In the lobby, all 150 of the accepted fighters ran out of their elevators, roaring in victory and throwing their helmets in the air, like at a graduation. It was salt in the wound for those eliminated, who simply trudged off to their wings.

The reporters crowded around the winners, trying to get a quote from each of them. Calista was a bit overwhelmed herself, getting both rude and genuine questions.

“Miss Medley, what do you think your call sign will be?”

“Do you think you’ll have to fight your Student Coach in the interplanetaries?”

“What do you feel about fans claiming you ‘took their spot’ on the Earth team?”

“Are you and Cheater romantically involved?”

She declined comment, only answering those that treated her with respect. She was tempted to respond to the other reporters, but Harrison warned against it. A reaction was all they wanted, and no reaction from her meant no digits for them.

“Miss Medley, how do you feel about making the team?” a woman asked.

“I feel thrilled,” she answered. “When I saw the game, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m making it through this’. But I did, all thanks to my team.”

“What did you think of the game? Kidnap is one of the most terrifying Versus games. Many fighters remember this experience for a lifetime.”

“Oh, yeah… it kinda freaked me out. I’m thankful it didn’t show up in the solo rounds. That would’ve been a glitchfest.” She spotted her family waiting for her on the other side of the crowd.

“Do you anticipate a grudge match between yourself and Cheater versus Savage and Gravity? Your fight was one of the most aggressive in today’s round.”

She swallowed. “Maybe. Depends if… if they have the guts to try again… and fail again.”

Harrison, who heard her, looked at her with warning in his eyes. She regretted her words the minute she spoke them, but it was too late. She wanted to sound brave.

“Please excuse me, I’m still kind of injured. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me,” Harrison said politely to the reporters. Some of them still chased him with questions as he headed to the infirmary.

“Calista, do you consider Cheater to be an excellent Student Coach?”

“I fainted at the sight of blood the first time I fought. Now I’m on the planet team. Shows you how great he is at teaching.” She smiled, hiding her mix of emotions. “Now, please excuse me, I need to talk to my family.”

They continued asking questions as she pushed through them and headed to her family, but stopped after a few seconds. Legally, they couldn’t approach any fighter’s relatives without permission, and SECURE was watching them.

Catalina squealed and ran up to her sister, hugging her tight. “You did it! I’m so, so proud of you! My sister’s on the planet team!” She pulled away, gazing at her face. “That was incredible!”

“We were all so scared for you,” said her mother. “What kind of game is that?”

“It’s not that bad,” said Carter.

“How about you go down there?” said Calista. “I’d punch you, but I still have the suit on, so…” She turned. “Let me get out of this, and we can have lunch. Oh, Cam and Belinda want to come, is that okay?”

“Sure. Is Rosalina coming? She’s nice to you now, right?” said Henry.

“Um… I’ll talk to you about that later.”

“Okay.” They looked at each other.

“What about Harrison? I want to meet him!” Catalina jumped up and down.

“He got hurt, so he’s healing.”

“Aw.” The teenage girl’s shoulders sagged. “Say hi to him for me.”

Calista laughed. “Alright. I’ll tell him how much you love him.”

“NO!”

The girls joined Calista and her family for lunch, finally able to meet them. For the first time in what felt like months, they didn’t have to go straight back to training. Their Review period was postponed so they could rest.

Camelithia’s parents soon came to introduce themselves, then Belinda’s father. Belinda had told the girls about her late mother, Dapla Adenifi, who died from a Martian disease when Belinda was younger. Her father was able to elaborate on her as a fighter, detailing her iconic high-jump fighting method that earned her the call sign ‘Sky’.

Once the excitement faded, and the girls bid goodbye to their families, they headed to record their team scans. They wore their combat suits again, posing and showing the camaraderie between the different countries on the team. Calista was careful to avoid her ‘enemies’ during the shoot.

Then came Review. This instilled Calista’s fear once again. She kept her eyes on Bark and Hillary when she entered the Review classroom.

She then looked at Reilly and Rosalina in the front row. Rosalina turned and smiled, waving casually. Calista ignored her once again. She couldn’t talk to her about this right now.

The footage brought Calista back into that fearful, paranoid mood. She continuously glanced at Bark and Hillary, who smirked when they were shown fighting Calista’s team. Hillary met Calista’s eyes, her smile growing with a threat.

Lílitha tapped her. “Quit looking at them,” she whispered.

Calista followed her advice, concentrating on Lisa’s speech, but she could feel both pairs of eyes on her. She could feel their hatred across the room.

Once Review was over, Lisa commended the eliminated fighters for their efforts and announced the celebratory dinner taking place at the academy once they returned. Everyone left with excited chatter.

“Calista, you alright?” Harrison’s warm hand touched her shoulder.

“I’m fine.” She glanced behind her, looking for the two.

“You look a bit worried.”

“No, I’m just… tired.”

“Well. No more rounds after today. You can either train or go to a spa. Get your hair done and… other beauty stuff you like to do.”

She smiled. “A spa sounds nice.”

“Go for it.”

“What are you gonna do?”

He paused. “I dunno. Just rest, I guess.”

“Oh, my sister wanted to meet you later on… if we have time before curfew, do you mind?” Calista asked.

“Yeah, sure. I can finally meet the famous Medleys,” he said. His dimpled smile almost made her swoon.

“And… my sister’s a huge fan of yours,” she warned. “So expect a bit of… you know. Her embarrassing me.”

He chuckled, his chest puffing out and his walk carrying more arrogance. “Of course. I expected it. I’ve got a lot of fans.”

Calista heavily rolled her eyes. “Ugh.”

“Come on, admit it.”

“Admit what?”

“That I’m handsome.”

She scoffed. “Why should I?”

He only laughed. “I’ll see you later, Cali.” He gave her a hug and left. Calista stared after him, sighing internally.

One glance at Bark and Hillary, and she went back to being scared. She hurried to the spa. A good mani-pedi and skin therapy would relax her. Maybe an SD treatment, too.

“Hey, Cali, you want to do something?” The girls approached her.

“I’m going to the spa.”

“That sounds nice. Can we come?” Belinda asked.

“Sure.” She made sure they weren’t being followed. “I could use the company.”

Once they were at the spa, Calista was significantly more relaxed. She had really let herself go, consumed with training and studying. Her nails were a mess and her hair had split ends.

The horror.

Her body, on the other hand, had drastically changed. It still wasn’t as defined as the other female fighters’, but her arms were stronger and her abdomen was harder. She didn’t even need a Thinner anymore.

Once she finished her skin treatment, getting rid of all the gunk in her pores, she went to an SD tank.

“I don’t think I’ve used these before,” said Cam.

“Really? They’re really old,” said Belinda. She sunk into her tank. “See you on the other side.” It closed.

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“Now you just made it sound scary. What’s the ‘other side’?” Cam’s tank closed.

Calista took a deep breath as hers closed. Almost instantly, she fell asleep. At first, there was darkness, then a bit of light. She was surrounded by… mist. Dark mist.

As she turned, looking around her dream, she realized she was back in the maze. Her teammates weren’t around; she was completely alone, wearing her combat suit.

“Hello?” she called out. There was an eerie silence.

“Calista!” she heard distantly. She turned, trying to pinpoint where it was.

“Lindsay, did you hear that?” Her Pet didn’t answer. “Lindsay?”

“Calista!”

“Hello?” Fearfully, she walked forward, trying to find the source of the voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Calista!” It was a girl, screaming desperately.

“I’m coming!” She started to run. She didn’t know where she was going, only able to see a few feet in front of her.

“Calista, help me!”

She stopped, recognizing the voice. “Cat?”

“Calista!”

“Catalina?!” She ran faster. “Hang on, I’m coming! I’m coming, Cat!”

She could hear her little sister screaming and yelling in terror. Her voice didn’t seem to get any louder. Calista’s anxiety grew the further she ran. “Catalina!”

“Calista, help me! Somebody help!”

“I’m coming!” She stopped at a crossroads, listening carefully. She could hear her sister crying and screaming for help, but it echoed all around the maze. “God, where are you?! Catalina!”

The path on the right suddenly lit up. Calista didn’t hesitate, taking the path. More orange light lit the way, leading her right to Catalina.

Then, she was frozen. A magnetic field held her in place. She couldn’t move. In front of her was Catalina, on the ground, covered in bruises. And standing over the girl was…

“Hillary?”

The Paeseoan woman smiled. “Never knew your sister would be such a wimp. I thought she’d be better than you.” She kicked Catalina.

“No, stop!” Calista struggled against the magnetic force. “Let her go!”

“Calista-” Catalina was punched in the face.

“Stop!”

“We figured we’d teach you a lesson… a proper lesson.” Bark came out of the shadows, lowering his seeker cloak to reveal himself. “You think you’re such a great fighter, don’t you? You even had the gall to challenge us.” He chuckled. “Now you know what happens. We like a good challenge.”

“Please… beat me up all you want, just let my sister go,” Calista pleaded.

“Oh, we’ll beat you up, all right,” said Hillary. “Just after we’re done with her.” She grabbed Catalina by the hair, lifting her up to show her face. “You should’ve been more careful, glitch.”

Bark started pummeling her. Calista fought as hard as she could against the field, begging them to stop, but the magnetic force was far too strong, even with her suit. She growled loudly as she threw her hand forward, her finger just barely leaving the field.

“You won’t… get away… with this.”

“We already have,” Hillary giggled. She released Catalina, allowing her to collapse on the floor. She then grabbed her sweater collar and dragged her away into the dark mist.

“Wait! Stop! Catalina!” Calista felt utterly helpless, unable to move at all. Bark approached her and disabled the field.

As she ran forward, he punched her in the throat, choking her, and grabbed her ponytail, like he did in the round. She tried to fight, but her limbs were weighed down, as if her suit were fighting against her.

“Say goodbye to your kitty-cat,” Bark taunted. “Next time you challenge us, it’ll be someone else.”

“Stop! Catalina!” Calista struggled as Bark lifted her and stuffed her into an elimination chute. Her strength was no match against him. With a last punch in the face, he shoved her inside.

And just like that, Calista was back to reality, sitting up in her SD tank, panting.

===

Calista couldn’t sleep that night. She sat on her sleep capsule, wrapped in a comfort jacket that pressed her body like a hug. She didn’t want to have that horrible dream again.

It was just a dream, but it felt so real. She could feel Bark punching her. She could feel the strain in her muscles as she fought to try and save her sister, only to fail miserably.

Were they capable of that kind of cruelty? Would they go after her sister? Hillary hated humans, so Calista wouldn’t put it past her.

She sighed. She’d never be able to sleep, even with supplements. She’d have to take over the recommended amount, and she wasn’t about to risk that. She dressed in a casual outfit and left her room.

Their wing had a common room where their team would sit and spend time together, sometimes eating snacks. She was a little hungry, so she headed there. She expected it to be empty, but to her surprise, Rosalina was there, eating a plate of strange snacks; black, slimy balls of… something. Probably her planet’s.

The woman stood when she saw her. “You’re up late.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” she replied.

“Excited?”

“You could say that.”

“I meant to talk to you.” Rosalina chewed another one of her snacks. “You want one? They’re kilanos. Hajjian fruits.”

“Are they fire fruits?”

“No, anyone can eat them. Try one.”

Calista humored her and took one. A sour-bitter taste exploded in her tongue, overwhelming her. To be polite, she continued chewing it, ignoring the lurching of her stomach.

Rosalina laughed at her expression. “You didn’t like it?”

Calista forced it down. “It’s… strong.”

“That’s a shame. I guess it’s an acquired taste for some.”

“What did you want to talk about?” Calista asked, though she had a feeling she knew.

“I noticed you were a bit… distant lately. I worried I might have said something.”

“Said something?”

“I vaguely remember going to your room yesterday, when I was drunk.” She scratched her nape. “I don’t know if I said something untoward, or rude… I say a lot of stupid cache when I’m drunk. I’m sorry.”

“Um… you didn’t.”

“You sure?”

“Not… not anything insulting, no. But… you did say something.”

Rosalina rubbed her forehead, pressing her fingers on her age ridges. “Oh, God. What did I say?” She sat down on one of the sofas. “I don’t know why I drank so much… usually, I’m careful. I was just so frustrated… This is why I don’t take memory-restoration pills. I don’t want to remember myself being an idiot.”

Calista hid a snicker as she remembered her jumping on her sleep capsule, singing Fistborn Academy’s anthem. “You, uh… mentioned something about… you and Reilly.”

“What?”

Calista decided to get straight to the point. “You told me you were being nice to me because… Reilly wanted you to spy on me and Harrison.”

The pure red color of Rosalina’s skin paled a bit, now looking more pink. She sighed and stammered. Calista never thought she’d see her so nervous.

“Oh, no. Calista, I… I’m so sorry,” she said.

“So it’s true?”

“It… it is. But… I don’t want to do it anymore.” She held her head, groaning. “God, now I remember. I argued with Reilly and went crazy on the Bloody Murders. No wonder I was so wasted.”

“I just don’t get why you guys really want us to be cheating. I mean, you guys are still better fighters. Why do you care about me and Harrison so much?”

“I know, I know, it’s glitchy,” Rosalina admitted. “I was just… frustrated. Everything seemed so easy for you. It didn’t seem fair, since so many people work hard to get in the academy, let alone the team. And then there’s the planet team.”

Hillary said the same thing; everything seemed so easy for Calista. Maybe the entrance to the academy felt like a cheat, but getting on the country team, then the planet team; that was a product of Calista’s hard work. It was true that some things were a product of God’s hand in her life, but she did work. Along with her prayers came her own effort to succeed.

Did everyone want to hate her? What was with this team trying so hard to hate her and her success? It couldn’t be just because she was a ‘Socializer’.

“But as I got to know you, I could see you weren’t stealing anything,” Rosalina continued. “You do work hard. And you’re actually fun to be with. That’s why I told Reilly I wasn’t comfortable spying on you anymore.” Her rose red eyes reflected genuineness Calista had never seen from her before. “I had so much fun the other day with you and your other two friends. I haven’t done a… ‘girls’ day out’ in years. Not since… I left home. It felt good.”

Calista sat down, gazing at Rosalina. She really wasn’t sure if she could trust her words. She sounded so heartfelt, but was it true? Or was it another manipulation tactic?

“I get if you don’t want to be friends anymore. I’ve been pretty glitchy towards you from the beginning. But I won’t be trying to… sabotage you or anything, I promise.”

The Earthian girl remained silent. Before she could gather her thoughts, another voice cut through the air. “You promise?”

The two turned, finding Lílitha at the doorway. The Ilamikoan approached them, clapping slowly. “What a marvelous performance, Hothead.” Behind her, Camelithia rushed inside.

“What the glitch are you doing here?” Rosalina snapped.

“Lílitha, please, don’t do this so late at night! We’re going to get in trouble!” Cam whispered.

“Why are you guys here?” Calista asked.

“This is a common room, isn’t it?” Lílitha replied. She smiled at Rosalina. “Seriously, I underestimated you. You really know how to act the part.”

“What are you talking about? It was a private conversation, anyway,” Rosalina retorted.

“I nominate Rosalina Wiasod for a Mask Award! ‘Oh, I had so much fun! I haven’t had that in years! I don’t want to be a spy anymore!’ What a beautiful speech. I was moved. Really. Unfortunately for you, I know how rotten you are, enough to see past that performance.”

“Oh, I’m rotten. Look in the mirror, glitch.”

“Calista, you should know better. I warned you she was using you, and what do you know? I was right. Don’t fall for her cache.”

“How about you mind your own hacking business?”

“If you don’t believe me, ask Dropkick.” Lílitha jerked her head at Camelithia. “She knows.”

“She knows what?” Calista asked.

“Nothing. Lílitha, can we please not do this right now?” Cam pleaded.

“Why not? They’re here.”

Calista narrowed her eyes. “What is she talking about, Cam?”

“I…” Camelithia sighed. “I… overheard them talking. About you. Well, no, not about you, but…”

“You overheard them?”

“She was just asking me what we were talking about that day,” Lílitha explained. “Apparently, she was behind the wall listening to every word we said. She heard everything she said.” She pointed at Rosalina.

“Oh, and what did I say? Huh? Dropkick, what did I say?” Rosalina challenged.

“That’s the thing, I wasn’t sure-”

“You mean you knew Rosalina was using me?” Calista exclaimed.

“No! No, I didn’t. Lílitha was just telling Rosalina to back off and not use you, and Rosalina accused her of doing the same thing, and… it was too out of context. I didn’t know who to believe or what to think. So that’s why I asked her just now.”

“You still could’ve said something.”

“I didn’t know who was telling the truth, Calista, that’s why I didn’t tell you yet. And you didn’t say anything about Rosalina telling you!”

“Because it was between her and me.”

Camelithia shook her head with disappointment at Hothead. “Belinda and I thought she was trying to make allies. We were as fooled as you were.”

“You two had nothing to do with this,” Rosalina told her.

“Calista’s our best friend, so yes, we had something to do with it.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore!” Her skin was starting to sizzle with frustration. “Look, I said I was sorry, and I’m not doing this whole thing anymore.”

“Aw, she’s had such a change of heart!” Lílitha exclaimed sarcastically. “And in so little time! What a transformation!”

“You shut your glitching mouth, likata! You’re no different! You’re only friends with Calista because Harrison is in love with her, otherwise, you would hate her just as much as I did before!”

“I’m not as masky as you.”

“You’d like to believe that, huh?” Rosalina looked at Calista. “Calista. What reason do you have to trust this little girl other than that she’s in your Guild?”

“‘Little girl’?” Lílitha’s fangs bared. “Don’t you go there.”

“Could we all just calm down?” Camelithia glanced up at the ceiling nervously. “If you two get in a brawl, you could be kicked out of the team. Don’t be foolish.”

“No, seriously, Calista. Why do you trust her?” Rosalina asked.

Calista hesitated. “I… I don’t know.”

“Do you know if she’s worthy of your trust? What if she’s using you?”

“Oh, hack you, Hothead!” Lílitha yelled.

“You shouldn’t say such mean words at your age.”

“THAT’S IT!” Lílitha leapt onto Rosalina, wrapping her elastic arms around her throat. Camelithia and Calista quickly intervened and tried to pull her off.

“Ow!” Cam pulled her hand away. “Don’t bite me!”

“Lílitha- stop it!” Calista grabbed her chin, avoiding her fangs, and held her jaw up so she couldn’t bite Rosalina.

“I’ve got this. Stand back.” Rosalina’s skin glowed to an almost-orange color. The other two shied away from the heat. Lílitha growled in pain and let her go, her blue skin scorched.

Calista covered her mouth. “Oh, my God.”

Lílitha’s arms now had dark blue patches all along them, the skin peeling and smoking. The little woman remained on the floor, hissing at the pain.

“That was self-defense. Good luck trying to get me in trouble,” Rosalina said.

“Rosalina, you didn’t have to-”

“She was choking me! I had every right to. Besides, a quick infirmary treatment, and she’ll be fully healed. It’s not a big deal.”

“I’ll take her. Come on, Piranha.” Camelithia reached down to help her up.

“I’m fine.” She pulled away and glared at Rosalina. “You watch out when the Versus starts, glitch. Watch your back.”

“I can hardly wait.”

Calista glanced between the two, then followed Cam and Lílitha outside. She couldn’t bear the pressure building up in her head. Who was lying? Who was telling the truth?

Were they all the same?