Catalina looked more excited than she’d ever been through the screen. Her mouth flapped nonstop, rambling about her plans for Thanksgiving break, and her excitement to hear about Calista’s progress and training. The girls’ parents and brother sat in their rooms, waiting for her to finish.
“-and you can show me those dance-fight moves you said about, and you can tell me about Harrison Smith, I seriously want to know how dreamy he is face-to-face, and I know you said he gets annoying when he does this but I would literally die just to see his smile-”
Carter finally got fed up, groaning and blurting out, “Please shut up.”
Catalina stopped and clicked her tongue. “Rude.”
The oldest Medley child laughed. She’d missed her family so much. She could hardly wait to take a break from this crazy school and go home for Thanksgiving. It was only four days, from the 23rd to the 26th. Immediately after that, the stressful final exams would begin.
“Do you know how your grades are doing?” Jennifer asked.
“Um… not really. It depends. From what I heard, the coaches are harder on people that are doing really bad in their classes,” Calista answered. “The coaches don’t yell at me as much anymore, so I’m assuming I’m doing better.”
“Obviously you’re doing better, Cali,” said Henry. “We’re so proud of you. You know that, right? Just look at you, you’ve changed so much since you started there.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She blushed modestly.
“You look more confident,” Carter observed. “You were a huge wimp before.”
“Carter,” Jennifer scolded.
“What? She was.”
“Whoever or whatever got you into that school… it was a good thing. It must’ve been God,” her mother told her. “You were meant to be there, Calista. I know your name will be on that list.”
A bit of conflict stirred within her. She never knew who got her into the academy. She wasn’t sure whether to curse them or thank them. She got her dream and was on her way to becoming the woman she always wanted to be. But the cost of it, the hatred and cruelty from the other students and Versus fans across the globe… it was a heavy cross to bear.
“When does the list come out? We get a discount for the passes, right?” said Henry.
“That’s only if I get on the team. If I don’t, it’s just five percent off.”
“Last time we went to a Versus, it cost about 15,000 a number. How much is it now?” said Jennifer.
Henry looked up the price on his AIDA band and his brows shot to his hairline. “Whoa.” His wife reacted the same way.
“A lot?” Calista winced.
“How much is it if you get on the team?” Henry asked.
“It’s free.”
“Get on that team, okay?”
“Henry!” Jennifer smacked her husband’s arm.
“What? I’m just saying.”
“Wait, you went to a Versus before?” Calista asked.
“A couple years before you were born, yeah,” said Jennifer. “The 2330 one. Wow, that was 20 years ago already. I feel old.”
“You are old,” Carter mumbled.
“Hey- that’s not nice, kid.” Henry raised his finger. “Your mother is very young.”
“Henry, I’m 40,” Jennifer chuckled.
“40 isn’t old.”
“Earthians have a life expectancy of about 120 these days, so you’re definitely not old, Mom. Carter’s just a bughead,” said Catalina.
Carter stuck his tongue out in response.
After another while talking to her family, the first AIDA reminder sounded, warning her of the late hour. They started saying their goodbyes and signing off.
“I’ll stay with you a bit longer, if that’s okay?” said Catalina.
“Sure. Good night, everyone.”
She was soon left alone with her younger sister, who beamed with pride and happiness. Calista could now see why she nagged her so much before, always disapproving of her Socializing career. Everyone could see that was a dying path for her. Her whole family believed in her… all of them but herself.
“How’s everything been?” Catalina asked. “Do people there treat you better now?”
“Yeah, well… there’s still people that don’t like me, but it isn’t as bad as when I started. A month and a half is a lot of time. Lots of stuff happened.” She played with her glowing, orange Favorite badge, which was pinned to her shirt. “Do you know any fighters named… what was it? Savage? And Gravity?”
“I’ve heard of Savage… not so sure about Gravity, though. Why?”
“I fought them.” She smiled giddily. “I didn’t want to tell Mom and Dad, I know they would’ve gotten all worried. Don’t tell them, though.”
“You fought them? Girl, that’s awesome! Did you win?”
“Not really… the coach stopped the fight. But I gave them a challenge.”
Catalina smiled even brighter. “Attagirl. It’s obvious, though. If you could handle the bar fight, you can handle them.”
She laughed. “I’ll never forget that fight. It’s kinda weird how that happened, right? I saved you from those uber-crazies, I got pulled into this academy without even knowing it. Why is everything so weird?”
Catalina’s smile suddenly faded and she shifted uneasily. Her green eyes, which matched Calista’s, turned down, and she twirled a lock of blond hair around her finger. “About that… Calista, I need to tell you something.”
Calista frowned, concerned. “What is it, Cat?”
“It’s… I never told you… I should have, but I thought you wouldn’t…”
“Told me what?”
A tense silence passed. Catalina’s jaw quivered a couple times, inhaling to speak, then stopping short and swallowing whatever her words were.
“What is it, Catalina?”
“Calista, it is now 9:50 PM. I advise you to start your sleep cycle in at least 10 minutes to receive a full night’s sleep,” AIDA announced.
“Cat, come on, tell me. You can tell me anything,” Calista pressed.
“I…” Catalina held her breath, her cheeks inflating. “I’m still working at the space station,” she blurted out.
“What?” Calista was a bit confused, expecting something else, but she wasn’t happy. “Cat, you know it’s dangerous up there. I thought you got a new job!”
“It didn’t work out. But it’s okay, I, uh… I changed bars. It’s kind of like a rival bar, so none of those people will show up. Promise.”
“Cat…”
“I’m going to take some self-defense courses. I might not fight like you, but I’ll be able to defend myself. I can just say you’re my sister and that you’re a fighter. That tends to make people back off.”
The older girl sighed. She could never understand her sister. “You know, if I get on the team, I’ll do my best to help you with your schooling, okay? You would do amazing at the Design school here at Fistborn.”
“It’s expensive. They don’t give out scholarships, unless you’re a fighter.”
“Still, I’ll help you. I don’t want you there. What if something happens? It’s a miracle I was there that day.”
“I can handle myself. Trust me, Cali.” Catalina smiled. “Don’t worry about me. Just worry about getting on that team and proving everyone wrong, okay? I love you.”
She sighed. “I love you, too. I’ll see you in a couple days. Good night.”
“Night, sis.”
===
Thanksgiving was thoroughly enjoyable. Calista couldn’t help tearing up when she arrived back in Indiana and ran into the waiting arms of her family. She’d never been away from them before attending Fistborn.
While she told them about most of her experiences at the academy, and all about Harrison, Belinda, and Camelithia, she kept many details out of the story. She didn’t tell them about the fake cheerleading scheme, or the rumors Hillary had spread about her after their fight, or the crazy altercation between Lílitha and Rosalina— even though that last one didn’t directly involve her.
The only one that knew of her true struggles was Catalina, and to some extent, Carter. Though, she didn’t trust that boy completely. He was a little enigma.
Calista relished in those four days off, cherishing every minute she spent without sweating buckets, or receiving new bruises, or hearing the irritating beep of the CDSim. She kept up her stretches and basic workouts to stay active, but otherwise relaxed.
When the time came for her to return to the academy, she was excited and anxious. Now came the final exams. With her Theory classes, and the theoretical parts of her Practicum classes, she wasn’t too worried. She’d studied night and day, memorizing fighting disciplines and weapon types. The Practicum part was what scared her the most.
On Sunday, the Versus School was put to work. Students organized study groups. Guilds huddled together in the Studitorium to work. Student Coaches were busier than ever, training themselves and their students to pass. By the time the training period was over, the whole school would be burnt out.
In the past, Calista would be lamenting her lack of free time to go to the spa and chat with her friends. But now, she was pepped up to study, feeling the grind. She was motivated and ready to get on that list, even if it took her skipping a full night’s sleep.
===
Calista’s leg bounced impatiently during her Battle Tech class, annoying those sitting next to her.
“These sandbox maps can make or break your fight,” Professor Jiles was saying. “It presents you with advantages, it presents your enemy with advantages, and there are disadvantages weighing in. They do this to not only keep the fight fair, but give the masses something interesting. They want you to show what you can do. There’s no more hiding or laying low. It’ll break you wide open.” The AIDA bell dinged. “Alright. Your final exam is tomorrow. Study hard,” he dismissed the students.
Calista eagerly descended the steps. It had been a week since finals started, and she was nearly done already. She only needed her Battle Tech exam, her Self-Control exam— which would be a breeze—, her Weaponry exam, and her exam fight, which would evaluate her combat skills as a whole. Her individual fighting classes like Combat and Weapon Use had already held their exams, but they were more on the down low compared to the battle in the arena, which simulated a real Versus fight.
Every day, there were series of battles scheduled in the Arena. Since the coaches were also watching, lots of their regular classes were canceled, allowing them to spectate without missing anything important.
The first day, Calista was surprised to get one of the best views in the Arena. Being Favorites, they got to join 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.
Calista’s green eyes sparkled with childish excitement whenever a fight took place. For a moment, she was 9 years old again, cheering for Lisa White, watching the epic battles from the HARP. She really missed the thrill of the Versus.
And now… she was part of it.
The fights ranged from quick and anticlimactic to exciting and explosive. Every fighter showed off what they’d learned in school, wielding their powers and preferred weapons. Some even used their Pets. The top Guilds brought the most impressive fights. Lílitha would entertain Calista with remarks and comments most of the time.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Lílitha wasn’t really her ‘friend’ yet, but she was talking to her a lot more. They held casual, civilized conversations. There was still a wall of tension between them; not one of anger, but of indifference.
Calista entered the Favorite capsule once again to witness the day’s fights. She was expected to fight in a couple of days. She wasn’t sure who she would fight; since she and Lílitha were the only girls in Kappa, they fought each other enough in training. She needed someone she wasn’t used to fighting.
Bark was noticeably jittery, his fingers tapping impatiently on his armrest, though his face remained stoic. He generated a bag of strange-looking snacks and ate.
“You look excited,” Rosalina observed.
“Hill’s fighting today.”
“Ah, really?”
“Who is she fighting?” a Gamma Favorite asked.
“She said some guy from the Zeta Guild.”
Zeta… that was the sixth-seed, Melsen Steffensen’s, Guild. His call sign was ‘Spider-Man’.
“Calling Hillary Kaye to the arena!”
The Paeseoan walked out in her bronze-colored combat suit, waving at the crowds. Cheers swept across the arena for her, the loudest coming from the Delta Guild capsule below. She smiled cockily, gracefully taking her place.
“And…”
There was a pause, but the announcer did not call out her opponent.
“What happened?” a Platinum member wondered.
“There has been a change of plans.”
The student body murmured. “That’s weird,” a Delta Favorite commented. “She couldn’t have fear-quit, right?”
“No way.”
“Hillary Kaye has requested to change her opponent. Now calling… Calista Medley to the arena.”
As the students below reacted with exclamations, all the Favorites’ eyes were on the human, including those that were in the other capsule. Her face turned white, then became as red as Rosalina’s.
The same woman started laughing. “You’re dead, kid.”
“You didn’t schedule with her?” Lílitha asked.
“N-no…”
“Good luck, then.”
“But… I… why?”
Bark only smirked, chewing on his snacks.
“Teleport Calista Medley to the dugout,” Rosalina commanded.
“No, wha- wait-” The Favorites capsule disappeared in a flash. Calista gasped, falling on her rear. She could hear the muffled murmurs outside.
Why the bugs did Hillary want to fight her?! She thought they’d finished after her last fight with her and Bark. Since then, she’d done nothing but spread petty rumors about her.
She stepped out of the teleporter, trying to comprehend the sudden turn of events. This was crazy. She wasn’t prepared to fight someone like this! She didn’t study Hillary or train to face her. She wasn’t ready at all.
That was probably the point. This test would affect her chances of getting on the team. Hillary was determined to keep her out. Why was she targeting her, though? Why did she care so much?
Harrison appeared in the teleporter, bringing relief to the Earthian. She shook her head. “I can’t do this.”
“You can.” He took her by the arms. “Relax. I don’t know what Hillary’s up to, but be ready for anything, okay? Just remember what you learned.”
“B-but she can’t- I…”
“Calista, you’re my Favorite. Legitimately. You’re an amazing fighter. You’ve got Lindsay, too; you’re allowed to use her. You can use any weapon.”
“Like what?”
“I…” He sighed tensely. “I don’t know. Whatever you like to use.”
“I don’t know what weapon-”
“Calista, you’re going out there whether you like it or not. You have 10 seconds to get your cache together and kick Hillary into oblivion.”
She scoffed. “Into oblivion? I wish.”
“You see, this is why you’re going to humiliate yourself. You’re preparing to humiliate yourself. I can only do so much.” He huffed. “All I can do is watch.”
She stared after him as he returned to the teleporter. He gave her one last look. “Get in the armor station over there.” He pointed at a nearby slot in the wall. “As soon as you’re in your armor, you have to go out there. The longer you take, the worse it’ll be for you.” He then vanished.
Calista took a deep breath. He was right. She’d come this far. If she fear-quit now, all that effort would be for absolutely nothing.
“Calista Medley to the arena. Repeat, Calista Medley to the arena. Your fight begins in T-minus 90 seconds.”
Calista hurried to the armor station, standing inside. Before she could question what to do next, the machine activated and removed her uniform, then right away clamped a combat suit around her limbs and body. It was orange and black, sporting the academy crest on the right and the Kappa Guild crest on the left. Her Versus Pet belt was also orange, changing Lindsay’s appearance to match her. Her Guild patches remained on the shoulder pads.
She stepped out, marveling at the suit. It was so much better than the combat suit she’d worn on her test. Even the orange color looked amazing.
The AIDA projected a mirror screen so she could see herself. It showed her curves and built muscles. Her muscles were hardly defined compared to the other girls in school, but they were there. On the back, it read in glowing orange letters, ‘CALISTA MEDLEY, KAPPA FAVORITE’.
She did some stretches and tested out some kicks. The suit fit her perfectly, accommodating each movement. If this was just for their finals week, what would she wear at the Versus?!
“Calista Medley to the arena. Repeat, Calista Medley to the arena. Your fight begins in T-minus 20 seconds.”
Her heart kickstarted. She took another breath and walked out on the arena. For a moment, she flashed back to her test, remembering Lílitha’s scrutinizing eyes and the jeers from the audience.
It wasn’t that much different. Hillary eyed her with contempt from the other side, a smile crossing her yellow face. Students were shouting insults at the human girl.
“Beat her up, Gravity!”
“Loser!”
“You’re going down, human!”
When she crossed the boundary, she found herself in space, walking across a large platform. Different platforms floated around them. It looked a lot smaller from the capsule, so she was surprised at how huge the map really was. The crowd was still visible and audible through the barrier.
Hillary smiled and approached her so she could hear her. “You didn’t expect it, huh? You look like a scared rabbit.”
Calista’s face soured.
“I figured. You should have learned plenty by now, right? 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.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I’ve learned plenty.”
“I’d like to see it.” Hillary smiled sweetly.
“Oh, I’ll show you.” She got into a fighting stance. “You’ll regret this.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“Get ready! 10, 9, 8…”
The crowd got louder. “GRA-VI-TY! GRA-VI-TY! GRA-VI-TY!”
“FIGHT!”
Hillary didn’t give Calista room to start. She right away 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 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 the Paeseoan woman.
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 gravity was a lot weaker than she expected. She floated further away and landed on her feet.
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 be intimidating.
Now she knew how Lílitha 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, aiming her foot at Hillary’s face. The woman caught Calista’s foot and heaved her away. Using the momentum, Calista pushed against the ground and bounced back, striking 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 Weaponry. 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. She would’ve had more time to study them, however, if she weren’t surprised by the unplanned match.
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. She landed a few meters away.
“Remember, elements are there for a reason. Use the map!” Lindsay chastised her.
“Right.” Using the jump boost, she shot towards a higher platform.
Hillary stood, scoffing. “Where are you going, Hit-and-Run?”
“I’m not running, idiot.” Calista used the boost again, shooting across to a different platform. “I’m…” She landed and kicked off. “Improvising!”
“‘Cause you’re a natural, a beating heart of stone…”
Hillary’s smirk disappeared before Calista slammed into her like a wrecking ball. The force was enough to send them flying off the larger platform. Hillary’s back smashed into the edge of another platform, causing her to gasp in pain. Calista pinned her there, punching her twice in the face.
Hillary gritted her teeth and caught her fist, punching her back. They started floating, exchanging blows as they traveled across the map. Calista could hear the crowd roaring.
“You need to get to higher ground first!” Lindsay said.
Calista looked around for a nearby platform. She aimed her foot at it and turned on the matter magnets on her boots. As she neared the surface, Hillary slammed into her and accelerated her into the edge.
Her breath was completely taken away when the platform stabbed 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. Hillary grabbed her arm and dragged her onto the platform they’d slammed into.
“I’ll give you points, human. I didn’t want an easy fight. That would’ve been pathetic as cache.”
Calista breathed in, trying to recover as quickly as possible. Hillary smirked and kicked her in the face.
She felt her skin open just below her eye, on her cheekbone. From the way it hurt, it definitely wasn’t going to heal anytime soon. Her anger bubbled, reaching its limit. She’d spent so long treating the busted cheek and lip she got from their last fight. It took forever to restore the perfection she had before.
Now she had to do all of that again?!
“Aw, do you have a boo-boo?” Hillary jeered.
With a growl, Calista shot up, slamming her fist into her opponent’s chin. 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 through space, landing on a different platform. She coughed and gasped from the sudden, powerful barrage the human had unleashed.
Calista jumped across the platforms until she reached Hillary. “You are such a coward,” she spat.
“Coward?” Hillary stood. “You’re calling me a coward?”
“Kicking me while I was down? Yeah. That’s a coward.”
“Aw, you want to play fair?” Hillary pouted her lips, further angering the other girl. “Newsflash, Socializer: the real Versus won’t be that fair. You see a chance, you take it.” She shook her head. “You really can’t handle it, can you?”
“If I can handle looking at your ugly hair all day, I can handle anything.” The song changed to a fast electro-pop song, bringing out more adrenaline.
She ran forward and slid in 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, sending them shooting forward. Once they were off the platform, she wriggled out of Calista’s hold and kicked her. She used her boots to pull herself back towards Calista, catching her collar and choke-slamming her onto the main platform they started on.
“… 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. Her blue hair swished around her as she tried to catch the Pet.
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 bled. 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.”
“Put your points in the cachebin.” Calista pinned her down and punched her a few times. The song in her ears grew faster, rising in pitch.
“She’s going to use her gravity again. Just go with it and pitch it in your favor,” Lindsay said through her private chat.
As Lindsay predicted, Hillary used her boots to give herself some force, pushing Calista off. She reared back, then shot forward like a bullet, catching Calista’s throat.
As they flew, Calista closed her eyes, waiting.
“Not yet…”
They got closer to the next platform.
“Now.” The beat dropped.
She pirouetted around her opponent, then shoved hard. Hillary screamed as her face slammed into the platform. It instantly knocked her out, leaving her floating.
Calista covered her mouth, shocked at what she did. The song cut off. She quickly guided Hillary onto the platform, kneeling at her side.
“Oh-my-God, don’t tell me I killed her.”
“Relax. You just knocked her out,” Lindsay reassured her.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, it happens all the time in a fight. She’ll be fine.”
They heard the announcer shout, “GAME OVER!” The map dissolved and Calista found herself on the sand, Hillary lying motionless next to her. The students were absolutely wild. Orange confetti started falling around them.
“Presenting this match’s winner: Calista Medley of the Kappa Guild! This marks the first victory for Kappa!”
Lindsay reattached to Calista’s belt. The girl struggled to stand, holding her injured stomach. She stared out in awe, her lips parted.
She could see many students were unhappy with the result, shouting all kinds of insults, but a surprising amount of the crowd was on her side, cheering for her victory. She caught Camelithia jumping up and down in the Favorite capsule far above. In the silver Gamma capsule, she saw Belinda waving her arms.
A drone flew out onto the arena, hovering over Calista’s head. She felt all her pain disappear, enabling her to stand properly. She touched her lip, unable to find the bruise. But weren’t healing lasers prohibited?
She caught Harrison at the dugout opening, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He smiled his handsome smile and winked.
She smiled back, elation filling her. She giggled and pumped her fists up, exciting the crowd even more. She won. She actually won a match! Her first ever, serious match!
Hillary awoke, groaning at the pain in her head. She slowly stood, stumbling a bit. It took her a couple of moments to register the orange confetti.
“N-no…” She shook her head. “No. No, there’s just… no way.”
Calista turned. “You okay?”
The woman’s green eyes darkened. “Am I okay? You…” She pointed at her, chuckling angrily. “Oh, you think you’re a big shot now, don’t you? The pretty Kappa Favorite. Yeah. Enjoy it while you can, glitch.”
She stormed off. Bark appeared in the entryway, waiting for her. She stumbled a bit as she entered the dugout.
“That’s what she gets for not fighting you seriously. She just wanted to play a game,” Lindsay commented.
“Well, now they know.”
“Hey, 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, realizing her name was printed on the back in big, bold letters, which would change to ‘Kappa Favorite’ every few seconds.
Smiling, she hurled the helmet 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.
“Ca-lis-ta! Ca-lis-ta!” Camelithia was at the very front of the Favorite capsule, motioning to everyone else to join. There were only a few students who stayed seated, one of them being Rosalina.
The whole arena soon started chanting, irritating the non-fans. “CA-LIS-TA! CA-LIS-TA!”
Victory was an amazing feeling.