Happy Heavenly Birthday, Daddy
"Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 9:15 in the morning of September 20th, 2349 in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Your practical exam for Fistborn Academy is scheduled at 11:00 AM today at the AU Projector in the Industrial District. What would you like for breakfast?"
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Calista didn't know what grade she got on the written exam, but she was sure it was nothing short of mediocre. It felt like a passing grade, at least.
She studied to the point that she missed her beauty sleeps and Thinning appointments. She managed to convince the girls she'd simply burned out and needed a break. When she came to them with bags beginning to form under her eyes, they crashed. They'd even treated her to a full Thinning Spa treatment so she could look 'beautiful enough' again.
Her parents were surprised when they heard about the application, but a lot more thrilled than when they heard about the Socializer scholarship. It was clear they preferred Fistborn, even her mother, who used to speak against this competition. Maybe the Socializer career really had declined that much.
Now it was time for her practical exam, and she had to hope no one would recognize her. For the first time in years, she wished she had no fans. She was tempted to use one of Catalina's Masks, but since they were illegal, she would just have to keep her head low.
The family arrived at their destination through the travel tubes. The AU Projector building was a simple, one-floor facility with no interior. There were about 10 oval doors on each side, where each user would enter and use the installed Projector to virtually arrive at their real destination for whatever appointment they needed.
Calista's stomach dropped to her feet. Two sides of the building were reserved for the Fistborn applicants, and holy glitch, it was packed.
People waited in hovering shelves with comfy seats on them, connecting their AIDA band to the system around them so they could remain entertained during the wait. The Medleys proceeded to one of the shelves with available seats.
Just as Calista sat down, the seats moved, an applicant having finished. She looked up and saw a Martian teleporting outside the boundary with his Air-Car.
"Calling Amidan Stok," the AIDA announced.
Calista squinted, her eyes scanning the crowd. There were all sorts of people; different colors, different sizes, different features. But a minority could still be seen among the waves.
There were hardly any humans. In fact, there were almost none.
She sighed. This was one of the reasons she'd given up all those years ago. What was the point? How could she compete with all of the stronger species? She'd held her own against that group at Cosmos, but that was probably divine intervention. Maybe they were already drunk.
Calista connected her AIDA band and played an episode of Astrana on her mini-screen, the bubble blocking off the sound around her. She'd studied and practiced as hard as she could, so she preferred de-stressing before the exam.
The past few days were absolutely grinding, mostly on her limbs and abdomen. Under the guide of the free pre-training module Fistborn offered, she'd done push-ups, sit-ups, jogs, and basic fighting exercises to prepare her body for the test.
She definitely wasn't used to so much physical exertion anymore, having collapsed after only 10 push-ups the first time. If it hadn't been for Catalina pushing her so hard, she never would've made it to 25. And the sweat... ugh! It was revolting.
Her mini-screen suddenly disappeared, startling her. She blinked and found herself in front of the second door on the left.
"Calling Calista Medley," the AIDA said.
Her family's chairs veered off to the right to wait for her. All of them shot her encouraging smiles and gestures as they hovered away to a different shelf. She stood, her chair disappearing, and took a deep breath before entering.
At first, it was pitch-black. Calista stopped, apprehension keeping her from walking into darkness.
"Please stand in the middle of the AU circle." A light shone in the center.
She obeyed and placed her feet on the glowing footprint indicators. Instantly, the darkness vanished, gradually lighting up until she was surrounded by sea green.
"Projecting to: Hall of Affairs, Versus Wing, Fistborn Academy, #1 North, Versus Grounds. Code VERSUSEARTHUSA-1001." The light softly gave way to the Fistborn examination room.
Calista's green eyes wandered around curiously, wide with wonder and amazement. She arched her neck and turned slowly to take in the details of the room.
It was simple, but beautiful. The sleek, symmetrical design was pleasing to the eye, the pale sky-blue walls rising up in geometrical shapes like a kaleidoscope, all the way up to a large skylight. Large windows were built to let in plenty of natural sunlight. In the middle, where Calista stood, was a mat that covered nearly the entirety of the space.
At the far end was a table with five people, the Fistborn Academy crest hovering behind them. It was a red-white-and-blue circle with letters reading 'FBA' diagonally.
Among the judges, Calista recognized one face.
Lisa White.
Anyone would recognize those amber eyes and dirty blond hair. Of course, she looked a bit older, but not that different. Calista couldn't believe she was staring her childhood idol straight in the face.
Below her was a glowing sign identifying her:
Ms. Lisa "Dark Horse" White
Earthian American
Versus Champion 2334
Dean of the Fistborn Versus Fighting School
In the middle of the panel was an Emitonian woman that looked around 60 in Earth years, with purple skin and gray hair tied into a bun. Her harsh demeanor and large, cold, calculating eyes gave Calista shivers, not to mention her large forehead sporting numerous wrinkles. Her eyes were colored a shimmering gold, as warm as the sun, but her scrutiny made them icy.
Mrs. Josephine "Cruella" Chrisman
Earth-raised Emitonian Pensan— England
Versus Champion 2310
President of Fistborn Academy
Cruella. How appropriate.
On Chrisman's right, a kinder-looking Paeseoan man carefully observed her with a smile. He had green skin with intricate markings lining his muscular arms like veins, and red eyes that twinkled with curiosity. A tuft of blue hair sat on his head, parts of it glowing with the sun rays.
Mr. Benson "Kind Killer" Kalley
Kwantan-raised Paeseoan Silikan— Alik
Versus Silver-winner 2334
Vice President of Fistborn Academy
Benson Kalley. Calista remembered him from the last Versus she watched. He was notoriously kind to everyone— hence his call sign. Paeseoans in general were usually very kind, both from their birth planet and Kwantan.
Kwantan was an interspecies planet; it housed many diverse species, but didn't have an original species in and of itself. It was discovered by Paeseo, so they were the most predominant there.
While Earth had the stereotype of being lazy and mediocre, Paeseo and Kwantan had a reputation for being very generous, even naïve at times. However, they demonstrated otherwise in the competition.
On the vice president's left was a man that looked as cruel as Mrs. Chrisman. He had icy blue, crystalline skin that sparkled with the sunlight, and coal-black eyes.
A Klausian on the panel didn't give her any positive thoughts. They were very prejudiced against humans.
Mr. Islen Estalen
Klausian Bastan
Combat Technique Professor
Versus Fighting School Evaluator
And finally, on Lisa's left, occupying the last seat on the panel, was a Mearthian woman who resembled Lisa quite a bit. She sported a kind smile that curved her glassy black eyes. She had pale, washed-out skin and long blonde locks that spilled over her shoulders.
Ms. Gina "Gaslight" White
Mearthian Yostan-American
Versus Silver-winner 2346
Dean of the Fistborn Fighting School
Calista remembered her. She was Lisa's cousin. She wasn't as famous as Lisa, but she was recognized widely. Born on Mars, she won second place last Versus for Jostif Combat School. Because of her, the second stage of this year's Versus would be hosted by Mars.
The girl stood in the middle of the mat, her hands twisting as they watched her.
"Calista Medley, 17-year old Earthian American, number 385," Professor Estalen rambled off in a bored drawl as he read his screen. A thick accent bled through.
"That's right," she said with a nod.
His coal-black eyes glanced up at her, seemingly bothered. She folded her lips and rocked back and forth on her feet, staying quiet.
"Did you apply for the Versus before this extra spot was opened?"
"No."
"Why?"
Comp-bugs. "Um... " Her heart picked up speed. Professor Estalen gave her a steady, narrow glare before moving on.
"How long have you been interested in fighting?" President Chrisman asked, sporting a heavy British accent.
"Um... since I was a little girl," she answered. "I've always wanted to be a Versus fighter. I actually applied for the Junior Versus when I was younger. I think... I'd do pretty good."
"But you weren't accepted for the Junior Versus, were you?"
Her confidence instantly dimmed. "No... I wasn't."
Chrisman glanced at Vice President Kalley, who shrugged. She then sighed and raised her brows, wrinkling her large forehead further. "Alright, then. Let's get on with it. Turn on the CDSim."
"The CD-what?"
Before her question was answered, the mat she stood on glowed brightly. She stepped back as a holographic, man-shaped simulation appeared before her.
"Start with defense. Use all the blocking maneuvers you have practiced up to now. Do not attack back," President Chrisman commanded.
The holo-man circled around the girl, getting into a combat position. Her nerves frayed, she quickly did the same.
"Begin."
The simulation started the fight by lashing out with its fist, aiming for Calista's jaw. The girl's instincts clicked and she blocked it by swiping her arm to the side. It tried a kick to the stomach, which she also deflected.
Okay, maybe this isn't so bad, she thought.
The hologram suddenly sped up, the cadence of the fight increasing as it unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks. Calista's defenses were quickly broken and she grunted as its fists and feet landed in her face, chest, stomach, and sides.
I stand corrected!
She was tempted to hit back. Instead, she held her arms up in a boxing block, shielding her face, but she failed to protect the rest of her body.
Her stomach dropped as she was lifted into the air and slammed harshly onto the mat. She groaned in pain and inhaled deeply, her stomach aching as her muscles contracted.
"Stop."
The simulation ceased its attacks at the president's command, letting the girl recover. It took her a few moments to get over the harsh blow, but she eventually rose to her feet. Pain was not something she handled well.
The entire panel, even the kind-looking ones, stared at her emotionlessly, their eyes unreadable. She could feel her face turning red.
"Next stage is offense," President Chrisman said, ignoring her humiliation. "Find openings, land as many hits as you can, and knock your opponent off-balance in the shortest amount of time possible."
The hologram shifted into a more defensive position this time. Maybe she'd have more of a chance if she went on offense.
"Begin."
Calista lashed out with her fist and aimed for the holo-man's throat. It blocked her attack with her forearm and stepped back. The girl winced at the impact, but kept throwing punches at its face and stomach. It continued avoiding them easily, smoothly dodging every blow.
She had to land a hit somewhere.
They paused, circling as she evaluated its movements. Glancing at its feet, an idea sparked.
She shot her fist towards the projection's face. As it leaned backwards, she suddenly dropped down and swept its legs out from underneath, making it collapse.
Unfortunately, she collapsed as well. The hologram was upright in no time at all. She quickly scrambled to her feet.
Well, she landed a hit, at least.
The exchange continued, Calista's movements growing faster and more reckless as her frustration grew. She couldn't land a good hit anywhere. She punched it in the face and stomach a few times, but she couldn't seem to defeat it.
At one point, her feet clumsily stumbled as she went for another attack. It stepped aside as she fell forward.
She knocked herself over. Awesome.
"Stop."
She tried not to show any shame, but she was just about ready to burst into tears. The embarrassment was unbearable.
"The last stage is a combination of both offense and defense. Basically a regular fight. Use what you've done in the last two stages."
Calista just wanted to die. With luck, the hologram would kill her.
"Begin."
The holo-man began the fight, swooping down instantly and kicking Calista's legs out from under her. She let out a small cry as she landed on her back. She quickly rolled over and got to her feet.
She dodged and blocked its fists, keeping her feet firmly planted to not lose her balance. Her heart clenched with desperation as she tried her best to hold herself up.
The simulation's fist connected with her chin and she staggered back. Before she could recover, it grabbed her arm and pulled her forward, twisting her arm behind her back. She winced and let out a strained cry of pain.
Adrenaline injected itself into her veins as her face firmed. She gritted her teeth and threw her elbow back into the hologram's face, following it up with a kick to the shin. Her elbow weakened with pain. Ow, ow, ow, ow...
She pulled her arm out of its grip and brought her other fist around to punch it. Her speed grew and her balance improved slightly as she launched all her strength against the simulation.
With finality, she kicked the holo-man's knee, forcing it to the floor, and drove her own knee up to its chin. Its head jerked back and it fell.
"Stop."
She panted heavily and lightly rubbed her knee, looking up at the panel. None of their expressions hinted at what they thought. She only hoped they couldn't see the tears pricking at her eyes.
"Your practical evaluation is over. Thank you for participating. We will contact you within the week if you are selected for the pressure exam," President Chrisman said coldly.
Her limbs shook, the adrenaline fading. Just as the pain from her injuries settled in, a laser shone over her, healing every bruise and blow she took.
That was a relief. She was worrying about the unflattering black-and-blue spreading all over her.
Nervously, she thanked the judges before stepping out of the AU boundary. The room disappeared into blue light, which gradually faded.
In a flash, she was suddenly teleported outside the building, followed by her family. They looked around, disoriented, before gathering their bearings and noticing her.
Their faces filled with hope at first, but their smiles fell and their eyes darkened when they saw Calista's pale complexion, downturned eyes, and slanted lips.
"How'd it go?" Catalina asked tentatively.
She only looked at them, sighed, and went to the travel tubes. She'd predicted it. She knew this would happen.
It wasn't worth it.
What do you think of the exam? How do you think the vision will be fulfilled?