The Keeper Exams

Chapter Eighteen - That Disgusting Old Flag

Realm One: Treetop Base Capture

Team Red

Noah Spooner

The treetop base was the definition of perilous.

Below was a soup of hot lava, frothing like it yearned to dissolve anyone who fell inside. A weak rope bridge held Noah while he held Roman. Tunnels made of black plastic wires canopied their heads. One trip of the foot, and both of them would be painfully turned to nothing.

Roman's shoulders strengthened for a second, and he said, "Noah, let go of me. I'll take care of myself. I'm not weak."

Noah's first feeling was relief. He wasn't enjoying helping Roman. In fact, it weighed him down, making him feel weaker than he already was. Vitriol pumped through his veins at his own exhaustion.

And so, Noah did. He hurried past Roman as the bridge swayed side to side. Roman lurched after him, inching along the corner to keep himself balanced.

"Please don't use your Gift, Roman," Noah said. "You're not up for it."

"What?" Roman asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "I'm not up for it? What do you think I am, a wimp?"

"No, you're just not physically strong right now," Noah said. "If I could, I might even play with you to keep myself from getting bored. That's how weak you are."

"That sounds absolutely creepy."

"Does it?" Noah staggered left, avoiding the gaping hole in the bridge. "Don't you ever get bored?"

"I do. I play video-games or watch a movie when I get bored. I don't torment some poor shithead to near death. No one does."

Green tufts of trees were now visible in front of them. Noah thought he heard footsteps from behind them, fading away and getting closer at the same time. Roman moaned lightly, peeking dangerously over the frayed ropes and into the steaming liquid below.

"Tell me, Noah," he asked, his words unsteady. "Why are you like this?"

"Because I'm terrified." Noah swiftly whipped around. "I'm terrified of boredom."

Roman stared at him.

"It's like a monster, and every time I try to defeat it, I have to become one myself."

He hadn't meant to say that out loud, but it had slipped from the clutches of his mind. Noah kicked himself a little more.

"I thought you were smart," Roman said.

Noah's eyes narrowed. "What is your point?"

"You don't have to be a monster. You're just making yourself into one. Ever tried making friends?" Roman now stood tall- a bit taller even than Noah.

This only caused Noah to role his eyes. "Listen, you don't know what you're talking about, so you might as well shut up."

Roman laughed. "Hey, I'm just saying. Try to smile a little, all right? Maybe even get a few girls and-"

Noah heard something zip past his ears with the speed of a grasshopper. He lunged at Roman, screaming, "Get down!"

Noah flew into action, his hand held out, sending Steve into a flurry of quivers. Roman reached his hand out at the approaching Gwen, saying, "I've got this."

But Gwen was too fast. She sent Roman toppling over the edge of the breaking bridge, making him dangle off the frail ropes.

Noah quickly used his power to cause Steve mental pain. He ran to Roman and helped him up. "You idiot!" he said. "Stay out of this!"

Gwen and Steve had gotten back up and were now pulsing toward Noah and Roman. Noah didn't think before he shot Steve with whatever he could muster. The boy staggered. Noah sent another wave of pain mercilessly at Steve- a pig up for slaughter. Steve fell heavily on the bridge, which then dropped a few inches, causing Noah to trip slightly to his right.

A punch fell against his face like a brick. He fell through the ropes, hanging directly over doom.

His eyes were too blurry to identify anything, anyone. He saw Roman grab Gwen by the shirt and toss her off the bridge. He saw him running toward him, his fingers wrapping around his wrist. Gwen's screams collided with Noah's thumping heartbeat.

Roman planted his legs against the bridge and held Noah with both his hands. Noah tried to clamber up, but his legs gave way with every effort he made. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw Steve getting up, aiming himself against Roman's back.

"Steve's waking up," Roman said.

"Shut up!" replied Noah.

As Steve charged, Roman kicked him in the gut. This made Noah stumble a bit lower, but he grabbed a rope and swung himself like a gymnast. With a grunt, he landed on the collapsing bridge. He raced toward Steve, caught his face like it was a slab of wood. And then he screamed.

It was a primeval sound from the darkest parts of his body, where things never made sense. And it was all pouring out through his mouth; unpleasant, uncouth.

He sent constant bouts of pain on Steve, until he too started screaming, until he fell to the ground, bleeding.

When Noah turned towards Roman, he said, "Kill him."

This was the easy part. Noah kicked Steve's limp body into the lava, forgetting all this ever happened.

The bridge rumbled under their weight. They scrambled fit safety before the bridge fell to its doom, before their legs turned to stone.

Noah placed his hands on his knees and heaved in between his legs. He could see Roman's shadow behind him.

"Thanks for that," he said.

"Shut up." Noah sighed. This time, he didn't sound harsh. He sounded tired.

He got up to see Roman smiling.

"Now," he said. "Why don't we go get that disgusting old flag?"