Chiron Academy

Chapter 8.5: Goal!

Todd struggled to walk down the dirty alley. He was holding up Gary Ghoul with one arm and leaning against the wall for support. Gary wasn't that heavy but Todd found the weight awkward, with his arm under Gary's. Gary stood unevenly, placing as much weight he could on Todd, his bruised legs.

Given the beating he'd taken at the hands of Squad 5, it was a wonder he could stand at all. One of the bigger ones had caught Gary from behind back by the tower. Gary had put up a good struggle but he hadn't really recovered from that first blow. At the moment he'd lost himself in yet another coughing fit.

COUGH COUGH, he roared.

Todd turned his eyes to the mouth of the narrow alley.

Ryan was pushing back three of the members of Squad 5, somehow succeeding in trading blows with all of them at once. 

Todd was pretty impressed at how strong he was. The guy had said he was strong but Todd had met a lot of people who said that they were strong. Heck, he was strong. But SuperRyan was unlike anything Todd had ever seen. One of the guys fighting Ryan had to be at least eight feet tall and yet Ryan was going toe to toe with them and the two guys like it were nothing.

I guess it's a bit easier to go by your real name when you can do that, Todd thought to himself as he watched Ryan throw two of them to the ground.

The quiet whirring from above announced Cassie's approach from the sky. Todd looked up to see her straight white uniform, her Readypack's jets quieting as she came to rest on the pavement.

"What'd find?" Todd asked. "What's happening out there?"

"Flyerman's squad's got the ball. He, that glowing letters guy and the little girl are all together and they're almost to their goal line," she said with a sigh.

"Stinky winker," Todd muttered to himself. That wasn't good.

"How do they look?" he asked. "Are they beat up too?"

Cassie shook her head.

"Flyerman looked tired. I don't think he's got much left in him. Other than that, they looked fine. I think we've taken the brunt of the fights."

No kidding, Todd thought to himself.

He'd taken a few good hits, not as many as Gary, but once he'd figured out they weren't going to end the match for the fights, he'd given as much he'd got.

"So, if you take out Wyatt and the girl, it's just pretty much just William to worry about in their squad?" Todd asked.

"I guess so." Cassie shrugged. "I didn't see the other girl, but she might be lost in the streets or something."

"Maybe," Todd said.

That didn't sound like impossible odds, Todd thought to himself. Maybe they could still win it. The beginnings of a plan was percolating in Todd's brain.

If they could get out of this alley and...

Still, he thought, turning his thought back to the moment, he didn't want to move with Gary like this...

"I think I've got a plan to make us win this," Todd said. "But it's up to you guys. If you want to forfeit, I'm pretty sure they'll let us out and we can get some medical attention."

"I'm fine. It's up to Gary," Cassie said. "He's the one that needs it."

Todd and Cassie turned to Gary.

"How are you feeling, Gary?" Todd asked. "Do you wanna get out of the game?"

"I've had worse," Gary said, trying to calm his ragged breathing. "Besides, I got punched way too many times today to let someone else win this thing."