Chapter 49
The second challenge began differently from The Culling or The Healer Challenge, in that it didn't start with either The Show or Ritchie greeting the twenty-four contestants. Instead, a different council member welcomed them into an ornate boardroom.
Joel followed his peers and sat at the long rectangular table opposite the All-Stars, waiting anxiously for the trial to begin. Everyone had been surprised when they were all called up to The Tycoon's Tower at HQ—mainly because it was earlier than anyone had been expecting. He had originally assumed that the challenges would occur monthly, but since The Show had said he wanted to crown the winner on the one-year anniversary of Eclipse’s death, and there were twelve seats on the council and twelve challenges that had to be completed before then, it wouldn't have worked out if every challenge had only happened once a month. Some of them would have to be squeezed in earlier for Production to make their deadline. And that didn’t take into account The Culling. No, there needed to be more than one challenge per month over the course of the year.
The grand,gold-lined double doors opened, and a man stepped in. He was tall, with an overly tanned complexion, and wore a poorly fitting, baggy suit. Sitting atop his head was a very obvious blond toupee. On either side of him were two others — a young, beautiful blonde woman who seemed fully focused on her blond companion, as well as a thirty-five-year-old brown-haired man who bore some resemblance to him.
The trio made their way to the head of the table but did not take seats, choosing to remain standing for whatever reason. Then, the middle man spoke.
“Greetings, competitors! It's Ricky Diamond, The Council’s Tycoon! You all know me, right? My name is attached to resorts, casinos, and golf clubs - I'm the reason people associate luxury and elite-ness with the Diamond name. And I'm the only one of the council members who didn't get my spot due to heroism as a Herald. Not that I couldn't have been a great one if I had tried; I'd be better, even than Eclipse himself. But like the real Americans, I decided to use my skills to create something successful instead. And the result was something even better - the most successful business in history.”
Joel's thoughts grew skeptical as Ricky Diamond spoke. His words were often disputed, yet Joel knew the powerful man had substantial political clout. That clout had gotten him onto The Council.
“Today, I’m joined by two of my children: Little Ricky and Gazelle.” Joel glanced over at the modelesque blond and douchey-looking guy on either side of their father. “They will join me in judging the week’s challenge: The Tycoon Challenge! It’s going to be bigger than ever! You'll all compete in teams for an entire week, Challengers versus All-Stars, just like last time.”
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The All-Stars all cheered at this announcement. Joel grimaced; they had totally dominated the Challengers last time around. He wasn't sure how this would play out since Diamond had used his seat and its resources to increase his own influence. Most believed that it was a vanity project for Diamond, but when it came to business—and public perception—council seats were invaluable resources. The Diamond family had gained power by taunting polite society, challenging norms, and using connections to gain favor with those who supported them. Though Joel despised people like Ricky Diamond, he had no choice but to submit and play along.
“Right, it's time to get started! Your challenge this week is to introduce one of three new Heralds into the world. The All-Stars will make their selection first since they won the last competition. The Show has set up accounts for each Herald on OnyxSocial, and the team that garners the most followers will be victorious.”
Joel's heart sank when he heard this. Branding? It was like a nightmare come true. He thought about his team. Bailey must be thrilled; she has always been obsessed with her own image, and now it might finally pay off. He could imagine her cheering at the idea of showcasing a Herald’s brand. Perhaps perceiving it just as important as their actual powers. After her meltdown the other night, this would certainly give her some motivation… the Tycoon's voice brought Joel back to reality, and he managed to focus on the trial ahead.
“You have six days to get an event together, announcing your Herald to the world.” Mr. Diamond looked to his daughter Gazelle for confirmation of the timeline; she smiled and nodded in agreement.
“The event will factor into how we judge the individual winners of the challenge. So make them fun! Don’t embarrass me. We will give each team ten thousand dollars for the party, but feel free to raise any additional funds you may need.” He turned to his son, “Little Ricky, you got anything to say?”
“Make sure your drinks are top shelf,” Little Ricky said. “I don’t want to go blind at your little events. I haven’t been to a kegger since high school. These events should be nice...” he looked around the room, “which may be difficult for you.”
“Excellent suggestion!” The Tycoon reasserted his authority. “Now, select a leader and get to work. All-Stars! Back at your lodging, you will find biographical details for the three potential Heralds; once you have made your selection, deliver the other two bios to The Challengers so that they can make their choice. Best of luck. We look forward to seeing what you can accomplish!”
The trio of Diamonds walked out of the boardroom in single file, and the doors closed behind them.
Joel sat there thinking through the details of this week’s assignment. Not that it was necessarily an option, but he was hesitant to take on the responsibility of leading the team. On one hand, he wanted to prove himself and show his colleagues that he could be trusted to take the lead. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at the thought of having such a huge responsibility. He had absolute faith that no other person would be better suited to handle this trial than Bailey. He was confident that putting trust in her was the surest way to secure a successful outcome. He just hoped the rest of The Challengers would agree.