The SVE Club

20. Scuffle

"Where do we go?" Sam asked breathlessly.

The SVE club ran furiously down the dark, narrow hall, Rachel leading the pack and Evan bringing up the rear. Light was scarce, and only Sam and Evan had thought to use their phones as flashlights.

"No clue. Nobody comes down here, hardly ever," Rachel answered rapidly.

"Uh, guys?" Evan said, looking over his shoulder at the heroes speeding towards them. "We've got company."

"Split up!" Nate commanded.

"Why?!" Willow cried.

"I don't know, but it sounded like a good idea when I said it!" Nate exclaimed.

"I second that opinion," Sam declared. "Everyone split up, it'll be harder for them to find us."

They reached a fork in the hallway and everyone split, Taro and Willow turning left, Nate and Evan taking the right and Sam charging straight ahead.

Rachel decided to take a different route as she scrambled up the walls and into the shadows, bracing herself against the ceiling. She watched as the ISH students gathered below her.

"They split," Red Phoenix spat. He began barking orders. "Iron, go right, Masque, left, Bond, keep going down the hall. I'll wait here in case any of them come back."

Bondette sighed. "I hate hide and seek. This would be a lot easier if White Flame were here."

Rachel frowned. Who was 'White Flame'?

"Shut up about him," Iron Ice retorted coldly. "Let's just go get these punks."

They left Red Phoenix patrolling the area below Rachel. Nobody had seen her yet. Silently, Rachel scooted herself down the hall so she was directly above the super.

She dropped on him....

And crashed to the floor.

Red Phoenix chuckled, leaning over to examine Rachel, who was scrambling to get her feet beneath her.

"I saw you coming like you were miles away. You've obviously never met a Sensun before," he said coyly.

Rachel stood up and faced him, fists drawn up defensively.

"And you've obviously never met-" She stopped in the middle of her sentence and threw what she hoped was a sucker punch.

Red Phoenix easily caught her fist in his hand. Rachel gasped in surprise.

"Someone like you?" he laughed. "I can even see your sentences coming before you speak. Am I just that good? Or are you just that predictable?"

Without answering, Rachel grabbed the arm he was holding her fist with and swung him into the wall, pinning him there.

Rachel smirked. "Sluggish for a class A Sensun, aren't you-"

But before she could finish her sentence, Red Phoenix had turned the tables on her and Rachel found herself with her back against the wall, the hero pressing her shoulders against it.

He leaned in close to her face, close enough for her to feel his breath on her forehead.

"I can hear your heart. It's beating twice as fast now. Does being this close to me make you... nervous?" he taunted playfully.

"Nothing makes me nervous," Rachel said nervously. She squirmed and kicked viciously to free herself from his grasp. She staggered and was tripped immediately by a foot sweeping under her. As soon as she hit the floor she began getting up again.