Demon Hunters: Last Class

Episode 27: Lyric- Temperatures Rising

"Hike!" B-Ko shouted.

Carrot snapped the football then ran towards the end zone. I ran alongside him, trying to play defense and watch the quarterback at the same time. Carrot wasn't familiar with our routes, but he was a great sprinter and B-Ko loved to use him to put the rest of us through our paces.

"I still don't get it. It felt like they just left us on the bridge for an hour then decided our assessment was over."

He juked left and nearly lost me.

"The bridge was the assessment," B-Ko shouted, as she signaled for Carrot to change direction.

I moved to cut him off, but he stayed his course and caught her throw.

"Come on, Psalm. You have to watch him as much as you watch me." She pointed at her eyes. "You have to be aware of the entire field, even as you focus on your own six seconds."

"Six seconds?" Carrot asked, mirroring my thoughts.

"Yeah. Dean Reed says 'if anything is going to happen, it will be during the next six seconds'. If you're prepared for that, then you're prepared for anything."

I thought about that as we lined up for another down. Carrot snapped the ball and took off.

"How was 'the bridge' the test? We're supposed to be like interns shadowing a resident, not lab rats!" I jumped as he did and swatted the ball before he could grab it.

"We're both, I think," he said as we lined up again. "The Organization is testing us to see if we have what it takes to be hunters, but they're also determining whether we will need to be monitored once we graduate The Institute."

"Bingo!" B-Ko said. "The school is pumping out future hunters and monsters. These assessments are to determine which we'll be."

That kind of made sense.

"Once more!"

We lined up, he snapped, I gave chase.

"Is that it though? Hunter or monster? I mean, what if I don't want to join The Organization. Am I automatically put on some watchlist?"

"Depends on how you do during your assessment. Do you need to be watched?" I read B-Ko's pass fake and was there when she threw the ball.

"Great catch!" Carrot clapped enthusiastically.

I narrowed my eyes and looked from him to our QB. She jogged over and gave me a hardy pat on the back.

"That was the same one you ran fifteen minutes ago." I laughed when she shrugged. "I thought Carrot didn't know any plays."

She pointed at her eyes and then at mine. "Six seconds. Things can change that fast. Let's take five then run a few more. This time with powers."

We sat down in the grass and Aiko tossed us bottles of Gatorade. I wasn't a fan of the stuff, but B-Ko insisted we drink it to restore electrolytes. I sipped mine, while Carrot guzzled his down.

"So what did you guys actually do, just stand there on the bridge?"

"Well, sort of. There was some kinda leak coming up from the sewers below the overpass, and there was a large containment team cleaning it up. Di started coordinating with the contemporaries via their network. I just kept lookout and acted as extra eyes on the area."

"Contemp.Net."

"What?"

"That's what I heard a few hunters call it on my first ride-along. Contemp.Net." He lowered his voice. "They don't just share a face. The contemporaries share a consciousness too. Sort of."