then, she was alone, going to a new school where everyone looked down on her. Now, she had friends, even more than she thought she had. Surprisingly, there were a lot of people that congratulated her on the way back to Fistborn. The academy seemed so empty without the other students. The rest of Fistborn would be returning after the team left for the preliminaries on Friday. The Versus Arena was in LA, California. This year, USA was given hosting rights for the preliminary rounds, thanks to Harrison getting the highest honor on the Earth team last Versus Games. At least his accomplishments were properly recognized somehow. At the moment, the team would take some refresher courses and training at the school, then head to the TelePort for California. Calista never really traveled much during her time as a Socializer, so the notion was exciting. She always wanted to physically visit California. ¡°I would love to see the ruins,¡± she gushed. ¡°Like Stellar Studios, or Fantasia Land? You know those?¡± ¡°Yeah, it would be interesting. But the prelims only last a week,¡± said Belinda. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll have time to go sightseeing after the games.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t get on the planet team, we might,¡± said Cam. ¡°If we do, forget it. We¡¯ll be training 24/7.¡± The 150 contenders headed to the Auditorium, which was now full of classroom seats rising to the back of the room. Calista smiled brightly and waved enthusiastically at Harrison, who sat in the front row with the other Student Coaches. He smiled and returned the gesture with a calmer wave and a nod. He¡¯s so handsome¡­ Calista sighed internally. She sat in the second row with the Favorites that got on the team, next to L¨ªlitha. The small woman smiled, albeit tightly, and whispered a, ¡°Congrats.¡± Definitely an improvement. Lisa and Gina White entered the Auditorium, silencing the students. They stepped onto the stage, Gina standing behind her cousin. ¡°Welcome, Versus fighters,¡± said Lisa, her voice resounding throughout the room. ¡°Congratulations to all of you. You are all the best students in this school. The chosen ones to not only represent our proud academy, but our entire country. Welcome to the preliminaries, United States Combat Team.¡± She applauded, the students following with some excited whoops and cheers. ¡°Now, some of you may have already experienced the preliminaries. Others have experienced the main Versus Games. And there are others who are new to the Games. Whatever experience you¡¯ve had, I expect your utmost attention. I don¡¯t want to see any distracted eyes, anyone talking to each other, nothing like that. All eyes on me, even if you¡¯ve taken this course before. Understood?¡± Everyone nodded and murmured their assent. ¡°Make sure you take notes on your AIDA bands.¡± She turned, activating the HARP-ED. Calista rushed to set her AIDA band so it could record the important information she said. ¡°The Versus preliminary rounds, as you know, are hosted on each participating planet. In our preliminaries, 32 countries¡ª including us¡ª will be participating this year. We have the same amount of students per team, so¡­¡± She shrugged, wincing a bit. ¡°There¡¯s almost 5,000 competitors in the prelims alone.¡± Calista blinked. 5,000? How would they cut off so many players in a week? She didn¡¯t remember much from the prelims when she was little. ¡°The prelims are just a series of games,¡± Gina supported. ¡°No one-on-one rounds; no this fighter vs. that fighter. They have the same groups; solo, pair, and team, but they all focus on different qualities of fighters. The Solo rounds will focus on Strength, Strategy, and Endurance.¡± The HARP-ED screen showed the different icons representing the qualities. ¡°The Pairs focus on Unity, Trust, and Delegation. And lastly, the Team rounds focus on Cohesion, Loyalty, and Communication. These are all important qualities all of you must have as fighters, and the prelims test you.¡± ¡°The games played are usually run-and-guns, races, and survival Chaos Rounds,¡± said Lisa. ¡°At the start of each round, the randomizer wheel is spun to choose what game you will play, so there¡¯s no way of knowing what to prepare for in the map. That tests a quality of fighting that¡¯s not mentioned; Improvisation.¡± That made sense. But if they were so chaotic¡­ Calista shivered. She could easily be eliminated by whatever crazy cache would happen in the games. ¡°You¡¯ve all played these kinds of games during the training period here at Fistborn. Red Light, Green Light; Crash Landing; Minesweeper; you should have experience with ¡®chaotic¡¯ games like those from your Teamwork or Combat courses.¡± Ah, yes, the various games that humiliated Calista throughout the semester. She didn¡¯t do as well in the run-and-gun games. She worked better when she was directly confronting an opponent, especially if she had a team with her. She would have to do what she was bad at first? Dread filled her stomach. If she didn¡¯t improve enough, she¡¯d be eliminated right off the bat. As Lisa and Gina continued, Calista¡¯s self-confidence grew worse and worse. The games they mentioned sounded unbelievably scary. She wished she could recall a prelim round from when she was young, but she¡¯d paid more attention to the interplanetary tournament. Once the lecture was over, they were excused to their lunch period. With the academy so empty, the Mess Hall seemed a lot bigger than before. The Student Coaches stayed at their table, with no one missing from their group. The Guilds were very small now, even missing a lot of Favorites. They wound up joining together, occupying about a table and a half. The rest of the non-Guild members sat together at other tables, separating into groups of friends. Calista naturally gravitated to the table where Belinda and Cam were sitting. L¨ªlitha sat at the end of the table, keeping to herself as she ate. Rosalina, Bark, and Hillary were seated at the other table. She was pretty worried that the ¡®enemies¡¯ she¡¯d made in Fistborn would specifically target her during the rounds. No doubt, they¡¯d be looking to get her out of the competition and prove she was a ¡®fraud¡¯ after all. Maybe she could study them so she could know how to fight them if she had to. She was excited about confronting them at first, but with the explanation, her outlook had completely changed. She would be too overwhelmed for a grudge match. ¡°You excited, Cali?¡± Camelithia asked her. ¡°Excited and nervous.¡± ¡°I know it all sounds scary, but it¡¯s not as bad. The first time is always quite jarring, even so.¡± She took a bite of her lunch. ¡°I remember last Versus, the first prelim game was Earthquake. I was glitching traumatized. They started us off with a 7.5 mag quake, so everything was chaos, buildings collapsing and everything. I didn¡¯t know what to do. All I practiced went out the window.¡± ¡°My first round was Kidnap,¡± a Paeseoan girl chimed in. Everyone groaned at the mention of the game. ¡°What¡¯s Kidnap?¡± Calista asked. ¡°It¡¯s a Hajjian children¡¯s game. Pretty messed up. You go around a dark, creepy maze and try to find your way out. If you make it out, you¡¯re safe. But along the way, there¡¯s a group of fighters assigned to ¡®kidnap¡¯ you and lock you in an elimination cell. The ones with more than 5 victims pass, and the rest are cut.¡± ¡°That sounds creepy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very creepy.¡± The girl glanced behind her and leaned forward, lowering her voice. ¡°That¡¯s Hajjian kids for you.¡± ¡°I heard that,¡± Rosalina called from the other table. She didn¡¯t look the least bit upset. ¡°All of you better pray we don¡¯t get that game this year,¡± the girl continued. ¡°I got it my first Versus¡ª in 2338,¡± a man spoke up. He was older than most of them, noticeably experienced. ¡°It was in the pair rounds. My teammate and I were separated midway, then I heard him screaming for help. I tried to find him, but I got caught. Thankfully, I escaped and made it out, but he was cut out of the games.¡± ¡°I got it last time, but I was one of the seekers. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but being a seeker¡­ it¡¯s fun.¡± The Seeyastearthian boy speaking chuckled. ¡°I actually got some revenge on some cache-hole that was messing with me before the games started. Guy was screaming his throats out when I caught him. All I did was grab his arm.¡± He laughed. ¡°He never bothered me again.¡± Calista highly doubted she¡¯d get to be on the other side of the code. If she had to play that game, and Rosalina or Hillary were seeking¡­ ¡°I¡¯m hoping for Wipeout Tower,¡± Belinda said, changing the subject. ¡°I always loved that game.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. A Mercearthian girl near her scoffed. ¡°You need to get over that game.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s my favorite.¡± ¡°Yes, but you¡¯re singling yourself to one game. You need to expand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not singling, I¡¯m just saying. Like your favorite game¡¯s Capture the Flag.¡± Calista glanced between Belinda and her Guild-mate. She noticed Belinda wasn¡¯t sitting that close to the other Gamma members on the team. ¡°I like Capture the Dragon better than Capture the Flag,¡± a boy interjected. Calista nodded in agreement. ¡°Same. It¡¯s so stellar. I remember it from when I watched the Versus. There was this guy there¡­ I was too young back then to realize it, but now that I remember, he was GP. He was like the prince from¡­¡± She trailed off, realizing the looks she was getting. She quieted down and focused on her food. While she¡¯d learned how to fight, she still retained her old personality. She wanted to kick herself. ¡°The prince from Astrana,¡± said a human girl named Charlotte, breaking the awkward wall of silence. She was the only Gamma that Belinda was sitting with. She was a pretty, small girl with almond skin and wild, curly hair in a short afro. Calista looked up, surprised. ¡°You watch it, too?¡± ¡°I love that show.¡± Charlotte seemed to ignore the looks she was getting from the other Gammas. ¡°I need to watch this show,¡± Camelithia supported. ¡°Calista¡¯s told me a few episodes. They sound quite interesting.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± said Belinda. ¡°Of course you do.¡± Her Mercearthian Guild-mate scoffed. For the first time, Calista could see the Mearthian girl growing angry. She wasn¡¯t one to lose her temper. ¡°Was I talking to you, Alesha?¡± The girl looked a bit shocked at her tone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be glitchy.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m being glitchy?¡± ¡°Belinda, you¡¯re overreacting,¡± said the Seeyastearthian next to Alesha. ¡°I don¡¯t recall talking to you, either, Neka.¡± The lunch period ended before the argument could escalate. Belinda stood and stormed out of the cafeteria before anyone could follow her. ¡°Bel, wait!¡± Alesha ran after her. Calista stared at the door, wondering what got her so upset. Did she have a fight with her Guild-mates? Charlotte approached Calista, her wild, untamed curls bouncing. Calista could already imagine her former friends mocking the girl¡¯s hairstyle. In truth, it suited her. She had the perfect face and bone structure that made messy hair look great. ¡°Hey, during free time, you want to watch Astrana?¡± she said. ¡°Yeah, that sounds fun.¡± ¡°Count me in,¡± Cam said as she left. Maybe Harrison could also come¡­ maybe not. He wouldn¡¯t like it. Despite the positive note, Calista still wished she would¡¯ve shut up. She had to stop acting so much like a Socializer. === Without their regular classes, the 150 students had a lot more free time to relax before the stress of the competition would come to haunt them. Naturally, with Calista¡¯s birthday falling on the day before they headed to LA, the girls wanted to make the most out of it and take her out to D.C. Calista had never done much traveling; usually, it was a virtual tour of exotic places, nothing close to the real thing. She was quite excited to spend her 18th birthday sightseeing the country¡¯s capital city. There was a plethora of museums, national monuments, and hangout spots they could choose from. Camelithia had gone around D.C. quite a few times during her time in the academy, so she led the little tour group that consisted of herself, Calista, Belinda, Charlotte from the Gamma Guild, Harrison, a reluctant L¨ªlitha that agreed to go after Harrison¡¯s persuasion, a Martian guy named Elmer that Belinda invited, and an Iota girl Cam had invited named Beatrice Bustamante, who had grown up in Latin America. They spent their time walking around the festively-decorated city of Washington D.C. Naturally, being the home of one of the best fighting schools in the world, there were a lot of hardcore Versus Games fans that decked their homes and streets out in red, white, and blue. Freeze shots of some of the famous Fistborn fighters like Reilly Campbell or Disaris Okione were projected all over. Calista smiled at the many projections that counted down the days, down to even seconds, that were left before the preliminaries would begin. The residents did a great job of promoting an exciting atmosphere. Digital confetti rained down in many places, melting the second it touched the floor, and music played in stores and malls to attract customers, the shops full of Versus Games merchandise. Many of the wandering residents recognized Harrison, Camelithia, and L¨ªlitha¡¯s faces in the tour group, since they were the most famous. Fans pointed, gawked, and jumped excitedly at the sight. Harrison was as arrogant as ever, flashing his handsome smile at fangirls and waving occasionally. Cam was as friendly as ever, waving at anyone who noticed them. L¨ªlitha was the one who was completely indifferent, pretending not to see the excited onlookers. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all the national monuments I know of,¡± Camelithia said as they left the White House ruins. ¡°Where do you want to go next, Cali?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ what do you want to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your birthday, you¡¯re the boss!¡± ¡°We can get something to eat. It¡¯s just about lunchtime.¡± ¡°Ooh, I know a great place here!¡± Cam said excitedly. ¡°Have any of you been to Starway Pub?¡± The group went to a restaurant bar a few blocks away from the travel tube leading back to school. Camelithia got a small Earthian whiskey; Seeyastians were a bit weaker towards Earth alcohol than humans. L¨ªlitha stared at her with envy. ¡°Why don¡¯t you order some, Li?¡± Harrison asked her. ¡°Everything here is too strong for me.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do your¡­ stretchy thing? Y¡¯know, to absorb it?¡± Elmer asked. ¡°It¡¯s exhausting. I¡¯m not sitting like that for hours.¡± ¡°Calista, you want some?¡± Cam offered. ¡°I¡¯m 18, not 21,¡± Calista joked. ¡°A sip won¡¯t hurt.¡± As Cam held her mug out towards Calista, a barrier blocked her. ¡°Patrons must be 21 Earthian years of age or older to consume alcoholic drinks,¡± said the AIDA. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Beatrice sniggered. ¡°Ugh, whatever. It was just a taste.¡± Cam pouted childishly and sipped her drink. Calista looked at the menu on her AIDA band. ¡°AIDA, give me the mixed berry smoothie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.¡± The drink appeared before her. ¡°Of course, the most pink drink you can get,¡± L¨ªlitha said. ¡°That actually sounds so good,¡± said Charlotte. ¡°I¡¯d like the same.¡± She received the drink and took a sip. ¡°Not bad. A bit sweet, but good.¡± ¡°You always have the prettiest-looking drinks,¡± Beatrice commented as everyone ordered their meals. ¡°Force of habit. Everything has to look good, you know; even our food,¡± Calista remarked, a bit bitterly. ¡°We have to eat quickly, but politely. No crumbs, no smudges, no stains. I¡¯d like a¡­ Cheese Delight club sandwich.¡± The meal generated on her plate. ¡°Cam wouldn¡¯t survive a day as a Socializer, in that case,¡± said Beatrice. ¡°Hey!¡± Cam said, her mouth full of steak. ¡°I could pull it off!¡± Belinda nearly spit out her drink, laughing. ¡°Case in point.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t count!¡± Cam swallowed so she could speak properly. ¡°I¡¯m polite!¡± She wiped her mouth with her absorbent napkin and sat up straight, daintily cutting a piece of her steak and eating it. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I should give you some classes,¡± Calista answered, bringing laughter to the table. ¡°Imagine that,¡± said Harrison. ¡°Calista¡¯s Etiquette class.¡± ¡°They have that at the Socializer school I was gonna go to.¡± ¡°Maybe Camelithia can spend a semester there,¡± said L¨ªlitha, followed by more laughter. ¡°You¡¯re all so mean.¡± Cam speared a piece of her steak and shoved it in her mouth, deliberately chewing with her mouth open so everyone could see. They all groaned and looked away. Calista was surprised with a birthday cake after they finished their lunches. It was exactly how she liked it; a pink strawberry-chocolate cheesecake with sugar glaze spread on top. Her picture was projected over the cake, acting as the cake shield, which would only open when she blew out the digital candle. The group sang the birthday song as AIDA projected, ¡®HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALISTA¡¯ over their table, bringing Calista some mild embarrassment. Wishing for a successful preliminary competition, she blew out the candle so everyone could get their slice of cake. ¡°They make the best pastries here,¡± said Cam. ¡°L¨ªlitha, aren¡¯t you having some?¡± Belinda asked. ¡°No, thanks. More for you.¡± ¡°You want to do anything else after we eat, Cali?¡± Before Calista could answer, everyone¡¯s gazes turned to something behind her. Turning around, she found a young human woman, probably a few years older than her, standing and staring at her with wide eyes. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ are you Calista Medley?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Calista glanced at the others, but it was clear this woman was a stranger to all of them. ¡°Oh, I¡­ I just wanted¡­ I¡¯m a huge fan of yours!¡± the woman squealed. ¡°Really?¡± Was she an old SociaLights fan? Why would she still like Calista after everything? ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve been following the Versus since I was a kid, and I always hid it from everyone because my sister¡¯s a growing Socializer, and I didn¡¯t want any drama, but I always watched your SociaLights channel, and when I heard what you did, well¡­ it was inspiring. I told my sister she could shove it, and now I¡¯m a regular fan, and I got tickets to the prelims, so I¡¯ll be going tomorrow, too! I¡¯m so glad you got on the team!¡± Calista tried her best to follow the girl¡¯s excited rant, confused at her words at first. ¡°Th-thank you! I¡­ You were¡­ inspired¡­ by me?¡± ¡°Yes! All of you are inspiring!¡± She giggled and looked at the others. ¡°I¡¯m a huge fan of all of you, too. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not ignoring you, it¡¯s just¡­ I never thought someone like you¡ª like me¡ª would go into fighting. I¡¯ll be cheering you on in LA.¡± She held out her hand for a handshake, hesitated, then grasped Calista¡¯s hand between both of hers. With a shy wave, she scurried off, leaving Calista dumbstruck. ¡°Well, look at that. You got a fan for your birthday,¡± L¨ªlitha said. ¡°I guess I did.¡± Calista smiled bemusedly, still a bit taken aback by the interaction. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever meet someone that supported her that way. As the confusion faded, she was filled with a wonderful elation. Calista was further overjoyed by her friends¡¯ birthday gifts. Elmer, Charlotte, and Beatrice, being new friends, had gotten her small gifts, but she appreciated them nonetheless; they were cute accessories like bracelets and hair barrettes that she could wear. Camelithia got Calista a new set of custom ¡®uniforms¡¯; while they weren¡¯t official school uniforms, they were adorable. They were pink, green, and sky blue variants of the outfit, except without the official Fistborn emblems. Belinda had gotten her one of the best¡ª a wallpaper file of her favorite Astrana characters in a hand-drawn filter. Calista hoped that when she finally got back to her old bedroom at home in Indiana, she could use it. Even L¨ªlitha had gotten her a gift; a strong pair of custom-fitted running sneakers that accommodated her feet so they wouldn¡¯t ache, and that sported Calista¡¯s favorite colors. Harrison had hinted that he would save her present for later, which made her both nervous and excited¡ª was it jewelry? Surely not. Once curfew started approaching, the gang left the restaurant, taking the travel tubes back to the academy. Calista¡¯s heart was still soaring in a 12,000-mile long flight, the girl¡¯s words echoing over and over again. How many more were like her, but too afraid or embarrassed to say anything? How many more would join after she actually participated in the competition? The group parted in the residential section, going to their respective dorm buildings. Before Calista retired to the first-year dorms, Harrison stopped her. ¡°I¡­ want to give you my present now.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, I almost forgot,¡± Calista said. ¡°I just¡­ thought I should give this to you myself.¡± He held out his present, which was enclosed in a blue gift box. ¡°Thank you, Harrison.¡± She took the box and tapped the top side to open it, which made the sides fold back and melt away. It revealed a large, diamond-shaped figure, with various freeze shots of Calista that changed every few seconds. They varied between her walking the halls in her custom uniforms, to her training in the gym, to her fighting against Hillary. She looked pretty awesome in all of them. There was even one from her test with L¨ªlitha¡ª one that made her look good despite the humiliation she suffered that day. On the top, letters hovered above, reading ¡®Welcome to Club 18!¡¯ in pink. ¡°How¡¯d you get all these?¡± she asked. ¡°The school always takes random freeze shots of people to put on their tours and stuff. I asked the office for the ones you came out in and made this. Thought you¡¯d want a way to remember your first year here. When you graduate, it¡¯ll be a heck of a nostalgia trip.¡± She smiled, impressed and touched. This was ten times better than jewelry. ¡°Wow. Thank you, Harrison, this is¡­ this is beautiful. I love it.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s room for the shots we took today if you want. You can always change them. I got the one with 10 brontobytes, so it¡¯s a good amount of space. I wanted to get one with more, but¡­¡± ¡°I think 10 brontobytes is enough,¡± Calista giggled. She hugged him tightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Harrison smiled. ¡°You want me to walk you to your dorm, or¡­?¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± They started towards the first-year building at a slow pace. ¡°Welcome to 18.¡± ¡°Yeah, adulthood.¡± Harrison shook his head. ¡°Yeah, no. This is not adulthood. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll feel it until we¡¯re like 30.¡± 23- Earth’s Game ¡°Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 6:15 in the morning of January 20th, 2350 in the city of Washington D.C. The USCT¡¯s TelePortation is scheduled at 8:00 AM in TelePort 7 in the Travel District.¡± === The triple-decker Air-Bus carrying the 150 members of the USCT smoothly approached the heart of LA, which held the large expanse of area that was the Arena. Of course, there were dozens of different fighting arenas and many different buildings that made up the venues for the international tournament. The jewel of the Arena was the massive cylinder that held most facilities for both competitors and fans. The battle maps, Sky-Coasters, food courts, and more were held in the monolith of a building, where monstrous-sized crowds gathered to see their favorite country teams. Hundreds of country flags decorated the building like a multicolored streamer wrapped around the body. The American flag was at the very top, enlarged so everyone could see it waving. Calista¡¯s green eyes sparkled in admiration and awe. LA was a lot more beautiful than she ever imagined. Even the virtual visits didn¡¯t do it justice. And the festive, bustling environment of the tournament made it even better. People crowded in the streets and flanked the bus, blocked off by invisible barriers, waving flags and projecting freeze shots of their favorite fighters. As they passed, to her shock, Calista saw a group of girls who¡­ reminded her of her old friends. They couldn¡¯t be older than 15. The way they dressed and fangirl-squealed was so¡­ Socializer-like of them. One of them projected a freeze shot of Harrison, screaming like a banshee. Ah. Of course. ¡°Hey, Medley, there¡¯s your crowd,¡± a voice commented behind her. She turned, seeing Hillary smirking at her from the other row of seats. ¡°You don¡¯t want to give your friends a hello? They might want to know how GP it is to be around Harrison all the time.¡± She rolled her eyes, ignoring the snickering. She hoped she got another opportunity to kick the glitch out of her. She would have to train a lot harder, though. Hillary had treated her like a child¡¯s game, severely underestimating her skill. Now that she knew Calista was serious, she would be a lot more prepared. The Air-Bus stopped in front of one of the many lanes leading into Opening Ceremony tent, which was only set up for the night and would be taken down once the ceremony was over. The lane they stopped at was assigned to ¡®Team USA¡¯. Lisa turned to the students, standing at the front of the bus. ¡°Student Coaches will line up and file out. Favorites come next, in order of Guild. Same goes for non-Favorite Guild members. The rest of you will file out in order of rank.¡± Harrison lined up behind all nine of his comrades. After a few moments, they were directed to disembark the Air-Bus. Calista grew nervous when the cheers outside, muted by the soundproof walls of the vehicle, grew more intense. Through the one-way window, there were scores of reporters, flying Pets, and lights waiting for them. Some Pets flitted to the window, trying to get freeze shots inside, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to see through. The team was dressed in their brand-new USA combat suits. They wouldn¡¯t actually be using them today, but the entrance to the Arena always had the suit presentation. They were all in blue and red, the USA flag on their shoulder pads. Guild members didn¡¯t have their patches on anymore; instead, they had a badge on the right chest. SCs and Favorites had an additional badge below with either ¡®SC¡¯ or ¡®F¡¯ engraved. The more people walked out, the worse Calista felt. With all the backlash surrounding her, she wasn¡¯t sure how they would receive her. No one truly knew how hard she¡¯d worked in the academy, and the reporters had pretty negative opinions about her making the team. Sure, that fan that came up to her the previous day had lifted her spirits, but she was probably part of a tiny minority. She was the only one that had recognized her, or not given her the stink eye. ¡°Here.¡± L¨ªlitha held out a glass with strange brown liquid. Calista took it hesitantly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Panic tonic. You look like you¡¯re about to die.¡± ¡°Oh. Um¡­ AIDA, could you make that a raspberry flavor, please?¡± she asked. The liquid turned pink and Calista gulped it down. She took a breath and tried to calm her shot nerves. Looking at L¨ªlitha again, the little woman was staring at her with slight ridicule. ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°Does everything have to be pink with you?¡± ¡°The regular one is uber-nasty. I can¡¯t drink that.¡± L¨ªlitha only shook her head. ¡°Alright. Anyway. When you get out there, please do not model, pose, or flirt with any of the Pets. Just keep your eyes forward, ignore the reporters, and look casual.¡± ¡°So candid shots only?¡± ¡°Exactly. No posing or anything. This is not a runway or a Miss Milky Way red carpet. Okay?¡± Calista scoffed. ¡°For your information, L¨ªlitha, I¡¯m not always looking for attention. I¡¯m not as vain as you think I am.¡± ¡°Calista, I have seen you check yourself out in the reflection of your spoon.¡± The girl silenced. She had a point. ¡°Force of habit,¡± she muttered. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not just you. It¡¯s normal to like this part of the job. All this glamorous attention, people screaming when they see you¡­ it¡¯s a lot to take in. You either panic and throw up in front of everyone, or you embrace it and start showing off. But as fighters, it¡¯s best to keep our cool and act like we don¡¯t care. Keep the neutrality.¡± ¡°Harrison likes to-¡± ¡°Harrison is Harrison, and who he is, is arrogant. But he has some room to be arrogant. You don¡¯t.¡± Calista blew out another breath. ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t look or talk at anyone, don¡¯t pose, just keep going, right?¡± ¡°No smiling, either. Don¡¯t look miserable, but don¡¯t smile. All neutral.¡± ¡°Okay. No smiling.¡± ¡°You can pose all you want at the shot sessions we¡¯ll have later. Knowing you, you¡¯ll love that part.¡± She didn¡¯t admit it out loud, but that sounded stellar. She couldn¡¯t wait to see how awesome she looked. The Favorites then left the bus together, L¨ªlitha and Calista walking side-by-side at the back. The full volume of the cheers hit Calista¡¯s ears, overwhelming her slightly. The suit detected the reaction and provided her with mild soundproofing to relieve her. She could also hear the Versus Games anthem echoing across the sky. The attention was overwhelming. Voices overlapping one another, fans screaming their throats out, lights and holograms and Pets everywhere. Many of them flew up close to catch Calista¡¯s face. Following L¨ªlitha¡¯s advice, she kept her expression neutral and didn¡¯t spare them a glance. She couldn¡¯t help looking at the lucky fans at the front of the barrier, though. Most were cheering for the more famous fighters like Rosalina or even L¨ªlitha. A few at the front booed Calista upon seeing her, bringing down her spirits. ¡°Ignore them,¡± L¨ªlitha said to her through their earpieces. ¡°They¡¯re not worth it.¡± As they approached the door, Calista found another group of young teens screaming, one of them waving directly at her. She nearly stopped, not expecting to have any fans in the crowd. The teens all looked the Socializer type, with the same fashion style and disposition she had before the academy. This was the second time she saw someone so excited to see her in this world. Were Socializers starting to take an interest because of her? She couldn¡¯t help smiling kindly and waving as she passed the group. They screamed even louder, jumping with joy. L¨ªlitha quickly stretched her hand out and pulled Calista¡¯s wrist down. ¡°No waving. What did I just say?¡± ¡°They were so cute.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± L¨ªlitha tried to hide her frustration. ¡°You are not helping your case here.¡± They finally entered the circular tent. It was huge, with monstrously high, domed, transparent ceilings and warm lights filling the room. Voices echoed and bounced off the walls. The 32 teams all converged, their lines pointing at the large circle stage in the middle of the hall. From a bird¡¯s eye view, their lined-up teams formed a star, which would be freeze-shot as tradition. There were all sorts of colors present. Many teams shared USA¡¯s colors, but they could still be singled out. England¡¯s suits were mainly blue, but had more white than red accents. France¡¯s suits were white with blue and red sleeves, matching their flag. Then there were the others¡ª Brazil proudly boasted their green and yellow. Canada was decked out in red and white. Ukraine looked amazing in blue and yellow. ¡°What¡¯s that country?¡± Calista eyed a blue and white team. ¡°Argentina?¡± ¡°No, Argentina¡¯s over there.¡± L¨ªlitha pointed at a different team wearing blue suits with white and gold accents. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Guatemala.¡± ¡°What about that one?¡± She pointed at another team with white suits, but they had blue diagonal stripes. ¡°Uruguay.¡± Impressed, Calista said, ¡°You¡¯re good.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking at the flags up there.¡± L¨ªlitha pointed to the hologram flags above each archway, which had the country names below. A Mercearthian man¡¯s hologram appeared on the stage, towering over everyone like a giant. He spoke, his voice resonating through the room, but in an alien language. Calista¡¯s translator activated so she could understand him. ¡°May I have your attention, please?¡± The room quieted. All eyes were now on the man. ¡°Welcome, Versus fighters of Earth, to the 2350 Versus International Preliminary Games!¡± Cheers followed, then he spoke again. ¡°For those uninformed, I am Secondary Chairman of the Versus Interplanetary Peacekeeping Games, Halo Charrier. I am very, very excited for this year¡¯s games. The prelims are criminally underrated, in my opinion. So much happens in this weeklong tournament on every planet, but compared to the Interplanetaries, not much is heard. I hope, that with many interesting contenders in the teams this year, this stage can shine through.¡± They applauded again. ¡°With this new Versus year comes a new era. Primary Chairman of the Versus Games, Waelon Gaillart, has stepped down from his position, ending his term from 2330. For the next twenty years, we will now be under the gracious leadership of a new Versus head, who will surely preserve the Versus Peace Treaty and be the glue that holds all our planets together in this Utopia. Please welcome our new Primary Chairwoman¡­ Bethanii Cheline, born and raised in Briegua, Planet Paeseo. This also marks an important moment in history, as she is the first female Paeseoan, and the first Paeseoan overall, to be Versus Leader. Let¡¯s give her a hand.¡± The mentioned woman¡¯s hologram appeared next to Halo¡¯s. ¡°Thank you, Halo,¡± said the woman, her speech also translated. She flashed the kind smile Paeseoans were known for. ¡°Welcome, brave fighters. I am very honored to have this position, and to serve as Versus Leader for the next two Earthian decades. As I do with all the other planets, I see many capable, determined contenders among all of you here on Earth. I am excited to see the competition from a different perspective.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Calista heard muttering behind her and turned, noticing L¨ªlitha frowning slightly. ¡°Something wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°I know this woman,¡± L¨ªlitha said. ¡°I can¡¯t place her, but¡­ her face¡­¡± ¡°You know her personally?¡± ¡°No, I just know her face from somewhere¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Oh. Well, maybe you¡¯ll remember later.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good feeling, though.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± L¨ªlitha¡¯s black marble eyes narrowed. ¡°I feel like¡­ I don¡¯t know. Something about her that feels off. I just know her face¡­¡± She then dismissed the topic, adopting a neutral expression. ¡°Never mind. Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m especially excited to see which one of you will be the lucky 150 that will represent Planet Earth in the main competition. At the end of the week, we¡¯ll know who is the best of the planet this year! Have a wonderful preliminary tournament, and enjoy the Games!¡± Bethanii concluded. Digital confetti and glitter rained down as the Earth Planetary Anthem played, mixed with cheering and applause. The anthem faded into rhythmic drums and bells, quieting the crowd, and the stage platform lowered into the floor. Dancers then started appearing out of the hole, all of them flipping and cartwheeling into place like popcorn kernels. They were all humans of different nationalities, wearing different outfits and colors, representing each country. The platform rose back into place, giving them their stage. ¡°Whoa,¡± Calista said, watching the dancers move their bodies so flexibly that she wondered if they were only half-Earthian. They spun, flipped, and stretched gracefully, never missing a beat. The soundtrack changed every minute, representing a different country¡¯s culture, and a dancer would take a turn in the center, bringing cheers from their country¡¯s crowd. ¡°Very different from holo-dancers, aren¡¯t they?¡± L¨ªlitha said, clapping for the performance. ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯re amazing!¡± Calista moved her hips to the rhythm. The dance concluded with the smiling dancers forming a giant pyramid, USA¡¯s dancer at the top, being the host country. The venue burst into loud applause and the dancers all bowed, maintaining their pyramid as the platform below them lowered them out of sight. ¡°Thank you for your attention. Please follow your respective leaders out of the lobby to the Quarters, where you will receive your dormitory assignments.¡± The teams slowly filed out of the tent, the room full of excited chatter. Calista was once again tempted to wave at the screaming fans flanking them, but decided to follow L¨ªlitha¡¯s advice. She stole a glance at the Mexican team on their right, who wore green and red suits, though the crowd obstructed most of them. On their left was the Canadian team. Calista wondered who she would wind up fighting. Who could eliminate her during the prelim rounds? Or¡­ maybe she¡¯d eliminate one of them. There was a chance. Chaos Rounds were full of surprises. Just as they were reaching the hotels, which were numerous buildings in a square surrounding a large park, connected by bridges, they heard a large crowd shouting nearby. When the fighters noticed they weren¡¯t cheering, but chanting angrily, they all paused their walk, looking over curiously. Calista had to stand on her tiptoes to see above all the tall fighters. It took her a moment to realize what the rowdy crowd near the hotels was doing. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± L¨ªlitha said, having stretched her legs so she could see above the crowd. Calista¡¯s face heated up. They were protesters¡ª Socializer protesters. There was no mistaking the eye-catching, brightly colorful hair and clothing they¡¯d chosen, as well as the face paint they¡¯d printed on. Their faces bore colors of red and black, which was common for them to wear in anti-Versus protests; red for blood and black for death. The most attention-garnering element were the projections they had magnified so everyone could see them. Besides the predictable ones like ¡®MURDERERS¡¯, ¡®RAGERS¡¯, ¡®WAR MONKEYS¡¯, and the like, there were projections of faces¡ª her face. Calista standing on a pile of dead bodies, covered in blood. Calista choking an innocent Socializer and lifting her in the air. Calista raising her fist against her own mother, who cowered in the corner. The images were too outrageous to ignore. L¨ªlitha retracted to her normal size and gripped Calista¡¯s arm, pulling her to continue walking. ¡°Don¡¯t look. It¡¯s what they want.¡± ¡°They made those¡­ they made me look like¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. They want attention, so let¡¯s not give it.¡± ¡°WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE, CALISTA MEDLEY!¡± a girl screamed. While the other country teams were confused, having no idea what this was about, almost all of Team USA turned to look at Calista, who was pushing through the stopped crowd towards the hotels with L¨ªlitha. Harrison also rushed to her side, hoping to shield her from the protesters¡¯ sight. Reporters were quick to send their Pets to the barrier blocking the protesters, zooming in on the projections and their painted faces. Calista ducked her head, hoping they wouldn¡¯t turn on her. ¡°Loyalty means nothing to you, Nothing next to filthy fame! After they give a beating to you, You¡¯ll wish you stayed in your lane! We know who you are, Medley, A snake who charmed us with your light! Now that you¡¯ve shed that skin, Cali, You¡¯ll never be a SociaLight!¡± ¡°Socializers are very creative, aren¡¯t they?¡± Hillary Kaye¡¯s voice said from behind as they finally entered the hotel. ¡°That¡¯s admittedly a clever chant.¡± ¡°Maybe her call sign should be Snakeskin,¡± Rosalina remarked, brushing past the human girl as she went up to the assignment kiosk in the center, receiving her room number and access. ¡°Calista ¡®Snakeskin¡¯ Medley. Nice ring. Maybe you can peel off that fake skin of yours after all that work you had done.¡± Hillary giggled as she also passed Calista, Bark at her side, remaining silent. ¡°You okay?¡± Harrison asked. ¡°I know that could¡¯ve been a bit¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Calista fake-smiled, a lump tightening her throat. She glanced at the other country teams pouring in. Most of them hadn¡¯t noticed her, mostly laughing about the incident, but there were a few eyes on her. She didn¡¯t think they¡¯d actually come here and do this. She was better off being an unknown fighter with only rumors under her name that most of the world didn¡¯t care about. Now that these people were here¡­ === Calista was brought some comfort when she reached her hotel room. The rooms were even fancier than the dorms at the academy; each of them had their very own in their respective country¡¯s building. The room was large and spacious, with a queen-sized sleep capsule; a large clothing storage for her new outfits, which she would definitely buy during the trip; a nice, big HARP corner; a study area; and a personal CDSim with the basic functions she¡¯d need for a good workout or brief training session. Calista sat at her comfy armchair, which was placed in front of a digital fireplace burning in hot pink. She¡¯d wasted no time in decking her entire room out in shades of her favorite colors. Her walls were pastel pink, the curtains white, and her sleep capsule matched her capsule back home in Indiana. She stared at the fake pink flames, still seeing the horrible images the protesters were showing her. She kept thinking back to the first time she¡¯d talked to her mother since she went to Fistborn, during Thanksgiving break, when Jennifer had jumped away in fear simply because she¡¯d raised her voice out of frustration. It hurt her like a stab to the stomach. Did Jennifer really think she¡¯d hurt her, as the protesters portrayed in their projections? ¡°Camelithia Courier and Belinda Adenifi have requested to enter,¡± said the AIDA. ¡°Let them in.¡± They entered, dressed in their formal school uniforms, without their Guild identification. ¡°Hey,¡± said Cam. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I guess. Just dealing with it. Fireplace off.¡± The flames flickered away. ¡°Why are you guys in uniform?¡± ¡°They always hold a social dinner for the teams to fraternize,¡± said Camelithia. ¡°It¡¯s appropriate to wear your uniform. You should come with us. It¡¯s good to establish some friendly relationships with the other fighters. If we get on the planet team, any one of them could be our new teammates.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it.¡± ¡°Since when do you not like¡­ well, socializing? It¡¯ll be fun! Most of them don¡¯t know who you are.¡± ¡°If enough of those ex-fans of mine come around, they just might.¡± ¡°Well, then, don¡¯t let that be your introduction. This is your chance to introduce yourself as you,¡± said Belinda. ¡°And by really getting to know you, they might decrease their urge to try and specifically eliminate you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Or it¡¯ll make them hate me more.¡± ¡°Come on, Cali. Please?¡± Cam said, giving her puppy eyes, which were made more adorable by her pink, sparkly, rhombus irises. She looked at the two, then sighed, rising from the chair. ¡°Alright, fine.¡± She changed into her uniform and followed them out. The dinner was held in a large room on the first floor, next to the lobby. All the fighters were dressed in their uniforms. Some countries¡¯ uniforms were similar or equal to Fistborn¡¯s in terms of design, while many others took on a more modern, non-traditional feel. Kenya had colorful shirts and pants, allowing their students to wear jewelry. Germany¡¯s students only wore matching jackets, using any pants or skirts they wanted. Switzerland had full body suits that were red at the top, then gradually turned white towards the bottom. ¡°Where do we sit?¡± Calista asked Cam. ¡°Wherever our names are¡­ there.¡± They went over to a table where their names were hovering. Calista sat next to Belinda. On her right was a human boy from Mexico, who looked a bit younger than her. On Cam¡¯s left was an older Martian girl from Italy. They ordered their meals, which promptly appeared before them. Calista glanced around, nervously nibbling on the salad she¡¯d ordered. ¡°What do we do?¡± she whispered to Belinda. ¡°We just¡­ talk, I suppose.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Calista was usually good at starting up conversation, but with the current circumstances, she wasn¡¯t sure about talking to these people. She pushed down every Socializer instinct she had. The Mexican boy noticed her fidgeting and smiled charmingly. ¡°Hi,¡± he said, his mouth pronouncing the word in Spanish. ¡°Hey,¡± she said awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m Javier Monterrey; Sodio Fighting School.¡± He shook her hand. ¡°American, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m Calista Medley. From Fistborn Academy.¡± ¡°A pleasure. You¡¯re pretty lucky. I hear Fistborn¡¯s a great school.¡± Relieved by the boy¡¯s amiable approach, she relaxed a bit. ¡°Yeah, it is. I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡± ¡°I imagine. If you¡¯re here, you¡¯re a good fighter.¡± ¡°Thank you. Are you here for the first time, too?¡± ¡°Yeah. My brother¡¯s here, too, he¡¯s¡­¡± He looked around until he spotted his family member. ¡°There he is. Daniel.¡± He waved to an older boy a few tables away. Calista also waved politely. ¡°He¡¯s been here before; it¡¯s his second year. He didn¡¯t make the Earth team, though, so he¡¯s trying again.¡± ¡°I hope I get on the team, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made it this far. I feel like us humans aren¡¯t taken as seriously, don¡¯t you think? But, hey, you saw those dancers. We can do a lot. I suppose we just need to show it off more.¡± A ding sounded and the lights flashed. Everyone rose from their tables. ¡°Uh, what happened?¡± Calista asked. ¡°This works like a speed date,¡± Cam explained. ¡°We go to different tables to meet everyone.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Calista smiled at Javier and shook his hand. ¡°Nice meeting you.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± Calista followed the girls to another table, but someone took the last seat before she could. Cam looked at the man; a Mercearthian from Canada. ¡°Um¡­ excuse me? My friend was about to sit there.¡± He didn¡¯t spare her a glance. ¡°She can sit somewhere else.¡± Cam was indignant, but Calista stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Cam. I¡¯ll go somewhere else.¡± She didn¡¯t want to make a scene over a chair. She sat at a nearby table, freezing immediately when she saw Rosalina at the other side. The woman either didn¡¯t notice her or didn¡¯t care, talking to a Klausian man from Belgium. Calista¡¯s meal appeared before her so she could continue. ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± she greeted politely. Most of the fighters took notice and returned the ¡®hello¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your face before,¡± a Martian girl from France said. She turned to her friend, asking her something. The translator was disabled to keep her question private. The other girl shrugged and shook her head cluelessly, glancing at Calista. The Martian girl rolled her eyes. ¡°Where have I seen you?¡± she asked Calista. ¡°Um¡­¡± She really hoped they wouldn¡¯t recall the face on the huge projections. Hopefully, France¡¯s team had been too far to get a clear view. ¡°Maybe in the lobby earlier?¡± she said. She glanced at Rosalina, who continued her conversation with the Belgian. ¡°Anyway. You¡¯re American?¡± the girl asked. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Cool. Is it your first time?¡± ¡°Yeah. My first year at my school, too.¡± ¡°Wow. Good job. Getting on the team that fast is always a good look.¡± The conversation with the French student was pleasant, though she kept trying to figure out where¡¯d she¡¯d seen Calista¡¯s face. Thankfully, the lights blinked before she could remember. Calista tried to reunite with Cam and Belinda, but the former found an old friend of hers on the British team, choosing to sit with her for the round. Belinda and Calista went to a different table, since the other was occupied. This table was a bit more awkward. They all happened to be from the ¡®higher¡¯ species, like Voraxians and Emitonians. Being the only human there, Calista felt slightly threatened. They were all standoffish and hardly paid her and Belinda any mind. The girls then reunited with Cam, who brought her friend, a Seeyastearthian girl. ¡°Girls, this is my bestie, Ethel. We grew up in Manchester together. Ethel, these are Belinda and Calista.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± The girl shook their hands. ¡°I¡¯m with a group of mates at a table, do you girls want to join?¡± ¡°Please,¡± Belinda said. They arrived at Ethel¡¯s table, which was full of British students. ¡°Everyone, these are my besties from America,¡± Cam said, presenting the two. ¡°This is Belinda, and that¡¯s Calista.¡± ¡°Calista?¡± A Mercurian girl eyed the Earthian. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the girl those yellers were singing about?¡± Glitches. Calista paused from eating. ¡°So, Calista here¡¯s in her first year,¡± Camelithia began, trying to change the subject, but to no avail. ¡°What were they singing about you for?¡± the Mercurian girl asked. ¡°I looked her up,¡± said a mousy-face Earthian boy. ¡°She was a Socializer, apparently. Used to run a little channel up until now, when she went to her academy.¡± All eyes were on her now. Calista¡¯s throat was dry. She glanced at Cam for help, but it seemed that even her outgoing self couldn¡¯t find a way to take attention off the subject. ¡°A Socializer? How¡¯d you get in?¡± another boy asked. Calista found her voice and cleared her throat. ¡°Um¡­ by training?¡± She drank her water. ¡°Well, everyone trains. I imagine you didn¡¯t train for a while if you were a Socializer,¡± said the Mercurian girl. ¡°W-well¡­ I started training when I realized that I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to have a channel anymore. I want to fight and work towards a goal.¡± Calista wrung her hands below the table. ¡°I reckon your mum wasn¡¯t happy about your sudden career change,¡± said the human boy, who Calista spitefully dubbed ¡®Mouseface¡¯ in her head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that American Socializers really don¡¯t take kindly to the Games.¡± ¡°Obviously not, Sherlock. You saw those people with their projections and their masks. Quite scandalous,¡± said another girl, raising her brows at Calista. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true¡­ but¡­¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Um, there¡¯s actually a group of Socializers that are into the Versus. But they¡¯re not as popular.¡± ¡°Everyone¡­¡± Cam raised a brow. ¡°She¡¯s here now, she¡¯s worked hard, and she¡¯s a fighter now. I hardly think her past or her family is any of your business.¡± Awkward silence. ¡°Anyway¡­ Ethel, we still haven¡¯t finished catching up. What have you been up to with all of¡­ these people?¡± She gave the rest of the table the stink eye. Camelithia successfully shifted the conversation for the rest of the round, but the damage was done. Calista could see the contempt and disgust in the other students¡¯ eyes. Thanks to those brainless idiots, her image was already ruined. She hoped they would dub her a weak target and decide to ignore her during the rounds. If she had this many people coming after her, she¡¯d be eliminated in seconds, along with her dream of representing Earth. 24- What the Glitch is This?! ¡°Good morning, Mr. Harrison Smith. It is now 6:20 in the morning of January 21st, 2350 in the city of Los Angeles, California. Breakfast will start at 6:30 AM and training will start at 7:30 AM. The first preliminary solo round is at 1:00 PM.¡± Harrison¡¯s stomach was immediately in knots. He ordered an omelet and dressed in one of Fistborn¡¯s exercise uniforms. All the uniforms now had the American flag on the back to avoid confusion with other countries. Despite the supplements the capsule had provided, Harrison was still weary from the previous day¡¯s work. He¡¯d trained himself, then trained with Calista and L¨ªlitha, going over every game possible. Thankfully, the Fighters¡¯ Hub building had a plethora of map training facilities to accommodate everyone. He was confident both of his students were ready, but he hated to admit he wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d pass. L¨ªlitha already had experience, so she had more chances than Calista. The human girl, on the other hand, was overthinking her every move, already predicting disaster. Harrison hadn¡¯t attended the ¡®speed-date¡¯ dinner, but judging from how Calista acted after the fact, it didn¡¯t go too well. The other team members¡¯ opinions clearly affected her confidence. He chose one of the many outdoor dining locations, on a balcony overlooking the beautiful skyline. Air-Cars zoomed by in the sky lanes and flags waved in the air. With every second that passed, his anxiety grew worse. He spent extra effort during training and studied possible maps that would appear in the first game. Deans Lisa and Gina felt the urgency, as well, overworking everyone throughout the period. Chaos Rounds were eponymous with how unpredictable they were. Anything could happen. There were various obstacles, booby traps, and top fighters all together in a mixing bowl of pandemonium. Even experienced fighters took blows to their reputation by being eliminated just because of some random trap or shift in the game. Time soon ran out for the 4,800 fighters in the competition. After lunchtime, everyone was due at the Group Chaos Arena A012 at 1 PM. The stadium was absolutely filled to the brim with Earth fans, both physically and virtually present. Harrison could hear their cheers thundering in the distance and through the many screens in the building when he went to the Armor Station to get into his combat suit. Maybe the walls were built thin on purpose to intimidate the fighters. He stepped into the chamber. It scanned his face, identifying him, and summoned his suit. His clothes were switched out with a second skin leotard first, then the metal pieces of the suit clasped around his body, arms, and legs. A helmet covered his head, resembling a football helmet, but his face was visible, protected by an invisible jaw guard and eye visor. On the back of his helmet and suit, his name read, ¡®SMITH, HARRISON; RANK #10¡¯ below the American flag. He stepped out and moved around, testing the suit to ensure it was on correctly. He could punch and kick with no problems, stretching his lithe limbs to their fullest. All the fighters entered elevators that rose up to the assigned fighting arena. Harrison entered the USA door, meeting with all of his teammates. The large elevator was lit up in red, white, and blue. He smiled at Calista, who looked sick. Her normally rosy complexion was sickly pale. He sat next to her and nudged her. ¡°Hey.¡± She only smiled, as if afraid to speak. She probably felt nauseous. ¡°Did you see your family?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, last night, but on a call. It was past curfew.¡± Her voice was hoarse. She swallowed. ¡°They¡¯re really excited for me. They got face paints, projections¡­ so much to support me. For one round.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t quit already.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t know what to feel.¡± ¡°You want a raspberry tonic?¡± L¨ªlitha remarked from the side. ¡°I had one already.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s the first round. Everyone¡¯s nervous. But we¡¯re going in there together. Just¡­ think of it as a fashion show. You¡¯re going out there to look good. Which is sorta true.¡± He smirked. ¡°You can flirt with the cameras.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I know when to flirt and when not to, thank you. Unlike you.¡± He smiled. At least she loosened up a little bit. ¡°Remember, we¡¯re a team, and we¡¯re going in together. It¡¯s a solo round, but we¡¯re allowed to work together, okay?¡± ¡°We are?¡± ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t think you¡¯re safe just because you see one of us,¡± said L¨ªlitha. ¡°I¡¯m going to kick your butt if I see either of you.¡± ¡°Thanks, Li,¡± Harrison said sarcastically. He then told Calista, ¡°Just remember what I told you. Lay low, don¡¯t look for fights, and avoid any known Legends. You studied them, so you should remember who they are. If anything, just assume that anyone who comes at you is a Legend and you¡¯re good.¡± The elevator started ascending. The tension in the room thickened, every fighter¡¯s breath hitching. Even the Student Coaches showed a bit of anxiety. Lisa rose from her seat, addressing the students. ¡°I know all of you are nervous. It¡¯s a very normal feeling. But all of you are here for a reason. All of you are capable. And even if you are eliminated, don¡¯t think you¡¯re not a good fighter. Even Legends get eliminated in the Chaos Rounds. Do not doubt yourself or beat yourself up. Beat your opponents up.¡± She smiled at them. ¡°Now, go do your country proud. For the family. For the fame.¡± ¡°For the win,¡± everyone finished the academy¡¯s motto in unison. The elevator stopped and opened into a chamber. Large metal doors blocked them from the arena. A timer above counted down from 30 seconds. As the host country this year, they were exiting first. ¡°Please line up according to rank. You will exit in two columns; one of male students, one of female students,¡± AIDA instructed. The fighters moved to organize themselves, separating. Calista stood at the end of the women¡¯s line, which was a bit longer than the men¡¯s. A screen to the left showed what was appearing on the most popular Versus News channels broadcasting the event. One by one, they were showing the members¡¯ recorded scans of them posing, with their stats next to them. Harrison inwardly cringed when he saw his; he¡¯d flashed his smirk and crossed his arms. Calista was right; he was really arrogant. It was now or never. It was his chance to prove everyone¡¯s claims wrong. He deserved to be there. He deserved his position and rank. He deserved to be respected. He prayed to God that Calista would make it through, too, not only because he would be more respected as her coach, but because he really wanted her to succeed. She had so much potential. So much talent and determination. She deserved a chance to show what she could do. === Calista was shaking in her suit, already activating the cooling mechanism. She wasn¡¯t ready for this. All the explanation and training she received in the academy couldn¡¯t prepare her for how intense the competition really was. And these were only the prelims. By the time Calista¡¯s pose came up on the screen, showing her graceful hair flip, the doors buzzed and opened. The deafening cheers flooded in and the USA¡¯s national anthem echoed around them. Light blinded them from the fake blue sky above. ¡°Oh, say, can you see, By the dawn¡¯s early light¡­¡± The girl¡¯s mouth dried up like a desert when she saw the screaming fans. She tried to look for her family, but it was impossible. How were there so many fans on Earth alone? They circled around a large, blue dome in the middle of the arena¡ª the Enhanced Reality Map Materializer, or ERMM barrier. Inside, they would encounter the game environment. It was pure blue at the moment, with no sign of what kind of game it was. They stood and put their hands over their hearts to sing the rest of the anthem. Once they finished, they presented the rest of the 31 countries, all with their own anthems. After over an hour of standing¡ª and dying of anxiety¡ª and 15 more minutes of stretching, they finally finished the formalities. The announcer soon spoke. ¡°Welcome one, welcome all, to the very first round of the 2350 Versus Games Preliminaries on Earth!¡± The crowd cheered. ¡°For those uninformed, I am Adrian Lasso, and I will be announcing for the prelim rounds! We have many special contenders, from Legends to rising rookies, in the roster this year! Now we¡¯ll finally see what the developers cooked up for our fighters in this 10-minute first round, focusing on our fighters¡¯ Strength!¡± The randomizer wheel appeared above the ERMM dome. The fighters¡¯ breaths hitched as it turned at lightning speed, exciting the crowd. It then slowed until stopping at the game the engineers had secretly selected the night before. ¡®VOLCANO RUSH¡¯. The crowd roared louder in excitement. The blue color dissolved from the barrier, distortedly revealing a barren land with rivers of lava. That already told Calista that this was going to be crazy. ¡°Wow! What a challenge for the first game! Let¡¯s see how our beloved countries fare in the Strength round of the prelims! Good luck, competitors!¡± This was not good for Calista¡¯s stomach. She swallowed down her bile and forced herself to stop trembling. ¡°10¡­ 9¡­ 8¡­¡± The crowd stomped rhythmically as they counted, shaking the arena. Her family was watching. She couldn¡¯t disappoint them. Her former friends were watching. She couldn¡¯t give them the satisfaction. Harrison was here. She couldn¡¯t let all his teaching go to waste. ¡°FIGHT!¡± They shot forward like bullets. The minute they touched the barrier, they disappeared in blue streaks soaring over the dome, teleporting them to random places on the map. The barrier then expanded so the crowd could see inside. Calista landed on a rocky surface, nearly falling over. She caught herself and rose, looking around her. No one seemed to be around. The crowd noise was now toned down tenfold. The sudden calmness was eerie, bringing her guard up. Her helmet suddenly beeped urgently, a red dot blinking in her invisible visor. She turned, finding a fireball heading straight for her. She screamed and ran, jumping before it could hit her. When she avoided it, another fireball struck the ground near her, then another. Soon, an entire firestorm rained upon her. She ran as fast as she could, her panic increasing. She wasn¡¯t thinking clearly or even checking if any enemies were around. The fireballs broke up the ground and sent rubble flying everywhere. One landed behind her, launching her forward. She landed with a grunt and covered her head, her body curling up as more destruction exploded. She looked up and spotted a volcano, which spit out magma rocks of all shapes and sizes in all directions. ¡°Calista, get up!¡± Lindsay screamed in her headset. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± At her Pet¡¯s prompt, the girl rose on shaky legs and continued running. Her helmet beeped again, but before she could react, a body slammed into her. She slid on her back and crashed into a rock. Her helmet kept her from being knocked out. A Mearthian fighter from the Costa Rican team smiled, approaching Calista menacingly. She scrambled to stand, patting the ground for a rock to throw at him. ¡°For the love of¡­ just fight him!¡± Lindsay exclaimed. Calista luckily found a stone and hurled it at him. He easily deflected it with his arm, laughing. ¡°Really?¡± he said in Spanish, the translator letting Calista understand. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. A fireball landed behind the fighter. The ground beneath him suddenly crumbled and he fell with a scream. A second later, a blue streak shot through the barrier, soaring above the map. ¡°Oh! First elimination: Elimooo Contreras, number 125 from Team Costa Rica!¡± Lasso exclaimed. The fighter landed outside the barrier in front of his country¡¯s door. In a fit of rage, he threw down his helmet and struck his fists on the sandy ground. Being the first eliminated was extremely humiliating, especially if it was a booby trap. What was worse: an accidental booby trap. ¡°Girl, you gotta do more than throw rocks. What¡¯s going on with you?!¡± Lindsay chastised her owner. ¡°This is the Strength round!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything!¡± Calista shrieked when more fireballs started coming at her. Once again, she was running for her life, screaming at every explosion around her. Rock towers collapsed and holes opened in the ground. She then encountered more enemies. These were fighting each other, using the environment to their advantage. A Mercurian was jumping and kicking the incoming magma rocks towards his opponents. A Hajjian was breathing fire at the rocks, increasing their explosive intensity. Many were simply punching the rocks as they fell, deflecting them into the air or breaking them apart. This, of course, created an even more chaotic environment. Calista¡¯s ears heard nothing but explosion after explosion, overwhelming the girl. Everywhere she turned, she was blown back by an impact or nearly hit by a projectile. ¡°What the glitch is this?!¡± she screamed at the top of her lungs. This was the definition of a Chaos Round. It was no wonder fighters got eliminated so quickly. There was so much going on. Blue streaks continuously traversed the barrier, followed by an announcement of their defeat. Every eliminated fighter would demonstrate their rage with screaming, punching and kicking the ground, and the ¡®traditional¡¯ helmet throw of rage. Calista didn¡¯t know how long she spent running and taking cover from the destruction. She didn¡¯t dare confront anyone in this mayhem. She was absolutely terrified, her heart racing faster than the speed of light, and confusion wracked her brain. She couldn¡¯t understand exactly where she was or what was going on. She just wanted to survive. The constant warning beep on her helmet, coupled with Lindsay screaming at her, gave her even more anxiety. She was practically on the verge of tears with how overcome she was. She found shelter underneath a fallen rock, crawling underneath and taking a moment to breathe. ¡°Ohhh, that is a bummer! Nearly 70% of Team Panama from the ¨¢guila Combat Camp has just been eliminated entirely from the competition, all thanks to a MASSIVE lava ravine trap! What a tough break for Panama.¡± As Lasso spoke, multiple streaks rose up like comets on the barrier, all heading towards the Panama section. When the fighters landed, they all left the arena, enraged and humiliated. 70% of an entire team? How the glitch would she survive, then? An explosion set off next to her. With another scream, she scrambled out of her hiding place. She stopped short, confronted by a group of enemies. ¡°I thought I heard cowardly screaming,¡± an Emitonian Danish fighter chuckled. He stopped one of the incoming rocks with his telekinetic powers and shot it at the human girl. All she could do was brace herself from the pain. Unwittingly, as she made an ¡®X¡¯ block with her arms, her suit activated a shield that bounced the rock away. It deflected to the side and hit a random fighter, shooting him into a lava lake. He soared in a blue streak a second later. ¡°Another coincidental elimination! Jerry Trolocan from Team Canada has been kicked out of the prelims!¡± ¡°You are lucky,¡± the Danish fighter said. ¡°How did I¡­?¡± Calista looked at her arms. ¡°You activated your deflective shields, stupid,¡± Lindsay said, her tone extremely annoyed. ¡°Just fight, please.¡± Calista got to her feet, charging forward and tackling the fighter before he could shoot another rock at her. Before she could pin him down, however, he threw her off and flattened her on the ground with his powers. ¡°Use your boots!¡± Lindsay shouted. ¡°You need to push down as hard as you can; it¡¯s harder in the Strength round!¡± Calista obeyed and pressed her feet into the ground. She activated the impulse in her boots and gloves to counteract the mental force, bursting back up on her feet. Her balance was thrown off, allowing the Emitonian to shoot her into a wall of rock. She coughed, struggling to rise from the horrible pain. She sucked in a breath and looked up. The other fighters had formed a circle, blocking her from escaping. It was like a pack of wild animals closing in on their prey. ¡°Can¡¯t you help me?¡± she wheezed, talking to her Pet. ¡°I can¡¯t activate so early in the competition,¡± said Lindsay. ¡°I can only tell you what to do.¡± As the Emitonian raised his hands to finish her off, a blur of red, white, and green smashed into him. The fighter rolled to his feet, leaving the unconscious Emitonian, and confronted the rest of the circle. Calista finally picked herself up. With a last glance at the unknown fighter, she ran for it. Her helmet beeped to warn her of the incoming projectiles, sending her back into panic mode. Someone flew through the barrier. ¡°Ooh! Brunchi Host from Team USA has been eliminated!¡± Another streak followed. ¡°And another! Versus Legend Sugasaka ¡®Blender¡¯ Utsuya just fell in a trap! What a tough break for Team Japan.¡± The traps. With the way Calista was running around like a frightened mouse, it was a miracle she hadn¡¯t fallen into one. ¡°Calista, you came here to fight, not run. If you see an enemy, you should avoid them, but if you have no choice, at least keep some of your pride!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, taking cover at a rock. She covered her face and let some tears fall. Her breaths were heavy and wheezy. ¡°I just¡­ I just¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t expect so much¡­ it¡¯s so much scarier than I thought.¡± ¡°I get that, but it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to die. Just take a breath and restart. The volcano, the fire¡ª that¡¯s all fake. Chill.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. ¡°Okay. I can¡­ I can do this.¡± A magma rock hit the rock she was sitting up against. She screamed, running away. ¡°No, I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t!¡± She tripped over a rock behind her, falling on her rear. A trap activated a few feet away, opening a hole leading to elimination. An approaching fighter didn¡¯t stop in time, falling straight in. ¡°And another accidental elimination; Hilsoom Bentana from Reto Versus Academy! Costa Rica is running out of fighters!¡± ¡°There¡¯s three minutes left,¡± said Lindsay. ¡°Get your cache together and stop screaming, for the love of the Utopia! You need to show some strength!¡± ¡°This girl is a big fan of accidentally getting rid of fighters, isn¡¯t she?¡± she heard Lasso add outside. Calista could only keep running. There was no goal or objective in these rounds. It was just to survive and last until the timer ran out. She didn¡¯t want to fight anyone, so she hoped to find a hiding spot somewhere and wait it out. Her helmet beeped again, warning her of an incoming enemy behind her. ¡°Oh, huuumaaan!¡± someone sang. She turned, tackled by a Voraxian girl in the colors of Ireland. She looked around her same age. The girl pinned her down, studying her face. ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re not as remarkable as they said you were.¡± She punched the Earthian. Calista gritted her teeth and fought back, pushing the girl¡¯s face up to target her throat. The girl choked, getting off her, and then smiled. ¡°Okay, lass. I see ya. Better than you runnin¡¯ and screamin¡¯ like a Makakian child.¡± Now that Calista saw her face, she looked familiar. ¡°Is she a Legend?¡± she asked Lindsay. ¡°Yup. You¡¯re dead,¡± said Lindsay. As Calista went into defensive mode, blocking the girl¡¯s rapid-fire attacks, her visor identified her opponent, displaying her name and stats. She was F¨ªadh ¡®Rapid-Fire¡¯ Dinan, the 25th best student in Balla L¨¢idir Fighting Center. That made sense. ¡°Focus, okay? Just stay on defense and try and dance around her. She¡¯s going to back you into a trap. If anything, get her into the trap.¡± The suit helped in keeping Calista¡¯s energy and strength up, but this girl was merciless. She landed a few hits, too fast for the human to catch up. ¡°Get around her. You¡¯re going to fall in a trap,¡± said Lindsay. Using the mild jump boost, Calista gracefully leapt over F¨ªadh and landed behind her, backing up a bit. She cautiously looked around for any buttons, scanners, or other modes of trap activation, but found none. ¡°Do you know where the traps are?¡± she asked her Pet. ¡°I can¡¯t show you,¡± Lindsay answered. F¨ªadh attacked again, sliding to trip Calista. She kicked Calista¡¯s side and lifted her, slamming an uppercut in her chin. The Earthian flew a couple feet and landed on her back. Dizziness overcame her, coupled with excruciating pain. ¡°Stay awake!¡± F¨ªadh didn¡¯t give her a chance to recover, overwhelming her with another onslaught of punches. Calista lifted her feet and kicked her with all her might, sending her flying. The Voraxian coughed and clutched her stomach as she stood. ¡°That¡¯s good! That was a good kick,¡± Lindsay encouraged. It was, but it had taken a lot of Calista¡¯s strength. Nonetheless, she ran forward and jumped as F¨ªadh stood, sending a flying kick to her face. Unfortunately, the move was too predictable. F¨ªadh grabbed ahold of the girl¡¯s boots and spun her around with a roar of effort, throwing her to the other side. Calista saw a boulder approaching her. She screamed and braced herself for the horrible impact. The suit protected her from most of it, but it still hurt like glitches. The boulder broke apart into rubble. She landed on the ground and groaned, trying to stand up. A fireball landed near her with a huge bang, getting a shriek out of her. She stood, turning away from the flying rubble, only for F¨ªadh to punch her again. She fell again and crab-walked backwards. Behind her, a ravine opened, leading down to a bubbling river of lava. She stopped, trapped. ¡°And another mass elimination through a ravine trap! The remaining bunch of Denmark¡¯s fighters are out of the competition!¡± ¡°Calista, do something!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know-¡± She rolled out of the way as the other girl slammed her fist in the ground. She kicked Calista in the side, toppling her over. Instantly getting to her feet, Calista twirled on her toes and kicked her in the stomach. ¡°Get her in the ravine!¡± With a shred of confidence, Calista took advantage of F¨ªadh¡¯s imbalance and jumped, twirling in the air to kick her in the face. Her foot made contact, pushing her towards the ravine. F¨ªadh held out her hands instinctively and pushed off the ground, as if doing a push-up, and stood up straight. Before Calista could do anything, F¨ªadh pulled her by the wrist and was sent into the open ravine with a final kick. Calista could feel the lava¡¯s warmth grow on her back as she fell closer and closer. F¨ªadh watched her fall for a couple of seconds, then disappeared. Calista could only stare as the surface got further. This was the end of her run. Now it would take her four more years to get another chance. All of that¡­ for what? She sighed, hearing the loud ¡®GAME OVER¡¯ before she hit the lava. === Harrison couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment when he saw Calista outside the barrier at the end of the game. It was a crazy round for him, too, but nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. He eliminated and booby-trapped lots of first-time fighters that targeted him, using all the falling rocks as his weapons. Most of Team USA had thankfully stayed in the game. Those that were eliminated were mainly rookies who got overconfident during the round. They returned to the elevator, meeting the eliminated competitors, who clapped for them. Calista went to the corner of the elevator and sulked. ¡°Hey, Calista, how was your first round?¡± Hillary smiled, crossing her legs. ¡°Pretty scary, no?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. She was screaming her head off the whole round,¡± said a boy. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°We watched it here when we got kicked out. It helped lift our spirits, honestly. She was running around like a headless chicken. It was hilarious.¡± The girl curled up in shame, looking away. Camelithia immediately went over to comfort her, shooting an offensive gesture at the other fighters. Harrison sat down and breathed out tiredly, leaning his head on the wall. Once they were all settled in, they descended to the lobby. ¡°Congratulations, everyone,¡± said Lisa. ¡°We¡¯ve managed to keep 134 of our members in the games. I¡¯m going to remind you all¡ª those who were eliminated, don¡¯t think you are a failure. You all did the best you could.¡± ¡°Yeah, Medley put a lot of effort into screaming like a howler monkey,¡± someone remarked. The elevator burst with giggles, but was silenced with Lisa¡¯s intimidating glare. Everyone looked away, not wanting to test the Dean¡¯s patience further. ¡°All of you did your best. Next Versus, you¡¯ll have a chance to redeem yourself. Don¡¯t stop training. There¡¯s plenty of great Legends who didn¡¯t make it in their first Versus.¡± They exited the elevator. Calista kept her gaze down, hoping her helmet would conceal her identity from the other fighters. Harrison could hear many celebrating their victory while others vented their frustrations about not continuing. He patted her back. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much on it,¡± he said. She didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Cali, you want to go get a bevvy or something?¡± Camelithia put an arm around her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m 18, remember?¡± she replied. ¡°Oh, right. How about a milkshake?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± ¡°There¡¯s spas here, you know,¡± Harrison told her. ¡°You can relax. It was a harsh round.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m just going to my room,¡± she sighed. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Belinda ran over. ¡°You guys are fast.¡± She patted Calista¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, okay? It was a crazy round.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys made it through, at least.¡± ¡°I almost didn¡¯t,¡± said Belinda. ¡°God, it was so embarrassing.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± As she began the story, they passed an entire HARP screen wall displaying every Versus channel from each country, even those that weren¡¯t participating this year. Foreign languages faded in and out. Xavier Hennett¡¯s unmistakable voice could be heard. ¡°¡­pretty interesting story around her. I¡¯d say her call sign has to be ¡®Lady Luck¡¯. It¡¯s ridiculous how many times she¡¯s been spared.¡± Harrison stopped, curiosity striking. The girls also stopped, Belinda pausing her storytelling. ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± said Yvonne. ¡°This technicality could be some kind of sign, Xavier. The barrier wanted her, but God said no.¡± Xavier faced the camera. ¡°We have just received confirmation that Calista Medley of Team USA, who was thought to be the last competitor eliminated in the first preliminary round, is actually still in the tournament. It turns out the timer finished just half a second before she hit the barrier!¡± Harrison¡¯s jaw dropped. He looked at Calista, whose emerald eyes were fixed on the HARP. A slow-motion replay of her fight with F¨ªadh displayed, showing her falling into the ravine trap. The timer at the top turned to 00:00 just before she turned into a blue trail in the ERMM barrier. ¡°According to the Versus bylaws, eliminations in timed rounds are only counted within the set time limit. Any eliminations after the timer hits 0 are null and void, no exceptions,¡± Yvonne explained. ¡°Holy glitches.¡± Camelithia¡¯s face filled with elation. She smiled at Calista. ¡°You¡¯re still in! You have another chance!¡± She hugged her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t look happy¡­¡± Belinda was looking behind them, where a crowd of fighters from many teams had formed to watch the screens. Their eyes were now on the girl, filled with contempt, disgust, and even rage. ¡°You should go,¡± Harrison prompted them, glaring back at the crowd, as if daring them to say a word or lay a finger on any of them. Many of them turned away, but others challenged his glare. ¡°Makes sense if she¡¯s Cheater¡¯s student,¡± Hillary remarked, appearing at the front of the group. ¡°You think you¡¯re so lucky, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Calista, come on.¡± Belinda pushed her and Cam down the hall. Harrison stayed behind, watching the HARP. The other news anchors in all the other channels voiced their own reactions to Calista¡¯s almost-elimination. They all carried the same tone; suspicion. Everyone watching heard the report in their language, their faces changing. ¡°So I get glitched off, but she gets to stay?!¡± an Australian fighter exclaimed. ¡°What in the blags are you Yanks doing? I¡¯ve trained two Versus years to get on the team, and I¡¯m out already. Meanwhile, this narcissistic Socializing glitch gets in on some glitching technicality?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Harrison approached the young man menacingly. He wouldn¡¯t do anything, but in the Versus world, intimidation was key to survival. ¡°You¡¯re the one who got yourself bugged out of the game. If it took you eight years to get as far as that, you should check yourself. Now get your face out of here.¡± The fighter glared back ferociously, but backed down. Harrison turned his glare to Hillary, who had that irritating satisfied smirk on her face. She was the nastiest Paeseoan he¡¯d ever met. ¡°I don¡¯t care whose girlfriend you are. Calista¡¯s my Favorite. You glitch with her, you glitch with me. I have a limit, Kaye. And if Davies has a problem with me, he can say it to my face.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s not afraid of you. And neither am I.¡± She turned. ¡°See you in the next round, Cheater.¡± Harrison breathed out, going to the chamber to remove his suit. Calista and the other two weren¡¯t there, probably having retreated to the dorms. Calista had another chance, but with it came an even bigger challenge. People thought they were being unfairly ousted. They thought she was stealing their place. So it was up to Harrison to prepare her enough to face the next round; Strategy.