ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO: Obstacles

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO: Obstacles

122

Alden had a suspicion that the day might be a bit different before he even left the dorm that morning. Jeremy didnt usually video call him from inside a bathroom stall at seven thirty AM.

Hey! Its good to see you instead of getting a text, but shouldnt you be in second period? Alden asked. Hed just pulled on a long-sleeved shirt, and he was tucking his laptop into his messenger bag.

People have been talking about you all morning, Jeremy said. I didnt call earlier because you like sleep.

I do like sleep. Thanks for respecting the time zone. Any chance theyve been talking about how much they miss having me sitting in the classroom? Does that Goth girl wish I was still there to loan her pens? She owes me three. Dont think I forgot while I was away.

I saw the video.

Alden made a face.

Did you go to a party last night and tell a girl that she was sketch and you didnt like her?

Maybe

In front of her parents and her Grandma, whos a member of the Anesidoran government?

Aulias not on the High Council anymore. Also, there were a lot more people than that around. Also, that might not have been me. It couldve been another guy who resembled me.

Are you okay? Jeremy asked. Another Avowed used their powers on you! Isnt that a crime or something?

Im fine. It wasnt a huge thing. I just really didnt want to have any more to do with Hazel Velra, and in the moment, letting it be known seemed like the best course of action.

It sucks that I couldnt be there, said Jeremy. He grinned. Ill hate her for you from here!

You rock, said Alden.

Jeremy was wearing a shirt with an eyeball and a rock on it.

More importantly, he said, did you sing a bunch of songs about an alien bird while wearing your gym jammies?

That made it all the way to you, too?

Silver lining.

Then Jeremys phrasing caught his attention. Did you just call my highly magical, very exclusive, wizard-made protective Avowed gear gym jammies?

Thats what Kimberly called them. Its cute, right?

Its definitely unforgettable, said Alden.

I know youve got to get to class but before you do, I had to check on you and tell you Jeremy pointed at him. Youve officially made it as a superhuman.

Aldens brows lifted. How do you figure?

Alden, there are memes.

******

It could have been worse, but Alden was sure it couldnt have been weirder.

As he went through the morning, he ran across several students and even one faculty member singing Finlays gokoratch songs, so that was good. Lots of people minded their own business or didnt care about his altercation with Hazel at all. A few, unfortunately, felt the need to corner him and give him their personal analysis of the situation; it was obnoxious no matter what their opinion was since Alden didnt remember requesting critique from other teenagers who thought they knew him based on a short video clip and some facts theyd found on the internet.

But beyond all of that, most of the CNH students who wanted to interact with him because of the video wanted to talk about

Did you get more radishes?

Radish Rabbit!

Not my radishes!

Youd better make the Velras buy you a lifetime supply, mate! Cant let them get away with costing a man his treats!

am grateful most people arent taking it too seriously,>> he told Lute while he knelt on a too-thin cushion during their conversation class. >

> Lute replied, correcting a finger position for him. >

> Alden said. >

> Lute asked.

Alden frowned. >

> Lute bowed his head and clasped his hands together in a prayerful posture.

Alden didnt know whether to laugh or sigh. Of the memes Jeremy had mentioned this morning, only two seemed to be gaining traction. The first was a clip of Hazel shouting about how she mattered on Earth and the Mother while her flapper headbands tassel whipped around. The second was Alden hastily raising a china plate in front of him and sending eleven radishesaccording to the people whod bothered to countto their deaths.

There were slow-mo shots of them falling. In one edit, someone had drawn little screaming faces on them.

Rabbit Drops his Radishes was by far the most harmless thing that could pop up when someone searched for him, so he was torn between wondering if it was okay for something so silly to be making him instantly recognizable on campus and kind of hoping that it would become a lot of peoples main impression of him before they dug into everything else.

His roommates were right; the video didnt make him look that bad. Some assholes were saying asshole things, and unless he was being paranoid, the moment when Aulia called him one of the Velras family friends seemed to be ever so slightly louder and clearer than the rest of the audio. But the family friend thing didnt seem one hundred percent believable, he hoped, when he was in the process of complaining about a member of said family. And he looked calm and collected when he explained why he had a problem with Hazel.

> Alden asked Lute as they put their shoes back on at the end of class. >

Do you just speak Artonan all the time now?

Alden shrugged. I hadnt shifted gears yet. But its good practice for you, so dont complain. I was asking why Aulia

Ive got translations back on, so I understood. There are probably a hundred factors you and I cant guess, but I assume Hazels been getting problematic in other ways. A few relatives mentioned that shes become more of a menace since she started having free time. Shes used to being with a tutor, with Aulia, or asleep. Aulias not training her for hours a day anymore. You want to have lunch together?

Sure, said Alden. But should you really skip your theater class as often as you do?

No. Are you judging me?

So hard.

******

That evening, Aldens gym group stood in a huddle together, waiting for Principal Saleh to arrive and officially mark the start of class. They were all staring at their fate.

Haoyu, Alden whispered, leaning toward him without taking his eyes off the monstrosity the faculty had created. Can you complete that whole course?

Haoyu was staring at it, too. I cannot.

Maybe its not finished? Njeri suggested. It looks unfinished.

That must be it! Astrid agreed. She had gelled her short hair into a mini mohawk to promote team spirit. She put her hands on her hips. Theyve left off some ladders. And they must be bringing us scuba equipment!

They were all standing at the black line that separated the course from the rest of the huge gym. Jeffy stepped right up to the edge of it eagerly. I bet I can do it!

Really? Lexi said in a dry voice. Writhers short chain was twitching at the end of its handle. How are you going to get over the fifteen-meter-tall barrier made of magic when there are no handholds?

You think we have to climb that? Jeffy asked. Maybe were just supposed to walk around it. Like in the maze.

Jeffy, my friend in mohawkdom, Astrid said before Lexi could add anything, let me explain how obstacle courses usually work.

Were probably meant to help each other, Haoyu added. Thats common for this kind of thing.

Alden stepped over to Maricel. She had a pensive expression on her face.

What are you thinking? he asked.

I was wondering if they would let me ride my soil platform over obstacles or not. I saw your video

You and everyone else.

Hed arrived at the MPE building and gotten dressed early to avoid the locker-room takes from certain people. For now, he was blissfully unaware of whatever some of the more tedious members of his class might have to say.

Maricel watched him for a minute. You couldve pickled those radishes, she said sadly. And they wouldnt have died.

Startled, it took Alden a second to respond to the joke.

He shook his head at her. Shhhhhdont reveal my true power.

When Principal Saleh showed up, she was wearing her own suit and carrying a small metal triangle on a stick that turned out to be a magical megaphone.

Good to see you again, everyone! she said. Behind her, Instructors Marion, Foxbolt, and Ivanova were all holding tablets and checking over various obstacles. Despite Astrids hopes, no ladders were making an appearance. This is part of the course youll all be running today. The other first years have run this route several times in their own classes, so if youd like to compare your team times to theirs or watch their videos well make that available to you.

Only part of the course? Alden wondered.

Lets go over the rules!

Five minutes later, he was standing outside in his groups assigned lane of the MagiPhys track. They were getting one half, and the group of ten that would be running against them was getting the other. Alden listened to Haoyu and Reinhard argue over strategy and watched Lucille lace up a pair of dark purple boots that he found all shiny and fascinating thanks to Sympathy for Magic.

In the gym, people who didnt want to risk wearing out or destroying ordinary athletic shoes just took them off. The suits protected your feet, so it was fine if you wanted. But out here, some of Aldens classmates were allowed to bring gear he didnt usually see.

Lucilles boots were extra durable. Someone on the other team had complained about people getting special treatment because Wrightmade armor, but a raised eyebrow from Principal Saleh had shut the whiner down.

Alden didnt mind. None of the approved equipment was anything that should be a game changer, and there was no point in risking an injury just so that nobody would accuse you of having a tiny advantage.

The team theyd be racing against to start with included Konstantin, Finlay, Jupiter, and Tuyet along with six others. The other half of the class was back in the gym, having school emergency procedure practice sessions with Klein and Fragment while they waited their turn to run the course.

Their race would be cut off at the twenty-minute mark if they hadnt finished. The losers would swap with one of the teams in the gym, and the victors would stay out here for one more round. The losing team would have another race before the end of class. And then two more on Friday. So every team of ten or eleven would have the chance to face each other once.

As was typical of their gym periods, the explanation of what they should do had been brief and to-the-point, and they were expected to get to work and figure out the details as they went. Alden was going over the rules in his head again, too focused on not screwing up the basics to imagine what running the course would actually be like.

They started out here on the morphable track, where they would run three laps with the same sorts of hurdles Alden had encountered on combat assessment day. At the end of the third lap, they ran down a flag-marked path to the gym, where the more dangerous and impossible-looking half of the course was. Their interfaces would give them instructions as they approached obstacles if necessary. Both teams would begin their run at the same time, with all teammates participating.

That was all simple enough. But then the aspect of the race that Instructor Marion had called strategic interference came into play.

Just so that he wouldnt forget a detail, Alden typed a list for himself while he explained it all to Jeffy out loud again:

1. For a team to win the race, every member has to reach the end of the course.

2. A runner who reaches the finish line may not participate in the race except to offer advice to their teammates.

3. Every time someone crosses the finish line, their active teammates may take one hostile action to impede the other teams runners. One hostile action is defined as a single talent use, obstacle modification, or physical attack by one team member. The hostile actor may enter the other teams half of the course. On the outdoor portion of the course, only harmless attacks and obstacle modification may be used to impede runners. Within the gymnasium, all attacks, including lethal ones, are allowed.

4. Injuries will be simulated by movement restriction.

5. Dead runners must return to the start of the race.

6. No killing your own teammates.

Reinhard and Haoyu were energetically disagreeing about a dozen different aspects of the race, and Alden could see why. The amount of strategy that would be needed to maximize a teams speed was huge. Excelling at this game would take planning, practice, and careful teammate selection. They would be getting the opportunity to do that in later academic terms, but for this, their first time, they were flying blind.

Alden liked the notion of an obstacle course, and he had a hundred and twenty feet of paracord weighted with a heavy-duty carabiner to contribute. It was fine with him if they all looked at this as an interesting opportunity to test their abilities, like usual. But he was getting the feeling that most of the others were more anxious and eager to prove themselves than they had been on Monday.

I can shoot Tuyet! Reinhard was saying. I know I can take her out.

His preferred strategy was for Lucille and Maricel to plow through the course together and hit the finish line, so that they could get two attacks on the other team as quickly as possible.

Ive watched uni obstacle course competitions, Haoyu insisted. Its different because a lot of those people can complete a whole course without assistance, but in this kind of team run, you dont send all of your strongest competitors to the end. You keep some of them in play so that they can help everyone else.

Hes right about not losing critical players, Njeri said. Though Im not sure Lucille is actually our strongest competitor.

She looked over at the quiet girl. Youre literally our strongest of course. But you couldnt run the whole route on your own if you got left behind, could you?

Lucille shook her head.

Could any of us, though? Alden wondered.

Start in thirty seconds! Lesedi Saleh announced.

Maricel was shaking her hands out and staring at the track ahead of them. Reinhard made a strangled sound.

Astrid bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet.

Save your energy, Lexi said to her.

Who me?

He grunted.

They all stood at the starting line. On the other teams side, Jupiter was humming and glancing longingly toward the mound of freshly cut limbs and twigs shed stolen from someone whod been pruning the grounds. Her team had barely managed to talk her out of telekinetically hauling the whole pile with her during the race. Appropriate elemental weights were being provided for each Shaper to use here and in the gym, but if they wanted something special, their teams were required to transport it through the entire route. A couple of the others were carrying heavy branches for Jupiter, so that she wouldnt be slowed down.

[Race Start in 10]

I dont want to lose, said Everly, getting in a ready position.

Your ice will work great for messing with the other team, Njeri told her. If we can get someone to the finish line.

I dont even know what were doing, Reinhard muttered, checking the straps on his quiver one last time.

Just run as fast as you can and send back news once you hit the gym to report on the obstacles, said Lexi. Dont be idiots.

Nobody cross the finish line without consulting the rest of us, Haoyu said.

The principal is watching, Jeffy whispered.

We know, three of the others replied at once.

Reinhard scowled. Im more worried about the fact that theyre making this footage available to the rest of the first years. Two hundred other people will be trying to decide if we shouldve gotten into the school with them or not.

[3]

Itll be fine, said Haoyu.

Only if we do well. This is going to be their first impression of us.

Alden preserved his cord. He was wearing it wrapped around him in loose, cross-body loops. Haoyu was his entruster, which was becoming a usual thing for gym class.

Win, Lucille whispered.

[1]

Here we go.

Alden made a hasty shield for himself out of his cord while he waited anxiously for a sign to go. He chose the same zigzag design hed used versus Big Snake on Monday, even though it wouldnt do much for the fire, and he had to assume Tuyet could dart him through it. There were other combatants to consider, and this should help against some of them. He thought he could crawl through the tube with it on his back so he wouldnt lose it.

He also thought he knew why Haoyu had asked him to stay off the gym floor. Dangerous attacks could only happen there. Anyone interfering with him before he stepped onto the white surface couldnt use much force, so he couldnt be sent back to the start again.

But if I just stand around until Tuyet gets back, well lose anyway.

Lucilles coming back for you! Haoyu said.

Meet Lucille at the weights! Maricel said at the same time.

The other team still hadnt used the attack chance theyd just earned. I dont like this.

He crawled through the long tube. When he was halfway through, Lexi said, Stay in there!

Why?

Were coming back for you.

> Maricel shouted.

Alden dropped his preservation on the paracord shield and refroze it in a split second. Later, he would feel slightly clever for the quick thinking. The zigzags of cord draped down over his back, butt, and head. It wasnt like it was great armor, but it was the fastest armor he could possibly have managed with so little warning while stuck on his hands and knees inside a tube.

Right then, however, it felt like a pitiful effort.

He covered his head with his arms. He heard people shouting. A crack. And then a lot more cracking and popping as a damn forest shot into the pipe and through it. Jupiters largest tree limb hit him so hard it ejected him from the tube, and he rolled backwards, his arms and legs unable to stop his momentum, to crash into the barrier that prevented students from getting thrown into the bleachers. Heart pounding, Alden tried to scramble onto his feet only to find he couldnt move. His suit wouldnt let him.

[Penalty: 100% restriction, unconscious]

[Injuries]

The list scrolled for a long time. With the low pain setting they were working with today, he felt fine, but apparently he was on his way to being dead. Again. He was hemorrhaging.

By the way, you shouldnt talk or text your teammates when youre listed as unconscious! Lesedi Saleh announced through her megaphone.

Aldens teammates were talking so much that he wouldnt have been able to get a word in edgewise anyway. Apparently, Lexi had tried to stop the flying limb with Writher, but all hed done was trim it a little according to Reinhard. Now he wanted to trim Reinhard a little. Maricel, Lucille, and Everly were frantically trying to assess Aldens injuries from the readout theyd gotten and guess how long it would take him to die. Njeri was asking them all to confirm if she should cross the finish line or not.

What a mess.

The principal walked over to have a look at Alden. He was lying on his side, disturbed by the answers hed received when he mentally requested more details about the injuries.

You can talk to me if you want, she said, squatting down to give him a smile. How are you enjoying school?

Less at the moment than usual, said Alden. Its been good. I have cool roommates.

Glad to hear it. Her dark hair was in the same sleek bun she usually wore. After viewing a certain video, Instructor Colibr, from the university, wants me to strongly encourage you to come by her office and talk about your on-camera presence and your dress sense.

Really? Alden said in a high voice. How nice of her. So nice. UhIm very busy right now, but maybe next quarter

I want to strongly encourage you to keep up the good work. Instructor Waker was impressed with your efforts in class on Monday.

I kind of wish he was here to throw tennis balls at me now.

Ha! She shook her head. Hed love nothing more probably. Id also like to ask you to stop by my own office if you find yourself running into any trouble here at school.

Thanks, said Alden. But it really has been pretty great so far.

She stood. I hope it stays that way. Weve got a lot of talented kids, but things get tense for some groups when we actually start bringing combat into class. The team exercises should build some camaraderie at the same time. Well see.

The bell rang. Njeri had just crossed the finish line.

Aldens suit finally decided he was a goner, and he pushed himself up and ran toward the door.

He heard the bell ringing again and Haoyu said, That was them crossing the finish line, Alden.

So they have another attack chance.

He had rounded the second curve of the track and was heading up the slope toward the final hurdle when Maricel said, Wheres Tuyet?

I think shes in the pipe, Njeri replied. I dont see her from the finish line.

Alden was running as hard as he could. It wasnt easy to find air for a conversation, but he was listening to theirs.

Shes not in the pipe, Jeffy said. Ive been watching for her.

I just assumed she was back in the gym.

He hadnt been able to see the course properly from the angle hed landed at when he fell. So hed thought shed made it while he wasnt looking. She was fast enough that she shouldve been back in the gym by now.

I didnt pass her, he got out as he launched himself up and caught the edge of the wall. He dropped down onto the mat. I didnt see her on my way out here.

There was a beat of silence.

We need to pause for a second and think, said Haoyu. Where is she? And why is she there?

Ah! said Maricel frantically. This is bad.

What is? Lexi demanded.

The rules! Tuyet might be able to use her

A human shape flew out from under the thick mat Alden was about to step off of, and an arm shot toward his foot.

Fuck! he shouted, leaping back.

Sorry! Tuyet cried. Her wet hair was plastered to the side of her face, and she had an impression on her cheek from the asphalt. Did it hurt?

Alden clutched his chest. What the hell?!

Giving people heart attacks had to be against the rules.

Dont back off the mat, said Tuyet. You might hit your head when you collapse.

What?

She pointed down at his shoe. A dart was sticking out of the top of it. He realized his foot stung.

You stabbed me?

Ive got a bandage! Its a tiny needle! The magic on it just makes you go to

Aldens knees gave out. He flopped onto the mat.

About twenty minutes later, he woke up lying on the bleachers with one bare foot. A small bright yellow bandage was placed just above his toes, and someone had used a pen to draw an animal on it that might, charitably, have been called a raccoon. It had little zs coming out of its mouth.

Groaning, he covered his face with his hands.

[Haoyu: Hes awake! Hi, Alden! First of all, I am so, so sorry.]

[Lute: I hear it was hilarious.]

[Alden: What happened?]

He sat up and looked around the gym. His teammates were up on top of the bleachers across from him, listening to Fragment explain something about the MPE buildings ceiling, if the direction her finger was pointing was any indication.

[Haoyu: We didnt plan well. It all collapsed. They killed Astrid and Lexi. We got Jupiter.]

[Alden: I take it we did not win.]

Tuyet was back in her sniper position, running the course with her team, so it was obvious.

[Haoyu: Reinhard and Lexi didnt hit each other with their weapons. Thats a win.]

Alden put his shoe back on and went to learn some school emergency procedures.

Our next try will definitely be better than that one.

******

Dragging himself out of the gym after class, dripping wet and exhausted just like the rest of his team, he decided he hadnt been wrong.

The second race was much closer, and hed died only a single death to Helosa, whod tackled him so hard on top of the big wall that she took Everly Kim and herself over the edge with him.

Theyd lost, but hed been more useful at shielding people and helping them maneuver over obstacles than he had the first run. And hed made it across the finish line in the end. So at least hed been able to experience the full course.

They were focusing more on killing me than they shouldve been, though, werent they? I guess because they saw the other team do it, and they figured it worked.

Of course Alden wasnt happy with how it had all gone, but it was more upsetting that his teammates were disappointed. Everly was so frustrated after her second death that shed been crying a little even as she kept going. Lucille just got quieter and quieter until people started snapping at her for failing to communicate. Reinhard blamed everyone else for everything. Lexi blamed Reinhard for everything.

Njeri had asked Maricel if she couldnt go a little faster at one point and Maricel, who was under a lot of pressure because of how useful she was on most of the obstacles, had almost bitten her head off. They were talking quietly to each other now as they slogged their way toward the girls locker room ahead of Alden.

By the end, even Haoyus attempts at peacemaking were leaning toward intimidating instead of peace-inspiring.

Too many different pressures building up.

Theyd all screwed up in gym before now, but this was different. More personal. Tuyet was the politest of assassins, and Alden was still kind of miffed that shed picked him to kill. Twice.

Not that hed ever showed it.

Maybe if Id carried Everly on my back around the track, Jeffy said. I think thats what I did wrong.

I think everyone did stuff wrong, Alden said. Dont punch a hand dryer over it or anything. On Friday, were going to do so much bett

Because hes dead fucking weight! The heated voice from behind them made Jeffy, Alden, and several other people turn around. It was Winston. He was pointing at Max.

Their team had lost twice today, too.

Im sure he was doing his best, Vandy said. We were all trying hard. Maybe if we meet tomorrow to plan

He didnt have magic for most of the second run! Winston shouted.

Max shoved through the group. He looked furious.

What? You dont have anything to say for yourself? Winston called after him.

Did you do what Max suggested during the race? Alden asked.

Winston rounded on him. Im not talking to you.

And I dont know why Im talking to you, but here we are. Stop being such a dick. Max is amazing at strategy and his spells are harmless traps and movement enhancements. Hes got to be one of the most valuable members of your entire team for this activity.

This isnt any of your business.

Alden shrugged and turned away.

Only the teams with B-ranks lost! Winston said. It wasnt fair.

Someone shushed him. A couple of people shifted uncomfortably.

Very scientific reasoning, thought Alden. He followed Max, Haoyu, and Lexi through the locker room door.

I didnt ask you to do that, Max said waspishly.

I wanted to. Hes annoying. And I got killed in multiple embarrassing ways. My self-control is shot.

Haoyu shook his head. Again? Oh, Alden. The last time that happened you took the lives of eleven

Not you too!

innocent young radishes, Haoyu finished.

Alden looked over at him. I am sorry I died so much.

It really wasnt your fault. I think it was actually Kons strategy. Hes an asshole.

Kon was standing in the corner of the locker room, unsealing the front of his unitard. Haoyu!

Was it your idea? Lexi was staring at him.

Why do you look shocked? Kon asked. I can have ideas.

Lexi raised an eyebrow at him.

Kon gave Alden a nervous smile. It wasnt really a strategy. Just us trying to pull something together to fit a couple of goals. But I was the one who suggested we focus on you. Ive been thinking I should do more brain work since Im kind of useless at everything else in this class for now.

Its fine. But why?

Our goal was to incapacitate somebody as far away from help as we could. You seemed like a decent choice because you were going to be a really useful assist for the rest of your team. Having you out of the way was convenient for us. And you could clear the final hurdle on your own. If wed taken out Everly or Njeri, one of you would have headed back to the track with them right from the start and been on hand to help out. When you went down, they had to run all the way back out there for you and then run twice around the track carrying you.

I think Im glad I slept through that.

It couldve worked out a lot of different ways. Or not at all. We were lucky Reinhard shot Tuyet. Most of us were just planning to use the obstacle creation tablet to increase the final hurdle height so you had to call for help. Tuyet put you out of commission for the whole game.

Alden sighed. Thanks for the nap I guess.

Youre not mad?

He shook his head.

Hey! said Kon, brightening. When are you guys going to invite me to see your apartment? Ive invited you to see mine!

Its just an apartment, said Lexi. Nothing to see.

I have a slow cooker, said Haoyu.

Kon blinked at him.

I have a rug. Or two, said Alden. Lexi assigned us all our own food shelves.

Okay. Thats really homey, butwhy do I feel like youre all leaving something out?

***