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Future
Dr. Lilian Stowe, 58
March 21st, 22:11 MST
"He said he saw the future?"
Lilian let the words bounce around in her head. If they had known when they were choosing the contestants that Kenji had that sort of power, they probably wouldn't have picked him. But it was too late now.
Hans shook his head. "Not exactly. He said he went to the future."
Lilian cocked her head. "What's the difference?"
"He didn't experience everything in between. He only got a glimpse, a tiny picture of what was going to happen. He knows they're going to wake up safe; that's all."
"That's all this time," Lilian pointed out. "Who knows what might happen next time?"
Hans shrugged. "What's the difference between that and what Piper did last year? She could see the future."
"Only a few minutes into the future."
"But we didn't know that when we chose her. We had some idea of what she'd done in the past, but we had no way of knowing how far she could really push her power, in a pinch. We still don't. For all we know, she might be able to see much farther by now. Maybe even as far as Kenji just saw."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
Hans shook his head. "No. Because if Piper proved anything, it's that she could also change that future. It wasn't set – not if she acted based on that new information. There's no reason to believe that the future Kenji saw is guaranteed. Now, since they didn't do anything different from what they were planning to do, it'll probably work out fine this time. But if they change their tactics based on what he sees, the future changes, too." He hesitated. "Right?"
Lilian chuckled. "Search me. I'm the psychologist, not the mathematician. Alvin might have a better idea."
Hans rolled his eyes. "Alvin would probably say this is more proof that we're in over our heads, that the Games are unpredictable no matter what we try to do."
"Unpredictable isn't always bad," Lilian reasoned. "Look what's happened so far this year. We couldn't have predicted that the public would find out about the Games, but it's worked in our favor anyway. Hell, quite a few of them are even entertained by what's going on. Sure, there are plenty of groups that are horrified, but there are sites cropping up where people are betting on who's going to survive – and even who's going to die next."
Hans cringed. "That's horrible."
"That's human nature. And they wouldn't be doing that if anyone could predict – really predict – what's going to happen next. As soon as Kenji said that they would wake up tomorrow safe and sound, people immediately started wagering that he would be the next to die. It didn't matter that he saw the exact opposite of that. People want to be surprised. They want to be entertained. And as strange as it seems, the Games are providing that. It's sort of like what Marcus and Manaka were saying – that they wished there was a Mutant League, that they could compete against people who were on the same level. Well, maybe this is what people want, even if they don't realize it. We are calling it the X-Games, after all."
Hans nodded. None of them seemed to remember who had suggested the name, but it had stuck. Somehow, calling it a game made it a bit more palatable. But that didn't mean that she was having fun. She certainly didn't enjoy watching these young mutants kill each other; it was just part of the job. But if other people found it entertaining … well, maybe they should have expected it from the start.
Maybe they should have been honest from the start.
They'd assumed the public would disapprove. They'd assumed people would riot. And some people were rioting. But not enough of them. Not enough people cared. Most people were simply indifferent. And a few were even entertained. More than a few, according to the traffic numbers on some of those websites. Even people from other countries were getting in on the action.
As far as other countries as a whole, the response had been rather underwhelming. Maybe the Games would simply become another American oddity. Maybe other countries would see the success they'd had – and how quickly the public had gotten on board – and decide to follow suit. In the end, there was no way of knowing how people would react. No way to tell what the future would hold.
Maybe it really was unpredictable.
Fae Tomasini, 13
Maybe tonight really was going to be different.
Fae huddled closer to Kiara as Iola took over keeping watch. Fae's own three hours had seemed to go by rather quickly. So quickly, she had worried that maybe she had fallen asleep at some point, but she would remember that, wouldn't she? Or at least, she would remember waking up. But she hadn't, and now she could get some rest while Iola kept watch. There hadn't been so much as a rustle of an animal for the last few hours. It was shaping up to be a rather quiet night.
She just hoped it would stay that way. They all needed some rest. Some real rest. Not some rest interrupted by being attacked. She couldn't ignore the fear that they might be attacked, of course, but that wasn't likely to go away, no matter how tired she was. Fae closed her eyes and snuggled a little closer to Kiara, who wrapped an arm closely around Fae. Fae smiled. She'd thought Kiara was asleep. Maybe she was, and it was just an automatic response. Or maybe Fae had accidentally woken her when she'd shaken Iola awake.
Fae yawned, shifting her position a little under the sleeping bag she and Kiara were sharing. The ground was rocky and cold, but at least she had Kiara to help keep her warm. She couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for any contestants who didn't have someone else around.
Or who had left their group.
Fae shook the thought from her head. Henry had made their choice. They could have stayed with the group. The only reason they weren't here right now, warm and safe and snuggled up beside her, was because they had run off.
Just like she had tried to do.
Fae squeezed her eyes shut. That was different. She couldn't put her finger on exactly why it was different, but she had run off because she had been ashamed. She had let the group down by drawing their attacker in with her singing. She had thought – for a brief moment – that maybe Kiara and Iola would be better off without her. She had left because she cared about them. Henry had left to save themself.
Unless they hadn't. Maybe they had been just as upset, just as disappointed with themself as she had been. Maybe they'd realized they shouldn't have kept what had happened a secret. Maybe they'd thought the group would be better off without them.
Maybe. But they were wrong. Just like she had been wrong. They were better off together, even if it couldn't last forever. None of them were perfect, but together, they could make up for each other's shortcomings, compensate for each other's weaknesses. Iola wouldn't stand a chance on her own, but neither would she. Neither would Kiara. Not against groups that were working together. Not when they would eventually have to rest.
Fae swallowed hard. She wondered if Henry had been able to get some rest. Were they even still alive? Maybe she shouldn't care. They had left, after all. It had been their choice. But she still couldn't help wondering what might have happened if she had gone after Henry, like Kiara had gone after her. Would they have come back? Would the others have let them come back? They had let her come back, after all.
But she hadn't lied. She'd made a mistake; that was all. She hadn't tried to keep a secret from the group. She hadn't decided that no one else needed to know the truth about something that could cost them their lives. She had just … well, she had been careless. And now she knew better.
And she would do better.
Elio Haines, 16
He would do even better tomorrow.
Elio couldn't help a smile as he stared out into the night. Lea had fallen asleep maybe twenty minutes ago, leaving him alone with his thoughts. But those were more than enough company right now, even without the light appearing to him at the moment. It had been a good day, and tomorrow … well, there was no reason to believe tomorrow wouldn't be even better. They would find another lake, stock up on more fish. Soon, they wouldn't have to rely on what was in their packs at all. As long as they kept finding more lakes, there would be plenty of food, and there certainly didn't seem to be a shortage of lakes.
And from the look of things, there was no one else in the area. They had still been careful, of course. They'd put out their fire before it had gotten too dark, just in case there was someone around to see. But if there was, they didn't seem to be interested in making a move. More likely, there was simply no one around. There were quite a few mountains, quite a few lakes to choose from. Unless the other contestants were deliberately trying to find each other, the chances of anyone running into each other by accident seemed slim at best.
Unless they were trying to find each other. He wished he knew whether they were. He was quite happy to be here with Lea, of course, but he did wish there was some way to know what was happening with the other contestants, whether they were really playing along with the Games. As it was, the only thing they knew was that they weren't the only two left. Because if they were, the Games would be over, and the MAAB would come to pick them up.
Wouldn't they?
Would they, if the two of them were left? He and Lea hadn't exactly been quiet about their opposition to the Games. If it did come down to the two of them, would the MAAB even come for them, or would they simply let the two of them stay out here and pretend that everyone had died.
No. No, that was probably just wishful thinking. Because there was a part of him that would prefer that, that would rather be left out here alone than be trapped by the MAAB for the rest of his life. That was what had happened to Penelope after last year's Games, after all. They hadn't let her go. She was still just as trapped as she had been on that island, except now there was no light at the end of the tunnel. She would be stuck in their custody for the rest of her life.
He didn't want that. He couldn't imagine that. And he wasn't really sure which was better – that, or being one of the twenty-eight contestants who had ended up dead the year before. At least they were at peace. No one could hurt them anymore. Penelope would have to deal with watching the young mutants she coached tear each other to pieces in the Games, maybe for the rest of her life.
How could anyone live like that?
Elio shuddered at the thought. Being here in the Games was bad enough. Or at least, it had seemed like a bad enough idea. Actually being here, fishing, trading shifts with Lea … that part wasn't bad. But what had happened to Makenzie … That was terrible. People were dying, and he just felt so … so helpless.
But you can help Lea. For now, that would have to be good enough. There wasn't anyone else nearby to recruit, even if they were still trying to convince people to join them. If someone found them, then they would have to decide. But until then, the best thing they could do was keep each other alive. And right now, that meant letting Lea get some rest while he kept watch.
Elio's gaze drifted up to the sky. He had to admit, this part was beautiful. There were so many stars – more than he would have been able to see back in Buffalo on even the best of nights. There were no lights out here, no distractions. There was nothing else to do, nothing to occupy his mind besides the beauty all around him. If he had come here in any other circumstances, he would probably have loved these mountains. He might never have wanted to leave.
Maybe he didn't.
Coburn Hughes, 17
Maybe they didn't have anything to worry about after all.
Coburn stared out into the darkness as the three of them settled down for the night. At least it would probably be easier than trying to rest during the day. "I'll take the first watch," Lilith offered, and nobody else objected. They were all exhausted, and Coburn had only eaten a little granola before deciding that sleep was more important at the moment. He stretched out on the ground beside Savannah and closed his eyes.
As soon as he did, though, the feeling came rushing back – a feeling that something was about to happen. Something terrible. Coburn squeezed his eyes tighter. They couldn't just keep going forever. They had to rest. If something was going to happen, they would be in a better position to deal with it if they'd gotten some rest. Besides, something was going to happen eventually. Maybe it was better if it happened now. Maybe it was better to find out what they could do now, rather than constantly running away from whoever might be following them.
Coburn rolled over, trying to find a more comfortable position. There wasn't one. The ground was hard and rocky everywhere they'd been. But they had to sleep. Tomorrow, they could worry about finding a better place for it. Right now, they would just have to make do. He would just have to make do.
Coburn resisted the urge to open his eyes to see if Savannah was having any more luck than he was. It didn't matter. If he couldn't sleep, he would at least make sure his eyes got some rest.
That was something.
Coburn took a few deep breaths. His hands were warm and tingling, but he'd managed to keep anything from bursting into flames today. Savannah seemed to be doing a better job of keeping her lightning under control, as well. Maybe they were just tired. Maybe that was the trick. Maybe the more tired they were, the less likely their powers were to get out of control, because they just didn't have the energy to make anything large enough to do any damage.
Maybe. A few days ago, he would have guessed the opposite would be true – that the more tired they were, the less control they would have. Sort of like how most people got grumpy when they were tired. Snappy. Irritable. But his fire didn't seem to work the same way. He was still plenty warm, but there weren't any flames shooting from his hands right now.
All the more reason to get some sleep, really. If sleeping was a good way to recharge his powers, so to speak, then he would need to be as rested as he could be if something happened. No, when something happened. It was only a matter of time before something happened, before someone found them, or they found someone else.
That was the only way the Games would end, after all. The only way to get out of here. Something had to happen. People had to die. And at least one of them would have to die. Either Lilith or Savannah would have to die eventually if he wanted to go home.
Home. Right. What would that even mean now? His father and stepmother were the ones who had let the MAAB know where he was, after all. They wouldn't want him back, even if the MAAB would allow it. And there was no way they would let him go back to his mother in Canada, was there? Well, maybe. At least that would mean that he wasn't their problem anymore. But he had a feeling they wouldn't just let the survivors of the Games go back to their ordinary lives. That certainly wasn't what had happened to Penelope.
But the other survivor … she was still out there somewhere. They hadn't kept her. Maybe they had let her go back. Maybe she had been less dangerous, less of a threat if they released her. Or maybe Penelope simply hadn't had anywhere to go back to. Coburn smiled a little. Maybe that was it. Maybe Penelope had chosen to stay. She was certainly quite good at coaching. She had done a good job with the three of them, after all.
Except…
Except she had been trying to teach them how to fight. And all they had done since the start of the Games was run away from danger. Coburn relaxed a little as sleep finally crept over him. Maybe it was time for them to stop running. Whatever was coming for them tonight, they might as well face it well-rested.
There was nothing else they could do.
Florence Roos, 114
There was nothing else they could do about it tonight.
Florence nodded as Emery finished explaining, as well as she could in the moonlight, what had happened. From what she'd been able to make out, it seemed like Kenji thought he had gone into the future, and they were all still alive in the morning. Emery finished with a thumbs-up sign, and Florence nodded. That was some good news, at least.
If they could trust what Kenji had seen, at least. She had her own experience with predictions of the future, after all. Her friend Ethel had seen the Sentinels coming for her. She had seen what they were planning to do to anyone who stood in their way, but Florence had prevented that by going along quietly. The future Kenji had seen could be changed by any little thing they might do, just as he could change the present if he happened to slip into the past.
Except this was something that he wouldn't want to change. Waking up in the morning was a good thing. That meant they had survived the night. Sure, waking up and discovering that she could suddenly hear again would be better, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Not unless Kenji decided to go back and try to change what had happened. But if she was being honest with herself, she knew that if he was planning to do that, he would have done it by now. He'd probably realized that there wasn't really anything he could do to change what had happened.
There was, of course, something she could have done. It had been her idea, after all, to make a move against the other group. If they hadn't attacked, if they had just run away at the start like most of the other groups, none of this would have happened. She had been so determined to start off with a show of strength, to show Emery and Kenji that they had what it took to survive this thing, that she had almost immediately destroyed their chances.
No. No, not destroyed. They were still alive, after all. It had been nearly two days now since the start of the Games, and they were still here. No, they hadn't won a fight. No, they hadn't killed any of the other contestants. But they were still alive. That was an accomplishment in and of itself, considering what had happened.
But it wasn't enough. It wouldn't be enough. Not if they wanted to win. Not if they wanted to survive this. Eventually, they would have to get back in the game. But how were they supposed to do that? How was she supposed to fight? If only she had a chance to go back and do it over…
Florence clenched her fists as she stared out into the darkness, trying to stop everything from spinning. Emery had curled up next to Kenji after Florence had offered to keep watch, but there wasn't much to see. The moonlight illuminated some of the larger shapes in the distance, but none of them seemed to be moving. Well, not really moving. Florence blinked, shook her head a little to try to clear it, and immediately regretted the motion.
Calm down. All she had to do was not do anything to mess up what Kenji had seen. As long as she didn't do anything that might alter their future, they would all make it safely to morning. She just had to do … nothing. She could handle that.
Florence took a deep breath, trying to focus on the horizon. That had always helped whenever she'd found herself on a boat. There had been a time when she would have gotten seasick, but staring out at the horizon, at something fixed when the waves were all bouncing up and down, always seemed to help.
Except now the horizon seemed to be moving. The more she tried to focus on a fixed point, the more everything around her seemed to be spinning. Florence closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get her bearings. It had been easier during the day, when there had been something to do. Something to keep her mind busy, to keep her distracted. She could handle not being able to hear the others because they could still communicate. But now … now there was nothing. Nothing but the silence and the darkness and the looming shapes in the distance. And the—
The bats. Florence almost laughed as she saw the shapes, fluttering in the darkness, only visible by the light of the moon. There were bats here. She hadn't seen any last night, but they'd been moving closer to the mountains. Maybe that meant there were caves in the mountains.
Florence drew a deep breath, resisting the urge to try to fly up to join them. She still wasn't sure if she would be able to, and now wasn't the time to try. Not when all she had to do to keep them safe was to not do anything. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she could try to change, see if she could still fly. For now, it was safer for everyone if she stayed on the ground. She had to make sure the future stayed the way it was. She couldn't risk ruining their chances by being too hasty.
She wouldn't make the same mistake a second time.
Alphonso Bell-Garcia, 15
He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Alphonso stared at the clock, which was ticking on the little shelf between the beds. This time, he'd asked Seb to write them some beds for the night so that they wouldn't pass out on the couches again. He was keeping watch, looking out the window for … what? It wasn't as if he was going to be able to see someone coming in the dark. Well, maybe if they happened to be coming from the same direction as the window was facing, but what were the chances of that?
Except it wasn't really about being able to see someone coming. The important thing was that at least one of them was awake and alert if someone came in the room. If he was awake, he would be able to hear someone coming in the house, after all. They would have to break down the door, or smash in a window, or something else. Unless they could walk through walls, of course, but he didn't remember anyone being able to do that.
Of course, not everyone had shown off at the talent show, so there was no way of knowing what the rest of them could do. But there was nothing they could do to be prepared for every possibility. He couldn't worry about everything that might happen.
That wouldn't be any fun.
And the two of them were having fun. He kept trying to tell himself that. Spending the day in here with whatever food and games they could want was certainly better than spending it out there. But no matter what he asked Seb to write up for them, he couldn't shake the feeling that none of this was real, that none of what they were doing right now mattered, and that eventually, the world outside their walls was going to catch up with them.
Eventually. Eventually, it would happen. It had to. Someone would find them, and they would be daring enough or perhaps desperate enough to try to attack, or to try to sneak in and steal some food. Eventually, something would happen. But not yet. He had to enjoy this while he could – maybe even more so because he knew it wouldn't last.
Of course it wouldn't. Nothing did. Nothing in his life had ever been permanent – not really. Oh, he enjoyed life. There were things he had done that had been fun at the time, things he had enjoyed – relished, even. But when he got right down to it, what had he ever done in his life that had really mattered? What had he done that would last, that people would remember if…
If he died. That was the possibility that was looming over all their heads, after all. If he died in here, who would remember him? Who would care? His mother, and his stepfather. His butler, maybe. Perhaps even his father, wherever he was. But that was it. Maybe his classmates and teachers would be sad for a while – or maybe not, now that they knew that he was a mutant. Maybe they would think he had it coming. Either way, their feelings weren't likely to last for long. They had their own lives to get on with. If it had been one of his classmates who had been taken for the Games rather than him, would he have cared?
No. No, not really. He would just have been grateful that it hadn't been him. And that was probably how every mutant in the country felt right now – grateful that they hadn't been chosen. Or at least, that was how they would feel once they found out. They probably didn't even know anything was happening yet. The Games hadn't been aired live last year; there was no reason to think this would be any different. His parents were probably still wondering what had happened to him.
Alphonso shuddered. The silence must be getting to him; that was what it was. It was too quiet. Too still. He wanted to wake Seb, to ask him to make something. But what? What could he ask for that would distract him right now? That was what he was looking for, after all. A distraction.
That was what he was always looking for.
Liv Holle, 18
She wished she knew what she was looking for.
Liv stared up at the sky, searching for any reliable way to keep track of the time. None of them had realized until they'd settled down for the night that Ansel had taken their only watch. Lee had taken his best guess about when it was time to wake her, and now she would just have to do the same. Liv pulled her jacket tighter, trying to focus on making the air warm – or at least warmer than it was now. It didn't have to be sunny-day-at-the-beach, t-shirt-and-shorts weather, but somewhere above freezing would be nice.
Liv stared up at the stars. Not a cloud in the sky. Cloud cover made the air warmer, didn't it? It certainly felt chillier tonight than it had last night, when there had been an occasional cloud here and there. Or maybe she was just imagining things. Liv took a deep breath and tried to focus on clouds. Not a storm. Just clouds. Nice, thick, fluffy clouds. Nice and soft like a blanket.
Damn, she was tired.
Maybe it was time to wake Elena to keep watch. There was no way any of them could know, after all. No way to be certain at all of what time it was. It felt like it had been hours, but that could simply be because nothing had happened. The moon had set, but she had no idea what time that meant it was. She hadn't thought to ask either of the others what time the moon had set the night before. What were the chances either of them had kept track of that?
Slim. They hadn't kept track of much of anything, aside from how much food was left in their packs. They had a vague idea of what direction they had been going in – southeast the last time they checked – but they really had nothing to compare that to. The circle where they had started was back north … somewhere. She wasn't sure exactly where, which wouldn't be a good thing if they ran out of food.
Settle down. They weren't anywhere close to running out of food yet. She was just getting ahead of herself, trying to plan for everything that could go wrong. But plenty of things already had gone wrong, and they hadn't been prepared for any of them. She had thought they were ready, during training. She had thought they were prepared for a fight.
She had been wrong. Very wrong. And now Ansel was gone – maybe even dead – and they were sitting here in the dark with no idea what to do next. No goal. No plan.
That was what was bothering her, really. They didn't really have any plan for what to do next. This wasn't how she'd imagined things going once they were in the Games. She'd imagined things moving quicker. She'd imagined fight after fight, but hadn't really thought about all the 'down time' in between. They hadn't even seen any of the other contestants since the start of the Games. For all they knew, they could be here for weeks. Maybe even months.
Maybe she hadn't been thinking long-term enough when she'd suggested making a move right at the start. Last year, that might have worked. With the contestants packed together on an island, things had moved quicker. She was pretty sure the Games had only lasted three or four days. With a different playing field, things would have been over by now.
But they weren't. She wasn't sure how many of the other contestants were left, but if everyone else's day had been as uneventful as theirs, it was probably quite a few. How were they supposed to know, anyway? How were they supposed to tell how many of them were left, how close they were to the end? How were they supposed to know if they were nearing the finish line or just rounding the first bend?
Liv blinked up at the sky. Either her vision was getting cloudier, or it was working. A thin layer of clouds was forming above them, blocking out some of the stars, making the night a little darker. She hadn't necessarily wanted it to be darker, but if that was the price to pay for making it a little warmer, it was worth it. She stared up at the clouds, willing them to be a little bit thicker, a little bit warmer. No rain. Just clouds. Just a thick layer of clouds to warm up the mountains. Not too warm; just a little bit.
Just a little more.
Kenji Rose, 12
"Just a little longer."
Kenji rolled over a little, blinking in the sunlight. Sunlight. It was morning. At least, he was pretty sure it was really morning and he wasn't just asleep again. Well, asleep and in the future. But this time he felt genuinely well-rested, as if he'd been asleep for hours rather than just a few minutes. Did that mean this was real?
It was hard to tell. Once he'd figured out that he was in the past, rather than a dream, it was pretty easy to tell the difference. If it was something that had already happened, it was the past. If the experiences were new, it was the present. Simple. But the future … well, that was trickier. None of this had happened yet.
"You all right?" Emery asked, handing him the jar of applesauce.
Kenji nodded. If this was the future, she wouldn't be able to tell. Neither of them would – until he woke up in the past. So he might as well roll with it. "Yeah, I'm good. Nothing happened?"
Emery shook her head. "Quiet as a mouse all night. Didn't even see any mice. Did you go to the future again?"
Kenji shook his head. "Unless that's what's happening now, no."
"Huh?"
"If this is the future, I mean."
"Wouldn't you be able to tell?"
"I don't know!" Kenji insisted. It's not like I've done this before. Not like it's something I've practiced. I didn't even know I could go to the future."
Emery nodded. "Okay, okay. No harm done. We're all here, just like you said. Everything's fine. Right?"
Right. Except for all the things that weren't. All the things he would only be able to fix if he went back to the past rather than the future. "Right," he agreed, because the truth was too complicated for this early in the morning.
Emery leaned back. "So what happens next?"
"What?"
"When you went to the future – what happens next?"
Kenji shook his head. "I don't know. I wasn't there long. This is already farther than I remember seeing."
"So what you're saying is, we could all die right now, and we'd technically have made it to morning."
Kenji couldn't help a cringe. "Well … yeah."
"So pretty much the same situation everyone else is in."
Kenji nodded, then noticed Florence watching curiously. As quickly as he could, he filled her in, but he wasn't really sure how much she understood. Some sign language was better than nothing, but what he really wanted was a notebook and a pen. That would be quicker than trying to figure out which signs she knew and which ones she didn't.
Florence, however, seemed content with what he'd managed to communicate. "So this is as far as you got?" she asked, confirming what he'd just signed. Kenji nodded. "So anything could happen." Another nod. "So we could be on our way home in a few minutes, and you wouldn't know the difference."
Kenji nodded automatically, but they all knew it wasn't true. They couldn't all be on their way home in a few minutes. That wasn't how this worked. At least one of them was going to die. Still, he much preferred Florence's scenario to Emery's, even if they had both been joking. Florence shrugged. "Well, I guess that just means we'll have to wait and see what happens – just like everyone else."
Just like everyone else. Kenji smiled. He'd been expecting them to suggest that he go back to sleep, to see if he could jump farther into the future and see what happened. But both of them seemed content to let things just play out for a little while, which was fine by him. He'd gotten a good night's sleep for the first time since … well, probably since he'd been collected for the Games. Knowing that the three of them would all make it to morning had made it a bit easier to fall asleep – and to stay that way. It was a relief to know his power was good for something, rather than just making everything more complicated.
And helping catch fish, he reminded himself. That part of his power was certainly useful. He and Emery had caught quite a few fish the day before, even if they hadn't found a way to cook them. Maybe they could work on that today. If they found some wood, it would probably be dry by now, so they might be able to start a fire. He had no idea how to start a fire without matches, but maybe one of the other two did.
Kenji tapped Florence's shoulder to get her attention. "Any idea how to make a fire?" he asked both of them, signing along for Florence.
Florence nodded. "I've got some idea. It's been a while, so I'm probably a bit rusty, but we could give it a try. What do you think, Emery?"
But Emery was staring off into the distance, at the clouds that were growing darker in the east. "I think we should probably put that on hold for a little while," she suggested, shaking her head.
"I think there's a storm coming."
Kylena Albright, 16
"They'll never see us coming."
Kylena held her breath as Evelyn's voice seemed to echo through the silence. The sun was just starting to peek over the top of the mountains in the distance, enough to see that they were close – so close to the other group. Evelyn's words had been a whisper, barely more than a breath, but Kylena still froze, watching to see if one of the shapes in the distance would turn to look at them.
Nothing. Whoever was keeping watch – they were still too far away to see which one it was – they were facing the other direction. Lucky. That was purely luck. Unless it wasn't. Unless it was a trap. They had to know which direction an attack would be coming from, didn't they? They'd left an arrow, after all. They knew which way they had come from.
But Kylena said nothing. There was no way the others would want to call off the attack now. Evelyn was beaming as she began to shrink, compressing herself tightly enough to fit in one of Kylena's bubbles. "Are you sure?" Jaime whispered.
Evelyn nodded encouragingly. "Of course. If anything goes wrong, Kylena can just float me back, right?"
Unless the bubble popped. Unless it didn't really hold up to the lightning. Unless something went wrong. But it wouldn't do any good to say that now. It was too late to just turn around and go back. There was nothing to do but go ahead with their plan and hope that Evelyn could pull it off.
This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. They had originally planned on catching up to the other group around dark. Now it was getting lighter, which meant there was no time to lose, unless they wanted to play cat-and-mouse for another day and hope to catch up at the right time. And Evelyn was clearly itching for a fight. Kylena just hoped they wouldn't all end up regretting their impatience.
So she nodded back, hoping she looked more confident than she felt, and Rick handed Evelyn his knife. "I expect this back later," he whispered. They'd all agreed earlier that Evelyn would need a way to defend herself if something went wrong, but Rick still didn't look happy about giving up his weapon. Still, Vi still had one, which evened things out a bit.
Evelyn gripped the knife tightly as Kylena began to form a bubble around her. Slowly, carefully, she lifted the bubble higher and higher. High enough that hopefully, the person keeping watch wouldn't notice until she dropped right in front of them, attacking whoever was on guard and hopefully scaring the others in their direction. That was the plan, at least.
Kylena took a deep breath, trying not to think of all the ways this could go wrong. It had been Evelyn's idea, after all. Her plan. Her insistence that they keep following a group that could probably electrocute them without much of a thought. Of course, the fact that they could didn't necessarily mean that they would. And if Evelyn could manage to take out the girl who could shoot lightning, the rest of them would probably have a chance at handling the other two.
Probably.
Kylena held her breath as the bubble floated higher and higher, farther and farther away from the four of them. Slowly, so as not to draw attention with any sudden movement, the four of them crouched low to the ground. If the other group did run this way, they wanted to have the element of surprise. Especially considering only one of them really had a weapon now.
But they did outnumber the other group. That counted for something.
As long as Evelyn could take out the lightning-shooter.
As long as the other two didn't pose too much of a threat.
As long as everything went right.
Lilith Haywood, 23
Everything was going right.
Coburn's nod was barely perceptible as he stared straight off into the distance – away from the bubble that was floating towards them. The girl in the bubble wasn't close enough yet to realize that, while Lilith and Savannah were still lying on the ground, their eyes were open. They were ready. As soon as the bubble got close enough, Coburn would duck, and Savannah would shoot.
What would happen then, she wasn't sure. They had gotten lucky. Lucky that the other group had only sent one person to get closer. If it was the same group of three that had found them the night before, this was the girl who could shrink to fit inside the bubble. One of the others, then, was the girl who could make bubbles. That accounted for two of the three. It did look like there were more than two shapes in the distance, beyond the girl in the bubble, but maybe that was just her eyes playing tricks. She didn't dare sit up to get a better look. Not yet. They would find out soon enough…
"Now!" Savannah shouted, and Coburn immediately ducked. Gripping Lilith's hand tightly, Savannah sent a bolt of lightning above Coburn's head and towards the girl in the bubble. There was a terrible crackling sound as the lightning struck the bubble. For a brief second, it looked like the bubble might hold, but then it burst, and the girl screamed as she tumbled to the ground, lightning coursing through her.
Then the pain hit.
Lilith had been about to scramble to her feet when the pain struck her, coursing through her body as if she had been hit. But she hadn't. She was sure of it. And in front of her, the girl was staggering to her feet as if she hadn't felt anything at all. Her clothes were sizzling, burning, but she didn't stop as she lunged forward, a knife in her hand.
Lunging towards Lilith.
Evelyn Hong, 17
She lunged.
Evelyn gasped for breath as she sprang forward, willing her body to move. It was strange, really. She didn't feel anything. That was Jaime's doing, probably – and probably why none of the other three were moving. They were paralyzed with pain – pain that should have been hers. But while the pain was gone, she knew the damage wasn't. She should be dead. She was almost certainly dying.
So she would just have to make it count.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the other four racing to help her. It was too late. They couldn't save her. But if they got there soon enough, they could finish what she had started. Evelyn gritted her teeth and plunged Rick's knife into the closest girl's stomach. Then her chest. Then—
Then nothing, because there was a pair of hands around her throat. Squeezing. Squeezing fire into her. Evelyn gasped for breath. She would have laughed if she could. Maybe transferring the pain to three different people had been too much for Jaime to handle. Maybe they just couldn't keep it up that long, with that much pain. Still, it had been enough. She had made a good start. They would just have to finish it on their own.
She didn't have any time left.
Jaime Sanchez, 20
There wasn't any pain left.
Jaime stopped short as the four of them rushed towards the other group. They were almost there. But something was wrong. No more pain meant—
Immediately, lightning shot out towards the four of them. Lightning and something else. Fire. Jaime ducked, but that wasn't what stopped the lightning from hitting them. Kylena crouched next to them, her bubble keeping the two of them safe.
But the others—
Then there was pain again, coming from the two boys. Enough to transfer back towards the people shooting at them. Just the two who were shooting. Three had been too many, but they could handle two.
Probably.
"Run!" Jaime shouted as both the lightning and the fire unfocused, shooting off in every direction, uncontrolled, as the shooters absorbed the pain coming from the two boys. Jaime glanced back, trying to keep everyone within their line of sight. It was easier to transfer pain if they could see who they were transferring it to. But if they wanted to get far enough away…
Lightning struck nearby. Rick and Vi were barely keeping up. Just because they couldn't feel the pain didn't mean that their bodies would respond properly. Rick's jacket was on fire. Vi's pants were burning. Both of the backpacks the boys were carrying were aflame. The other group was almost out of sight, and once they were out of sight…
You don't need to outrun the bear.
Jaime's stomach churned at the thought. It was a joke they'd first heard from their father. You don't need to outrun the bear – just the person next to you. Once the other group came after them – if the other group came after them – they and Kylena didn't have to outrun them.
They just had to outrun Rick and Vi.
It was terrible. Cruel. But what was the alternative? As soon as they got too far from the other group, as soon as Jaime couldn't transfer their pain anymore, Rick and Vi wouldn't be able to keep up. They and Kylena could either leave them now or later. It wasn't a matter of what had to happen; it was only a matter of when.
Jaime glanced over at Kylena. "Get ready to run," they hissed between clenched teeth. For a moment, Kylena didn't seem to understand. They were already running. But then realization dawned with a horrified look.
It would have been better if she'd said something. If she'd objected. If she'd suggested another option. But Kylena simply nodded as they ran, silently agreeing to Jaime's plan. Jaime took a deep breath.
Then they let the pain flow back.
Vi Voclain, 18
The pain flowed back in waves.
Vi gasped as he dropped to his knees, with Rick close beside him. Both of them had been trying their best to put out the flames as they ran, but getting away had seemed more important. Now, it was coming back to bite them. Pain he had been able to ignore – burning, searing pain – coursed through his leg. As quickly as he could, he shrugged off the backpack, which was still burning, used his knife to cut away the parts of his pants that were still aflame, kicked off his left boot, and smothered the flames licking at the top of his left sock.
Then he saw Rick, rolling on the ground, trying desperately to put out the flames that licked at his shirt. He'd managed to shed the backpack and what was left of his jacket, but the flames were still lapping at his shirt and skin. Vi stumbled over as quickly as he could, then settled for crawling instead when his left leg gave way beneath him. Using what was left of his own jacket, he smothered the remaining flames.
Only then did he notice Jaime and Kylena, disappearing into the distance. Leaving them. "Damn," Vi muttered, wishing it didn't make sense. But of course, it did. They weren't really a group. They had teamed up for convenience, and only two of them could survive. It made sense that Jaime and Kylena would choose each other, and shed the extra weight.
He wished it didn't make sense.
He wished he didn't understand.
But he did.
Vi lay back on the ground, gasping for breath. It was only a matter of time before the other group caught up to them. Only a matter of time now that they were practically helpless. The flames were gone, but his leg still felt like it was on fire. He doubted he would be able to stand. And Rick…
Rick's eyes were squeezed tightly shut, probably trying to block out the pain. The flames had hit his right shoulder and spread from there, down his arm and up his neck, singing the right side of his chin. The skin on his shoulder was raw and red and blistering, and he was pretty sure he could see pus. Or maybe that was just his own vision blurring, becoming foggy.
No. No, not fog, he realized as something brushed his skin. Something cold and wet and almost soothing. Snow. Vi almost laughed out loud as he lay on the ground beside Rick. "Did you mean to—?"
Rick shook his head weakly. "No. No, and I … I can't stop it."
Vi closed his eyes. "So don't."
Rick Clifton, 19
"So don't."
Rick barely heard the words over the pounding in his head. His chest still felt like it was on fire. His lungs ached from running. Vi was right. It didn't matter whether he could control the snow or not. Right now, he didn't have the strength to try. And it made the burning in his shoulder a little less sharp. But only a little. Rick squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain. The snow seemed to be growing a little thicker, but he didn't look. He couldn't look. Not yet. He didn't want to see how bad it was.
Bad. It was probably bad. If it was as bad as it felt, it was bad. Something squeezed his hand. Vi. Rick opened his eyes. A thin layer of snow already covered the ground, and more was falling. Vi had opened one of the packs and pulled out one of the bags of bandages, which was thankfully unsinged. "We should probably…" Vi trailed off, glancing down at Rick.
Rick followed Vi's gaze, and immediately wished he hadn't. His right shoulder was red and raw, all the way down his arm to his elbow, and, from the feel of it, up the side of his neck, as well. Vi's left leg looked much the same where Vi had torn the leg of his pants away. Rick took a few deep breaths, trying not to vomit. The sight made him sick, but vomiting would hurt. A lot. Breathing was bad enough.
"Okay." Vi's voice was shaky. "Okay, let's get you bandaged up. There are plenty here for both of us, and more in the other bag. He reached into the pack again and pulled out one of the bottles of painkillers. "Let's just hope these are strong."
Rick nodded. The snow was helping with the pain, but it was also making things blurry. Making it harder to think. The heat and the sudden cold … It was just too much. He just wanted the pain to go away. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep.
"Rick." Vi's voice shook him out of it. "Rick, open your mouth." He did, and obediently swallowed the pills Vi gave him. He didn't have the energy to argue, to suggest that maybe Vi should have given him two or three pills rather than five or six. He drank the water Vi held to his lips. Vi swallowed some pills of his own and then turned his attention to the bandages. "Look on the bright side," Vi muttered. "At least the snow will probably stop anyone from following us."
Rick nodded weakly. That hadn't been his intention. He'd just wanted the pain to stop. But the snow would make it harder for the others to follow them. But if they'd wanted to follow them, surely they could have caught up by now. Rick clenched his fists, gritting his teeth at the pain as Vi did his best to bandage his shoulder. Why hadn't the other group followed them?
Vi actually chuckled when he asked. "Isn't it obvious?"
Rick closed his eyes as Vi kept working. "Humor me. Pretend it isn't obvious."
"Evelyn. She must have gotten to one of them before they killed her. If she stabbed one of them—"
"Wouldn't that give them even more reason to come after us?" Rick mumbled.
"Not if they're still alive. They wouldn't want to leave someone injured by themselves."
"Kylena and Jaime just did," Rick muttered bitterly.
"That's different."
Rick said nothing. It would hurt too much to nod. But he knew Vi was right. Kylena and Jaime weren't part of their group. Not really. When it had come to protecting each other, Kylena had formed a bubble around herself and Jaime. Maybe she wouldn't have been able to make one big enough for all four of them. Maybe she hadn't wanted to risk it. Given the same choice, he probably would have done the same thing. He would have protected himself and Vi, rather than trying to help the other two.
But the fact that he would have done the same thing didn't make it any better. Didn't make it any less painful. Rick lay back in the snow as Vi finished bandaging the burns. He knew he should return the favor, offer to help Vi with his leg. But he didn't even have the strength to sit up. How had Vi managed it? Maybe he was used to it. He'd been through so much shit, he probably had a higher pain tolerance than most people's.
Certainly higher than Rick's. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were too heavy. They wouldn't budge. Maybe if he just got some sleep…
Maybe it would be better when he woke up.
Savannah Kingston, 19
Maybe it was actually better that it was snowing.
Savannah glanced over at Coburn, who was staring at his hands, silent, as if just waiting for them to burst into flames. Savannah had taken some of the bandages from the pack and tried to bandage Lilith's injuries, but she was still bleeding. Lilith gasped as Savannah pressed the bandages against her stomach. "Tighter," she insisted. "It has to be tight."
Savannah blinked the snow out of her eyes. Or maybe it was tears. She was pressing as tightly as she could, but the blood kept coming. "Coburn!" she called. "I need your help!"
Slowly, as if in a daze, Coburn stood up and made his way over to the other two. "I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly, still staring down at his hands.
"Look, you can't make it worse than it already is," Savannah insisted. "Now get down here and help!"
Coburn knelt down at Lilith's side. "We have to stop the bleeding," Savannah explained. "Press here as hard as you can, and I'll tie the bandage in place." She wasn't sure that was right, but she couldn't think of anything else to do. There was just so much blood. She hadn't realized anyone had this much blood.
"I killed her," Coburn muttered as he pressed the bandages against the wound.
Savannah shook her head. "Yeah, because she was going to kill us."
"I burned her."
"Yeah. And I shot lightning bolts at her. We were protecting each other."
"I never wanted to—"
"Yeah, none of us do," Savannah snapped. "But she would have killed you. She would have killed me. She almost killed Lilith. Now get it together and press harder!"
Coburn fell silent. Savannah tied the bandages as tightly as she could, then moved on to the other wound. "Damn," she muttered, seeing the amount of blood that had already seeped through the shirt and jacket. "I don't know if—"
"Just do your best." Lilith's voice was barely more than a whisper. "If it doesn't work, at least … at least you know you tried."
Savannah swallowed hard, fighting back the lump in her throat. Trying wasn't good enough. Not if it didn't save Lilith. "You can't die." The words caught in her throat. "I won't let you die. We need you."
"Nice to be needed," Lilith mumbled, her voice shaky.
"You're going to be fine."
"Of course."
"I'm going to fix this."
"Of course you are."
Savannah took a deep breath and gathered the rest of the bandages. "Press here," she told Coburn. "Hard." She tied the bandages as tightly as she could, trying to ignore the blood that was seeping through, as if ignoring it would make it disappear.
Just do your best. But her best wasn't good enough. Her best hadn't been good enough. She'd hit the girl with her lightning, but that hadn't been enough. It hadn't stopped her. The three of them had thought they were ready for an attack. They'd tried to turn it into a trap. But it hadn't worked. It hadn't been enough.
But what else could they have done?
Frederick Bouvy, 17
What else was he supposed to do?
Frederick rolled over, trying to ignore the snow that was piling on top of him. Damn, it was cold. But that wouldn't change no matter where he went. There was nowhere around to take shelter, nothing to do but hunker down where he was and hope that the storm would pass.
Except it didn't seem like that was going to happen anytime soon. There had been clouds when he had woken up, but the snow had started suddenly maybe ten minutes ago, and there was already a thick layer on the ground, and more falling steadily. The worst part was, it would have been nice – beautiful, even – if he wasn't stuck out here in it. Seb and Alphonso were probably enjoying it, watching from the comfort of their house.
He should have stayed.
He hadn't thought it through.
But it was too late now. Too late to do anything but wait and hope that he wouldn't freeze to death. How cold did it have to get before that happened? How much snow? He wasn't sure, but he certainly didn't want to find out. He curled up as tightly as he could, trying to conserve body heat. That was the thing to do, right? He'd never had to worry about that before.
Frederick closed his eyes, trying to imagine the sun. The warmth. Maybe the beach. Yes, that was it. Just pretend this was the beach, pretend the snow was sand, pretend the chill in the air was really the salt water. Frederick shivered. Right. Just pretend, and it would all go away. That sounded even more childish than Seb and Alphonso had.
But what else was he supposed to do? Even if he wanted to go back to the two of them, he wasn't sure which way to go. Trying to go back to where the Games had started was another option; there were tunnels there, after all. There would be shelter. But, again, he had no idea which way to go.
Frederick took a deep breath, trying to imagine the air wasn't quite so cold. He probably should get up and go somewhere. Keep moving. That would keep him warm, right? Or was it better to stay still and conserve energy? Maybe. Why hadn't anyone thought to tell them that? The MAAB had to have known it would be cold, right? There was no way of completely predicting the weather, of course, but it was March. They were in the mountains. They had to have known that snow was a possibility.
Of course they had. They just didn't care. Or maybe there had been something in the backpacks that would have helped. The backpacks he'd been confident he wouldn't need, because Seb could just make anything he wanted. Maybe there had been supplies in there that would have helped him, but it was too late now. Too late to go back. Too late to do anything but hope.
It wasn't fair.
He'd done what they'd wanted. He'd tried to fight at the start of the Games, and where had it gotten him? He was freezing, with nowhere to take shelter – that was where it had gotten him. Frederick finally sat up slowly. It was their fault. It was all their fault.
But he wouldn't give them the pleasure of watching him freeze to death.
That was what they wanted. If he stayed put, he would be an easy kill if someone found him, if he didn't freeze to death first. He had to keep moving if he wanted to live. Slowly, so slowly, Frederick forced himself to his feet. He had to keep moving. But which way?
He'd been heading for the mountains in the distance – mountains he could barely even see now through the blinding snow. But he could see one of the peaks. That was enough. If he headed for that, maybe there would be some shelter. Maybe even a cave. Yes, a cave sounded nice. It was probably a long shot, but it might be the best chance he had of surviving.
He just hoped it wasn't too late.
Caihong Lee, 25
He just hoped Liv would be able to keep it up.
Lee glanced back at the storm as the three of them picked up the pace again. The storm clouds seemed to be darker to the northeast, so Liv was trying to focus on keeping the storm in that direction. Meanwhile, they were heading away from it as quickly as they could, hoping to stay ahead of it even if it did start to spread in their direction. So far, so good, but he couldn't help wondering how long Liv would be able to keep it up.
Hopefully, as long as whoever was creating the storm. But it was probably easier to whip up a storm than it was to stop one that was already in full swing. Which was why Liv wasn't trying to stop it – just nudge it a bit. That had worked fairly well with the hail during training, but she'd only had to focus on that for about an hour or so. There was no telling how long the snow might last.
Which meant they had to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the storm. They had already been heading south, but there was a mountain directly to the south, and the terrain looked steeper to the southwest. So they were heading southeast, and they would just have to hope that no one else had decided to do the same. They probably wouldn't be the only ones trying to outrun the storm.
But if the other contestants had any sense, they would be more focused on trying to get away from the storm than they would be on fighting. Taking out another contestant or two wouldn't mean anything if they froze to death the next day. They could always worry about fighting later. Right now, they had to survive. Live to fight another day.
He just hoped Liv would feel the same way. She was the one who had wanted to fight before, who had wanted to head towards the sound of screaming. But she had been quick to agree that heading the other way was their best option now. Even she didn't want to rush headlong into a fight with someone who could do this.
"It doesn't make any sense," Liv muttered irritably.
"What doesn't?" Elena asked.
Liv waved a hand at the storm. "That. Why would they want to make it snow? Unless they have someone with them who can make a fire or something, they're going to be just as cold as the rest of us. If they're trying to find some of the rest of us, this storm will just make it harder. If they're trying to make themselves harder to find, anyone who's looking for them will just head for the center of the storm. So what's the point?"
Lee shrugged. "Maybe there isn't a point. Maybe they can't really control it. Why would they have wanted to make it hail during training? What was the point of all the rain the first day? Maybe there isn't one. Maybe they can't control how they affect the weather."
"They could at least try," Liv mumbled.
Lee said nothing. For all he knew, the other contestant was trying to control it, but pointing that out to Liv wouldn't do any good. Besides, if she was focusing her frustration on whoever was causing the storm, that meant it wouldn't be directed at him or Elena. Which meant she wouldn't lash out at them the way she had lashed out at Ansel.
Lee glanced over at Elena, who hadn't said much since the storm had started. She was probably trying to concentrate on not turning into metal. But aside from the fact that it would make a louder sound on the rocks if she turned completely to metal, there didn't seem to be much of a downside. She'd mentioned that she didn't notice the temperature as much when her skin was metal, which made sense.
But concentrating on her appearance gave her something to focus on, just as concentrating on the storm helped Liv. Lee adjusted the backpack around his shoulders as they continued on. Now he just needed something to focus on. Something besides the fact that there was someone in the arena who could create a storm that might freeze them to death without a second thought. Well, except Elena, but metal stopped moving if it got too cold, didn't it? If it got that cold…
If it got that cold, they certainly wouldn't be the only ones in trouble. Would the MAAB really let the Games end like that – with a good number of the contestants just freezing to death? Surely that wasn't what the sort of footage they wanted. But what could they really do to stop it? It wasn't as if any of them could change the weather. And sure, they could turn off their collars – or at least the collar of whoever was responsible for the storm – but that wouldn't stop the fact that it was still snowing any more than the rain or hail had stopped during training once the contestants were done practicing.
But they'd certainly known that in advance, hadn't they? When they'd chosen the contestants in the first place, the MAAB had known what they could do. What had they been thinking, putting someone who could manipulate the weather in some mountains that were pretty cold to begin with? What had they thought would happen?
It didn't make any sense.
Lee fought to keep from chuckling as he realized that was the same argument Liv had just given about the snow. Maybe the MAAB didn't know what they were doing any more than the rest of them did. Maybe they hadn't thought it through. Maybe they were playing it by ear just as much as the rest of them.
The problem was, he wasn't sure whether that made it better or worse.
Ian Viera, 23
He wasn't sure whether this was better or worse.
Ian drummed his fingers on the table as he watched the screens. Most of the contestants were doing their best to get away from the storm. Liv, Lee, and Elena were headed southeast, in the same general direction as Lea and Elio, but as long as both groups kept moving, they probably wouldn't run into each other. Kenji, Emery, and Florence were heading west towards the mountains, maybe hoping to find some shelter there. Frederick was moving in the same direction, but not nearly as quickly. Kiara, Fae, and Iola had started heading north once the snow had started, but they hadn't been moving that quickly even before the storm. Marcus and Manaka could probably outrun the worst of the storm for a while, at least.
Some of the others, however, had decided it was probably better to hunker down and wait out the storm. Henry was huddled against the side of the mountain, one of their golems blocking most of the snow. Seb and Alphonso were tucked safely inside their house, staring out at the snow through the windows.
The others hadn't had much of a choice about staying put. Lilith was in no condition to move, and Coburn and Savannah weren't about to leave her. Vi and Rick were huddled together in the snow not too far away. Jaime and Kylena had stopped to catch their breaths, but were now headed back to the west, maybe hoping to get away from the storm. Maybe heading back to the circle where the Games had started, hoping to use the tunnels as shelter.
Maybe. That would make sense. Nicholas had said at the start that their powers wouldn't work in the tunnels, but they could still provide some shelter from the snow. Aside from that, there weren't many options for shelter, not many places to hide.
But there were plenty of places to run. That was what made this year different. He wasn't sure yet whether it was better or worse. Neither, probably. Whether it happened in a matter of days or a matter of weeks, eventually, all but two of the contestants would be dead. The fact that only six of them were dead now, whereas around the same time last year, the Games were drawing to a close … it didn't really mean anything.
Or at least, it didn't mean anything in the long run. Right now, it meant that twenty-four of the contestants were still alive. It meant that there was still hope for most of them, even if that hope was a bit slimmer for some. But for six of them…
"She had the right idea," Penelope said quietly, staring at the screen.
Ian nodded. "Evelyn?"
"Yeah. She did what I would have done. It was a good idea – trying to scare the other group towards her teammates. If they hadn't startled them with the bubbles before, it might have worked, but they were ready this time."
Ian said nothing. They had seemed ready. Almost as if they'd been expecting an attack. Maybe that made sense, considering they'd left an arrow pointing in the direction they were going. But they had no way of knowing when another group might catch up with them.
Unless they did.
Ian shook the thought from his head. He didn't dare say anything – not when the MAAB was almost certainly listening in. Besides, what good would it do? Even if the three of them were somehow getting information about what was going on with the other contestants, what could he do about it? And besides, it certainly hadn't stopped Lilith from getting hurt.
But not killed. Not yet. Ian laid a hand gently on Penelope's shoulder. "They were ready. And they did well. There's no way they could have known what Jaime could do, that they could just direct any pain right back at them. If that hadn't happened…"
Penelope nodded. He didn't need to finish. If Jaime hadn't taken Evelyn's pain and directed it at the other three, Evelyn would never have been able to attack. The three of them would have finished her off easily – and without any of them getting hurt in the process. That might have given the other four a chance to run away rather than towards the fire and lightning. If there hadn't been any chance of being able to help Evelyn, would they really have run towards a fight?
Maybe. Maybe, but probably not. They had been pretty quick to turn around and run once it was clear things weren't going well. And Jaime and Kylena had been rather quick to leave Vi and Rick, as well. Sure, things might have been a bit different if it had been Evelyn instead, but the pair had good survival instincts. And Rick and Vi…
Well, they weren't dead, either. Ian glanced over at Vincent, who was leaning back in his chair, drumming his fingers quietly on the cushion. Only one of his contestants – Makenzie – was dead, but some of the rest were in pretty bad shape. Rick and Vi were injured. Henry had been stabbed. Iola was deaf. Physically, Fae was fine, but she had been pretty shaken up when Ansel had attacked. Liv and Jaime were safe for the moment, but…
Ian shook his head. But nothing, really. It wasn't as if any of the other contestants were having a picnic. Florence had been just as injured by Fae's scream as Iola had. Lilith was still bleeding badly despite Coburn and Savannah's best efforts. And if she died, she would be the third contestant Penelope had lost fairly early, leaving her with only four. Four of the stronger contenders, perhaps, but only four.
But it didn't matter. Not really. In the end, only two of them would make it out of the Games, and it didn't really matter whose contestants they were. Penelope had been one of Maria's contestants last year; Piper had been one of his. Each of them had coached contestants who had killed members of the others' teams, but that didn't matter, because in the end, they weren't really teams. Not in any meaningful sense.
Still…
Still, he was glad that one of his contestants had survived last year's Games. And still, he couldn't help hoping that the ones he was coaching this year would do well. Maybe that was just human nature, to want some sort of confirmation that he'd done a good job, that he'd done his best. But at the same time, he knew the other three had put in just as much work, done just as good a job. They deserved the same reward, the same reassurance that they had done their best. But only two of them would get it – assuming the two contestants who survived had been coached by two different people.
Ian shook his head and started making a sandwich. This was what the MAAB wanted – for them to start thinking of each other as competition, rather than friends. But he wouldn't give them that satisfaction. No matter who came out of the Games this year, the four of them would respond the same way they had reacted to Penelope the year before – by welcoming her and doing their best to help her in any way they could. Which was the same thing they would have done for Piper, if they'd had the chance.
And they would do the same this year. Once they'd made it out of the Games, whoever survived wouldn't be contestants anymore. They wouldn't be competing against each other. They would be coaches. And they were all on the same team.
And they always would be.
"Fortify yourself with love and trust, and you need not fear this future."
