SEVENTY-EIGHT: Facts are Facts

SEVENTY-EIGHT: Facts are Facts

Want me to fix your umbrella?

Alden looked over at Konstantin. The Adjuster was sitting beside him, running his fingers through his dark hair, trying to straighten it out. He was breathless, red-faced, and sweatythe same as almost everyone whod taken part in the heroes vs. villains battle. Alden himself hadnt realized how depleted he was until it was over.

Now both teams were sprawled across the bleachers. Most people were sitting slightly apart from each other. Emotions were still running hot for several of them.

The Strength Brute from the hero team had started cussing out the Wright before theyd even left the floor, and it was probably only the fact that the guy had high-tailed it out of the gym that had prevented a real fight. The Object Shaper was crying while Emma patted her on the shoulder. The Sandbagger was shooting death glares. She only spared a couple for Alden; Kon was receiving the bulk of them. Lexi was wringing the handle of his whip like he was imagining it was someones neck. He was glaring a lot at Kon, too, but to Aldens surprise his ire wasnt just for his brother.

He seemed to be mad at every single one of his own teammates and Aldens as well. He wasnt yelling at anyone, though. Just darkly stewing.

Kon was staring straight ahead, watching the latest batch of duelists.

Alden glanced down at his umbrella. One of the spokes was bent and poking out through the fabric, and of course there was the broken fishing line.

I dont think theyre going to make me fight much more, said Alden. But Id appreciate it, just in case, if its not going to wear you out.

Hand it over. I didnt get to show off my amazing powers anyway.

I think you showed off well enough. Alden passed over the umbrella and the broken piece of line.

It was when I nut punched my big brother, right? Kon said with a grin that didnt quite reach his eyes.

That was a memorable moment.

Probably extra memorable for him. Kon held the umbrella across his palms and stared at it. Now you get to experience my dolphin impression.

Huh?

The other boy opened his mouth, and the weirdest spell chant Alden had ever heard came out of it. Many chants were purely soundthe vocal equivalent of weaving a pattern with the auriad. Some peppered in very old Artonan words Alden could occasionally recognize.

This one soundeda lot like a dolphin trying to speak a foreign language. It was extremely alien, and surprisingly un-pretty. Artonan tastes didnt always run in the same direction as human tastes, but their chants usually sounded pleasantly musical. This one was just strange.

And astonishing.

There was a cloud of glittering light around the umbrella, then its damaged spots rapidly repaired themselves. It suddenly looked like it had before the fight started.

Let me do the fishing line next.

Are your vocal cords modified?!

Kon looked surprised. Most people are more interested in the instant restoration thing. Yeah, they are.

Bullshit.

His brows drew together. You think I was born speaking like a cetacean?

No! Its justIm sorry. That was a positive bullshit, I guess? Ive never heard of an Adjuster getting body modded for vocal casting, and I think its cool.

Im so jealous I could scream. A human scream. Not a scream perfected for spell casting.

Positive bullshit? Must be an American thing. There are only a couple dozen other Adjusters known to have vocal mods for some of their spells. My parents helped me look into it after I affixed.

Its so cool.

You said that already. He looked happy about it though. When the System spat out a rare type-path opportunity for me, I was completely caught off guard. I was going to focus on spells that manipulate electrical energy. Ive been planning to be an S-rank Adjuster since I was nine, and it was going to be perfect. But when the Contract offers you something you know is one of a kind, you have to take it. Its a thing, right?

A thing?

Kon nodded. Yeah. Everyone knows that singleton paths, subclasses, or talents are usually higher potential. Sometimes theyre a flop, but most of the time, they pay off. It was just one starter spell, which seemed so ungenerous. But I took it, and the next thing I knew the System was like, And here is your new alien voice to go with that spell.

That wasnt something everyone knew. That sounded like something you only knew if all your friends and relatives were Avowed. Can you make any sound an Artonan can?

Kon shook his head. Not quite. Im assuming if the other spells in this category the System has stuck me in require it, Ill get additional mods.

Awesome, Alden breathed.

Kon grinned. Youre really into my dolphin impression. Most people think its creepy.

I wanted to be an Adjuster so bad.

The other boy tilted his head. Then why are you a Rabbit?

Alden didnt know what to say.

Did you just get super nervous and accept the class assignment as soon as it popped up? I heard sometimes globies do that.

Rabbit seemed like a really good idea at the time. Alden was unable to think of another excuse for himself that would make sense.

Well, your shield thing is cool at least.

Kon picked up the fishing line and held the broken end to the piece still wrapped around the umbrella handle. He stared at it, performed the spell again, and the two pieces of line were reconnected.

Thanks, Alden said, targeting him before he handed it back.

I hope the school is as enthusiastic about it as you are.

You sounded more confident this morning.

Kon shrugged. Im confident the spell is capable of amazing things. And that Ill get more spells that do similar stuff in the future. And that my rank gives me a big advantage. But Im not quite as sure that the school will be willing to risk it. Just because its special doesnt mean its going to be the right thing for hero work. Instructor Plim was really excited about it, but

You have a skill, too.

Yeah. They might let me slip in because the skill alone has applications. Knowing the previous state of objects is an odd one to work with, too, though. So who knows?

You use the skill before the spell every time?

I have to, said Kon. If I dont, its like my brain cant conceptualize the exact state Im trying to restore the object to. I cant even trigger the spell impression to cast without it.

They both stopped talking as a man with a bushy mustache approached them. Kon, he said, scrolling through something on his interface. Are you all right with the interview on your schedule being brought forward half an hour? Weve had some drop outs.

Sure.

Then Im sending you the update now. Alden, is your skill still working? We have you listed as having hit your limit during that last fight.

Im okay, said Alden.

He was starting to feel tired. Approaching skill exhaustion was a strange experience now that he had an authority sense, and he didnt have a chaos attack to occupy him. It wasnt like the authority went away. It was almost like the world around him became resistant to it, and his authority itself becameless authoritative. Stiller. Unwilling to be moved by his will or to move things around him in turn.

I can keep going until the end of the combat assessment.

The man rolled his eyes. Youre one of those, are you? You dont know when skill fatigue will hit you, kid. Dont just assume you're tireless because your talent hasnt quit yet.

Right. Act like a normal Avowed, Alden.

I mean my skill was still working fine the last time I used it.

Well give you one more duel then. Toward the end of the session. If it completely quits on you, just yield. No penalties for that. Its normal for it to hit low ranks in the last half of the combat assessment.

He walked away.

Ouch. He called me a low rank. The principal included us Bs with the rest of you in her speech this morning.

She was being generous. Bs are usually high if youre living in F-city and low if youre in Apex. You live between two worlds.

What happened to middle? Why cant we be middles?

Kon shrugged. Maybe theyll build another island when we get a couple million more people, and we can call it mid-city?

Mid-city?

Bs can hang there with the Cs. Feeling all superior. And then we mighty Ss can have two islands to look down on instead of one.

How long have you been an S-rank even?

About four months.

Does the System affix a massive dose of self confidence when it gives you that rank?

Its just that Ive been an S in my heart from a young age, said Kon, holding a hand over his heart. My parents are both As so there was always a decent chance.

He looked over at Alden. Theyll put you against an S. For your final duel.

Its not random?

Its semi-random. If it looks like youre toughing it out all the way to the end of the assessment, though, theyll make sure you get hit really bad at least once. If they can. Its a thing.

A thing everyone knows, Alden said.

Exactly. At least one terrible match-up if they can swing it. For you, any S who isnt me will do. And it wont be me, since Im not dueling. It was all private testing with Instructor Plimexcept for me showing off my brother-punching skill just now.

Thanks for letting me know.

Kon shrugged. You were cool in the fight. I thought you were way overestimating yourself when you said you could bonk the Shapers sandbags with your umbrella. But you bonked them really well.

My skills Level 3.

Kon looked startled. Thats nice. Did you hide out and train for a year before you showed up here or something? But I still wouldnt have thought youd just fling off those bags like they didnt weigh anything.

They didnt.

What?

They didnt weigh anything. Alden pulled his legs up and crossed them. I should have realizedbut Im an idiot. I havent seriously used my skill like this before.

It would be uncommon if you had a lot of sandbag attack experience.

No, I mean I havent used it as a shield. Its notthat hasnt been its main function for me. I knew it would be a big thing for hero work. But up until now, its the preservation element thats been important. Until the past couple of weeks, I usually really cared about keeping the thing I was carrying safe. So Im geared to think of it that way. And I missed something incredibly obvious because of it.

What? Kon asked curiously.

I dont feel the force of things that impact my preserved object. Physically. Hed definitely felt every impact in other ways. Impacts strain my skill. They make it reach the exhaustion point faster. I knew that. But if the magic takes the impact of outside things, it also takes their weight.

I dont quite see where youre going with

The victims, said Alden, staring across the gym without really seeing it. Whenever Ive carried people before, its been because they needed to be preserved. Their whole bodies. For their protection.

Have you had to do something like that often? Kon said slowly.

Alden ignored the question.

Boe would probably make fun of me. And remind me that the last time I saw this guy he was trying to figure out who had Chainer for the Velras or the anti-Velras.

Which team Skiff was doing a favor for that day when theyd walked past him at the consulate had never been settled.

Alden sat in a chair facing the trio.

So! Tell us what kind of hero you imagine being in the future, Colibr said. Take as much time as you need.

Okay. So its that question. Theyd asked it in both of the previous interviews. And it was the main subject of the essay hed written. So it wasnt like he couldnt answer.

He could answer it so well, in fact, that he didnt even have to think about most of the words coming out of his mouth. Battlefield support. The guy whose work makes the other heroes more effective.

Hannahs dream.

For the first time, Alden added on a bit about how difficult hed found it to be the only responsible party on Moon Thegund. He was assuming they were finally going to ask him about what had happened in this interview, since it had barely been brought up the last one.

I know lower-rank sidekicks, and even hero duos, arent as popular these days unless theyre

He tried to think of how to say just for the sake of the show without offending Instructor Colibr, who seemed to be someone who was in charge of making the show more showy. Unless theyre unique cases. But I think there would be a lot of benefits to having a dedicated partner and learning the ins and outs of each others power set. Working alone isnt the ideal scenario.

Thats a wonderful point! Colibr said brightly.

Do you know why so many superheroes operate on their own when it comes to higher level combat? Instructor Klein asked. You do see hero teams working together to fight regular crime. It makes for exciting footage if nothing else. So do you understand why an S-rank in pursuit of an equally powerful supervillain might prefer not to have help beyond the usualwhich is to have other individually capable members of the hero team evacuate civilians, relay critical information, and block off access to the battle site?

Its for a lot of different reasons, isnt it? Alden said. He ticked them off. Theres the whole What if I screw up and kill my partner? factor. Which Im sure makes a lot of people just not want to deal with it at all. Then theres the fact that you need to dedicate additional training time so that you understand how to fight alone and in a pair or team. Trust would be a huge issue; if you dont absolutely trust your partner to do their job, then whats the point? Andif the support hero is, for example, functioning in a way that makes it possible for the primary damage dealer to safely deal more damage than they would otherwise be able tothen an error on the supports part means that their partner might cause much more harm to infrastructure and bystanders than they would have if theyd been working completely alone. It makes both heroes look bad, and its the supports error. But people dont understand. They usually blame the person in the limelight who dealt the damage, not the person in the background who was supposed to prevent it.

Instructor Klein looked surprised. Those are a lot of reasons. Youve put some thought into it after all.

I think it would be strange if I hadnt. Given what I want to do. And other things.

In an urgent situation, rushing because she couldnt quite keep up with the pace of a fight, Hannah Elber had counted the number of floors on a building wrong. Because of that, Arjun Thomas had smashed through the side of it and into an occupied apartment across the street. That he hadnt collided with Alden, or someone else, and instantly killed them was luck.

Then why do you hope to become a support hero? Skiff seemed to be trying to give Alden an encouraging smile as he asked. I really enjoyed your essay by the way.

Oh. Thank you. Its because heroes can work better in pairs. More good guys bringing more types of magic to a fight should be an amazing thing. The ideal situation is perfectly orchestrated teamwork. Just because its more difficult to achieve that ideal doesnt mean we should give up on it and settle for the status quo.

He felt good about that answer. It was so much more satisfying to give an answer that rang true. He tried to study the interviewers faces, to get a read on what they thought.

Skiff seemed to be in comforting cheerleader mode. It was probably his default. Or maybe he just liked Alden because of the Chicago connection.

Instructor Colibr hadnt stopped smiling since he entered the room. It was a great smile. It didnt look fake at all. But it was confusing that it never faded.

And for some reason, Instructor Klein looked tired and resigned.

Not a fan of the support-focused superhero concept in general? Or of B-ranks going for it?

Support heroes, as he was describing them, were supposed to be able to take care of themselves well enough not to cause problems. Old-timey sidekicks were a thing of the past because theyd often been highly-killable low ranks.

Next question! Colibr said, still beaming. What active heroes do you currently admire? And why?

Alden talked.

And talked.

He was on edge, waiting for the harder questions. They had to be coming. Theyd rejected a ton of the returnees first thing this morning after a single, five-minute long interview. They must have asked something difficult. And Winston Reginald Heelfeather was wearing sunglasses because he was so scared of the mind games he claimed his committee had played with him last time.

However, as the time slot for his interview approached its end, they hadnt asked him anything that was even particularly new. These were all questions that had been on the application or in previous interviews. Occasionally, Instructor Klein would ask him to clarify his opinions, which made him think a little.

But the questions were harder in the first interview. The formulaic ones on the B-ranks only, we-really-wish-youd-reconsider-applying interview had been semi-hostile and stressful to answer because of it.

With two minutes to go, Alden was confused. I thought this would be deeper. I thought theyd want to really get to know me.

It said something to that effect in the admissions office email hed read a hundred timesthat prospective students should be prepared to answer more personal questions in the third interview.

Theyve got to be sitting there with everything I sent them pulled up in front of their eyes.

Maybe Body Drainer and Moon Thegund were considered too personal?

But wasnt the point of this to make sure he had the right reasons for wanting to become a hero?

Alden hadnt wanted them to ask if he had some kind of revenge-driven need to fight supervillains because one had killed his parents, but hed expected them to. He had also been dreading detailed questions about how hed earned the commendation. He was sure that someone idly saying the wrong thing about Kibby was his Achilles heel. Nothing had fazed him badly all day, but that definitely would have. He suspected that someone else overanalyzing and judging the harder decisions hed made on Moon Thegund would have set him off in some way, too.

I brought it up myself because I just knew something along those lines was coming. Was I completely wrong? Do they not care about the commendation at all? Do they not care that Ive been on the Triplanets until just recently?

Maybe Neha was mistaken, and he wasnt getting the serious questions because he wasnt a serious candidate at this point. They could have already decided he wasnt good enough, or that he was too much of a risk with the messy personal history. And so there was no reason to ask him the hardball stuff.

That must be it. Theyre not even asking me about being a Rabbit. Thats got to be the surest sign that theyre not taking my interview seriously at all.

Even if the darker personal material was off-limits, asking the superhero hopeful why hed chosen nearly the worst possible class for superhero work was so obvious. They should have been grilling him about that one.

As Alden reached the conclusion that it was all over for him, this time around at least, he tried not to let his disappointment show.

I really did try hard. I know Im not feeling it quite like I should, but I do want it and I didnt slack off anyits fine. Ill just spend a lot more time with Bobby at the gym while I wait to re-apply. Ill go to Franklin High for a while. Maybe Ill apply to the other two Apex high schools next time, too.

Thank you so much for your time today, Alden, Colibr said. Its been wonderful to get to know you better. Do you have any questions for us before we send you off to lunch?

So it was over. How anti-climactic after the intensity of the combat assessment.

Since it looks like Ill be doing this again in the future, I guess I should ask

I was wondering if there was anything I should think about or do to improve myself? I know Ill be getting evaluations from the people who were watching combat today, but are there other obvious things Im missing right now that I should be aware of?

I think youre on the right track, Skiff said. Just keep working and keep your chin up, and youll get there!

Alden hoped his smile looked realer than it felt.

You should think about what kind of impression you want to give off in front of cameras starting right now, Instructor Colibr said. For the first time since the interview had started, she seemed really intense. Point placement is going to be so important for you as a B-rank. Rabbit hasnt ever been seriously attempted in the superhero market, so you have options. But that only means you have to narrow your choices down that much more. The bouncing things you can do with your trait

So shed at least seen some footage from the running assessment.

it makes me so happy. You may want to play into that. Speedy, agile Rabbit! And dont neglect your Appeal. You have to make it work for you every step of the way. The System will just generalize it if you dont make special requests, and no, no, nothats for amateurs. You want to be a professional, so you have to decide as soon as you can and start tweaking. Cute? Soft? Sexy? Ironically macho bunny?

Alden stared at her. Her hand disappeared and reappeared from the front pocket of her spangled pinafore so fast that he didnt even see her move. In a blink, she was holding out a hummingbird-shaped card. The foil letters on it showed her name, address, and school office hours.

Call any time! Definitely before you affix that next Appeal point.

I dont want another one, though. Alden took the card because you couldnt just not take peoples cards. But he found her a little frightening.

When you start living on campus, we can!

You want my advice? Instructor Klein interrupted. Halfway through the interview, hed crossed his arms over his chest, and he hadnt removed them since. The body language there definitely wasnt inviting.

Skiffs eyebrows went up and he bit his lower lip as he glanced sideways at the other man.

If you dont mind? Alden said.

Your rank is bad for what you think you want to do. Your class may very well be insurmountable.

I think thats an uncalled for assessment, Instructor Klein! Instructor Colibr said quickly. I personally believe in the untapped potential of the Rabbit class. I cant wait to see what Alden does with it.

The other teacher didnt even spare her a glance. My advice is that you focus on leveling for the next couple of years before you even consider joining a hero training course. And do some research into other skill options for your class. If you cant put together a list of known Rabbit skills and spells that will see you performing as well as other currently active B-rank heroes who are in their thirties and forties, then you should find another job.

Torsten!

After doing my own research into your classs talent choices, I do not believe you have the potential to be a superhero. Thus, you attending Celena North High is a waste of your potential as a person. And it is a waste of our facultys time. I recommend that you enjoy a normal high school experience, learn your way around Avowed life, and then, if you are still determined to try this path in a couple of years, return and apply for the universitys hero program instead.

He really doesnt want me to come to school here.

It wasnt that his words were a shock. But they were harsh on the heels of so much hard work today and such unexpectedly lackadaisical questions from the interviewers. Alden took a few seconds to collect himself.

Okay, he said at last. Thank you for the super honest advice. Youre worried that one preservation skill isnt enough to see me through an entire career?

Its not enough, he said bluntly. One skill is not enough for hero work.

Colibr looked pissed off. Skiff was chewing on the end of his stylus.

That makes sense, said Alden. He was having an emotionally confused moment. His hands were death-gripping his shirt hem, because having someone tell you to your face that they thought you sucked and would be a waste of everyones time wasyeah.

But on the other hand

He tried not to smile; he thought he might have a little anyway.

Rabbit is a skill-based class. So the skills I choose are the most important thing. If Let Me Take Your Luggage is the only one in the class thats really good for hero work, and it tops out at a low level, that would be a career ender.

Instructor Klein uncrossed his arms and rested his elbows on the table. Thats just a fact you have to contend with, he said.

Facts are facts, Alden thought in Artonan. They dont have to be fair.

He could practically hear Kibby saying it.

Oh, it was a mistake to think of her.

He was really smiling now. It probably looked like he didnt take the Instructor seriously. That was bad. It was Earth bad and Triplanets unforgivable.

I will consider that, he said, forcing his face straight. I will seriously think about what you said. Thank you for interviewing me.

He shook their hands again. He hurried out of the room so that he wouldnt lose his self-control and start laughing in front of them.

Its not that funny, Alden, he told himself as he rushed down the hall to get out of earshot. This is serious. They think you stink. Theyre not going to let you into their school ever, even if you did run across a moon and impress a Knight. Welcome to Earth. Where you are only a shitty B-rank, and an even shittier Rabbit.

He just kept going until he was out of the MagiPhys building and racing across the lawn. His legs were sore from all the weird running demands the coaches had made at the track earlier. It felt good to move anyway.

Whyd they even bother to make me hop around the track and fight an S-rank and come all this way if Rabbit was that much of a problem for them?

He ran down the paved pathway, jumped over the back of a bench, and took a seat. He leaned back and smiled up into the tree branches.

One skill is not enough for hero work, he said.

Then he did laugh. And he directed his growing amount of free authority to run along the edges of the affixation, to really feel the shape of what it, too, would one day be. Most of the hypersensitivity was gone. He still woke up in the middle of the night feeling wounded. He still fought it when he knew he shouldnt. But right now

Hey, we did amazing today, he murmured . You worked like a dream. Ill try to think up a better metaphor for us, like she told me to. Because you can be pretty cool. And youre going to get big. And strong. And awesome.

He considered the epiphany hed had earlier.

I wonder if we could pick up a car? Thats probably way too greedy at this pointbut just think of how much luggage we could carry now.