Cassie stood outside the classroom. The main thought on her mind was: Why were doors always so skinny? She adjusted Granite to fit through the door frame, awkwardly crouching and shuffling sideways as she opened the door.
[Only use techniques Doctor Jacq has not seen you use previously; regular body functions do not count as techniques; running, walking and dodging are permitted]
“So that’s how that’s being enforced.” She spoke as she walked onto the loose rock that fell into darkness. She caught herself before she joined them.
It was almost as if the door she had just walked through was the entrance to a cave on the side of a cliff. In front of her were multiple mountain islands in a sea of rock of different heights, and perched on one spear of rock was Dr Jacq, who had just fired a bow.
With only under a second to react, she managed to block the arrow with Granite, which splintered near her face.
“Good,” Jacq yelled. “Your reaction speeds improved. Let’s see what else has.”
They disappeared from view.
Cassie groaned internally. She had hoped she wouldn’t have to try out the technique Star had suggested, but with slight hesitation, she put her foot flat against the wall and shifted her relative gravity.
***
Alex was having a great time. The terrain he had been given was perfect for him. Huge glass skyscrapers with random tech junk in them looked like they fit visually, but the illusion faded once he got near enough to sense them.
His… rocket boosters? Fire jets? Air walkers? Whatever they were, they were fun and allowed him to fly. He was not as graceful as a Legacy, but he was enough to allow him movement that he could use against Jacq. Plus, he hasn’t crashed as hard as he had during practice. He really should have thought about dodging projectiles, but he has only been hit by three out of ten so far.
The main problem he had was multitasking, as controlling himself in the air took more thought than he had given credit to. While he had managed to hit at least a couple Jacqs it had made him lose control slightly like a dog on skates. Glass was a lot tougher than people give it credit.
Jacq was yelling at him about something, but between the sound of the jets and the concentration it took to stabilise himself, he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Maybe next time, it might be easier to make a whole suit instead of just boots and gloves. Ooo! Maybe he could develop auto stabilisers and shoulder projectiles!
Another arrow hit his shoulder.
“Ow,” Alex said instinctually.
This is why teammates are so useful: They think of the current moment, whereas he could think of more interesting things. There was also an issue with the lesson format for him, as it didn’t trigger his battle code, making him unable to give the fight his full attention.
What he really needed at this moment was a weapon that he hadn’t used before and didn’t require as much thought as flinging the junk at Jacqs. If only he could use the flight to fight.
Wait! He could use the jets to fight, as fire hurt. It was so simple. Though he would need to get closer, which did get rid of that advantage, the fire would change his current velocity to the opposite of where he pointed, which may be less stable and easier to dodge. It could also work to his advantage, as he could attack and run simultaneously. More data was needed.
Time for attempt number one.
***
Mathew was not having fun. He did not deal well with heat and was being surrounded.
Jacq had decided that the main area he needed to work on was dealing with multiple targets rather than one big one. Unfortunately, that observation was apt. He was being put under pressure and needed to fire off spells while moving and avoiding the lava around him.
The terrain also tested his endurance. He was unable to stop for too long due to how hot the floor was. Any area he managed to cool enough was not cool for long due to the molten rock pools around him. He had already caught alight multiple times and had the burn marks to prove it.
Mathew’s main challenge was not falling back on old habits. He kept instinctually reaching for his tried-and-true spells, but that dam rule. He wasn’t as practised in the new ones as the ones he’d used for years, so he got a blast from the past as they occasionally destabilised with varied consequences.
In all honesty, he hadn’t given the rule the respect it deserved, as he couldn’t think of how it could be enforced. So when the rule appeared in front of him, he cursed a bit. He had been completely thrown off after he tried to cast a blast spell. The resulting punishment almost made him sick, which would have been embarrassing.
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His research had borne fruit, though, with a few new spells he could add to the mix, and the rule didn’t completely remove his access to his typical spells, just using them normally. He had already used the blast spell to move across a lava pond. It had been a shot in the dark, but he had learned that as it was formed using his aura, it couldn’t harm him directly if he didn’t want it to. This was extremely useful information, but not so much immediately.
The Jacqs taunted him as he ran. The running commentary got tiring, as every mistake was lampshaded as he made them. There were some compliments when he managed to do something interesting, like hitting multiple Jacqs with lava through a blast spell, but they were far and between. He had been proud of that, but it hadn’t lasted long.
He needed more. Could he adapt the shield spell? That might be able to work as a way to knock a few Jacqs away. It likely wouldn’t be too much mental strain to keep up, while using the other arm to attack directly. Maybe he’ll get lucky with the lava around him.
He can only try, though Jacq’s yelling tips and encouragement were definitely distracting.
***
Cassie was becoming more confident in her new technique; while initially, it had been disorienting as she timed the shift incorrectly, as the lesson went on, it got easier. She was having more fun with it as she got used to the feeling. Some of the pillars were certainly easier to walk on than others and she certainly wasn’t as agile as some of her peers but it allowed her to jump between each rock spear while Jacq was only able to walk on the tops of them.
It certainly wasn’t easy. Cassie felt that Jacq might have been going easy on her, but the lesson definitely opened up more possibilities that she hadn’t considered. She did get a little cocky with it, jumping between the islands and shifting her gravity as she moved, which lasted until she missed nearly face-planting as she got the timing wrong.
Jacq pretended that they hadn’t seen that, but she saw his held laughter. She knocked over the offending rock in response with Granite who tired her out more than he usually did as her usual technique of making him light Jacq had seen and therefore was not allowed. She had forgotten how heavy he was on her arm.
She may have been improving, but she grew more tired as the lesson went on. She had to wipe the sweat from her eyes and smudged her makeup.
There were still more Jacqs to face as she deflected the projectiles they sent at her, both with Granite and by changing their gravity, making them under or overshoot. She got closer to the main rock island, which was larger and flatter than the rest, and had the main group of Jacqs to meet her.
The end was in view.
***
The damage was adding up. Alexes’s plan had worked, but at the cost of a few shots, he was going to call lucky from Jacq. His difficulty hearing had also been used against him, and while he managed to dodge on time due to his aura sense, he had not noticed the female Jacq sneaking behind him.
He still had plenty of energy, but he was going to need to limit the number of hits he was going to take. He could use the junk around him to patch up some of the holes, but it would be better if he could prevent the holes in the first place, which was obvious but annoying still.
With the amount of Jacqs steadily increasing, he had been having a more difficult time getting away and so he made the decision and went into one of the skyscrapers. The confined space allowed him to concentrate the Jacqs, making them easier to deal with the disadvantage of reducing his available escape routes but also made it more difficult for him to be crept up on.
“Finally, you turned of those loud engines, you know I don’t appreciate being ignored,” Jacq complained as the fought their way through the different levels of the skyscraper. “But if you actually want to use those out in the field, try and make them quieter. Though your group would be at less of a disadvantage, it’s still necessary to hear your surroundings.”
“Good point. I have had many ideas from this lesson,” Alex replied. I can’t wait to tinker with them. I think I’ve got enough data for a orientation software.”
***
Mathew was breathing heavily; he had whittled Jacq’s numbers down to three. He was covered in soot and sweat, making his clothes cling to him uncomfortably. He stared them down. His throat itched with an upcoming cough.
He had formed gauntlets over his arms like Toms; he thought he might have enough energy to finish them.
“You’ve done well despite your clear disadvantage in this test.” The middle Jacq said, then looked slightly thoughtful for a second, “Maybe the lava was mean, but then again, when have I been nice? Anyway, you’re near the finish line.”
He readied himself for the final push.
***
“Well, that was certainly tiring,” Alex said out loud, stretching a bit.
“Your classmates are going to hate you,” Jacq just laughed, “Most of them are nearly unable to get up, and you call it ‘certainly tiring’. Classic.”
Alex didn’t think too much of it and made his way back to his room. Surprisingly, he didn’t spot any of his classmates, and everyone else who saw him looked slightly dumbfounded.
Unfortunately, he wanted to get to tinkering, but he needed to concentrate on fixing himself first. He was also running slightly low on energy.
It took a slight while for the rest of his team to return. Each only gave him a passing glance before crashing onto their beds. The last of them was Tom, who was covered in grass stains and smelt vaguely of ozone.
He passed him a can from the fridge, which he seemed grateful for.
“Hey, boss, how’d you find it.”
He grunted in response. Alex assumed that he was tired like the rest of the team, though he wasn’t surprised, as he had taken the longest to get back and looked terrible like the rest of them.
Alex half understood what Jacq meant by saying that the others would hate him, especially how exhausted they got. He knew he was lucky in that he was more durable than average and was able to last longer and recharge quicker, but it always surprised him to the degree that was.
“Cool, I thought it was fun, especially using my new toys. My arena was a sort of city type which was fun, I have no idea how they can make the rooms that big. It’s amazing.”
He responded with a thumbs-up and crashed into his bed like the rest of them.