When I agreed with Birgit’s proposal, I expected to be at least somewhat uncomfortable. However, I still didn’t expect this.
Ivan and Sadid had brought the two Sofias together, while Birgit had brought Azam–who was standing awfully close to her for some reason–as well as another girl that I didn’t recognize. She was tall, as in probably over a head taller than me, and had purple hair and eyes.
Everybody turned when Ahmed and I entered. My dorm mates came to talk to us with Ivan pestering Ahmed and asking him a billion and one questions. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain shoot through the left side of my head.
For a brief, breathtaking second, one that was more horrifying than I cared to admit, everything washed away. And Paragon was standing there. I was suddenly very aware of my neck, bringing up my hand to lightly touch it, until I felt another hand on my shoulder.
Everything went back to normal. Normal. I was surrounded by people, most of whom I didn’t even know for a day. Suddenly I became very aware of that fact. Iraklis was out in America, my parents in Greece and Birgit–Birgit was still standing at the edge of the stadium looking at me with a mix of sadness, anger and something else I couldn’t quite place.
The stadium itself was massive. It had a metal floor, hundreds of seats on the edges, with a small door on the furthest wall, presumably leading to the actual gym.
“So,” said Birgit, coming up to us. “Are you all ready for some sparring?”
She was smirking, and I could tell that she’d been looking forward to this all day. Still, she was avoiding making eye contact with me, which I tried to ignore, but it was getting more and more difficult.
“I’m so ready that you won’t see me coming,” said the ever smirking Ivan.
“Your trash talk needs some work,” said Birgit with a small giggle. “Was that how you planned to best me at swimming?”
“We aren’t swimming now,” said Ivan. He kneeled down to the floor, touching it, and suddenly his whole body, at least what wasn’t covered by his black shorts and white T-Shirt–the standard Atlantis workout suit we were all wearing–was coated into metal.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Everyone gasped, and I barely managed to keep my inner fanboy hidden, even with everything that was going on.
Azam then stepped forward, getting close to me. He was slightly taller, but not so much that I had to really look up at him. He was smirking too. “Then I’d like to go against Alexander.”
“Really?” I said with a clench of my fists. That didn’t look like it would be…ideal. Could I beat him? At that moment the only way that seemed possible was if I got the chance to use my powers on him.
And I-I didn’t know if I could do that. This wasn’t a life or death situation. I couldn’t help but flash back to Maria. Even the villains I had faced off against. They screamed. I-I didn’t have time to worry about that now.
Besides, there was another part of me. A part that wanted to show him what I would do. I didn’t know what his issue was, but I also didn’t care. At that point all I wanted to do was wipe that smirk of his away.
Normally, even the idea of thinking like that, of using my power, would send me running. It wouldn’t be the first time. It happened most times when I ran into Maria.
Now, I didn’t care. I got closer to him, so that we were uncomfortably close. I didn’t like it, but it felt appropriate. “Bring it on, γρόθε,”
Unfortunately, we weren’t the first ones to fight. That honour went to Birgit and Ivan. They both went in with absolute confidence and, based on how low the temperature had gotten, at least one of them was ready to go all out.
Birgit raised a chunk of ice from the floor, guiding it with her hand until shards of it shot out to Ivan. They just crashed against him. He laughed and the temperature got even lower.
Birgit launched herself into the air using small platforms, landing behind Ivan. He turned around, but before he could react, it was over. She swiped his feet, bringing him down. She then proceeded to step on his chest with Ice forming around her foot and snaking its way across his entire body.
“You see now?” whispered Azam as he came to sit next to me. “There’s a difference between you and me. And that was it. We’re the top of the top. You-you’re the ones that barely made the cut.”
Before I could respond to him, he had already left to make his way to the middle of the stadium and break Birgit’s ice with a few punches before going to her starting position. Ivan shedded the metal from himself–literally, the metal pieces dropped to the floor. He exchanged some banter with Birgit before coming up to the seats, sitting next to me.
I got up, passing by Birgit as I made my way to Ivan’s spot. I looked down at my hands and removed my gloves, putting them in my pocket.
I flexed my fingers.
I smirked.