Overload

Chapter Eighteen - Fighting the Inevitable

Classes began the next day, much to June’s surprising relief. While the rest of the school was positively outraged that they were being forced back to work after the attack. The teachers had given begrudging answers that the school was beyond safe from any further rebel attacks, giving them no excuses to prolong their education.

The initial reluctance to return to schoolwork was quickly overshadowed by an interesting prospect that had appeared on the noticeboards across every dorm in the school: Combat Classes.

June hadn’t gone a single class without hearing the hushed whispers of students excited for the sudden change in tactics.

She quickly learned that those classes were normally reserved for graduates who came back in the holidays to train as an agent for Evergreen’s rather large organisation. Some final year seniors were even lucky to be offered such classes. The fact that they were now open to all students across the school was alarming.

It meant things were getting serious between the rebels and Evergreen. And she had a feeling it wasn’t just her school making preparations to help students defend themselves. June only needed to get wind of a conversation on campus to confirm her suspicions that the other Evergreen branches, notably Redwood, would always be teaching their students advanced combating techniques.

“It’s about time,” Danni declared in the last couple minutes before the bell rang to release them into last period.

The work that Mrs. Weaver had left for their science class had been finished early, so the substitute had relented into giving the class some free time at the end.

“But everybody gets enough practice out of the Midnight Brawl,” June pointed out. She remembered her first one very clearly, the raw violence unleashed by a cacophony of talents paired up together. After that, there apparently hadn’t been anymore, especially now since the school was on lockdown. Until further noticed, Danni had explained, the Brawl was postponed.

“That’s not the real thing,” Danni shook her head. “Even if you’re good at it, it’s untrained and unprofessional. I’ve seen Evergreen agents out on the field and that’s the standard that everybody’s aiming for, even if they don’t know it yet.”

“But if the school can protect us so well, why do we need to learn to fight?” she protested, an unpleasant feeling settling in her stomach. The thought of using her powers for violence made her nauseous. Doing it unintentionally already made her sick – purposefully trying to hurt someone was unthinkable.

“You saw what happened in town,” Danni pointed out. “They can’t keep tabs on us forever. Rebels strike anywhere at any time.” She tugged her hair with obvious annoyance. It grew longer in her hands, long enough for her to play with as she continued speaking. “We need to be ready. Those Brawls were minor. It was only a matter of time before the school realised that they can’t keep us shielded from the ugly truth.”

“Which is?” June pressed, although she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.

Danni raised an eyebrow as if the answer were obvious. “Well jeez, I know you’re smart but I didn’t think you were clueless. We’re in a war, damn it. It’s us against the rebels.”

War echoed across her thoughts. Erica had said the same thing. It was a truth that June had desperately kept buried, denying its total existence. She’d signed up to master control, not to use that control to fight in a war.

And if push came to shove, June would rather make a run for it than make any confrontations. A good long talk with her dad was overdue.

The man hadn’t had the time to visit her as often to check up on her, too busy handling something behind the scenes that obviously had to do with the complications of the rebel situation.