Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing

"Oops."

Norman puffed out another stream of smoke, the grin never leaving his face.

"I’m sorry." He shrugged lazily. "Didn’t see you there."

Mahirah’s expression hardened.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Pain stabbed through her ribs, but she straightened anyway.

Her narrowed eyes locked onto him.

"How dare you?"

Her voice came out low.

Dangerously low.

Norman seemed oddly satisfied at the result of his actions.

"I said I’m sorry." He took another drag. "Why so serious?"

Mahirah advanced one slow step.

Then another.

Her fists tightened at her sides.

"I was chasing a target." she said through gritted teeth. "And now, because of your foolishness..."

She stopped only a few paces away.

"...they’ve gotten away."

A few metres away from them sat a broad boulder in the middle of the clearing.

James.

Carrots.

Yesu.

All three were pressed tightly against it.

They hadn’t managed to cross the clearing before Mahirah had burst in so they had just taken the nearest cover instead.

The bushes were too far away from the rock.

If they made a run for it now, they would be seen immediately.

James was trembling.

Blood had begun soaking through the bandage around his shoulder again.

Carrots silently knocked the back of her head against the rock.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Meanwhile—

Yesu leaned around the edge of the boulder.

Peeping.

Norman chuckled.

"How are you so sure they’ve actually gotten away?"

James froze.

His eyes became wide in fright.

"Does he know we’re here?" he whispered.

Carrots slapped a hand over his mouth.

Norman inhaled deeply from the cigarette.

"If they had actually managed an escape..." he said between puffs of smoke, "...it’s because of your incompetence."

He smiled.

"Not because of the accident."

"Accident?" Mahirah repeated.

Her voice rose.

"You literally attacked me."

Norman shrugged.

"Might as well take it as practice." Another drag. "For APG Prep."

Mahirah’s anger paused.

She frowned.

"What is this unruly behavior of yours really about?"

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Does it have something to do with Prep?"

Norman’s smile faded almost immediately.

He leaned harder into the cigarette.

He said nothing.

Mahirah noticed.

"I see.."

Understanding slowly spread across her face.

"Did you get kicked out?"

Norman’s jaw tightened.

He muttered a curse beneath his breath.

Then flicked the cigarette away with far more force than necessary.

It disappeared into the grass.

"Stay out of my business."

His voice came out sharper than before.

Mahirah folded her arms. A slow smirk spread across her face.

"Well, what do you know?" She tilted her head. "You really did get kicked out."

Norman’s ears reddened.

"Shut it."

"Oh, please." Mahirah scoffed. "It was about time anyway."

She looked him up and down.

"You’ve been nothing but dead weight since you joined our level."

Something snapped.

Norman ripped the remaining cigarette packet from his pocket and hurled it across the clearing.

It bounced off a tree and disappeared into the bushes.

He rolled his shoulders once.

Then settled into a fighting stance.

"I’ll show you whose dead weight."

Mahirah scoffed.

"There’s no need." Her voice dripped with contempt. "You have nothing left to prove."

She looked him dead in the eye.

"You’re finished."

Norman’s eye twitched.

Once.

Twice.

Uncontrollably.

Mahirah wasn’t done.

"A disgrace."

The words landed like a slap.

Norman exploded.

He lunged at her.

Mahirah slipped aside effortlessly.

Her heel slammed into his ribs.

Thud.

Norman stumbled several steps, nearly crashing face-first into the ground.

He caught himself with one hand, fingers digging into the dirt.

Mahirah had already turned away. Utterly uninterested.

"You’re not even worth my time."

Norman’s face twisted. He spun around and threw out a hand.

A torrent of fire erupted toward her.

Mahirah didn’t even flinch. She spread both palms.

The flames bent.

Curled.

Obeyed.

She spun the blazing stream around herself once before hurling it straight back.

A perfect copy.

Norman roared.

Both arms shot forward.

His own flames swallowed hers, doubling in size as he charged through the inferno.

Mahirah met him head-on.

She jumped.

One kick.

A burst of fire.

Second kick.

Another burst.

The twin explosions struck Norman squarely.

He was blasted backwards, rolling across the clearing.

Behind the large boulder—

Yesu watched with shining eyes.

"Cool."

Carrots grabbed her sleeve.

"We should go." She kept her voice barely above a breath. "They’re too busy fighting to notice."

James was still too shaky to stand properly.

Yesu didn’t move. She was watching. Completely absorbed.

Norman sprang up again.

He dragged a hand through the air.

A boulder beside the trio’s hiding place shuddered.

It lifted.

Then shot toward Mahirah.

Her eyes narrowed, enraged.

"Oh no you don’t."

She snapped her own hand upward.

The boulder stopped mid-flight.

Hung there.

Then violently reversed direction.

Norman barely managed to dodge.

The rock smashed into his arm.

Crack.

He cried out.

The boulder smashed into a tree behind him with a deafening bang.

Carrots jabbed Yesu again.

"Now." She whispered urgently. "Before that rock becomes this rock."

Yesu shook her head.

"Wait for the peak. They won’t notice anything then."

Carrots blinked. "Peak?"

Norman dropped to one knee, clutching his fractured arm.

Mahirah walked toward him.

Slowly.

There was something frightening in her eyes now.

She raised one hand.

Norman’s body lifted helplessly off the ground.

He looked down.

Then—

Boom!

His back slammed into a tree.

He groaned.

Mahirah kept him suspended.

Cold.

Expressionless.

"Dead weight." Her voice was quiet. "I could snap your neck right this minute."

Norman spat blood.

"Bitch."

Something broke inside Mahirah.

Boom!

She slammed him into the trunk again.

Boom!

Again.

Boom!

Again.

Boom!

Again.

The tree shook violently with every impact.

Yesu stared, wide-eyed.

Carrots hauled James onto his feet.

"Come on." She glanced toward the fight. "I’m guessing this is peak."

Yesu didn’t answer.

Tree bark was beginning to splinter.

Norman coughed violently. His body had already gone limp.

Blood sprayed from his mouth with every impact.

Yet Mahirah didn’t stop.

"Yesu." Carrots called again.

"She’s going to kill him." Yesu stated.

"That’s none of our business." Carrots tightened her grip on James.

Yesu stood.

Then ran straight toward them.

Mahirah sensed movement.

She turned.

The first thing she saw—

Uneven hair.

Then—

A foot.

It crashed squarely into her face.

Mahirah was hurled sideways.

Norman dropped from the air like a ragdoll. He hit the ground without moving.

Yesu landed between them.

Mahirah lay face-down, breathing hard. She slowly lifted her head.

At that exact moment—

"Corvane!"

Both girls turned.

Seth burst into the clearing.

Heidi was right behind him.

The instant Yesu saw Heidi, she froze.

Heidi froze too.

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