"You can go in now." Anya, Principal Cages assistant says to Valentina as she types on a laptop behind her desk off to the side of the door.
Sighing, Valentina pushes open the door, leaving her belongings on the seat as she enters.
Sat, leaning against the training room wall dripping sweat, Alex and Karl sip on their water bottles. "I'm telling you this now, you need to give Jacob more than just one thing to worry about. Me just telling you how powerful his Advanced Reflexes are doesn't do it justice, every attack needs to keep him on the backfoot or he's going to dictate the entire flow of the duel." Karl, pulling from his own experience fighting against Jacob.
"Don't worry, I know what's at stake. I won't get another chance like this. I need to win." Alex places her bottle down and stands turning back to Karl who's looking up at her, "Even if I misstep you'll be there to set me straight again anyway." Karl follows her back up and the two embrace in a hug.
"Only another five minutes, you cant overdue it the day before the spar." Karl says as they separate, throwing his bottle down to the side.
"What are healers for if not for fatigue?" Alex responds jokingly as she walks back to the centre of the otherwise empty training area ahead of Karl.
Alex and Karl get back to it, Alex being the aggressor pushing Karl onto the back foot as he encourages her. Mixing Spikes into her attacks, using them to both close the distance and make it dangerous to stay at range she finally hits him good in the stomach with a firm punch bringing him to a knee.
Exaggerating, Karl falls to his back as he cracks a half smile, "I think I'm done." The two sharing a laugh that is swiftly interrupted by the double doors leading into the training area opening. As if she's a deer caught in headlights, Valentina stops at the door all three looking towards one another for a moment before Alex jumps into action. "Do you want to practice with us? We aren't staying long but most of the time it's better to practice with other people." Alex, extending an olive branch to Valentina.
"Is there any other place to practice?" Valentina asks before following up, "It's better we keep separate before our duel, I don't want to taint anything for either of us."
Alex caught off guard, struggles to find any words, Karl answering the question instead, "This is the Top Tens, there's another two that are connected but its more crowded because its for anyone in the more private part of school. Its near our cafeteria, when you get there follow the noise." He says propping himself up to look over while still on the floor.
Before leaving the couple Valentina gives each of them parting words, a thank you to Karl and, "See you Monday." to Alex.
Karl watches Alex for a moment after the door closes again, not saying anything. "Why is she assuming I've already lost? I've done nothing to her. She's never even see me fight." Alex says, her voice quiet but still managing to show just how heated Valentina's words had made her.
Karl stands, walking over to his water bottle. Taking a moment to have another drink before throwing it back down and walking back over to Alex who is still stood in the same spot, absolutely infuriated. "C'mon. I've got more in me. Just no more gut punches."
Day Of The Spar
The three students, Jacob, Alex and Karl wait outside in the corridor for the go ahead to enter. The couple separate to Jacob as they claim different sides of the door.
"Everything's set, Principal Cage is up in the observation deck, once he signals get into position, the second signal is to begin." Anya says, tablet in hand as she pushes open the door allowing the competitors inside. Jacob is the first to dip in, uncharacteristically quiet followed by Karl who is quickly stopped by Anya's hand hovering centimetres away from his chest.
"No spectators." She says stiffly. Karl thinks about pushing back against the decision but before he can Alex walks past him heading inside.
"Don't worry about it, I'd be too focused to hear anything you say anyway." Alex, at the doorway trying her best to disguise her nerves as Anya awkwardly stands behind her. "Don't let him dictate the flow, keep him guessing." Karl says, Alex nodding along as he speaks.
Anya closing the doors, one last thing he forgot to mention springs to mind, "Oh, don't talk to him before you fight!" Karl manages to squeeze out as frantically as his robotic, monotonous voice would allow to absolutely no use, Alex not hearing a word.
"Sorry to intrude, Sir." Anya says, walking up behind him off to the side as both he and Sebastian, his guest, stand by the glass overlooking the training area.
"Don't be foolish. How are they?" Cage asks after dismissing her feigned apology, only there for show in front of their former acquittance.
Before their conversation can continue, Sebastian interrupts without any real care, "How are you Anya? Its been too long, has Master been treating you well?" He asks with real sincerity, even taking a step away from Cages side to be even with her, the two having been former comrades and the same age.
"They're both adequately prepared, Jacob didn't seem nearly as nervous as the girl but that's a given."
Sebastian frustratedly exhales but doesn't take his eyes off of her, "Really, silent treatment?" His voice portraying his hurt despite the obvious attempt to make it seem more playful.
"Be civil." Principal Cage says, making sure to turn his entire head as he says it a second time for Anya's sake who only slightly nods once in response.
"I'm only forty two, I don't need two twenty something year old kids giving me anymore headaches, especially not now given the circumstances." He declares, turning back to look out of the glass. Anya and Sebastian look to one another and decide to crack on with business, for their Masters sake if nothing else.
Both competitors prepare themselves next to one another before they go head to head, Jacob noticing Alex's nerves running rampant. "You need to relax, it's only a spar." His tone almost too casual as he looks over to Cage and the mystery guest he's hosting up in the box connecting the two main practicing areas doubling as a fighting area. Having been ignored, Jacob glances back over towards her, again noticing her hands trembling as she covers them with the duelling uniforms optional gloves.
Stepping away from the wall, Jacob begins to stretch a little too leisurely almost performatively, "Seriously, calm yourself. Nobody is expecting anything from you anyway."
"What the hell is your problem? We're in the same boat here." Alex says swinging around full of pent up venom and nerves.
Jacob gives her one of his trademark hollow, manufactured laughs, "And what boat would that be?"
"You know what I mean." Alex scoffs, the bite still present in her words.
"We're not in the same boat at all. You may think we are because you want company for whatever kind of pity party you're having but you're wrong." His voice gaining a more serious tone than she had ever heard him use before as he stands up straight and takes a step back towards her to have his back facing the wall, "Life handed us very different cards, your problem is you can't just shut up and play them."
"You don't know anything about me." Alex says, her earlier venom almost entirely replaced with something more defensive.
"Really? You're all over this school, mediocrity trying to pull itself up to something its not. Yeah you don't broadcast it like others but I see it. Your Spikes scream mediocre, you obviously don't have money like the other upper echelon and you don't act like them either. That's not the reason though, if anything I find it commendable, we're both not rich after all." Jacob, continuing to watch both Cage and his guest as he speaks, Alex now completely silent waiting for him to finish.
Principal Cage gives the signal over the speakers connected to the observation box, the cue for them both to get into position. "We're not in the same boat because in your mind life handed you the worst cards imaginable simply due to the fact they didn't hand you the best ones. Because of that you feel the world owes you something." Jacob walks forward and for the first time since deciding to provoke her, looks right into her eyes, "Was I close?" He asks mockingly, not allowing her to answer, "Give me a good fight. Beating you wont make me look good otherwise."
Alex lets the words brew in her head for a moment, her carefully constructed and fuelled eagerness dulling, almost expunged by someone she had never taken seriously past his ability to duel.
"I guess there's truth in some of his words." Alex thinks to herself as she places herself opposite to Jacob in the centre. "Yeah I wish I was born with a silver spoon like almost everyone else here, who wouldn't? But I worked my ass off to get better even when it was inch by inch." Slipping into her stance the fading ember of her want to win catches a second wind, "What's changed in the last 10 minutes? Nothing, nothing has changed." With that thought she clenches her jaw tight, her fire burning hotter than before. "I'm going to kick his ass and then I'll do it a second time for good measure, hell I'll even fight her after that." The thought of Valentina's disrespect adding fuel to her fire.
Jacob cracks a smile as he watches, recognizing her renewed resolved. He prefers when they weather his little mind games.
Silence fills the air, the two glaring at one another, their eyes meeting. Alex all too eager to start and Jacob, who is still standing without a stance, begins to feel a twinge of exhilaration himself. It had been too long without action for him and now its finally here to enjoy again. Every nerve on Alex's body sits on a razors edge, ready to attack instantly.
The second signal sounds out and before it can come close to ending a spike forms and shoots out aiming straight for Jacobs chest, instantly wiping the grin from his face but its evaded regardless, despite it coming closer than he would've liked.
Jacob takes his eyes away from Alex dismissively, looking to Cage. "Is that what we're doing? That's lethal, so there are healers. It'd be a pain to take regardless." He thinks to himself as he turns back to face Alex who has already launched two more spikes which he dodges infinitely easier than the first one.
"That easily?" Alex thinks to herself as she follows behind the dodged spikes, "He was caught off guard with the first but that was because of the timing and the fact I used excess strands to boost its speed and power, but my normal ones are useless for anything but pressure."
Despite her vigour she keeps a level head enough to go over the plan both her and Karl conjured up beforehand as she continues her charge on the backing up Jacob. "Close the distance, weave my spikes in with attacks to keep him off balance and stronger spikes for the finish. It was silly of me to use one of my only shots at the start. No point regretting it now though."
Alex charges into range, swinging rapidly her only result being Jacob making her miss by a mere centimetre, give or take, every time as he continues taking one step backwards at a time even able to casually lean his body away from her spikes as if he can see them before they even take form.
"Your boys alright so far, nothing special. The girls got fine control over her ability, she's talented. Truly a shame her power has no substance." Sebastian floats out to the other two in the room as he only gives the fight half of his attention.
"He's got potential." Cage insists, moving to block Sebastian's view of Anya to his chagrin, Cage shaking his head like a disappointed father.
Alex falls into a solid rhythm as she presses forward but all too fast she gets complacent with nothing coming back her way. Following Jacob as he continues to back up, she falls into his trap.
Light on his feet, Jacob waits patiently until he sees his opportunity, hopping backwards momentarily before using the momentum to spring himself forward with a ferocious straight right hand that clashes perfectly against Alex's cheek, the impact amplified by her moving right into its direction.
The punch momentarily causes her mind to go blank as her body recoils, her face and body turning right, following the trajectory of the fist that has long since retreated. Instinctively, Alex places her right hand down on the ground and swings her left leg up, aiming for Jacobs head.
Alex feels her shin collide with Jacob, a slight relief washing over as her body is still contorted awkwardly of off the ground; that is until she feels his fingers clamp down on her leg. Jacob holds her there for a moment, clenching his fist as hard as he possibly can before choosing to launch her off to the side of him, practically restarting their match.
"I don't think I've ever been hit like that before." Alex thinks to herself as she climbs back to her feet, the pain from her cheek already sinking deeper into her face and her lower leg trembling almost uncontrollably. Slowly she raises a hand, signifying her spikes are coming but nothing. Jacob stands waiting, his grin making its return.
"I'm giving you your chance, don't waste it now." Jacob calling out to Alex but she doesn't hear him, the dull, pulsating pain emanating from her face taking what little attention she isn't putting into thinking what move to make next.
"He was already faster, now with my leg? I can't close the distance. Why is he so freakishly strong? Who is he, Henry?" Alex thinks to herself, an epiphany suddenly hitting her like a ton of bricks.
No longer allowing her to take the initiative, Jacob takes a step towards her until a spike suddenly launches down upon him, a spike he could not react to. Suddenly a trail of spikes begin to chase him from above, Jacob frantically dodging while having to tilt his head upwards.
"You cant dodge what you cant see! Isn't that how it works, Jacob?!" Alex shouts out to him, her fastest most powerful spike, using up three normal stronger spikes worth of strands, already having been launched aiming right for his chest, Jacobs focus only just shifting over to her as she finishes her shouting.
If Jacob were any other member of the Top 10, this probably would have been the end of the spar but his frighteningly heightened perception mixed with something else entirely gave him an opportunity, flipping his body backwards using his left hand and foot as leverage against the ground he shoots his opposite limbs up and redirects the spike up using his foot.
"What?" Sebastian calls out, genuinely surprised. "He's got potential." Cage replies, as Sebastian brings his hand up to his chin, trying to figure out how it was possible for him until Cage follows up, "I'll let you in on his secret."
Jacob lifts his foot up for a moment while he follows the spikes flight path with his eyes, it now lodged in the earth beneath the training areas protective shell on the ceiling.
Strands running low and dazed by his ability to redirect the most powerful spike she had ever launched, Alex stands there watching as Jacob hesitantly puts his injured foot back down to the floor. "You're good! Why are you still with Karl?" Jacob asks laughing off his pain, the comment disgusting Alex more than anything.
Viciously Alex begins to launch her hands out, as if she were using her hands to throw her spikes, Jacob evading them easily even with his injured foot as the two of them come together once again.
Instead of evading, Jacob blocks her attacks one by one not throwing anything back until the perfect opportunity arises just like last time, hooking just below her elbow hitting the body.
Desperately Alex backs up, launching spikes to cover he retreat to no avail. Hot on her tail, Jacob swings half heartedly but even his weaker punches have an effect on the now exhausted Alex.
"Last time." Alex thinks to herself, knowing her strands are almost completely used up. Instead of continuing her retreat she suddenly pushes forward, shoving Jacob back with her forearms.
An elevated spike shoots out from behind Jacob, beelining it right for his head until he snaps it to the left abruptly. In an instant Alex falls backwards, one of her own spikes now sticking out of the side of her.
Jacob watches coldly before turning his head back to the observation deck, meeting Cages eyes for a moment. "That's not how it works."
Two healers push past Jacob to get to Alex and one stops to tend to him, "Focus on my foot, she didn't do much else."
"I don't have much sway but if I had to guess you'd need five more of him to even begin to have the conversation of buying yourselves back in." Sebastian, leaning against the table in the middle of the observation deck.
"Five? Stop being an idiot, Sebastian." Anya replies, her tone still making sure he knows he's not been forgiven.
"They've filled your position, Master and sorry to say another foot soldier isn't all that impressive with some of the students coming in these days. They're not me or Anya obviously but impressive nonetheless, he's not up to scratch with what they're producing at the top end."
Cage stands, silently absorbing what Sebastian has to say.
"Did you say buying both of us back in?" Anya asks confused.
"Yeah, Master may have been cast out and left to baby sit this place but you were actively being sent on assignments. You left without a word, what'd you think would happen?" Sebastian stands up properly as he asks.
"I appreciate you coming down, Sebastian." Cage says approaching Sebastian before the two can continue, "Tell the others there's no hard feelings and give them my best."
"That'll mean a lot to everyone, thank you Master." Cage holds his hand out to shake Sebastian's hand, a gesture that takes him by surprise but he accepts.
"I need to get back, I have an assignment to prepare for with the rest of the squad." Purposely turning his head towards Anya for the latter half of his sentence, only receiving a fiery glare in response before taking his leave.
"The nerve." Anya says, her eyes lingering on the closed door.
"Stop. He didn't need to come down but he did." Anya cuts in hastily, "They abandoned you!"
"No they didn't and even if they did I wouldn't expect any of them to follow me. What's done is done, let's just do anything we can to get back to where we were." Cage says, turning back to the now empty training area.
"Of course, Master. I apologize."
Coming to, Alex finds herself bed bound in the healers office, her dad sat beside her. "What happened?" Alex asks, sitting up with ease, the injury completely healed.
"You got hurt during a fight you didn't tell me or your mother about." Her dad replies, more concerned than anything despite everything, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah." Alex, laying back in the bed. "I lost." She says, managing to keep a little bit of her composure intact.
"But you're ok, Karl says it was only a spar anyway. You'll bounce back, my girl is the most resilient person I know." Her dad says with a forced enthusiasm, trying his best to cheer up his daughter.
"No, no it wasn't. It was so much more than that." What little face she was trying to save gives out and she begins to cry as silently as she can under the circumstances. "There's no one else here, it's ok." With that she violently cries into the thin covers she had brought up to her face, "It was my last chance, what am I going to do now?" Alex asks, her words only eligible to someone who had known her for her entire life.
"This'll only be your last chance if you allow it to be. I went through three restaurants before I managed to keep the one we have now open. Wilsons are resilient, we go down sure. We struggle getting back up but we always do it because we know we have to."
"The speech gets better every time you do it." Alex responds rolling her eyes and sniffling, having heard different variations plenty already from receiving it to hearing it given to her brothers. "You don't need to tell me that. Seriously though get up, I've already been out for an hour and I left your uncle in charge."
Alex shakes her head, a smile cracking her lips as she throws the cover to the side and stands up. "They couldn't put the shirt back together? I'm the one having to replace it now." The father and daughter laughing between one another as they leave, Jacob quietly listening in a bed at the front of the room, having came in as Alex's dad was on the phone.
Now completely alone, the silence seeps into him even more fuelling his envy.