Harrison’s sapphire blue eyes stared blankly at the HARP screen. His picture stared back at him, his eyes filled with confidence, coupled with that ‘charming smirk’ girls loved about him. His current expression was the complete opposite of that.

“There has never been a fourth-placer that stirred up this much controversy, has there, Yvonne?”

“Actually, Xavier, there have been a few controversial figures that placed out of the top 3, but it hasn’t happened in a long time.”

“I don’t blame anyone, though. With the ‘prodigious’ way Mr. Smith climbed up to the tops, I’m suspicious, too. It all seemed to come too easy for him. Fans have voted to call him ‘Cheater’, and the votes were so overwhelming that ‘Cheater’ is now his call sign.”

“Lílitha Houdge has requested to enter,” AIDA said.

“Let her in,” Harrison commanded.

The small woman entered. It was so hard to believe she was 19 human years old. Harrison could never get over her appearance. The first time he’d seen her, he thought she was visiting with her parents. He didn’t know much about Ilamiko until now.

“AIDA, turn off the HARP.” Lílitha climbed onto the sofa. AIDA obeyed, Xavier Hennett and Yvonne Macon’s faces dissolving.

“I was watching that.” Harrison looked at her.

“And you shouldn’t.” She leaned back leisurely. “Why should you? That’s not going to help you.”

“I’m going to hear it anyway.”

“Are you staying?” she asked.

“Huh?”

“In the academy. Are you staying, or are you waiting until next Versus?”

Harrison breathed in, thinking carefully. “I dunno. I don’t need to hear my mom talking about… you know. It’s probably gonna get worse if I go home.”

“You don’t have anywhere else you can stay?”

“Not really. I’m kinda like you.”

There was a pause. Harrison then said, “AIDA, turn the HARP back on.”

“… his age is astounding. 14 Earthian years old, given early admission to Fistborn Academy. So many others his age have tried to get early admission, but for some reason, he had to.”

“Why do you keep watching?” Lílitha chided. “It’s not going to help you, kiddo.”

“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his messy curls. “What’s so wrong with me being ‘young’?”

“They associate it with experience.”

“I’ve been training since I was five.”

“Doesn’t count for them, unfortunately. Take it from me.”

He chuckled. “Right. So even if you’re not young, but you look young, they don’t like you.”

“They just think you’re not experienced. Which is partly true, but same goes for everyone who gets on the team for the first time.” She mussed his curls. “Come on, kiddo. Turn off the cache and let’s go.”

He looked at her questioningly as she stood. “Go where?”

“Kick some butt.”

“Huh?”

She sighed. “Just come on.”

They left the dorms, going to the Training Center. It was late at night, so not many students were up.

“You’re bugged off, right?” Lílitha said as they entered a gym.

“Yeah.”

“What else did they say about you? Besides you being young?”

“Stuff like… my dad paying to get me in, or my mom. Um… that I was ‘adopted’ by a… ‘higher species’. Like… they took me in because they felt sorry for me. And… mostly that someone paid for me to get this far. Stuff about my family and everything that happened. They’re gonna look at all my suits and see if I had a cheat code. Oh, and my call sign is ‘Cheater’ now.”

“Anything else?”

“I can’t be a Student Coach anymore.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Lílitha nodded, twisting her lips. She shrugged. “Well, to be fair, even if you were a Student Coach, people wouldn’t be that comfortable learning from a kid.”

He gave her a sour look.

“Hear me out. You just started. You have great strength and incredible skill. You have a talent in fighting. But you need experience and maturity. Give yourself time, then you can start teaching people.” She chuckled, stretching her arm up and mussing his hair again. “You need a lot more authority than this.”

“I’m intimidating,” he argued.

She winced. “Sorry. But you’re not.”

“Hey-”

“I know, I’m one to talk. But I’m older than you.” She led him to a combat mat. “I know how to scare people despite looking like this. You, on the other hand… you’re just a kid, inside and out. You need to learn.”

Harrison looked at his feet. She was right.

“Take it from ‘Piranha’, ‘kay?” She stretched her limbs and got into a fighting position. “Now… the rest of the stuff they said is all cache, so punch me like I’m that… what’s-his-name. Xavier Hackett.”

“Hennett,” Harrison corrected with a boyish giggle.

“That. I’m Xavier Hennett. Kick the glitches out of me.”

Harrison breathed and also got into position. While they were right about his youth and inexperience, their envy reached high levels. Because of them, he would be called ‘Cheater’ forever. That was his mark in the Versus: being the fraud. It wasn’t fair.

He would continue training. He would study and practice as much as he could for the next years. Even during vacation times, he’d be training. It wasn’t like being at home gave him any reprieve, anyway.

Whatever happened, they’d eat their words. ‘Cheater’ wouldn’t be scorned. He’d be feared.

He ran forward and started fighting Lílitha. She never went easy on him. The first time they fought, she’d unhesitatingly slammed him into the floor and broken a couple of his ribs. It was better than getting bitten, though.

She was one of the few that didn’t underestimate him. She fought him like she would fight anyone. He appreciated that, even if it left him bruised and battered at times. The only thing she didn’t do was bite. She saved that for her more ‘irritating’ opponents.

Harrison’s wrists were locked in Lílitha’s small hands, her fingers stretching to wrap around them completely. She pulled hard and threw him on his back. He wriggled out of the disadvantageous position, kicking her in the face and pulling her down. She stretched her arms and lifted herself, then let go so she could rubber-band into his face. Her head knocked against his and he groaned in pain.

Her arms then wrapped around his neck, then her legs around his waist. She pulled back and slammed his face on the ground. He tried using his strength to get out of the deadly hold, but failed. He finally tapped her so she could let go.

“How do you do that?” He breathed heavily, his body slacking in exhaustion.

Lílitha hardly broke a sweat, flipping her ponytail. “It’s all muscle memory, my dear Harrison.”

He rolled his eyes. “You can’t even escape from that.”

“Nope. Pure strength. It’s harder on bigger guys. My elasticity helps, but if the opponent’s too huge, I usually can’t do it. Like Unadra Illa? No way.”

Harrison finally regained his strength and stood, ready for another round. At the door, he noticed a couple of familiar faces enter. Lílitha followed his gaze, turning.

Both Reilly Campbell and Rosalina Wiasod approached the training area next to them. Rosalina smiled at the sight of them. “Well, if it isn’t the children. Look at you fighting each other. How adorable.”

“Hack off, Hothead,” Lílitha retorted.

“Why are you here so late? Isn’t it your bedtime?”

“Rosa, let’s just practice,” Reilly said.

Lílitha took Harrison’s arm and led him away. “Let’s go.”

“Hey, Cheater, are you going to stay? You’re going to need practice if you’re going to the Versus next time.”

“Yeah, I’m staying,” he retorted. “What’s it to you?”

“Ah, wonderful. Just thought you would need help.”

“Rosa. Come on.”

“Sorry.” Rosalina grinned at them. “Good luck training, kiddos.”

“God, why can’t you ever shut the cache up?” Lílitha snapped. “You really love the sound of your own voice, don’t you?”

“Not as much as you.”

“Li, let’s go. You wanted to leave.” Harrison nudged her arm, but the Ilamikoan woman continued the argument.

“You’d think having your stupid status would make you a little less desperate for attention. You’re so pathetic, Rosalina. You’re so afraid that someone will take everything away that you keep bugging us-”

“Afraid?” Rosalina scoffed. “You only wish.”

“Will you two save your bickering for some other day?” Reilly glared at Lílitha. “Excuse us, Lílitha, but Rosalina and I need to train.”

“Excuse you. We were here first. Go get your own gym.” She looked at Harrison. “We’re staying. They intruded.”

“Who says you own the gym?” said Rosalina.

“I can say the same to you. If you’re so easily distracted by us, go find another gym.”

“Make us.”

Lílitha leapt forward and caught Rosalina in the deadly hold she used on Harrison before. Reilly quickly intervened, trying to pry her off. Harrison hesitated, unsure whether to get involved or not.

“I can handle her myself!” Rosalina snapped, her voice strained. Her hands glowed as she burned Lílitha’s arm. The little woman cried out and let go, but she still opened her mouth and bit down on Rosalina’s shoulder.

The Hajjian woman let out an enraged, pained scream. Her face burned bright red and her skin smoked. She pinned the little woman down and punched her repeatedly. Purple blood spilled.

Harrison chose that moment to run forward and push her. “Stop!”

She shoved him, her strength forcing him away a few feet. “Stay out of this, kid.”

“Rosa, will you please…” Reilly seemed more irritated than ever as he pulled his girlfriend off of Lílitha. “What is the matter with you today? Let’s just go.”

Lílitha coughed and wiped her nose, sitting up and glaring at Rosalina. “Go get a virus, glitch.”

Reilly sighed, leading his angry girlfriend out of the gym. Harrison helped Lílitha to her feet. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” She shook her head. “Let’s call it a night, okay, kiddo?”

“Why were you so mad?” They went to the door.

“She just gets me mad.”

“But why like that? People call you stuff all the time, and the stuff she said wasn’t that bad. Did you fight with her today already?”

“I told you, she just gets me mad. I can’t stand her. Her presence alone makes me want to go on a killing spree.”

Harrison decided not to ask any further questions, heading towards the Infirmary in the School of Medical Tech. Lílitha noticed where they were going and stopped.

“What?”

“I’m going to my room,” she said.

“Your nose is broken.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. You just worry about you.” She patted his shoulder and held her nose as she walked away. “Good night, kid.”

Harrison stared after her. He sighed and headed to his dorm building. Once he arrived, he collapsed into his sleep capsule. It was way past his usual sleep time.

Maybe going to the Versus was a bad idea after all.