"And the Cobras win the fourteenth fight of this year! They'll move onto the next rounds with our other winning groups. Thank you all for coming out, and have a great night!" Mr. X speaks through the microphone.
Beast and Trish start to get up as Shawn says, "We all knew Mac's team would win."
"The Cobras are a skilled team," Trish agrees. We exit the arena and start to head to our rooms.
"Who are we fighting tomorrow?" I ask.
"They're called the Owls. They've got some rep," Beast replies.
"I've heard rumors that we can beat them, but it's going to be tough," Trish crosses her arms. "We aren't really known for our skill."
"Who fights before us?" I ask.
"The fifteenth fight is against Flintlocks and Pride," Beast looks down to meet my eyes, "Guess which one is Jack's team."
"Pride is something he's notorious for," I guess.
Beast nods, "Their fight will surely be exciting."
"The Flintlocks are good?"
"They are amazing, just like Owl's team," Trish says softly nodding her head at me.
"What exactly are we up against then? If we have a chance at winning then we can't be too far behind their skill," I argue.
"The Owls have a plant manipulator, a mind controller, and a flier. The only one that might stand a chance against the mind controller would be Shawn. She needs eye contact to work with her ability, and if he turns invisible then he might win. The plant manipulator is their best member. She can sense anything with her plants, so Shawn's out. Trish would just help her plants grow. I can't move around her plants, she grows them way too fast." We turn a hallway as Beast sighs.
"What about the flier? You can beat him, can't you?" Trish asks,
"Shawn can't get to him, he'll be in the sky the whole time. Trish and I might have a chance, but that would be our only win. They would get two matches and us one. We lose," Beast explains.
"What about me?" I ask.
The three look at me, "We don't want you to fight, we want to keep your ability a secret until we don't have a choice," Trish says.
"It's random though, you don't have a choice anyway."
"Mr. X changed the rules this year," Beast says, "If a group of four fights a group of three, then they get to choose which person they can sit out. We're sitting you out."
"Don't I have a say?"
"Sure, but it's three to one. You'll still lose."
"Guys come on," I complain.
"Zoe, please understand. If a miracle happens and we do actually win, then you not having shown your powers will be even more of an advantage," Beast says. "Besides, do you really want to fight?"
"I think she does," Jack's cocky voice comes from the hall we just walked out of. I turn around and see him walking to us. "Is your power so freaky that your own team doesn't want to be associated with it? Wow, I can't think of any power that could scare someone's own group."
"We aren't scared of her, we just want to keep her power hidden. You'll see why when she does show it off. It's amazing," Trish speaks up for me.
Jack looks down to me, "What are you?"
He takes a step towards me and I back away. "You shouldn't ask that," Beast warns, "She's strong than you and me combined." Beast takes a step to stand a little in front of me.
Jack backs down and Beast's statement, "I'll see you guys in the arena tomorrow. Good luck," he smirks, letting his sarcasm drip from those last two words. Why is he so afraid of Beast? I mean, they are equal skills, equal heights, ages, strengths. What makes Beast so scary to him? I glance at Beast and he looks down to meet my eyes. "Let's go, it's getting late."
Practice isn't very eventful the next day. Flame teaches us a few little tricks then wishes us luck. At the very end just before we go to lunch, Trish says, "We need a new name."
"What?" Shawn asks taking a sip from his water bottle he brought from breakfast.
"I never even knew we had a name," I say, "What is it?"
"The Invisible Water Wolves," Trish replies. "We need to change it."
"Why? It sounds fine to me," Shawn complains.
"We aren't just water wolves of whatever. Zoe has no part in that name, and I feel we should change it," Trish argues.
"I agree, but to what?" Beast asks.
"The Forgotten," I say in the silence of us thinking. They all look up and I explain, "No one thinks we're going to win, so I say let's give them a name they won't forget."
"That's smart," Beast says smiles, "I like it. The Forgotten."
The bell rings and Flame walks out with us. Just before he leaves to head for the arena, he says, "Good luck guys. Really. I'll put in our new name with Mr. X."
"Thanks Flame!" Trish yells as we head to the cafeteria.
We pass a hallway and in the corner of my eye I see someone. I look and with a huge smile Marcus stands in the hallway waving. I wave back and turn to my quiet friends, "Hey I'll meet you guys there. I have to go...uh...talk to someone."
"Okay," Trish replies. They continue walking and I head down the hallway to Marcus.
"Hey Zoe! Haven't seen you in awhile," he says as I follow him into an empty training room.
"Where are we?"
"This used to be the training room that I grew up in." He smiles like he's reminiscing in it.
"That's cool, but why'd you bring me here? Did you figure out my father's real name?"
He looks to me and he reminds me of a child. His eyes are so full of hope and happiness. Something I wasn't used to seeing in my childhood. "No I haven't, sorry. But there is something I have to tell you."
"What's that?"
"Mr. X is going to rig the challenge in your favor for your fight."
"What?"
"He's going to pick matches that will benefit you guys the most."
"How do you know that? Why would he even do that?"
Marcus walks to me, "Because he knows you aren't fighting, and he wants to see what you do in a fight. He won't be able to see you show your skills if your group gets out the in the first match."
"That's it? He can't just come to a practice session and sit in?"
"He said there was something different with practice and an actual fight. People think differently, they take situations and process them differently."
"Were you eavesdropping on him?" I ask Marcus.
"It was justified, I saw this strange guy walk into the front lobby and he barged right into Mr. X's office. I figured it was just an angry parent and I was going to leave but right away he demanded to see you."
"Me?" It must have been my uncle again.
"Yeah, you. He said things at the Shadow compound were getting worse, and it was time you moved to a place you really belonged. Not some over crowded child's playground. His words not mine."
"I thought there were only two compounds, Omega and Raven? What's a Shadow compound?"
Marcus shrugs, "First I've heard of it too, and I've eavesdropped on a lot of conversations with X and shady people."
"He wasn't shady, he was my uncle."
"You've seen him before?"
"Not directly, but he passed me once and when he looked back I saw he had blond hair and gray eyes."
"Yeah that's him," Marcus nods. "There was one more thing I feel I should tell you."
"Please do," I say, not really enjoying hearing the confrontation I'm causing.
"He wants you to move compounds because he feels it will be safer."
"Safer from what?"
Marcus backs away a bit and says, "John."