The Free City

Chapter Twelve : Lessons Like This

Once everyone was back at the base, the adult Corps members collected our flags and tallied our score.

My team won, which made Sam and I high-five and grin smugly. Jana stuck her tongue out at us.

Paula had managed to take the flag off one of the adult Supers on the blue team, Sam and I got two each, and Anthony got one, bringing the red team total to six.

On the blue team, Jana and Emily worked together and got Lilian's flag before running away from George and Paula. Kole got Hannah and Zuri's flag, unfortunately. But since Sam and I took out Damien, Powell, Hank, and Mr. Sato, and since Paula and Anthony both got an adult's flag, no other blue team members were left to steal flags, leaving their tally at three.

Kole was less than pleased, especially once his brother began to tease him. Five more adults came out of the woods than I expected, and I realized they must have been the ones Hannah set around the border of the game zone to keep us from getting lost. I wondered which one was Moe, the one who had the ear-piercing whistle that traveled for miles. I'd have to watch out for them, depending on the next game.

After Hank pleaded his case to the adults, we all got a protein bar and ten minutes to eat it.

"We don't have all day to play games with you kids," Hannah said. "We can go through one more exercise and then we have real work to do."

Her attitude is so annoying.

We all ate quickly and spent a few minutes stretching to stay loose. I struggled to hold back a few quiet groans as I pulled on my sore muscles. The adrenaline of the game took my mind off the soreness, but once I relaxed it was back full force. It was almost enough to make me regret the nighttime training.

"You okay, Dianna?" Jana asked next to me. She was doing a much bendier stretch than I could, and I didn't even bother attempting it in my current state.

"Yeah, sore," I said.

"She was sparring with Kole last night," Sam said. His voice was flat, a stark difference from moments before when he was chatting and joking freely.

"Oh?" Jana's eyes darted to Sam before she hid her concern and looked back at me. "When did you guys set that up? I haven't seen him speak two words to you outside the ring."

"We didn't set it up," I said. I felt odd, like I had to explain myself to Sam, and I wasn't sure why. It made me angry to be so confused. "I was exercising on the roof of the training center and he came looking for the practice dummies. I was going to just give him one but he's kind of bossy and ended up sparring with me."

Sam sighed, a bittersweet sound, as if remembering something he was equally fond of and frustrated by.

"Why were you up late practicing on your own?" Jana asked.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and stood up straight. "I don't need a lot of sleep. I can get by for days with only a couple hours of rest. I get bored doing nothing so I practice at night."

Sam was looking at me with a probing, knowing gaze. Thanks to Hannah, he knew I couldn't control my power when I was asleep. I didn't want him to ask me about it, so I gave him a quelling glare and shook my head slightly. He nodded and didn't say anything.

"A couple of hours?" Jana exclaimed, moving into another stretch. Her poofy red hair was barely tamed into a braid, and as she moved, flyaways escaped around her freckled face."I need at least seven hours every night or I get cranky. You don't want to see that, trust me."

"Are we talking about tired Jana?" Emily joined us in our little spot near the base cabin. Her dark eyes, usually so serious, sparkled with humor.

"Yeah," Sam grinned. "Do you have anything to say about her?"