The Elite

Ten

Julian

Everything inside me ached, but as I stared at Calamity, I couldn't help but smile, for he was staring back at us, utterly bewildered, meaning that somehow, inexplicably, I was alive.

"What?" Calamity said, clearly shocked. "How did you survive? Only Class 6s could survive a blast from a Class 6! You're not Class 6... right, Disrupt?"

I wondered what the rest of the Elite would think if we killed Calamity for them. If we could survive Calamity, we could conceivably do it. The only other Talbots there were Mimic, Green Blast, and Disrupt. Surely they couldn't pose that much of an obstacle.

Mimic. I tried not to think long on her — on my memories. It was a stupid, unwise thing to do, and if she wasn't going to acknowledge me, then I sure as hell wasn't going to mention to my squad I knew her. Transforming into Black Queen, though, she likely was acknowledging me, even if I didn't understand why. Was it to scorn me or tell me she still liked me? I had no idea.

"Calamity..." Disrupt said, sitting up slowly, touching her head. "I... I don't know what happened."

I felt something uncomfortable in my stomach looking at her. I hated hurting people, but it was clearly necessary, for it allowed Tass to save us. It had been a desperate move, but it worked out for the better, if I disliked having done it.

"What do you mean?" Green Blast demanded. "You can sense them, can't you? That's a facet of your power."

"Yes," Disrupt said slowly. "That's correct. When they came, I sensed two Class 5s, two Class 4s, and two Class 3s. Now, though, I sense that they're all Class 6."

Class 6? Surely Disrupt was more damaged by my rock than I thought. There was no way I was a Class 6, and there was no way the rest of Squad 16 were Class 6. It just wasn't possible.

Clearly Calamity was thinking along those lines as well. He was staring at Disrupt like she was screwed up in the head. To her credit, even Disrupt looked like she was rethinking what she said.

"Well, it seems my comrade is having troubles," Calamity said placidly, "but no worries. I know how to get you."

He stepped forward and grabbed Tass by the waist. Before we could do anything, he had Tass pulled against him, a knife pressed against her neck.

"Let her go," Leon said immediately, sticking his hand out as if he was going to use his powers, despite Disrupt's block now that she was up again.

Unfortunately, there were no more rocks or bits of rubble conveniently by my feet anymore.

Calamity laughed, "Let her go? Why?"

Leon looked desperate, but like me, he couldn't think of a valid reason why Calamity should let Tass go. We had nothing to bargain with, and Tass was Calamity's enemy. He wouldn't just let her go out of the kindness of his heart.

I watched the silver knife with trepidation, hoping he wasn't going to kill Tass. She was just too amazing to die. As I watched, Calamity shifted, the knife changed color to a barely noticable yellow, shocking me. I supposed it was just a trick of the light, for no one else commented on it, but it made me wonder if his movement was some sort of nervous reaction. Could he possibly be afraid of us?

I firmly ignored the parts of me that suggested it signified I was dead or going crazy. I was alive, and maybe that shouldn't have happened, but that didn't mean something bad necessarily happened to me or my body.

Calamity raised his eyebrows, waiting. He seemed rather pumped up by the fact that Leon looked really devastated that Calamity was going to kill Tass. After a while of quiet, Calamity shrugged and slit Tass's neck.