Birthright

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

(Too tired to edit this now, don't mind the sucky writing. Thanks so much for all of the votes and comments! They've been inspiring).

Enforcer Curtis breezed back into the workout room about five minutes later. "Alright, let's get the lesson for today started." She looked around at the cadets and nodded. "That's more like it. Today is the beginning of a great change in the Meta world. I don't know about you kids, but I'm excited to be a part of this coalition of forces."

She was ridiculously different from other Metas Kray had met throughout his life, from Saranth all the way to Wasteland. She seemed to lack that arrogance and self-righteousness that must have been spoon-fed to Meta cadets from the time they set foot in a foundation.

But Kray didn't trust her enthusiasm. He had no doubt that if it ever came down to her people or his, she would stand with her people, even at a cost to justice and fairness.

"We didn't sign up to hear this spiel," the noisy Meta guy, Warden Aries, butted in. He was a wiry-muscled guy with a head of thick brown hair and a mean curl on his lips. "Just get to the part where we learn how to fight better-unless all we'll be doing this semester is holding hands and bonding over a campfire."

Some of the Metas tittered and murmured agreement. Alex said nothing. She stood like a statue to his right, her eyes trained on the enforcer with a soldier's discipline. Next to him, Violet scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That brat. I hope I get a chance to take him on. I'm going to leave him so humiliated he'll have to skulk back to whatever disgusting hole he belongs to."

"You can't say that," suck-up Lanny hissed, shock on his face.

She smirked at him. "I just did."

"Very well, Mr. Aries," Enforcer Curtis was saying. "I'm sure you have all seen videos of Sansers and Metas dueling on the Nexus. You've seen Metas using weapons like a thermodynamic oscillating gun-more commonly known as a tog-to momentarily disrupt the flow of Sen in a Sanser's body. You've probably also seen Sansers do amazing things, such as shifting, which refers to short-range teleportation, or materialization of offensive and defensive weaponry. And I'm sure that you are familiar with famous duels recorded on caders like mine, such as between Ranger Markov of the Meta Faction and the infamous Sanser criminal only known as Bandit C.

Curtis began to pace around the room. "Yes, Metas and Sansers both rely on Sen. But because one of them creates Sen naturally and the other gains it through synthetic means, the application of supernatural ability is quite different. As such, both groups have clear advantages in certain areas, but they also-wait a minute!"

A few kids closest to her jumped when she exclaimed. Everyone else looked around in confusion as she threw up her hands and shook her head. "What am I doing? This isn't Introduction to Boring Lectures 101. This is a practical course. The best way to teach you this information is through physical demonstration."

She turned toward Kray's group. "Ms. Drasse! Ms. Darmosen! Please step forward."

The two girls eyed each other before joining the instructor. Curtis beamed at them and announced, "These two here are our finest soldiers among the new generation of future enforcers. I have a feeling they will impress us with their power."

"Wait-are you going to have them duel each other?" someone asked excitedly.

A guy nearby loud-whispered. "Two hot chicks wrestling on the mat. Doesn't get any better."

One of his fellow Metas shoves him in the shoulder. "That's General Drasse's daughter you're talking about. Watch your stupid mouth."

"Err, calm down, students," Curtis said. "I don't think a duel would help me make my point. I have something even better in mind. Everyone, please follow me!"