GATHER THE GARDE

CHAPTER 3

CH3

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SIX

We stood inside the impressively large room Nine and his Cepan had designed for training the Grade specifically, Nine in its centre looking us over with an air of superiority. Five and John were on either side of me each; the latter watching as Sarah busied herself with one of the Mog cannons we'd brought over from Dulce and repurposed it so it was merely a stun gun now. Five was fidgeting on my left, and I looked over with an arched eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Five hesitated for a moment. "Do you think I can control my Elecomun well enough?"

I stopped to think it over. She could certainly kill someone with her lightning and call it out on command, but I was a little concerned about her precision and voltage. She could hit a big target with great precision, but we'd never tried it indoors. I decided to be honest if only leaving a part of it out.

"It's certainly lethal," I admit, frankly not eager to express my opinion until we figure everything about her legacies out.

Five shook her head. "That's what I'm afraid of. What if I fry someone to death?"

I pursed my lips, thankful that Nine started speaking before I could reply.

"Let me repeat the instructions."

Well, I'm certainly not grateful anymore. I rolled my eyes in annoyance, ready to fire my reply at him. "We are not stupid! Move along, dumbass!"

Nine shot me an exasperated look which he enhanced with a prolonged sigh. "Okay, Sixy. John and I are team captains, as you already know, so... Ladies first, Johnny. You get the first pick."

I looked over at John, both amused and curious as to what his reaction to Nine's blunder would be. And it was true to his character, indeed; just rolling his eyes at the bulky bloke and moving on.

His eyes focused on me immediately, and he nodded.

"Six."

I wasn't surprised that he picked me, although I didn't count to be his first pick. I shuffled over to stand closer to him and nodded once I was in position. Nine fixed John with a glare as he scanned the remaining people. A devilish smirk split his face in half as his eyes settled on Sarah. He looked between the couple a few times, before calling Sarah over to his side.

Although John thought he was masking it well, the pure bewilderment was written all over his face. Picking a human over Garde? If I got to know Nine as well as I thought I had over the past week, I was sure I knew what he was doing.

I grabbed John's arm to get his attention before he could pick the next member.

"Pick Five," I hissed under my breath, making sure only he could hear me. My tone left no room for arguments and John knew that.

"Five?"

I remained silent, watching as confusion crossed Five's face when John called her over. She inched closer to me, our shoulders almost touching. She didn't comment on my apparent involvement, but she did seem grateful. Nine, on the other hand, looked about ready to strangle John. We were giving him a taste of his own medicine, and besides, one stun gun was more than enough for Nine's team. Five would be a fine addition to ours and a distraction for theirs. I wasn't worried.

As I had predicted, Nine picked Eight next. In turn, John chose Marina, which left Ella with Nine.

The four of us huddled together, ready to devise a plan. With his ability to teleport, Eight would likely be doing the same work for his team as would I. They probably knew I was going to turn invisible as soon as we disbanded. Marina was to stay and guard our flag along with BK, and Five would be shadowing me to distract the opposite team and draw their attention away from me. We decided it would be better if she faced an opponent head-on, instead of sending a lightning bolt at them. This was supposed to be just a game and we wanted it to stay that way. Nine was a confrontational type, so I was sure he would be after John. But, I was a little curious about what the other team had planned for Sarah and Ella. With a quick, assessing glance I took the other team in. Nine was gesturing wildly with his hands, and I saw him tapping Ella's forehead twice. Huh, what was that about?

It made me curious, but I didn't have much time to dwell on that as the sound signal was heard, which meant the game was on.

John darted ahead, and I turned invisible, slipping through the chaos with ease. Five followed close behind, her sharp eyes scanning for anyone who might be my immediate threat.

Ahead, the other team was already making their move. Nine was charging forward with his usual intensity, and I could see Five's determination as she confronted him head-on. I stopped in my tracks, tempted to go back and help her fight him. It wasn't something I would ever admit out loud, but Nine was often a challenge to me as well when it came to physical combat, and I was a little concerned that she wouldn't be able to handle him. I held myself back, genuinely surprised to see that she was holding her own against Nine. He might be stronger and even a better fighter than her, but she was making up for that with other things he lacked. Five was quick and agile, deflecting his attempts to break through with quick wit and good strategy. Although she was still keeping him at bay I knew it wouldn't last much longer as he was more experienced, so I decided to move on while I still had a chance.

As I manoeuvred past them, I noticed John speeding across the room to join the fight between the two. Everyone had seemingly forgotten about me, and I wasn't about to miss that opportunity.

It didn't last long enough, though. Nine managed to outmanoeuvre John with brute force only. I saw Five, sprawled out on the floor, scrambling to her feet in an attempt to make a last-ditch effort to intercept, but it wasn't enough. She was knocked backwards once again, this time barreling into John and taking him down with her.

Amid the chaos, I took the opportunity to make a run for the opposing team's flag. But as I sprinted, I felt a sudden jolt of pain shoot through my back. Sarah's blast hit me squarely, an electric shock surging through me and immobilizing me instantly. I stumbled, trying to stay upright, but my limbs felt laden and tangled, and I collapsed to the ground.

My mind raced as I realized what had happened. Just like she had done in Dulce, Ella must have sensed my presence despite my invisibility. Her telepathic abilities had likely aided Sarah's aim, ensuring the blast hit its target. I writhed on the ground, both impressed and frustrated at what they'd just managed to pull. Still unable to move, I glanced up just in time to see Eight single-handedly overpowering Marina and BK.

Marina fought him with everything she had, but Eight's strength was too much for her. He managed to get past her defences, grabbing our flag and securing it in his mouth as he raced back to their side.

As the game drew to a close, Nine, Eight, and the rest of the winning team gathered around, their faces lit with triumph. John helped me up, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. "You alright?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.

I nodded weakly, though I could still feel the residual effects of the electric shock. "Yeah, just... got caught off guard."

Nine, still catching his breath from the game, gave me a sly look. "Nice try, Six. You guys put up a good fight, just not good enough."

Nine wrapped an arm around Five in a celebratory gesture, though the other was far from thrilled as she tore herself away from him to rejoin our team.

"You almost tore me apart. But I'm ready for a rematch," Five said, returning him the sly smile he shot me just moments ago.

Nine was smiling now, but his tone remained smug. "You were truthfully the biggest surprise this evening, Five. You held your own quite well before Johnny boy joined in. I'm impressed! However, I won't fight you, yet."

Five's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "You won't? I don't understand."

Nine's smile widened, but he shook his head. "Not just yet. I want to see what you can do before we go another round. How about we set up a match for tomorrow morning? Six here"—he glanced at me—"can engage you in a friendly fight. I'm curious to see your techniques in action."

Five looked intrigued but agreed with a nod.

"Alright, I'm game. See you then."

I could see the spark of curiosity in Nine's eyes as he turned back to Five. "So, how did you get so good? I'm curious about your training."

Five shrugged, a modest smile on her face. "My parents, or Cepans as it turns out, were quite the sticklers for discipline. They made sure I was always in training, starting with martial arts classes as soon as I could walk. It's been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Knowing what I do now, knowing what I am, I can't help but be grateful."

"I'm counting on you to knock me off my feet. Don't be late."