To Fall is to Die

Chapter Ten (Isa)

They began to train. Isa drilled her team the best that she could, but she knew that their time was running out. When they had been led to the Cloud Dorms, they had been told forty-two hours until they had to compete in the Cup. Those hours were slowly dwindling, as the team needed to eat and sleep at the appropriate times.

"Faze." Isa tapped his shoulder to prevent him from dozing off, the second time she had been forced to do it in the last minute or so. "We need a plan that will work throughout whatever they throw at us. A team attempts to knock us into the clouds. How do we stay grounded?"

"We make sure to keep a good stance." Lydia broke in, fingering one of the gadgets she was designing. "We keep our eyes out and get them first, before they even try."

Faze pinched his arm hard and met Lydia's eyes. "No. We reach an agreement with all the other teams. Every group comes together so that we can all win together and share the profits."

"It doesn't work like that." Isa rose from her seat and started to pace. Faze was too soft in his approach, Lydia was too fierce. How would they be able to succeed as a team? How could she bind them all together, becoming the team's glue? If one of them fell, they all did.

Faze sighed, giving into Isa for the moment. "There are only three of us. If we want to win, we will have to be careful. We can afford no mistakes."

"Because to make a mistake is to fall, and to fall is to die, we get it." Lydia cut Isa off before she could say anything, looking very annoyed.

Isa got a grip on herself before she could snap at Lydia. "Not many people have been able to win the Cup, the last one being Feivel himself." Faze seemed grew pale at the mention of the name, and she wasn't sure as to why. It wasn't a good thing to be holding secrets from the others. Whatever was bothering him, she hoped that he would reveal it soon.

"To bad that he never shared his winning secret with other people." Lydia added as she pointedly looked at Faze. Something was going on here, Isa was sure of it.

"Yeah. Too bad." Faze looked towards the floor, then raised his gaze again. "I'm famished. Let's get something to eat."

Grateful for the distraction, Isa stood up from her chair. "That is a great idea. We can also use it to gather intel on other teams and their strategies...get to know each other better, find ou-"

"Race you, Faze!" Lydia interjected, cutting Isa off and running out the door. "Last one who gets to the cafeteria is going to fall!"

"Not if I don't get there first!" Faze's eyes lit up as he jumped out of his own chair and sped after her.

Isa watched them go, feeling numb. Why hadn't Faze shown that enthusiasm when they were discussing plans? Why was Lydia constantly trying to undermine her authority? Why had she been placed with them, of all people?