Jennifer approached her daughters at the sofa with a cake. “A little surprise for my Versus fighter.” She set it down on the coffee table.

“Mom!” Calista smiled. “Thank you.” She then gasped. “O-M-G! Strawberry-raspberry delight?” She squealed.

Carter groaned, covering his ears. “Shut up…”

“What did I say? No being grumpy during Christmas.”

The list of students who made the team would always come out around Christmastime, more often than not on Christmas Day. It was such an exciting time when Calista was a child. That one Christmas when she was really into the Versus was the best she’d had.

Now, it was the most anxiety-inducing one. No matter how many times her family told her that getting into the school was enough, if her name wasn’t on the list, her Christmas would be dampened. She considered waiting until the next day, but her anxiety wouldn’t be resolved that way. It was best to let the axe fall sooner.

At the moment, she and her family were dressed in warm winter clothing, the house temperature set low to match the environment. The house was decorated in a 21st-Century theme, with holograms of ‘string lights’ lining the walls, and a projected Christmas tree in the corner, decorated with ornaments and presents underneath. Their real presents would all be provided from the AIDA, but having the wrapped boxes in the projection was a charming addition.

Calista had a red coat on with a fuzzy white scarf. Catalina had a green one with white fur trimmings. They were a cute holiday combination, sitting next to each other.

“When can we open presents?” Carter asked.

“After the news.” Henry sat down and reached for the cake. Jennifer smacked his hand as she sat next to him. He pouted childishly.

“Can’t we do this later? It’s recorded, right?” Carter lied down on the other sofa, taking up all the space.

The family ignored the complaining boy. Catalina reached over and pulled on his foot, causing him to fall off the sofa. The girls laughed.

“HEY!”

“Cat,” her mother scolded.

“Sorry.”

“Welcome, Versus fans, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Today, we’re delivering a very special Christmas gift to those celebrating among the 150 chosen students for the American Versus team.”

“I feel bad for whoever doesn’t get on the team,” Catalina commented.

“Could be me,” Calista reminded her.

“I don’t think so.”

“Even if you’re not there, don’t let that stop you. You always have next Versus,” said Jennifer.

“Yeah, I know.”

“It’s been a heck of a training period, hasn’t it, Yvonne?” Xavier Hennett continued.

“Sure has, Xavier,” Yvonne responded. “Lisa White becoming Dean, a student getting expelled… I can’t imagine the inside scoops we might have missed. A shame we can’t interview during the training period.”

“Well, we’d be a distraction. Every team has to be in tip-top shape if they want to win.”

“I am wondering about the newest member of Fistborn Academy— the first and only Socializer in the school.”

Calista shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.

“I had the opportunity to interview Coach Tostama Kolaka, the only Hajjian faculty member at the academy,” Yvonne said. “I asked her about the students’ performances, Miss Medley’s in particular. She had this to say.”

Coach Tostama’s hologram appeared with a transcript at the bottom. “All my students have put their utmost effort into their performances. What matters now is if they have the skill to reach the level they need for the Versus. I’ve seen Miss Medley constantly present in the Training Center or the Studitorium. She has put in the necessary effort. Now it depends if she does, in fact, have the needed fighting skill.” She then vanished.

“Very unbiased, don’t you think?” Yvonne commented. “I expected a more hostile response from a Hajjian.”

“So did I,” said Xavier. “This year is full of surprises.”

“Yeah, and you’re full of cache,” Catalina muttered.

“Catalina.” Henry eyed her sternly.

“What? It’s true.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“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.

“They’re the best students in the school,” Calista pointed out. “The team needs them. They earned their spots.”

“So, starting with the first 10… all of them are on the team this year.” Xavier’s face faded into a hologram of Reilly Campbell. He posed, crossing his arms. He was wearing his Guild armor from the finals week fights, proudly showing his Student Coach patches. His stats hovered next to him.

Name: Reilly Campbell

Call Sign: Clocker

Academic Year: 4 (16th Earth Year)

SC Year: 2342

Birth Planet: Earth

Species: Voraxian

Country of Origin: UK

“Clocker got to the top place after the last Versus, being the best of the best school in the world,” said Xavier. “He got pretty far in the last Versus, but was unfortunately beat by the Legends of Hajja’s team.”

Calista shook her head. Harrison was supposed to be the first seed. 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 ‘Waterski’ Okione

Delaine ‘Minx’ Evistroma

Li Mei ‘Knifehand’ Hoss

Kalis ‘Glaiver’ Siip

Melsen ‘Spider-Man’ Steffensen

Elisa ‘Double Dutch’ Fiosda

Stösten ‘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 Versus year, his position delayed after the debate 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— Kappa— quit and transferred to the other Guilds available, most likely due to the controversy surrounding him. His Guild reopened when Calista Medley decided to join.”

“So Ms. Medley is part of a Guild?”

Calista covered her face. They were making it all sound so shady.

“Yes, along with recognized student Lílitha Houdge, call sign ‘Piranha’, who joined only recently. The extra training under the teaching of Mr. Smith seemed to improve her performance greatly, according to the coaches I interviewed.”

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Xavier raised his brows, nodding. He seemed skeptical, but impressed. “Well, he has another chance to clear his name this Versus. 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 seed.”

Name after name passed. As expected, Rosalina showed up, ranked #20. Lílitha was previously ranked #150 due to her early elimination in the last Versus, but had now climbed up to #23. Bark Davies was seeded #26.

Calista cheered when Camelithia’s name showed up, seeded #33 on the list. Belinda got the 85th seed. To her dismay, Hillary Kaye also made the team, but as number #123.

More names came and went, but Calista’s was nowhere to be found. With every name, she lost hope. Geija, Alka, Charlotte…

“Seed number 146 is Neka Barina, one of the Gamma Guild members.”

Calista sighed. “I didn’t get in.”

“There’s four more names,” Henry reassured her. “Just wait.”

147, 148, 149…

Calista buried her head in her arms, unable to watch. This was the deciding moment.

“And the last seed…”

The room froze.

“Will you look at that,” Yvonne chuckled. “Ms. Medley really outdid herself.”

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. Jennifer covered her face with kisses and Henry embraced her tight. Even Carter couldn’t help his excitement as he jumped on his older sister’s back. The AIDA recognized their noise as celebration and released holo-confetti.

Catalina then hugged her sister tightly. “I knew you could do it,” she said.

“Now can we open presents?” Carter asked.

===

There were many reactions to Calista’s successful entry into the tournament all over the Earth. Many were happy, especially humans, who felt she was a testament to how capable their species really was. But there were slightly more who were angry, feeling cheated out of the opportunity. The negativity especially emanated from those who applied for her same spot in the academy.

There were ‘joke’ call signs floating around the girl, some of them being ‘Glitch’— the insult— and ‘Lady Luck’.

The SociaLights had gained a lot of popularity since Calista was announced as the new student at Fistborn. The girls had wasted no time in tarnishing the girl’s name. They live-broadcasted their reaction to the team list, expecting Calista to be cut, but they were greatly dismayed when they saw her there. They decided to focus on the fact that she was the last rank and insulted her further from there.

Many of Calista’s enemies from the academy didn’t take the news so well, especially Hillary Kaye. 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.”

Rosalina sniffled, nodding. She wiped her eyes again.

“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.”

She chuckled. “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 Lílitha?” 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 would discuss each fighter, narrating their chances and history. Many members were quite new and didn’t have much in their background, so it wouldn’t take too long.

“Never mind,” Rosalina continued, dismissing the subject of Lílitha. “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 guaranteed the first-seed slot. There was no need.

As the call sent out, the list was concluding.

“And the last seed…” A pause. “Will you look at that. Ms. Medley really outdid herself.”

Rosalina frowned and looked at the screen. The human girl appeared, posing like a supermodel, as the 150th seed.

“Well, Versus fans, looks like the infamous Socializer 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. 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— 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 that last spot. Again.”

“Hey, sweet.” Reilly appeared in the hologram.

“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.

“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 train pretty hard, I’ll give her that. And her status must’ve helped.”

“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.

Once the competition started, they’d see how she’d fare.