Chapter 4: Cake walk

I growled when more clothes tumbled out of the box and a necklace with a green gem. She yipped putting it around her neck.

"Finally, I've been looking for this for hours"

"A necklace," I said with a sarcastic look.

"My mom gave it to me as a present before I got here"

I wasn't convinced but that was an oddly specific gift. Blear smiled holding it up

"I promised I would make her proud and get to the top" She let out with conviction, I gazed at her in wonder.

"Your mom knows"

She bobbed and tilted her head with a feeble bow "Thank you for helping me Penumbra, most people would be struggling to get the prize but you let me win, you are one of a kind"

I sighed realizing today's catastrophe. She perked up when I switched to my side to lie down.

I heard shuffling from behind me as she worked in silence. Shadow's luminescent orifices opened and its hand materialized to pat my head, I giggled feeling a bit cheerful that it returned.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing" Shadow vanished.

"I don't want to sound like a skeptic okay_ you were incredible_ but with the anti-gravity on, no one would be able to tell the difference"

I turned on my back staring up at the end of the upper bunk in perusal. What if I get the third strike without using my powers?

I heaved a sigh "Yeah" I said to her. I got more curious about Blear and asked the traditional question.

"What's your real name?"

"It's classified plus I think Blear's cooler" She shrugged, I cackled and passed her a pair of socks with bunny prints. I wasn't sure what to feel, I missed being with Emma and Kristen in our old room, the school was switching to assigning factions and levels in the same spot.

Presently, she was hurrying to pack her things, the place was clearing up nicely.

"we've got Physical Combat Training in the next few hours and I'm still in this mess"

I stood up "I'll help"

"No no no, you've done plenty of help today"

***

At the training camp where Miss Dimmity watched while we did choreograph the moves, she taught us. The fighting styles were adapted from Ninjitsu and I was having a hard time with my high kicks.

I didn't get the grunting every time we threw out a fist. I exhaled striving to get it right.

"6268, you are falling behind at the forms, try to keep up" She folded her arms circling the group watching for any blunders.

I scrambled to get in sync with what the others were doing.

"Okay, time to apply what you learned to your opponent. In your last session when you were learning the action by observing. Now you have to reinforce what you learned at eye level with your fists."

They exchanged looks with nods of approval

"Without any predisposition, our program will be picking out names at random, the one you are paired with will be your opponent." She clapped and the names shuffled on the network and stopped with two names.

"Cimmeria and Penumbra"

My eye ticked at the call, I strutted to the ring with whispers within my earshot. Cimmeria's fists clenched cracking, I struck a pose watching her with my hand out, she circled the ring and jumped at me, I backed away anxious.

She cried and attacked first, I put my fist out to block her punch, we had the same moves, she growled and spun kicking me, I flew across to the other side and gasped when I was halfway out of the ring.

With my side throbbing, I got up and circled waiting to see if I could go on the offense but she wasn't open. I realized that she was trying to get into my head, she waited obviously for me to attack.

My mind wandered, with the moves, she could easily foresee a play at her, her lip twisted. With my fist on the side of my head, I blocked a hand she swung, then blocked a high kick. She gasped when I caught her foot but turned to counterattack, I reeled back to avoid getting a kick to the face and she dropped, rolling over to kick herself up.

Her strength was clearly in her legs, I snarled and jabbed her legs with my hands, she reached up to strike me from above, grabbing her hands, I slid under her and pulled as hard as I could and she somersaulted hitting the ground with low impact.

I wheezed trying to catch my breath when she recouped with uncertainty in her eyes, it was that simple. I had established fear but three times better than attacked reshuffling the strategy. She reeled as I fought back unable to portend any move, my eyes narrowed when I noticed she had reached the end and swept her off, Cimmeria wailed and knocked over the ring.

Hands and knees on the floor, she gazed at me in shock then climbed onto the ring again and we bowed to each other.

Miss Dimity raved "That was a spectacle."

She called the next fighters while I sat rotating my shoulders from that pull, I glanced at Cimmeria and her lips thinned looking away.

I walked with Blear and I smiled at Emma in her new blue uniform. She looked bubbly and hurried to me taking my hands, we hopped up and down and around.

"I'm so happy although getting to the green AND blue squad is a walk in the park" She gave me an awkward smile squinting her eyes. "I liked you in purple"

"Thank you" Blear and I said in unison. Emma gave her a second look.

"New pal?"

"We're roommates. Hi" She nodded and waved with a bright smile.

"How was class today?"

"I_" Blear cut in with excitement demonstrating wildly.

"Darcy got Cimmeria's as..."

Her voice faltered at the spectacle and we slowly turned to see who turned up, she scowled at him...