Today, Tomorrow and Yesterday

Chapter 16: Silent

Green never stood a chance. Fifteen seconds into the fight and Soldier already has her pinned. His super-strength easily overpowered the literal jungle she grew in his path, sprouted with her power from seeds that shoot like bullets into the dirt – courtesy of her new weapon. On the contrary, Soldier is sporting a pair of knuckle-dusters that are blunt but strong, built with extra support over his wrists and meant to take someone down.

"I wonder what happens if he knocks her out?" A man asked, drawing my focus back to the bar Megan and I have shouldered our way into. All eyes in the room are on the widescreen TVs, and thankfully not on us. We're wearing hoods and shades but that could easily not be enough.

"Probably counts as a concede." A woman replies from another table, shrugging. Unlike the man, she seems less invested in the workings of the Tournament and simply social.

"Maybe... but it's not a death, that's for sure." He answers.

"Lord knows those are just kids up there." She snaps, surprising me and several other people gathered around. "I don't want to watch any of them die to this."

"They all outrank the entire frickin' military, lady. They're superheroes. This is their job."
"No. Their job is to protect us and keep the U.N.A secure." Her words catch my attention, they don't sound like she is certain about the necessity of protection and a secure U.N.A. "Not to tear their teammates apart-"
The woman stops speaking when the roar of the Ardmore crowd blasts through the TV's speakers, pulling our eyes like puppets on strings back to the battle. On screen, Green has somehow gotten up and encased Soldier in a thick cage of vines grown down from the trees that she's had to work slower to make strong throughout their time in the ring. Solider is struggling while Green kneels on the ground, teeth gritted and hands to the dirt. When the vines snap, several members of our little audience sigh, expecting the spectacle to be over. But Green has one last trick up her sleeve.

In a flash, she jumps up and fires seeds into the dirt at such an angle that they send a spray of dust and hastily-grown grass into the air. The effect blinds Soldier for half a second, while she's able to see easily through the mess with her thermal vision. We hear more than see her tackle him, sprouting vines underneath them both to hold him down.

"What she lacks in brute strength and power, she makes up for in agility and tact." Megan whispers to me.

"It won't do anything but buy her time." I mumble.

"It's a real shame." Someone says, turning around in their seat. The boy's face stares back at me with brown eyes, young and alive. Fourteen, maybe. "She's good, just not against him."
He must have heard Megan and I's conversation. Swiftly, Megan's boot connects with my shin discretely. Obviously, I need to play along, I didn't need the kick, Megan.
"Yeah. The random matching didn't work in her favor."

"Pft. Random?" The boy scoffs, dusty brown hair shaking out of his face. "Not likely. This one's rigged to take her down. Fighting Soldier will make Element look better in the final round, I reckon. Though I bet Shock wasn't supposed to win, either. That girl sure held her own."
"She had something to prove." I tread carefully, but I like this kid. He's not blind, or silent.

"Bet Element's not too happy her little shadow might outshine her." Megan interjects into the conversation. I kick her in the shin and hide the movement by flicking my own hair out of my eyes.

"She's probably steaming." The kid laughs. I allow myself a chuckle.

There's a thud through the speakers. I glance up in time to watch Green tumble off the side of Soldier's still-encased-in-vines figure, his fist lowering from the blow. I wince a little at the thought of how bad that must've hurt, even if it knocked Green out cold. A tiny gap in her snare would've been all it took for him to exploit the weak spot and get his arm out.