Breed

Chapter Ten

"I was thinking we should try out a team-building exercise," Lincoln said.

"I think sharing pizza is already team-building enough," Cris said through a too-big bite.

"Maybe," Linc said. "But now I also have to worry about all of those extra calories from the pizza. So this kills two birds with one stone."

"Is this why you had us dress in layers?" Sonya asked.

Linc smiled while opening the door outside, picking up a red Frisbee from the top of a filing cabinet. "It is. We're going to be playing a game called ultimate Frisbee. First, rules. You can use your abilities, provided you can control their use. That means no damaging another student or property, and it includes the disc itself- damage to the Frisbee is an automatic point for the opposing team. Once a player has the Frisbee they can't move their legs except to throw;. You can guard opposing players, including making reasonable contact, but there's no tackling. You have to force them to make a bad throw, or an interception.

"Our two captains will be Rox, and Ben. Now we've got an uneven number, so I'll flip a coin."

"Uh..." Mira said.

"Right. That won't work. Ben, number between one and ten."

Mira shook her head.

"Okay, Ben, you can have first pick, or you can have four people, second, fourth, sixth and final pick."

"I'll take an extra member."

"Okay, Rox you want to go first?"

"Mira," she said.

"Ben?"

He looked across the remaining group, lingering particularly over Irene. Then he looked to Rox and Mira, standing opposite. "Rui."

"Cris."

"Sonya."

"And of course," Linc said, "you get Irene, too."

Ben flushed, realizing too late that a part of Linc's design had been to guarantee that no one had to be picked last. "Rox, do you want to receive or kick off?"

"We'll take possession to start," she said.

"Huddle up and plan your strategy."

Ben's team huddled around him. "I'm beginning to think I chose poorly," he said. "Between Rox and Cris, they've got luck and religion on their side."

"But we've got numbers," Sonya said confidently.

"We'll run a one to one defense, except Irene. You'll stay in the back field; you're the safety net, if somebody manages to break through, you pick them up. Anybody got preferences for who they want to guard?"

"I want Roxy," Sonya said.

"Be careful with her," Ben said. "That probability ability of hers can be a real pain."

"I can handle her," she replied.

"And you better take Mira," Rui said to Ben. "I don't think I'm tall enough to cover her. Which means I've got Cris."

"Sounds good to me. Irene, you think you can handle he kick-off from the back field?"

She pondered a moment, then shook her head. "No, um, you do it."

"Okay. Everybody, ignore the Frisbee. Your goal is to make it to the person you're defending against."

They lined up on the end of the field opposite Rox's team. "You ready?" he called to her.