Four days. Four whole days of intensely frustrating and grueling exercises. Each one a twist on the old regimens, or something completely out of left field. But strangely not without a little merit twisted into them. As much of an asshats as Para is, he wasn’t put here just for show.

  The first day, once all the dust had settled, was the one ton block push turned into the quarter ton block carry. With added glassware to encourage stability. Every broken piece was fifty extra push ups tacked on to the end of the session. Seth, to add insult to injury, had to carry Para through a four course luncheon complete with waiting service.

  ‘Where the hell did he even get the waiter from?!’

  The blocks were heavy sure, but by now they had become at least manageable. The issue was balance. Just keeping them flat meant forgoing all standards of proper lifting, or a serious commitment to take it slow. The trainees also had to sweep the arena floor by hand afterward to get all the broken glass out of the sand, and there was a lot of it.

  ‘I don’t think all of us are going to be called to carry people around like this, but sure why not. Never know in the end.’

  The next day featured the obstacle course, redone completely out of sand. Maya was ‘contracted’ out to make it, to her unimaginable frustration. She did amazing work on it though, an almost complete remake of the original. But fucking hell was it unstable. If any amount of serious pressure was put on the course it almost immediately collapsed, adding seconds on to the runners time as a penalty. And every second over the fifteen requirement was a lap around the arena. Not so bad right, WRONG!!!

  The lap had to be done at a certain measure speed dictated by Para, and any deviation above or below meant the lap was restarted. The trainees had to reach the speed before the lap was even counted. Unless they had no acceleration delay. Seth was forced to restart five times. In no small part due to the radar gun Para was using, bouncing off the suit and giving false readings.

  ‘At least 10 miles an hour was an acceptable speed.’

  To actually succeed at the obstacle course proper though required the trainees to hone their momentum usage. Preventing their inertia and weight from being transferred into the unstable environment. No one succeeded, but it was actually an interesting lesson idea. Just needed some actual training on that first.

  ‘Seriously, no one here is that good yet. We can’t all climb mountains like their fucking mole hills!’

  The third day, funnily enough, featured a sculpting competition using iron scrap. The trainees could use any method they could manage, but couldn’t use actual tools. Just powers and their own strength. With the final critique thankfully being the only punishment.

  ‘Because apparently Para moonlights as an art critic?’

  Several succeeded in making rather excellent pieces. Razor was able to carve out a perfect rendition of the Ark, complete with detailed scarring. Kabar heat formed a fully realized toaster. Somewhat as a joke, somewhat as a buzzkill of his nickname. It didn’t help him, but it scored high. Seth was already accomplished in metal forming, but since he couldn’t fully show off his powers, he had to slyly use his gauntlets as cover. After a bit of pounding hits and a lot of screeching metal, he creating a model of the first fully enclosed exoskeleton ever produced. Para wasn’t happy, but kept up whatever this act was and gave him an okay score.

  Not all the others were so lucky, Maya being the most angry about it. The jumbled mass of sandy beaten metal that was her sculpture saying plenty. Though it sounded like she was more pissed at not being able to form it than shape it how she wanted, it was technically construction material after all. The rest were just left to pound things into vague shapes, not a lot of precise molding or cutting they could do, except for Kaz. He cut some kind of flower out of a piece of low grade steel that made Para almost break character.

  ‘Don’t know what it was about, but he was judging it pretty hard. And being respectful?’

  The fourth day consisted of coordination drills, in the shape of dodgeball sports. First up was team dodgeball with no real additions beyond power assisted throws. It was actual fun, which had been sorely missed throughout the course. But still, getting hit with a water jet propelled dodgeball got a little painful.

  ‘So at least David got a chance to shine. A little… too much.’

  Cleo was a menace just on defense. On the attack, things got dicey. Attacking from multiple angle at once with everything she’d caught. Marco proved himself too, but he still didn’t have a good handle on moving and shooting, so he became a weapon emplacement instead. Getting feed balls like some old style AA gun and striking them out at speed. It really was fun, but was just a warm up.

  Because next was almost expected of Para, a dodgeball obstacle course. But with three pounder medicine balls. The exercise became less a lesson on coordination and more a lesson on how to dodge under pressure. Seth didn’t fare too well. It was hard enough to cross the course with the suit on his back, he didn’t need the occasional smack in the face by a weighted rubber sand bag! And of course hits to his suit counted. So he was docked on his time… a lot.

  The final round though, was a tournament for the trainees who had achieved the best times in the obstacle course. Or knocked the most people off of it. The sport. Handball, aggressive and power assisted handball. With the same medicine balls. The objective was simple, knock your opponent out of their circle with impact force alone. Every miss resulting in your own circle getting shrunk, and grabbing the ball resulted in disqualification. So the ensuing back and forth hitting of the ball rendered it dangerously fast. Seth didn’t qualify, and he had plenty of company. But this afforded him a chance to see what the rest of his classmates were capable of at least.

  Ohm of course had the top spot, but faced Tabby, Marco, and funnily enough Maya in the tournament. Apparently hitting the ball back during the obstacle course didn’t count as a knock, in fact it was an extra deduction on your attacker if you hit them.

  ‘Again, I see the merit but what the fuck? Why didn’t he tell us before hand?’

  Either way, first up was Marco vs Ohm. Air fist vs electrical fist. Para served the ball to Marco to start, who fell back into his staunch and overly relied upon stance. Air jab rippled the heavy ball on a straight course, Ohm in turn just as prepared and charged up to bash the ball back. But at a downward angle. It bounced off the hard sand and threatened Marco from what should have been an unfavorable angle, but he finally pulled out a something new and twisting hard with his arms covered in distorting air. He was able to direct an air current around himself, strong enough to catch the rubber laden ball and carry it aloft.

  ‘Where was this hiding huh? It makes sense but… eh yeah sure. Any advantage you can make.’

  The ball flowed and rolled around him as he moved along with it, ending just off his side and right in line for a swirling kick flowing behind it. Ohm was surprised with everyone else, but not off guard. Yet an open palm slap was all he could muster up to not get beaned in the face, resulting in the ball digging itself into the sand as a miss for him. Meaning his circle shrank and the ball had to be served again.

  This time to Ohm though, who had charged up a lot more power for his next punch. He tried to hide it, but Seth could feel the buildup. Just about see it to. The lazy serve resulting in an impact with enough force to cause a small sonic boom.

  ‘Ohm doesn’t to like being rebuked it seems.’

  Marco only had a split second to react but at least was able to throw up a guard. This didn’t stop him from getting launched off his feet and thrown several yards. Meaning Ohm took the first bout.

  Tabby and Maya were next, Tabby preparing beforehand by taking the form of a tiger. Maya inversely prepared a strong defense. No rule said you were out on a hit, so Maya cemented down her feet and covered her arms in concrete.

  ‘I’m thinking she’s learned a little more than she likes from her family business. Finding loopholes all over the place.’

  The ensuing ‘fight’ though took a lot longer than expected. Maya was immovable, her circle shrinking down around her immobile feet with every hit, but not ruling her out. Likewise Tabby was batting and dodging what Maya hit back without fail, until her claws ripped the ball… five times in a row.

  Para had seen enough and ordered a sudden death. No powers, just raw strength, but no stepping outside of where their feet were. Maya squared up, taking a heavy stable stance. Tabby instead took up a more normal stance, but her loose body language said she was prepped for something. Para served the ball to Maya who slammed it straight and hard. Out of nowhere though, Tabby reacted with a swift and trained ballerina-like spin in place, kicking the ball with a devastating spin added to it. Maya’s stable stance prevented her from turning sharp enough as it careened almost perpendicular at her, causing her foot to slide out of position. She caught the ball, it rumbling to a stop in her hands as she cursed.

  Victory for Tabby, she even plied off her turn.

  Last round, Ohm vs Tabby. Normal rules, but Para added a wrinkle. He replaced the weighted and tough medicine ball with a standard rubber kickball. And popping the ball would result in a loss. Both combatants had to control their strikes, and claws in Tabby’s case, or they would knock themselves out. Seth eyed the kickball a little because something seemed off about it. Either it was overinflated or just overly light.

  The stage set, Ohm hid a charged up strike much like before, but Tabby took on a different form. Looking kinda like a house cat with a short tail, greyish tan fur, and black stripes and bands. It was cute but Seth didn’t understand the reason.

  Para served to Ohm first, seeming aware of his charged up attack from the looks of things. From a resting position he sprang a quick jab at the ball as it passed in front of him, not using all the energy he had stored up. The ball gave off the nostalgic hollow sound Seth expected, but it seemed oddly pitched up. It screeched toward Tabby at what can only be said to be a little too fast for a kickball. But she seemed to be prepared with near equal speed, jumping up and meeting the ball with a cradling kick upward. The rules never said anything about a double hit, so she was launching the ball upward to kill its excessive momentum. Off her inertia, she began twirling in place like a ballerina again, arms held in line and one leg held high.

  ‘Those classes really stick don’t they.’

  A locked in spin kick met the ball on its way down. The ball spun wide, but looped back over in a helical path that grew narrower and narrower as it reached its target. A master class in curveballs.

  The ball closing in fast, Ohm shifted stances, strangely. He pulled his arms into his suit sleeves, scrunching up into it at the last minute. As the ball was reaching him he ducked out of the padded shirt, pulling it off with his arms still inside and pivoted out of the way, putting his arms out and stretching it out like a net. But instead of stopping the ball, he pivoted again and spun around with the ball in this makeshift catch. As he completed a revolution he popped the suit tight, forcing the ball out like a playground catapult. Thankfully he put his shirt back on as the ball lazily flew back to Tabby. She chuffed at the over the top rebuttal and prepped to jab the ball back, but she flinched and caught the ball instead. Stopping it just short of hitting her chest, and depressing the glinting sewing needle pressed into it.

  “What the hell!?! You put a needle in the-”

  But Ohm was shifted, a finger gun pointing right at Tabby… and the needle.

  “Bang!”

  An almost imperceptible flash and the ball exploded in a brief fireball in her hands and knocked her back and out of her circle. Somehow he had snuck one of Kabar’s sewing needles into the ball as he caught it, putting it in just enough to maintain integrity and allow access to the contents inside. The contents being hydrogen gas he ignited with his electric finger gun. The round looked over, and Para was… unperturbed?

  He stepped out onto the field and called both combatants in before Tabby could try and maul Ohm to death. Instead, turning them toward the rest of the trainees, Tabby still smoking and growling at Ohm smugly smiling back.

  “Welp… looks like no victors today.”

  Ohm pushed off of him.

  “WHAT!?! But I knocked her out, not to mention she caught the ball first.”

  “Like hell that would win you anything.”

  Tabby stuck her still cat tongue out at him across Para.

  “You put a needle in the ball, that’s tampering if I’ve ever heard of it.”

  “SHUT IT THE BOTH OF YOU!!!”

  Both combatants recoiled as Para reasserted his role a little too loudly.

  “Ohm, tampering and distance power usage equal cheating. But it was inventive I’ll give you that. Tabby, it’s your job to be prepared for anything and everything, even cheating. You still caught the ball, which was against the rules, but that was still good form despite the loss. Wasn’t expecting black-footed cat, but it’s understandable given the required reaction speeds. You both did well, you just fucked it up at the end and lost it for the both of you.”

  The fight was well and truly over, and no one was really happy.

  ‘He planned this didn’t he?’

  But it seemed getting that small amount of praise from Para was uplifting at least. The only real question left was where did the-

  “ggggaaaAAAGGHHH!!!”

  Everyone turned to Razor, scrunched in pain holding his leg. With a sewing needle sticking straight up out of his foot. Despite causing this and without care for someone getting spiked in the head, Ohm just shrugged and moved over to pull the needle out.

  “AAaagh!!”

  “Sorry, never know where it’s going to land till it does.”

  He flipped the needle around in his hand as he handed it back to Kabar.

  “I think you dropped this?”

  Kabar was beet red as he snatched it away, franticly pocketing it and threatening to burn a hole through Ohm’s head. But that was it for their last day… except.

  Come Saturday, everyone was called up the arena for morning drills. A date set on the calendars for the day but no word on what it was. Because it turned out to be one of the most grueling and horrifying tests these trainees would ever face. A truly monstrous act no one should be forced to part take in. To think that Para would stoop so low as to torture the recruits under his care in such a way.

  “That he would even imagine this would be acceptable is beyond my understanding. How could he…”

  “What the hell are you doing Aegis?”

  The trainees were lined up as ordered, Aegis had met them and just paced back and forth in front of them, looking over a written up lesson plan and very obviously hamming up her reaction. And Para had walked up behind her without her noticing.

  “N-nothing. J-just… readying the trainees. Heh.”

  Para walked past her with clear not buying it face.

  “Okay recruits today is a special day. Instead of having off this weekend we will be testing you on your mental fortitude, through the long lost art of monologuing.”

  *thunderclap*

  Para turned slowly back, toward Aegis holding her shield up and wobbling it. Several beets passed before Para smiled… sinisterly.

  “If it’s such a terrifying subject, why don’t you join them in the fun?”

  “N-no no no, I’m goo…”

  Para grabbed her by the shoulder with malicious intent.

  “I insist!”

  He pushed her into line between Marco and Alex as she slumped in defeat.

  “Ugh, come on. There’s a reason it’s a ‘dead art’ Para. No one monologues any more, even the villains have kept their stupid speeches short. No one cares!”

  “All the more reason to learn. Besides, strength of character is still strength is it not. No better way to truly test their will than through public speaking.”

  Several of the trainees mirrored Aegis in groaning aloud. David raising his hand shakily amid the grumble.

  “Do we have to perform it here?”

  Para eyed him like an unforgiving theater instructor.

  “Yes, where else would you perform?”

  David looked around the arena at the smattering of heroes gathered watching.

  “But in front of so many people?”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Para’s sinister smile took on a new level of villainous.

  “Oh no, there’s going to be much more coming. We sell tickets to these kinds of things.”

  The collective shock and gasp even hit Seth’s suit off guard.

  “WHAT THE HELL PARA!?! We don’t hold concerts!! And we sure as hell don’t sell tickets!!”

  Aegis practically charged him like he just smacked her with a baseball.

  “Hey, don’t look at me. HQ sent me the proposal, and said it would be a worthy test.”

  “HQ…? Oh don’t you fucking dare tell me that-”

  “Yup, this was your father’s idea.”

  “fffffffffffffFFFUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuugggghhh!!!”

  Aegis slumped nearly all the way to the ground, her defeat so total and heinous that it was felt by everyone. It seemed pretty clear that she had no way out of this, so she returned to the lineup in surrender.

  “Okay… You have 1 hour. Your personal terminals have been sent all the reference materials you could ever need. You will each choose a famous, or infamous, monologue to recite. Make a list, its first come first serve. If you truly can’t choose you may create your own from scratch. But your target will be me. So be prepared to face the consequences. Tell me your choice here. After an hour you’re getting your monologue chosen for you. The performance starts at 7:00 PM. You have the rest of the day to write or prepare. Don’t expect that kind of luxury again. Your time starts… NOW!!”

  Most of the trainees scrambled back out, a few meandered in thought or assuredness respectively. Seth cringed a little but actually thought as he started walking away, he knew a few good monologues but just felt they were all pretty out dated. Or stupid. He wouldn’t be able to get into character for them, let alone give them the gravitas they required. Before he left the arena floor he stopped.

  “*sigh* Yeah, no real option.”

  He turned back around and saw Aegis, Kabar, and Cleo still on the line in front of Para. He was clear as to his choice, or lack thereof.

  “So Tinman, you’ve gotten over your indecisiveness. Speak, what’s your pick?”

  Seth smirked and shrugged off his hostility.

  “Honestly I don’t have any other choice than to write my own. I couldn’t get away with anything else.”

  “You’re joining Toaster then. You’d better get your facts straight, I don’t intimidate easily. Aegis, you picked one yet?”

  Aegis was still holding her head in begrudging thought.

  “Do I have a choice either? My dad always retold his Longest Day speech at every social event he could. It doesn’t help that I was there when he made it.”

  “I’ll make sure to have it recorded so Rampart can feel proud of you.”

  “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

  “Not if you die on stage first… Princess what’s your, more than likely, disturbing choice?”

  Cleo was swaying back and forth with her hands behind her back, only adding to the apprehension over what she’s chosen.

  “Iiii… choose Miss Malfeasance’s Address to the World speech circa 1989.”

  Everyone snapped over to her with surprise. That speech was made as a last ditch attempt to sway the world from cruelty and sorrow as Miss Malfeasance lay dying from her own abstract power. It was the last time a super team known as the Gods’ Chosen ever deployed because of the guilt felt for killing her. It was a masterpiece.

  “That’s… a good choice Princess. Please don’t try to explain it to us, you’d only ruin it.”

  Para’s uncomfortable look only cemented as Cleo smiled back.

  “Okay!”

  The rest of the trainees came back piecemeal over the hour, some giving fairly okay choices. General Advance speaking at Major Nguyen’s funeral, Gold Breaker’s condemnation of the Terror Matrix, Burning Eagle’s League founding speech to the UN. A lot of great choices, and thankfully no Para’s choice.

  ‘I do not even want to think of what he’d have chosen if given the chance. Some of the early guys were just bad at this kinda stuff.’

  Everyone set, the class was dismissed to prepare for what is likely to be the most stressful event of their lives.

  Seth set to it and prepared a short speech, more of a physical performance piece incorporating his suit into certain moments for added effect. It slamming shut can really get people’s attention. As he took a break from writing to get food he could hear the other trainees practicing in their rooms. A few even headed for the stands of the arena to get a better understanding of their audio. He caught sight of the front desk on the way to the canteen, catching sight of the placard set up for tonight’s event. A twenty five dollar entry fee and full billing of everyone’s choices. From the feel of things it seemed this was planned way ahead of time.

  ‘Guess Aegis really got left in the dark. Or she’s kinda slacking.’

  By six o’clock the audience was streaming in. Seth had completed his speech, but could only really hope things went well. But something else felt off as he hauled his suit to the ready room they had all been directed to. The audience was too big. Plenty of the trainees probably had family invited for them, but some of these people looked nothing like oratory fans. Other heroes obviously, but normal civilians too. He overheard a few heroes passing him in the hall. They sounded like they had seen something like this before, like they were expecting something more than just reciting.

  ‘Expect the unexpected, Para’s prepared to make things harder.’

  Seven o’clock. The trainees were waiting in one of the side ready rooms. Little more than tables and chairs to sit around. No outside contact except Mediknight guarding the door. They could just barely hear Para playing up his role as master of ceremonies through the arena walls. The echoes and cheers of the playbill line up juxtaposed with a few rowdy whistles and hollers. But slowly the noise died down and the faint sound of Aegis’ performance started up.

  Seth had never done much research on the Longest Day, but he couldn’t really avoid a speech like this. They had let… ‘er’… were forced to let Rampart do a TV special rendition. It was highly influential, but-

  *rumble*

  Not immediately violent! The trainees all looked toward the door as the arena rumbled with heavy powered hits. They could just barely hear Aegis bellowing rather reminiscently.

  ‘Her dad will at least be proud of her some more, but what the hell is going on in there?’

  Mediknight leaned into his ear as the rumbling died down and the last grand overture filled the arena. And as the crowd beyond cheered with the energy that speech just seemed to inspire.

  “David, you’re up first.”

  He stood up, putting the speech he had printed out down on his chair, shaking the whole time as Para’s MC act returned under the raucous applause for the performance. As he left he turned back, terrified eyes looking to the rest of the group. But his terror abated as he got a thumbs up and silent encouragement from Jacob and Maya.

  ‘Well at least someone made some friends.’

  The door closed and a hushed tone took over yet again.

  The walls were too thick to hear fully, but what could be heard definitely turned into more than a recital. He had chosen General Advance’s speech, his confession of love for his sworn enemy, but Seth was sure that it wasn’t so choppy. Or required so many punches and water splashes. Mediknight returned and stood in front of the entryway with nothing even remotely coming off of him. Which just added more concern for the trainees, but most looked like they expected as much. At least Seth wasn’t the only one. No one said a word as what was absolutely the sounds of a fighting recital turned to a hush, then to applause. Jacob and Maya seemed elated, Seth just smiled.

  ‘Good for him… again.’

  Each trainee was called up one by one, and as far as anyone could hear they all received applause at the end of their performances, though each still encountered some kind of resistance to their oration. Soon only Kabar and Seth were left waiting as Mediknight came back in from escorting Cleo. The applause she received was particularly thunderous, people really hold Miss Malfeasance in high regard despite the fact she almost sent the world into an artistic and abstract dark age. But, as the time came, Mediknight didn’t lean in. Just stayed still as the applause died down to silence.

  “Okay. It's time.”

  He turned around to the entryway without saying who was up. Seth and Kabar shared looks before he turned back.

  “It’s both of you, now come on.”

  Seth was sure this was going to get bad fast if they had to recite simultaneously. Thankfully Kabar thumbed toward himself as they got up to leave.

  “I call first dibs.”

  Well that settles that at least.

  “No qualms.”

  All three walked around the corner to the arena door, walking through into the nearly pitch darkness. The only light a spotlight on the central ring. The air just a touch off tense, but also… buzzing slightly? Like there was a current wafting through that Seth couldn’t catch a hint of. Both walked into the light as mumbling from the stands turned into polite clapping. Until another spotlight lit up to reveal Para standing a few yards away.

  “Last, but very much not least.”

  Para’s voice boomed across the arena, unassisted by speakers and no need of yelling.

  “We have custom recitations performed by our last 2 orators. Toaster and Tinman.”

  Kabar and Seth both slumped at the disrespect. It was really feeling like he’d forgotten their names at this point.

  “Gentlemen, if you would please.”

  Kabar made a show of turning to regard Seth to signify he was first, who followed suit and bowed out respectfully. Kabar stanced up, took the center of this sandy stage, and folded his arms in to look tougher. Winding himself up to spring out pointing at Para in his spotlight.

  “If you think intimidation and adversity are all it takes to break us, then you will soon learn that-”

  A frantic pivot, and Kabar was dodging away as his speech was outdone by a blast of sound. But just as quickly pivoting back. To only be greeted by darkness

  “We are not… so…”

  He trailed off slightly as Para was nowhere to be found. He scanned a little, but realized he was stalling.

  “So easily BROKEN!!!”

  He unfurled his lines, heating them until they ignited brightly. Seth kept back at the edge of the circle, but felt he was about to become collateral damage. But also heard the shift of sand and a presence behind him. He kept his focus low, he shouldn't need his power here, but he still knew when someone was watching him. And those eyes were unmistakably Para’s.

  He immediately rushed forward as Kabar seemed to notice him as well, a massive spin already wound up to set their whole stage alight. Seth leapt as he released and sent his lines into a fiery windmill, illuminating their part of the arena for short lived flare. And wrapping one of those lines around Para’s stopping foot.

  Seth landed heavy behind Kabar as he pulled at the line.

  “My flames, the heat of my courage, will burn away your evil this day!! I hope you brought butter and jam, because you’re the one GETTING TOASTED!!!”

  With a swift step forward, he whipped his line hard, flaring it to near white hot levels as it bulged out. Rocketing away and nearly reaching Para as stood straight up. Yet all he did was point a palm down at the line tugging at his ankle. A sonic blast shooting down right as the flare reached him, extinguishing it instantly and draping him back into the darkness. The line going slack, leaving Kabar with nothing. He dropped his head and gritted his teeth, yet didn’t just give up.

  “You make fun of us every chance you get! You belittle us with barely a second thought! You make it seem like you’re doing it with cause, but your justification is SHIT!!”

  Kabar’s lines reeled in but burned hotter and hotter. Turning sand near to glass where they pooled

  “You make us out to be novices stumbling in the dark!!”

  Seth felt Para again, behind, but… different. That same dismissive glare but almost monotone. And bracketed in the beat of metal on sand.

  “You tried to turn us away like we weren’t worthy!!”

  He was rushing now, completely unlike him, but Seth didn’t turn to face. He ducked!

  “But my flames won’t be extinguished SO EASILY!!!”

  Kabar swung around with a flaming punch as Para dove into the spotlight with an opposite, and beaten to punch. Flames haloing off his lines as Kabar’s fist slammed him across the face and threw him back into the darkness. The unnervingly monotone face. The audience applauded as Kabar posed up and smiled like he just won a brawl. His set seemingly finished. Seth stood back up, fully aware it wasn’t over yet.

  Kabar mimicked Seth’s bow out as he dropped back from the central spot. Seth took his place, loosening the straps on his suit pack and setting it down. He pulled it up out of its fold, turning it about to face it pure and simple before putting a hand to it. He could feel the Garkah repeating his speech to him, even if he couldn’t fully hear it over that odd buzz.

  “My life… has not been as easy as you may think it has been.”

  A little malice slipping out, but being heard loud and clear for all to hear.

  “I’ve had to survive where most would say you couldn’t. I’ve had to strive for things you would probably say were foolish.”

  He could hear movement in the darkness, more metal feet, that different Para again, but… multiples of him?

  “I’ve had to build more than just suits.”

  That hand balled into a fist and rang the suit like a gong.

  “I’ve had to remake myself from scratch! And not in some… day spa or therapy session or whatever nonsense you think I can just pay for!”

  Seth whirled around and stared straight at the closest Para, darkness refuted as a little more focus was poured in.

  “I’ve had to claw back from the brink more times than you could ever know! And each time-”

  That Para sprang into the light, rearing back to punch Seth out of his monologue. But he ducked again, the Para slamming its fist into the suit with a metal on metal clang, one far lighter than his own. The suit didn’t budge, but Seth was shifting back up, catching the Para with an open palm to the chest on the way up passed it. But instead of pushing hard, he added tension to his arm, and stopped his leg from under the both of them.

  “I’ve come back stronger!!”

  And in one fluid motion he slammed this Para down into the sand, crunching it like a manhandled scarecrow.

  He rose back up through dissipating sand and the sparkling after effects. Exposed wires and crumbled chassis seen truly for what was out there. Fakes lining up to be broken.

  “You think you’re dissuading me!”

  More Paras burst into the light, monotone expressions and whirring servos. Robot copies meant to be smashed. Seth dropped back, the suit opening to accept him. But only slamming his arms in, pulling the gauntlets free as two Paras punched out from his flanks. But their fists only met open armored palms.

  “You’re just making me FIGHT HARDER!!!”

  Seth twisted the Paras’ arms and whipped them together, smacking the off each other like metallic mannequins with the same resulting violent disassembly.

  “You think you’re discouraging me!”

  More Paras, a whole crowd of them surrounding the spotlight. Kabar had his back to the suit as he realized he was going to have to defend himself as well. But Seth pulled back again, slamming himself into the suit fully.

  “You’re only making me want to succeed MORE!!”

  The helmet snapped shut with that hardy resounding clang. The Paras charged, punches raining down and wailing on the suit, sending clangs out like a missattuned chorus. Seth didn’t shift from the assault, but Kabar was about to be overrun by outflanking copies. So Seth pulled his head up, throwing his voice out despite the chorus and metal trying to beat it away.

  “You think I’m weak because I wield this suit!! That I’ll break like all the others!!”

  “NO!!!”

  A sudden withdrawal inward, hunching down and turtling up, letting the Paras fall over him in a pile. Kabar almost toppled back, but rolling with and onto his back, clamoring up before loading desperately to jump away from what was about to happen.

  “It will take more than your BULLSHIT to BREAK ME!!!”

  So at that same moment, Seth reared back with force, sending all of them flying in every direction like he was the epicenter of a full metal explosion, and hurtling Kabar far higher than he expected. But Seth rebounded in clanging force, yanking away the inertia and balling up his right. Meaty resonance slamming hard over the bodily rain. And caving in a monotone face like it was the real thing.

  He continued to spin with this new momentum, stomping down and kicking one of the Paras on the ground. Sending it into another one running up. Yet his left remained extended out, with little tactical reason. Except for Kabar to see on his way down.

  The intent understood, he flung a line to it, wrapping around it in heated coil. Seth followed through finally and slammed his grip over it with both hands, taking control of Kabar’s momentum and using him as a counterweight. Kabar, narrowly missing the ground as a result, ignited the line as what Seth had actually planned became clear. The burning hot line caught the Paras as they tried to stand up, cutting through them like a hot knife through crap steel. The Paras falling to sparking piles of wires and plating. But this was not done! Not yet! Seth roaring up faster than his spin. Stamping all that inertia short.

  “AND MORE IMPORTANTLY!!!”

  And yanking the line in towards him, emotionless view slits staring straight into Kabar’s eyes, feeling real emotion, real fear and annoyance at being used as a weapon. But also that disdain so unequivocally familiar. The real Para’s presence right behind him, charging for real! And Kabar clued in and shifting his stance. A wreath of flaming line belying nothing but heat, as Seth turned and stared Para in the eye well and true again.

  He was caught off guard, footsteps silenced and halfway into his attack. As Seth ducked, and the full force flying kick slamming into a hastily brought up guard. Para was flung back into the darkness, Kabar backflipping off him to the side. And Seth shooting back up to his helmet popping open through flaring flame halo.

  “Negative reinforcement really isn’t going to get you anywhere. You’re more than likely just going to lose out on great heroes because you couldn’t stop being an asshole to them. You really should think about lightening up a bit more and engaging more positively with the people who look up to you. But hey.”

  Seth shrugged and turned around.

  “That’s just my opinion.”

  He slammed a hand out, meeting Kabar’s as the audience applauded the end of the performance. Kabar recoiled from the full metal high five and went back to dead eyeing him for using him. Only getting a flat smile in return.

  “Sorry.”

  The lights went out as the audience died down, leaving everything in darkness until a spotlight was shot over a podium along the arena’s edge. Para was already stood at it, seemingly unfazed by the hit he took, fully prepared to continue as master of ceremonies.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for joining us for the performances today. I hope to see you all again at graduation. It is sure to be one for the history books.”

  Seth could feel a tinge of anger as he looked down at him.

  ‘He wasn’t expecting the unexpected.’

  The lights of the arena came back on, blinding people slightly as they cheered the end of the recital, but allowing them to get up and leave unhindered. At the bottom of the podium was a protected bench filled by the other trainees. They all seemed in high spirits, at least at Kabar. It might end up as false hope, but the audience never jeered. So, public shaming seemed to have been averted.

  Seth stepped out of his suit and folded it up again, but caught sight of the robots that had attacked him. But with the lights on they no longer looked like Para, instead they seemed like some old service bots that almost caught on as a competitor to powersuits. Except their chassis were tougher, modified, right down to the servo mounts. These were combat bots almost. But the real sticking point was that projected skin.

  Making holograms wasn’t new, and technology was advancing pretty excessively these days. But… this was physical. He hit them and hit hard, but when he pressed his hand to that one’s chest it felt like fabric, armor, and skin.

  ‘They have something don’t they? That was hardlight.’

  Seth took a last look around, focusing out with his still learning sight, but only caught the faintest joule leaving the walls of the arena. They were hiding it in the darkness so everyone would think it was just hologram foolery. Whatever reason for keeping it secret though, their presence was an omen for what was to come, Seth was sure of it. Training was about to get a whole lot more intensive.

  The trainees clamored out to the foyer behind Mediknight, straight into the waiting arms of most of the audience. Because what was a performance without a reception. Jacob was quickly subsumed by a group of firefighters wearing similar outfits to his, just with more finery on them and a good bit of comradery laden smirks. What looked like Maya’s whole family were here as well. And as standoffish she felt about it, she still seemed happy to see them again. Kabar’s parents seemed… different to what Seth had expected. His mom wore the flame patterned super suit and his dad dressed like a professional tailor. But both looked plenty proud, though his mom kept looking toward Jacob’s blob with big rival energy. David’s mom picked him up almost immediately, literally picked him up. She was huge, with a super suit in killer whale patterns and a physique on par with on par. Razor slinked off to the side and met what looked like a kid his age but it was hard to tell. Same fashion sense but more hood.

  Kaz was nowhere to be seen rather quickly, but Seth caught him out of the corner of his eye walking away with what looked like his dad in street clothes. Guess he didn’t want to be crowded by fans. Cleo walked up to a pair of rather normal looking women. That was until they saw her and devolved into squealing and hugging like it had been longer than a month. It was kind of weird seeing her with a normal family. Marco had his dad, he was wearing a similar gi and was a lot more energetic about showing off his son than Marco was about getting shown off. Alex…

  ‘Wait, where is she?’

  Seth saw her go in but she disappeared pretty quickly. Guess she doesn’t want the public eye either. Tabby’s parents were easy to spot, the massive anthropomorphic lion couple couldn’t be missed. Especially once they had Tabby cuddled between them. Zeleny floated out over the crowd, but looked disappointed and floated down. Guess her Dad didn’t show, or her mom. Ohm just stood back against the wall, watching everyone socialize. A man with a business suit, similar spiky hair, and a bodyguard walked up to him. Seth couldn’t hear what they said, but it was clear they were related. And a little bad blood ran between them more than likely.

  And then there was Seth… alone.

  He hoisted his suit and went back to his room, not quite dejected, but still rather left out. As he passed the crowds he received plenty of mixed responses. Most ignored him, others gave halfhearted praise, but a good chunk of heroes leered at him. Guess Para’s attitude was common. He took most of it and continued on, thankful that at least that was over. And in a strange way, he felt better. The memories of the crisis were back to being just memories. All this ridiculous training distracting them away, taking the edge off and making him feel… happy. He felt happy, and ready for whatever next week had for him. For when he could start showing more of what he was capable of.

  Even as the world only saw someone unworthy of that chance.

  “So… how’s school going?”

  “You could have told me he was a bastard!”

  “Young lady! Everyone knew that.”

  “But this is ridiculous! I mean… UGghh! I’ve got nothing!”

  “What do mean nothing? Your target’s been right beside you for a month.”

  “I mean I don’t have any hard intel. I hit the files and there was nothing. Nothing but too much security anyway.”

  “Well when you’re dealing with Para, you’re dealing with excessive. Did he at least give you a cookie?”

  “…yes… Could’ve warned me he was expecting this.”

  “Well where would the fun be in that. But what do you mean by nothing?”

  “Huughh. His files were empty. No intake, no reports. Nothing. You sure this guy isn’t on to us already. If Para was expecting me then who’s to say he isn’t.”

  “Why would he, we haven’t even done anything but keep a good eye on him. But if there’s nothing in the hard copies then things are worse than I expected they’d be. Just stick it out for now, don’t push. And hey… keep trying to beat that little trap of his. You might even learn something.”

  “If by learn you mean get beaten down then sure. Though it’s not like I have a choice in the matter. Just make sure my first choice is freed up next month. I actually want to get something out of this other than bruises and shame.”

  “Hmm… In my day-”

  “Oh don’t you start that!”