"What do you mean you're already taken?" Harry growled, decimated.

Jess frowned at him. "Elly's already asked me to join his team for the game."

"but, but, why didn't you wait for me?'

"Elly's team looks to be stronger. To best ensure myself avoiding Fred's penalty, it was logical to go with his team. Waiting for your paltry request makes absolutely no sense."

Mike watched her go, subdued. "Hey… did it look like she'd been crying?"

"This is terrible," Harry moaned, not hearing. "She's a prize batter, those guitar arms…" He sprung up, revitalized as another thought struck him. "But, it doesn't matter! Ol' Richie the fifth will have waited for me, and he's amazing enough at any kind of physical exercise to count for three men!" Harry chuckled lightly, gazing off into the distance as they wandered between two towering school buildings, heading off across the river to where Richie the fifth trained during the mornings. "We're known each other a really long time… We're kinda like, busum buddies. It's a bit embarrassing, actually," Harry laughed. "Yeah… He'll come through-"

"What do you mean no?" Harry cried, pounding a tree in frustration.

"I'm sorry," Richie apologized earnestly. "But I've already agreed to play for Leonard's team." Richie the fifth continued his workout as he spoke, benching the fallen log with steady motions. "I can't break my word."

"But, but…"

"And, well, the deciding factor was probably when he offered me a box of crackers."

A wind blew through trees, sending leaves spiraling to the ground. Harry's eye twitched.

"Before, he was all, 'we're like busum buddies,' quickly followed by, 'this is really embarrassing.'" Mike said helpfully.

"Shut up," Harry growled, grabbing Mike by the collar as they stormed off.

"So much for surviving off of your popularity," Mike said teasingly as they stalked on a path overlooking the track. "Got any other ideas?"

"Well, there's still TK, of course."

"Why's he called TK? And… what's up with all the…"

Harry glanced behind him at Mike. "He calls himself TK. No one knows why, just as no one knows anything about who he was in his past life… yes, he is truly shrouded in mystery…
Mike struggled to keep up with Harry. "Really… I thought he was just high all the time…"

It took a moment for Harry to respond. When he did his tone was slowed, subdued. "No. there's no drugs here, of any kind, all right? There are no drugs here." Harry kept striding. "TK's just eternally mellow, I suppose. But, knowing TK, I know we can rely on him."

Again, Harry looked off into the distance, sentiment flooding him. "Good 'Ol TK. I know he'll stick by me."

Harry stewed, unable to speak.

Mike patted him companionably. "Who would have thought that Elly would already have gotten to him?"

"Grrr…."

Mike looked around the cafeteria. Most of the other Battlefront members had already congregated into groups, plotting their game strategies. "What kind of ball is this, anyway?
Harry straightened up, interest renewed. Mike was realizing it was hard to keep this guy down for long. "It's baseball," Harry replied eagerly. "And, we need nine people for a team…"

"Looks like you guys are in a bind," a bright voice chirruped from behind them.

They whirled around. Julie stood, poised on a table, smiling down at them. "I saw the whole things. Looks like you guys really need a team mate, huh?"

"Wait… how long have you been following us?" Mike asked.

Julie sprung down, and elbowed Harry in the chest playfully. "Well… I would be a great asset!"

Harry snorted, pushing her away. "Yeah right, freshman. Like you could be good for anything more than shark bait… wait." Harry froze, eyes narrowing as he brought his fist to his chin.

"Wait a second…" he thought aloud. "If pitcher slams her in that massive head with the throw, then he'll get thrown out! That's it! All right, little crazy, you're our first batter!"

As Harry had been speaking, Julie's face had filled up with violet, until she was shaking. "You jerk!" she howled, sending a flying kick crashing into Harry's chin. Harry spun away, then, with a growl, came back, catching his assailant in a full tackle as they went down to the ground, fighting like cats and dogs.

"You know," Mike said thoughtfully. "We really aren't getting any of the people you had your heart set on, Harry. We really don't have much of a choice."

"That's right," Julie agreed, springing back up, neon hair bouncing. "And no one plays b-ball better than this girl. Julie! Meow!"

At this, Harry stopped getting up, his face contorted in a grimace. "You…. I dare you… say that again…"

"Julie! Meow!"

With a roar, they crashed to the ground, Harry making a game attempt make a knot out of the fan girl's arms. "Oh sweet-mercy that is the single most annoying thing I've ever heard, you…"

"Owww! Hey, you're hurting me… what kind of upper classman are you?"

"The kind that shall purify this school of all annoying twerps."

Mike chuckled at them, dodging their flying blows carefully. "Come on, guys. We need to go find some more people."

They peeked through the door cautiously. Only darkness and smell of gym sweat could be discerned. "Hannah?" Harry called out, as they cautiously entered the P.E. storage room. "You in here?"

"Why would she be in here?" Mike asked, curious.

"She doesn't like to be around people, generally. She usually lurks around here unless we're having a meeting, and she's needed in some kind of anti-Angel endeavor. She-"

"What do you want?" a low voice sounded. Hannah's pale face appeared, peering around a shelf. "Oh… It's you. What is it?"

Harry winked at her. "We want you to be on our team, for the baseball tournament," Harry explained eagerly. "And, you have the best reflexes, speed, and agility of anyone of the Battlefront, so…"

Hannah looked down at the ground. "I… I wouldn't know anything about all that," she denied somberly. "I just… I can't get it out of my head. How I lost to him."

Harry blinked. "What… do you mean the last Operation Parachute? I suppose it was pretty amazing that Mike was apple to go farther than any of the rest of us."

Hannah continued to keep her gaze on the cold floor, her long, ebony hair hanging in chords around her. "It's pathetic… That someone like him was able to prove more useful then I, it proves that… I am weak. I should be stronger."

"Hey, come on," Mike broke in heatedly. "I just got lucky. Everyone knows that."

"But," Hannah continued. "If there is one path that, even with all of my training to improve, one path that you could still be superior… It would be concentration. To redeem myself, I must prove my concentration."

A weighty silence fell over them. They watched her, unable to speak.

"And so, to prove my concentration… I have resolved to do everything whole balancing this broom on my finger," she declared, stepping out from behind the shelf to reveal the spindly broomstick, held aloft by her hand.

"She's a moron like the rest of us," Julie hypothesized in awe.

With her free hand, Hannah made the come-hither gesture at Mike, her eyes narrowing violently. "So. Now, let us settle the matter of our capabilities once and for all, right here, right now." Mike backed away from the fiery eyed girl before him. "What the heck are you talking about? And… do I have to balance a broom also?"

"Of course not! This will prove my advantage in concentration! We shall fight!" "Yes, yes, of course," Harry broke in hastily. "But, uh, first, the preliminaries! To prove your combat superiority, you must first outperform Ol' Mike in baseball! Right Mike?"

"What… oh, yeah, I guess so."

Hannah tilted her head, eyes gleaming in the gloom. Then she straightened, her hand held at her side, the broom balanced easily. "Very well," she agreed.

Cautiously, they peered over the boulder. A short distance away, grunting by the trickling shores of the river, Jake practiced. With exaggerated cries and exclamations he spun and jumped, performing elaborate moves with his beloved halberd.

"Do we really have to ask this moron?" Julie huffed.

"Ah, but we can use idiots. No one else in the Battlefront wants him, he's irrational, violent and impulsive, not to mention only follows orders from Fred. But… as you can see, he really knows how to swing a stick around."

"Aha! I see you've come to finish our duel," Jake called as they approached. Sweet watermelon, Mike cursed, why does everyone want to beat me up? Is it something about my face?

"Listen, I don't want to-"

Harry threw a hand over Mike's mouth. "Yes! Conflict! But… how about you two settle things on the baseball field eh?" Harry eyed Jake's confused face. "Physical strength alone isn't enough to impress Winifred… If you know what I mean…"
Jake swore, and covered for his sudden unnerving by pointing his blade menacingly at Mike. "Very well… We shall finish this on the ball field!"

Julie whispered to Mike quietly. "The moron… He doesn't even know he's being used."

"You shall have your chance with the new one once I am finished," Hannah said coolly, the broom swaying in the breeze.

"Ah, really? Well, try to leave some recognizable peaces behind, all right?"

Mike hung back from the rest as they walked back up from the river. This was getting ridiculous. He felt a crash test dummy in a nuclear testing facility.