 
BARCODE: LEGEND OF APOLLO

Kashif Ross

Copyright Kashif Ross 2012

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Dedication

I dedicate this to my Writer for reasons only He could understand.

DEATH

I didn't know I had a heart, but it won't stop bleeding.

Being stabbed doesn't happen by accident unless you're me. I provoked this fight. My laziness, attitude, and arrogance prompted these events.

Honestly, I think this is the best way out—a cheap escape. After all the lives I ruined and the people I've unintentionally murdered, there's no way I could look in the mirror again. Yet, my reflection shows in the eyes of the most handsome demon I've ever met.

Before I go, I have to apologize. "I'm sorry..."

ONE

Since Jagdip lost his honor, pride, and other meaningless crap to me earlier this week, he bragged about his big brother being able to humble my ego. I've seen his brother fight on international Gladiator Sports Entertainment stations, and he's pretty intense.

The thought of a six foot three, two hundred and seventy five pound professional challenging me in an amateur rooftop match is slightly unnerving, though extremely unlikely. That's like a famous actor visiting their baby brother's high school improv group to challenge any upcoming artist.

Rooftops are illegal ways for student gladiators to show their strength. Though fame and recognition aren't quite as popular here, winning on rooftops leaves little room for dispute. We don't fight for pay, so glory is the only reward.

Professionals don't need that type of praise. My name is famous enough to get some attention from a true gladiator, but Jagdip is full of hot air. Yesterday, he cried, "You think you're a hotshot, Spencer, but you're not. You're lucky my brother doesn't fight here anymore. Ah! That's it. I'll have Samir teach you a lesson." After I dismissed the challenge, he swore on his life that Samir would come to his rescue.

Today is my last day in Dubai. I only showed up to piss off Jagdip and force him to beg for forgiveness when his brother doesn't show.

His ex-girlfriend picks a grape from its vine and plays with it between her long and delicate fingers. Then, she leans forward and moans, "Open wide, Apollo." She feeds me the fruit.

My phone rings, but I hit ignore once more.

Jagdip continues mean mugging me from across the room with his arms folded across his chest. He's leaning against the door that leads to the stairwell and checking the time every thirty seconds.

I turn to his girlfriend, and command, "Don't stop. I'm hungry."

She grins gleefully and continues feeding me. Seconds later, loud stomps sound through the hallway. Jagdip's eyelids roll open. He can hardly contain his excitement. He opens the door to the dark stairwell and his monstrous brother steps into the crowds of underage students.

The famous athlete's very presence causes a ruckus. Girls practically throw their underwear to get his attention. Some glitzy men seem just as animated.

Samir claps his hands and shouts, "Calm down! Hey! None of that. Calm down."

The group's enthusiasm instantly vanishes and the merry people stare at their shoes.

"How can you all be happy when this outsider has come into our home and disrespected our people? You've let him beat thirteen of you? And you call yourself proud?"

This pride shit is quite ridiculous in this area of the world. I understand how much it sucks to lose, but how does that relate to my country?

"Where is he?" Samir growls while pushing people and scouring the crowd. His eyes eventually trace the fingers of the seventy students well aware of my location. "Everyone knows the deal. If I see or sense one tablet or phone recording me, I'm leaving. I can get thrown out of GSE for this."

Or worse, he can die. Rooftops aren't like many GSE arenas where gods and demigods are protected by rules. If you accidentally die, everyone will probably leave you where you stand and flee for the hills. I watched Jagdip kill a guy last week by accidentally throwing him over. Everyone split and we met up a few days later. Police weren't too suspicious of the event. They know about our activities, but there's no way a mortal cop is going to catch and arrest a god for sparring. We're normally dealt with by the militaries and they're too busy for mischievous students.

For some damn reason, Samir isn't too busy for me. He's only inches away from my chair. He's kind of musty. To be so rich, I'd expect higher quality showers. Then again, it gets pretty hot in Dubai.

"Tanya," Samir points at Jagdip's girlfriend. That's her name! "You're despicable. Get out of my sight."

She wraps her arm around me.

Chuckling under my breath, I yawn, "Do I know you, Tanya?"

The level of shock on her face is actually surprising to me. As she scoots out of her seat, my phone rings again.

Samir barks, "Let's get this over with."

I pull the phone to my ear and hold my finger up. "What?"

Hayley's screaming on the other line. "Don't you what me. There's a sandstorm coming towards you, and you've missed three flights. School starts in two hours."

"It takes the jet less than that."

"Who says you're using the jet?"

"If you want me at home on time, you are."

"Spencer Colt. Are you forgetting who I am?"

I haven't forgotten. Though Hayley doesn't have barcodes to share with any god, she's more terrifying than Samir. I've been avoiding her call for a reason, but I thought it'd be a great opportunity to piss Samir off.

"No. I didn't." I lower my tone and speak closer to the receiver. "I'm ten minutes out. I'll be there in twenty."

"You'll be there in five. Activate your barcode or you're getting left behind, and if I have to stop my work to get you, it's a wrap."

Barcodes make it possible that I'm able to share powers with Apollo. Though people born with barcodes are often referred to as gods, we're honestly just super powered humans. I have some neat abilities, but running three miles in five minutes is pushing it.

The phone call ends and I look up at the darkening skies.

Before standing, I notice the bull tattooed on Samir's right bicep. He hosts a Hindu god, Indra. With barcodes, every tattoo is different and no two people host the same deity. Though Indra is not a god to underestimate, I doubt Samir's power compares to mine. Seeing him up close eases the little anxiety I did have. I've sparred with enough people to know that this guy isn't a hazard.

Walking to the edge of the fifty floor skyscraper, I try finding a nearby building that I can jump to. I think falling ten floors is my limit and even that's pushing it. I'll need something to cushion my landing.

"I said, let's go."

"Another time." I wave off the brute. "I need to get home, but I'll be back next year."

"You think I came all this way for you to blow me off?"

"You're a big shot. Stop worrying about an amateur."

"Is that it? You're scared to fight a pro because all you students do is spar on rooftops and call out fancy names to your moves?"

"No. I'm more afraid that Hayley will find out I'm late because I ended your life. Go play with Tanya or something. She likes to get around."

Samir picks at his manicured nails. "It's true. You're just as fake as that show you put on last year. I guess rich boys are only good for having their daddy make them famous."

"Someone start the fight."

Samir takes a boxer's stance. "Go."

Under my Moreno armor is something called a ceremonial bandage. It wraps my torso and prevents me from unleashing all of the data within my barcode. If it weren't there, I'd be able to connect with Apollo completely and unleash my true strength, but Dennis was too lazy to train me. He used these bandages to program my energy. They're training me for a much bigger fight than Samir. Much bigger.

The heavyweight plants a left hook on my chin that should've split my head in two, but right before he hit me, I activated my barcode, which sent a surge of energy rushing through my body. It feels like someone just imprisoned the sun's core into the captivity that's meant for my heart.

I grin at Samir and connect an uppercut that lifts him from his feet. Then, I bury my knuckles into his stomach as he falls back. Jagdip and a friend rush to catch their hero, but his weight drags them to the ground. Even if Samir manages to wake up, I doubt he'll be able to defend his title tomorrow.

After a bit of roof hopping, I stumble into the street and dash down the road. People are stepping inside of any business with an open door in order to wait for the storm to pass, but I don't have the luxury. It's either death or Hayley, and I'm not sure which one is worst.

As instructed, I fuel my barcodes by flexing the muscles in my back. My code is a huge tattoo in the shape of the Cross of Saint James, though the sword at the end of mine curves.

I was once told that my barcode exceeds the legal limit for data allowed in tattoos. Even people born with codes are restricted by the amount of power that can flow through their data. Government agencies are afraid of people strong enough to take on armies, so they kill or imprison anyone that poses a threat to their structure.

Honestly, it makes no sense. They say they're worried about other powerful warriors, like Helios, rising up to take over the world. However, they've killed off anyone strong enough to challenge him, except me.

The doctor that examined my barcode never reported me to the military. In fact, I never heard from him again. Uncle Vincent once joked about Dennis killing the old man, but my uncle has a strange sense of humor. Dennis isn't a pleasant person, but he's not a ruthless murderer either.

Sometimes I wish I could kill people, but it's just not in my DNA. Samir definitely deserved an instant death, but severe bruises will do. The headache he'll have when he wakes up should make him reconsider lecturing everyone on pride for one's country.

Then again, if there were a place I could take pride in, I'd choose this nation. It's the only resort I've visited where I can beat around anyone I want and be fed grapes for it. Not to mention, it's beautiful.

As the dark sand closes in on my steps, I appreciate the trees blowing in the wind and water. The ocean is crystal clear, like the skies when sand isn't threatening to sweep me away.

Unfortunately, there's no time for good memories.

I charge my codes by tightening my muscles again and sprint down the street. When I'm at the airport, I illegally jump over the twenty foot stone barrier and land in the runway. In the distance, I see my grandad waving me down. Once he's sure that I notice him, he pushes the stewardess back on the plane with his hand on her butt. I follow right behind them.

The pilot doesn't even give a warning when taking off into the sky. The sand chases the aircraft, but the plane goes from zero to two hundred in eight seconds.

We ride off into the sunset. In a matter of minutes, we'll be staring at our country's sunrise.

"You're late," Casey teases.

"Sorry, grandad."

He slaps my arm and clears his throat.

"I mean, Casey."

Casey runs his hand through his full set of blond hair while the stewardess adjusts her skirt. "I was hoping you wouldn't come at all, but when Hayley started screaming, I knew I'd better get myself together." Despite his age, Casey looks good. His cheeks are still muscular from years of conditioning and he travels to some foreign country regularly to maintain his tan. Most women fall for his baby blue eyes—everyone in my family has them.

"How was she?" I ask while the stewardess walks away.

"Pissed."

"No." I point to the giggling woman that can hardly stand straight.

"You're too young to know."

"Hey." I sit up in my seat. "In the twentieth century, eighteen year olds were considered adults."

"These aren't ancient times. Whether you're nineteen or ninety, if you're in the academy, you're a kid." He removes a package from behind his chair and shakes it before putting it away. "Happy birthday, kid."

"Why'd you just tease me with my gift?"

"Hayley wants me to wait."

I huff air through my nose.

"If you want the gift that badly, just open it." He tries reaching for the box again.

"It's not that." I lean forward. "You know I could beat any gladiator in the arena. Why am I still in the academy?"

"Arnold?"

"I don't want him to come near me, but everyone else."

"Sure. That's true, but after that show you put on last year, I doubt anyone would respect you."

"Blame Dennis."

"He likes you to call him dad." Casey takes a sip of some strong smelling alcohol.

"Really?" I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. "He's my father?"

I have to force myself to fall asleep after twenty minutes of Casey flirting with the ditsy stewardess. The last thing I hear is him popping her bra strap.

The unprofessional slut shakes my shoulder gently.

I keep my eyes closed and grunt, "What?"

"Casey asked me to wake you up twenty minutes before class."

Without another word, I exit the plane and step out onto the roof of Dennis' skyscraper. I look up and notice that the plane has propeller wings. Casey probably asked them to use the helicopter function so I could land close to school.

I guess I should head to campus.

Overzealous freshmen continue pouring out of buses and cars, excited for the first day of school. They're under the impression that graduating from Colt Academy means something.

The academy that they're marveling at stands out like a sore thumb amongst the surrounding skyscrapers. The institution acts as a battlefield for crowds to watch gladiators slay each other, but it's also a high school and college. The stadium measures two miles in diameter in an area that once was nothing but grass.

This building takes away from the metropolitan feeling of the neighboring businesses. I wouldn't consider it beautiful by any means, but I'm sure the newcomers would disagree.

Excessive doses of adrenaline pump through the freshmen's bodies. Those mesmerized by the local celebrities run frantically towards the gods dumb enough to arrive on time for their first day. Casey probably had the woman wake me up at the perfect time to receive praise from my adoring fans. My matches have been televised since I was seven, and I haven't lost one yet. There isn't a person in this city that doesn't know my name.

The noobs are rushing right for me. Obviously, they know nothing of the class system that's unique to our arena. Ignoring the clear difference between gods and mortals, the paparazzi attempts to interview me. Most of the investigation stems from the mouth of a girl that, I must admit, pleases my eyes.

"Wow, you're Apollo. But the gods use your government name, right? Spencer Colt. Your dad owns this place. Wow. I can't believe I meet Spencer Colt on my first day. We're probably supposed to call you Apollo like our parents, right?"

Wow. The ramblings resonate in my ears long enough. The crowd germinates with other new pests bold enough to wait for a response to the girl's inquisition. Too bad for them, I've begun walking towards the rear entrance of the school.

Once I see a campus bus passing, I grab the external railing and steal a ride up the street. Due to the massive size of the school, these buses circle the stadium every five minutes. The driver waves from the front seat of the yellow tram as I hop on. I've never seen him before, but I decide to return the gesture.

I don't receive a welcoming wave from everyone I meet. Before last year, when I got myself in a tiny bit of trouble, I was the golden boy that could do no wrong. Now, I have one group of diehard fans and another composed of haters.

As the bus travels, I find myself missing things that I never had before, like clean air and plants. Presently, the only trees we can see are on the gigantic high definition displays that advertise Colt and Moreno products.

Everything in Ex-America is digital.

Dubai still produces things on paper and posters occasionally, but we don't get those things here. Our clothes are coated with carbon nanotubes and our "paper" consists of cell phones and tablets. That's the way our forefathers wanted it, and the way Dennis Colt manages our cities.

While passing Dennis' office, I glare into his open window. He's not there. I'll avoid him all week, if possible.

The bus drops me off near the rear entrance of the campus. I debate on grabbing a few snacks from across the street. While staring at my favorite ice cream parlor, I notice a familiar beast.

"Talib!" I wave and run at once.

The prophet is half-man, half-lion. His face looks just like a lion with dreadlocks and a thin layer of fur covers his body. He's well-built, like all liminal beings, but hides his muscles under a long and dark green cloak.

"Spencer." He lowers his face to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" I pat him on the shoulder.

"I need to speak with your father."

"Dennis? I'll help you find him."

"I'll wait. It's a private matter." He sounds distressed and his body language reflects his tone. Yet he shakes his head and forces a smile. "I do not mean to concern you. It's your birthday. Please, enjoy your time and have fun."

"It's been eventful already." I observe my slightly bruised knuckles. Samir's chin wasn't very soft.

"Still fighting unnecessarily, are you?"

"No. It was necessary."

Talib chuckles while covering his mouth with his paw.

"I don't mind walking you through campus. Really. Let me help you find him."

He shakes his head gently and motions for me to get to school. The second I step off the curb, he says, "Wait."

"Yeah?" I turn around cheerfully. Talib's the closet thing I have to a father figure. Dennis was always too busy so the prophet trained me as a child. Then, one day he said goodbye and disappeared. I'd only see him on mysterious occasions like this one.

"Remember your fate?"

I sigh, "Yeah. The Helios killer."

"Don't look at him as your enemy."

"What?" I lean forward and try to see if Talib is making an attempt at a joke.

"All this time, I've trained you for the wrong foe."

"Does that mean Helios and me are buddies now?"

"No. It's complicated."

"Sounds like a relationship status on MeeToo." That's a social networking website that comes standard on most phones. It's a rapid file sharing program that allows users to skim through millions of files from other users at once.

"Helios is your enemy, but sometimes there are more important things to worry about. Spencer, there's a darkness approaching this campus that I cannot protect with prayer. I've tried shielding you from this energy for some time, but nothing works."

"I don't understand."

"This is your year to fight with Shiva. Treat her well and she will end this war. But your first task is to destroy the evil ahead of you. Worry about Helios later."

I lace my fingers together and crack my knuckles. "I don't worry about him now."

After creeping through the back entrance of the academy, I duck into the school garden—which is really just a bunch of rocks, a pond, and several waterfalls. Students come here to study. It's a pretty quiet place to hide out in the beginning of the year, but when finals come around, I generally keep clear.

The garden is enormous, but doesn't seem as appeasing anymore. Dubai has made me lose all interest in our unnatural lifestyle. Everything in Southern California is centered around technology. We're the most technologically advanced city in the world, thanks to the Moreno and Gonzales families. Still, my tablet can't replace seeing leaves blow in the wind.

I find a seat on a stone bench next to a small pond and watch as several lizard-fish swim and crawl through the shallow water. One has the flesh of a koi fish but the body of a garden lizard. The gold and black colors blur as my heavy eyes close and my head drops. I should've gotten some real sleep, but partying all night with random people chanting my name wasn't something I could pass up.

As I open my eyes, a sharp kick lands between my ribs. Before my attacker can remove her foot, I grab it tightly and swing her into the pool.

The plague sitting in front of me with her butt dipped in an inch of water and her arms folded neatly around her legs, just so happens to call herself Hannah's best friend, though I knew her long before the two met.

This tomboy has a kick that's out of this world. Her barcodes are powered by the goddess Atalanta. Every god and demigod has a code that they're born with. That's what separates us from Apes and humans. Some gods bond well with their bodies, while others pump so much power into their flesh that they can hardly stand. Ever. It can be a gift or a curse.

"You got my panties wet."

"Why would a boy wear panties?"

"Don't call me a boy, jerk."

"You walk like one, talk like one, but wait, you kick like a girl," I tease, but my ribs scream in pain. Even more, I'm defiantly conscious that Michelle's beauty competes closely with the most attractive girl on campus, Hannah. Still, she and I are mortal enemies that will one day battle to her death.

I've seen these visions in my sleep. Any morning I wake up after slaying her just so happens to be a great day. Yes. I'm very aware that many people consider these dreams, but if they are prophetic, The Writer does truly love me.

"What does Hannah see in you?"

"What do you mean? She said that in our first year you always gushed over my blue eyes, and wouldn't stop raving about my face."

The wicked witch's eyes nearly leap out of their sockets, and her face turns pale. If the identical lions tattooed on each of her legs shine, I'll need to flee for my own safety.

"Geez. You look so upset; I almost think it's true." I wink.

The tattoos on the brat's legs glow subtly.

"Don't even think about kicking me with those lit."

Barcodes are a fuel for the body. They strengthen muscle better than any steroid known to man. Michelle's strikes hurt enough without the energy supporting them.

"Why?" she asks with a smirk. "You said I kick like a girl."

"No mortal that's ever hosted Atalanta has known how to control her power. Especially you."

"My barcode's meant to kick ass, Spencer. I can feel it flowing through me. I always wondered what data really was, and why we had this gift. But after researching the topic, I only learned one thing. These legs were created to beat on you."

"Data was created to stop war and save lives."

"How would you know? You're too selfish to protect anyone."

I grit my teeth and dart my eyes.

Sounding apologetic, she hums, "You're not that bad, I guess."

I turn my nose up at her because I'm better than she is.

"No you're not."

"Did you just read my mind?"

She glances at my armor and traces her eyes over my ceremonial bandages. "You're too simple to understand." Michelle splashes water at my face and reaches her hand out. "Pull me up."

Without helping her, I leave the garden. A wet pelvis thrusts itself on my back. Michelle wraps her legs and arms around my torso. I continue walking as she jacks a free ride from Spencer Express.

She yanks my hood from my head. "Why do you always wear this stupid jacket under your armor?"

"I hate wearing this bulky armor on campus all day."

More softly she asks, "Why didn't you call me this summer?"

"Fighting for my life is much more appealing than calling you."

Michelle tightens her hold while resting her head on her arms. "You make me sick."

"I hate you too." I take her down the hallway towards my classes. These stupid corridors are massive. I've attended this school for three years, and often roamed the halls as a preteen while waiting on Casey to take me home. After years of studying the first floor, I still manage to get lost. Thus, I occasionally use the navigation application on my phone.

Contrary to my rugged personality, I appreciate artistic things, but our hallways are overkill. The gigantic pillars covering the support beams are made of stone. Every classroom entrance is a double door that extends all the way up to the seventy-five foot ceiling. Fortunately, all doors are partially automated. An electric handle will help push the epic barriers.

The stones, expensive art, and pillars are one thing, but the décor is ridiculous. The colorful leather couches and checkered floors seem a bit much to me.

On one of Casey's accidental ramblings, he said my mom was the one with the luxurious taste. There are pricey armor displays and fashionable curtains that cover the bulletproof windows. Couches, chairs, plants, and mirrors wrap around the entire floor. With the memorabilia in the center of the walkway and weapon displays, our school resembles a museum.

Michelle and I walk past several blond heads in digital picture frames. These are images that change every hour. They illustrate my forefathers wearing some of the finest armor in history. In my opinion, it's advertisement for Moreno.

Every piece of war equipment in this school was designed by the Moreno family, a military weapons manufacturer that capitalized on a world war that lasted over three centuries.

Moreno started off as a motorcycle company in Spain, but rose to fame with their nanotechnology in the twenty-seventh century. Government agencies contracted them for body armor. As their finances grew, they purchased their own island and sold to any country that was willing to pay the right price. Five centuries later, they've become the most renowned name in gladiator history.

Because of the Morenos, Colt Arena is the only stadium in America with a classical Roman influence. Most modern amphitheaters are closed buildings constructed from stainless steel, like Yang Arena.

By building the walls from stone and reinforcing the structure with massive support beams covered by cement pillars, our family was able to cut the cost of material and increase the building's total area. The stone around the entire stadium was tattooed with barcodes and transmuted into a more sustainable material. The indestructible rock was named Colt Stone, and the process of creating the material is known as Moreno Multiple Integrated Barcodes. The instructors nicknamed it "MIBS-squared" so students wouldn't confuse it with transmuting weapons.

Because the stone was so difficult to shape after the MMIBS process, my family was forced to leave the arena in a smooth bubble shape. Luckily, they were smart enough to add the bullet proof glass windows before reinforcing the wall.

People travel from all over to marvel at what is now considered the fourth wonder of the world. From my understanding, summer tourists can fill the entire two-hundred-thousand seats on opening day. There are thousands of rooms to tour, though only one hundred are meant for students.

They have tons of technology and nearly everyone in the family is a genius, but they couldn't make this campus less confusing.

Seeing a familiar blue couch, I make a swift right before following my directions. "Why aren't you with Hannah?"

"She's waiting for opening ceremony. I told your crush that I'd keep you out of trouble." In a repulsively adorable voice, she asks, "By the way, do you really hate your birthday?"

I stop dead in my tracks.

"Happy birthday anyway," Michelle coaxes so sweetly I almost thank her. Then, she interrupts my temporary delusion by hitting me in the arm, counting from one to nineteen.

"There's your Dennis." Michelle points straight ahead.

Trusting her natural ability to attract misfortune, I turn around while keeping my face aimed at the ground. With a swift and gracious movement, she swoops her head and bites my neck.

"What the hell was that for?"

Michelle rubs my fresh wound she just created. "Didn't you see your Dennis telling me to stop you?"

"Just call him Dennis or my father. I hate the way you do that."

"It's just as annoying to hear you try so hard to call him Dennis."

Dennis approaches us with a gleaming smile. "Happy birth—"

"Weren't you supposed to pick me up from Dubai?" I interrupt his pseudo admiration.

"Right. Didn't Hayley update you?"

"I was waiting on you. I didn't know that I was supposed to answer her call."

"Sorry about that." He plasters a fake smile on his remorseless face. "I had a lot come up this morning and couldn't get there."

During my childhood, Dennis was one of those fathers that promised to pick me up regularly. What that meant was he'd lift me in the air, receive a phone call and promise to pick me up again really soon. I can't recall the last time we've been in the same room for longer than ten minutes unless he was punishing me.

The quality of my birthday is suddenly vanishing into dust. I'm pinned between the two people I hate the most. Even worse, there's a strange sensation on my skin—Michelle's breasts.

A dense Kevlar material protects my spine, so I can't understand how I'm detecting the subtleties of her heartbeat. It's almost as though I feel flesh connected to my data. Yes. That does sound perverted.

After shaking her off, she pouts as though I were some horrifying criminal carelessly roaming the hallways of Colt Arena with the sole purpose of ruining her happiness.

I notice an overgrown gremlin with glasses inching towards Dennis while dragging a large steel briefcase. It's one of the briefcases Dennis keeps in his office for clients that are carrying invaluable goods through campus. Many of them jump at the opportunity to use the case before realizing that it weighs a ton and the locks are garbage. The case could hold up against a nuke, but I could break the lock with my hand.

Dennis eventually notices my gaze upon the stranger. He welcomes the nerd into the dimension of undesirables clustered near me.

Nemesis.

Sperm donor.

Dork.

I've now assembled the team destined to take over the world, or at least someone's backyard.

"Warriors unite," I mumble while watching the nerd clean his glasses.

Dennis, profoundly acquainted with my sarcastic grumblings, ignores my comment. "Spencer, I want you to meet Leonardo."

"Another Ape?"

A quick thump on my forehead causes me to suffer the effects of swallowing a gallon of ice cream. After the simulation brain freeze, I vow to behave in front of him while the barcodes on his right fingernails are within reach.

"Stop using that term. They're mortal level students." Dennis clears his throat. "Leonardo is a god level transfer with Zeus' barcode." That makes sense. Zeus' ego prevents him from bonding well with humans. The fact that Leonardo can even walk makes him more advanced than most of The Olympian's victims. Some claim that Zeus hates sharing his strength through barcodes more than any other god, but it's just a folktale.

Leonardo sputters, "Hey Spencer, I've heard a lot about you."

"And you still want to meet me?" Addressing Dennis, I say, "Strange guy."

"I need you to show him the campus all week. He comes from a very prestigious family, and I want him well taken care of."

"Dennis, listen to what you're saying. You want a five star student to receive complimentary service, but you're setting him up with me. You're losing your wits, old man." I lean away to avoid another thump. His index finger causes my body to suffer all the effects of a grenade exploding a few feet away, ringing ears and blurred vision included.

"I know, but you can't expect to skip out on your responsibilities this year." Dennis pretends to straighten his cufflink while glancing at his watch. "It's almost time for the opening ceremony. We can all walk to the battlefield together."

"I pass."

"That's the real reason I'm here. Casey and the rest of the family expect you to show your face more before the bandages are removed. You can't hide anymore."

I've found myself on the losing end of countless arguments with Dennis. Whether the bickering lasts minutes or hours, I eventually relinquish my position because the disputes are more troublesome than the tasks.

The backyard heroes silently follow me to the field.

We exit through another set of double doors—the Colt family doesn't believe that one suffices—and step into the stadium. There are a lot of things I despise about my life, but walking onto the battleground is not one of them. The rich smell of the dirt, the gusts of wind that rush from the top of the structure, and the grandiose feeling that makes me larger than life are all breathtaking.

The long stretch of land before me has a history that reaches deeper than Colt or Griffith Park. There's ancient data under my feet. The surrounding fifty feet walls tell monumental stories between their bruises and slashes. Love, pleasure, death, and pain haven't skipped a beat in this history. In spite of the embarrassment I suffered on this very field, a warm embrace always surrounds me. I've never admitted this to anyone, but I imagine my mother's hug would feel this magnificent.

I see Hannah and Kyle in the center of the field. Hannah still manages to command attention from my eyes, as always.

The first time we met, the skirt dancing around her long legs is what caught my attention. After her undeniable sexiness hooked me, Hannah's gentle personality reeled me in.

Michelle nearly tackles her best friend with a hug. There's a clear difference between the two. Though Michelle's curves are feminine, she's rough around the edges. Her muscles are larger, and her armor's very adventurous.

Kyle and I, on the other hand, are nothing alike. That is, besides our penchant for picking on other students when we're bored.

Despite our camaraderie on campus, Kyle and I don't often interact; sometimes I feel as though he's just using me to be popular and get close to others. He transferred to Colt Arena from East Los Angeles in his second year. Both his parents are demigods, but by some miracle they managed to have a god level son. Once Kyle graduates next year, he'll make more than enough money to move his parents into a more affluent neighborhood.

Leonardo sits on his case while everyone waits for the speeches to begin. During our down time, I scrutinize the nerd's armor. Strangely enough, it's better than mine—and I've got the top Moreno gear at the school.

Opening ceremonies generally consist of the top instructors welcoming students to their first day, and explaining the different levels and rooms in the building. Classes are held on the first floor, dorms are on the second floor, the hospital is between the third and sixth floors, and there's a prison on the seventh floor.

After the boring introduction, they explain the importance of god level classes, and how higher ranking students are never allowed to fight those on a lower level. Students generally resist this type of ideology. In fact, no other arena in the world separates students into leagues.

When Dennis takes the stage, he shouts to display the amphitheater's microphone effect, which causes his voice to boom across the entire stadium. Students cheer passionately. He delivers a formal welcome before mentioning his "prized possession"—me.

In the end, Dennis builds up the students' excitement by announcing the return of my uncle, Vincent Colt.

Vincent ventured to New Orleans a few years ago to mend ties with our divided country. The Great American War is a civil war that separated America into four different regions. Four centuries ago, after World War T left the planet in shambles, various leaders in our country argued over who should rule our land. Barcodes were just introduced to Earth, which created peace in nearly every country except ours. Our nation turned against itself and started a very long-term war—the GAW.

At the end, a treaty was signed that divided the country, but created a sense of harmony. Instead of fighting over who ruled America, politicians were given their own borders to govern, which reduced the death toll by the thousands.

When Helios gained control of the North and East Coasts, my family used my uncle to convince the South to join us. Originally, he was scheduled to leave for only five weeks. After staying in the area for some time, he claimed to have discovered a way to reunite all of the states.

Within a year, he married the most influential and prominent goddess in the area. My cousin crawled out of the womb one year later. Her birth symbolized an end to the disputes between the West and South, and a new beginning for our country. In her state, my cousin is considered a princess.

As Dennis speaks, his second best Marine One forest green helicopter approaches the school. The ninety-foot long, three-thousand pound beast containing my uncle and cousin extinguishes the sound of applause from the field. Three engines and a seventy-foot rotor can do that.

Excited to see my family for the first time in seven years, I shift in my seat, and await their landing. The helicopter hovers over the field longer than it should. Alarmingly, the engines rumble as the sound of the propellers becomes more reserved.

I see something, or someone, falling but a loud explosion erupts. Instead of being blinded by a flash of light, my entire world goes black. As color returns, followed by a surreal sensation of reentering reality, the chopper descends drastically out of control. Faculty members rush to clear nearly five hundred students from the field.

The helicopter thunderously crashes in front of our seats. Though I want to move, fear strikes me immobile. Concern for my potentially dead family is the only thing that terrifies me.

Dennis and Casey lead a group of professors to the crash site. The two are screaming frantically. Both father and son wrestle tirelessly with the door, but with the helicopter's nose faced into the ground, they struggle to find the proper footing to pull it open. The door jammed shut on impact.

My grandad yells to the passengers as a clanking sound booms from inside. Professor Gardezi pulls Casey from the door seconds before it flies into the stands, nearly a quarter mile away.

Two boys jump out of the helicopter carrying people on their shoulders. Seeing live bodies encourages me to finally approach the aircraft.

There are puddles of blood all over the battlefield's sand. A boy with intricate navy blue tattoos stretching from his neck through his armor and down to his wrist has mild injuries. He's doing well enough to carry my extremely large uncle. The boy's miniature Afro looks wild and has a lot of debris stuck in it. He's out of breath and his entire face is covered in blood. Though his chest plate likely cost thousands of dollars, there's hardly anything left of it.

Another guy with long dreadlocks and nearly the same size as the first leans my unconscious cousin against a wall and briefly runs his hand through her hair. Of all the wounded, he suffered the most damage. His armor is torn to shreds and his body has several large open wounds. Not to mention, there's a long steel pipe stuck in his leg.

Gardezi continues asking him, "Are you okay? Are you sure?" The guy doesn't verbally respond, but nods his head and pushes the professor away.

I watch his every movement and it appears that he's watching mine, but it's difficult to tell. There's a large black mask covering his face.

The hospital staff rushes to the field. White coats and nurses' hats blow in the wind as they check the injured. Dennis directs me to follow Dr. Vadgama's every instruction. I carry anyone he points to and lift anything he asks. When I'm done with the run around, the doctor pats me on the back and says, "If there's anything I can do to repay you, let me know."

"Actually, I just want one thing."

He raises his eyebrows and jesters, "Already?"

"Can I stay in my cousin's room for the night?"

Angie is lying unconscious in a recovery pool.

These circular bodies of water have chemicals that increase recovery by stimulating the immune and cardiovascular systems. There are barcodes at the bottom of the pool that analyze the patient's health and adjusts the amount of chemicals released.

My cousin took in the least injuries, but the doctors say that everyone on the helicopter suffered some type of internal damage to their organs, especially the masked guy with dreadlocks. Full body scans revealed that some sort of radiation was released during the crash.

I tried mentioning the black explosion to Dennis, but he didn't notice it. There was something about the flash that even left me woozy. I wonder if things would've been different if the helicopter had landed first.

There's one more thing that bothers me. I watched six students get carried to the morgue, and there are nineteen in the hospital. That leaves one body unaccounted for. Unable to rationalize today's events, I try distracting myself by talking to my unresponsive cousin.

"Angie, when I saw the helicopter smash into the ground, I thought it was over for you. Just like that, the tough scrawny girl that beat me up in sparring sessions would lose her life to a machine." Angie doesn't look it, but she's ridiculously strong. We've only sparred a few times, but I've never won. She's one of the only people in the world I care for and I couldn't force myself to try hurting her. Then again, she never broke a sweat when beating me.

I watch as her hair dances in the water, and the subtle waves caress her curves. She's nearly naked, but as children, we shared baths so I'm quite accustomed to her body.

"I guess you're not scrawny anymore. I can't believe you have breasts and hips, though. Like I told you over our last video chat, you've gotten so pretty it disgusts me. But don't worry; I won't let Vincent force us into anything. I hate doing what Dennis wants too."

In the past, the only combination of gods and goddesses that have ever created Helios' barcode was Apollo and Artemis. Angie and I are currently the hosts of the god and goddess. Because gods can only possess one host at a time, someone would have to kill Helios before his barcode could be recreated.

"Why do these overachieving parents want so much? Dennis wants me to take ownership of the stadium. Vincent wants you to marry me so we can kill Helios and recreate his barcode under the Colt surname. And the rest of the world is just as needy."

My phone interrupts the conversation. My "Do Not Answer Me" ringtone echoes loudly in the room.

"What?"

"Did you change my ringtone?" Hannah often tells Michelle about the ringtones I choose for her. The pest always calls and interrupts right before Hannah and I share a moment so I make sure to attach the most suiting tunes to her contact.

Originally, I programmed my phone with screams from various horror movies. I chose the corniest ones from the twentieth century with people running amok. There was even a hologram of women scampering on my pocket from a guy in a long white mask and a large knife. I've turned off the hologram because it drained my battery too much.

"Yep. Now it's even more suiting."

"Good. Change it again."

"My pleasure. Bye."

"Hold on, jerk. I brought you food so come to the third floor."

"Why'd you bring me food, and what's in it?"

"Hannah said you'd be here all night."

"So she told you to come?" I pump my fist.

Michelle doesn't respond for a second, then mumbles, "Something like that. Just come down and don't mention this to anyone. Ever."

"I don't want to talk about it now."

Once I arrive at the cafeteria, I see Michelle with her legs crossed, staring out of a window at the neighboring buildings. She looks grumpy, but the moonlight reflects off her skin quite nicely. I'm mostly impressed that there is a moon tonight. Nine times out of ten, the sky is covered with smog.

"I hate the way the light reflects off your skin. Ugh." Grabbing a burger, I unwrap it from the foil and take a small bite immediately followed by a huge one.

"So," she sings while leaning in closely, "you're looking at my skin."

I munch on some fries and narrow my eyes. "Where'd you get the food?"

Michelle taps her nails on the table and leans back in her chair. "It's not even that good. Why do you care?"

"It's better than good. Tell me or I'll post that Christmas picture of Kyle kissing you on MeeToo; it looks mutual."

"No need. I made the burger and fries. And as much as I know you hate that, I also made everything with natural ingredients so it's not the junk food you love pigging out on."

I practically finish my burger in tears because I hate praising this brat.

She slowly counts her fingers. "That's the third compliment I've gotten from you."

I leave the trash on the table and silently excuse myself.

Small feet race behind me. Michelle jumps on my back again. This time, she has something in her hands.

"Change," she commands with a fist full of clothes.

"You make these too?"

"Daddy made me bring them."

"Whoa. I can't fit anything he wears."

"Yeah. That would be all bad. These are from your mall. Now change. I want to see your famous cousin. I heard she's a princess."

I strip my armor in the middle of the hallway. Michele's eyes widen and she spins around. Though she never peeks at my muscular physique, I notice her barcodes glimmering a faint pink.

The shoulder pads on my bulky armor are big enough to store my gear. I shove my boots and armored pants into the modified bag, and throw the straps over my shoulders. "Why are the tattoos on your legs glowing?"

Her bronze hair whips as she quickly turns her head. "Why were you looking at my legs?"

The pest has a fascinating way of irking my nerves. I decide to avoid the argument and step into the elevator.

We ride to the sixth floor. I prepare to lead her towards Angie, but a light flickers near the entrance to the intensive care unit. Michelle instinctively grabs my shirt.

"I'm starting to think you're not as manly as you try to make yourself seem."

I expect to hear a witty reply, but Michelle simply tightens her grip. She's seriously scared. I try walking, but she doesn't budge.

"Is that where Angie is?"

"No."

Once I open the doors to the ICU, the flickering light dies. If it weren't for Michelle's glowing barcodes, I wouldn't be able to see.

"Why do you use your codes so much?"

She continues rigidly holding my shirt.

The eerie stretch through the intensive care unit seems to carry on for a lifetime. Most of the lights are off or shattered.

Once we make it to the room of the guy that carried Angie from the crash, I tell Michelle she can wait outside. The fearful look on her face says she's following me regardless of what I say. But I'm glad she's here. Like in the hallway, I use the pink light to guide me through the darkness.

Her steps trail inches behind my own. This time, I definitely sense her breasts, and it feels more intimate than my first experience.

"Why can I feel your...you know." I point to her chest.

She's not in the mood to hear my complaints. Closing her eyes, she quickly blurts, "We both have barcodes connected to our sense of touch. You should always feel people's presence. Aren't you used to it by now?"

"I didn't know you could use them for something like that."

"Okay. I'll teach you later, but can we please hurry?"

"Why are you so scared?"

"I'm..." Michelle's tattoos begin to flicker, creating a pink strobe light.

"Just tell me. You don't have to admit you're scared, but why don't you want to be here?"

Michelle shakes her head. "I sense something in this room that wants to kill."

"Kill what?"

She corrects me under her breath by uttering, "Kill who?"

I accidentally bump into a metal desk and knock several operating tools on the floor.

This place is a bit more advanced than Angie's room. Medical barcodes line the walls. These codes are similar to the stamps Apes receive for combat, but they spend their energy analyzing and adjusting treatments. The data also alerts stay over nurses in case of an emergency.

I check the boy's monitor. Unlike the others, this guy's injuries were too severe to place in a pool. Instead, he's recovering in a cement-like material that hardens around the patient. It repairs muscles and bones by constantly moving pharmaceutical clay inside the shell. When the doctors place gladiators in one of these, they expect them to stay down for some time.

Michelle tugs on my shirt once she notices my gaze fixated on the monitor.

"This can't be right."

"What?"

I slowly peek over my shoulder at the boy. "It's saying he's completely healed."

A magnetic force draws me towards the pharmaceutical cement. The invisible hand pulling against my neck is alarming, but I walk as though it were natural.

While gawking at the mask, the only part of his body exposed, I whisper, "You're strange." I recall hearing stories from Angie about this mask. Supposedly, it once had a barcode, but no matter how closely I examine it, I don't see one. This particular mask provided humans in the past with strength comparable to the gods. Several Apes that surrendered their lives to this haunted piece of clay defeated some of the strongest demigods in history.

A faint sound echoes in my head like a thought I can't make out. I assume it's my conscience warning me of my journey towards insanity. Using my better judgment, I grab Michelle's wrist and pull her towards the exit. At least with her at arm's length, I'm not obligated to feel her flesh against me.

A burning sensation warms my hand as we leave the room.

When we reach the door, I hear a loud rumble. As the cement smashes to the floor, I accidentally squeeze Michelle's wrist too tightly. She screams from the pain. When I examine her arm, I see a burn from my hand on her flesh.

I want to understand how I burned her, but I need to discover if the boy survived the collapsing cement.

I try digging him out as quickly as possible. Activating my barcodes, I easily lift and throw the cement stones without getting the clay on my new clothes. Before I can reach the bottom, I hear a faint sound from the door.

I lift my head just in time to see dreadlocks covered in clay drift in the wind.

Michelle runs behind me as I chase the shadow. When we make it to the door, the boy appears in front of us. Michelle releases a scream and falls on her butt. For a moment, I feel scared. It's not like the emotion is unfamiliar, but it is rare.

The boy grabs my face and compresses it between his fingers. Surprisingly, his hands are soft and delicate. It occurs to me that he isn't as powerful as he seems, but he's still weird. The masked man is tilting my head from left to right and observing my face.

I flex my back and push him away. While reaching for Michelle, I feel something shove me. The entire force travels through my body and tugs against my organs. It's an incredible pressure that resembles a shock wave.

The creepy guy walks towards me again.

"Look, bro. I don't like people touching me. Put your finger on me one more time, and I'll show you what I'm about."

The naked man stands close enough to breathe on me. He raises his finger and gently presses my nose like an elevator button.

He doesn't try to avoid the fearsome punch I cock back and land on the center of his mask. Interestingly enough, it doesn't seem to faze him. He steps back and scratches the lower half of his mask as though he were puzzled.

I tried holding back because he's a human, but slave masks provide their users with some incredible strength. If that's the case with him, I can give it all I have. We're in a hospital anyway. I'm sure Dr. Vadgama can bring him back to life.

With every area of my back flexed and every ounce of my tattoo activated, I deliver a superman punch to his gut. He bends over slightly, but bounces up like nothing happened at all.

"What are you?" rolls off my tongue as I debate on whether I'm dreaming. Maybe I fell asleep in Angie's room.

The masked man lunges at me without warning.

Michelle screams, "Spencer!" Her vocal cords must have strained themselves slightly because that cry was passionate.

My heart ticks irregularly. That guy disappeared into a pile of smoke right before his knuckles connected with my nose.

A light flashes in my eyes. Moments later, my vision turns pitch black. I feel myself slam onto the floor. My body jerks momentarily. It's almost as though I were having a seizure.

Michelle's hands and face illuminate in my dark world. She holds my cheeks with a concerned expression. I try regaining control of my body, but nothing happens. All I want to do is stand up, but maybe that's too large of a task. I need something smaller to concentrate on.

I gaze into Michelle's eyes and dare myself to move closer. Immediately, I place my forehead on hers, which surprises us both.

With my barcodes radiating underneath my ceremonial bandages, I use my enhanced sense of touch to find some comfort in knowing I'm still alive. I violate her privacy, reading her inner thoughts.

Don't die, Spencer. Get away from there.

Where? What are you talking about?

The darkness.

I can't stop intruding on her thoughts. It's almost as though they are my own.

Her presence nourishes me. As her face flushes red, I assume she's sharing the same exotic experience.

Michelle's hands pull me closer into her face. Neither one of us can control our actions at this moment. My nose touches hers and a chill dances down my spine.

Tears stream down her face and she falls into my lap. It sounds like she says, "I'm scared," but she whispers too low for me to hear.

I try comforting her, but nothing works until she falls asleep.

I'm still holding onto Michelle. I thought I'd placed her in the hospital bed last night.

We're in a room similar to Angie's, but instead of a pool, there's a king sized recovery bed. Let me correct myself, there's a giant king sized memory bed that molds to your body and massages you during sleep. This room's for larger gladiators. If I'd known Michelle would end up in my arms, I would have slept in that bad boy.

I've already experienced enough intimacy with her for the night. My back's aching and my body's sore. Worst of all, her butt is in my crotch, and that's not going to work in the morning.

I stand up quickly and drop her on the floor.

"Jerk!" Michelle shouts with an automated response. She's still rubbing the sleep from her face, but managed to call me by my unofficial first name before even remembering she's in a hospital. "Ugh," Michelle moans while standing up. "Why are you such a failure?"

Before she finishes her sentence, she leans her head on my chest.

I push her away. "Stop coming so close."

"I can't help it. My barcode and senses are connected. I normally cuddle with my cat in the morning, and you're the nearest body, so take it."

Michelle tries to close in again, but I side step her and wait near the door. Michelle searches the room until she finds her shoes next to the bed.

She playfully gasps, "You undressed me."

I try leaving, but she jumps on my back and swoops her head in. Before she can suck any additional life from me, I cover my neck, turn around, and throw her on the bed. Casually, she sits up and continues tying her shoes.

"What happened last night?"

"I called my grandad to come get the guy. Casey found him training in the gym with nothing but a towel on."

"Did you tell him that we were attacked?"

"That would be a lie. I'm the one that attacked him."

"Oh. Right."

Michelle jumps from the bed. When we make it to the first floor of the arena, a few people scrutinize us, and rightfully so. We're the only two students on this floor not wearing armor.

"I need to shower and get my gear. I guess I'll be late to class."

I walk away and mumble, "Just come to my place."

Michelle silently skips alongside of me. Before we can make it outside, Hannah leaps in front of us.

"And where are you two going?" she asks playfully.

None of the responses I come up with in my head seem quite appropriate. To my building to take a shower and change? No. To my place to get Michelle some new clothes? Don't think so. Well, you see we slept together and need to get ready for classes. Negative.

Michelle and I awkwardly fumble over our words until I profess, "Need to do a few more things for the crash victims and she's helping. We'll be right back." I try blowing past Hannah to avoid telling any other lies, but Michelle hesitates long enough to encounter another question.

"Why aren't you in armor?"

Michelle draws out her words, "We changed to catch a cab. Anyway, we have to go or we'll be really late."

I slap the armor hanging from my shoulder to show Hannah that I just switched gear, though Michelle can't do the same. We lightly jog out of the entrance while waving to a confused, but smiling Hannah.

Michelle cautiously watches me from the corner of her eyes. "Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

"Why didn't you? You'd normally sell me out."

Michelle doesn't respond, but won't allow me to see her face either.

"Anyway, things haven't been the same since the incident in the arena last year."

"You mean that horrible fight you put up?"

"Something like that."

As we cross the street, Michelle punches me sharply in the elbow. "Why didn't you even try?"

"I had something to prove."

"What? That you're rich enough to pay someone off?"

Still a few feet away from the curb, I stop in the intersection. "I would never pay someone to lose a fight."

Michelle runs into my arms. I don't want to hold her again, but for some reason I naturally try to prevent her from falling. I should've let her land on the cement.

The brat headbutts me playfully. "That's all I wanted to hear. I'll tell her for you. Kay?"

I nod and try not to smile. The car next to us honks their horn. Michelle's tattoos shine brightly as we both stare the idiot down. Once the driver in the tiny SUV realizes that we're both gladiators, he sinks in his seat.

The idiot's driving a fake military truck called a Hum-V. The yellow two-seater sits on fifty-inch wheels. Most guys use it for drag racing because the fiberglass material makes it lightweight, but there's enough horsepower to back it up. Casey once crashed into one just to show what a real military truck can do. Poor guy. The fiberglass shattered into particles.

"Sorry Apollo," the idiot squeals.

When we make it to Dennis' skyscraper, a block away from the arena, we head to the mall on the first floor and get Michelle fitted for a woman's Moreno armor. Michelle tries paying for it, but the clerk tells her that my gear is covered by Dennis Colt.

Before we leave, I ask the old man, "Did you meet a tall and nerdy boy with glasses recently?"

"Ah, Leonardo. Yes. Yes. Why?"

"Did he get any armor from you?"

"No. The armor he wears cannot be made here. I tried to ask him about it, but he was very secretive. Never seen anything like it. Beautiful craftsmanship."

"Got anything like that for me?"

"What you need it for? You finally fight?"

"Maybe."

"You too high quality this, high quality that. Kids. Just take what you have. I give you the best armor in this room already, and still you want more. I just put a new one in your room this morning. You're so spoiled, Spencer."

"Whatever. Where's Shay?"

"Are you trying to hit on my wife again?"

The old man's wife backs out of a room carrying a huge block of metal. I spin around him and rush to his wife's aid.

Lifting the block in my arms, I huff, "Where do you want this, Ms. Shay?" Damn. This thing is beyond heavy. I can't believe she was carrying it on her own.

The older lady crinkles her nose and blushes. "Oh, Spencer. You're always here to save me."

"He not here to save anybody," the old man shouts. "He here for armor."

"Ignore that old man. He wouldn't spit on me if I were on fire."

"Oh. I spit."

Shay points me to a corner where she cuts various metals. I lay the block down and massage her withered and rough hands. It's obvious that she does this type of work daily. It's just surprising to know that she's so robust at this age.

"Are you working hard?"

Still flushed red, she replies, "Of course. I have to make the best for my boys." Shay thinks of our family as her own. She's the owner of this Moreno shop. When I was a child, she'd let me sneak in the back rooms and help her. One day, Dennis found out and forbid me from bothering her. I went five years without seeing her. After puberty and a growth spurt, it seems that my flirting makes her smile.

Shay notices Michelle. "Is that your girlfriend?"

"No. She's the thorn in my side." I continue massaging the knots in her hand.

"She's pretty."

"Meh."

Leaning forward, Shay whispers, "Treat her nice. For me."

The old man grabs my ear and pulls me out of the room. "You go. I'll bring the armor personally. Just leave."

Once we make it to my floor, I point Michelle in the direction of my guest apartment and tell her that the bathroom should be clean.

I'd invite her into my place, but I'm embarrassed of my apartment. I'm not nervous about the cleanliness, the entire building has maids. It's the boring atmosphere that I never want people to see.

I was never much of a teenager, my creativity sucks, and the older I get the worse these things seem. My apartment is fancy because of the black counter tops and the pseudo mahogany wood. But there are no posters or picture frames. There's just expensive furniture, brown and black everything, and lots of televisions.

The brat barges into my master suite. Before I can even lock my door, I see a trail of her clothes leading into my bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"Bathroom."

"How'd you know where it was?" I shout while picking up her clothes.

"I can feel it under my feet. That's why I took off my shoes first. In fact, I know the entire layout of your floor. There's a weird rabbit-monkey living in your second apartment," she yells from the bathroom.

"Probably one of the Gonzales and Moreno experiments. Remember the one that got us in middle school?"

She doesn't reply. I imagine that's not a pleasant memory for her.

The shower starts and I feel a shock in my hand. I throw her clothes down my laundry chute, and the sensation disappears.

She left my door open and I can hear the water falling off of her body.

"Hey, Spencer?"

"What?"

"Why were you so nice to that woman? It's not like you."

I scratch my forehead and flip through a magazine on my coffee table. "I do it to piss off the old man."

"No you don't."

"How would you know?"

After wasting enough time in the bathroom, Michelle finally walks out with her tattoos radiating pink. Steam erotically dances off her skin. Her once bronze hair hangs densely on her shoulder with a dark demeanor.

"I'm taking a shower here every day. The water has amazing pressure, and the carpet is so soft." At the end of her statement, her barcodes flash intensively.

Michelle Miyamoto's sporting a very small towel and golden brown skin that seems to stay tanned all year. Her long legs are hardly covered. I've never stared for so long. But I can't resist. As one of the very few non-Amazon demigoddesses, there's no wonder her strength goes unrivaled.

Michelle's tattoos are two lions racing up her legs with their tails twisting around each ankle. She hates the feminine color, but I think it helps to soften her rough demeanor.

"You'll never take a shower here again," I fume while finally diverting my eyes. "And grab a shirt from my closet. Geez. Why'd you come out like that?"

"You've already sensed my entire body, so seeing me with nothing on shouldn't bother you."

I stutter, "What? That's not true."

"I know you did it on purpose, so don't deny it. If you do that stuff to sensor types, you cause chemicals to rage in the body. We almost kissed."

"No we didn't."

"Yes we did, and I wasn't happy with it either. Each barcode's connected to one of the senses. People with tattoos near their ears can hear further. Those with markings near their mouths have an enhanced sense of taste. I hear there's even a boy from Northern California that can process chemicals in his mouth better than MIBS-squared."

"I know all of this. Get to the point."

"You and I have an enhanced sense of touch. I don't know the size of your tattoo, but it must be huge because it's so easy to read."

"So what? My barcode's big. That doesn't mean I can read minds or levitate."

"You can't levitate—well I haven't heard of anyone that can—but you and I share a connection because our codes."

I flash my tattoo because I'm frustrated with her explanation. That's what I normally do when I'm angry. And I don't understand any of this.

Activating barcodes requires concentration and energy, but after practicing, like many gladiators have, it just stings a bit before we experience a sensation in the data. Chills normally run down my spine. It is a bit erotic, I'll admit that. But I don't see the harm.

Michelle blushes and shuffles like she has to pee before shouting, "Will you stop doing that! That's your damn problem."

"Stop what?"

"Activating your power! You can't control your codes yet so you set off my..." Michelle trails off. "Well you set something off in me and other girls. I can see it on their faces."

"What are you talking about? Tell me what I'm doing and I'll stop."

Her barcodes shine brightly.

"Why are you activating yours?"

"I can practically feel people's bodies when my codes are active. It helps me feel like I'm one with the world." She sits on my bed while seductively squeezing her legs and mutters, "I can see you now."

"Meaning you can sense my body under my clothes? Turn them off."

"No. I use them every morning. It's the best part of my day. I can't do this at school unless no one's watching. It's a spiritual rush, like when you shape MIBS."

I've never transmuted using MIBS before. Maybe that's why I can't feel what she does.

"Stop using your tats," I bark while slamming the door to the bathroom.

When I'm done with my shower, I hear the clerk drop off Michelle's armor and compliment her towel. She candidly thanks him. The girl isn't normal. Just because she can sense everyone's bare bodies doesn't mean she should answer the door indecently.

I give Michelle enough time to dress before leaving the bathroom. I didn't realize that I'd need to walk out in a towel too. I'm very used to being alone and getting dressed in my bedroom.

When I exit the bathroom, Michelle's still dressed in a towel and walking towards me. Her feisty personality returns, and to my surprise, her aggression makes me slightly miss the soft alluring little brat. "Let's start."

"Start what?"

"I said I'd teach you how to control your senses."

"No. We're not dressed."

"Our skin has to touch. You need to be able to discern between a real body and a presence."

"No!" I shout while running back into the bathroom.

I try to shutting the door, but she forces it open with a kick and charges in. Michelle fights to remove my towel, and I struggle against her. In the process, her linen drops.

"Let go, you freak."

"No. I have to do this." She fights harder for the towel. "What the hell is up with you and this military knot?"

"It's a natural habit; now let me go," I blurt with my tattoos raging underneath my bandages. I forcefully push her away and she tumbles to the floor. Before I can respond with any strategy, Michelle leaps up. Her barcodes radiate brightly, and her body's controlling my eyes.

I've heard that parents typically teach their kids how to control their senses at a young age by pressing their bodies together. But this is wrong.

Michelle rages towards me, and I use the barcode powering my right arm to knock her away again.

Dashing out of the bathroom, I sprint towards the bedroom door, but Michelle kicks a shelf at me that smashes against the wall.

I need a new plan.

Fearful of the larger shelf violently zooming towards me, I spring back towards my bed, which only makes the situation worse. Michelle is holding one of my gaming systems. It's a virtual headpiece that I use when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to move around much. She can crush that one. It gives me worse headaches than the 3D room.

I watch as her eyes trace my room. She's just noticed my lack of everything.

At most, I knew I wanted my room painted black. It's not an emo thing, but games project better on dark surfaces. Otherwise, even my neatly wrapped bed, made of Colt Stone from leftover pieces of the arena, is a tad simple. At least it has a history. The frame was passed down to all the strongest warriors in the Colt family.

"Stop looking at my stuff."

"What stuff?" she mumbles.

The warrior princess refocuses on her target and flashes the codes on her legs to increase the spring in her dash. The remarkable speed makes me wonder how fast she'd travel with Moreno boots that enhance agility.

As she kicks at my waist, I bend backwards and barely dodge the blow. I didn't realize she was aiming for the knot, which shreds effortlessly under the power of her tattoo.

Now, we're both exposed.

"You're staring,"

"Sorry. Sorry. Let's go." She advances cautiously.

"You said you were used to it."

"It's different in person sometimes. Seeing and feeling are different. Okay? Whatever, let's do this."

"No. Especially not after you say it like that."

Michelle kicks the air and a gust of wind lifts me from my feet. She speeds behind and catches me before I land on the bed. I decide to give in. We're already this close.

Interlocking her legs with mine and pressing her lips against my neck, she holds me tightly enough to draw me into her warmth.

"Why are you taking this so seriously?" I ask when her kiss delivers sensations that I've never experienced.

"Just relax."

"Tell me or I won't!"

"Data can omit chemicals, like pheromones. If you can't learn to control how you turn a girl on, you'll make me do something that'll hurt my best friend. So shut up and let me finish. It'll take longer because of the bandages."

The ceremonial bandages were given to me from a ring passed down to our family from Talib. Vincent currently protects the ring. It's known as the Seal of Solomon. Once my uncle placed his hand on my head, the ring wrapped my upper body. The process was so excruciating I couldn't move for weeks.

Though the connection between our bodies isn't as intense near the bandages, I am experiencing overwhelming pleasure.

I struggle to remain still with Michelle's heart beating heavily on my spine. She pleasures me by lightly sliding her nails across my skin and licking my neck. It nearly turns into a make out session for her and something much more erotic for me. Before I'm fully aroused, she grips my arm roughly. "Now for the pain portion. Try not to move."

Michelle viciously bites my neck and digs her nails deep into my arms. Once she pushes her knuckles into my spine, I nearly black out, but after an excruciating minute, she stops.

That's when I feel a rush of data swarm through my tattoo. Michelle's data is connecting with mine. It programs my codes. The transfer of information from her tattoos to mine feels soothing.

Gracefully, Michelle enters the living room and begins dressing in her armor. "You'll be able to move in a bit, but see if you can sense my boots.

Like a little wimpy boy I cry, "I can."

"What about the rest?"

Blushing, I assert, "I can sense that too."

"Good. Now, try not to notice my body. Focus on something really intensively." I naturally turn my eyes to watch her dress. I'm almost sure her entire body flushes red.

The softness returns as she gushes, "You have to use something else so you can ignore me." Assuming I can't hear her, she mumbles, "It is flattering though."

While looking at my games, I begin thinking of all the fun I haven't had by myself. They help bypass the time, but fighting in a room with my arch enemy is a bit more interesting.

"I'm sorry," she says as though she were reading my thoughts.

That's when I realize I can't feel her presence.

"How'd that work?"

"Once your codes learn the difference between a body and data, it's really easy to control. I'm sorry your Dennis never showed you, but luckily for you, the bandages repressed your urges to sense your surroundings. I guess they're getting weaker and aren't able to restrict your powers as much." She returns fully dressed. "You should be able to move now."

I slowly sit up. I'm finally understanding why she didn't think being undressed was such a big deal. After placing on my armor, I walk to the side of my bed and pick up several gifts.

I notice a huge square on my carpet where it seems someone removed a heavy box recently. With all the people working in this building, there is never any telling what comes into my room.

"What are those?" Michelle stands next to me.

"Birthday gifts."

"But I thought you didn't like birthdays."

"I never said that."

Michelle faintly murmurs, "I knew it." I'm not sure if I'm hearing her or reading her thoughts, but the words were clear enough to understand. After opening each of my gifts, I collect the paper and throw them away. Michelle watches patiently, and seems a bit disappointed at my lack of excitement.

"Who gave you all of these?"

"One's from Hayley. She gave me a gift card to buy the Playstation XL I told her I wanted. The XE in my game room gives me headaches so I..." I trail off. Games are all I have in life. If I begin complaining about my systems, we'll be here all day. "Anyway, my grandad got me the Google UV."

I hold up a transparent phone that resembles a thin strip of green glass. Then, I slide my hand over the surface. Colors rush to the screen and Indian drums boom through the speakers. A light scans my face before a cartooned version of me stumbles across the screen. It falls and begins rolling down the display. I hold the phone horizontally and he stands up before dusting himself off.

I wave at the avatar and he salutes me.

Michelle notices the gift I haven't opened yet. "What about that one?"

"Chocolate." I open the box and take a bite. "I've gotten a package like this ever since I started at the academy. It always comes with a prayer written for me, which is sweet, and some very rare chocolate."

Michelle steals one and croons, "Oh. That's good."

"Amazing. I don't know who it comes from, but it's really nice. It's the only gift I ever receive from anyone besides Hayley or Casey."

"Why?"

"People don't know what to get the great Apollo that can buy whatever he wants. Anyway, we should take off. We're already an hour late."

As we exit the apartment, I ask a burning question, "Did you always fight me to control my powers?"

"Yes. I'd bite or hit you the moment you were within in range for a reason. You were always sharing your senses with me and others. Why do you think all the girls blush when you're near?"

"I'm sexy."

"Ugh." She ignores me until the elevator opens. When we step on, something causes Michelle to grin devilishly. "And Spencer?"

"Yes?"

"The chocolates make four compliments."

Michelle and I managed to make it to campus by lunchtime. I couldn't find my seat with the others before Leonardo began stalking me. He tailed our group for an entire day carrying the embarrassing oversized case with him. I thought he'd lag behind at one point or another, but he's persistent.

God level students are very accustomed to the entire school watching as we roam the halls. Kyle and I often make fun of the Apes' infatuation. Today the undesired attention comes from the clunky briefcase that the nerd refuses to put down.

Even Hannah and Michelle are agitated by the constant clanking sound trailing our every step, and they normally accept anyone new to join our group, especially Michelle. She hates my current cluster of friends. She's always suggesting I replace Kyle with one of Professor Gonzales' pets.

Suddenly, over the loud speakers, Casey announces, "Everyone meet on the battlefield for a brief message from Dennis Colt."

Heavily sweating by now, Leonardo drops his case while sobbing, "I can't carry this that far."

"You shouldn't have brought it in the first place. Either leave it or get left behind," I say with such authority that I embarrass Hannah. Kyle, on the other hand, enjoys every word.

"I could, I mean maybe you can," Leonardo stutters.

"No one's carrying that thing," Kyle teases while kicking it over.

The second it falls, the locks break off and roll near my feet.

"Damn, that was pointless, nerd. If you're going to use a bulletproof case, you should also get secure locks." Kyle opens the case without permission. "Whoa. Spence, check this out." Kyle removes a suit identical to Leonardo's. "It's another geek costume."

"I'm sorry." Leonardo looks like he'll burst into tears. "This was your birthday gift. I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but the scene outside happened. I even took it to your place, but they said you never showed up."

Kyle roars with laughter as he holds the suit, pressing it against his body. "Well, Spence, how do I look?" Kyle imitates a woman fishing for compliments. "Where'd you get this from, dude?"

"I made it."

Kyle laughs so hard, he drops the suit and rolls on the ground. Now, a crowd surrounds us. At his audience, Kyle blares, "Check this out everyone, the new kid made this, and had the nerve to put a Moreno emblem on it."

That's when it hits me.

Kyle playfully pouts, "Did your mommy and daddy help you?"

"Yes. Both mama and papa put a lot of work into it with me. I worked on it for three months after I moved from Spain." Turning to me he exclaims, "I knew you'd mentor me so I made a prototype for myself. You have all the bells and whistles. I plan to upgrade my suit later..." the end of his sentence trails off.

"Wait. Wait. Go way back," Kyle giggles as I try to shut him up. "No. One minute, Spence. Did you say mama and papa? Mama! Papa!"

Kyle's taunts encourage the entire group to insult Leonardo. I notice Leonardo's legs giving in and his face blazing red. He tries to run away, but I yell, "Shut up Kyle!" The crowd silences and I snatch the suit from the idiot's hands. Inspecting the emblem, I notice the similarities between the one on my suit, but this M is different. It's more stylized. I turn to Leonardo and ask, "What's your last name."

He's hesitant to answer, "Moreno."

Such a simple response silences the entire room. I've never known a single Moreno to enroll in an arena.

Hayley always cautioned me to avoid making fun of someone, because I might need them one day. What she didn't say, was they may be more famous than me.

Someone from the larger crowd breaks the silence. "What's it made from, ceramic?"

Leonardo shyly laughs and adjusts his glasses. "No. This is the finest attotube fibers I've sown to date. Even if I develop something else, this suit will compete with me to upgrade itself. The soft padding is graphene, and the rest, especially the spine protection, is Kevlar-reinforced through MIBS-squared. See this shiny stuff here?" Leonardo points to some small designs on the shoulders and chest.

Everyone nods enthusiastically.

"That's ceramic."

My armor weighs a ton, but this feels like a feather. Confused, I inquire, "If that's Kevlar, how is it so lightweight?"

"MIBS is a quick process similar to heating boron carbide at a high temperature and forming it to a ceramic plating. Basically, you're condensing substances. The problem that I discovered is you can only compress that material through MIBS once. So, it still feels bulky like your current suit. With Kevlar and graphene, I can use MIBS-squared to infinitely compress the material, making multiple layers thinner without needing to divide the Kevlar into sections. Then, an AI activates barcodes that changes the suit to the user's needs. As a bonus, everything's covered in Nomex, so you can run through a fire if you want."

Translated, Leonardo's a genius.

"Infinitely? Yeah, right. Let's see if it works," Kyle contests while removing a dagger from his vest. It's his most cherished possession, a knife made from carbon nanotubes and diamond that his grandfather passed down to him. He tears the armor from my hand and drops it on the ground. Then, he proceeds to stab the chest plate.

While in mid-swing, Leonardo shouts, "No!"

Kyle hears the warning clearly enough to stop, but doesn't. His spirit shatters to dust, just like the weapon. Not a single person hums a word, but their eyes say it all. Leonardo's reputation builds slowly with every second following Kyle's instant defeat.

"Sorry to ask in front of everyone, but do you at least like it?" Leonardo asks cautiously.

Laughing through his own misfortune, Kyle banters, "Don't be stupid. Spence doesn't want to be your twin."

Every molecule on my body displays my contention. I may not want to look like him, but I'd have the finest Moreno on the planet.

The pot gets sweeter when Leonardo announces, "It won't stay this way forever. The armor matches the user. The more you fight, the more it'll change. Eventually, it will form perfectly to Spencer and no one else will be able to share this beast."

Before I know it, I'm taking off my own armor and throwing it as far away as possible. As I put on my final boot, Professor Jules runs to separate the crowd while shouting, "Didn't you hear the announcement? You're all late!"

Professor Jules is a small and stout African-American man that hates most of the students. He's not very fond of my arrogance either, as he's told Dennis and Casey in countless situations. Yet, even he takes his time to marvel at the armor. Eventually, he pushes us up the hall, and the ladies follow.

TWO

Leonard's been trailing me since school let out. "What are you looking for?"

"I wanted to see if my grandad could give me some information about Angie or the crash. Dennis isn't answering any questions and that announcement telling us that the students will return tomorrow doesn't help much."

"Don't you want to check the teacher's lounge?"

"Casey wouldn't be spotted near that room. There aren't enough cute professors at this school. He probably rushed out of here to meet with one of his future wives." Under my breath I mumble, "I probably should have come straight here instead of flirting with Hannah."

"So you're no better than him," Leonardo fires back with a smirk.

"You're pretty funny for a dork."

Leo follows me like a well-trained pet. This might be okay if we weren't wearing the same exact gear.

After giving up on finding Casey, I decide to leave the school and walk home with the puppy tagging along.

"You don't have to stalk me, you know?"

Leo takes a deep breath. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"About what?" I say suspiciously.

"My parents are headed back to Spain until the fall exams, and your father has offered to let me stay with you." After some unknown time passes, Leonardo waves his hands in my face. "Is everything okay Spencer?"

I blink twice.

"I'll stay out of your way. I promise."

That snaps me out of my trance. "Out of my way? That's even more of a problem. If you're in the house while I sneak out, that will bring attention to me."

"How often do you sneak out?"

"Look, you'll go where I go, do what I say, and you won't say a word. Do you understand?"

Leo bobs his head up and down joyfully. He's like a little kid that was just told by big brother to not embarrass him in front of the girls at the mall.

"The sun's setting. We'll get a few things from the house and leave. Got me?"

Understanding the rules, Leo obediently follows me home. We sneak in, grab something to eat, and quietly leave the building.

Over the years, I've learned to avoid all check-ins. The less people know, the better off we are. After ten minutes, we're headed down the street towards our destination.

We manage to cover nearly a full mile before Leo cracks. "Where are we going?"

I shoot him a mean evil eye that causes him to shrink down a size or two. Sadly, he's still taller than me.

"China Town."

"Are you crazy? We're walking there? That'll take hours."

"I hop on top of the train." I'm forced to speak at a snail's pace because I'm suddenly aware that he's too fragile to jump on a moving train.

Leo removes his backpack and places it at his feet.

"These four strips are aerogel. They've been combined with Zectron through MIBS-squared in order to make the brittle substance flexible." He pulls out a bag of tiny silver bugs. I doubt I'd be able to see one if it were by itself, but all together, they make a loud buzzing sound and are easy to notice.

"What are those?"

"Nanobots are miniature machines with compressed barcodes. They're nearly capable of anything I can program." The bugs fly in a circle. "For now, you can call them transportation."

Leo combines them into small engines to attach inside the wheels we make from rolling the aerogel into large tires. He hands me two long bars that magnetically stick to my gloves and boots. I insert those rods into the hoops and place them next to the nanobot engine inside of the wheels. Like spiders, the bots begin spinning web made of alloy to connect the axis and wheel.

We have to use our own bodies as the frame for the bike. My face is probably two feet from the ground and my butt's hiked in the air. It's like using the most advanced ab roller in the world.

The nanobots roar like a Moreno motorcycle. Their shocks aren't the best, but the ride is pretty smooth for how fast we're able to go. Best of all, Leo shows me how to activate my suit's helmet. Five minutes into the ride, that helmet becomes vital during my crash. With the impact resistance technology in the armor, I hardly feel a bump when sliding eighty miles per hour on the ground. That's what I get for taking the third level freeways, which are mainly for vehicles that can travel over two hundred miles per hour.

We swiftly arrive at our location. All the buildings in this city are relatively small compared to the ones in Griffith Park.

I take a huge whiff of smog and look around at the only remaining historic area in Los Angeles. The buildings are ancient. Red, green, and gold are everywhere. The Yangs, a large Chinese family that settled in America nearly a century ago, spent loads of money restoring this district.

There's a museum in the center of town that shows images of the renovations over a thirty year period. Despite the progress made and the beautiful architecture surrounding the area, there's still a sense of grit and grime to the city. Residents walk more than they drive. The sidewalks are always jam packed with pedestrians. Even now, people are bumping into us. I should have visited this place sooner. It makes me forget about Dubai.

"Welcome to China Town," I tell Leo while rubbing my stomach.

The abdominal area of my suit glows. Suddenly, my core is covered with what feels like a supportive waistband. Excited that my suit finally evolved, I look over to tell Leo. Much to my chagrin, his gear has adjusted too and we're still in identical suits.

I hand Leo the pieces from my bike. "What else can they do?"

"Everything. Surf. Glide. Shoot. It's really based on my imagination. I tell one bot, and the others do the rest."

"They can hear you?"

"Yeah. I have plenty in..." Leo looks nervously. "It's actually too difficult to explain. They're just really advanced and capable AI."

Laughing and discussing some of the many objects he's made with the bots, I walk Leo to the top floor of a building just a block from Yang Arena. A "friend" from Yang Arena found this building years ago. It's a casino headed by an Indian and Chinese mob.

The ten-story building, the tallest on the block, poses as a bar. They're very popular for their marijuana, and the food is made with X-Eyes alcohol. I once sampled a curry that numbed the right side of my face.

"What's this?" Leo blurts before covering his mouth.

Still juiced from the phenomenal commute, we both forget to abide by our previous agreement. With my heart still scrambling, I reply, "It's the rooftop arena."

"Rooftop arena?"

"Yeah. Students from just about every arena have one. Colt's the only school without a rooftop because of the security Dennis places everywhere in GP."

"What do you do?"

"It's simple, fight like the gladiators do, but for bragging rights." My eyes scan the area. I'm amazed to see so many people. I've never arrived this early. The train normally drops me off after most of the strong students have left.

"This is illegal, right?"

"Of course." I lead Leo through the crowd.

Suddenly, I hear a wild scream from someone standing nearby.

"It's Spence. Yo. Yo. It's Spence."

Yukio, a classmate I've grown up with, smiles and shakes my hand. He's a student in the god level classes at Colt Arena, even though he lives in China Town. If it weren't for him fighting on my behalf, Colt wouldn't have an ounce of respect in the underground fighting realm.

"What are you doing here so early?" Yukio shouts in his normal high-pitched tone.

Yukio's seventeen, but he looks like an elementary student by all standards. He talks and argues like a kid. He's not the smartest guy, often gets lost, and is easily distracted. I normally find him with his pinky finger jammed up his nose while star gazing.

"Did your daddy drop you off?"

"I got a ride with him." Turning to Leonardo I say, "Leo this is Yo, the god Orion. Yo, this is Zeus."

Before they can shake hands, Yukio's friend nudges him while scrutinizing me from head to toe.

"What? Oh." Yukio's grin overpowers his face. "Spence, you finally get to do it."

I step back once I remember her.

Leo looks concerned. "What?"

"He's fighting Gi Young."

"Gi Young. Wow. He sounds amazing. If he's fighting Spencer, he must be some huge monster like Arnold or something, huh?"

Yukio and his friend laugh. "No."

"Well, his barcodes must be out of this world."

They snicker again and simultaneously answer, "No."

I see this dragging on for too long. I jump in and answer, "Gi Young is a girl."

"Not just any girl, she has the hugest crush on Spencer," Yukio adds while poking me in the stomach. "What did she say? If she beats you, you'll have to be her boyfriend." Yukio stretches out the first syllable of the last word, mocking me.

The two pint sized boys laugh as Kyle enters with his gang. Kyle's parents drop him off and are well aware of the rooftop games. He always stays for the full night.

"Whoa. Spence? What's going on? You're never here this early." After I explain the situation, we make our way to the battlefield.

Before I can even step into the light, Gi Young rolls in front of me. She's very pretty, overweight, and aggressive. I don't mind her size; it compliments her fighting style. I simply hate the amount of times I've needed to change my number because of her constant harassment.

"Hi, sweetie."

"Gi Young," I reply expressionlessly.

"You finally got here early enough to see me. Why doesn't your dad bring you by the arena anymore?"

I shrug my shoulders and peek over her head to see the current match.

"Hmm. That's a shame. Are you still pursuing what's-her-face?"

"Yes, Gi Young."

"You can't remember her name either, huh?" She scrunches her face playfully. "I'm just kidding, but you know, after today I'll make you my boyfriend."

"I'm not making that deal."

She makes an adorable grunt.

I walk past her to a section reserved for Colt Arena students. Normally, there are only three of my classmates left when I arrive, but the whole gang is here now.

I recline on the beaten and worn out sofa. Everything seems different at this hour—much livelier. There's some emo punk rap playing in the background, a few of the Yang Arena students are making out, and the candles at each of the surrounding tables are still lit.

The junior arenas that students construct aren't very elaborate, but they get the job done. Gi Young helped me build this place when we were still junior high students. Initially, this was considered a part of Colt Arena. That's the promise we made. Yet, when her father found out about the miniature arena, he insisted that his people claim the rights.

I allowed them to keep the furniture and the nearly indestructible tile I managed to snatch from Colt Arena, as long as we could have a section reserved for us. Don't get me wrong, I was nothing pleasant for the first two weeks after hearing my arena had been taken, but I got over it because I wanted to fight.

Gi Young and I have never battled each other, but I know she's one of Yang's Amazons, the only demigoddesses infamously known for killing gods. By some peculiar coincidence, Amazons are often born within the same region. They tend to gravitate towards one another naturally, and rarely fight alone. For the past three decades, Yang Arena has trained the young women mercilessly.

People would consider this the dominant stadium of the West and South Coasts if it weren't for Colt, so that says a lot about their system. Though they are well recognized for the Amazons' training lead by Gi Young's mother, the men are no less intimidating. I don't expect this to be an easy match. At all.

The announcer places Gi Young and me on call after she argues with him for a few minutes. Then, she slowly saunters towards me. She's testing my inner strength. I struggle to avoid laughing. Though she attempts to gracefully sway her hips, she mechanically bumps several victims onto the floor.

"So, how about that deal?"

"Can we please just play the silent game until the match is over? I'll start first, see?" I point to my closed lips.

"You want me to kiss them? Okay!"

I hold her head back. Gi Young is outrageously strong and I nearly have to activate my barcodes to fend myself from the girl.

"Hmph. You can't keep rejecting me!"

"Watch."

"What if I make a fair trade?"

"No trade you have is going to be fair."

"You sure? This one's good. It's about two new boys at your school that may want to kill you."

The match hasn't even begun and I feel blood racing steadily. "What?"

"Make the deal. If I lose, I'll tell you. And if you lose..." she puckers her lips.

"Not worth it."

"I'll tell you even if we're together," she makes her best impression of a sensual voice.

"I don't want it."

The announcer calls us to the battlefield. First, she pokes me in the stomach. I notice the barcode around her waist shine purple. Then, she quickly stands up to bait me in.

"Okay. You'll be dead, and that's fine by me."

After making my way to the battlefield, and hearing the announcer begin our match, I cave. "Fine, but I don't want to hear anymore about kissing if I win."

She bounces up and down giddily. "Deal!"

After years of knowing her, I'd never understood the power of the tattoo that wraps around Gi Young's waist. It acts as a magnet to whatever object she touches. The poke was all I needed to become magnetized.

I honestly can't understand what's happened to me. Her body is nearly floating towards mine, bashing me until I almost fall off of the roof. Worried about my safety, she stops attacking for one second and that's enough time for me to punch her in the gut.

With the strike, Gi Young's stomach deflates and her face does too. Her clothes fall to the ground, except for her large shirt, which initially couldn't cover her waist. Now, it acts as her dress.

After her friends scrape her from the ground, I see a tiny and still beautiful Asian girl. Her sparkling eyes glare at me in anger.

"Do you know how long it takes me to collect that much air? I won't be able to fight for a month."

Her friends try to lift her clothes from the ground, but they're too heavy. She easily picks up the pieces, and folds them in her arms. Still upset, Gi Young storms back to Colt Arena's area. I follow her doing my best not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Gi Young shouts as I find my seat.

"You were a bit cuter when inflated." I puff air into my cheeks.

She drops her clothes. The weights crack the floor and I feel my chair rumble.

"About our arrangement."

"I won't tell you anything."

"What? We had a deal!"

"I won't say anything, unless you let me sit in your lap," she cries softly with a frown.

"No. You lost the bet. Spit it out."

Her eyes angrily zoom in on me. Big or not, she's prepared to fight again. "Spencer Colt, I've thrown myself at you—"

I interject, "Literally."

Kyle and Wesley laugh until she stares at them. Then, they snicker while trying to hold their composure.

"I've thrown myself at you for years, and you've never shown me any affection. The least you could do..." she turns away and I sense the tears forming in her eyes. "The least you could do is let me sit in your lap."

Not wanting to hurt someone that I might consider a friend if I were desperate, I wave her over.

She wipes her eyes, ties her arms around my neck, and speaks as slowly and closely to my face as I'll allow. "A helicopter dropped off twins on their way to Colt Arena earlier this week. One came to pay tribute to my father. We're one of the only arenas that stood by the Payne Gym when they were run out of California. While they were talking, the brother wearing the mask of Tartarus wrote something interesting on his cell tablet."

She holds me more tightly in order to draw out as much time as possible. When I realize she's waiting for me, I quickly ask, "What did he write?"

"Kill Spencer. But, here's the strange part sweetie, I'm one hundred percent sure he wanted me to see it."

Once she's finished, I stand up and Gi Young falls to the floor.

"Let's go, Leo."

As we exit the freeway and zip pass hundreds of skyscrapers, I notice a smell seeping through my helmet. The unpleasant odor blurs my vision, and I begin to slow down only to notice that Leo seems afflicted as well.

Activating my barcodes, I search the area ahead to sense what already feels like an ominous presence. Even with my new ability I'm unable to reveal anything hidden in the area. It feels as though we've entered a ghost town.

With thousands of residents on this one block, I don't sense a fragment of life. The road becomes slippery, so we decide to pull over to the sidewalk.

Leo and I inspect the wheels.

"This is blood, Spence."

Walking towards the street, I see the pavement covered in it. The blood flows down the road like a stream. "Go home. I want to see what's going on."

Leo shakes his head. "Nope. That's how scary movies start. The nerd is always the first to die...after the black guy. I'm sticking by you."

We follow the stream to a skyscraper. An incoherent whispering sound echoes in my head.

A pool of blood nearly two inches over our boots flows from the rooms, windows, and even the walls. I can hardly see my feet through the red river.

This is a hotel. The colors of the walls are orange, and the counters are made of marble. The computers are still on and a phone rings loudly.

Ignoring the sound, I ask, "Hey Leo. Why can I see in the dark?"

"The suit injects nanobots into your bloodstream, a very experimental, but safe process." He pauses long enough to make me doubt him. "I think. Anyway, they strengthen a layer of tissue known as tapetum lucidum, increasing light available to your photoreceptors. And they increase your rapid perception in emergency situations."

"Nice. This is a rapid perception suit?"

"Of course."

After roaming the first level, we make it to the bar.

Bodies stacked from the floor to the ceiling. Using my barcodes to sense their strength, I feel powerful data oozing from each victim in the room. They are all Apes. I'm not too concerned until I notice that they're strong enough to be gladiators.

Leo and I continue walking out of the maze of bodies until we reach a simple television room. There, I notice one person quickly flipping through different stations.

I sit down in an adjacent chair and watch as the mysterious masked boy navigates through a few more stations before stopping and turning to me.

Waving, I say, "Hello."

He returns the friendly gesture, but blood flies off his hand with each swing. Leo cautiously sits next to me.

"How's it going?"

His dreadlocks swing a bit as he searches his pockets. He removes a phone similar to the one Casey got me for my birthday.

"That's a really nice phone."

The boy turns on the hologram projector and types, "Thanks."

"What's your name?" I ask politely.

"Kode. Pronounced Co-Dy."

"Interesting name."

"It's a bit boring, but thanks. What are you doing here? Your dad is probably pissed that you're out this late." He types quickly. But if a cell phone were my only means of communication, I guess I'd have swift fingers too.

"He's too busy to notice."

Kode turns towards Leo and types, "You're showing the geek around."

"Don't give him a hard time. He's a good guy."

"Better than Kyle. I'll give him that."

I prepare to ask how he knows about Kyle, but my words have a mind of their own. "What happened to the helicopter?"

"It crashed."

"But why?"

Kode taps his fingers on the side of his phone, but doesn't type.

"My cousin was on it, so I just want to know."

"Helios sent one of his students with explosives attached to his body."

"Explosives?"

"Strange biotechnology that uses the blood of the bomber as a contaminant. Whoever his blood hits becomes a walking time bomb. The cycle of explosions can go on until it destroys an entire city."

"Why weren't we killed?"

"He wasn't in the helicopter and his blood evaporated before reaching you."

"Why wasn't he in the helicopter?" Kode doesn't respond again. Leaning forward, I notice the blood still settling at my heels and remember to ask, "And why'd you kill so many people?"

"Never said I did."

"Sorry for the assumption."

"No worries."

"Did you?"

"Yes." I notice Leonardo jerk in his seat. Kode sizes him up before typing, "Don't soil yourself. I'm not after you."

"But you are after me?"

"It's more like I'm drawn to you. I've heard about The Helios Killer and wanted to see him with my own eyes, though you're much weaker than I expected."

I read his text, but one of the bodies stacked outside of the door falls, causing many others to crumble to the floor. Leo nearly leaps out of his seat. I glance over my shoulder and swallow hard.

It's one thing to show off power—killing Apes isn't difficult for any demigod or god level gladiator. But it's another to murder that many people. How twisted is Kode?

When I look back at Kode, "Do their deaths bother you?" is projecting from his screen.

"I'm a gladiator and a big boy. I'll get over it."

Kode stands up and gestures for us to follow him. I gladly tag along, but Leonardo hesitates. He shakes off the cobwebs and hustles to catch up. All three of us run to the rear exit. I hold the door for Leo long enough to lose Kode. There isn't even a trace of him.

In the distance, I hear sirens. We quickly set up our bikes and drive away. Though I hate to admit it, I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.

I wake up to a dark pile of smoke and fire truck sirens screaming outside of my window. Firefighters are working on a tremendous fire near the area Kode attacked. I turn on my phone and browse the local news to find a live streaming video of Janet Moreno, a reporter, interviewing Dennis.

He calmly clears his throat and explains, "A chemical explosion in a nearby research laboratory caused this fire. Unfortunately, many people were killed. We estimate somewhere around ten thousand citizens lost their lives. We'll send you an update when we know more."

My hands tremble. Doesn't Dennis know what really happened? He always knows what's going on.

The miniature avatar on my phone skates across my screen. "There's a text message in your MeeToo account."

"Read it."

The avatar stops skating and salutes me. "Message from Leonardo Moreno reads, Spencer, are you okay? You didn't answer your door and you're not in class."

Damn. I have five minutes to make it to campus.

I arrive seven minutes late to class. Hoping the professor doesn't notice me, I hide my face when rushing through the massive sized class and flop in my seat next to Hannah. When I look up, there are several freshman and transfer students standing in front of our newly remodeled classroom, but no teacher.

The floors and walls were updated with some extremely sturdy Colt Stone. The white rock feels as smooth and has some hidden abilities. Leo claims he designed the room so the walls can expand and retract. The professors can shift the classes to create mazes or obstacles for training.

"Where's Professor Gardezi?"

Hannah narrows her eyes. "You better not have been out with some other girl."

"I overslept and I'm still waiting on you to go out with me. How's tonight?"

"I'm busy and the professor's tracking down your lost cousin. He left those guys alone without introducing them."

All the injured students from the crash have finally recovered and made their way onto the chopping block. Because god level students are so rare, we're combined into classes regardless of age and experience. These poor saps were abandoned by Professor Gardezi with everyone gawking or whispering about them.

Professor Gardezi's the only god I've ever ranked in Arnold's unofficial weight class, monster weight. He once accepted a death match challenge from Arnold, but Dennis canceled the illegal bout. He's ridiculously smart and is research is amazing, but it was irresponsible to leave the noobs all alone.

The freshmen and transfers have formed their own groups and are talking amongst themselves. Kode and his brother have huddled behind three freshmen. From this distance, it's difficult to distinguish the two. Both brothers are tall, but Kode seems frailer. His brother, on the other hand, is well built and handsome. His Afro has a dark orange highlight. A few of Kode's dreadlocks are nearly burgundy.

Kode's brother looks thuggish, but holds himself like a king. Gods often have one or two symbolic tattoos on their body, but he has multiple designs that interlace. They are very artistic.

I tap the back of Leo's chair. "They're claiming the events last night were a fire."

"Yeah. Everyone was talking about it this morning. I tried telling a police officer what I saw—"

"Why would you do that? They could've blamed us."

"It doesn't matter. They hung up on me once I mentioned the bodies."

"Hung up?"

Leo cleans his glasses and bobs his head up and down.

"The death toll is ten thousand."

"No way."

"He doesn't look that strong." I observe Kode again. I'm not impressed by the amount of Apes he killed. If that was meant to scare me, he failed. "He's not even wearing armor."

The armor on Kode's brother is the same quality of my old Moreno gear, but Kode's wearing what most of us consider under-armor.

Leo says something but I tune him out. I'm processing a faint voice echoing in my head, "Armor is made for those afraid to die."

Nudging Hannah, I ask, "Do you ever remember Arnold saying something like, armor is made for people afraid to die?"

Hannah giggles. "It sounds too poetic for him, but it would make sense, since he doesn't wear gear. He's always hoping someone will kill him."

"He actually requested I fight him last year. It was the first and only time I ran away. Arnold squeezed the hell out of me the next time we met up."

The classroom door swings open as Hannah laughs at my unfortunate past. It may sound funny, but most consider a squeeze from Arnold a near death experience.

Professor Gardezi enters the room and gestures for someone to follow. My stunningly beautiful cousin, nearly the same height as the Payne twins, gracefully glides into the classroom as though she'd purposely shown up late. I know better—Angie's sense of direction is an abomination. I doubt that's changed over the past seven years.

Now that she's an adult, her barcodes better suit her. Each of her breasts has an arrow that points towards her face.

Strangely, I've never seen Angie's tattoo glow. I'm sure she's used them in battle, but they always remain black.

The stylishly exquisite girl stands next to Kode and his brother. The two boys seem to shape up when she enters the room.

Hannah punches me swiftly in the ribs and teases, "You're staring!"

"She's my cousin."

"Didn't you say your uncle wants you both to recreate Helios after you defeat him?"

"Dennis isn't having that. He's made it clear that he doesn't want me fighting Helios anytime soon, and he definitely doesn't want me have a baby to potentially kill my cousin."

Professor Gardezi proclaims, "I'm proud to be the first to announce that today we're going to welcome our own princess of Colt Arena, Angie Colt."

Angie is the product of my uncle and her Louisianan mother, the first woman to host the power of a god and not a goddess, Poseidon. Like Zeus, Poseidon does not match well with humans.

The South's most prized woman was bedridden nearly all of her life. Many doctors said her womb was an ocean of strength that could possibly birth the mightiest barcode in history. Because of this, many men competed to mate with her. But in a free-for-all war, my uncle reined as the sole survivor.

Angie's birth reunited the West and South Coast. Because of her, the country is only divided into two halves.

Professor Gardezi finishes his elaborate speech and introduces the rest of the students. I listen to learn the name of Kode's brother—Monte Payne.

Angie purposely passes my seat before finding her own. With a faint Southern accent, she calmly cheers, "Hey Spencer."

"Hey," I reply with a beaming smile.

Hannah shoots me a stink eye that makes me wonder if she's actually jealous.

At lunch, I notice a large group of Apes crowding Monte's table, bombarding him with questions about his history and why his brother doesn't talk. I listen to him explain the power and restrictions of Kode's mask as Kyle, Wesley, and I approach the table.

Monte explains, "Kode can't hear or see inside of Tartarus. Supposedly, his sight and sound are removed to increase his ability to sense what's around him. I once shot an arrow from fifty yards away and he caught it."

One of Monte's fans sings, "Whoa," with his eyebrows raised and eyes nearly popping from his head. "Can he write and tell you what it's like?"

"Yeah. But it's best to not talk to the mask directly. It's cursed."

The fans seem to lean away from the table.

In order to correct his mistake of scaring the wimps, Monte focuses on Kode's better qualities. "He's the most blunt and honest guy in the world. But if you ask him about Tartarus, he never types a word. When we were kids, I bugged him about it until he finally said he hated the mask."

Kode rests his head against his cheek and taps his fingers on the table.

I take a seat in front of the twins while finishing my apple—it's imported from China. Hannah says it's my way to display my wealth.

"Tartarus, that's the name of the mask right? That's a disgusting mask to place on a child. Did it shape to his face once he was born, or did he have to grow into it?" I'm well aware that I'm interrupting the Apes' conversation.

"It shaped to his face," Monte answers after watching me take a few bites of the apple.

Pointing the fruit towards him, I tease, "Want the rest?"

Monte shrugs his shoulders. "I guess you cherish apples here, but we've lived in Spain, Japan, and Brazil. There are plenty of fruit trees there."

Well aware that he's provoking us, Kyle jumps in, "Why are you here if your life's so great?"

"I've been to many countries and fought in several wars." Monte pats his Afro. "I don't think there's a place on this world where life is great, but your Hollywood area is really nice."

Wesley leans forward. "Teenagers aren't allowed to fight in wars."

"On this part of the country. But the South is always at war. We're near the desolate land of the East and South Coast where liminal beings from Mississippi to Florida, all the way up to South Carolina, come down to attack our land. Not to mention, there's Helios."

"Then what are you doing here?" My challenging demeanor alerts Monte. He lowers his eyebrows and clutches his fists.

The Apes feel the storm brewing at the table and they slowly trickle away until none are left.

"Our family plans to return to the West Coast now that our own arena is established in Louisiana. Still, the program here allows us to graduate high school and college at once while providing us with a path to become politicians. That's a deal our father couldn't pass up."

I don't blame him for placing emphasis on their arena. The tragedy surrounding how the Payne family was outlawed from California is an urban legend at many campuses. Most believe they were attempting to become the next group of tyrants like Helios. I even heard that half of their students shared similar fighting styles with the dictator, which caused several Senators to turn against the family and attempt to destroy them before they rose to power.

Over the past decade, Blake and Eve Payne have reestablished their legacy. Eve is specifically known for her savageness and sword. I've seen pictures of her victims' limbs. They say she continues cutting her opponents even after their death. Blake isn't as malicious, but not many warriors last long in the ring against him. I believe the record is forty-seven seconds.

I had no clue the duo had children. Judging from what I've heard about Eve, everything I know about Kode makes sense.

But it is Monte that carries the weight of the history and future of his family on his shoulders. He seems to work hard at representing his family name with pride.

"So what's up with you and my cousin? You two shaped up nicely when she came in the room," I jeer.

Monte makes a faint choking sound.

I notice Angie approaching from behind and decide to provoke him a bit more. "Is she your master, or are you her boy toys?"

Kode bangs his fists on the table as though he were laughing. Monte, on the other hand, looks irate.

"I could try and get my uncle to loosen her leash, for a price."

Monte hardly slaps the table and it bounces an inch from the ground. He prepares to make an aggressive reply that Angie would hear clearly, but Kode grabs his arm and points behind them with his thumb.

Once Monte notices my cousin, he attempts to disperse some of the anger. Though I couldn't aggravate him as much as I'd like to, the table incident was enough for Angie to take notice.

"Monte, that type of behavior is unacceptable. And why didn't Kode stop you?"

"He did. I'm sure you saw him grab my arm, so get off his case."

"You know better than to sass your superior," she says in a low, but firm voice. I noticed the country accent a bit more that time. I doubt Kyle and Wesley heard anything. Both boys can hardly pry their eyes from her body. "Four extra hours of training tonight, and two for Kode."

I poured the gasoline, and Angie lit the match right over Monte's face. Kode's swag hasn't changed a bit. In fact, he holds up four fingers.

Did he just request more punishment?

Angie sighs, "Fine. Four hours."
THREE

After sitting through another long and boring class, I pack up my things for the day.

While shutting down my desktop tablet, I see a message: HEY SPENCER.

I look around the room, but no one is typing at their desk. Kode looks over his shoulder and nods. Then, he exits the room.

Laughing at how ridiculous it is to read a message on my classroom tablet, I continue trying to shut down, but the computer's screen flickers and more words appear. DON'T YOU THINK IT'S RUDE TO IGNORE AN OMINOUS MESSAGE?

Finally giving in, I reply, YES. THAT'S THE POINT.

THEN, WATCH YOUR FRIENDS DIE TONIGHT.

The screen turns black, but I rush to power it back on. It loads in ten seconds, but the command prompt is no longer visible. I search through the system tray and eventually open the prompt. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

I receive no response. My friends finish packing up, and Leo is the first to walk to my desk. The second before he opens his mouth, I read, STAY PUT. Then, the screen shuts off.

"Hey, Spence. I heard about this crazy tradition where you guys trash Professor Gonzales' classroom. Is it true you started it?" Leo narrows his eyes and examines me closely. He must notice the mild anxiety attack I'm having.

I nod and swallow a horse pill. "We've broken locks to her cages and glued chairs to the floor. It's a way to vent all the suffering she'll cause us throughout the coming year."

"Nice."

Hannah, Yukio, and Kyle approach my desk.

Kyle slaps my table. "Let's go. We'll hide out in the cafeteria and get in once the sun goes down."

I laugh nervously. "I'm out this year." Trying to seem relaxed, I kick my feet on the table and lean back in my chair. "I've got better things to do."

Hannah pouts, "But this is my first time."

Damn. I didn't know she was going. "Sorry." I make a shooing gesture and they all trickle out of the room.

I end up waiting over an hour in the classroom, hoping that the message will return and let me know what's going on. Luckily, the new phone Casey gave me has a better battery life. I use the projector to play games on the wall to kill time.

When the sun sets, I can hear my classmates running through the halls. I wonder if I would feel better if I just took a peek in the classroom once and released a single scream.

One minute can't hurt.

I dash down the hallway. The faster I run, the more thrilled I become. Before I reach the classroom, I find myself staring at one of Professor Gonzales' crossbred pets face-to-face, nose-to-nose.

The creature is both gorilla and wolf. Using the element of surprise, I punch the wolf's face hard enough to break his jaw.

"Now you can't bite me," I mock. The beast responds by releasing its claws.

It swings twice, cutting my armor. For a second, we're both distracted by the glow from my gear.

This time, the gorilla-wolf responds first and swings again. At that moment, I feel the armor harden enough to hardly take in a scratch.

I flex my back, activating my entire barcode and kick the beast in his man parts. Bet he didn't think I'd go there.

As the creature screams, I snap its neck. Then, I continue my sprint towards Professor Gonzales' classroom. Before I can even open the door, I see a demigod student bleeding and crawling across the floor.

He reaches for me, but I'm concerned about my friends.

"You'll live."

Once I open the doors, I see an all-out battlefield. A few Apes are crouched over their friends, screaming and crying. Both demigod and god level students are being backed into a corner by some of Gonzales' more advanced creatures.

Though the room appears well lit to me, it seems they were ambushed by monsters that can see in the dark. Because none of our classmates have weapons, they're at a huge disadvantage.

I notice a few students using their tattoos to sense where the animals are coming from. Selena's curled in a corner using her ears to dodge attacks. She's my first priority because the pretty girl's too bewildered to fight.

I sneak into the dark room and take out the creatures one-by-one until I make it to her. When she's safe, I approach several animals and beat them until they're unconscious or dead. My suit develops gloves with heavy brass knuckles, which possess an electrical charge to stun the animals.

Eventually, I make my way to the final four that are surrounding my friends. However, before I can reach them, Selena trips over a dead creature and falls flat on her face. The four beasts turn their attention my way. A twin headed dog barks loudly as the others surround me.

Either a short giraffe or tall ostrich headbutts me into a wall.

As I recover, a tiger-zebra charges with its fangs bearing. I'm almost bitten because I spend too much time thinking about what he'll taste like.

Snapping at my audience of friends, I shout, "Take the raccoon, hawk, bird-thingy flying around out first."

Wesley throws Kyle into the air, who wrestles it into a cage.

I start screaming when something wraps around my leg, "Is that a snake? Is it a snake? Wes, is it a snake?"

"No it's a..." he stops to think about it.

"Is it a snake?"

"No it's part ostrich and giraffe, dude." He sounds as confused as I was when it first hit me.

With my phobia out of the way, I grab the giraffe by the throat and choke it until Hannah swoops in and binds its legs. Wesley drags it into a cage.

The wannabe Cerberus walks into its prison on its own, shutting the cell behind him. Then, we gang up on the tiger-zebra that tries to bite me again. I smack it again, but this time I aim my brass knuckles at its eye. Once more, Wesley throws it into a cage.

After a bit of searching, we find the lights. I scream, "Snake," while jumping into Wesley's arms.

A garden snake slithers on the ground.

"I got it!" Yukio shouts with his pinky finger dug deeply in his nose. We laugh after the snake roars like a lion.

I check for injuries. Kyle's the only god that seems to need immediate care. He's bleeding from his waist pretty badly. "Man, I'm getting blood on my new armor."

Hannah asks, "Speaking of armor, how'd you make your armor give out that weird red light?"

Yukio agrees, "Yeah. I couldn't see anything until you walked up. I mean it wasn't that bright, but it was better than nothing."

Shrugging my shoulders, I reply, "I don't know." I hear something rattling over our heads, but I take a few seconds to inspect Hannah's injuries. She flirtatiously slaps my hand before thanking me.

Leo jumps out of a cage suspended from the ceiling. "It's really difficult to explain, but let's just say the suit becomes a night light in large spaces."

Kyle lightly slaps Leo's cheeks. "You mean if you weren't hiding in a cage, we would've been able to see?"

"No. I didn't add that feature to my suit yet. I still have to put mine up to Spencer's level. Please don't' hit me again."

Hannah and Yukio snicker. Wesley's too tired to join them. He's never one to pass an opportunity to laugh. With this being his first time facing Gonzales' creatures, I understand his fears.

From the corner of my eyes, I notice dreadlocks blowing in the wind. A scream echoes from the opposite direction. I swear the person is calling my name.

My heart tremors wearily, and my tattoos throb lightly. Closing my eyes, I'm able to sense every presence in the room, and down the hallway. My tattoo recognizes a code that my body is intimately connected to. Without hesitation, my legs rush forward to save her.

While running to the door, I command, "Get the Apes and Kyle to the hospital. I'll be right there!"

With my arms pumping and my heart aching, my legs race destructively towards her with tears threatening to blur my vision.

I hasten my already brutal dash towards the classroom. I should've stayed.

A few steps away from the room, I see two behemoths—the strongest monsters Professor Gonzales is allowed to bring to campus. These creatures are so terrifying, they're not allowed on the first floor. Behemoths live in prisons near the Apes, but these two have found their way downstairs on Kode's first day of school. What a coincidence.

Gonzales' behemoths were purposely bred to resemble the mystical monsters described in most textbooks—gigantic and furless animals with large mouths and sharp horns. These two are capable of walking on their hind legs. The one nearest Michelle is blue and the one now facing me is red.

My blood frantically ignites as I notice Michelle holding her left arm. In spite of the pressure she applies, she's bleeding excessively. I want to get to her, but the beasts keep me at bay.

"Hey blue-boy." I'm well aware that Professor Gonzales teaches her creatures to understand English. "What's wrong? You're letting Red take me on? I was expecting to fight the stronger of you two. I'm disappointed."

The blue behemoth walks towards me, but the red one extends his arm. They quarrel until, against my wishes, Michelle tries to sneak in to slay one.

Her lions flash a bright pink as she tries to land a kick in the red behemoth's ribs. His partner notices the leg flying from the corner of his eye, and he punches her before she can connect.

Michelle tumbles backwards, flipping on her head and rolling on her shoulders. She tries to distance herself so she quickly stands to her feet and stumbles back a few yards before landing on her butt.

The red creature chases her down on all four legs as the blue one blocks my path.

"Michelle! Jump." Following my instructions instinctively, she bolts from the ground.

With my barcodes ablaze, I ram into the blue behemoth. Michelle touches the ceiling. As she descends, I throw blue-boy into Red.

Michelle lands directly on the red monster's head with her codes charged. If it doesn't kill him, he'll pray for death in the morning. Once she's safely on the ground, I grab the horns of blue-boy and smash him into the floor, caving his face in.

Check me out. My armor evolved again. This time, my shoulder pads have expanded. My boots are wider and arm guards have stretched up to my elbows. The suit's heavier, but I feel more stabilized.

Michelle holds onto my chest plate and whimpers lightly.

"It's okay." Normally, I couldn't relate to someone's fears and concerns, but I'm interwoven in her data. We're sharing every trembling breath and shivering finger. "Michelle, you can trust me. Let it out."

Why do I want her trust so badly?

Michelle slowly ties her arms around my torso before unleashing a mournful cry. I place pressure on her wound. I need to get her to the hospital.

Most students made it through their entire weekend without hearing a word from their parents, especially Kyle and Wesley. Even Michelle's dad was more concerned about her safety than the actual breaking and entering. I, on the other hand, live with the chancellor of Colt Academy. Though he can hardly find time to greet me in the morning or congratulate me for saving students, there's always a moment to spare for chastising. He probably screamed at me for half an hour. Most of it was over the phone, but he had Hayley drive him home so I could get the blunt of the punishment face to face.

But wait! There's more.

On Monday, after the bloodied and beaten students were cleaned and sent back to school, except for three Apes still in the intensive care unit, my entire group of friends were reprimanded, yelled at, punished, and shunned. The worst part, we got the lecture of a lifetime from Professor Jules in our last period. If fourth period didn't belong to my grandad, I may have ditched.

Casey doesn't care about the creatures or Professor Gonzales' pets. In fact, he only wants to know why we never told him about the event. He'd love to turn over one of her desks and write unsavory things on her projector.

The old man runs his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry to see all of you bummed out. I guess I'll just cancel class today. I want everyone to feel better."

The class cheers. A few people shake hands secretively.

"It's such a shame, though; I thought the gods would love having first choice of their weapons."

I'm not sure who asks first or last but many of us echo, "What are you talking about?"

"You...You know, going to the dungeon? It only happens once every four years, but you'd rather sit in here and chill out, right?"

"No," half the class shouts in unison. Yukio and Leo don't seem to agree with us, but most of the class contains third and fourth year students. We've waited long enough for this moment.

"Wait. You want to get weapons after everything you've been through?"

The class proudly clamors, "Yeah!"

"Okay. Pack your things for the dungeon."

"Dungeon?" Leo asks while digging his nails into his desk.

Casey casually replies, "It's not as bad as it sounds. I mean, it gets pretty hot. Oh. Some nasty creatures very rarely pop up, but they're much more manageable than Gonzales'."

Now, Yukio looks spooked. "Creatures? Like little lion roaring snakes, right?"

"Snakes?" I screech.

"No, I think they're bigger than snakes, but if you don't go too deep in, you've got nothing to worry about." Casey walks to the far end of the large black and white classroom and kicks open one of the squares on the ground, revealing a spiral set of stone stairs without railings. "Also, watch out for some students I lost down here a few years ago. Hopefully, they'll be peaceful. I mean they attack our security occasionally, but I'll be on guard today."

After realizing the two wimps don't plan to enter the dungeon, I force Leo and Yukio down the steps. When we're halfway through, I release them, but they clamp onto my arms.

Hannah laughs a few times before actually helping. She waits until we hear a strange sound before pushing them away and holding onto my arm. Sarcastically, she whispers, "Oh. I'm so scared."

Directly in front of me are the students from Louisiana. I watch Kode. It'd be natural to assume he had something to do with last night's event, especially after seeing hair blow in the wind, but Angie says they had their own trouble in the dorms. Supposedly, they were being lectured by Professor Jules about training after nine o'clock.

Angie laughs as Hannah and I fight off Leo and Yukio. My cousin winks at me. "Cute."

Hannah tightens her snug grip to an agonizing squeeze.

When we finally make it to the bottom, where the heat feels like it's reached—oh I don't know—a good enough temperature to cook us, Casey takes out an apple and sits on the disgusting and dark ground.

Yukio timidly asks, "What do we do now?"

"If you're searching for a multi-layered go to your right."

Some of the new kids grumble.

"I'll give you freshmen a quick rundown: There are two types of weapons, Multiple Integrated Barcodes and Single Integrated Barcodes. Call them MIBS and SIBS for short. SIBS are weapons that stay the same for the most part. MIBS are for fighters like, let's say Angie or Spencer. They have barcodes attached to their sense of touch that could potentially change a knife into a spear. Some weapons on the SIBS side can also change. They're not MIBS but can perform differently based on the skill of the user."

Yukio adds, "Like a video game. Beginner, intermediate, and expert levels."

"Yes. I guess. Go pick your noses in the cave and leave me alone for a while." Casey bites his apple and belches, "Oh. The rules in the school don't apply here, so if you want it, fight for it."

Of all things, Kode goes towards the MIBS and Monte towards the SIBS. Because Kode's an Ape, I doubt he'll be able to use the anything here. Not even the most powerful Apes to ever wear Tartarus were able to leave with weapons from this cave.

Leo and Yukio shamelessly beg me to accompany them. They promise to grab the first weapons they see because they don't want to be left alone with any creatures.

As Angie joins our group, Hannah takes a step closer to me. We walk the two sissies towards the SIBS. It's a small room that most people pass through because anything this close to the entrance sucks.

Sharp rocks dangle from the ceiling, threatening to crash down at any moment. Despite the temperature, water drips from the stones overhead. Yukio flinches every few seconds when one strikes the ground. A drop lands on my shoulder and I see a small cloud form near my neck. When I look down, I notice a light mist covering my feet.

This underground hell is strange.

Even the professors are unsure why weapons appear in this place, but some say the cave is an entrance to Hades. According to legend, gatekeepers bring the tools every week.

The two idiots searching the room could care less about the history. Leo and Yukio wildly rummage behind rocks and in corners. After two minutes of intense searching, they only find a bronze staff and some strange black substance.

"Roshambo you for the staff," Yukio suggests.

"Let's go."

Leo wins the staff, but tries to hand the goo to Yukio. It binds to his hand and the boys scream. Yukio picks up the staff and tries to beat the goo.

Angie, Hannah, and I enter the MIBS section of the cave. As we travel deeper through the darkness, Angie seems to become antsier.

"You okay?"

"No!" she snaps as though she were holding in that answer for ages. "You haven't even shown me around campus. Do you know how many times I've gotten lost? When did I ever leave you alone in Louisiana?" Now that we're further away from the crowd, Angie's southern accent slips out more. She's always been the southern belle, but Vincent beats the localism out of her.

"All the time! You were always training."

"I was not. I took you anywhere you wanted. I always asked. I was never late, even if I got lost. I played with you every night, I cooked for you, and we took baths together."

If Hannah turns any redder, she'll burn off her clothes.

"You're so right. It's been a while and I forgot. I'll give you a tour tomorrow."

Hannah does something very peculiar. She holds my hand. Normally, that would be great in a dark cave, but she has two snakes tattooed around her arm. This crap hurts.

"I don't care anymore. Do what you want," Angie fumes while glaring at Hannah and speeding up.

With guilt swarming through my bones and pain crushing my hand, I beg, "One more chance. Please."

Angie finally drops her warrior demeanor. The energy defuses through her body and she shakes with excitement. "Okay. I can't wait."

My cousin might play the princess to everyone else, but I know the overgrown kid inside.

"I heard you're after Shiva," Angie cheers happily.

"Yeah."

"I just want something shiny."

"Shiva's a bright gold, but you can't have her."

"That's fine." After thinking about it she corrects herself, "No it's not. If it's really shiny, I want it...But Spence, of all the powerful weapons in this cave, why her?"

"Talib taught me all about it. He says I'm fated to fight with Shiva to end the war. Supposedly, she's rejected so many barcodes because only mine is powerful enough to possess her. I know everything about that weapon. Talib even told me about how the gods used her left over metals to create barcode ink." Angie seems disinterested, which only increases my rambling. "Poseidon forged her with several Buddhists. They named it after the first woman to wield the trishula."

Angie giggles and peeks at me from one eye. "Talib the lion told you that?"

"Yes."

Angie only laughs harder, but she stops once she notices me clinching my jaws.

"Talib lied."

"How do you know?"

"My arena was built in the same city of New Orleans where he studied theology. Shiva is a trishula, but not from the Titans. But you are right about one thing, the Writer placed her in our story for one purpose: to end the war." She walks ahead of us and looks in various corners at some weak looking weapons. "By creating more war."

"She can't end war with evil."

Sounding mysterious and tender, Angie asks, "Why can't evil begin and end war? Think about it. Peace has never stopped violence. And we won't find peace until those that do evil stand against it."

"I don't believe you!"

"You don't have to, but you will have to learn that a pure heart can't end war. Pure means you've never experienced evil, and lack of experience will kill you on a battlefield."

We travel further through the cave in silence. Angie's words repeat throughout my mind. Hannah must notice because she tries comforting me with a few gentle pats on my back. I don't need the sympathy. I need Shiva to prove my point.

After an hour of searching, I still haven't found Shiva. Both girls have their weapons and are relatively pleased by them. Well, Angie's psyched. Hannah's doing okay considering she lost a fight to a girl she obviously thinks is more attractive.

Swinging the trident known as Kongō in a circular motion, Angie smiles and sings a very famous Japanese song, Niwatori no kawa by the band B'GM, while traveling through the dark maze. I'm not sure if Angie purposely chose lyrics about having goosebumps to mock Hannah, but I'm glad the jealous girl doesn't know what she's singing.

Hannah jokingly admitted she wanted a trident to match my predestined trishula. But Angie liked the "shiny" light omitting from Kongō, so the two women decided to fight.

The light brawl ended as quickly as it began.

Hannah exhibits a very organized charging method when fighting, using rocks or people for cover. With nothing near to assist her, she was forced to attack head on. But the athletic Southerner performed an aerial maneuver that landed her directly behind Hannah. Angie locked Hannah's arm and playfully threatened to snap it.

"It's not that I want to, but bones are so fragile. You never know when they'll just pop," Angie said while twisting harder. Hannah didn't seem to care much about having her arm broken, but Angie whispered something in her ear to change her mind.

I pretended to look away while Hannah screeched under Angie's grip. Hannah surrendered, claiming the trident wasn't that important. Not long after, Hannah came across her own weapon.

It happened as Angie practiced shaping her trident into a shield. It shined bright enough to reveal a small gun in a very dark corner with black widows surrounding it.

We've passed countless weapons by now, none as shiny as Angie's or compact as Hannah's. Some seem more powerful than Casey's bow and arrow, but not like Shiva. I've only seen pictures, but Shiva's out of this world.

The moment I entered the cave, I heard a tuning sound and I know she's calling me.

Another thirty minutes into the journey, and I notice how tired the ladies look. Hannah stumbles. Angie holds Hannah up while pulling a bottle of water from her pouch. Before handing it to Hannah, Angie stares at the bottle strangely. She pours the water on her hand and flinches in pain. Too hot.

"You two go back. I'll find the weapon on my own."

"We can't leave you." Hannah mumbles, nearly out of breath.

Angie interrupts, "I'm with the both of you. Hannah and I should leave, but I don't like the idea of leaving you alone."

Without looking back, I march down the path. "Stay here. I'll go up a few more minutes, and come back if I can't find anything."

The women reject the idea, but I don't care.

The further I travel away from Angie, the more I realize how much light her weapon provided. Even my suit struggles to enhance my vision in this darkness. Still, I continue to press on. I can't leave wondering what would have happened if I'd just gone a bit further.

After walking fifty or sixty yards, the tuning increases. Motivated to find her, I begin running towards the sound, which eventually turns into light. When I'm nearly there, I trip over something.

The girls' feet chase me down and stop directly behind me. All together, we stare at Shiva in all her glory. She's a golden trishula surrounded by beautiful dark rocks that radiate like a black light.

Shiva doesn't resemble a trident at all. Instead, it's more like a shorthand weapon, or three daggers that can attach to a staff.

After closer inspection, I see two equal sides to the trishula, making a total of six blades. It hangs delicately from a single spider web.

As I step into the light, I see Tartarus directly next to her. Rushing to defend my destiny, I yell without thinking, "Get away!"

In my head, I hear laughter. Now I know I'm losing it.

Kode reaches for the blades, but I explode, "As a slave, you have to hand that over to me."

Angie interjects, "He's not a slave and that's technically not a mask. Some call it The Helm of Tartarus."

Damn.

Slaves are required to obey gods at all cost if their owners aren't around. If twins are born and only one is a god, a slave mask is given to the mortal. The mask will then connect to the god's barcode and force the mortal to obey their sibling until death. I knew of Tartarus' power, but had no clue it gave the owner freedom.

"No." I scream. It's too late. I watch my dreams fade as he pulls the weapon from the web.

Suddenly, an electric current flows from Shiva to Kode. He is shocked, repeatedly, as if the weapon had encountered an enemy.

Laughingly I banter, "You must have a pure heart and mind. You can't contain her."

Words echo in my head, And you can?

Kode throws the blade towards me.

I hold Shiva proudly in my right hand. With confidence, I look towards Angie to boast. Talib was right. That's what I want Angie to admit, but she doesn't. Instead, there's a fearful expression in her eyes and Hannah is crying. What's their problem?

Something's wrong.

Shiva's on the ground and my shoulder's been dislocated. Somehow I've been electrocuted without noticing. The sharp sparks she spat cut through my armor. I'm bleeding.

Dropping to my knees from pure shock, I watch as Kode slowly approaches. Behind me, I feel something move. Looking over my shoulders, I see what caused me to trip seconds before I initially noticed Shiva.

There are two women stacked on each other. Their clothes are beaten and torn. I'm unable to see their faces through the dense white fog, but I believe they're classmates.

Turning to Kode, I notice something strange about his mask; it's chipped and appears to be healing itself. Did Kode kill our classmates for trying to take Shiva?

As Kode reaches for me, I see blood dangling from his fingers. I shuffle back towards the girls, at once wishing I could shield them, while also hoping they'll protect me. I'm pitiful.

To my dismay, Kode doesn't pursue me. Instead, he lifts the blade in his hand.

I'm beginning to wonder if his obsession with Shiva stems from a psychopathic addiction to pain, or if he's simply a moth drawn to the fire. One excruciating rejection from the trishula and I've already lost all hope for my destiny. Kode doesn't seem to understand that when a woman says no, she means it.

The tuning intensifies.

Hearing the fearsome sound of lighting outside a window scares me enough. Yet, watching the destructive bolts omitting from Shiva rip past my boots and crush the ground under my feet makes me lose my cool enough to scream. The weapon is creating electricity and thunderous sounds that can't be explained by science.

The current becomes lifelike, with a murderous intent. Kode barely manages to hold the trishula by its blades as lightning parades across his body. He slices his palm and blood oozes down the weapon, contaminating its sanctity. The fluid mutates into a thick black substance before it has the chance to touch the floor and the trishula changes hues, matching the demonic color. Kode's blood hovers over the ground before Shiva withdraws and absorbs it.

As the thunderous sound and electrical discharge reach a level of insanity, I close my eyes and prepare for the worst. Yet, a silence steals the melody in the air.

I only close my eyes for a second, but when I open my eyes, Kode's fighting to catch his breath and Shiva's missing. He stands, staring at his hands. His hands are covered by gloves that weren't there before. Once he turns his hands around, I see a green symbol of the trishula imprinted on the back of his palm.

A pressure weighs heavily on my heart. Within minutes, I lost the only thing ever promised to me. I'm a failure.

The women are still huddled together, shivering. Angie's covering Hannah's mouth, trying to stop her from squealing. Calmly, she says, "Do not speak directly to Tartarus. It's a curse."

My world suddenly turns black, or one of them does. As my data enters a spiritual zone, my body continues watching the remainder of my life unfolding. A part of me observes Kode as he drags two students' limp bodies away from us. The other half sees the moment Shiva consumes his hands. I've never witnessed something so chilling or evil.

The air surrounding me thickens and the voice echoing in my head returns.

It looks like she chose me. But you still need something to fight Helios.

I watch Kode punch the ground. An abrupt rupture quakes our environment. My armor stabilizes me long enough to see the ceiling fall to pieces. I shout at the girls, and we run away. Kode calmly walks in the opposite direction dragging the dead bodies by their wrists.

Once the dust settles, the ladies are rendered unconscious and my head leaks blood down my neck. A fog blinds me. The substance clouding my vision permeates into my data.

I don't want my eyes to give into the darkness, but I'm tired. I lack the energy to argue with my desire to close my eyes. Instead of finding a valid excuse, I howl. I don't stop until I'm finally standing on my feet.

With some of my sight restored, I detect a gold light in my peripheral vision. The glow resembles the original shine of Shiva.

My body scrambles to the gravel. Unable to move the rocks with just one arm, I strike a stone in frustration. My armor quickly shifts near my shoulder pads and I hear a snap. I grit my teeth and breathe heavily, trying to ignore the immeasurable pain. Leo's marvelous technology has popped my dislocated arm back into place and tightened around my scars to seal the bleeding.

With both hands now functioning, I search through the rubble near the golden object. I must find something to dig us out.

Surprisingly, I uncover a bright golden chain. More rocks fall, revealing an entire arsenal of weapons that must belong to the gods. Some are golden and others are covered in a black sticky material like the goo Leo found.

Destroy the wall to save them.

The eerie voice sounds just like the one I heard right before the earthquake.

I continue pulling on the links until I reach two more chains tangled with three balls. Their sizes vary, with the smallest ball being the heaviest.

When I drop them, other weapons fall to my feet, but the chains begin rattling and my tattoos react on their own.

The last time I saw my barcodes in a mirror, before they were wrapped under the ceremonial bandages, they would glow a reddish-orange color. Now, I watch as my entire body shines gold and the chains crawl inside of my tattoos.

The suit's spine protection molds around the chains as I wail in pain.

Once the process ends, I take time to catch my breath. I'm holding all three long golden chains with my back acting as a reel.

I struggle at first to swing the large ball and chain in a circle, but as I look down at Hannah and Angie, energy builds in my chest. I can't be responsible for them being hurt. It's my selfishness that put them in this situation. I grunt loudly. My body glows brightly, illuminating the room as brightly as the sun. Apollo's energy feeds me the power I need to launch the ball and chain at the wall. The rocks, unable to stand the force, turn to dust.

As the smoke clears, I fall to my knees. My grandad stares with a bewildered expression. Before my vision turns black, a single thought crosses my mind: Why is Kode standing next to Casey?

Nurses rush into the room and silver chains shoot from my tattoos, ripping more holes in the armor. The women scream and hide in corners.

Casey storms through the door. I feel an uncontrollable fury and depression building inside, clouding my perception between reality and distressing nightmares.

My armor rages along with me. It emanates a turbulent red and I feel it transmuting to better suit my needs. The shoulder pads thicken and a reptilian spine hardens down my back. It manifests three circles that allow my chains to exit easily from my tattoo. The armor becomes more lightweight. My spinal strain has been alleviated, and though I can't see my feet under the pool, I sense small spikes digging into the ground.

Like my old armor, my arms are more exposed and the material near my boots strengthens. Finally, my chest plate tightens and hardens right behind the Moreno emblem.

"Spencer!"

Snapping out of my trance, I look up to see my grandad wearing a more concerned expression than I've ever seen on his face. He sees something in or on me that disheartens him.

Maybe it's the evil grin on my face.

As the darkness in my heart subsides, humiliation, anger, and sorrow overwhelm me. I retract my chains and do my best to walk, but I don't have the strength. My grandad jumps into the hospital pool to help. Once I feel strong enough, I begin staggering on my own.

He leads me to the cafeteria and piles a day's worth of food on my tray. I devour every crumb without restraint.

"Better than you thought hospital food could be, huh?"

I bite into a burger and a burrito, one right after another. "Why am I so hungry?"

"You were in the hospital for over twenty-four hours. I was beginning to think it was more serious than they said."

"Twenty-four hours?"

"Yesterday afternoon you were in the dungeon and today you missed your classes."

Looking outside of the cafeteria windows, I see sunlight.

"I was unconscious?"

My face flushes red.

My friends must know the situation. I've needed assistance from battlefield nurses before, but needing help from the physical hospital? I'm worthless.

I drag my phone from my pouch. I have over forty text messages on MeeToo. Half are from Hayley.

Within a few days, I went from the school hero that saved everyone from Professor Gonzales' class, to the only student that couldn't survive in the dungeon. After finally doing something right, I'm back to being the same ole failure.

"Grandad."

"Stop aging me kid. How many times will we go through this?" He looks around at nearby pretty girls.

"I mean, Casey, where's my weapon?"

"The three weights? They're in a safe place."

"Did you leave them in the dungeon?"

"No. We tried to carry them up to the classroom, but it was quite difficult. When Monte activated his barcodes, he was able to get the large and medium ones."

"And the smallest?"

"We needed Arnold. Funny thing is, he had to use his barcodes too."

"Wait. You don't know what the weapon is called?"

"No one in the school does. You found a whole heap of them. After the earthquake, most of the dungeon was blocked off, but the area you found makes up for the other weapons we've lost." Without warning, he sounds distressed. "Tell me how you found the weapon. What happened?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The girls were hurt, but nothing a cold slap of water to the face couldn't handle." Casey clears his throat and gestures at my gear. "Your right arm was pretty nasty, and your head was bleeding. Did someone fight you for Shiva?"

"I don't remember." I take a sip of my drink at watch the people passing.

"If that's how you want it. Let's get home."

My avatar reads through my messages as we walk to the truck. Nothing from Michelle.

At my grandad's military truck, I lean against the door with one hand on the window. Casey watches me from inside of the car.

"Can I just walk home? I'm not ready to go home to Hayley's yelling or Dennis' nurses."

Expecting him to say no, I slowly tug against the door handle, but he locks the door before I can open my side. With a simple smile, he drives away.

I stand in the parking lot until the sun sets.

The few students remaining on campus whisper when they see me passing. I want to know what they're saying, but I'm glad I can't hear it. Last year, I won a fixed matched and now I'm the fifth person to end up in the hospital after trying to acquire Shiva. I guess that's better than the two students she killed a few years back.

Once I'm right outside of the door, I hear Kyle and Yukio walking from the opposite direction. I duck into the room, shut off the lights, and listen as they pass.

"Was it really that bad?" Kyle asks.

"I'm not sure. I stayed pretty close to Professor Colt, and that was too hot. It must have been like a desert where he was."

"Why weren't you there?"

"Pastor Gordon gave me a weapon. But how bad was the quake?"

"Bad," Yukio draws out the vowel sound. "A few of our classmates barely made it out."

"What did you end up getting?"

"A rod and Leo got some goo. I feel bad for him. He leaves them at home because..."

Their voices fade into the distance. Once they're long gone, I turn the lights back on and look around. Michelle's sitting at one of the desks, playing a game on the tablet.

I unintentionally back into the door, banging my head against the barrier. That makes me realize that my body hasn't fully recovered.

Michelle never looks away from her game. "Are they gone?"

My voice cracks, "What are you doing here?"

She doesn't reply.

I drag my feet to her table. "Why are you just sitting here?"

After losing the game, Michelle rolls her eyes and stands up. "Your three golden weights are locked in the closet."

I'm happy to know where my weapons are, but her odd behavior is more intriguing. "How'd you know I was released from the hospital?"

"I didn't. Stop asking stupid questions?"

"Not until you tell me why you were waiting for me."

"Don't flatter yourself."

With a smirk, I contest, "You were! What's going on?"

Michelle attempts to walk towards the closet, but I stand in her path.

"You're the only person that didn't send me a text message. Why not?"

"Are you going to get them or not?"

"I'll never let this go. I'll bug you with this every day, send text messages, and leave notes on your MeeToo. I can do this all day long." I drag out the final words, "All-day-long."

"Alright. Alright! I was worried, so I waited a while to see if you would come get the weapon. Okay?"

"But how'd you know I'd be here today?"

Now, she's blazing a frightening red. Pushing me backwards with her index finger pressed firmly on my chest, she hisses, "If you ask me one more question I'll transmute my gun into a knife and skin the flesh off your face. Do you understand?"

Laughing in fear and unsure of why she's so upset, I agree. I am curious to know if she waited yesterday too, but I decide to check the cabinet.

"It's locked."

She pulls out her phone, hits a few buttons. "Try it now."

I don't want to get in trouble with another question, so I follow her instruction. After sliding the door open, I see all three of my weights sitting on the floor. There were more shelves in this cabinet at one point, but it seems someone tried to fit the smallest ball at the top and it crashed its way to the bottom. There's debris from the Colt Stone shelves everywhere. The weight even managed to leave a serious dent in the floor.

With great effort, I attempt to move the largest ball. It doesn't budge. I try the others with my barcodes shining. Even after connecting them to my chains, I get no response.

"Daddy thought this would happen."

"What?"

"He says that he didn't believe you lifted these, and that you'd need a lot of training. But he was surprised you could carry the chains. Actually, he was pretty impressed."

"I did lift them! Casey saw."

"Well, you can't now," she cannons while walking away.

"I can; I probably just need to figure out how to align them with my barcode, that's all."

"Or." Michelle makes the word sound like a complete sentence.

"Or what?"

"Take these and get stronger." She removes eight marbles from her pocket, but stares at the ground with her head tilted and nose flaring.

"What are they?"

"Training weights my dad used when he was our age. They're MIBS compressed. Activate your barcodes and they'll transmute into different objects of various weight. The more you add, the heavier they get. Daddy thinks the smallest ball is the weight of all eight." Under her breath, she mumbles, "I knew you'd want to start right away."

I smirk for a split second, but frown not long after. "Thank you." That was hard to say. It feels like weights were pulling against my face.

Michelle's clinches the marbles tightly and nearly pops a blood vessel in her eye. "You don't have to use them. Do it alone!"

As she walks away, I force myself lips to move. "No. Stay. Please."

She glances over her shoulder and mutters, "Okay, but only because you said please."

"There's just one thing." I cough, "I can't shape MIBS."

Michelle snickers before bursting into laughter. "Geez, Spencer. You couldn't control your senses or shape MIBS?"

"I don't have anyone to teach me, alright?"

"But you wanted Shiva, and she was the weapon at the furthest end of the MIBS cave."

My silence speaks for itself.

Michelle straightens her hair and stands up straight. "Well, you have this badass weapon and I'll help. I used the marbles a few times as leg weights."

"Okay. Let's try it."

Michelle places two marbles on the ground and the others in her pocket.

In a sweet tone that causes me to stare at her a bit too long, she says, "Pick those up from the ground."

Once I grab the tiny marbles in my right hand, I see a pink flash in the corner of my eyes. Michelle's foot connects with my ear. Though I couldn't block the kick, I activated my barcodes to raise my defenses. A split second later and I might have ended up in the hospital again.

"What the hell?"

"Open your hands, grasshopper," she grunts comically.

After peeling back my fingers, I see the two marbles merged together. They were once multicolored balls, but are now rustic silver. They feel marginally heavier.

"How'd I do that?"

"You squeezed tightly and concentrated your energy. That's the hardest thing to teach. I tried showing my younger cousins a million times, but they didn't get it through their heads until I started beating the hell out of them for messing up."

"Something's wrong with you."

"Meant for kicking ass, Spencer," Michelle reasserts while flashing her lions. "Now, activate your code the same way you do in danger while imagining one-hundred and fifty pounds."

"I don't know how to think in weight."

Seductively, she croons, "Just imagine holding me in your bed," while winking and igniting her barcodes.

My codes automatically activate and the balls turn into a kettlebell while still in my hand. The weight change surprises me, and I nearly drop it on my foot.

Michelle holds her stomach tightly while chuckling.

Sadly, it was easier to activate the weight while thinking of her in my arms. I flash my barcodes again and the kettlebell splits into the original colorful marbles.

"Look at you!"

"You sound shocked."

"No. I've seen mortal level gladiators pick it up faster." Michelle pokes out her tongue.

"Whatever. So how often can I borrow these?"

"Whenever you want."

"Good." I hand the marbles to Michelle and prepare to leave. "Meet me here tomorrow." I glance over my shoulder quickly enough to see her crack a smile. "I think I'm okay to go home now so hurry up and jump on my back. I'll walk you to the front."

"What?"She looks bewildered.

"You know you were going to do it anyway."

"Yeah. It's just not as fun if you expect it." She hops on and leans her head on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I can sense it."

I try walking to the door, but she bites my neck. I enjoy the attack more than I should.

"I had a bad dream. That's all."

"What was it about?"

I run my hand across my face and recall the nightmare. "All my friends were on a beach shore. Two guys were killing them off, and all I could do was watch. I was being drowned by the ocean; waves were heavy. When I saw someone kill Hannah, I released my chains."

"Chains in water?"

"Yeah. They dragged me to the oceans floor. I couldn't withdraw them or swim. While drowning, I saw something mysterious floating towards me." I avoid telling her it was the Helm of Tartarus. "Behind it was a really tall and strong guy. He was holding Shiva. He threw the trident at me and stabbed me in the heart. Then, I woke up screaming with nurses crying in the corner."

"Who were the guys attacking your friends? And who threw Shiva?"

I lie, "I don't know. It was too dark to tell. But it's just a dream."

I make it home to see Hayley sleeping on my couch. I attempt to close the door slowly, but I swear she's half ninja. Hayley's in my face delivering earful of complaints before I can place my bag on the ground.

"You know, if you ever get that hurt again, I'll kill you myself. I warned Casey about letting you go so deep into the cave, and go figure it wasn't deep at all. That stupid winding road left you right next to him. He could've saved you himself if he'd known. Now go clean yourself up so I can make you dinner."

"Casey bought me food from the hospital."

"Garbage! Burritos, hamburgers, and other junk that he likes to eat, right?"

I lower my head and walk into my bathroom with my head hung low. There's a note on my door from Leo: Made upgrades to your bathroom to help your recovery. A tub with hydrotherapy jets that massage muscles and barcodes to analyze your tension. There's a sauna mode and I uploaded data from your avatar. Get well! P.S. Everything's voice activated.

The note doesn't hit the floor before I hop in. The showerhead pours water without splashing it. The water forms around my body as I wash and also takes the knots out of my back. Heaven.

When I exit the shower, I smell a soup that's almost familiar, but I know there's something missing. I stroll into the living room in a soft white robe and slippers. We both enjoy a tiger potato stew. Once the meal is over, Hayley says, "I cooked, you clean."

As I load the dishwasher, I notice Hayley shivering. Assuming she's a bit emotional about the situation, I close the kitchen cabinets, which she always leaves open after cooking. My cabinets don't automatically shut themselves like in the penthouse.

Behind me, I hear Hayley tremor and breathe heavily before collapsing. I rush to her aid, only to notice blood dripping from her hand. She cut herself on a display knife Casey got me for my birthday last year.

Dennis once told me she suffers from hemophobia, but I'd never seen her react with my own eyes.

I search my bathroom cabinets for a first aid kit, and return to find her fighting to crawl towards the door. As the blood trickles down her arm, Hayley screams frantically.

Throwing peroxide on the wound, I try to seal the cut on her hand with a patch, much like the one Michelle received after fighting the behemoths. Hayley kicks and screams to keep me away.

She shouts, "John! John! John!" until I pin her down and wrap the wound. That's not enough to soothe her hysteria. Afraid of the threat she's become to herself, I carry Hayley, kicking and screaming, into the bathroom. Thanks to Leo, I voice activate the shower head, throw her in the tub, and pin her down.

Hayley's a regular human. I had no clue they could have this much strength without barcodes.

The water doesn't work as immediately as I planned, but over time she calms down. Her chest occasionally rises and falls like she was possessed. Eventually, all the blood washes away and only tears remain.

"I'm sorry Spencer. I'm so sorry honey. I'm sorry," she repeats under the pressure of the falling water.

After commanding the shower to stop, I activate the steam to warm her body.

"It's okay."

She covers her face with her hands, and whimpers uncontrollably. After thirty minutes or so, her flood of tears is reduced to a few drops. My restraint evolves into a comforting stroke through her beautiful red hair.

Hayley's eyes sparkle with concern as she stares into mine for a few minutes. I assume this is a motherly expression. Her eyes sparkle with more concern over my traumatic experience than her own.

Casting her suffering aside, she asks, "You okay?"

"Was John your husband?"

Though I don't want to cause her any more pain, wanting to know more about my mother-like assistant gets the best of me.

A distressed expression returns with her tears. "He was."

Assuming that the hemophobia relates to him, I ask, "Did you watch him die?"

"I didn't. I didn't. But, I saw him."

"After?"

She nods her head and adds, "And before."

Hayley's body vibrates abnormally, so I increase the steam and add warm water into the tub. She breathes deeply and tranquility commandeers her body.

Finally, she admits, "He called while he was being chased. That jerk. He wouldn't tell me where he was, so I activated a tracer on his phone."

"Did you let him know?"

"Of course not. He would've hung up."

I nearly laugh, but she doesn't say it playfully.

"John kept talking about how he felt when we first met, and how he was still upset I made him chase me for seven years, but that he never regretted a moment. That's when I got his location."

Hayley splashes water over her face, which seems to release some of the tension from her brow. She slaps her cheeks repeatedly.

"Did you leave right away?"

"Bet your ass, but it was too late. He warned me about some guy chasing him. John claims he used his ax to slash the man's back, and then he got as far away as possible. He swore that the finest nurse couldn't heal the injury." She smiles while fighting the next downpour of tears. "Then, he said he loved me and crushed the phone." Though she nearly sings the last words in a high pitch, Hayley manages to restrain her tears. She's focusing her energy on something else. "Spencer Colt," she growls gently.

"Yes?"

She bites her bottom lip. "Why haven't you ever wanted to call me mom? Am I bad at it?"

Clouds of tears form in my eyes, but I restrain my emotions too. We both laugh together as I sniffle. Now I understand how difficult it must have been for her to give me a truthful answer about John.

"You're probably great, but I don't know what it's supposed to feel like having parents."

Hayley places her wet hand into my hair. Then, she massages my neck.

"Poor baby. Even I'm too busy for you, huh?"

She waits and I cave in. Wanting her closer, I squeeze her arm. Then, my assistant-mom pulls me in closely. Despite the comfort that I desperately need, her tenderness only makes me wonder how my mom's hug would have felt if I hadn't killed her.

The next morning, my avatar blows a saxophone loud enough to make me fall out of bed.

"What the hell?"

"Leonardo reprogrammed me because you're always oversleeping." The avatar unfolds an envelope and announces, "Message from Dennis Colt: Good morning, son. Please meet me at the office before classes begin."

Complaining to my avatar, I yawn, "Colt Academy is very fortunate that our busy chancellor loves our school so much he'd rush to complete work before checking in on his own son's recovery."

"Well I'm here for you, big guy." The avatar continues playing a smooth sax as I get ready.

When I make it to campus, Angie is sitting on the steps with her hands rested on her cheeks.

"That's right; I was supposed to show you around yesterday."

"No biggie." She waves her hands. "I'm happy you're okay. And this is a thank you for saving us." Angie hands me a plastic bag filled with cookies. Her chocolate chip cookies taste like angels from heaven built mountains of sugar on my tongue.

"Thank you," I hum with my eyes shining brightly. "But we have to meet with Dennis first. Don't leave me alone." I walk up the stairs while popping two sugar hills in my mouth.

"Okay."

"Why didn't you wait inside the school?"

"Because," she looks embarrassed. "I still get lost. I didn't want anyone to drag me somewhere or I wouldn't be able to find you." In her own adorable way, she blurts out, "The arena is stupid big."

I laugh while walking directly into Dennis' office and flopping in a leather seat. Having someone with me provides an excuse to leave quickly.

Dennis instantly ends his phone call, and looks up to see Angie still standing in the doorway. The warrior princess never loses her manners in public.

Dennis motions for her to enter. "Get comfortable and take a seat."

His eyes scrutinize the both of us while he grins from ear-to-ear. Anxious for him to remove the creepy expression, I snap, "What?"

"I just got off the phone with Vincent and he was wondering how Angie was doing."

"So?"

"That means he didn't make you take care of her. You're showing her the campus on your own." Turning to Angie he says, "Vincent claims you've been late to your classes because you keep getting lost?"

With Dennis occupied by talking to Angie, I send a text message to Leo asking him to bring me a new tablet to school for Angie. He's already on campus, but says he has extra gadgets in his backpack.

"Spencer, put the phone away while we're talking. Show some manners."

Like always, he's assuming I'm doing wrong without even asking. Typical.

I throw the phone in my pouch. "What do you want?"

"To see if you're okay."

"You got reports from the nurses, Hayley and Casey, right?"

"That's correct."

"Then, you already know."

Dennis leans towards me with the same annoying smile he gives his clients. "But I'm asking you. How are you? What happened?"

"I got a weapon. I'm fine."

"You got a weapon, but not Shiva, so you're obviously not fine. Shiva's not in the cave and—"

"Can I go now? I really need to show Angie a few things before class."

There's no way he thinks I'm opening up to him when he wasn't even at the hospital. If he really cared, work wouldn't get in the way.

Dennis glances at his watch and his smile fades. "Sure. You only have a few minutes and there's a lot she needs to see. Take my cart parked outside."

Angie's eyes light up. "A cart? Nice!"

My cousin and I should exchange parents. Like me, she enjoys the company of her uncle more than her father. She's more open and buddy-buddy with Dennis, but firm and reserved around Vincent.

Dennis hugs Angie before she leaves. I stand at the door to make sure he doesn't try something so stupid on me. I rarely let Dennis touch me because I hate him. I also resent the way his pinky finger invades my privacy. Even more than my senses, it allows him to channel all of my thoughts and emotions. You'd think that after a few years he'd understand how much I resent him and would work harder to mend our relationship.

Once they part, Angie walks towards me and Dennis returns to his desk. Grabbing a pen, he begins writing something roughly. His demeanor instantly changes. For a second, I sense something hateful in him.

"Let's go," she says while gesturing away from the office.

A gust of air enters my lungs. It resembles a toxic emotion I feel when I'm near Kode. Death.

I clinch my fists and I watch as Dennis tightens the grip on his pen. Still, he looks up and smiles as though everything were just fine. "Something wrong, son?"

"What can you tell me about John?"

My barcodes activate, hidden under my bandages. I sense Dennis shut off a piece of himself. The expensive suit with armor hidden in its pads, and his cheesy smile can't hide the hatred on his face.

"There are several Johns at this school. Which one are—"

"Stop dicking around. I'm talking about Hayley's John. What do you know about him?"

Dennis writes with the same hand that hosts the barcodes on his fingernails. From a distance, most would assume his nails are painted black, but anyone aware of his legend, the Black Hand, won't find time to make a joke of it.

He crushes the steel pen as though it were a twig. Ink bleeds onto his Brazilian imported paper and he casually places it on his desk like nothing happened.

"He was a criminal that was caught running away. I try not to speak of him or—"

"Like with mom," I say just to feel his heart stop. It does, and I savor every second he can't breathe.

"I was on the committee that sentenced him, before he escaped from prison. I disagreed with their charges and I try not to speak of John in order to avoid upsetting Hayley," he exhibits a matter of fact attitude.

"I guess that's how you handle things. Ignore them." I storm out of the office.

The Senator of Southern California must know about the last notorious god level criminal. Dennis avoids John's name more than Bethany's, my mother, which means he has more information on John's death than anyone else. That also means he knows the truth about the fires in Griffith Park. I can't understand why he's so secretive.

When Angie and I make it outside to the cart, we hop in and speed off. My cousin doesn't hide her concern.

"Maybe you could go a little easier on Dennis. I know I haven't been around you two much, but it seems your relationship's getting worse."

"It is."

The wind blows in our faces as I zip towards the first cafeteria where Leo normally hangs out in the morning. By the time I make it there, he's already standing outside.

"Get in."

"Nice ride," he says while squeezing in the back.

"It goes from zero to thirty in like fifteen seconds. You should see me on the freeway." After turning around, I head back towards the entrance to start the tour properly.

"I think you've crashed on freeways more than enough."

Leo removes a tablet from his bag. It's a decent size, not too much bigger than my phone. Before he hands it to her, I say, "Turn on the navigation app for the school." My cousin looks confused and excited at the same time. "Angie, do you even have a cell phone?"

"No. My dad keeps forgetting. Kode and Monte don't have one either. I think. There's no telling what they've gotten their hands on by now."

"Forget them." Angie frowns a bit.

Leo finishes activating the navigation and hands the tablet to her.

I ask, "Hey Leo, can that one be a phone to?"

"Sure. They'll activate it in the office. Transfer students get free calling plans."

Angie's eyes shine as bright as the dagger attached to her armor. She grabs Leo's face. Squeezing his cheeks between her hands, she passionately says, "Thank you so much." Angie's thrilled to the point she's swaying Leo's head side-to-side.

Leo's mesmerized by her beauty. He can only mutter, "Uh-huh."

As I tour Angie through campus, I decide to interrogate her. She's the only person familiar with Kode and Monte.

"Hey, how long have you known the twins?"

Angie taps her chin. "Ten years."

"Why'd you never mention them?"

"I told you about Monte. He's the arrogant prick that reminds me of you. Remember?"

"Oh. You call him—"

"Mr. Know-It-All, that's him."

"What about Kode?"

"He doesn't like when people talk about him, and he always knows when you do. Always."

I want to ask her what that means, but I'll seem suspicious if I probe any further. Instead, I drive for a bit longer in awkward silence.

Fortunately, Angie breaks the tension. "He's not that bad. I know he caused the cave incident, but I'm sure he did it to help you find a really good weapon."

"You saw the dead bodies, right? He killed two students."

Angie shakes her head. "They were the lost students that grandad mentioned. They attacked him when he found Shiva. He knocked them out and brought them back safely. He's also helping them readjust to the real world. Their names are Trinity and Stephanie and they've been lost for five years. It's cute how they follow him around, like puppies."

I stop the cart as the bell rings. "Am I crazy if I think he's evil?"

Angie kisses me on my cheek and holds the tablet close to her heart. Then she steps her long legs out of the vehicle. "Thanks for showing me around."
FOUR

Six weeks of intensive training pass in a flash. Initially, I assumed Kode and I would butt heads, but we hardly interact. It's actually Monte and I that professors have to pull off of each other each week. There's something about him that I just don't like.

Monte hides behind fake smiles and prince like qualities, but I've seen him come to school with heavy eyes and bruises on his knuckles on many occasions. The Apes gravitate towards him in large mobs, but he's just stringing them along. Either he's running a game or he gets off on having groupies.

There's as much mystery surrounding Monte as there is with Kode. With both of them on my mind, I find myself working a lot harder.

Michelle and I have intensified our workout regimen to lift the fourth marble. It takes over a month for me to get there, but I manage. Sadly, I've reached a plateau in my training. After two weeks with the fourth marble, nothing has changed. In spite of our push and pull methods, no exercises we innovate or modify drive me any closer to lifting the next weight. Last night I tried so hard, I thought my arms would fall off.

Sore and somber, I limp through the door of Professor Gonzales' class caressing my throbbing arms. I'm regretting my decision to not cancel our workout today. The pain aches enough for me to imagine my biceps falling to the ground, crawling away, and crying, no more.

As though the pain weren't enough, I have to suffer smelling the dirty scent of these domesticated monsters.

Animals are trapped in cages all around this room. The more dangerous ones are suspended in glass prisons on the furthest end. The smaller ones are aligned against the walls and displayed like they were in a zoo.

As I walk in pain, Professor Gonzales' head follows my every step. I see her mind constructing some evil plot. The creature in a steel cage on her white Colt Stone desk with a hawk's body and a monkey's head scrutinizes me as well.

"What's wrong with you?" Hannah asks as I crash into my seat.

"Muscles...hurt."

"Poor baby. Need a massage?"

"I'd cry like a baby if you even tried."

"Your flirting is losing its edge, you know?"

"I'm out of practice."

"Are you trying to blame me for your weak game?"

"Yes. You should go on a date with me tomorrow after school when my arms don't feel like they're about to fall off." Leaning closer to her I whisper, "I'll bring a tablet and take notes."

Hannah scrunches her nose. I watch as the adorable wrinkles curl around her brow before her lips softly roll into her first syllable, "You know I would, but you never choose a good time. Try again when I'm not busy, sexy."

"You know again means tomorrow, right?" I add while leaning away, but she's not ready to separate yet. Hannah grabs my forearm tightly. I close my mouth and huff air through my nose, trying desperately to avoid focusing on the pain.

"I know that means tomorrow. I look forward to it." I inhale the sweet scent from her skin as the bell rings. Professor Gonzales begins screaming at the entire class.

Our wicked witch instructor wouldn't care if I were on my deathbed. To her, pain and pleasure are lovers. She speaks romantically about wounds her creatures inscribed on her body. Her scarred face acts as a living testament to the pleasures they've shared with her.

"In today's lesson, we'll discuss how you marvelous students should use your brains instead of your fists. Gladiators are often too stupid to think through tough situations. Your main goal is to kill," she says while staring directly at me. Well, I think she's staring at me. Gonzales has very light gray pupils that never look directly at one person. "I don't understand the significance of being a gladiator, I never have. Soldiers are more tactical. They think about what moves they will make instead of simply slaying someone. Generally, they try to subdue their targets and avoid killing. Unlike some of you."

Professor Gonzales calls my name so loudly I almost want to turn around to see if she's yelling for someone else on the other side of the two-hundred yard room. I reply anyway, "Yes?"

"What is ammunition?"

"It's a term soldiers use to refer to the amount of power someone has stored in their barcode. I guess it's like..."

"You guess? That's enough for the world, I assume. The Colt men have never been big on history, despite of how significant it is to guide us through the future."

"I apologize."

"You should."

For the rest of the class, she attacks other students with questions before announcing that we no longer have to spar with her pets. A cheer echoes through the room before being interrupted by her next statement.

"After a bit of experimenting, I've actually learned how to create a two layer labyrinth that spans across the entire classroom." The crazy witch calls the first students to enter her death trap.

I'm not surprised to hear my name called along with Kode, Selena, and Angie. She even licks her lips after saying, "Colt."

Obviously, trapping me in a maze is her opportunity for payback, but I'm not worried. After yelling at students for an hour, she lost track of time. With only five minutes left in the class, we'll only have to survive for a minute or two before the bell rings.

The room shifts quickly. The floor, walls, and ceiling are divided into one square-foot tiles that have undergone MMIBS processing. The buttons at her terminal activate barcode inside of each square, changing their width slightly and their length drastically. The white sectionals can rise and resemble the durability of Colt Stone, or at least that's what Leonardo told me.

Again, more buttons are pressed on her podium. The villainous woman raises several cages of her experiments, and releases the beasts into the forming structure. She accidentally drops two cages prematurely, and two mammoth monsters fall in the same pit. The class shrieks at the blood splatter that shoots above the walls. I don't want to cross whatever beast won that fight.

Dragging my feet to the start of the maze, I wonder how long it would take to solve the puzzle. Professor Gonzales starts the timer. We watch the demon-woman drop several more creatures with a nefarious laugh until the bell rings.

The four of us sigh in relief. Even Kode seems pleased.

We all rush to exit, but we find ourselves shut in. As the rest of the maze continues building around us, we hear Professor Gonzales dismissing our classmates.

Selena shouts, "What about us?"

Over the loudspeakers, I hear, "Since you've already entered the test, this has become a part of your assignment. If you'd like to go home, just shout, I quit, and the maze will let you out, but I'll happily fail you. Oh. This is worth ten percent of your overall grade."

Determined to ace this assignment, we make our way back down the hallway, but again, we're stopped dead in our tracks.

Selena points left, but Kode points to the right.

Selena's a beautifully pale girl. She keeps her hair cut short with red highlights, which only increases her Gothic appeal. I've never seen her dressed in any other colors than black, purple, and red. Her barcode tattoos run behind her ears to the bridge of her chest. Her tattoos help her hear fifty yards in any direction.

We've all grown accustomed to listening to Selena, since she's never steered us wrong. But Kode refuses to follow.

I head left, but return as Selena and Angie try to convince him to trust Selena's ability. Before I can offer my opinion, I smell rotting flesh worse than when Leo and I drove through Griffith Park. The women cover their noses.

A monster with the body of a bear, a large whipping rat's tail, and elephantine skin stomps our way. The sharpness of its eyes is similar to a snake, and I'm not the best with snakes.

Its feet paint the ground with blood.

Over the speakers, we hear, "I forgot to tell everyone. I was given permission to bring nine of my other pets to replace the ones killed by some of my favorite students. Don't worry; they are trained to avoid killing, but these cuties can do serious damage." The demon nearly sounds like she's laughing near the end.

Instinctively, I crouch and prepare to run, but Selena freezes at the sight of the animal. Angie notices Selena's fearful response. She draws her dagger from a strap attached to the loose black belt around her waist and transmutes it into a shield. She then arms herself with Kongō. She and the abomination snarl like two predators facing off.

Kode jerks his head as though he notices something. Then, he runs behind Selena and places his two thumbs on her neck.

Listen to the beast and tell her, I hear an inner voice say.

"Selena!" I shout angrily to wake her from her stupor. As her eyes focus on me I repeat, "Listen to the damn bear, and warn Angie if something's wrong."

Kode nearly breaks his neck to turn his head towards me.

Selena's codes radiate and suddenly she shouts, "Angie! It's poisonous."

The amazingly ugly creature slowly opens its mouth and makes a chocking sound. Its tongue hisses and wavers left to right and the grotesque smell of rotting flesh, graveyard dirt, and sweat strengthens.

Once Angie registers Selena's words, she withdraws her trident and creates a Spartan shield large enough to protect two bodies.

The beast spits, and the ground under Angie's feet melts. With a mighty swing, the bear-like creature slams Angie to the floor by crashing its paw on the shield. Upset that the barrier won't move, it tries to trample her by stomping repeatedly. I whip my chains on the creature's back to distract it, but it hardly notices my strikes through its dense skin.

Kode runs behind us and I see sparks omitting from his gloves. He recreates the black trishula, but this time with a staff similar to the one in my dream. I snatch a page from Selena's fear and watch as Kode launches Shiva in my direction. Everything within me begs me to move, but I only stare as it flies over my head and lands right on the beast's paw.

Regaining my composure, I rush in and move Angie out of the raging bear's way. Kode kicks Selena in the back, which pushes her towards us. After he retrieves Shiva, Kode runs down the path he pointed to initially.

Follow or die, echoes in my mind.

While directing the ladies towards Kode, I use my chain to buy them enough time. Once I think the women are at a safe distance, I run like my life depended on it.

When I turn the corner, I practically enter a different maze. There's a long straight shot to my friends. They're waiting for me in what looks like an opening for a small door.

Every ten or fifteen feet, the walls shrink in size. If I make it to them, the humungous rat-bear won't be able to fit.

I grunt as the insanely fast rodent chases me down. Glancing over my shoulder at the monster, I shout, "All that weight and you're this damn fast?"

I pump both arms like engines, but the gap between the stupid rat-bear-elephant thing and I gradually diminishes.

Slapping my armor, I yell, "You're too heavy. Come on. Life or death here."

My classmates have their trident, spear, and sword drawn, ready to strike in the worst case scenario. Now, this could just be the adrenaline speaking, but it seems that the worst case is within inches from killing me. Hey, I could be wrong.

"One of you throw a freakin' spear before he eats me."

Kode shrugs while Angie cries, "I don't want to lose Kongō. I just got it."

Finally, my suit turns a vibrant red and my steps become more spring loaded. The armor feels like a feather and the large spine on my back decreases. Even the three holes on my back tighten and connect in a triangular shape versus the uncomfortable column that once was there.

My classmates, more concerned about their stupid weapons than my life, spread out. This allows me enough room to enter the space.

How considerate.

I prepare to dive in, but the ugly monster captures me in its mouth. The beast slams into the small space, still holding me tightly. Though his body is far too large to fit in the door, his head made it in just enough to hold onto me.

"Aaaah!" The teeth resemble snake fangs and I'm trapped behind them like a prison in its mouth. I push against his gums so that I'm not completely enclosed.

Angie's the first to stab the monster, followed by Selena and eventually Kode. The creature attempts to retreat with me.

My sluggish hero, Kode, grabs my chest plate with one hand and pulls firmly against the beast's grip. An electric surge runs through my body and every sound in the room echoes. Looking down at Kode, I see the trishula in his right hand, emitting a strange tune. The shock his gloves deliver forces the monster to open his mouth and withdraw from the room.

Even after the beast surrenders its grip, I'm still yelling hysterically. It runs away, whimpering in pain.

As I calm down, Angie checks me for scars. "Nice armor," Angie says, knocking on my chest plate.

"Screw all of you, damn it. Leo saved my life, but you three..." I clench my fist, which only makes them laugh. Kode bends over and holds his stomach. I swear I can hear his laughter.

After they share a moment at my expense, the trio catches up to my angry pace. Now the size of the room is reversing. Every five feet, the walls and ceiling increase in size until we're standing in front of a dead end.

Selena says, "If we go back, we'll have to fight."

Angie thinks before adding, "Spencer, I heard you had a flail. Maybe we can blast through?"

"I only have the chains," I say, releasing them. "So that means the only way out—"

Is up. The voice returns in my head. Isn't that obvious? Use your chains and my trishula, and pull us up. Kode impatiently taps his trishula on the ground near me. The simple fact it took you this long to look up is ridiculous.

Shit. I can hear him.

I snatch the trishula from his hand. After securely locking my chains around the blades, I throw Shiva at the ceiling. While climbing the links and kicking against the wall for support, I mumble, "You talk way too much."

After a bit of research, I discovered that the mask sacrifices the owner's pleasure for power. There are no senses of taste or smell inside of Tartarus. Owners are blind and mute to provide a greater connection with the universe. Yet here I am, hearing his voice inside of my head.

I squeeze into a small space between the first and second floor, and lower my chains to the others. Angie makes it to the top faster than I had. Selena slips once, but Kode catches her. He shakes his head in disgust. You're kidding right? You can hear fifty yards away but you can't even climb fifty feet with the brute pulling you up?

I can't disagree much with that, but if she didn't hear it, I don't want to point it out. She seems disappointed enough.

After we've all climbed the wall, we crawl on top of the first floor maze until we reach the second. From our bird's eye perspective, we're able to see each of the fearsome creatures waiting to capitalize on any mistake. If we'd taken Selena's path, we would've run into a terror much larger than the first beast.

Noticing the enormous size of our opponents, Angie transmutes her staff to a mallet. She makes us wait an extra minute while she adds spikes and lengthens the handle.

She's been practicing, Kode grumbles while shivering. She scares me more than Professor Gonzales.

As Selena draws her sword, the rest of us shake our heads. We're clearly on the same wavelength. Kode expresses our thoughts. Yeah, right. Like she knows how to use it.

One thing I do know, she can direct us out of the maze. Kode may have gotten the first direction right, but I won't trust him again. When coming up to another split, I ask, "Where do we go now, Selena?"

You're both stupid. Seriously, how does she know? Her ears travel fifty yards in one direction. The end of the maze is easily one-hundred and forty-three yards away.

"And how do you know?" I spew, completely annoyed at his frequent, unnecessary comments.

Remove your finger from my face before I break it, Kode threatens with a chuckle.

Slamming my fist against the wall next to his head, I wrap my other hand tightly around his throat. The mask must weigh a ton. That would explain why his neck is so wide compared to the rest of his body.

"Or what?"

"Are you talking to him? Can...can you hear him?" Angie asks, quivering in fear.

"Unfortunately, yes."

No longer laughing, Kode says, Wait, you can really hear me?

I've never sensed this urgency or intensity from Kode. Even after murdering the gladiators, he seemed peaceful.

"I said I could, though I wish you'd shut up!"

Angie wipes a tear and steps forward. "Spence, we're not supposed to be able to hear through Tartarus. I told you that."

I relax my grip around Kode's throat. "I can't help it. His voice is coming through loud and clear. It's like he never stops talking. Complaining is a better way to put it. I mean this guy's life must've been miserable. Who talks this much about nothing?"

Kode grabs my armor to refocus my attention, but he doesn't say a word for a few seconds. Suddenly he explodes, You're supposed to kill Helios, but do you really know who he is?

"Don't care."

A banging resonates in my ears as he flings me around and smashes me into the wall, reversing our positions. My head throbs and I squint to focus my sight, but the room turns black. I can only see Kode. Reactivating my tattoos returns some clarity, but everything's still a blur.

I'm here to make you care. He shakes me roughly.

I struggle to unpin myself from the wall. There's only one problem, I've never felt this much power. Sure Arnold's strong, but he never seriously tried to hurt me.

Angie screams, "Stop!" A pressure weighs against my chest as she enters the dark space with us. I can hear the floor cracking under her force.

Kode tightens his grip, and I struggle to fight for air. Tell my annoying friend that I'm not in the mood today. I'll tear this entire school apart if she doesn't give me a minute.

I don't respond and he slowly draws the life from my body by squeezing tighter.

I'm well aware I can't beat Dennis and Casey, but how many of your friends do you think I could kill before they stop me?

Raising my hand to Angie I sputter, "We're just having a man-to-man."

As her rage subsides, the pressure bearing down on my chest releases and I'm thankful that some of my pain reduces. Angie waits tearfully behind Kode before fading into the dark. Though she seemed threatening, I never sensed her desire to stop him.

"Why should I care? Why should I give a fuck about Helios?"

He's coming to kill you. He knows you better than you know him. He's pure evil. Take your pick.

Trying to laugh, I jester, "But I have you to save me."

Not quite. If you even live through the process, count yourself lucky.

"I'm sick of people telling me what I have to do." I release my chains, which blasts us away from the wall.

They are heavier and I notice they now have a bronze tint.

The darkness intensifies and my face feels more clouded than before. Slapping one chain on the ground, I angrily spout, "I'll end the process right here."

You're not ready, yet. Kode runs at me.

I prepare to slap him with my chain, but they don't move. My weapons resist my command, and I sense that they're protecting someone. That's when I remember that Angie and Selena are still in the room, and I can't see them.

Once Kode closes in, I punch him right on the chin. As though I hadn't hit him at all, he grabs my chains and locks his arm around my neck. My weapons fall limp as he whispers in my ear, Do you believe in fate?

"Yes," I hiss while trying to fight against him. Spit darts from my mouth as I grit my teeth and repeat, "Yes."

I don't, and I'm not worried about your destiny. You're no Helios Killer. You're only alive because of me.

"Bull."

Remember those men I killed?

I don't respond, but a burning sensation fills my eyes.

They worked for Helios.

"What?"

He already filled your city, and was ready to take over. I gave you more time. Don't get me wrong, none of my intentions are to help you, but how can I have fun with you dead?

"Fuck." Kode jerks his arm with such an overwhelming grip.

It's not the bandages holding you back. In all honesty, you're weak. It starts from the inside of your arrogant nature and oozes out of your pores. The same reason you can't beat Helios is the very reason people hate you. But I'm providing a solution. I'll get you ready. I'll train your mind, body, and sanity.

My body numbs, but a warm sensation rests on my back. A fierce hatred brews in my data as my strength rapidly recovers. Kode's no longer holding my throat, though I'm still chocking. My sight returns and I leave the darkness. Angie's saying something, but I can't hear her. My ears pop as though leaving a high altitude and her words come through clearly.

"Are you okay?" she shouts.

"Yeah, but you're loud."

Turning to my right, I see Selena bleeding on the floor. She's returned to a state of shock. Kode fends off a monster similar to the one we saw in the corner. It's nothing like the animals. Instead, it resembles an extremely large mummy.

"Spencer! Spencer!" I hear as tears splash against my face. "What were you and Kode talking about?"

"We..." I try to continue speaking, but my throat hurts. I'm able to sit up on my own. "We should probably save him to help Selena."

Angie aggressively shouts, "Stop playing and kill it now!" With each word, I feel an incredible pressure weighing down on my chest.

Suddenly, I hear electricity crackling. Shiva's converted back to gloves and Kode's pounding the fifteen-foot phenom as though it were a training bag.

"You're cursed. You spoke to Tartarus."

Her tears pour more heavily, "I've done it a million times, Spence. But why did you mention Helios?"

"Because he did."

"What did he say?"

I stand and coldly reply, "None of your business."

Lifting Selena with one of my chains, I walk past Kode as he finishes off the monster. Though he's nearly done with the creature, I tighten my weapon around its throat to hasten the process.

We all walk silently through the remainder of the maze with Kode leading the way. He's dragging the slain creature by its hair.

When we exit the labyrinth, the walls retract and our grade displays itself on a projector, A.

Professor Gonzales, Monte, Leo, Trinity, and Stephanie are waiting near the podium. The expressions on their faces say more than enough. Their eyes search the room and watch as the other creatures return to their cages, but we hold the mightiest one of all.

Kode and I may hate each other, but it seems we have the same idea in mind. We lift and swing the monster towards its owner. The other students quickly run away as the monster's weight crushes the podium.

FIVE

"You seem different today." Michelle pushes a large box I transmuted from the five marbles.

"How?" I ask while transmuting the box into an extremely heavy medicine ball. Then, we pass it back and forward while running through the classroom.

"You couldn't transmute the fifth marble yesterday." Michelle catches the ball in her gut. I pause to see if she needs time to recover. She places the ball on the ground, performs a handstand with it between her feet, and uses her legs to throw it back. "Now, you're running around with it."

"Says the girl that's catching and kicking the heavy-ball like it's nothing."

"It's something. Probably heavier than daddy's car engine."

After passing the ball around a few times, Michelle holds onto the ball and converts it back into a box larger than the first. She even adds handles before lying on her back.

With a bit of grunting, I'm able to place the box on her feet, which she holds up in order to prepare for her leg press. It's a two in one exercise we use when we need to share the weight. She presses as I perform curls or squats.

"What's got you..." She moans and pushes the heavy box away. "What's got you so determined?"

"Nothing."

"Come on. We've been working out this entire time. When have I ever let any of your secrets out? I'm all ears, Mr. Colt."

"I'm not ready to talk about it, yet."

Michelle bites her bottom lip and pushes out several more reps. "It is something for me," Michelle mumbles. "I've just been thinking. I wish I were a boy."

"What?"

"I wish I were a boy!" she declares in a liberating tone. "My dad loves you. He talks about you all the time. Spencer's so powerful. I wish he were my son. He'd defeat Helios as a Miyamoto, the way it should be."

"He'd say that even if I were a girl. People love me for my barcode."

"No!" She turbulently kicks the box. "I'm the strongest demigod at this school. I've beaten all his records, and not a single classmate can stay in the ring with me longer than fifty seconds. Still, he never mentions my achievements. He brags about Patrick, Kyle, Malik—anyone but me."

"Malik? Professor Jules' son?"

"Yes."

"Wow. That is bad."

"Guys get more privileges. They get the best fights during finals, and make their way through the ranks faster." Michelle doesn't notice, but she's pushing the box with a fearsome aggression that makes it look like child's play. Her tattoos aren't even activated. "I hate being a girl."

Despising myself for what I'm about to say, I look at the furthest corner of the room and mutter, "I like that you're a girl." From the corner of my eyes, I see her tattoo flash brightly.

After turning back, I notice that she's avoiding eye contact and her face just managed to glow redder than it was from moving the weight. "Thanks. It means a lot."

I scratch curl the box three more times and scream, "You set me up. You opened up just so I'd feel guilty."

"That's not it."

"I know you!"

She giggles.

"Alright. I'll tell, but don't get scared."

"You mean don't laugh?"

The color of her skin changes to a feverish red as her legs tremor. The weight is starting to get unbearable for me too. I switch from curls to leg exercises. In order to do that, I have to turn around or the movement looks inappropriate.

I leave the box on her feet for a second, and laugh at the huffing sound she makes as she's forced to hold the weight without my assistance. Then, I transmute the edges near me until a long bar forms. Turning around, I throw it on my shoulders and begin my squats.

"I guess you could say Kode and I are at war."

"You're at war with a human? That doesn't sound like you at all. I know you pretend to be weak at school, but this is a new level."

I don't reply until I finish twenty squats and convert the box back into the five marbles. Michelle keeps her legs up to catch me, like always. Though she tries to push me up, her muscles give in, and I fall backwards. Hard.

The impact causes air to leave her stomach and she makes a woofing sound. We both laugh for a few seconds. Michelle's legs have given out before, but never at the same time as mine.

We're both curled on the floor in pain, but I'd much rather be here than anywhere else.

I cheat a bit. Gently activating my tattoos, I sense her body against mine. Michelle squeezes me between her legs and groans in such a sensual way, I find myself aroused. Then, I realize she's actually in pain from my weight.

She tries to hide the dim glow of her lions, but with my tattoos already stimulated, I sense the moment she kindles her codes. I try to lift up, but she wraps her legs snugly around my waist. "Spencer," she whispers. I can feel her body against my skin without my sensors especially since I'm not wearing my armor.

I'm entranced by the sensation of her breath against my ear. "Yes?"

"Turn over."

"I shouldn't."

"I..." She leans her face against mine. "I need you can carry me back to the desk." Michelle's so close she could lick the goosebumps on my skin. "Please," is the mystical word that compels my body to react on its own.

Facing her, Michelle locks me between her legs and arms. I try to ignore the flesh I sense rubbing against my body, and resist the desire to intensify the connection by accentuating the data surging through my codes. But while I consider, Michelle energizes both tattoos until they beam brightly. With her data clouding my better judgment, I do the same. I bend down until we're nose-to-nose, and breathe in every bit of carbon dioxide she exhales. She tightens her grips and whispers, "Did you ever kiss?"

"What?" My lips hover over hers.

"Last year, I said you better kiss Hannah or you'll have to smooch with me. I know how much you hate being close to me so you better have done it."

"No. I'm just a friend. Remember?" I reply apologetically.

"She wants you. Believe me. Just hurry up with it or I'll do what I promised. Okay?"

"I'll try."

I stop holding Michelle on our training mat and carry her to a desk.

Releasing pinches her cheeks and hums, "Okay." She unwraps her hair, "So what's up with you and Kode?"

We return to normalcy. And yet, Michelle continues staring at me with an alluring expression.

I skim my eyes over her body once more before replying, "It's difficult to explain."

"Why? You two get into a silent fight?"

"Don't get scared."

"Don't laugh," she jeers.

"I can hear him."

"No flippin' way."

"Yes flippin' way. This guy's annoying. I hate him"

"Wait. How?"

"Don't know, but I could hear him a lot after he got Shiva."

Michelle leans forward to punch me in the arm, and falls out of her chair. I catch her right before she smashes into my face, but she hardly notices. "Now, put me back," she demands. I notice her legs trembling as I return her to the chair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to talk about it."

"I'd kick you in your face if I could."

"I know."

"What are you two silently arguing about?"

I want to tell her everything about blacking out and the entire incident in fifth period with the monster, but I keep things simple. "It seems he wants to kill me."

"What?"

"I know, right? Who the hell goes around saying they want to kill people? No courtesy."

Michelle laughs before clasping her hands. "Is that why you're working out so hard?"

"I'm working out hard? You're the one that can't walk right now. Why are you pushing yourself?"

"To help you," she replies so quickly I almost don't hear it. "Is he the reason or not?"

"Yes. He's so damn strong and trains like a demon. Every time Angie gives him a punishment, he asks for more. She once told me that his mother would have them beaten by their slave for losing matches, but he never lost."

"Meaning...though he's strong, he probably can't take a punch?"

"No. He'd go to the slave for the beatings anyway. He'd take the punches until one of them got tired. Over the past few years, it was the slave that would stop."

"Whoa. That's intense."

I bob my head up and down erratically, and Michelle laughs.

"Meesh, I don't know. Why would he come all the way here to kill me?"

With a tender gesture that viciously sparks a fever in my data, she places her hand on my face and confidently whispers, "I don't know, but don't let him." Then, she tugs against my ear. "Piggyback me home?"

"No," I reply after snapping out of the trance. I playfully slap her thigh and stand up. Michelle cringes in pain. She'd kill me herself if she could walk.

After taking Michelle to her father's monstrous military truck, I walk towards my place with an uncontrollable smile.

My avatar salutes me. "Hey, Spence. You have a call from Kode Payne."

"When did you program his number?"

"I didn't. He broke into my data and did it himself. Should I answer?"

I nod my head and the avatar vanishes. "Yeah?"

"You can still hear me over a phone, right?" Kode's voice sounds bold and masculine, like earlier.

"Sadly. Then again, there are worse sounds in the world. Children dying. Bombs exploding. Dennis' voice. You get the picture."

"Vividly. I've never used a phone this way. I'm a little excited. You're my first."

"Why the hell can I hear you at all?"

"Don't know. I have several hypothesizes though."

"I'm listening."

"It could be connected with Helios' black explosions you witnessed. There's some scientific junk there that could mess with your strange mind."

"Possible."

"There's also the connection we shared after Shiva electrocuted both of us."

"I see that. Hearing you became easier, but I heard sounds in my head that resembled whispers or a jumbled mess before then."

Kode doesn't respond. Allowing him time to think makes me nervous for some reason.

I ask, "What is it?"

"I thought so. Did you hear something after you spoke to me while I was stuck in the cement?"

"Definitely."

"I'll have to say it's between the explosion and Tartarus wanting you."

"Wanting to kill me?"

"I can't tell. My face always feels cold, but when I heard your name last year, it felt warm for the first time ever. I get a strange feeling that he wants a new soul."

"Last year? Where did you hear my name?"

Kode makes a ticking sound under his breath. "Recently, I overheard some people talking about the dark presence surrounding you. Even a liminal being made a comment to Dennis, but that conversation was all kinds of bad. You'll need some serious counseling when you get that information." He clears his throat. "Anyway, from everything I know now, I think it has something to do with an area of your barcode you're accessing. You're learning how to use your data at a higher level than most. Therefore, you're able to hear a frequency that most humans can't. One my mask creates."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I'm a seeker of information. I can tell you more if you take a walk with me."

"Hmm. You're not my type."

"Is it the dreads? I'm not willing to cut them, even for you."

"I think it's the whole killing thing that really turns me off."

"No. I don't think so. It's just me killing you that you might not like. But when I tell you that I'm going to kill one hundred gladiators in thirty minutes if you don't come with me, you'll follow."

I sigh as loudly as possible, "Did you hear that? I sighed. You and this murderous attitude get old quick."

"So that means you're coming?"

"Where are you?"

"The prison."

I don't respond.

"Don't worry. I hacked into the school cameras. They're on an infinite loop. No one will even know you were in the arena."

Sarcastically, I snap, "Sure. That sounds possible."

"I do it every night while you and Michelle train. If I didn't, do you really think that no one would have mentioned to Dennis how much you two flirt by now? Especially the squatting move. That's just wrong."

I'd wondered why no one interrupted our training. My guardian angel's looking after me, huh? I guess I should comply.

"I'm on my way, honey."

"Thanks, babe."

There are no guards inside or outside of the prison. I haven't visited this floor of the arena since I was a freshman. Still, I remember tons of guards were always walking around. Maybe things have changed. That, or Kode killed all of them.

The security doors are wide open from the entrance all the way to the back. I stand around for a short time, but eventually make my way through the prison. I pass through several wards with many prisoners that are already asleep. In the final section, I notice Kode rummaging through food cart, unlocking various compartments. The prisoners in this room are wide-awake and watching Kode unload their meals. There's one humungous guy next to me. Monte might look like him after eating an entire village.

Kode removes a plate from the cart and waves. "I don't want you to seem crazy, so I'll tell you a little secret that no one knows. I can read lips. You might not want to talk too much or you'll seem crazier than you are."

I test his theory by mouthing, "How can you do that?"

"I can hear and see everything."

"Everything?"

"Small exaggeration. Everything within thirty to fifty miles. When I fight, I can focus it to a small area. That's when things look vibrant, but it takes a lot of concentration."

Amazed at his capability, I turn into an investigative journalist, "Why can you do that? Tartarus?"

"This stupid mask is an annoying decoration. I'm still trying to figure out why it sucks so much of my strength."

"How do you eat?" Kode chuckles and steals a dinner roll from one of the plates. He examines it and places it back. Then, he picks up a different roll and sticks it to Tartarus. As he holds it against the mask, the bread turns black and quickly vanishes.

"Pretty sick."

"Can't taste a thing."

"How terrible." I am aware of the sarcasm dripping from my words. I search the depths of my data to offer him some sympathy, but all I find are bitter thoughts wishing him a painless death. "Why are we here?"

"You ever hear of something called a soul?"

"Another cryptic message? No." I might have read something about it in our history class, but I can't recall. "By the way, are you the one that left the cryptic message in the classroom before the creatures were released?"

"Yes. But let's get back to the lesson. Think of a soul as data for simple people. Before the world knew that data and the human spirit were practically the same, they'd always refer to an invisible thing called the soul. Though you self-proclaimed gods are powerful enough to display their souls through barcodes, normal humans still search for that power."

"So you wish you could see your soul? Do you want mommy too?"

A force releases from Kode that pushes the cart back slightly. It was similar to the one Angie unleashed inside of the maze, but more destructive. "No. I don't want a soul, and mommy's a schizophrenic serial killer that you'd do best to steer clear of. I'm trying to say that these people are like the soul: unseen and misunderstood."

A burst of laughter threatens to shoot from my mouth, but I stop myself. "You're trying to say these dirty criminals are my soul?"

"Dirty criminals? You've got some nerve, princess. These are your gladiators."

"Explain yourself strange man."

"What do you see when you drive the streets to the rooftop fights?"

"Buildings? Are we going back to the second grade because I already know my cursive."

"I hate cursive."

"Me too," I match his sarcastic tone.

"I knew I liked you for a reason. Anyway, there's so much you have to open your eyes up to. Do you see death or murders? What about carjackings?"

"Crime's doesn't exist in this city. How would I see those things?"

"Doesn't exist or does your father hide it?"

"One man can't hide crime."

"You saw the interview with Janet Moreno. You think Dennis doesn't know about my ten thousand victims?"

I try speaking but nothing comes out.

Kode takes his time to hand everyone a meal. The men munch on the food like they haven't eaten in days. Kode tries offering a plate to someone in the last cage, but the man wrapped in a cloak doesn't stand from his bed.

While returning the plate to the cart, Kode adds, "If there's no crime, why are there so many criminals in this prison? Human level gladiators—or Apes as you so eloquently phrase it—are mostly made up of criminals whose injustices are hardly reported. Two years ago, most of these men couldn't find a job to provide a home for their families. Diapers. Shampoo. Nothing. Now, they're gladiators that fight for their country. How's that?"

I yawn, "Not sure. Please do tell."

"Your family uses them for profit as they sacrifice their lives. As a reward, their criminal record is cleared and their families are paid."

"If the righteous warriors are so noble, why are they imprisoned?"

"Because they're dirty criminals. Aren't you listening? They've committed a crime, and there needs to be punishment for that. I'm struggling to break this down for you because you've surpassed simplicity and innocence, released the landing gears but still managed to crash in raw stupidity."

"Thanks."

"Your family's just as evil as you think I am, and you all deserve to die. Deep down, you know it's true."

"You brought me here to bash my family?"

Kode walks back towards the entrance.

"I wanted you to know who your champions are and to finally understand this corrupt system that you'll soon take over."

"Does that make you a hero?" I ask, laughing boldly. "You want to be their savior, or does this justify murdering all those people?"

Kode pulls a tablet out of his pouch, hits a button, and an empty cell door flies open. "If I wanted to rescue them, I would've let them out. If I wanted to be their savior, I would've taken them to your house. Listen closely. I'm here for the same reasons fans watch gladiators. Entertainment. I'm here to kill them."

"You said you wouldn't."

"And I'll stand by my word if you make a deal. I'll stop killing everyone once you help me get a demigod moved into a god level class."

Still caught up his previous words, I whisper, "How?"

"Encourage your dad to allow a match between Michelle and Hannah. Once Michelle wins, the demigods will finally get what they've always wanted—a chance to prove their strength. Then, we could throw a couple of punches at each other. Legally."

Kode strolls out of the room nonchalantly. My ears pop, and I hear the screams of the prisoners. They're gasping, struggling to breathe, and coughing up blood.

I watch until every man in the room stops moving completely. Fear paralyzes me as I attempt to analyze the situation. Kode poisoned them with the food, which is why he didn't eat the first dinner roll. An alarm sounds and I find myself faced with either taking the blame for their deaths or running home.

I purposely set my alarm to wake up three hours earlier than usual. My avatar can hardly play his first note before I throw on my armor and dash out of my room to visit Dennis on the top floor.

As always, Dennis nearly cheers when he sees me, "To what do I owe the surprise?"

"What happened at the prison last night?"

He raises an eyebrow and stops fumbling with his tie. "How do you know about that?"

"Saw it in a dream. Fairies told me. Santa Claus said if I asked nicely—"

"I get it. Nothing happened."

"Come on. I'm not going to tell my friends. I won't write a blog about it. It's just bothering me to the point that I forced myself to ask you. As you can see, it's four in the morning and I'm in your office dressed in armor. Look at me."

Dennis forces a laugh, and finishes looping the same black tie he's worn for the past seven years. I consider ripping it so he'll wear the newer ones Hayley has gotten him.

"Let me know what caffeine Hayley put in your breakfast so I can stop ordering it. Nothing happened, seriously. The alarm went off, we checked the cameras, but nothing was there."

"That's it? You check cameras. What if someone hacked in? What then? You say, 'Oh computers are reliable. No one can stop this.'"

"No. The officer walked through to make sure everything was fine." Dennis puffs air from his nose like he always does when he's thinking.

"What? What? That's something right there. You obviously thought of something strange right now. Dead prisoners? Zeus threw a party in there? You made contact with the first alien life?"

"No. I'm curious as to why Block D had blood in nearly every cell, but I don't know. Maybe a practical joke?"

"Blood is a practical joke to you? Were all the prisoners there?"

"There are no prisoners in that block. It's reserved for liminal beings, and the only one we have in there..." He raises an eyebrow, "Why do you want to know so badly?"

"I don't know why I asked. You're probably lying like the laboratory explosion."

He looks much more serious. "What do you know about it?"

"You tell me the truth and I'll admit what I know."

He tightens his lips and makes a final adjustment to his tie. I leave his office more upset than I was when I entered. Instead of returning to my room, I smash my hand against Leo's door with tremendous force. It goes unnoticed.

Leo's staying in the apartment Michelle said was haunted by the mysterious creature. We've encountered it several times over the past few weeks, but I barely get a glimpse of the white fur before it disappears.

Whenever I get bored, I go through all of my apartments searching for it. I have seven on this floor. Sometimes Leo and other maids join me in the quest. No matter what time of night I visit Leo, he's normally up and ready with new technology to find the slippery creature. With his late night hours, I doubt I'll be able to wake him up.

I unlock the door with my phone and swing it open wildly. I'm assaulted by a smell that causes me to make a strange sound that resembles a cough and a sneeze.

There's dirt, there's trash, and then there's Leo. I'd try walking in, but there's no floor. Between the candy wrappers, Ramen soup, failed experiments, and trillions of nanobots, I can't see the carpet. In order to wake the hoarder up, I grab a trashcan, which has oddly gone unused, and launch it at Leo's forehead. Though my aim misses and the bin connects with his stomach, the job's done.

The sound Leo makes actually resembles the one I choked up a moment ago. The nanobots respond with his movement. They race into closets and under furniture. Instantly, the floor's clean. Creepy.

Still in pain, Leo groans and rolls off the couch. That's when I see something truly bewildering. Several thousand nanobots crawl into his ear.

Pretending not to notice, I stand in the doorway and use my phone to open the windows and release a wicked strong odor eliminator. After the deathly funk disappears, I grab a seat next to the nerd, who is now searching for his glasses and chewing a piece of tiger jerky the nanobots have brought him.

"Want one?"

Assuming that the food was likely found on his bathroom floor, I decline.

"I need your help."

"It's four-nineteen in the morning."

"How do you know that?" I ask, looking for a clock. The closest display resides in the lonely island of his kitchen.

Leo taps his head. "I always know. Why do you need help right now? Am I dying already?"

"Already? No. I just want you to find out some information for me."

"What? What?" In his exhaustion, he sounds like a complete drunk.

He waves his hand in an arc. Magic. Sparkles. Well, that's what happens in my mind. In reality, a holographic projector appears in front of him with more clarity than my 3D game room.

"What's that?" I reach for a button. Leo slaps my hand without noticing what he's done.

"Spencer, tell me what you need before I kill you."

"Wow. You're grumpy in the morning. Look, I need a favor that I'm not sure you can do. But I need someone to hack into the arena's prison system to see who's in Cell Block D."

Leo stops rubbing his eyes and blurts, "Antonio."

A deep but feminine voice greets, "Good morning to you as well." Those words come from his projector hologram thingy. Antonio's voice sounds alluring and calm. I'm ashamed to say that about a computer and a man, but he really does.

"Do what he said."

"Who? Spencer?"

Leo grunts, "Who else would I be talking about?"

"Geez. Loosen up, darling. There are no people in Cell Block D." He replies so quickly I nearly break my neck leaning closer. "There's just a liminal being named Talib."

Before my body can respond, Leo transforms into a geekbot and shoots out more commands. "History, connection, and education."

"Talib Lion from America, birthplace unknown."

"No one knows where they're born, Antonio. Skip the formalities so I can go back to sleep."

"Sorry, Spencer. He's like this in the morning, and whenever he drinks X-Eyes."

I'm not sure if I should reply. Antonio's not a real person, but he addressed me specifically. I stutter, "No problem." He continues as programmed.

"Talib studied theories of the universe in New Orleans, Louisiana with various unknown spiritual men. He moved to Southern California nineteen years ago, but traveled back to Louisiana regularly. His brother is Takashi Tiger. Both brothers are approximately five hundred years old. Takashi is suspected to be the elder of the two."

"I gave you three things to tell. It's like you're not listening. Does he have any connections with humans?" Leo asks, sounding more robotic than Antonio.

I'm not sure how to explain this, but I believe Antonio clears his throat.

"Well, Leo..."

"Spit it out."

"Takashi is known to work closely with the Payne family, specifically Blake Payne. And though Talib has predicted many births, including the infamous Helios, he only associates himself with Spencer Colt."

My face scrunches as I wait for Leo's response. Liminal beings shouldn't have much contact with humans, so it's very odd to hear that the person next to you actually has a connection with one.

Leo slowly turns over to me and says, "Can I go to sleep now?" His words surprise me enough to break into laughter. Even Antonio seems to snicker.

"No. I need you to make me more armor. Like mine, but for a girl."

"Antonio." Leo stretches out as nanobots bring him a pillow from the couch.

The hologram screen turns towards me and Antonio hoots, "You're such the dog, Spencer."

"What?" I'm in shock that he's talking to me with Leo asleep.

"One modified suit for Michelle Miyamoto coming right up."

I turn away from the screen with guilt written in cursive across my face. I really hate cursive.

Nanobots trickle their way out again and begin sewing the pieces slowly. Antonio places options on the screen and says, "You can stylize it to her needs. I know she's more the short shorts type of girl. I can make an extra suit with a skirt if you want one for Hannah too." Antonio clears his "throat" again before saying, "I mean, choose between the options below."

Leo and I rush to school after grabbing a few extra hours of sleep. It seems that I was more tired than I wanted to admit and Leo wouldn't wake up regardless of how much the nanobots and I tried. When he did eventually take a shower and throw on his armor, I noticed something different about his gear. It seems he's been practicing a bit because his shoulder pads and Kevlar spine have changed pretty drastically.

On our short jog to the school, I finally decide to ask Leo what was bothering me as I slept.

"What is Antonio?"

"What?" Leo responds as though he doesn't understand the question. After a few seconds of silence, he gives me some weak answer. "Artificial Intelligence."

My games have very complex AI integrated in their data, but nothing like Antonio. He possesses thoughts and draws conclusions from the data he researches. Antonio's the closest thing to a human I've ever seen on a screen.

"Right," I reply sarcastically enough to make Leo feel uncomfortable.

The bell rings as we reach the steps. We're still half a mile from our class. He and I start a competitive footrace through campus. My hood flies off and we're both steaming through the hallways and zipping past other students. A few friends call our names, but we're too focused on the race.

My suit shifts a bit in the process, making the sprint more comfortable. Leo's armor glows as he takes the lead. Suddenly, my boots feel as though there were springs in them, and I shoot past my competition.

"If I win, you have to tell me what Antonio really is." I leave him in my dust.

On the last quarter mile, my lead increases. From behind me I hear, "Analyze upgrade." Two beams shoot out at my armor. Leo's suit changes dynamically. How do I know? I have a clear shot of it running ahead of me and, damn, it's so much cooler than mine.

Steam pumps from my shoulder pads. The edges round off, and my suit glows, black and red. Then, a force like the one I felt rage from Kode pushes me forward. I begin gaining on Leo. He huffs, "If I win, you say what's really going on between you and Michelle."

We both leap for the door. A projector shines from both our chest plates showing the time of the run. Leo's reads 1 minute 37.02123 seconds, and my suit shows 1 minute 37.02122 seconds.

Leo laughs as the sweat drips from his nose. I attempt to manage the bit of air remaining in my lungs.

When we step in the room, all of our classmates laugh and giggle. I guess a thud that loud would grab everyone's attention.

We pull our desks next to each other and Leo admits, "Antonio's my friend." After taking a deep breath, he exhales with a humming sound. "I use his data to keep him alive."

My mouth drops.

"How'd he die?"

Leo gazes deeply into my eyes before turning away.

"That's a tough question. Sorry." I'm well aware that the results were technically a draw. "I don't know what's going on. She's a good friend though."

"And the girl you've chased for four years?"

I peek over my shoulder at Hannah. "She's probably just stringing me along."

After class, several classmates gather to ask who won the race. They compliment Leo numerous times for his ability to keep up with me. Leo humbly attributes his success to the suit, and says he wouldn't have come close without the gear. Professor Jules' son, Malik, informs him that no one on campus, with or without armor, has come close to beating me in a footrace. Then, he brags about how he's always second. Michelle's the only student that holds records near mine, but gods and demigods aren't allowed to challenge each other.

Once our second period ends, Kyle heads towards Monte's desk and asks, "Hey, are the Apes behaving a bit strangely to you? In other words, are your groupies around?"

Monte watches me while speaking to Kyle, "I guess so. No one spoke to me today."

Kyle sighs, "That's weird. You're like the Ape superhero on campus. If they're avoiding you, something must be wrong."

Patrick interjects, "You guys haven't checked MeeToo? They're pissed."

"No. What happened?"

"Don't know. Someone's got them riled up about the segregation at our arena. They're leaving hate messages in all kinds of data rooms. Someone even left digital graffiti in my storage. It said: gods of what? It took me hours to delete it."

I notice a few other god level students check their MeeToo rooms. Hannah finds her storage tagged with the same graffiti, while Kyle, Selena, and Yukio find it in their rooms. Angie's entire dimension is hacked so badly, she has to create a whole new account. Leo promises to release a homing virus to return the favor to the hacker.

My avatar runs around and leaves a stream of tears behind his steps. His tiny voice cries, "Hooligans! Thieves! Burglars! I hate them all. I hate them!"

It seems my account has a bit of graffiti and a few of my messages were opened without permission. Fortunately, I purchased the top shelf of security features, but Angie's new to the data sharing realm. It's pretty obvious that her tablet and avatar would break the easiest.

She pouts, "I can't believe my entire MeeToo got hacked. I mean, I'm thankful that you'll get me a new account and everything, but I had it decorated the way I wanted and my town music was so nice. Everything was pretty."

Kyle pulls up a chair next to Angie. "Wow. The warrior princess is hurt? I'm here to comfort you." He tries placing his hand around her shoulder.

"If you touch me, I'll demonstrate how Casey taught me to crush every bone in the human hand with my elbow."

Kyle, withdraws his hand cautiously.

Hannah tries reaching for my phone, but I pull it away. "I just want to see how much damage you have." She tries starting a play fight, but I roll my eyes and hand her the phone. "Geez, you're getting boring."

I'd probably flirt with her if my butt didn't hurt so much. I hate how tight my glutes get after leg workouts. "Just tired, I guess."

Leo adjusts his glasses. "All that late night one-on-one training in awkward positions."

I scratch my ear with my middle finger.

Hannah stutters, "You're training? I didn't know that."

"Getting ready for a big match."

Luckily, it doesn't take Leo long to register the mistake he's made. "Oh! Uh. I'm emailing everyone right now."

"Emailing what?" I ask readily.

"I'm giving all of you my personal security protection for MeeToo." The genius tinkers on his desk tablet. "No one should be able to hack into your stuff with my virus protection."

Kode watches us without saying a word.

Kyle turns to Monte. "Does he need to send one to Kode too? He hasn't said a word about being hacked." The idiot laughs at his own joke.

Monte folds his arms. "Yeah right. Their entire system would blackout."

Everyone's eyes widen, even Leo. Blackouts are high-class security features that only arenas and government agencies have. It's like a homing virus in every aspect, but it automatically launches after a threat. It's the best counter virus known to man.

Kyle stammers, "How does he know how to do that?"

"Don't know. He won't safeguard my phone." Monte playfully punches his brother. The two wrestle on a desk for a few minutes. Kode laughs as much as his brother. They really seem to enjoy each other's company. Disgusting.

Our small group walks to the cafeteria for our first break. Before we can get any food, loud cheers rise from outside. There's a few hundred Apes gathered around a fourth year student, Abby. Though her family originated from the Philippines, her nationality is very difficult to determine, which is common amongst Apes.

Abby occasionally claims to be American, but she more often refers to herself as Filipino. I think her vibrant attitude should make her an Olympian. She's the only Ape I've ever respected as a gladiator, though I can't say I care that much for her on a personal level. She's never backed down from a demigod or god, and she's mysteriously ended up in the hospital numerous times for it.

Holding a hand over her heart, she speaks like a true leader, "They call us Apes. Apes! I don't remember being a liminal being. Do you?"

The crowd responds with a unanimous, "No!"

Sarcastically she shouts, "Even some demigods have respected and acknowledged our power. Why not the gods? Are they too good for us? I know. I know. We're not worthy enough to be in their presence."

The hundreds of students continue their rants. One voice stands out from the rest. "We were all created equal! That's what The Writer says!" I can hardly see through the crowd, but I know his hair is dyed bright orange.

"Exactly, we are equal, but because their power comes from birth and not liminal beings, we're separated. There are ways to gain more strength, but only if we before their slaves!"

The crowd boos.

"Look behind you. There's a student named Kode Payne that's trapped inside of Tartarus."

Kode waves to the crowd. Then, he pumps his fists. The Apes cheer for as long as he holds his hand up.

"He's the first Ape to enter a god level class, but only to accompany his brother. At least that's a step. Now it's time for us to step up and support him. To join his side."

Kyle leans his head next to mine. "This is really bad timing."

"Why?"

"Finals are in three weeks."

"Shit. The parents."

If parents arrive with a revolution on his hands, they might pull their students from the school. The wealthy parents are the most likely to attend Parent Month, and losing them means losing many donations.

The more I listen to Abby, the more I actually feel sorry for Dennis.

She blares, "We all got our words from The Writer this morning. Hold it up for everyone to see!"

Suddenly, hundreds of phones project a short and sweet message. Most of the Apes' projectors flicker or have a grainy appearance, but a few are so clear enough to read. These self-proclaimed gods are humans too. Do not stand for injustice.

Kode sighs, "I could have done this much better, but I was in a rush after talking to you last night. You have any ideas for the next one?"

I spin around hard enough to nearly knock Kyle over. Everyone watches as I stare at Kode ruthlessly. Anything I say to him will make me appear crazier.

I push through our group and bump Kode roughly as I pass by. Neither of our shoulders move much. I wish I had hit him harder.

Monte rushes to start a fight with me for disrespecting his brother, but I can hear how tightly Kode grabs his armor.

I whisper, "You don't know what you're doing."

He calmly replies, "Maybe not, but I'm just starting."

The school day ends with a quiet, but chilling sound from the bell. The Apes don't spend much time lingering or sparking another debate. In fact, they leave the school so orderly; I nearly expect a bomb to drop. A few teachers lean their heads into the hallway and watch in amazement. More surprisingly, other instructors exit the campus just as neatly.

I watch most of my friends load into their military cars. As I'm waving to Kyle and Wesley, mystically soft fingers cover my eyes.

"Hannah."

She pouts, "You cheated didn't you? When did you learn how to control your barcodes anyway? Class has been boring since you started turning them off."

I tease, "I don't need barcodes." Then, I point to her voluptuous woman parts and laugh.

Gasping, she punches me in the arm. She covers her twins with one arm and headbutts my armor before leaning on me. "You haven't asked me out in two weeks."

"You have it down to the second?"

"Two weeks, two days, and four hours."

"Wow."

"Do you have another girl now?" Hannah looks away, pouting. I'm used to the flirting. Normally, it's the highlight of my day, but I'm a bit anxious to get away for the moment.

"My workout."

"Spencer Colt's working out? Hot. Where's this coming from? You're not going to actually try this year for finals, I'm sure. You enjoy having the fixed fight look as fake as possible."

I halfheartedly hug her. "I'll have to catch up with you tomorrow."

Hannah yanks my arm, and I nearly fall down the stairs. To avoid knocking her over, I clutch her waist tightly and grab the rail. Now, we're hip to hip. She's never needed to use such drastic measures to steal my attention.

"I said, you haven't asked me out in weeks."

"I'm training. Besides, you always turn me down."

She caresses my face. "Maybe because you only want to go out after school."

"Let's go out this weekend," I spout quickly to end the teasing.

"Kay. We'll meet at one. I have an early curfew."

That melody should cause my heart and mind to tango. I hardly care.

I lean in, she'll kiss me, but it doesn't feel right. There are already enough people staring.

With a sweet peck on my cheek, Hannah departs. She journeys down a mysterious path towards the back of the campus, waving at our friends as they pass. She's one of the only students that isn't escorted by military personnel. I've always wanted to ask where she goes, but I figure she'll tell me when she's ready.

I venture through the hallways to Casey's room. I'm not even sure she'll be there, but Michelle's never canceled on me before.

I enter the classroom to see two cupcakes sitting on our desks, and two very primitive birthday hats.

"What's this?"

Michelle throws her sweat towel at my chest. "I knew you'd forget. I'm making you celebrate with me."

I grab both treats from the desks and hold them in my palm. I reach for her hand.

"You didn't even bring me anything. Jerk." She sticks her tongue out at me.

I extend my hand again. She bites her bottom lip, and interlaces her fingers with mine. I pull her outside the classroom. She gasps as I toss the cupcakes in the trashcan.

We run down the halls, cross the street between speeding cars, and dash into the elevator in Dennis' skyscraper, out of breath and laughing.

The elevator lets us off on the forty-second floor, and Michelle impatiently follows me like a pet nearly circling my every step. I open a swinging brown door, which leads to a kitchen.

Hayley and my uncle Vincent standing over some food.

I didn't know that Hayley still used this space. Leo and I found it two weeks ago after chasing the mysterious creature that lived in his apartment. The rabbit looking monkey dashed up the stairs and into this room. Then, he slipped under my legs and disappeared.

We stopped chasing it while marveling at the simplicity of the room. Unlike the decor in the penthouse, this space has a simple dining table made of real mahogany. Real wood is rare, like the granite counters and stainless steel appliances this room is filled with.

At Leo's request, Antonio did some digging and we discovered that Hayley has a fixation with the twenty-first century. She spent quite a lot of money importing the furniture and fixing up this place.

I inhale the enticing wooden smell as Michelle retreats behind me, trying to hide her face. The obvious motion makes Hayley snicker under her breath.

Hayley's red hair whips roughly as she jabs my uncle in the stomach. He stops snacking on the food I asked the chef to prepare. Then, he stands up straight and smiles at us, waving.

"So imagine my surprise," Hayley walks swiftly towards us, "when I heard you'd brought a guest to get fitted for armor. Then, you order food in the family room."

"We have a family room?"

Vincent repeats, "You have a family room? Where's that?" Then, he pulls another piece of goat cheese from the platter.

She shouts, "You're in it! Ugh. I had the room made, but no one's eaten in it with me."

I raise my hand. "This is my second time seeing it. I just found it recently."

"This is my first time seeing it," Vincent adds. "And I helped build the place." By help build he means he pointed out everything he didn't like on the blueprint while eating a pie. Dennis always corrects him on that argument.

"It's the family room, and you're all sitting down to eat dinner."

Michelle nervously rambles, "I'm just visiting and I'm not a part of the family. See you later, Spence."

I grab her wrist.

Hayley throws her hand on her hip. "Oh no, honey. I've never met one of his girlfriends. You're staying. You are a part of the family until one of you gets older and bumps heads over taking the left or right vanity. Then you get into an argument about cleaning after the dog and break up."

"Uh, I'm not—" I squeeze Michelle's wrist to stop her. She's so angered by the pain she slaps my hand. Little does she know the more we talk, the more Hayley will ask. Eventually, I'll have to explain my date with Hannah. Hayley's an interrogator. Our best option's to choose the right to remain silent.

"Geez, Hayley, stop telling these kids why you can't keep a man. That's not even his girlfriend," Vincent interjects. "She's a friend. His girlfriend's a cute blonde, I think. They're just training buddies."

Michelle raises an eyebrow.

"Oh." Hayley rests her fingers over her lips. "You're still staying. I made the food myself and it's for seven."

"There's only four of us," Michelle adds while nervously peeking in the room.

"Four are for me," Vincent boasts merrily. "But if you leave, I can surely handle five." Instead of rubbing his belly, Vincent smacks his baldhead.

"No. Everyone. Sit." Hayley marches to the table. I push Michelle right behind her.

Vincent throws his arms around me and lifts me in the air. "You owe me one."

"How'd you know she was my training partner?"

"I was right? Man, I took a shot in the dark. I was just trying to save you from Hayley's claws."

"Nice. The girl I like's a blonde too."

"Oh. I was pretty sure of that. Your dad always had a thing for them." He slaps me on the shoulder.

Hayley and I pass out the food. Before we can dive into the meal, my uncle reads the prayer he wrote on his napkin. "Thanks for the food, Dude."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Hayley apologizes to Michelle. "He's so stupid there's no way he could write something worthy of reading. Why don't you read yours?"

"No. No. That's not necessary."

"I wasn't asking."

Michelle scrambles for her napkin. "Umm. Thank you for the food and love." While she's reading, I glance over to see the part she skipped. I couldn't ask for a better birthday.

"That's much better. Now, dig in."

Michelle grabs her utensils, but doesn't eat.

"Is there something wrong?"

"It actually looks better than daddy's. I want to take a picture and keep it forever."

"Your father cooks?"

"It's all he does. All the time. He doesn't hire chefs because he hasn't met any that can cook better than him. Supposedly, he tried to get Hayley Keller before I was born, but it didn't work out."

I choke on my food and stare at Hayley. She places her napkin in her lap and bites her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. I guess we didn't introduce ourselves. He's Vincent Colt, but you obviously know that as a gladiator. I'm Hayley Keller."

Michelle unleashes a burst of laughter before taking a huge bite of the eagle breast.

I'm still trying to add things together. "Hayley, you were a chef?"

"It's one of my many hats. Why did you think your food was always so good when I made it?"

"It's not that much better than mine," I tease.

Michelle continues marveling at the taste and praising it between bites. I can hardly understand her with her mouth full, but she definitely said something similar to, "He lied. It is better."

Hayley takes a small bite of food before asking, "Who's your father anyway?"

"You two really don't recognize each other?" I grin. "I mean it's only been like six or seven years since the last time she was here."

Hayley squints. "Little Meesh?"

Michelle reverts to the shy kid and bobs her head quickly. I still don't think she remembers Hayley because she always avoided eye contact with any and everyone.

"You grew hips and you're so full. No offense, but you always looked like a scrawny little boy and now..." After she trails off, Vincent grabs Hayley's eagle thigh and shoves it in her mouth.

At the end of the dinner, Hayley and I take the plates to the kitchen and my uncle begins his standard fight. "Are you going to make something like this on our first date?"

"When hell freezes over."

"I don't believe in hell."

"Exactly!" Hayley carries three wrapped gifts from the pantry. "How many wives do you have by now? You should feel ashamed. I heard the last girl you married is younger than your damn daughter. Poor girl doesn't know the idiot she has."

As the fiery redhead places the gifts on the table, Michelle's eyes shine before she blurts, "What are these?"

Hayley doesn't say a word, but runs back into the kitchen to bring out a birthday cake much more elaborate than the one I had ordered from the chef. It's smaller, but adorable.

The pancake is called a golden fleece. There are three layers of chocolate that have gold food coloring. I know Hayley's cake from the signature swirls in the cream cheese frosting. Now, I feel like it's my birthday because her golden fleece is delicious.

I turn off the lights, and we sing happy birthday to Michelle. She reaches for my hand under the table, and gives a gentle squeeze. Once she blows out the candles, she hugs Hayley roughly. After catching her breath, Hayley returns the affection with a motherly kiss on Michelle's forehead.

Hayley passes out the gifts one-by-one while explaining that she and Vincent shopped for presents at the mall on the first floor.

Vincent's gift isn't too shabby, a weapons holster for a small gun or knife. Hayley got her a few girlie things, like skirts and blouses. Michelle opens the third box, which surprisingly comes from me.

When she sees the armor, Michelle's eyes light with excitement. "How did all of you know my size? The skirts are dead on and this gear's right up my alley. Hips and everything."

Hayley confesses, "I used an app to steal the measurements from the armor."

"I got the measurements from the first time you were fitted in the mall." I turn to Hayley. "How'd you get her measurements if it were already inside the box?"

As Michelle reads her card, Hayley and Vincent stare at each other. They stumble over their words for a minute before actually admitting what happened.

"Well, I might have been on the elevator with some weird robot that looked like a lot of bugs. They dropped it off here and it's possible I hated how you wrapped the box, so I opened it and re-wrapped it nicely."

Uncle Vincent coughs, "You forgot to tell him you read the card."

When I was younger, I misbehaved more than I do these days. Hayley always wanted to spank me, but my tolerance of pain was too high for a human. One day, she put her index finger in her mouth and stuck it in my ear. My behavior improved. I wonder if Vincent thought about being a better person after she just did it to him.

Hayley pats me on the shoulder. "I cooked."

"I clean," I grumble. I wink at Hayley and grab nearby dishes.

"You help too porky." She pokes Vincent's stomach.

My uncle and I take the dishes into the kitchen and load them in the dishwasher. Michelle seems to enjoy talking to Hayley. I decide to stay near the refrigerator and speak with Vincent.

"You never said what happened on the helicopter."

He looks at me with the wildest eyes I've ever seen. "Do me one favor."

"Okay."

"Stay away from the Payne twins."

Vincent breathes heavily, openly displaying his anger. Then, he bends on one knee. Though he's much shorter than me now, it's better than breaking my neck to stare at him. His height obviously came from his mother because Colt men aren't usually this tall.

"Don't tell your father I let you know this, but the closer you get to the desolate East Coast, the crazier the people." The blood rushes from Vincent's face as he leans forward. "The Payne boys slaughtered three students on the helicopter."

Goosebumps erupt across my skins. My jaw feels like a ton of bricks. "Why?"

His eyes stare into the distance as though he were reliving that moment. "I didn't know at first. We all tried to stop them, but..." As though he sees the entire event unfolding in his mind, Vincent twitches and jerks slightly. "Kode managed to throw one out the door and close it right before something weird happened."

"A black explosion."

"Yes. Exactly. The Writer knows." Vincent sighs wearily as though the weight of the world were lifted from his shoulders. "I told your dad about that explosion, but he wouldn't believe me. It came right through the door, but nothing exploded."

"It was like time stopped."

"Not for us. Time wouldn't stop. I never felt that much pain and Kode was right next to it, shielding Angie." Vincent starts speaking almost too fast to hear. "He's not human, and I know he had something to do with that explosion. Stay away from them. I hate that family from the depths of my gut."

Hayley interrupts us by pulling Vincent away. Without a word, she dashes out of the room with Vincent waving goodbye.

The second the door closes, Michelle tears off every layer of the armor she'd gotten from her last visit until she's in nothing but the bottom half of her undergarments. Her legs shine brightly and she's panting. Suddenly, a flash of pink covers the room, and I'm overwhelmed with an attraction to her. I'd never experienced a remotely comparable bliss.

As though nothing happened, Michelle sticks out her tongue and begins dressing. I approach her slowly.

"You feel like you're in love right now, don't you?" Her voice is soft and her barcodes radiate.

I nod my head and inhale the data that she has breathed into the room. "You too?"

Michelle's eyes watch me closely as she dresses in the last bit of her armor. Her all black gear is sleek and shiny. The shorts connect with the upper chest plate as one strong unit. She has two belts that cross each other forming an X shape, similar to her father's barcode. The "zipper" on her back is interlaced with red wires that automatically tightened themselves.

I made sure to get sneakers instead of gladiator boots so her barcodes wouldn't be covered. Small, swirling red lines complete the fashionable gear across her chest plate and shorts. Antonio added those for flare and also made sure that she could clip a gun onto any part of the gear. I guess that means Vincent's gift will go unused.

As I stare at the armor and the lady in it, Michelle finally replies, "No. I just wanted you to experience what you did to women every day before I taught you to control your senses." She slaps her armor. "Hit me with everything you got."

"What?"

"Do it. It's another lesson. No barcode though." I punch her in the chest. Sadly, the strike feels as though I were thrown from heaven. "Demoralizing, huh?"

"I hate you."

Michelle jumps into my arms with her codes shining. "I love you though."

I trip over my own feet. "No one's ever said that to me."

"Thank you for the best birthday of my life, and my first family dinner."

She kisses me right next to my lips, my heart rested in wait for my first kiss. Then, we hug each other and enjoy the moment. I think I just found my best friend.

Before putting Michelle down, I make sure to give her nineteen painfully sweet birthday punches to the thigh. She cries while the avatar on her phone reads a message from Hannah. "I finally got a date with Spencer. Help me find something to wear."

Saturday at one, I leave my apartment to meet Hannah at the school. Sure, I'll be a minute or two behind, but I guess being late runs in the family.

On my way to the elevator, my avatar rudely spouts, "You have a message."

"What's wrong with you?"

"The message is from Michelle. She hopes you have fun on your date."

"Send reply—"

The avatar holds his miniature hand up. "I will not!"

"What?"

"Her avatar says Michelle's spending her Saturday researching ways to help you lift the last few weights. I refuse to even mention today."

"You can't disobey me."

The avatar huffs, "Don't talk to me until this crap is over."

I call for the program to respond a few times, but get nothing. I didn't know that avatars spoke to each other or had minds of their own. I prepare to manually restart my phone, but directly in front of our building, I see Hannah and she looks good. She has a purple and white scarf wrapped around her neck with a short yellow skirt. Her sweater shouldn't be considered a sweater at all because the white coat doesn't fully cover her arms. Her white V-neck shirt with purple threading is also thin and breezy.

"You're late." She's looking at a clock in one of the mall windows.

"It's one o'clock."

"You thought you were meeting me in front of the school. It would've taken you five minutes."

I hug her. "Sorry."

We begin a silent walk through the city. I know she was just teasing me, but now our silence is awkward. I've never been on a date and don't know what to say.

After stopping at our fifth light, she asks, "Did you even make a plan for our date?"

"Nope."

"What the heck? You've asked me out for years and never thought of where we'd go? I've had plenty of ideas. I thought you'd suck and take me to the movies. You could've offered to take me to the museum up the street."

"You never talk about yourself. If you mention anything you like, you whisper it to Michelle. I don't know where to take you because I don't know you. Now, choose. Where would you like to go?"

Hannah tucks her face into her scarf. She points straight ahead to a video game arcade.

I laugh, "My type of girl."

Walking towards the building, Hannah holds onto my arm tightly, "And Spencer?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for not asking why I never talk about my past."

"Yeah."

We both spend a ton of money on games that I destroy her in.

Outraged by my inability to let her win, Hannah nearly storms out of the arcade. Before she makes it to the exit, she notices the simulation racing games.

"I didn't see that room when I first got here."

"That actually leads up to an entire floor of racing games."

Hannah grins. "Let's go there."

"You ready to lose again?"

She dashes into the dark room and hops on Gravel, a motorcycle racing game that I haven't played in years. I lose. Hannah hops off and runs to several other racing games, and she beats me at each one. I don't even come close once. Storming off like she did earlier, I head to the ice cream parlor down the street with her giggling the entire way.

"You're supposed to hold my hand or let me hang on your arm sweetie."

"Don't talk to me."

"Awe. You mad?" she pouts mockingly.

"I'll get you back."

She clings onto my arm and sings, "I look forward to seeing you try."

Our date ends with burgers at an ice cream parlor. They almost taste as good as the ones Michelle brought me.

As we eat, a Colt Academy alumnus sits down with us, pretty much ignoring me. He asks Hannah why she has never accepted his date requests. He even asks if I'm "him."

I can see she's too upset to finish her meal, so I challenge him to leave the parlor. Hannah quickly interjects and walks him out. She returns with bruised knuckles and a tear on her blouse.

She's more of my type than I thought.

We return to my apartment without speaking, "I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"No. No. I'm not mad at you," she says nervously. "I'm sorry for putting you through that."

"I'm just trying to figure out who wears the skirt in this relationship."

"Oh. We have a relationship? You're moving a bit fast, I see." Hannah winks, pulling away and rubbing her knuckles. I take her hands, caress them gently and then bring each one to my lips. Hannah plants a smooch on my cheek and runs away yelling, "I'll wear the skirt, for now." The flirtatious tone leaves me breathless.

SIX

It finally happened. After months of dreading this day, the parents are arriving and "The Great Apollo" must show them around. At least I have a partner in crime. Angie's joined me on this adventure because she represents the prestigious Colt name more than I do.

I'd enjoy this more if it wasn't outrageously cold and I had my jacket, but Dennis made me remove it. I shouldn't complain. Angie's armor has no coverings at all. Her thin gear is split from her navel to her neck in a V-shape. At least she has knee high boots and a scarf.

We have a few interns to help us set up the breakfast area, but not enough. I'm scrambling to find a set of chairs so parents can sit in the center of the battlefield.

My avatar distracts me when he begins screaming and running across my phone screen. "Intruder. Intruder! I hate them. I hate them."

"What are you talking about?"

A small avatar of Kode appears on my screen. He's holding a tiny cell phone and typing a message that displays above his head: What's taking so long? You haven't set the match between Hannah and Michelle.

"It's not easy."

You're running out of time and I'm going on a killing spree soon. Let me know if it gets any easier then.

My avatar screams and tries attacking Kode's, but he's knocked on his back with one punch. The miniature Kode disappears and my avatar crawls into my screen.

Because my avatar's out cold, I have to search my phone manually for the school's inventory. We really need more chairs.

Vincent calls my name from across the field.

"Uncle Vincent. Hey." He caught me right when I stuffed a bagel in my mouth. I'm also plopping through my phone's inventory, searching for more chairs.

"Still hijacking food I see," he belches before swallowing two doughnuts.

"I try and eat whenever I can."

"I hope that attitude rubs off on Angie. She could use the weight."

As Angie continues unfolding chairs, I sense her resentment in her data. I never noticed it before, but it's clear as day at the moment.

"She's beautiful the way she is."

He scoffs, "You can't want her without some meat on her bones. After you kill Helios she'll need to be just right for you."

A huge pressure weighs on my shoulders. It's Angie's force.

"I may already have a girlfriend anyway. I'll have to disappoint you."

"You've got two from the way I look at it." He winks, and laughs uneasily. "When I bring the Louisiana games out this way, I'll need you to take care of Angie. I don't want any of these horny boys to touch my baby girl. Once you win, we'll take you down South and you can have a wealthy family of soldiers. Marry as many women as you'd like. I'll even give you my latest wife—cute, clumsy girl."

Angie crushes a chair in her hand. I draw Vincent away from her to prevent my cousin from losing her cool.

"I need to convince my dad to let a god and demigod fight. How do you feel about it?"

"It's perfectly legal at every other arena. Really, there's something wrong with your father for separating the kids. I've seen plenty of strong Apes; good enough to beat Dennis when he was small."

"He fought Apes?"

"Of course. We all did. Shoot. I fought and killed one a few weeks before I returned. Had a mighty powerful mask and decent tats."

"So why won't he allow us to fight them?"

"I don't know. Probably has something to do with killing his best friend or something."

"What?"

"When we were fifteen, his powers started going berserk. He was always strong, but one day he was sparring with his best friend in an arena match. They were always rivals, but got along nicely. Your father was making fun of him for being an Ape and all, but the Ape took it too seriously and tried to hurt him. While countering a strong attack, he hit the Ape a bit too hard in the head, and killed him. Didn't know his own strength."

"Whoa." I consider what might happen if I fought Kode. "Do a lot of Apes die at other schools?"

"For fighting gods? Of course, but that's what happens when you're a gladiator. You die. If I take over the arena, I'm reinstating god death matches."

"Do you know any strong Apes, maybe like Kode?"

"I told you to not worry about them," he rages. Before storming off the battlefield, he mumbles, "All the warriors in the land, and I brought those two. I regret it every day. Why'd I listen to that girl? Daddy we need them. Daddy please bring them. Demonic brats."

As I return to Angie, she runs circles around a chair and claps merrily. Her hands wave as she shakes with excitement. Angie begins rambling about how she loved touring people in New Orleans, though she often got lost. They'd find themselves on an adventure in the city, learning new places and trying exotic foods. Though I should listen, I can only focus on one thing.

"You like Monte?"

"What?"

"Vincent said you were adamant about getting them here so that can only mean one thing. You like Monte."

Angie swiftly closes the gap between us. "I don't like Monte like that."

"Then, why did you want them here so badly?"

"They're the strongest in the South."

"Yeah right. Don't feed me garbage when you're too embarrassed to admit your feelings."

"Shut up. I don't like him. They're both really nice and my friends."

"Nice? You don't know Kode."

She frowns and speaks maturely articulates, "You don't know us. You've never been to New Orleans, but for some quick visit where daddy showers you with gifts. You don't know how we train or the wars we've fought. You've never lived in a hut after a storm and felt the water at your ankles while you make the breakfast you just killed.

"That's how we trained while our parents worked in their mansions. We lived with the people we fought for all over the world and daddy never stepped away from his office to pat me on the head or congratulate me unless you were around. You live in some luxury where you're waited on hand and foot." She subtly shakes her head and turns her head with a distrustful expression. "You don't know the world except for what you watch online. So don't judge us."

For the first time, I look closely enough to see a scar on the side of her neck, mostly hidden by her scarf. It stretches down into her armor.

I prepare to apologize, but the helicopter with the parents hovers over the field.

For the Parent's Month celebration, Dennis has reserved an entire section of front row seats. Angie and I direct the parents to their seats, but before I can find a spot, Blake and Eve Payne push their way to the front in order to sit next to us.

Eve, a woman about the same height and build as my Uncle Vincent, is the first to speak, "You must be Apollo. That makes you Spencer."

It's difficult not to notice the large tattoo on her breasts, as they are exposed in the most inappropriate way. Eve is one of the few goddesses that I've met whose tattoos contain colors before being activated, like Monte's. The design resembles the feathers on a peacock. Each brightly colored round spot makes me feel as though I'd turn into stone by staring into them. It occurs to me that the woman with Hera's jealous power was once rumored to be Medusa.

Eve's forced smile makes me uncomfortable, and her rigid posture only adds to that effect.

"That's me," I sputter while scanning my eyes over her manly figure.

"It's such an honor to meet you. Monte talks about you all the time."

I raise my eyebrow.

Blake clears his throat, which sounds like a gun firing. "She doesn't mean it in a good way. He's an extremely competitive," he glances at Eve, "spoiled brat. He looks at you as a rival, which is only natural I suppose."

Blake is a massive dark skinned man. He's wearing all black armor, the largest I've ever seen. He looks like my prestigious family members displayed in our school hallways.

His tattoo's a bit easier to examine discreetly because it's directly over his right eye. It looks like someone slashed him with a sword and a barcode formed. The color in his pupils is just as black as the tattoo.

"We're competitive, but what's natural about that?"

"Your father and I were rivals," he replies casually.

Eve wiggles her way into the conversation, "There's a long history. Blake's father created an arena practically in his back yard, with nothing more than family members. They called it The Gym. Blake was very popular at the time. Even in grade school, he was terrifying. One of the only arenas willing to pit their gladiators against the Payne Gym was the Colt Arena. Blake and your father had many epic battles that," Eve sounds annoyed at this point, "mostly ended in ties."

Blake adds, "Mostly, except for two. I only lost the second match against your father, though he was nearly beaten to death. After we fought eleven or twelve more—"

"Fourteen," Eve interrupts, "I don't know why the story changes every time you tell it."

Rolling his eyes, he continues, "After eleven or twelve fights, I'd finally beaten him. But he wasn't the same. He was upset and wild."

"What happened?"

"Supposedly he was upset about killing someone close to him earlier that week. I didn't find this out myself until our family fled to Louisiana. For twenty years, I've tried to convince him to come down and fight with me, but he wants to set an example for the school and the ranking system."

"It's stupid if you ask me."

Blake slowly replies, "I might disagree. I haven't met many demigods that could stand against your father. I understand."

"I think it's stupid, too." Eve nearly trips over her own words, obviously trying to flatter me. "Anyway, I bet you are just as strong as your father."

I dryly asks, "You knew him too?"

Eve bats her eyelashes and covers her mouth, a feminine gesture that doesn't fit her rough exterior. "We dated once upon a time, but because I trained at The Gym, I was banned too."

My barcode activates on its own. I can hear Blake's voice, but his lips aren't moving: Let him take you back.

I'm not sure what's happening, but there's a chance my barcode's ability has improved. I have a phone application that allows me to analyze my tattoo. For the most part, it can tell me why I'm hearing someone else's thoughts.

Opening my phone, I quickly access DataOb 3.0. This application was developed by a company headed by two owl liminal beings. The program allows the user to scan his barcode to better understand his abilities. Unlike previous versions where the phone needed direct contact with a tattoo, the newest one scans data through fingerprints.

I smack my thumb on the screen and forward the results to Michelle. I don't want to read the information with Eve hovering over my shoulder. I'm thankful for the moments it takes to complete the task. Eve does not feel obligated to share any of the gruesome details between her and my father.

Luckily, just a second after I notice her getting antsy, a vaguely familiar voice shouts over the loudspeaker. A spherical hologram projector activates above the arena. This upgrade came to the arena a few years back. It displays close-ups of the fights with such clarity it nearly mimics the actual battle. I find myself occasionally watching the sphere, even in the front row.

Tilting my head up, I wait for the hologram to confirm my suspicion. I laugh in disgust when I see the announcer's face. The overachiever, Patrick, welcomes the parents to the first gladiator match of the year.

Patrick announces the challengers, Yang Arena. I feel lucky that it's a school day, or Gi Young would have broken into the booth to shout over the loudspeakers and track me down.

"Welcome Colt Arena fans from Griffith Park, China Town, our online spectators, and parents of the academy's finest. I'm your student emcee, Patrick Gibson." The crowd erupts in cheers that match his booming voice. "Today's what we like to call the "pre-season" for you gladiator noobs. We have several matches lined up today, including the man-eater, Arnold Miyamoto!"

Patrick pauses to give the people enough time to cheer for their hero.

"But before we get to the beefy matches, we'll begin with four of last year's top mortal level graduates and one late bloomer in an open sparring session."

The Ape's match is pretty interesting. Their suits are fairly advanced. Some even have gravity rejecting boots. My first experience with the technology came from my race with Leo. The force opposes gravity the same way most suits break or soften a fall. Attaching this science to boots increases the energy in a kick, pushing the user further and faster than their normal shoes.

One man dominates more than anyone else. Patrick calls him "Mystery" because there aren't many stats on him. Mystery's dressed in outer space-like red, white, and blue gear. Instead of the gravity rejecting boots, he had jets on his feet and steel wings on his back. Patrick compares it to, the finest Moreno he'd ever seen.

When the match ends, Patrick squeaks gleefully. Members of the audience laugh at the sound. He grabs the microphone and shouts, "Oh man, guys. When you all hear the news just handed to me, you'll wet yourselves. You're going to witness a spectacle that's only occurred seven times in this sport." From that hint, the crowd clamors to confirm their suspicions. "That's right. A prophet will step on this field to fight as a gladiator.

Over the next thirty minutes, the spectators at the arena are left on the edge of their seats. Which prophet would fight as a gladiator?

I'm pretty sure nobody is paying much attention to the school band and the cheerleaders. The anticipation levels are high, until finally Patrick's voice comes back to announce the fight.

"Ladies and gentleman, parents and students, it's about to go down! Coming to the battleground are Los Angeles' most feared mortal level gladiators of all time, the Colt and Yang Arena warriors." As he draws the last syllable, the spectators scream louder than ever before. The audience can't wait to see if the rumors are true. "Coming from the golden gates, Yang warriors Kim, Wei Long, Michael, and Steve!"

The four men exit their cages. Though boos echo throughout the amphitheater, visitors from Yang Arena scream wildly to voice support of their gladiators.

"Coming from the black gates of Colt Arena are Eze-Eke, Marcy, and..." Patrick lets his voice trail off. "Talib Lion!"

I stand from my seat and lean over the railing. Talib would never fight in an arena match.

"As though this match wasn't exciting enough," Patrick continues, "And Jermaine James, best known as Jay Jay, finally returns after the spinal injury he suffered two years ago."

I get that annoying muffling feeling in my ear from all the shouting that surrounds me. Even the parents cheer for Jay Jay. I wouldn't know of his existence, if I hadn't seen him in the prison with Kode. It's the big guy that looks like a fat Monte.

Yanking my phone out again, I take a picture, and open Gods&Men, another application created by the liminal owls. With the photo, I'm instantly able to see stats of his previous fights and comments from his fans.

Patrick yells, "Let the games begin," and the opponents from Yang Arena rush our gladiators. Two of Colt Arena's men are slain before they can even lift their swords.

The spectators fall deathly silent. Even the gladiators from Yang Arena are in such a shock that they must take a moment to figure out what's happened. Their leader on the field, an exceptionally large man with a huge scar on his belly yells at the others, "Stop staring and surround the last two!"

The gladiators gather their bearings, and do as instructed. One of the men takes a sword from the fallen and throws his shield aside. Double fisting the swords, he's the last to fall into place as they form a diamond offense around Jay Jay and Talib.

Visitors from the other side of town all root for their warriors. Their chants and stomps take over the small cheers from the Colt Arena fans that are crushed to see their Ape hero outnumbered. Even worse, he doesn't look too much better than his fallen comrades.

The two dead guys were also in the jail, but I watched them all die from Kode's poison. Dennis actually told me the truth. No one was in that ward.

Why would Kode make me think he'd killed them? In the prison, he said if I agreed to help, he'd stop the killing.

In awe of the situation on the battlefield, I watch as one of the men run past Jay Jay, slashing his calf. He falls to one knee. Talib calmly takes a seat on the ground and bows his head in prayer. He doesn't want to fight, and the fans aren't very happy about it.

My suit enhances my rapid perception and I watch as two members from Yang Arena charge to finish their opponents.

For Kode's ears only, I mouth the words, "If you're listening. I'll help."

Before I can finish my last sentence, I watch the barcode on Jay Jay's neck turn bloody red. He catches the blade of his attacker with his bare hand. One warrior from Yang Arena retreats and fires projectiles from his extremely large armor.

Jay Jay ignores the bullets and throws the sword wielder directly in front of Talib's attacker. As fate may have it, the unlucky bastard lands on his teammate's two swords.

Patrick shouts, "Finally! Colt Arena is back in the game. It looks like the rumors about Jay Jay must be true. The only people with skin that tough are Arnold and warriors from Payne Gym, and I don't think Arnold trained you, did he Jay Jay?"

Continuing his assault, Jay Jay's chocolate skin transforms into a different treat, red velvet. His skin glows so brightly, he appears to light on fire.

Jay Jay brutally destroys each man from Yang Arena. With each kill, he seems to become more possessed by rage. By the end of the match, the heavily armored warrior is crushed in his own suit and the others are motionless at various parts of the arena. I still feel sorry for the person that tried to run.

Jay Jay storms the battlefield, cheers echoing throughout the arena. He doesn't stop his rampage until the glow from his barcode fades. Then, he returns to Talib, helping him from the ground.

Once the camera focuses in on Talib, the crowd boos.

Suddenly, a rumble shakes the entire arena. Arnold rushes out of the same door that Talib and Jay Jay just exited. His bellow is enough to immediately silence the entire stadium.

Patrick fumbles over his words to announce the next match between Arnold and a demigod challenger from Yang Arena.

An equally sized man marches onto the field. Patrick exclaims, "Feng Yang brags openly about how Kwan Choi has been bred, mutated, and trained for the specific purpose of killing Arnold."

The entire crowd screams and applauds. Arnold smiles anxiously and can hardly stand still. He watches the savage slowly approach the center of the amphitheater.

Patrick's voice blares over the megaphone, "Kwan has a barcode tattoo on his back that once exceeded the legal amount permissible to any human. Before he was taken to prison, he ripped a chunk of his flesh and handed it to the arresting officer."

The audience claps and cheers. Arnold searches for the piece of flesh removed. He finds skin missing near Kwan's lumbar.

"On your mark. Get set. Go!"

Kwan's barcode shines a bright yellow. With a whip of his right hand, he smacks Arnold in the face. Arnold hardly budges but returns with his own left hand to Kwan's shoulder.

If it weren't for the crushing sounds echoing across the stadium, I wouldn't be able to focus on the match. I've hardly looked at the field since Talib has walked off.

Five minutes into the match, Arnold looks pretty beat. He walks away from Kwan once or twice in order to gather his strength.

The crowd stops cheering and starts moaning over how Arnold seems to have lost his vigor over the years. I hear someone mention that he might be too old for the sport. But watching Arnold, it appears he couldn't be enjoying himself any more. He's laughing after every punch, applauding the tenacity of Kwan.

That all ends when Kwan connects a right hook that causes Arnold to raise his eyebrow. Though it looks brutal to everyone in the audience, Arnold isn't amused. He stops laughing and screams at Kwan to hit him again.

"What the hell is this?" Arnold shouts angrily, "Is that all you've got? You'd have to punch me all night at this rate."

Kwan cocks back and releases a punch that smashes hard against Arnold's face. Even from our distance, I hear the snap of bones breaking in Kwan's hand. The pain isn't enough for him to stop, but now he can only swing with his right fist.

Fed up with the weakness of his opponent, Arnold grabs Kwan's head with his left hand and ends the match with his right digging deeply into Kwan's temple. Arnold's barcodes blazed a much more violent red than Jay Jay's.

The emergency response team leaves the field to call in Professor Gonzales. As she carries Kwan's limp body, I wonder what creature I'll find in class next week.

I escort many of the parents to their chambers. Once the last person enters their apartment, I make my way to Casey's classroom to train with Michelle. We're on the final two marbles, and they're heavier than I could have ever imagined. Simply transmuting the seventh ball strains my body.

During my stroll, I run into Kode. He approaches from the shadows.

"No offense, but you aren't the type of person I'd like to see sneak up on me in a dark hallway."

"I can understand that. My codes leak this murderous data sometimes, and no matter how many baths I take, it just won't wash away." Kode coughs and pushes himself off the wall. His shoes are painted with his own black blood and his mask is cracked. "I've looked worse, right?"

"Not really."

I've seen him after sparring matches with Angie. He's even taken on Professor Gonzales' labyrinth by himself, but he's never been this bad.

"You didn't kill anyone, did you?"

"No." His voice is harsh.

"What happened to you?"

Kode lifts his head and gazes in my direction. "When I was a kid, I was given a poison similar to the one I gave Jay Jay and the others. The liquid contains magnetic particles that expand when the host is near. Hurts like hell when her magnets activate the liquid stuck on my organs."

"I don't understand. You're being poisoned?" The concern in my voice upsets him.

He shouts, "I'm not being poisoned! I had my ass beat by the person with the magnet."

"Your language," I tease.

Kode laughs, but doesn't sound amused. "Anyway, what's taking you so long to live up to your side of the deal? Don't know how to pit two women against each other? Just say you'll take the strongest one on a date and bring both to the battlefield right now."

"I'll do it. Just give me time."

"You don't have any more time. There's an arena full of students shouting for justice. They want to see equality."

"What?"

"Down the hallway there's a very gorgeous brunette waiting in a room, ready to share another night with Apollo. Her enemy's running errands for Dennis. I'm sorry, did I say enemy? Best friend. I get the words confused sometimes."

"Wait. Are you telling me that you have an arena full of people waiting to see them fight?"

"No. They're waiting to see any demigod fight a god. I think I've started a revolution or something. If you don't do this now, the people in the audience will rip the stadium apart."

"The instructors won't let that happen."

I can feel his disgusting grin across my skin. There's no need to see under his mask when his malicious intent is so crystal clear. Though he sounds like he'll throw up, there is also a confidence to his voice. "Oh. There's my most beautiful work. The teachers are with them."

"Kode."

"You've got ten minutes before I turn this peaceful rally violent. Get them to the field, or I'll do it myself. I've got other poisons."

Unsure of what he'd do to Michelle and Hannah if I don't convince them, I sprint down the hall. I try calming myself before approaching Michelle. Though my composure is settling, I'm exposed before I can even walk through the door. Her ravishingly stunning tattoos are glowing.

"What's wrong?"

"You're cheating. You used your legs to read me."

"I'm sorry," she says, struggling to control the nervousness in her voice. "It's a natural habit. I won't do it again. Please don't use yours on me."

"Use what?"

"Your codes. The message you sent me shows that your barcodes have evolved. You can read people's thoughts, not just mine. You probably don't know, but I hated you when we were kids, and now we're getting along." She takes a deep breath and speaks much slower. "Ugh. I don't want to make a mess of what you've got going on." She knows she's rambling, so she stops talking.

I step closer but she backs away immediately. She deactivates her barcodes.

"Anyway, what's on your mind? I already felt something dark in your thoughts, so spill it."

"The audience never left the stadium."

"I noticed." She pulls the marbles from her pocket and places them on a desk. She always hands them to me, but it's like she's distancing herself.

Guilt nearly burns my stomach. "Dennis is in some trouble. If he doesn't get a demigod to fight a god level student the stadium's going to go nuts."

Michelle gasps, "Why?"

"The fans, students, and teachers banded together in order to stop him from segregating the classes. They're tired of the discrimination and want equal opportunities."

"Oh. You have to leave and get someone to fight? That's good. I thought you should start training with someone else."

"I came to get you."

Michelle squints initially, but a spark of understanding radiates in her smile. "You want to spar with me in front of everyone?"

Oh. Kill me.

I shake my head and she seems to lose her energy again.

"If I do it..." I pause, searching for an excuse. "If I do it, it'll seem fixed whether I win or lose."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Hannah. She's the other strongest god."

Michelle walks away and folds her arms. The words pierce her heart with more force than a dagger.

"Isn't Angie the strongest now?"

"Still a Colt. I've kind of built a negative reputation for our family name after last year. You know?"

She whispers, "I can't."

I accidentally activate my codes to close the gap between us; not to convince her, but because I need her touch. "Meesh. Please."

Our proximity works against my will. We're too close for me to try deceiving her any longer. I activate my barcodes, but make sure I don't read her thoughts. I only use the power to feel her presence. It soothes my body, but tears through my data.

Michelle swiftly wipes her eye and rests her hand on my chest plate. My heart pounds from the connection.

I prepare to confess, "Look—"

"Did you kiss her yet?" Her tone lures me in.

"No." My body eases towards her, but the door slams behind me. Michelle steps away and turns pale.

Hannah is already in the center of the classroom, out of breath. She's watching us and assuming the worst.

I sum up enough courage to ask, "What's wrong?"

Her chest heaves up and down.

"Did something happen in the stadium already?"

"Why are you two here?" Hannah's voice crackles with anger and frustration.

"I'm trying to get Meesh to help me out."

"I wasn't good enough?"

"I could use you both right now," I chuckle nervously. "The arena's full with people ready to start a revolt. If I can't get you two to have a sparring match in the next few minutes, they're going to tear this stadium apart."

Hannah flinches. "How long have you two been training together?"

"Who said we were?" I ask, realizing how guilty I sound. "It's not that serious."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's not a big deal. She gave me some MIBS from Arnold, and we're practically done. I was just telling her I don't need her anymore."

My barcodes activate on their own, but I stop them at once. The pain I felt coming from behind me was too intense. Michelle is slowly distancing herself from me.

"Okay. Why are you with her now?" Hannah slumps her shoulders and she releases her fists.

"I already said, I was trying to convince Meesh to fight you, but she doesn't—"

Michelle bumps into me as she walks by. "Don't call me that. I'll fight."

The smirk on Hannah's face oozes with evil.

Strangely, I still sense Michelle's presence behind me. On the ground, I notice a small puddle of tears.

Hannah slithers towards her ferocious friend in the center of the field.

"What's this? Looks like we may finally have what we asked for." Patrick's voice is weary and weak.

I exit the locker room to see Dennis in the center of the field with a microphone. He's trying to speak, but it seems Patrick has cut his sound. As I walk out, the fans stand. Most are responding with boos, which I deserve whenever I walk onto a field.

"Are these our fighters, Mr. Colt? We don't want to hear any more about respecting you and your rules. We want our respect, sir. My own mother is a demigod so powerful she survived birthing me. How many goddesses can say that?"

Dennis continues shaking his head and shouting, "No!" Smog spills from his lungs into the night sky. The dark clouds enhance the dreary tension smothering his sound.

He glances at me from the corner of his eye before continuing his frantic plea to the audience. Dennis begs the students and teachers to go home and write their concerns to his office.

"Dennis, can we talk?"

"Not now, Spencer."

With my tattoos activated, I bark, "Then when?"

My voice booms across the amphitheater. The crowd falls silent.

His eyes widen in embarrassment. He's listening. For the first time, I can speak without him ignoring me, but I revoke the right. Instead, I address the tired and angry people.

"Today I found out that Dennis killed an Ap—, a human when he was my age. That human was his best friend. He was too young to know his own strength, like all of us in many ways." The microphone turns on. My voice amplifies enough that I can stop screaming. Sounding less aggressive, I continue, "How many gods broke their desk in anger until the Morenos came along and made things more durable?"

Many of the gods and demigods raise their hands. I notice a few alumni in the front agreeing as well.

"That's what he's trying to protect us from, and I agree."

The crowd shouts angrily.

"But, gladiators are public servants, and Dennis knows that. We're here to listen to your concerns and do something about them. This stadium represents Los Angeles and what its residents want."

The crowd is still grumbling.

I turn to speak directly at Dennis. "We can't fight all of them." I sense his resentment. "Maybe you can, but forcing people to do something they don't want makes you no better than Helios."

Dennis puffs steam from his nose and cracks a brief smile. This time, I don't feel the darkness that normally lies in wait. There's no veil.

Again, I shout, "I'll make a deal with everyone. We have the best of the demigod and god students. If the demigod wins, we'll allow classes to merge. No more segregation. Humans will be allowed to spar in order to one day participate in god level matches. How's that?"

The people root, though some seem skeptical. It's better than nothing for now.

"But!" I wait until they quiet down. "If the demigoddess loses, you'll all shut the hell up and go home."

The audience laughs, and agrees in unison, "Yeah!"

The two women don't seem fazed by our words. They're gearing up and checking their guns.

Patrick tries to announce the fight, but the crowd's clamoring erases his sound. As he works on them, I tell Dennis, "Either this, or we die for what we stand for."

He tightens his lips, but smiles again. "I should be proud, but I never wanted this life for you. I wanted you to have fun and enjoy the world. Now that you've won over the people, The Colt Council will want you working in the arena."

I playfully punch his shoulder. "I can do it. If you help me."

When Patrick finally manages to calm the crowd, I steal his glory and announce it myself.

"On the field we have best friends; how ironic." I wink at Dennis. "They'll display a passion for battle while managing their power as we all do in training. They'll show love in war." Looking around at everyone I continue, "What are you waiting for? This is the most important fight anyone has ever witnessed in the Colt Arena." The crowd roars vehemently.

Without a word, Hannah charges in her organized method. I watch as she quickly runs behind me in order to block Michelle's line of vision. As she reemerges, a loud bang rings in my ear. When she comes into sight, there's no trace of a weapon.

Michelle easily dodges the bullet, but must jump in order to do so. Before she can place a feet back on the ground, Hannah closes in. She plants a strong right in Michelle's gut and a left on her chin. Michelle falls to the ground, and Hannah delivers a brutal kick to her best friend's stomach.

Michelle suffers a series of destructive hits. Hannah lifts a beaten Michelle from the ground and launches her across the field with both snakes shining a bright orange. Michelle flies roughly into a wall. In order to break the impact, her suit expels a counter force that causes dust to cover the field.

Michelle's fanatics fall silent. Their praises convert to quiet moans. The equal rights hero has been taken down too easily. It seems like she never stood a chance.

From the stands, Arnold bellows, "Shut up! That's not the end for my daughter."

A vibrant pink shines from the dispersing dust. Dennis' hand sneaks under my collar before he yanks me roughly. I'm being pulled like a ragdoll behind his steps.

Hannah notices Dennis and me rushing for cover, and whips around with her snakes blazing.

The dust settles. Though Hannah's becoming a mere dot in my sight, Dennis continues dragging me to the furthest area of the field. People in the front row clear the stands too.

Oh. Crap. Now I see it.

Michelle dug her legs into the wall and created an all black automatic weapon with barrels larger than her body. The cannon has webs, which resemble the black goo from the dungeon, stuck into the stone and it's providing her with a seat. I assume it will absorb the pressure from whatever nuclear destruction she's prepared to fire.

Hannah slams a newly transmuted weapon into the ground that may have similar power, but she looks outgunned.

Dennis curses under his breath before throwing me. I tumble and flip onto my feet. Michelle releases one shot that sounds like an explosion. Dennis is caught in the shock wave and his body rolls at my heels. The bullet splits and launches more ammunition. Her one shot sounds like a war zone. Even worse, she releases three.

Hannah manually fires at each bullet targeting her body. The strays zip into the first row, causing a few bits to fly from the wall.

This is going to cause problems for both women. Like all weapons, guns draw their energy from the user's tattoos. The user's energy suffers every time ammunition is fired or transmuted. Bullets were once made of steel, but since the experimentation with barcodes, they've had to evolve. Now, guns fire data that is taken from their surroundings.

The smog in the air and the dirt on the ground are transmuted so that it's impossible to tell what is being fired from the gun. With this exchange of gunfire, either woman could pass out from the pressure.

Michelle's attacks force Hannah to play defense, and she does an excellent job at it. Several lightly graze her skin, but they're only flesh wounds.

Eventually, the scars affect Hannah enough to break her concentration. Michelle responds by kicking off the wall. They both leave their guns in place.

Hannah backs away too slowly from her weapon. While she stumbles, Michelle trips her best friend and kicks her in the gut. Hannah gasps and screams at the same time. The wheezing sound frightens Michelle enough to back off. She waits for Hannah to recover before rushing in again.

The two get into a boxing match before withdrawing to regain their strength. The women carry on a wordless conversation, and Michelle doesn't seem too happy with the topic.

Hannah is already envisioning the win. It's written across her brow. A punching war with her snakes means defeat for Michelle's weaker arms.

After a minute of silence, Hannah takes off in her organized fashion again. I watch slowly as her eyes search for another diversion to close the gap between the two.

Michelle doesn't allow her to get far. Her legs glow a split second before she uses the energy in her own barcode to kick off the ground. I'm overwhelmed with the same pink flash I experienced in Hayley's kitchen.

Even with my rapid perception, it seems like Michelle disappears into a dark pile of smoke and reappears right in front of Hannah. Before the kick connects with her collarbone, I assume Hannah's career as a gladiator will end here. Luckily, she doesn't deliver her full power. Michelle removes the light from her tattoo.

The crowd goes berserk.

Dennis and I run over to Hannah. She's holding her collar and wailing manically. From the corner of my eye, I see Michelle. She watches motionlessly as I help the emergency response team. The moment my eyes connect with hers, she dashes from the field.

I lean back in my wobbling gray chair. The memory foam makes love to my spine, but smells like old man and cigarette smoke. Who the hell smokes inside of a hospital? Dennis really needs to stop trusting these cameras.

"Why didn't you ask me to help you train?" Because her injury involves a broken bone, Hannah was placed in a special type of pool that has more concentrated chemicals. It's only a foot deep and her breasts are kind of large. The nurse dyed the honey black, but it isn't concealing much. The pharmaceutical honey is still behaving like a very thin layer of clothing.

"I don't really know you," sneaks from my mouth. Being around Michelle for too long has made me more straightforward.

Hannah squeezes her eyes shut. Even against the pain she must feel in her neck, she turns her head towards the door.

"Geez, Spencer. You know exactly what a girl wants to hear."

Even I'm not lame enough to miss the sarcasm in her tone.

"It's not like I can lie. The nurse told you to leave your barcodes on."

Hannah makes a squeaking sound. Looking back at me, she sizes me up.

"What?" I snarl.

"My tattoos can't tell if you're lying or not. It reads auras. Every code is somewhat different, but the gift you have is rare. It's kind of weird that it's so similar to Michelle's. How invasive."

"Only Meesh and I can do that?"

"Meesh? You're really calling her that now?"

I ignore her question. "Well, I don't want to lie anyway. I tried building a relationship with you last year, but once our first semester finals were over, you wouldn't even come near me."

"I did! You went completely emo after throwing that fight. Everyone was pissed, and I don't blame them. You could easily beat anyone at the academy, but instead of trying, you had your dad rig a match. You couldn't even do that right. I tried talking to you about it, but you wouldn't open up for anything."

When I stand from my seat, I accidentally scoot the chair back. "Screw how everyone feels about it. I didn't ask him to fix anything. He did it on his own. I threw the fight to prove a point." My face turns cold. "And you didn't want to talk to me. You wanted to talk about me. Why don't you talk about yourself?"

Hannah stumbles over her initial words, but clearly contends, "I hate my life. I'd rather learn about you."

"That's not fair."

"Why not?"

"Maybe I want to know about you too."

"Like what? Just ask!"

"Like your parents. What are they like? Where are you from? I'd like to know something. What's that scar on your stomach?"

"Stop staring at my body. I'm not wearing anything." She tries to look down at her torso, but can't move her neck in that direction.

"The nurse dyed the honey black. I can't see through." That's partially a lie.

"But you can still see the scar!"

"Actually, I sense it."

"Meaning you can sense me naked?"

This argument is going nowhere. Hanging my head, I look out of the hospital window at the street. Several men unload large blocks of clay from pickup trucks. The arena's walls are near impossible to break, so we don't have the materials on the premises to fix them.

Hannah whispers, "I don't want to talk about any of those things."

"Michelle does. That's why I asked her."

She pouts and sniffles, "There's a dark aura surrounding your face. I didn't think you hated me that much."

"I don't hate you at all. You're drop dead gorgeous and hilarious. If you weren't distant and mysterious, maybe I'd—"

"You should see someone about your face."

"Stop trying to change the subject."

"I'm not! Just find a liminal being and they'll tell you. It's demonic."

The seriousness behind her tone concerns me. Maybe I'll have Dennis get me in the prison to speak with Talib. He can read auras.

Hannah releases a loud cry.

"Okay. I should go. Arguing with me is obviously causing more damage."

"I have a few more minutes. Sit." Hannah's eyes shift up to my twitching eyebrows. "Just ask. See, you never ask the right questions. Only the ones with scars."

"What do you mean a few minutes?"

"My bones heal really quickly because of a surgery I had."

"Why did you need the surgery?"

"I don't want to talk about that."

"Just tell me everything I'm permitted to know before I rip my damn hair out."

"I got into video games three years ago when I heard you liked them. Stupid thing, I'm only good at racing. I can't cry for some reason. I have a sick and twisted sense of humor that I got from my parents; don't ask about them. I hate ice cream. I love chocolate. Michelle's my best friend. I think we're both fighting over a boy that's too stupid to notice. I sometimes contemplate suicide, but that's a part of my strange humor. I love gore—thank The Writer I'm a gladiator. I've killed over one hundred men; don't ask. I was taught how to enter Hades; funny story. And the best time in my life was when I thought you were into me, but it's kind of depressing now."

"You want to take a breath between any of that?"

She giggles, "I can hold my breath for ten minutes. Also a part of the surgery."

"Don't ask."

"Exac—" Hannah screams and a shock wave covers the room.

"Now it's time to leave Spencer," she mutters before releasing a screech between her teeth.

"Are you sure?"

"Get out!"

My ears ring all the way home from her last words.

The brilliantly smoky layer of dust particles and the perfume of pollutants dance through my eyes and nose. Los Angeles smog has gotten to the point where we count ourselves fortunate if the moon shows itself at night.

I've developed a very disappointing habit of trying to find the moon. I never understood why Yukio stargazed so much, until I visited Dubai. I guess that's what happens when you're in hell for too long; you continue longing for heaven.

As I walk home, I notice a shadow on the top of our skyscraper. Automatically, my mind detects a threat and my eyes zoom in on the speck. Wicked binocular vision. I wonder if Leo even knows all the things this suit can do.

Speaking of the genius, my eyes can see him nearly a quarter mile up. He's standing with his arms spread wide as though he were going to jump.

I dash inside of the building and press the elevator button until it opens. Once the elevator reaches the roof, I steam towards the suicidal nerd, shouting his name. But it's too late. I watch as he falls backwards, crying.

I'm not sure, but he seems close enough to reach. I shoot my chains out and wrap two around his waist. His falling pulls me back initially, but I fight to stabilize myself. I know he's safe when I hear a thud against the building.

Instead of being grateful, he savagely rages, "You almost killed me!"

"I almost killed you? You jumped!"

Leo's eyes refuse to connect with mine, and his behavior seems belligerent. He fights furiously to loosen the chains.

"Let me go!"

"Why were you trying to kill yourself?"

In tears he cries, "I wasn't."

As he struggles against the chains, the bangs on Leo's forehead rise high enough for me to see his barcode for the first time. I had always imagined he had one of Zeus' lightning bolts on his back or chest, but it seems he has two bullhorns. When deactivated, his eyebrows seem to split at the end. But with each one shining a bloody red, it's easy to see that his tattoo powers his brain.

"What's in the air? Damn. Everyone's pissed at me."

"I'm not," Leo stops, though he's obviously not finished with his sentence. He lets out an innocent growl. "I probably wasn't even going to jump."

"I watched you fall back. What do you mean probably?"

Leo punches my chain. He surreptitiously rubs his fist. "I always come here and stand at the edge, okay? But you!" He's yelling at me now. "You startled me and I flew back. Not to mention you almost slammed me through a window."

"Better than you slamming into the ground."

"Maybe. Maybe not." He looks away again. He goes from Gothic bully to shy kid every few seconds.

"Why are you up here?"

Leo stands, but I force him back to the ground.

"Argh." He waves his arms wildly.

"Argh? Are you a pirate?"

Leo laughs a bit before getting angry again. This scrawny guy is strange to watch.

"I'm sick of life and pain. I'm tired." He removes his glasses and wipes the flood of tears blurring his view.

I nearly stand to hug him, but I'm not the best specimen for comforting someone. I've got enough problems of my own. "What happened?"

"Nothing in particular and everything. I'm just tired. Being smart. Saving the Moreno Company by keeping up with Eli's technology. Finding cures. Research. Everything."

This time, I allow him to stand. He walks past me.

Reluctantly, I grab his arm, "I'm not sure if anyone else cares that you die, but I do. You're a good friend."

Leonardo's eyes light up like Christmas for a brief moment, but they fall dim once more.

His tears gently strike the ground as he starts to smile.

"Spencer. It's so hard."

"Saving your parents' company?"

"Everything."

"What's wrong with the Moreno? Why would they need saving?"

"We can't stay on top forever. I've made most of the technological advancements over the past eight years. If something were to happen to me, another company would definitely take over."

"Nothing's going to happen if you don't jump."

Leo nods his head and we walk to the door. As he scratches his ear, my eyes zoom in as though they detect another threat. I watch as a nanobot falls from his ear onto the floor. Tiny sparks fly from its legs and wings. Several more nanobots follow.

SEVEN

Bed. Pillow. I love and miss you. Of all the fickle, indecisive, and suicidal relationships I've developed over a weak lifetime, only you truly comfort me at night. At the end of the longest day of my life, its memory foam opens its arms and says, Just let it go, Spencer. Hibernate.

Forget removing armor; I'm tired. As my body molds into the clouds of heaven, my mind wrestles with venomously persistent thoughts to forget everything that's occurred today.

A disease known as insomnia creeps into my veins.

I toss and turn, gaining little to no alleviation from my stress. When I can no longer fight the images of Michelle walking away and Leo falling, I decide to get up and make a snack.

I stumble into the kitchen and find nothing. There isn't an unexpired drop of food in my refrigerator or cabinets. Even my tiger jerky has vanished. It seems that Leo's nanobots don't care where they get food. I'm going to drive my knuckles deep into his skull.

Normally, Hayley would restock my cabinets, but Dennis has kept her unbelievably busy this year.

I remove my armor and throw on a warm robe. I take to the emergency stairwell and sneak into the penthouse. Keeping to the walls like a rat, I dodge all the cameras.

There's an extravagant dining hall at the end of the hallway loaded with food. But as I approach the doors, a fragrance nearly brings me to tears. I know this smell, but I can't remember it.

Dennis and Hayley talking inside.

"Just make the damn thing," Dennis commands jokingly.

"I won't finish until you tell me why you want it." Dennis starts to speak, but Hayley interrupts. "Shut up. I'm not done. You may have forgotten that I made it for you when Spencer was three. You came home looking like you'd been in the worst fight of your life, and when you saw the brat with the food, you flung it across the room. I've never seen your son throw that much of a tantrum. Now, you want it again?"

Dennis doesn't say a word, but it sounds like he's sobbing. "Look at me," he laughs weakly. "I'm..." His voice trails off and he chuckles faintly again.

"I'll make it."

"No. I...um..." Dennis sniffs, "It was a bad night. Beth used to make it all the time when she was pregnant with Spencer; she said it was his favorite food, you know?"

Dennis grunts and a chair scoot against the floor. "She'd made it one day before we were going to the library. Oh! It was delicious, but she didn't care how much I liked it. After every bite, she just kept holding her stomach. Spencer was practically kicking his way out. Before we left, she made me swear that if something happened to her, no one else could make it for her boy."

I place my fist over my mouth and clench my hand so tightly that I'm afraid I'll draw blood. I've never heard Dennis speak a single word about my mom.

"She...uh. Wow. Why is this difficult?" Dennis laughs, "She made me promise, but you made it just like her. I swear." He snickers and blows his nose.

Taking my robe in my hand, I wipe my face, but the tears won't stop. I sit in silence as Hayley clanks, chops, and stirs. After a small forever, she finishes making the soup. I hear her place a bowl on the table in front of Dennis. I assume he takes his time to write his prayer on a napkin, like always.

"Give it a minute; it'll be too hot."

I hear Dennis' watch beep. "One minute. That's all the time you get."

"How's Spencer?"

"I don't know. He doesn't talk to me."

"Isn't that your fault?"

"Damn, only ten seconds in...Yeah. Probably."

"What are you going to do about it?" she asks boldly.

"Pray, I guess."

"Take him to the library. He hasn't gone in five years."

"I've asked him, but—"

"That's what's wrong with you and Casey. You ask him. He's a damn kid Dennis. Your kid. Stop asking and just tell him. And stop looking at your watch or I'll throw poison in the soup. He's a teenager. He's not supposed to listen. Punish him. He wants a father, not just a chancellor."

"He needs a mother too, but I can't give him that."

"Do you blame him for killing Beth?"

"No. He didn't kill her. There were...complications."

I can hear my heart beating in my ears. Almost every god rips through the womb at birth. There's no way I didn't kill her. She died in the delivery room.

"You blame yourself?"

Dennis doesn't respond.

"You can't blame yourself for him." Hayley gasps and apologizes, "That came out wrong."

"I blame myself for letting her get pregnant without her father knowing, for following my father's orders to continue the strength of our bloodline, and for not spending more time with her." Dennis slaps his hand on something hard. "I'm pissed I wasn't there to protect her, but I never blamed Spencer. Though, I didn't do the best job of letting him know."

Dennis' alarm beeps. Once he turns it off, I throw a wine glass to the far end of the dining hall. Dennis pushes away the chair and quietly tells Hayley to hide in the corner. He rushes out of the room and chases the invisible intruder through the double doors that I just pushed open with my chains.

When Dennis is far out of sight, I sneak inside. Hayley is trembling with her face hidden at the far end of the kitchen. Fearful of the presence in the room, she slowly peers over her shoulders to see me finishing the entire bowl of potato soup. Of course, I burned my mouth, but it was worth every tear.

Angry and bewildered, Hayley stands up, rolls her sleeves, and stomps towards me. I hold her tightly and cry, "Thank you," repeatedly.

She holds me and kisses my head endlessly. It takes me a few moments to notice that Dennis has returned to the room. He's standing at the kitchen door, watching and trying to catch his breath.

"How did mom die?" I approach Dennis with my barcodes activated, and I'm not interested in reading his thoughts.

"You were listening."

My chains creep to the floor, and my face turns cold. Dennis might as well have murdered her himself, because all my life, he let me assume I'd done it. That guilt crushed me. Every time he touched me with his intrusive barcode, he would've known. I could hardly breathe some nights, knowing I'd murdered the only person that ever loved me.

Once my chains have fully extended, I push Hayley away with one and reach for the pot of soup with the other. He's not talking, and I'm not asking any more questions.

Dennis boldly asserts himself, "You're not going to fight your father."

"I wouldn't if I had one," I respond calmly before throwing the pot at his face. Dennis protects his good looks at the cost of his arms. He grunts when the soup spills on him.

I bind his hands, and slam him into the wall.

The room's turning black and my vision is getting hazy. Steadily, I breathe through my anger and throw Dennis into the dining hall. Coiling one chain into a shield, I raise it in front of me and walk in. My sperm donor fires a bullet from his index finger. His hand is a weapon on its own. It can slice like a sword and fire like a gun. He's so gifted; he can actually create specific bullets. I'm sure the one stuck in my shield is a tranquilizer.

I've seen him fight in the ring for too long and have analyzed all his tricks more. I don't plan on losing.

"Tell me or I'll rip this floor apart until we're both too tired to fight."

He stands from behind a chair and the furthest end of the long table. "I can't, Spen—"

A plate flies at his head.

Spinning around, I see Hayley throwing dishes.

"Tell him, you ass!" She launches another one.

Dennis threatens to fire her. My chains launch three chairs at him before throwing him into the waiting room. This time, Hayley shows her face before I do.

She's out of plates, but still full of fury. "Do you know what it feels like, not knowing how someone died, but you blame yourself? You're causing the rift between you and Spencer and I swear if you don't tell him, I'll run away with him. You can chase us all you want, but neither of us will stop fighting to stay away. Tell him."

If running away is my other option, I'm not sure I even want the answer anymore.

"I can't!" Dennis shouts, "And don't throw anything or hit me. Just listen." He catches his breath and stands before Hayley and me. "It'll be better if I take you to someone who can."

The stink of urine hangs on my nostril hairs as I walk through the rustic prison wards. There's a completely different feel here in the daytime. I didn't think that was possible, but the natural light shining through the cages actually makes it look more disgustingly pitiful.

The dirt and grime on the walls are visible. The few flies that managed to survive in this hell zip in and out of the light. Several toilets are overflowing and the bruised gladiators are grotesque.

Most of the men are either working out or reading. Some stand to greet Dennis. Others spit at the sight of him.

As we enter Block D, I glance into several cages to see that the bloodstains were never removed. I've been here, and there's proof of my experience in every corner. Dennis walks to the furthest cell on the left side. This is the cage of the man that refused dinner from Kode.

Air rushes through my lungs in relief when I finally see my friend.

"Talib!" I shout with joy as I try to rush toward him. Dennis holds me back with his left hand.

Talib slowly rises from his bed and glares at me from the darkest corner of his cell.

"Why are you in jail?"

My inquiry goes unanswered.

Dennis interjects, "You're asking the wrong question. I brought you here for the same reason you fought me."

Talib's eyes widen and he growls faintly.

"He knows about mom?" I sputter, "Talib, you knew how my mom died? Why? Why didn't you tell me?" I step forward to approach the bars again, but Dennis holds me more roughly.

The prophet finally steps out of the darkness, and I notice a huge gash across his face. I guess I wouldn't have seen it on the field, but how long has he had the wound? It clearly hasn't been treated.

"You said you wouldn't tell him," the prophet hisses without taking his eyes from me.

"I still haven't. He overheard me talking and tried to beat it out of me."

My face hasn't lost all of its heat, but my eyes turn cold.

Talib gasps, "Spencer. Where have you been?"

I'm distracted by something on his skin. If I could read auras like Hannah, I know I'd discover what was so repulsive about him. Hostility swims through my blood, but I can't explain why.

"Answer me."

Snapping out of my trance, I mutter, "What do you know about my mother's death?"

Dennis stands in a defensive position. I think he's preparing to stop me from striking Talib.

Talib growls, "Spencer."

"Don't say my name! Answer my question. How did she die?"

The beast places his hands in his cloak. "I murdered her." An invisible bullet pierces my heart with mournful words tattooed across it. My body experiences enough pain for my brain to shut down.

Am I closing my eyes or has the room gone black again? As the words rebound off my thoughts and I process all the lies surrounding my past, I finally open my eyes to recognize another enemy.

Something's holding me back from lashing out at him. It must be Dennis.

I'm crying, and every tear seems to increase the darkness surrounding him. This emptiness is worse than ever before. Even Talib is merging into the black limbo. My better judgment tells me to cool off, but my body's reacting on its own.

Talib makes a choking sound and then spits on my armor. In Aeoy, the language of liminal beings, he shouts, "Bawko ko Midmidoo, daoeaioa yew." I'm not fluent in the language, but I know the cursed word, Tartarus. "Damodo odkw Yibeo." I can only make out that he's saying something about coming from Hades.

He spits again, and I calm down. My body's returned to the prison and I can see things clearly. Though anger resides in the same dark pit across my chest, I'm here. Safe.

"What have you permitted to happen to the boy?"

"I don't know, but you better answer his question before it happens again."

"His data has found an entrance into Hades. You may see his body, but his very soul is at risk of being corrupted. I need to speak with the universe on his behalf. Any further into that place and there's no return for him. You and your brother should not have allowed that cursed demon to attend the university."

Dennis contends, "Complain all you want, but I'm hardly holding down a very big boy. If my fingers slip and he lets out a chain, it'll take both of us to stop him."

Talib roars and folds his arms across his chest. His eyes return to me, and he confesses, "Years ago, Takashi developed a strong gift for reading a god's barcodes before he crowned, and passed the knowledge to me, or I thought he did. I practiced the gift on others before coming to Dennis and Bethany with my new-found ability. At five months gestation, I prepared their reading."

Talib's pause lasts for too long. I prod, "So?"

"I read something that I could not believe. There were two babies in the womb. One was the most powerful god to bond with humans, Ares. The other was a beast, not a god. Ares, or Hayley's husband as you knew him, wasn't even pronounced dead by that time. I was doubtful of my reading."

If he's talking about predicting the birth of the current Ares, he means Monte.

Most gods are born with their own symbolic barcode, like my cross and Michelle's lions. Apollo's previous host had a raven; the god before him, a lyre. Monte possesses the only barcode that forms a collage of the previous tattoos. He brags about John's tattoo because he was the most infamous god criminal that escaped a high security prison. Monte mostly enjoys it because the ax tattoo resembles his current weapon.

From my understanding, John's collage fit on one arm. With the size of Monte's power, he should be considered the monster.

"Instead of telling your parents the prophecy, I channeled my energy and consulted Takashi. During that time, we worked well together. He confirmed my prediction, and recommended that I tell your parents the truth. To kill you."

"I'm the monster?" I stutter.

"No," Dennis' voice is forceful.

Takashi rubs his eyes. "As I was told by the universe, the monster would abolish war. In return, our world would end, unless he were never allowed to crown."

Dennis squints and adds, "I hadn't found out until recently that the purpose of liminal beings isn't to declare the power of the god, but to kill off those with too much strength. They've done this for years with no one knowing."

Talib continues, "I waited until the last possible moment to discuss this with your parents. After nurses confirmed the health of the twin boys, I addressed Bethany, but she went into labor early. I told her the truth, one that not even your father knows, but she would not believe me. In fact, she had guards attempt to remove me."

"No," I cry. "No. No."

Unable to look into my eyes, Talib turns his face. His voice rattles as he admits, "She fought for you. I was forced to rip through her abdomen. As I left the room, you kicked out of the tear I left in her stomach, unscathed. But there was no other baby. The nurses and I were deceived by my brother. Your destiny was to oppose the monster if he lived. I was set up to make sure he did. I was ashamed of my failure. Against the will of the universe, I stayed to help raise you in repentance, but I did not know how to mentor a child with my own guilt lingering over my conscience. And so, I left."

"Why are you in jail for it now?" My fearsome words have spark.

Talib raises his eyebrows and leans forward. He shifts his weight uncomfortably and clears his throat. "The universe told me to turn myself in. Your father never suspected me. He always treated me as a friend. I thought he deserved to punish me as he saw fit, but I did not want you to know. I am sorry Spencer. Maybe I...Maybe I should fight my way out and face my true demon."

"Is that all?" I ask with a dry throat.

"Yes."

"Can I leave?"

As I walk out of the room, I hear Talib tell Dennis, "You do not understand what I have just done to him. The hell has completed its hold."

EIGHT

As I finish struggling with my tie, my avatar yawns, "Leo's at the door."

I walk away from the mirror and squat next to my phone. "Are you tired?"

"I spent all night searching for Michelle's avatar, but it's like she's hiding from me. You keep me next to Hayley's phone too much and I think she's jealous."

"I didn't mean to throw salt in your game. Get some rest."

"I'll have to power down."

"That's fine."

I leave my phone on the counter and open my front door. Leo is dripping sweat and breathing heavily. He's been training.

"Hey, Spencer. Whoa. You look spiffy."

"Dennis is making me go to the library. I think Hayley forced him."

"I just came to see how you were. You didn't talk much at school."

"I'm okay." I lean against the door and take a deep breath.

"After Hayley merged the gods and demigod classes, I thought you and Michelle would hang out more, but you don't even look at each other."

"I tried chasing her down once," I openly admit. I've wanted to talk to someone about this all week. I find my lips moving faster than my thoughts. "The Apes were juiced that she got Dennis to combine the classes. They surround her before class ends. Plus, she doesn't really want to talk."

Leo activates the barcodes on his forehead and he scans my body. "Man. This is really stressing your body."

"I couldn't even convert the marbles she left me."

"What about Hannah?"

"We've been on a date every day after school. She tries getting me to talk, but we're so different."

"You've been going out? But that means she's breaking curfew in the dorms."

"I didn't even know she stayed on campus until this week. That's why she never wanted to hang out after school. Wait. How'd you know?"

He taps his forehead. "I always know."

I laugh. "What about you? Things get any better?"

Dennis bursts through the stairwell doors. "Come on, kid. We're late."

Leo and I pound fists and I run down the stairs. We exit into the garage and load into Dennis' slowest truck. Whenever he rides with me, he always makes sure I'm in the most well armored vehicle he has. It's not the best idea when we're late, but there's no time to argue.

I watch as the time changes to 10:05 A.M. We were supposed to make it to the library five minutes ago, but Dennis is never on time. He normally drives calmly, but he seems motivated to arrive on time. Now I'm sure Hayley's forcing him to do this.

When we do pull into the parking lot, there aren't many cars.

We hop out of the truck and jog up to the entrance of the cathedral. As we make our way through the large wooden double doors, the head minister greets us with a smile.

"What's going on pastor?" Dennis asks.

"We're having an amazing our service soon. What's going on with you?"

"No. I mean, doesn't the sermon begin at ten?"

The pastor laughs, "Dennis Colt?" The largely round and bald man adjusts his glasses as he gawks with disbelief. "And your son Johnny? Boy," he says clasping his hands, "When Hayley said you were coming, I didn't believe it."

I stare at Dennis strangely. Johnny?

Dennis corrects him with a twisted expression, "Actually it's Spencer, but thanks. Now, about the service."

"Oh my apologies. I thought Beth said you'd name him after your friend. Spencer it is," the pastor says, winking at me. Something tells me he knew my name all along. "Come on. Come in and read a book for now. We'll begin in twenty minutes or so." The lost, unmoving look on Dennis' face causes the pastor to add, "Look, son, we don't begin until 10:30. Hayley said you'd come early. She may have mentioned that I should be out here to see you with my own four eyes." The round man laughs so hard he nearly snorts.

I snicker at Dennis. "She knows how to get you out on time."

The pastor looks to me and suggests, "You might want to try the history section, young sir, and self-improvement for your old man."

"History?"

"I'm not as out and about as I was before the knee surgery, but I still know people. You need to learn something about previous wars before your own begins."

Dennis chuckles, "You sound like you know him better than you let on."

"I do. Not every spiritual being looks like a beast."

We both observe him closely; I mentally dissect his face. Something about him reminds me of a pig. His pink cheeks or raised nose. At least he's funny.

As we walk in, the pastor makes a comical, "Oink," sound and wiggles his eyebrows.

Dennis clearly hasn't visited the library for some time because he looks just as amazed as me. Though we're a very spiritual bunch, it's Hayley that forces us to write our prayers and study various novels. I never know exactly what to study on my own. There aren't many physical novels written by The Writer. He spends a lot of time delivering messages through us.

"What's wrong with you?"

Glancing at Dennis as we step onto the elevator, I reply. "Nothing."

"You still thinking about..."

"Do you think the pastor is a liminal being?"

"Pastor Gordon?"

"Yeah."

"No way. I mean...no there's no way."

"Why'd he say oink?"

We both snicker. I stop mine a bit early when I realize my laugh sounds like his.

Dennis and I part ways at the top of the escalator. Once I make it to the history section, I notice Michelle frozen in her track next to her gigantic father. Arnold gleams at the sight of me.

"Spency," he shouts with a deep manly voice in the library while rushing over and lifting me like a play toy.

"How are you, kid?"

"Good." I respond to Arnold, but keep my eyes glued to the gorgeous woman hiding behind her father's arm.

Arnold notices my expression and tone. Then, he bends down to whisper, "I'm going to leave her with you."

"Daddy!" Michelle punches his arm. He cringes and rubs it.

This happened once before, when we were preteens. Arnold told me to make sure she didn't get hurt or he'd kill me. Once he left, Michelle ran away to the seventeenth floor. She wanted to play on the swings. For some reason, the crazy girl got the wildest kick from jumping off and landing as far away as she could with her pink tattoos radiating brightly.

A creature some Moreno and Gonzales scientists were experimenting on escaped and came directly for us. Supposedly, it was grossly attracted to her barcodes and had come to eat them. I'd never seen anything so foul.

She and I fought with everything we had. When we were too tired to go on, I covered her with my body until Casey came to our rescue. She only received a scratch on her leg, which I cried about frantically until the doctors stitched it up. I wouldn't allow anyone to treat my back until her minor injury was fixed.

When Arnold had burst into the doctor's room, I thought my life was over. After inspecting her thoroughly, he congratulated me with a firm slap on the back. I never forgot the pain, but I was safe. Nothing ever frightened me more than thinking he'd crush me for that scratch. It took the doctors months to surgically repair my injuries, though two very small lashes remain.

I don't want that responsibility again and Michelle doesn't want to come near me. But neither of us will try to oppose the giant.

He stands up tall and affirms, "People that can't hurt me would love to attack my baby girl. But if this building crashes down and you're not by her side, you're dead." The smile that stretches across Arnold's face scares me more than a frown would.

I nod my head frantically and choke down my saliva as though it were a horse pill.

"By the way, did you find anyone in your class that could kill me?"

"Daddy," Michelle screams again.

"No." I consider mentioning Kode, but that would make me an accomplice to a crime. "Why don't you just fight Professor Gonzales?"

Arnold slams his hand on my shoulder so hard my knees buckle. "When I die, don't let that woman put her mittens on me. She'll turn me into one of those things she keeps locked up in class, or even worse, the ones she has at home." Arnold shivers wildly and the floor rumbles a bit. "It just creeps me out thinking about it."

I nod with my entire right side throbbing, and the brute walks away. I'm sure the pastor told Arnold to look for a specific section as well, but he heads directly to the cookbooks.

"Hey," I whisper in a low voice to Michelle, but she only waves before walking to the other side of the bookshelf.

Fearful of Arnold seeing me more than ten feet away, I rush behind her.

"You don't have to follow me. I'll stay here," she snaps before I even turn the corner.

"I can read books here."

Michelle picks up The Destruction of the Great Wall of China and turns on the hologram demo. I do my best to leave her alone, but being ignored is too much for my ego.

Words explode from my lips, "What did I do?"

"Nothing," she responds quickly. Too quickly. It was as though she expected the question.

"Then why aren't you talking to me?"

Michelle continues clicking through the book. If she presses any harder, she'll crack the screen.

"Why'd you run out of the room crying?"

"I wasn't crying," she snaps with such ferocity that I can clearly see Arnold's DNA flowing rapidly through the blood in her red ears.

"You still ran away!"

"You didn't need me anymore, so I left."

"I didn't need you in the first place!"

A minister on the other end of the aisle shushes us. A metamorphosis occurs in Michelle's temper. I watch as her disgust transforms into an indignant fury. Very unfortunately for me, Michelle's rage takes over and she throws the book at my head. I barely dodge it.

She storms off and I'm in hot pursuit.

"Stop following me," she whispers angrily.

"No."

Michelle runs quickly through the aisles, and I break into a sprint too. As she escapes through the cooking section, Arnold grins and hides his face behind a book. We both slow down to a brisk walk whenever we see a minister, and return to a full out dash once we're out of range.

Eventually, we run into a section of the library restricted to ministers, liminal beings, and high-ranking gods. We duck into a dark corner, out of breath and laughing.

"Why do you want Hannah so badly?"

"What?"

"Why do you love her?"

"I don't!"

"Do you love me?"

I look away as blood rushes to my face.

"Do you?" she echoes.

"No. I don't think I do. I don't know. I think about you a lot. Alright?" I do. I know I do. I think about her all the time.

Michelle attempts to flash her tattoos secretively, but the bright light sends a sensual tingle through my spine.

She bounces subtly and pumps her fists. "I don't love you either." She abruptly smacks her forehead with her entire palm. It sticks roughly for a second. "You'll hurt Hannah if you're around me too much. She..." Michelle grunts, "Hannah's really into you."

"I know, but—"

A group of gods walk in, followed by the porky pastor. Grabbing my hand, Michelle pulls me down the long stretch of darkness.

We're surrounded by ancient looking pillars made of a marble-like material. A curse word slips from Michelle's tongue when she notices a dead end with wooden pews, an elevated space with a microphone for a small choir, and a red carpeted pulpit.

We duck between two stone pillars, nearly thirty feet away from the room. I stop once I think we're out of sight, but Michelle tugs on my arm. She pulls me through a very dark space until we're squeezed together face-to-face. Then, we cover each other's mouths while as the group passes us.

I watch Michelle admire my gray suit. She even leans in to smell my cologne. When she looks into my eyes, I swear they shine a brighter blue. Her body radiates the same way it does under moonlight.

Ms. Miyamoto is sporting a bright green sweater dress and a white waistband. She looks good.

We're currently the same height. Wondering why, I look at her feet. She has on heels. I spend such a long time gawking at her legs, she clears her throat. We silently chuckle as I gaze into her hazel eyes. They seem to glow too. I assume that's the side effect of our suits. I didn't realize until now how clearly I could see her in the dark, even without Leo's gear.

Michelle's long bronze hair rests unevenly on her shoulders. I reach up and straighten the gentle wires. Accidentally brushing her neck causes a light spark to link our flesh, making my fingers tremble.

Resting my hand on her exposed shoulder, I observe the beauty's golden round cheeks and firm chin. They give her an appeal of a stunning warrior.

Michelle moves closer. She approaches slowly and every centimeter she covers corrodes my better judgment.

A surge of blood rushes to my head. Before I know it, I'm close enough to feel her heartbeat without my senses enhanced.

"Did you kiss?" she asks so politely I nearly laugh.

I take too long to answer her questions. Michelle pushes her leg between mine and squeezes her hand between my back and the wall. Then, she does something I didn't know was possible, something I believe only she can. She activates my tattoo.

I feel her skin on every bit of my existence, and more importantly, I hear thoughts of her love for me. They're not old or cherished. They're new and confused. In fact, she's hated me ever since I saved her from the creature.

Realizing that I can read her thoughts, I pray she can't sense mine. I don't want to kiss her. There's no reasonable explanation for me to fall in love.

Though I need Michelle to keep living, I want to die. Everyone I love hurts me. The only woman that loved me was murdered because her son was supposed to be a monster.

As porky begins to minister, Michelle shakes her head. Something, probably common sense, pushes me into her lips, into heaven.

The connection strengthens the power I feel surging through my tattoos. My codes process the enticing data while my mind analyzes the seductive skin on her soft lips. Chills break dance across my torso. As I hold her arm, I feel the same eruptions. I've connected to something greater than the universe. Maybe it's what Kode called a soul.

After jointly pulling away, we stare at each other intensively. Suddenly we break into a quiet laughter. I rest my lips on her forehead while listening to the pastor.

"I've heard that many of you struggle with your faith and you wonder, is The Writer real? Raise your hands if this is true for you."

Some woman blurts, "Put your hand down Arnold."

"No. That's fair, and thank you for being honest, but there is nothing wrong with disbelief in The Writer. Not all of the gods believe in him."

The small group begins chattering.

Pastor Gordon interrupts, "I don't blame any of you for being perplexed. Life is confusing and so is religion. The Writer's story evolved from several religions around the world. As the Earth's population began to intermingle, those from various backgrounds became more blended. People were defined by region versus color or ethnic makeup. As the cultures merged, so did religions.

"After the war, people were lost. Who could they believe in to save them? Prayers to their gods were going unanswered. Violence had become the way of life. Suddenly, mysterious messages appeared in mailboxes and emails over the world. They were encouraging and promoted the maintenance and dedication towards faith."

A soft piano plays in the background as a woman hums lightly.

"A revolution started that nearly sparked another war, but the Olympians intervened and children with tattoos were born. Some of the more pleasant gods, like Dionysus, Apollo, and Helios decided to open arenas where countries could fight for territories, instead of sacrificing the lives of soldiers.

"That's when people began praising humans born with barcodes as deities. That's also how The Writer became widely known. It was the first Helios hosts that praised Him for controlling the war and keeping battles between politicians."

Arnold boldly huffs, "Who cares? Should we believe in some invisible god just because of one man? If you knew the current host of Helios, you wouldn't think very favorably of The Writer."

The people try to hush Arnold, but the pastor eats up every word.

"No, I agree with you. It's not because of Helios that we appreciate The Writer; it's because of the messages we receive. Our bibles are written by man, not The Writer. What makes the words special are not what you read, but what you interpret. If your interpretation says that there is no Writer, then that's what is written on your heart. Maybe your disbelief will strengthen another." The pastor projects his voice loudly with his conclusion, "We each have a purpose, but it's our choice to write that purpose into our own lives."

"That I can agree with pastor."

The group reads three passages from The Everyday Bible: Helios.

After a small choir sings and the people trickle out, Michelle leads me from the stone pillars. I never want to leave this small place with immeasurable feelings crammed between us.

We take the risk of holding hands until we depart from the reserved area. Before we're in sight of the exit, I swing Michelle around for one more kiss.

The expression on her face reads: It took you long enough. "And Spencer."

"Yeah?"

"Don't die. I need you, too."

Days before final exams, Hannah, Michelle, and I meet in Casey's room to see if I can lift one of my weights one last time, but it doesn't work. I'm not upset. I've received a grandiose amount of help from the two friends. Their support pushed me further than I could ever imagine in the past two weeks. I can't regret where I am.

All three of us are able to work out with all eight marbles, but none of us can budge my golden weights.

I'm just happy that things are somewhat back to normal. Michelle and I agreed that there's no future for us. Even if I were to stop pursuing Hannah, there's no way I could leave one friend to be with the other.

Hannah claps her hands and smiles. "It's okay! You still have a week."

"Nah. I have to let my muscles relax before the exams. If I have to fight Monte or Kode, I'll need all the strength I can get."

Michelle scratches her head, "What's up with you and those guys? I know about the threat to your life and all, but that can't be it. You weren't this hyped up when you were leaving for Dubai to fight Mohammed's stuck up son. He was threatening to kill you too."

Hannah nods and tilts her head in a suspicious way, as though she didn't care to hear my reply. I could be reading too much into it, but it seems she's always a bit distant when I mention Kode's name. I started noticing it after confessing my ability to hear him. She was pretty pissed that I didn't tell her for so long and asked if Michelle knew. Being the smart man I am, I lied.

I practically cough up my response. "I kind of need to be ready to become the first king of America this summer." I duck my head, close the cabinets, and walk away.

Michelle chases me down, a little too close for comfort. Too close would normally mean five feet away before my barcode goes berserk. But this time she swings right by my face to stop me from walking away. "What do you mean king?"

"I guess, I forgot to tell you that, huh? You see, it happens that this summer my bandages have to be removed, and I'll fight Helios. After beating him, I'll have rights over all his territories and ours."

Simultaneously, they yell, "What?"

Both of their faces are beautifully distracting. When I think back on it, I hated the past few weeks of training. Their bodies do not present a productive learning environment.

"I thought you said Dennis didn't want you fighting Helios." Hannah watches me closely.

"He hates the idea, but he doesn't have much of a choice with his investors pressuring him. Anyway, that's why Dennis is always working. He's developed some extensive security for our borders to make sure Helios doesn't get to me before I come into my power."

"Yeah right. Dennis wouldn't work so hard to protect the West Coast just for your safety," Hannah asserts as though they're best buds. She laughs and throws her hands on her hips.

On the other hand, Michelle is waiting impatiently for the next word to leap from my lips. She has a different type of disbelief. It's the, oh my goodness, I love gossip type.

Pointing to a logo on Casey's desk, I inform them, "No one knows this besides the professors and investors for this school, but the academy's logo is my barcode."

Michelle blurts, "Shut up."

Even Hannah follow through with, "No it's not."

"Whoa. Not so many big words, ladies."

"It's a cross from Christianity, you idiot," Michelle says, punching me in the arm.

"No. It's more similar to the cross of Saint James, but it's divided into three segments like the two parts that power my arms and the long sword that strengthens my torso. That logo didn't appear until the day after my birth."

I try walking away, but they become road blocks with tons of questions. Because I don't want to enter an argument, we start a light brawl. Not waiting for one to attack, I throw Hannah on the mat and swing Michelle out of the way, but they both trip me up in the process. The quick recovery catches me off guard, and I find my body wrapped by both women as I'm glued to the floor. The dreams I had of them holding me down didn't feel this painful. I tap the ground and they release me.

They fold their damn sexy legs yoga-style as I elaborate on what I know.

"The nation is relying on me to defeat Helios. I'm supposed to challenge him in a few years after my bandages are removed. Then, I move to Sacramento into a castle that's being built for me."

Hannah leans in. "That's crazy. You're not strong enough to fight him yet."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I agree. I can hardly lift my own weapons."

"That doesn't mean you can't get there," Michelle cheers.

Her words make me smile. "When Dennis removed the bandages from his fingers, he gained a crazy nickname, The Black Hand. Supposedly, he killed over a thousand gladiators in one day to gain full control of California. My entire back is wrapped, so you never know. Still, if I die, a lot of people will lose hope. Dennis will lose everything he owns and several investors will leave the West Coast."

Nearly stuttering over her words, Hannah asks, "Why would they do that?"

"Helios doesn't follow the rules of gaining territories by arena matches. He is the first to use bombs, military attacks, and other means to gain his regions. He's taken over most of Northern California. You see, every powerful arena has a strong brute that holds Helios from taking them over. For us, it's Arnold. But to the investors, I'm the man."

Michelle scratches her chin comically and speaks as if she was an old wise man, "Because you are rumored to have greater power, people come here to have you as their protector."

Hannah laughs at her best friend and adds, in a more serious tone, "If you lose a match, people will think you're not ready for Helios."

"Right. Technically, I'm supposed to be the baddest thing alive. That's why Dennis tried fixing my matches."

The two women start a fake boxing match. Michelle swings at Hannah. Though she misses, Hannah dramatically collapses on the ground. That's actually a great depiction of how badly the match I had last year looked. The student my father paid off practically had to fall on his own in order to lose.

Michelle tickles Hannah to get her back up. After they fight a bit, Michelle asks, "What now? You must not think that Dennis can buy Monte."

"After what happened last year, there's no way he'd try rigging another match. He'll have to let me go all out. Plus, I know he couldn't buy Kode."

An alarm sounds and the room turns pitch black.

I fume, "Stupid Professor Gonzales! How would making a room black help in an emergency? She's creepy. It's as though she wants us to die."

The women and I run out of the room and into the hallway. If we're caught, Hannah could get into a lot of trouble. Students living in the dorms are supposed to be in their rooms by nine o'clock. And if she gets kicked out, she'll have nowhere to stay.

"Spencer, I'm going to sneak her back home. You make sure no one follows us." Michelle takes off, crouching and dragging Hannah by the wrist.

Michelle's legs and Hannah's arms create an orange and pink glow as they dash down the hall. When they're nearly out of sight, I hear footsteps behind me. I rush towards the sound, assuming a professor or security noticed us. My heart beats rapidly as I think of how to create a diversion.

"What are you doing here?"

Leo's sweating bullets and looks nervous. "I got a text from Kode. He warned me that you'd be in trouble if I didn't come."

"What?"

Just then, Kode peeks his head out of a nearby door and whispers, "Over here."

I roll my eyes and walk towards the devil.

Leo grabs my arm. "You're really going with him?"

I nod. "Honestly, I get a little bored when he's not around."

Kode waves for us to hurry up, "I always have an adventure."

When we're in the room, I hear powerful footsteps stomp by just outside the door.

None of us speak as one of the voices in the hallway mentions seeing a pink light. The footsteps fade away.

"They're halfway to the dorms. No worries. For those fat idiots to catch up they'd need a magic carpet with at least a V12 in the engine." Kode's words calm my nerves.

Leo whispers, "What are we doing, Spencer?"

"What are we doing, Kode?"

The masked man points to the walls. "That's the supercomputer. We have to change the matches for finals. We'll need to access the list at the last second or someone will notice."

I walk towards the walls and see tinted glass with several green lights flashing. Most of the room has barcodes written across the walls that wirelessly connect to the main server. The supercomputer is actually underneath our feet, protected by a dense glass. We can only see red and blue lights shining on top of a black sphere.

Kode gives me instructions to relay to Leo. I tell the nerd to release his nanobots to hack into the equipment. The idea is ingenious. Because hacking into the school server could cause your computer to blackout, leaving the nanobots is the best option.

Kode says we'll only need a thousand, which is chump change compared to the trillions Leo has at home. After everything's set up, Kode gives Leo a list of the fights. He and I are at the top.

Before finishing my explanation, I ask, "Why don't we just use Antonio? We could give him the list. He's broken into the school before."

Leo shakes his head and doesn't hear Kode say, "He just retrieves information. He can't corrupt a system, or he risks his life."

"How do you know about Antonio?"

My question was enough to drive Leo mad. The nerd spouts, "What does he know about Antonio?"

Kode shrugs his shoulders. "I'd tell him the data is a homosexual trapped in a digital body, but you'll have to relay it for me."

"What did he say?" Leo looks at me, but glances at the mask occasionally.

"Uh. He has hearing like Selena and he overheard us talking about the AI. He couldn't really make out all the details, but he's sure Antonio won't work."

"Oh." Leo calms down considerably.

"I said he's gay. Oh. I get it. Now you ignore me." Kode's evil laugh that follows almost makes me chuckle. "Anyway, we need to get off campus. Let's leave in intervals. Spencer, you're the fastest—by a split second—so you go first. Tell the nerd he's next, and I'll restore the security before finishing Professor Jules' errand."

I don't trust him in a room with Leonardo, but I make a run for it anyway.

Fun night.

NINE

The clock trapped within my chest ticks like the end of a time bomb. The announcer summarizes all of the previous matches during the intermission.

Abby actually won her bout against a demigod. Her new barcode resembles god tattoos. Though the codes are only the words Son and Goku on her right and left fingers, she seems to have powered up magnificently.

Leo barely lost his match to Yukio. Though the nerd put up a good fight, the third year was too much for him. Before leaving the campus, I asked Leo why he wouldn't use his weapons. He claimed they constantly try to possess him.

Angie requested to take on both Stephanie and Trinity because she felt no one would last long in a one-on-one battle. The two girls fought brilliantly, but were overpowered and outwitted by the Nubian warrior. She left the match with a few bruises, but overall, I felt sorry for the duo.

Kyle and Malik fought a gruesome match that ended in a draw. They received a standing ovation as they were rushed to the hospital. I was pretty shocked. Malik wasn't that strong last year, but I have reason to believe Kyle held himself back. I've never seen his tattoo, and I don't know if he activated it, but I'm sure he could've done better.

Wesley struggled, but prevailed against a senior god level gladiator. Because of the strength he's shown, Wes is rumored to become the next Arnold for our arena. After he threw his opponent the length of the battlefield, rumors of the skull tattoo of Antaeus embedded on his chest are spreading rapidly. His status on Gods&Men jumped from noob to rising legend. To do that in only one day means he's something special.

The fight of the day, for most viewers, went to the rematch between Hannah and Michelle. Like the previous match, they approached the field quietly. Both looked like warriors ready to inscribe their names in the history books. That intensity managed to find itself right into the stands again. This time, a few people didn't move quickly enough and the EMT was forced to treat some audience members.

Hannah fought with a much wilder, less organized style that seemed to get her into a lot of trouble initially. Michelle let her guard down, showing concern for her friend. But in that moment, Hannah unleashed a fury of punches. She only returned to her normal calculated fighting after she'd already done enough to her best friend.

It was a great strategy because Michelle heavily relies on her speed in battle. The damage slowed her down drastically. She put up an awesome fight, but Hannah delivered the final strike and staggered until the announcer declared her as the victor. A second later, Hannah coughed up a heap of blood and curled on the floor, crying in pain. Both women were rushed to the hospital.

Hannah forced the EMT to wake Michelle up and return them to the field minutes later so they wouldn't miss my fight.

As the intermission ends, my organs detonate and I swiftly stand to my feet. After a few ballistic stretches, I wait for Kode's name to be called first. Instead, I hear Monte's. I forgot about him. I'll have to wait out one more.

Since Patrick was matched against Selena, Thomas Lee, a professional emcee, has taken over. Thomas' voice blares over the microphone, "Now the moment you've all been waiting for. Colt arena fans and Helios haters around the world, listen closely. Coming in at six-foot zero, one hundred and eighty-five pounds, the Helios killer, Spencer Colt!"

Some of the audience members cheer loudly. The public bashing stopped after I set up the match between Hannah and Michelle, but I know some people are still torn.

As I approach the field, I wonder what happened to Kode and Leo hacking the system. Did the nanobots fail?

Final exams are televised, locally and internationally. The senior matches like mine are especially important because they're like draft picks. These matches decide the franchise fighters for the next year.

Three circular cameras, smaller than the size of my fist, fly around my face and body. I listen to Thomas as he announces what others can see on their television screens and hologram projectors all over the world.

"If you look at the determination on Spencer's face, you'll see a different monster than the one we saw last year. Reports say that he's trained with other top students alongside his grandfather and father for the past two months. He never missed a single day of training, and you can see it all over his body. Look at how buff this guy is now. If the bandages weren't covering a bit of his arms, we'd be able to see all of the sexy." The crowd laughs and Thomas continues announcing the match.

I don't have much time to think about what happened with Kode. Monte's a serious threat that deserves all of my attention.

I consider releasing my chains.

Recently, I discovered the convenience of wrapping them around my hand help them respond to my thoughts more quickly. Unsure of Monte's fighting style, I'll wait until the match begins to decide if I should use them. I don't want to be anchored to the ground if he's fast.

A professor activates the non-lethal version of Monte's ax. It's similar to shifting MIBS, but doesn't require much data. Monte's seven-foot, double-edge parashu ax loses its serration as it's transmuted it into a hammerhead. Less frightening, yes. Still damaging, for sure.

Before I know it, the match is underway and I'm watching seven feet of death swing in my direction. Ducking under the ax, I wait patiently to see if he'll capitalize on my loss of footing.

He doesn't.

Monte stands in place and does something I'd never seen in my life. He lights various sections of his tattoo individually.

After watching for too long, I realize he's storing up energy.

Wiping my sweaty palms against my armor, I push off towards the brute with all my might. If I'm not mistaken, he's sucking air into his barcodes. Instead of advancing any further, I whip my weapon out and smash it on his head, but a powerful gust of air pushes it back. The heavy chain nearly takes my arm off. The sound of the bronze weight crushing against the dirt causes me to lose focus for a second. My feet twitch from the shocking feeling in my heels.

Monte's charge completes. He looks like a different person.

His arrogant smile and graceful demeanor vanish. I'm able to see the thug I always thought he was. His tattoos glow an eerie blue. I prepare for the worse, and that's exactly what I receive.

The screams from the crowd horrify me more than the thunderous wind I hear striking against my face. Every punch sounds like the sandstorms from Dubai. I lose count of how many times Monte hits me.

Though my body cringes in pain, my mind says, Hell no.

My chains grow lighter. I wrap a small amount around my hand and drive my fist into his face. That pushes him back, but Monte begins drawing in air again.

I twist my body and whip my chain. I plan to add a centrifugal force to the next strike.

The chain swings, connecting heavily against his torso. The force bashes Monte to the ground and he rolls across the field. Regrettably, he collects much more air as he skips to a stop.

Monte rages towards me before I'm able to draw another powerful swing. Releasing my chains to the ground, I defend myself with my fists. We engage in a gritty exchange of punches that sound like Armageddon and smell like surgery. Knuckles, knees, and elbows connect in no particular order.

After a grotesque display of power, Monte drives a rocket punch into my jaw, knocking me to the ground. His knuckles are covered in both of our blood. Though he was obviously affected by my punches, he's the only one standing at the moment.

Monte stumbles to his ax. He must want to end this quickly.

I watch helplessly as the terror unfolds. I can't move my legs.

Get up! Move, stupid limbs. Come on! Come on! Come on!

A pressure builds in my chest. It reminds me of Angie's force, but this time it's inside me, dying to get out. The earth quakes beneath me as he pries his ax from the wall.

Move. The ground shakes again.

Get up! I feel as though I'm going to explode.

Come on!

Monte's quickly recovering. He slowly jogs back towards me with his speed gaining until he's in an all-out sprint. The amount of air he's collecting could possibly kill me.

Some people are shouting to stop the match. A few professors stand, but none of that helps me.

The second I close my eyes and prepare for the end, I see pink flash through the dark. The brat yells, "Don't freakin' lose, Spencer!"

"Shut up!" I shout angrily to the girl that could be heard from every point in the amphitheater. My tattoo beams under the bandages and my rapid perception kicks in. Monte's standing over me in mid-swing and the judges are ready to call the match.

I scream and release a shock wave that nearly knocks Monte back.

Loud bashing noises approach us rapidly. It sounds like explosives going off inside of the school.

My golden weights smash through the arena walls and connect to my chains. I roll out of Monte's way and reach for the link nearest to me. After swinging the largest ball and chain combination over my head, I plant the weight right on Monte's ax, which he used to defend himself. The force drives him to the ground. I follow through by cracking the medium ball and chain on his bicep. Monte releases a muffled scream through his teeth. I've never seen that type of pain in someone's eyes.

I suddenly find myself thinking about how it would feel to actually kill someone. It's thrilling.

In this state of weakness, Monte rushes me with everything he has. He's aware that if I connect a good enough hit, paralysis may be his next move. The overgrown hammer comes crashing down in front of me. Though my legs are weak, the anti-gravity boots are enough to push me aside.

I praise Leo for saving my life again. But my gratitude should direct itself towards the pink lioness I sense intermingling with my data. Something from that brat rubbed off on me, and it's her push that overrules my desire to give up. Don't die.

While he struggles to remove his hammer from the dirt, I wrap Monte in my chains. They anchor him to the ground, and I rush to my third and smallest ball. Instead of grabbing the chain, I lift the weight as though it were no heavier than three marbles. I palm it in one hand and fire the song of death at his head.

What does Monte see on my face? His startled expression pleads with me to spare his life. Everything within his data fears that I'll kill him, and something in my mind chants, Finish him.

A split second before the weight strikes Monte, I tug the end of the chain. The earth explodes and dust surrounds his body. The people wait breathlessly as the debris settles.

Monte's relaxing in the chains and applauding me with a gentle clap.

Monte and I assist each other off the field. I still have some harsh feelings towards the guy, but it's mainly because of his brother. When I think about it, Monte's never been more than arrogant at times, and I'm guiltier of that than anyone.

When we make it to the locker rooms, a commotion breaks out. I hear several men fighting. They're large security guards, but not quite as large as the man they're trying to restrain.

Blake.

He easily pushes through as they attempt to force him back. He fights the lightweights, and walks over their unconscious bodies. Monte bows his head in shame. It takes me a moment to understand why he appears repulsed.

Eve races to Monte and holds her son's face. "Are you alright?"

I sense his deep desire to slap her hand away. With a forced smile, he replies, "Yes mother."

Eve turns to me and clasps her hands. "And you, Spencer. I knew you'd finally give my boy a challenge. You really are Apollo."

"Thank you." I keep my eyes glued to Blake. His eyes are scanning the field. Any light shining around his eye seems to darken as though a black hole were absorbing it.

Eve compliments my battle tactics and welcomes me over for dinner in their chambers. I accept half-heartedly because I'm wondering what Blake senses.

As the adrenaline wears off, my body suffers from the after-effects of fighting Monte. My vision blurs for a second, but I make sure to hold onto my consciousness. If Blake didn't make me feel as though death were right around the corner, I would have collapsed on the ground already.

Thomas' voice booms over the microphone, and Blake stares up at the announcer's box.

"Where's your father?" the brute asks angrily.

"He normally stays in his office crunching numbers."

"Get him here now."

I whip out my phone and my avatar salutes me. "I heard everything and I'm on it."

Thomas announces, "It seems that Dennis Colt has allowed one more stipulation in the rules. Just like other arenas, the top student of Colt Academy will now be allowed a genuine sparring match with another gladiator. Coming to the ring are Kode Payne and..." Thomas' microphone instantly shuts off and his image disappears.

The crowd's applause fills the stadium.

"Yes folks, Mr. Colt really changed things up this year, and I'm happy he's listening to the needs of the city. But of all the gods, Hercules? This is going to be a horrifically hilarious beating on this scrawny kid."

We watch as Kode approaches the field with a phone in his hand. He pushes a few buttons and the gates leading to the field close. Blake walks to the barrier and rattles it. The sound echoing off the metal makes me think he would have ripped it from the wall if the MMIBS process didn't strengthen it.

My avatar appears on my phone and points across the way. "Dennis is at the gate over there and wants to know what's going on."

"Tell him, I don't know, but Kode's about to fight Arnold."

Blake continues banging wildly against the barrier. I try frantically to contact Leo, but he doesn't respond to any of my messages.

Monte joins his father in attempting to tear down the gate. Eve watches patiently with a smirk. The two men work until they're too tired to fight anymore. The metal and surrounding walls are hardly scratched by their efforts.

Though I wish he would, my godfather won't kill Kode. They can relax a bit. I smile and decide to relish in the moment. My enemy is about to get what's coming to him.

Arnold shouts from the center of the field, "Oh? Is this the student with the highest scores? I wish Dennis had told me. I wouldn't have worn armor today." The crowd laughs and claps for their entertainer. By "armor", he means the padded shorts he always wears to the field. He removed his shirt before stepping out of the gate to display his signature X-tattoo that stretches across his chest.

Kode places his phone into his pocket and begins stretching.

Thomas initiates the match in his usual fashion for any of Arnold's challengers, "Alright runners. On your mark. Get set. Go!"

Arnold swoops in viciously and throws a punch, stopping an inch away from his opponent's nose. Kode doesn't budge either way.

"Whoa. This kid has guts. If he can survive on the field with me, I'll take him in as my own and raise him the way a real man should be."

The crowd laughs again.

"I've always wanted a boy. Sorry baby," he teases, turning to Michelle. She rolls her eyes a few gates away from us.

Kode adjusts his gloves as Arnold brags. His nonchalant attitude seems to bother the brute.

I watch as Blake hangs his head once Arnold lands a quick jab on Kode's cheek. The crowd laughs at their entertainer for lying. He connected such a soft punch the "scrawny kid" seems hardly fazed. In fact, Kode stretches his neck and shrugs his shoulders. The big man winds up his fist again and strikes Kode with a straight to the chest. This time, he stumbles back a little.

"Come on kid. It's called a fight. You're supposed to hit me too," Arnold taunts before landing a brutal hook on the left side of Tartarus. He's done this plenty of times to challengers that thought their defenses were high enough to hold out against him. They've all become pets for Professor Gonzales. "Oh. You can take a punch! Well, here's one."

The crowd's laughs fade away and they begin talking about the kid standing up to Hercules. Muscle-head doesn't seem too happy about losing his audience, so he plants his feet, cocks back, and fires a missile that's probably the strongest blow he can deliver without his barcodes.

The haymaker spins Kode nearly all the way around. With his back facing his opponent, he bounces up and down as though he were just entering a boxing ring. Now Kode seems warmed up and ready to fight back? Yeah right.

No longer in his playful mood, Arnold grips his fist tightly and rolls his neck. Before he can deliver another attack, Dennis shouts over the speakers, "This isn't a real match. Please head back to the locker rooms. It seems someone has hacked into the computer system as a joke."

Ignoring Dennis' words, Mr. Miyamoto focuses his gaze on Kode. "Now if only you could hit hard, I'll be in love."

The masked man's dreadlocks fly as he leans in with a Superman punch that lands right in the center of Arnold's cheek. Michelle's shriek echoes across the entire stadium. As if they were frozen in time, the audience watches their hero.

"Is he hurt?" A voice shouts from the stands.

"Stop playing around, Hercules."

"We're tired of all these fake matches. Just end it."

"Yeah!"

Arnold spits out what looks like a cup of blood onto the ground. My eyes zoom into the dirt where it landed. Electricity dances in the barbarian's puddle.

Walking away as though nothing happened, Arnold approaches Michelle's gate. He forces a smile and whispers a few words. Michelle seems to downplay her father's comments as he walks away.

Arnold returns to Kode who seems more energetic than I've ever seen him in my life.

Activating the X symbol across his chest, Arnold holds up both of his fists. "I'm sorry. Shall we?"

The crowd gasps. I'm not sure if they're shocked that he spoke to Tartarus or that he's taking Kode seriously, but everyone stands to their feet, and, from what I can see, no one is looking at the hologram.

Dennis continues shouting over the speakers to end the match until Arnold blares, "If anyone walks onto this battlefield, I'll fucking kill you."

Michelle falls off the stretcher. She holds the bars on the gate and stares at the field.

Kode holds up his fists and Arnold deploys his missiles before the Louisianan can set his feet. Kode dodges the first punch aimed at his cranium, but doesn't counter. Instead, he allows Arnold to recover and connect an uppercut that lifts him from his feet. The monstrous barbarian attacks him savagely with countless punches. If Kode nearly falls, Arnold stabilizes him. If he tries dodging, the experienced fighter follows through with a malicious kick.

At the end of the assault, the brute grabs Kode's leg and flings him into the ground.

"Aren't you going to try and stop it?" I ask Blake who seems to have given up on the gate.

"Please," Eve chuckles casually. "I hope he does end his miserable life. Would make things easier for me." I'm not sure if she's speaking about her own son or the man killing him.

The shocked silence from the audience summarizes my own emotions well enough. Kode stands as though he hadn't been hit at all. The intensity of Arnold's tattoo increases as he charges his hammer-like fist above his head. The weight comes smashing down on Kode, who hardly tries defending himself.

After registering the pain, Kode shakes off the damage and nods as though he were listening to music. Arnold watches him for a moment.

"Okay little man. Your turn."

Arnold takes a step back into defense before Kode implants a detonating chambered punch in the middle of Arnold's chest. He follows through with an elbow to his cheek. My godfather releases a swift cry that causes many audience members to scream.

Suddenly, over half the stadium are on their phones, trying to load data for Kode. When I check Gods&Men, he's not there. Too many people are rushing to discuss him on MeeToo. The server is overloaded. Others try analyzing his barcodes, but he doesn't have any.

The two exchange a series of blows across the battlefield. Every strike from Arnold sounds like a car crash and the ones from Kode are as if lightning has struck. The exchange becomes so gruesome, I notice people standing up to leave the arena. Blood splatters across the ground. Bones seem to crush. Both men are killing each other for no obvious reason.

The two back away from each other and fight to catch their breaths. Arnold's blood drips from Kode's gloves. Tartarus crumbles. If the one-sided match continues, I may actually see the demon on the other side of Tartarus.

Taking a break, the veteran huffs, "I was hoping you could kill me kid. I'm really looking forward to becoming a real god, but I don't know. You seem pretty tuckered out."

Kode stands up straight and rests his hands on his hips. Then, he raises his fists.

"That's the spirit. You know, if you kill me, that's it. You take my curse. You'll watch friends and family die without being able to help them. You'll hate life and struggle to find happiness. And when you do find joy," Arnold turns around to see Michelle with her eyes glued to her father. "It'll bring you more worry than happiness."

Kode takes a deep breath, but doesn't say a word.

"That's if you could kill me. If not, maybe I'll do you a favor and stop you from seeing what I have."

Kode nods swiftly.

Like a body launched from a rocket, Arnold explodes with a knee connecting to Kode's chin. The masked man flies back into the stadium wall. The strike is so mighty, the Colt Stone actually crumbles and the bricks fall over his limp body. From my view, he's dead.

I quickly wipe the smile off my face.

The victorious father stumbles back towards his daughter, but he doesn't make it far. He falls to one knee, clutching his ribs. His legs quiver violently as he fights to stand again.

Thomas announces Arnold as the victor by Official Battle Kill (O.B.K.). Arnold spits out a loose tooth.

To have lost their son, these parents have strange reactions. Eve doesn't attempt to hide her smile. "It's okay, Spencer. The more you watch people die, the easier it gets."

On the other hand, Blake's face seems to crawl with words as though something had possessed his body. My eyes zoom in and I can see tiny letters dragging through his face like nanobots. Blake seems different, brighter.

A green light flashes in his dark eyes. "Who will protect you from Helios now, Spencer? You've avoided responsibility and maturity for so long. Are you ready for the rest of your life? Constantly looking over your shoulders? It's time you grow up and protect your people."

When Blake finishes, he breathes sluggishly as though releasing the burst of words has freed him. The tiny black letters I see running across his face erase and the brightness in his eyes vanish.

Eve loses her "pleasant" demeanor and shouts, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Blake stares at his hands. Then, he holds his jaw.

I hear rocks shift near Kode as he crawls from the rubble. Dennis has finally managed to break into the far end of the field, but all eyes follow the tall boy that divorces death.

Arnold still hasn't noticed what's behind him. Kode regains his footing and his body stops reacting off instinct. He's finally in control and hunting his prey. His light jog turns into a blazing run.

The crowd gasps and many people turn their backs on the moment that writes a new chapter in history.

A daughter's desperate scream—"Daddy!"—begins the new chapter.

Kode doesn't strike from behind, but swings around to see Arnold smiling at the boy he wished were his own son. A bone-shattering crash echoes throughout the arena.

Immediately after her father was carried to the morgue, Dennis drove us back home and left Michelle in my care. As I carried her through the building, she cried into my shoulders with her arms and legs wrapped tightly around my body. I held her all night, hoping she'd activate her barcodes or smile.

Even though she doesn't ask me for a thing, I skip classes the next morning to take care of her. The heart-broken girl hasn't said a word in thirty-two hours. She lets me hold her as she shivers and cries. When I cook, she'll eat a few bites. She doesn't acknowledge my presence as a human.

During dinner, I broke into my old habit of talking to myself when I'm bored. I told her every story I knew about my mom, including what I learned from the most recent event with Hayley and Dennis. Before I knew it, tears were falling into my dinner. I wiped my face quickly, and laughed at myself.

"Boo. Everything I know about my mom comes from people that are afraid of Dennis. The little I heard in the dining hall was interesting, but it only makes me want to know more. I need to hear something from someone who hates him. Maybe Blake and Eve met her."

I scrape the remainder of my plate as Michelle takes her fifth bite. Though she hasn't noticed me much, she's polite enough to try a bit of everything I place in front of her. She did take two bites of macaroni and cheese, but cringed after sampling the elephant meat. At least I know more about her tastes.

After she places her fork on the table, I take the dishes back into my kitchen. I can feel Michelle's eyes following me.

"Daddy talked about Beth all the time. He and Dennis fought over who could marry her. Your dad obviously won."

I want to ask more questions, but I know she's not in the mood. I try to place my plate back in the sink, but I can't put it down for some reason. The more I try, the harder it gets. Eventually, the dish breaks in my hand. Blood gushes on the floor, and Michelle moves quickly to wrap it in a towel.

She applies too much pressure. "Daddy said he was in love with her, and after he lost he couldn't find a reason to live. He and my mom were matched together just to have me. I think I was a disappointment on two ends—a demigod and a girl. But I still managed to kill my mom coming out of the womb."

Michelle pushes my hair away from my face. My eyes burn and my vision blurs.

"He says she was kind, and had a wild sense of humor. Once, she heard our dads fighting over her in the locker room. So she stole all the towels and clothes from the gym. They had to walk through campus holding their willies until they conveniently found some girls' skirts and blouses. Then she took pictures and shared them on MeeToo."

We laugh, but not for long. My hand goes numb from her pressure, so we make our way to the bathroom. I sit on the floor and she flops on the edge of the tub. Michelle bandages my hand and tells me everything she's heard about my mom.

I silently sit next to her before finally admitting, "My mom was a jerk."

"Seems to run in the family."

"I'm not that bad."

Michelle frowns.

"I've gotten better."

After rolling her eyes, she tightens the bandages.

"Okay. It runs in the family."

Nodding her head, she teases, "Unlike you, she was supposedly more personable, but I didn't hear any stories that made me really like her."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Michelle shakes her head. "I just didn't like how daddy would go on and on about her. I think Beth chose Dennis because daddy was really shallow. He was more into her looks. She treated him like crap from what I could tell. I've seen pictures and Beth was gorgeous. All the guys wanted her and she knew that. Daddy ended up being an errand boy for her. I didn't want to break his heart and tell him that the favors she asked for helped keep him out of the way."

"Nice."

Michelle punches me in the arm before moving her hair behind her ear.

"Anyway, she wasn't very powerful, but she was the smartest student to attend the arena. Though she never really wanted to be a gladiator, she stuck around because she didn't have much family. Your mom formed tight relationships with nearly every professor at the school, except Professor Jules. She hated him."

"I guess we have more in common than I thought."

"Seriously Spencer? Who doesn't hate Jules?"

"Malik!"

"Shut up." Michelle bites her bottom lip. "I wouldn't be shocked if his son did hate him. You're not too fond of Dennis."

"Again, I'm getting better."

"Will you ever call him dad?"

"Maybe if he starts acting like one, but he'll have to make up for nineteen years." She watches me without saying a word. "I'll give him a chance if he lets people tell me more about Beth."

"He doesn't stop them."

"How do you know?"

"No one talks about her because they loved her. Like I said, she was close to nearly everyone and her death was so sudden. With all the surgeons your dad had lined up, there was no way you could kill her." Michelle nervously looks away.

"What?"

"Nothing."

I intrude on her thoughts, Say it.

No fair. Don't use your barcodes.

If you don't say it, I'll find out anyway.

"Ugh. No one thinks you killed her. Supposedly, her body was disposed without Dennis ever seeing it. But others knew about the wild scars that looked as though someone tried to pull you out or kill you."

Michelle's eyes scrutinize me. She's waiting for my anger, but finds none. After a few seconds, her expression evolves into confusion. She can't understand why I'd be so calm.

Opening my thoughts up, I shine my codes intensively to show her the fight after the conversation between Hayley and Dennis. I watch as tears form in her eyes before I show her my relationship with Talib and the conversation we held in prison. It's painful to recall.

Once she's done, she launches towards me and laces her arms tightly around my neck. Why didn't you tell me before?

It hurt too much. That's something I wasn't willing to admit at the time.

I'm sorry.

Meesh.

Yeah?

I allow her to read what's on my heart, I love you.

The connection between our data is overwhelming. Not only can I sense her flesh against mine, but I also feel her heart stop. Michelle nearly bursts into tears when her lions glow. I love you too.
TEN

Dennis excused Michelle and me from the last two days of school. Nothing special happens on those days besides a few formalities. There's a dinner for parents and award ceremony for top scorers.

Leo said that everyone cheered frantically for me when I was awarded highest honors. But then he rushed out of the room when I asked him about the server mix-up.

Hayley's been a big help. She delivers a wide range of clothes to Michelle every day. I practically have a shrine in my closet dedicated to her outfits. The fact that a woman lives here has become more obvious with each passing hour. There are flowers on my counter, pictures on shelves, long strands of hair on the ground, and stuffed animals on my bed. Michelle tried bringing her cat, but after taking him to the morgue, he refused to leave Arnold's side.

As the takeover began, I thought it would be unbearable. Strangely enough, I've enjoyed it. I've never lived with someone else. Since I was a child, I've had my own huge space to roam. By the time I was seven, Hayley was given more responsibilities and cameras watched me most of the time.

I don't want to give this up.

Dennis attempted to find family for Michelle, but no one lives in our region. Most are in the southern states of America. Dennis and Hayley got into a huge argument where she threatened to quit if he moved Michelle from my room. He's now at Hayley's mercy, and isn't allowed to come to my floor or speak with Michelle.

Though I enjoy being locked indoors with Michelle, Angie and I must assist the parents with any of their needs before their flights arrive. I try leaving without saying a word, but Michelle rushes from my bedroom and I'm forced to quickly shut the door.

"You're half-naked. What are you doing?"

Michelle's running towards me in laced underwear with a matching bra and knee-high green socks. Hayley's bringing this type of stuff to her? Is she trying to kill me?

The tempered girl places her hand next to my face, trapping me against the wall. Though she seems upset, she speaks with an entrancing voice.

"Where the hell are you going?" Though Michelle's slowly returned to normal, she still sounds weak, tearful.

"I have to help some parents." I'm watching my hand stroke her hair. Michelle closes her eyes until my fingers fall on her shoulders. I've lost control of my damn hand. Bad hand. Bad. "Sorry I have to leave you."

Michelle stares with seductively distressed eyes. "You couldn't say goodbye?"

"I didn't mean—"

Michelle practically tackles me to the door. She probably hugged Arnold this tightly every day. I promise myself I'll always make sure to hug her before I leave.

I arrive at the school at six o'clock with my ribs still aching in pleasure from Michelle's embrace. The skies are pitch black—stupid daylight savings time. Parents are loading themselves into helicopters or hanging out with their children.

As always, Angie is waiting for me on the steps.

"Are some of these students helping out?"

She confirms, "I told Hannah about how overwhelmed I thought we'd be on the last day and she got help from students in her dorms. Most of them have already cleared out for the holidays, but there's twenty or thirty that are staying over the break to train."

"Where's Hannah?"

"I believe Eve asked her to have dinner when she heard that Hannah was your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?"

Without another word, I rush through the school to the visitor's chambers. I can hear Angie yelling for me to come back.

When I arrive at their apartment, I take several deep breaths and ring the doorbell. Blake answers, towering over me. He seems as though he were trying to block me from entering.

Eve abuses her weight and bumps him out of the way. "You're here too? Come on in."

As I cautiously enter, my eyes search the room, expecting to find Hannah spinning rotisserie-style over an open fire. If Eve attacks, the ending of the Hansel and Gretel folktale will have a different spin.

In spite of my depressingly morbid thoughts, I find Hannah safe and sound. She's quietly sitting in a chair and clicking through a photo album.

Hannah looks up as though she expected me. "Hey."

Eve's massive hand pushes against my back. "Come take a seat. Your beautiful girlfriend's just looking at some of our pictures I brought from Louisiana while I get dinner ready."

I sit on a couch next to Hannah; our legs dangle. This room was built for larger guests. Anyone under six and a half feet won't fit this furniture comfortably.

For some reason, Hannah restarts the album and begins swiping through as though I care to see pictures of this family. She awkwardly places her hand on my leg, "Look."

She clicks through the pages a bit too quickly for me to really notice anything. I wonder if Eve's poisoned my "girlfriend" and she's calling out for help. Hannah removes her hand and points out a few pictures.

The first one is Monte and Eve in front of a spherical mansion.

"That one's nice, right?" Then, she points to another of Blake and Monte. Monte's smiling and Blake may have done the same, but it's difficult to tell. "I like that one."

Great. I'm admiring pictures of a family that probably wants to kill me. What now?

Finally, Hannah points out a picture of all three. The photo was likely taken ten years ago. Though Hannah has her finger on the picture, she points at a small dot in the background. I can hardly make out the image. She double taps the tablet and zooms in to reveal the mask of Tartarus, sitting on a bench with his back turned.

Hannah quickly zooms out and begins flipping through more pictures. No other photos even have a glimpse of Kode. Most were taken by a spherical camera known as Flick Dimension. The ball takes a 3D image of the user's surroundings after being thrown into the air. Even when zooming around the entire area of the picture, there is still no sign of Kode.

"You have a beautiful family," Hannah professes, staring intensely into my eyes. I get the hint she's trying to send me a message, so I activate my barcodes. Once Hannah senses they're on, she grips my leg tightly.

"Thank you, but there's no need to lie," Eve replies while stirring a pot. "I know Blake's an ugly brute. Monte's quite the handsome one though, but you probably shouldn't compliment him in front of his rival." Eve tries to make a joke and we laugh forcefully.

Blake continues leaning against the open door, as though he were trying to supply us with an exit route.

I attempt to read Hannah's thoughts, but I can't. Her aura is too different from others I've read.

As her nails dig deeper, I can sense her aura. But it's too faint. Plus, understanding the colorful flames surrounding her body and the way the data dances from her skin feels like I'm learning a new language. At most I'll say it's very warm and loving.

Eve brings us over two bowls of stew before grabbing one for herself and Blake. Blake raises his hand to decline. She argues with him for a moment over not scaring the guest, but he doesn't budge.

"I apologize for my husband's rudeness. We don't have many people over back home."

I place the bowl on the table. "If you don't mind, I'll let it cool down."

But I don't set the bowl on the table because of the heat. As previously proven, I'll burn a hole in my mouth for anything that smells like my mother's potatoes, and this does. I place the bowl down because Hannah used her nail to draw blood from my neck while Eve argued with Blake. Though only for a second, I saw a very dark aura around the bowl.

"Of course. It'll give us time to talk." Eve immediately chooses my father as a topic. Her affection for him is similar to the one Gi Young has towards me. She asks tons of questions. Then, she rambles endlessly about Monte.

I find myself compelled to piss her off. "How's Kode? Is he a pain in your side?"

"I don't look at that boy. I still can't believe my husband put Tartarus on something that came out of me."

Blake quickly intervenes, "He rejected the other masks. Kamau says the child should choose his power."

"He was an infant, Blake. All you needed to do was leave the most powerful mask on until it bonded with him. My family's done it for generations." Eve contends while dipping her finger in her soup. It's still too hot, but I'm sure we only have a few more minutes.

"You weren't there. I placed each mask on the boy twice before even showing him Tartarus. He consciously chose it."

"A baby consciously chose the most painful mask ever created?"

"It was his decision to not be a slave. I'm not proud of it, but it's what he chose."

After she huffs, her eyes glance at the stew once more. Trying to keep her away from mentioning it, I ask, "You didn't want that mask?"

"Not at all. Just because they're twins doesn't mean he needed to have one. That's a myth. I planned on giving the boy away to Apes. Monte didn't need a slave. He's Ares after all, and Ares doesn't need protection. He's ten times more capable than the Ape."

"He is not an Ape," Blake mumbles.

Eve shoots him a devilish glare.

As the vibe between the husband and wife worsens, I deactivate my codes. I sense things that I'm not mature enough to read without laughing.

Eve's not done. She wants us to know exactly how much she hates Kode's existence. "You've probably never heard any stories about that cursed child, but let me tell you. No one spoke to him for most of his life to avoid being drawn into Tartarus, but Monte and Angie managed to get him friends at our rival arena."

"Eve," Blake asserts strongly.

"One day, he angered the strongest goddess in New Orleans, Carmen. She hosted the goddess, Rhea. The girl was just turning twenty and the boy was no older than eleven. Anyway, he was in love with her; watched everything she did in the creepiest way." Eve mumbles to herself, confusing the facts, until she finally says, "They were forced to fight. Rhea was too emotional and she blurted some unsanitary things. She called him a momma's boy and teased how he's ignored. Said he only wanted to be loved, but never would because everyone hates the mask."

Eve dips her finger in the soup without taking it out quickly. It's ready.

Hannah asks, "What happened?" Initially, I assumed she wanted to buy us more time, but as she leans forward I see she desperately wants to learn more.

"He murdered the entire arena, of course. He destroyed an army in Louisiana, including the love of his life. All because of her mouth. That girl, no class."

Though I hear her words, I don't believe it. Kode couldn't murder gods and demigods at eleven. When I was that age, my back was being torn to shreds by one creature. I don't believe her story from the beginning, so I try analyzing her thoughts. It's difficult, but I'm able to read through a few of her fabrications. Something else caused him to turn against Carmen, but who killed the men and women in the arena?

Hannah doesn't seem taken back by the story. She listens as though she believes every line. Her eyes accidentally glance at the bowl, and Eve capitalizes on the moment. "Go ahead and eat. It's ready."

Blake walks away from the door, giving us a clean shot out of the room. I consider running, but only if Hannah goes first. She wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for me. If we have to fight, I want her out clean.

"You're both making me nervous. Does it smell bad?" Eve's menacing voice is suitable for witches in fairy tales.

We shake our heads.

"Eat it, please." Then, she lifts her bowl and scoops a spoonful in her mouth. "It's my best batch, I promise. I made it especially good for Apollo and Athena."

Sounds comforting coming from Medusa.

Hannah sluggishly reaches for the bowl. The glance she throws my way says she's ready. I lean back to give her space. We both freeze as Blake rests against the wall. He watches the door as Kode stumbles in the room. He looks sick to his stomach. He wildly stumbles through the room and grabs the table, flipping it against a wall. My hero.

Kode struggled to simply lift the table. When he tries to grab my neck, I can tell he hardly has any strength. Still, I rise to my feet to assist him.

"What the hell?" I shout as I grip his slipping arm.

Kode's weaker than a human right now and can hardly hold on.

"I can't believe you're dumb enough to come here," he stumbles over his own words. "You've got time to sit and talk, but Helios could be here at any time." Kode's strength increases and he squeezes my throat just enough to make it seem real.

Hannah stands up, but doesn't look at us.

"Let him go," Eve shouts with her hand on her cheek. She seemed upset since he broke the bowls, but hasn't even risen to her feet.

Kode's grip begins causing me some pain. "If I could kill you right now, I would."

I mouth, "What can I do to get strong enough to kill Helios?" Looking away, I add, "And you."

Kode is so shocked that he loses his grip, but I hold his arm in place, pretending to struggle against him. "Now you're asking the right questions." With an iron leg, Kode kicks me out of the room into the hallway. Hannah follows without hesitation.

She checks on me, grabs my hand, and runs full force. As we sprint down the hall, I hear Kode shouting, "You have to get the professors to train you, or you're dead! That is, if you can survive the holidays."

Hannah and I turn around at the sound of the door slamming. Eve's fist erupts against Kode's mask. I can hear his screams and moans. Hannah nearly returns to the room, but I pull her away with me.

We exit onto the first floor. I grip my chest and the entire room turns black. Something other than Hannah stands next to me. A foul perfume makes me press my nose into my elbow. The disgusting fragrance eases onto the roof of my mouth, causing me to choke. This fungus procreates on my tongue and oozes its slime into my throat.

Thoughts of death swarm my mind.

"Spencer?" I hear a voice echoing all around me. Though I know it's Hannah, it sounds deep and dark. I don't feel her data. This is the innermost demonic part of her.

I feel evil closing suffocating me. Even the blood spilled on the floors from gladiators and students murdered in this very hall leap from the walls to attack.

The name calls out to me again, but I can't move. "What's happening to your face?"

I try reaching for my head, but I lose sight of my own existence. I can only feel one arm because something's holding onto it. Otherwise, my limbs feel detached and spread across the entire room.

A hand drags my arm around corners and down stairs. I sense a weight lift from my leg, though it's far away. I try reaching for it, but another force pulls my hand down.

"It's okay. I just need your phone. Give me a few more minutes." Her dark voice causes me to tremor. "What floor do you stay on?"

I try saying fourteen, but I'm not sure it comes out.

The more I move, the further I feel possessed by the darkness. But I'm not completely lost. A sensational heat rushes to my lips. This isn't Michelle's touch. As I awaken from what feels like decades of loneliness, an eternity of rest, I see Hannah crying with her lips pressed firmly against mine.

Wrapping my arms around her body, I entangle our tongues until I'm overwhelmed by her affection. Heat returns to my body, but the supplying source comes from her. I haven't escaped the darkness; Hannah's entered it.

She pulls away from my face. "Don't let go of me or I may lose you, okay?"

I nod accordingly. I've been swallowed into some dark force, and Hannah's trying to rescue me. If I don't find a way to return, I know I'll trap her here.

My armor leaves the dimension and my bandages vanish. Hannah's removed my armor, but how did she manage to take off the ceremonial wraps? I find my hands tracing her body. She moans softly as I kiss her neck.

I remove every piece of her armor with some part of my body connected to her at all times. This time I actually see the large scar over her abdomen. It spans across her midsection wildly as though a beast attempted to tear through her. Hannah holds my face and kisses me gently enough that I lose myself again.

The golden glow of my tattoo vanishes. Now, they're shining with two hues I never knew they could. The horizontal pieces are orange, and the vertical parts are pink.

Hannah's hands run across my body until I feel myself on a soft surface—a bed. With both of our bodies exposed, I take my time examining her curves and fair skin. Starting from her neck, I trace my tongue over every piece of her torso until I reach her waist. Hannah flips me over, reciprocating the favor by kissing every inch of my codes.

We continue rolling around, trying to fight the urge to join our bodies until I can't resist. Yet, I'm overwhelmed with thoughts of Michelle, the woman most connected to my data.

Hannah's beaming smile blinds me and I'm rushed back into reality. We're both lying on my bed, fully-clothed. Hannah's right hand rests on my back. She slid her arm under one of my bandages and is holding tightly onto my tattoo.

"What was that?" I ask while pushing her away. Blood drips from my arms before I notice the tiny pool we're swimming in.

Frantically, I yank her hand from my spine. Hannah slit her wrist. Before she faints, I cradle and carry her to the bathroom, where it seems I treat a lot of wounds.

Reaching into my cabinets, I grab another patch and say, "If any of you nanobots are in here, can you help me seal her cut?"

I force my eyes to zoom onto the patch as I watch about ten nanonbots climb onto the bandage. Hoping they're enough to do the job, I thank them before slapping the seal on her wrist.

"What did you do? Hannah?"

She blinks and passes out. As I look up, I see Michelle standing in one of my shirts, crying. Tears sprint from her emotionless face. There's no pain in her eyes or expression, just tears. Her legs are glowing with a dark aura.

I can sense auras now, and she knows it.

No longer able to resist her pain, Michelle whimpers and bends over as though she'd been stabbed by a knife. I increase my rapid perception and place Hannah gently on the bathroom floor. Michelle's about to run, and if I don't stop her, I'll lose the biggest piece of me.

Concentrating, I build the force inside of me similar to what I felt when fighting Monte. Without a warning, Michelle vanishes into the black smoke. I instantly rush to the door. I know she won't blow through it. That gives me a moment to catch up.

I make it just in time to see her disappear again, but a voice calls out: Reach for it. Remembering where her arms were, I wrap my hand around the dancing smoke and find her, but she's still ready to escape by any means.

I feel a strong knee in my gut, similar to the one Arnold struck Kode with, but he didn't have anything to live for. I do, and I'm not letting go.

I know the hit will slow me down, so I apply two disseminating strikes to her abdomen. She crumbles to the ground and I roll on top of her. The intensity of her fight frightens me. The undomesticated beast struggles feverishly. Wads of spit and fists fly onto my face, but I don't let go.

"Meesh," I shout.

"Don't call me that," she cries, hitting harder.

"I love you. I'm sorry. I love you." I lower my face against hers. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't even know what I did."

Pushing my weight back up, Michelle slaps me and cries, "Don't. Don't." She uses her barcode to sense my honesty, but that doesn't calm her down. "I was in the closet."

My eyes widen. There's no way to erase the memory of this gory incident. Even worse, she's suffering from the data Hannah and I exchanged.

"She was bringing you back from a place I couldn't reach you," Michelle punches my chest hard. "I don't have that power, and you just went there without me. Why?"

"I don't even know where I was or how I got there," I shout, trying to embrace her. She continues fighting me off.

"You were taken to Hades, and on your way to Tartarus. Your data was being possessed. Spencer! I'm not strong enough to bring you back." Michelle whimpers and wipes her eyes. "She is. Why'd you go?"

"I felt darkness all around me and couldn't breathe. I wouldn't leave you."

She shakes her head harshly. A few seconds later, my words register in her mind. All at once, she completely stops moving. The wild lioness stares at me with intense eyes.

"But I wouldn't take you either. You can never go. I want you alive. I love you more than anything. I wouldn't take you."

"But you let her. I watched everything." She covers her mouth and muffles through her hands. "You're not mine. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Spencer."

"I want to be," I cry, but the words seem to cause her more pain than relief.

Michelle allows me to kiss her, but turns her head. "I can sense her all over you."

I've smeared Hannah's blood on Michelle's lower body, and a few drops still creep down my back. Hannah's bonded with my data in a world that Michelle can't, the same way Michelle's bonded with me in this world.

The room darkens again, as though I were being pulled back to Hades. I find strength to fight it. A tiny smile breaks across Michelle's face. She's reading me.

"I can win if you're with me. Don't ever leave me, Meesh."

She nods her head and holds my neck. Because Hannah is still connected to me, I resist kissing her again.

A loud scream screeches from Leo's side of the building. Damn.

I hang my head. "This day won't end."

I take off my boots and the lower half of my armor falls. I'm wearing nothing but the tight shorts.

Michelle stands. "I'll take care of her. That was Leo. You have to go."

I don't want to leave her at this stage of the argument. Fear of her running away causes me more anxiety than I'll ever experience in another lifetime. But Leo has saved my life more than anyone.

Call me crazy, but I'm paranoid enough to request that several nanobots tail her. I'll track her down if she even tries to leave.

When I make it to Leo's room, I bang on the door frantically. No one responds and I left my phone in my armor's pouch. With my barcodes dimly lit, I kick in the door.

The apartment's junky, but there's no sign of life in this area. I stand in front of the couch and try to mimic how Leo swiped his hand. After several tries, I make a similar circular motion and Antonio appears.

"What was that scream?"

"I better not tell. He'll be okay in the morning," Antonio yawns.

My instinct forces me to thump the screen like Dennis would. Antonio groans. A hologram image begins forming next to the couch. I turn to see a short kid a few years younger than me. The hologram doesn't have color yet, though the hues are gradually building. The image holds its head. "That hurt you know?"

"Antonio?"

"You can't just waltz into a place and damage valuable equipment."

Too upset after a long day, I bypass laughing. "Tell me what's going on or I'm going to bash your little frame in."

"I wouldn't have shown myself if I didn't plan on telling you." I marvel at his calm and soothing voice. Though he looks young, Antonio sounds very mature.

He tries walking, but stumbles. Then, he blurts, "Stupid projector. Calibrate!" I hear five beeps followed by a long buzz. He takes small steps and then enters the kitchen. He points to an unconscious Leonardo. At closer inspection, I see brown goo flowing from his ear.

"What are the two of you?"

Antonio rolls his eyes before disappearing and reappearing on the counter with his legs crossed in a very feminine manner. "Darling, it's a long story, and you don't seem to have the time." Antonio points to the blood around my waist.

"I'll manage."

"Very well; I'm dead and he's human."

"Wow. That took years, but Leo's bleeding brown and you're almost full-colored."

Antonio giggles under his breath. "That's just a lethal drug Leo's body formed to rid itself of his nanobots.

"Leonardo was born without a brain; a stillbirth. The brain rapidly formed and within an hour, it was normal size. After some time, his parents noticed him crying regularly and bleeding from the ears. With extensive research and examinations, they discovered his brain was overloading his skull. If they hadn't found the issue when they did, his head would have popped.

"Leonardo's parents used nanobots to eat the excess growth, leaving enough cells in certain areas to make him a boy genius. Over the years, Leo developed stronger technology for his parents and his own brain, but he's no longer able to innovate quickly enough. With the new pathogens forming, Leo only has another year or two before his nanobots will be unable to live in his brain."

"Are there any other options? Can I journey to the mountains in the East and find a wise man able to save him?" I expect Antonio to confirm that Helios has a cure.

"Leonardo's last resort is to drink X-Eyes regularly. The alcohol kills brain cells rapidly, but he'll be a permanent drunk, unable to think of a new cure. Once he gets to that point, there's no sobering up or coming back."

"Why X-Eyes, of all drinks? I'm sure he could make his own, right?"

Antonio laughs, "He did make it, and gave his friend the rights to sell it. The Moreno can't be associated with something so..." Antonio trails off.

"Beneath them?"

"Yes. For lack of a better word, beneath them."

I carry Leo to his bed. Now I understand why he was stressed out on the roof.

Once he's tucked in, I make my way to the door. Antonio escorts me out. He stares at me as though he were scrutinizing my thoughts and bloody situation.

I look down at my feet. "Long story."

"Like the one I told moments ago?"

"Much longer."

Antonio whistles briefly.

"Did Leo intentionally stop the match between Kode and me?"

"Spencer. I can't"

"But you will. Tell me Antonio. Please."

He sighs, "Kode set him up. I'm not sure if you're aware, but he's a genius. Possibly smarter than Leonardo."

"Possibly."

"Manipulative."

"You speak like you know him well."

"Leonardo hacked into Kode's computers, a challenge he set up when you were running in your two-minute intervals. It seems he used his projector and wrote, to challenge Leonardo to a duel. He bet that our friend couldn't hack into his computer system."

"I knew better than to leave them alone."

"And you shouldn't have. After working for all night, Leonardo finally broke in safely. There were many letters about you. One had were blueprints of Kode's plan to manipulate your life. The intricate detail had all his events planned perfectly from the information you received from Gi Young to your first conversation in the hotel."

"He always had this planned?"

"Essentially, yes. His final scheme involved accidentally killing you in the exams."

"But that wasn't his actual plan."

"No. He wanted Leonardo to find this, and the information about a school he researched where top students spar with other gladiators. Leonardo found many documents of Kode studying Mr. Miyamoto's power, trying to figure out a way to defeat him and take over the school. Kode seemed deathly frightened of the warrior."

"Leo set the match to disrupt Kode's plans."

"He felt so much guilt that he began sipping X-Eyes. You found him moments after."

"I'm the one that's responsible."

"I never thought he was strong enough to defeat Mr. Miyamoto."

"I understand. Have a good night, Antonio."

"You as well. I will have the nanobots clean the blood and discard them in a sanitary manner."

"Thank you."

When I make it back to my place, Hannah and Michelle are gone and employees from the house are cleaning up the mess without question.

I hop in my tub and activate a blood wash shower while tracing the nanobots. They're in the hospital.

After dressing in my signature jacket and baggy shorts, I walk to the arena and wait outside for Michelle. Half an hour passes before she joins me.

"You put a tracker on me, didn't you?"

"Damn right."

We stand and Michelle interlaces her fingers with mine.

ELEVEN

'Twas the night before Christmas, and I'm happy to spend most of it with Michelle. We started the day making breakfast and damaged the furniture in my living room from a play fight that got a bit too out of control when our tattoos were thrown in the mix.

As night approaches, we head separate ways. Like I promised, I hug her tightly before opening the door. I try releasing her, but my arms don't follow my instruction.

"Don't want to let me go?" Michelle smiles and winks.

"No."

"Oh you're serious?"

"Yep."

I scrunch my nose and her eyes drift down my hallway to the bedroom.

"I'll come back tomorrow and spend Christmas night with you."

"I'd like that."

"You never said what you wanted for Christmas."

"I know."

"You can unwrap me."

"Wait. Hayley didn't give you any more sexy underwear or something, right? I can't handle that."

"You shouldn't flirt with me so much if you're going to choose Hannah."

"I never said I would."

I can read your thoughts jerk.

I never thought it either.

Whatever. But you've already given her your data in Hades so you have to share the physical connection with me before she can have you. The gorgeously enticing girl bites her bottom lip and tilts her head.

"Are you serious?"

"Guys are so slow."

Michelle tries kissing me on the lips and pulling away, but our tongues interlock and we end up on the couch, partially undressed. Her avatar screams, "Ugh! Just when it gets good! Michelle, Hannah's on the other line, but I'll just forward her to voicemail."

"No!" Grabbing the phone from the counter, she adjusts her red shorts. "Hey, girl." Michelle screams at Hannah, "Shut up! I'm not even that late...No. I think Spencer's at Leo's."

I lock the door and Michelle pulls the phone away from her ear, kissing me one more time before running towards the stairs.

I love you, jerk.

Whatever, brat. Love you too.

I make it to Leo's place a bit later than expected, but he couldn't care much. He's intensively struggling to beat Antonio in a video game. The two carry on for five more minutes until Antonio is crowned the victor.

Leo congratulates his friend and turns to me. "You were supposed to play with us."

"I was occupied by...I was occupied."

"There's still another sixty-three minutes before the rooftops begin."

"Can we at least go on a joyride?"

Leo hops up and shouts, "Yeah!" His armor is spread across the floor next to a pillow. He falls into his armor and it all the pieces automatically connect to him. It's really evolved over the year.

The colors are a mystical gray and gold. His shoulder pads are small like the rest of his armor, but they have four spikes on them. His chest plate has a diamond-shaped Kevlar piece that bulges out and connects to the shoulder pads. A protective guard surrounds the back and sides of his neck with a strong metallic substance, but leaves an open space in the front for him to breathe freely. His spinal protection's compact, and they have tiny spikes as well. The armor's very retro, which suits him. He has long smoky gray pants and his arms are exposed. I would've never thought Leo had muscles, but he's ripped like Kode.

Leo grabs a large duffel bag with the modified motorcycle gear. It only takes us a few minutes to set up outside and we both zoom in and out of corners. Instead of the freeway, we take the streets to enjoy the scenic route. We need to kill some time before heading to China Town anyway.

As I whip around and under cars, Leo's voice appears in my helmet, "Like the upgrades?"

"Whoa. I can hear you."

"I added some nanobots to your suit for a wireless connection. You can call anyone through voice command."

"Damn you're smart," I say as we enter China Town's city limits.

"Thank you. But what was that black smoke following us?"

"I never saw any. How could black smoke follow us?"

"I don't know. The sensors in my helmet warned me of a potential threat, so I threw on autopilot and used my helmet cam to see what it could be. There was black smoke and a hand trying to grab you. You were dodging it with such skill, I thought you saw."

"Never saw or sensed a thing. Wait. You have sensors in your helmet?"

"Yeah. I told you how to use them when we were leaving. How are you avoiding crashing at this speed if you're not using them?"

"Barcodes and rapid perception." Laughing at myself I admit, "Your explanations involve too many big words. I just wanted to ride."

Leo starts to tell me how to initiate the sensors, but he's interrupted by static. Immediately, a sensor goes off in my helmet telling me I'm on a collision path. I attempt to move, but it seems the truck's adjusting to my speed. Before I can jump off, I see sparks fly from Leo's helmet. I'd scream his name, but I've already crashed into a military truck's wheel and I'm flipping across the road.

My armor's much tougher than our first ride, but at this speed, I take some serious damage. While I struggle to catch my breath, I see a short man in a very expensive suit step out of the truck.

I remove my helmet to get a better look at him. He's either an older guy that looks young, or a young guy that wants to seem older. He's wearing thick black glasses and has long, slick black hair tied into a ponytail. He looks American, but sounds Spanish when he says, "No. I don't need any help. You head to Yang Arena and I'll hop on the last convoy with Spencer."

The driver from the truck asks, "What about your cousin?"

"Hmm. I'll bring him. It'll be fun."

The small man taps the car before walking over to me. By now I can see him clearly, and I struggle to stand to my feet. There's only one problem, little man launches his designer shoes into my chest. I roll over wondering why the suit didn't absorb the force.

He snaps his fingers at someone. "Grab Leo, please." Suddenly, he punches me in the face, and drags me towards a new truck. "I apologize for the brutality, but I've learned over the years that people don't listen when I say follow."

One man throws Leo next to me in the back seat of an all black truck. "Don't worry Eli. We'll run to the gym."

"You two are very considerate," Eli replies. He brushes a bit of dirt off his suit. "I don't know what I'd do without my team."

I've regain my strength after a brief drive, and I'm ready to fight for our safety, but we've already stopped outside of Yang Arena.

Eli steps out of the truck and I kick the door off before he can open it. He rolls on the ground and stands up to casually adjust his glasses. His team rushes to his aid, but they only dust off his clothes and head towards the entrance.

"Whoa. I'll have to activate my barcodes to get you inside."

With that warning, I increase the intensity of my tattoo until I feel a blazing fire on my back.

"Who are you?" I ask cautiously. His aura seems familiar. I've been around it a lot. This presence reminds me of Eve's bowl and her hands. And there's another place that I can't quite remember at the moment.

"You know me as Helios, but I prefer being called Eli. My family named me Helios due to a few prophesies that said I would be more powerful than the original host. Blah blah blah. The entire story's a bore. Really, it's a detestable thing to do. I think the gods deserve to have their honor and place in history. When people remember me, I'd prefer to be called Eli."

The short man rushes me after his declaration, and tries to punch me in the face, but he's restraining himself. I capitalize on that to dodge the punch and explode my own attack on his chest. I take more damage than he does, but it was enough to cause him to retreat.

Punching his body feels like hitting Colt Stone.

Before he can try again, I whip a marble from my pocket and transmute it into its original form. I use my golden ball to surprise him by throwing it at his kneecap. He's down long enough for me to strike him with a chain. I don't plan on using my fist again. That would be suicide.

Eli rolls on the ground and closes the gap between us dynamically. He dodges my swing, and strikes me in the stomach. I cringe in pain as my body shuts down. Eli drags me to the gate of the arena and slams me against the glass for Feng Yang to see.

Like most stadiums, Yang Arena's closed off. The oddly shaped building is covered in stainless steel strengthened over the years by MMIBS.

China Town's an expensive area to live in. The artistic cultural designs of many surrounding buildings influenced the architecture of this structure. Though it's a simple silver stadium, the shapes of the walls make it appealing.

The beauty matches the brawn. Helios isn't breaking into this fort without some serious firepower. The tank-like trucks we drove in may be capable, but I doubt it.

"I'm sorry, Spencer," Eli whispers in my ear. "I don't mean to use you, but I really need to get in there. I don't want to ruin the beautiful structure that will soon belong to me." Holding me by my hair, Eli bangs on the glass. "Yang, I told you I'd bring leverage. This is the savior of America and the people would hate to know you could've saved his life."

"Don't," I shout before Eli knees me in my back. "Think of Gi Young."

Feng flinches as Eli delivers another blow to my spine. Then, he and his men beat me until Feng opens the door. I can't say I'm disappointed.

The owner of the arena, Feng Yang, quickly lunges towards Eli.

Due to the pain on my face, I can hardly open my eyes long enough to see the two men fight, but Eli doesn't seem to struggle too much. Feng throws a punch that Eli ducks under. As he begins to stand up straight, he locks his left arm around Feng's neck. Eli secures his right arm on Feng's torso, completing the Guillotine Choke, before falling to the ground. Then, he wraps both legs around Feng's body. I watch hopelessly as Gi Young's father is choked to death, right before my eyes.

Someone brings a wet towel to Eli. He seems upset that a drop of blood has been split on his suit. He stomps his frustrations out on me. "I normally don't have to do these things myself, but someone managed to kill all of my men from here to Griffith Park. I had no clue for weeks why Yang Arena wasn't mine. I secretly own several in this very state, but neither Colt nor Yang had progressed on schedule."

Eli wipes his face and I muster enough strength to connect a punch right on his chin. His glasses shift, and this time I felt very little pain. My brass knuckles have molded into a more durable material, making hitting this overdressed murderer easy target practice. I shouldn't say easy. I think the material cracked a little.

Eli drags me into the arena. "I figured you had to be the hero who killed my men. Your father and I have spoken for years on how you and I would fight for control of America. He's a very secretive man, so he always sent the messages on actual paper. I flew from New York to discover that you knew very little about me. It couldn't have been you. I considered confronting you just in case, but your father kept you in close proximity to Arnold at all times, and let's face it, that man's scary." He emphasizes, "Was scary. Last time I fought him he tore my finest suit."

Eli takes off his glasses and has an assistant wipe them. She's a frail-looking girl, and only speaks in Spanish. Once his glasses are clean, he continues, "Then, I find out Kode beat Arnold for me." He stops dragging. "I had to wait until you were really far from him, but lo and behold, you're on a joyride with my cousin right before midnight. Talk about Santa delivering a Christmas gift."

As we reach the battlefield, I see Yang Arena gladiators rushing to defend their stadium. I haven't visited this room in years, but it's just as beautiful as it always has been.

The massive room is still surrounded by a recreation of the Terracotta Army that was destroyed in China during the GAW. This army's compiled of the faces of Amazon women since the creation of barcodes. There are a total of nine thousand four hundred and seventy one stone sculptures in this room.

Unlike the dirt in Colt Arena, this stadium has steel floors covered by mats that blood easily washes off. Though the stadium cannot seat more than five thousand, the arena's known for its acoustic sounds. The walls are shaped so every punch, kick, and scream can be heard with more clarity than the best speaker system on the market. People come to Colt to watch, but they pay the outrageous ticket prices at Yang to hear.

I listen as Helios' and Yang's gladiators begin losing their lives for control of the famous hall. The few men Eli has take on hundreds of Yang's warriors.

The maniac places me against a wall near the entrance and backs away. "I didn't even have to phone a friend to drop bombs on this place, thanks to you."

"You need help. Clinical."

"That's an opinion, and not a well-informed one." Eli snaps at someone carrying Leo. "Please be careful with my cousin. Place him in the corner."

"Why'd you call him your cousin?"

"Supposedly, we're both Moreno, but I'm not allowed to bear the name. It's fine by me. They're more like a trademark than a family. You have to be very careful about what you do when you wear their brand. After I went through a few psychical treatments, I lost most of my memories from the past and really don't care about their world."

Eli adjusts a piece of his hair that's barely sticking out. "Sadly, my sweet cousin will have to drop both of his. Leonardo is a family name that's passed down from his father's bloodline. He is the seventh child to bear that name. His parents are already caring for his brother, with the power of Hephaestus. The five year old is Leonardo Moreno the eighth. They've made it clear to the entire family that his disease is too widespread and he'll be removed from their genealogy once the last nanobot dies. Of all my family members, he's the only one that seemed different—too bad for the kid. But with him out of the way, my technology will be the most advanced in the world."

I prepare to fight, but my body doesn't react the way I want. Eli removes his glasses and places them in his jacket and hands the coat to his assistant. I'm able to see a trace of his barcodes as he rolls up his sleeves. They are the tip of flames that I assume cover more than his arm. Eli's ready to fight me and I'm still struggling to stand.

Suddenly, something holds my armor and lifts me to my feet. Kode.

I feel my own blood turning cold. My body reenters Hades. I keep the two men in sight, though I've lost all recognition of my surroundings.

"Oh. You have a nasty presence attached to you," Eli points out with a smile.

I sense Kode's anger. He's out of breath. I can practically hear his heartbeat.

It suddenly occurs to me that the black smoke must have been him trying to stop me from making it here. Does that means he's going to help?

Kode pushes me forward and I rush towards the little guy. Eli tries to punch me, but a shot strikes his fist. I put everything I have into an uppercut. My new teammate comes around and connects a right elbow and follows through with a knee to Eli's ribs. I notice Shiva changing from a gun back into gloves.

I trip the neat and tidy man and Kode flings his leg into Eli's ear. My partner and I back away to catch our breaths. I'm fighting alongside my enemy to take out my other enemy.

Kode shakes his hand and rubs his leg. Without armor protecting his punches, he's taking on Eli's toughened skin full-force. His foot seems pretty damaged too.

Eli laughs while lunging forward and tackling Kode. My masked enemy/ally doesn't strike back. He's witnessing Eli's strength first-hand and taking a beating for it. Connecting the medium ball and chain, I rush the two and smash my weapon into Eli's hip.

I hear my metal creating a tuning sound along with Shiva. My weapon aligns itself with my barcode, and the name Andvari screeches in my ears. That's the name of my ball and chain.

The duo sings a hymn before we begin our assault. I use my swings as a distraction for Kode to rush Eli. Then, I charge in.

Eli takes damage, but gives a lot in return. With his flames raging orange, it's very difficult to not feel pain.

Even with my face spilling blood, I continue fighting.

I look over to see Kode bleeding black ink. I'm out of stamina and the will to continue. We're all waiting for the next man to attack.

Eli pats out small fires on his shirt that I assume were created by his barcode. "I'm tired and going home. Mr. Payne, you must know about your mother by now. Oh well. I'll see you soon."

Kode flips Eli off and watches as he exits the stadium. The talkative little guy doesn't leave without parting his wisdom upon me. "You're fortunate to have a strong friend. Let's fight again, kid."

My world returns normal and I watch as Yang Arena warriors wait in the stands, staring in disbelief.

A whisper crosses my ear, "It's like watching three demons fight."

I'm a demon?

I look around the battlefield to see several men smashed into the ground. That's something that Andvari and I have done. Why didn't he protect the warriors, like he did for Selena and Angie?

Kode's mask heals quickly and stretches his back.

My eyes widen as I realize the one person trying to kill me was the only friend making sure I didn't die. Not only did he chase me down, but he also protected me from Helios.

I mutter, "Thank you. I guess you really are a friend."

He stops moving all together. Without warning, Kode punches me in the face. My vision blurs in and out. I catch glimpses of what's happening.

Screams disturb my ears. Blood splatters at my feet. Kode's killing anyone remaining in the arena, and they're fighting like hell to defend themselves. A purple glow appears in the distance. Gi Young?

Writer, if you're out there, please give me the strength to save them.

Dennis' sobs wake me from my sleep. He's crying frantically over my body. Regaining my strength, I push him off and his smile radiates brighter than I'd ever known. His cheesy grin disappears at once. "You had no vital signs."

The carnage is widespread. Between the three demons that stepped onto this field today, every Amazon code was eradicated from the Earth. No one is alive and Leo's body is missing.

The stench of death hardly bothers me, but the sight of limbs and blood covering every inch of this incredible amphitheater makes me vomit on Dennis' shoes.

My body aches with agony I've never experienced.

"Where's Kode?"

"He refused medical treatment and tried to walk back to the school. I knocked him unconscious and sent him with the EMT." Standing, I rush out of the exit to see if he's still in view, but there are so many ambulances that I can't differentiate one from another.

Dennis stands behind me. "I sent Leo in the only other ambulance to leave."

"When did you send them away?"

Dennis takes a step back. "A minute ago. He met me at the door and I sent him on his way."

"How'd you know where we were?"

"Kode sent me a message," Dennis adjusts his tone. He's sounding firmer, as though he just realized that he's the parent. "What's wrong with you? You practically died, that's what's wrong, but you're...different."

"I was attacked by Eli."

"Kode's avatar gave me the details. You two fought him off together. He said you fell before the remaining men were slain. You two drove off Helios. I'm surprised the both of you were enough. I'm proud of you." He rests his left hand on my shoulder in an unfamiliar sign of affection.

Disgusted, I slap his hand away. "I don't need your gratitude. Kode didn't protect anyone. He killed the remaining men."

"He said the few warriors remaining didn't know which side he was on, and he didn't have enough time to type his defense. He had to kill some gladiators to defend himself. Poor kid."

A roar releases from my body that returns a bit of my energy, but drains my thoughts.

I'm beat to hell, and I can only think of how Kode's gotten away with murdering the innocent people that managed to survive. Unsure of where to go or what to do, I roam the halls of the stadium, searching for some form of life.

Eventually, I make my way into a room that Gi Young and I would play in as children. I still see drawings on the walls of our tattoos. Next to my cross, I see a family holding hands. When we were ten, Gi Young said we should draw what we wanted deepest in our hearts. I sketched the stick figures of a full family; Gi Young drew a girl holding my hand and wrote her name in big red letters. Now, her name looks like blood.

I storm out of the room with my nose tingling.

I hate thinking of happy times. Pain is much easier to cope with. That's what I think, until I see Gi Young's body down the hallway. A trail of blood stretches from behind her. Was she coming back towards this room?

My mind begs me to make my way towards her in order to hold my friend's hand for one last time. I can't.

When I spin around, Dennis is right next to me. I grab his arm and dig my nails deeply into his skin, releasing a gruesome howl. He caresses my head with his left hand, and rubs my neck.

Between breaths, I cry, "We have to bury them in the China Town cemetery with the proper ceremony." I try talking about the way Feng always honored his warriors, but I can't get the words out.

Dennis holds my neck so viciously I think he's trying to kill me. "I'm aware you hate me, and that's my fault, but there's nothing I can do to make this moment any better for you. It's time you learned the truth."

I yank my head away from Dennis. His eyes look cold. Evil.

"No one will ever know this many gladiators died in one day."

I push him vehemently. "What?"

"I'll have these corpses taken through the hidden dungeon under this arena. The fog on the ground will dissolve their bodies."

"Dissolve?"

"The fog is normally harmless but feasts on dead flesh."

Before I know what's happening, my arm attempts to strike him in the chest. "I didn't mean to hit you," I mutter while opening my eyes. Dennis' hand is as black as Kode's mask. Cold.

He releases my fist and I hold it tightly. It hurts more than it did after striking Helios. "I'm sure your conscience didn't mean to hurt me, but whatever emotions you're suppressing did."

"Why would you hide their bodies?"

"For the same reason I hid the bodies of mortal level gladiators killed in Griffith Park."

My eyes widen, "You knew?"

"I own the police, I am the mafia, and our family controls everything from here to Georgia. You may know that everyone hates Helios, but did you know that everyone else hates us?"

"Are you corrupt? Do you create scandals? Are you a tyrant?"

"Yes. The North Coast of America is constantly at war because that's how Helios wants it. We're at peace because of my control over the people. If anyone is a tyrant, it's The Colt Council and me."

"Who—"

"Your grandfather, uncles, aunts, and more. They want you to inherit my life and power, but I've kept you ignorant so when you have kids they won't look at you the way you're looking at me now. But it seems something evil has crept into your veins anyway."

I hold my hands so firmly blood drips onto the floor.

"Dennis. What's the purpose of the gladiator fights?"

"Population control. Gladiator Sports Entertainment brings more money to California than any war ever has. Because of it, America was rescued from becoming a third-world country. Before the fights existed, people slaughtered each other for free. The first Helios was a Colt that brought the sport to everyone's televisions and cell phone. But that's the tip of the iceberg. There's much more."

"Like what?"

"You and your friends know a little about how Shiva was created, but none of you know the full story. I'll keep it short, but she's an entire city compressed through MMIBS. It wasn't Poseidon, but the only host he ever bonded well with, and a few scientists hosting the power of Indian gods. The city contained some of the most powerful people and weapons known to man. Shiva's town was technically the first and most powerful Block Party."

I squint my eyes. He knows that I've never heard of a Block Party. My anger is increasing by the second.

"They are entire cities where people believe their names are numbers. They fight to leave by moving up in ranks. If they're successful enough, they can mate with goddesses. Abby's family was the most successful to do so four decades ago, but now the sport is dominated by gods. That's how Angie was born. That's also her fate."

I scream at the top of my lungs, "She's a fucking trophy? Does she know? Does she know Dennis?"

"Yes."

I wail so loudly the ground and walls begin to quake. I feel my ceremonial bandages tearing, and more power races to my muscles. Why can't I stop yelling?

My blood splatters on the adjacent wall and I fall to the ground. Watching my blood dangle on Dennis' black fingers reminds me of Kode.

As I hold on to my last few seconds of consciousness, Dennis sits next to me. "You have every right to hate who we are. I wish I had been the one to fight Kode, instead of Arnold. Death is our only freedom from this sinful world. But when you wake up, it's up to you to decide who you want to become. There's so much darkness in your heart already, and you still don't know half of this world. I don't think there's much hope for you, and maybe I'm to blame. But truthfully, the moment Talib handed you to me, and begged me not to enter the delivery room to see Beth," Dennis weeps openly, "I never thought you were my son. I thought he'd switched you. You hated me from the moment you saw me because I couldn't protect your..." Damn. That's all I have the energy to hear.

My eyes fade into a deep dark blackness. I don't think I'm unconscious. I chose the darkness.

After spending most of Christmas morning alone in the hospital's pile of cement, I take a note from Kode's book and use the pressure to break the pillar. Dennis had me placed in cement because I kept leaving the pool.

I roam the halls until I think of a plan. The cement seems to have dehydrated me.

In order to get cleaned and find water, I break into a nurse's room and take a shower. Unlike Kode, I use my senses to find an empty room. I drink half of the water streaming from the faucet.

Once I'm done with the shower, I sneak into the dormitories. I've never actually visited this side of the second floor. They're much like the visitor chambers; apartment-like rooms that stretch down a long corridor.

The walls are beige and the lights are dim. The décor is fairly simple. The Resident Advisor might have gone out of her way posting musical notes everywhere. I guess the theme for this hall is international pop artists. I see various band names like Terrible Twos and The Artistic Party. I even see an album cover of Angie's favorite Japanese band, B'GM.

I don't sense Michelle's tattoos. It seems she's on a different floor, stealing food from one of the kitchens. I sneak into an empty room and wait for Hannah to find me. I strengthen my aura enough for her to sense it. After a few seconds, she races into the room and slams the door behind her.

"Merry Christmas!" She's so happy that she doesn't notice the expression on my face. However, before she hugs me, Hannah jumps back.

I grab her hand and fling her on the bed. A terror stretches across her eyes.

"That scar on your stomach. I knew it had a dark energy when I first saw it in Hades, but I couldn't distinguish between different auras then. Now I know, it has Eli's dark presence written all over it." I raise my voice, "Why?"

A determination covers Hannah's face. Like a beast, she leaps from the bed towards me, both hands aimed for my neck. Grabbing her arms, I pin her down to the ground and throw my body on top of her.

She screeches frantically, "Get off of me! Get off of me!"

"Not until you tell me why Eli's aura is on your stomach."

Hannah's arms glow and she pushes me back. It seems my data hasn't fully recovered and she is easily overpowering me. She sits up and shoves me off of her. Then, Hannah creeps to the back of the room, onto a table. She timidly holds herself, but the threat in her eyes dares me to approach. It's like watching an animal in the wild.

I walk towards her until she yelps, "Don't come closer!"

"Tell me or we're going through all of this again." I take a large step towards her, shouting, "Why?"

"Do you really want to know, or do you want to blame me for your own issues that you can't address?"

"Don't flip this back on me. You've been hiding a secret all this time. I sense Helios on your stomach and traces of Kode all over your body. You owe me the truth."

"I don't owe you anything. You don't want the truth. You want to blame me," she sneers while holding her stomach.

"I don't trust you, or care about your anger. Just tell me why Eli's aura is on your stomach."

"Because he can't have kids! He goes around raping girls. He killed my father in front of me and locked my mother and me in a dungeon. He raped us, daily, and my mom was the first to show signs of pregnancy. Then, me. I was only thirteen when I watched my stomach blow up to the size of a basketball." Hannah screams but she doesn't cry. Empathy causes me to take a step forward but she scowls, "Don't come closer, and don't ever touch me again. I don't want you if you're going to hold me down like him."

I mutter, "I'm sorry," but there's little sympathy in my voice.

"That's what he said, all the time. Apologizing like it wasn't his fault. I watched my mother rip the baby from her stomach with her bare hands. She'd rather die than to have a child by someone like him."

"You did the same?"

"I was too scared. I waited a month, with that bastard apologizing to me every day. He showered me with gifts and said he loved me." She slows down her words and stares at a corner. "But you don't, but I know who has your heart. She was in your code before I got there. Even in Hades I could feel more of her data in you than anything else."

Staring into her eyes I grimly snarl, "So what?" I say it with such antipathy that she accidentally flashes her barcodes. Whatever aura she noticed frightens her. "Where's Eli's baby?"

She closes her mouth and watches me, analyzing the man I've become. "In a grave in New York. I ripped my stomach apart. Then, a demon approached me applauding my efforts. He'd come to kill me before the birth, but wanted to know what I'd do first. Then, he asked if I wanted to live or die. I chose death, but he sealed me up and bonded me with his blood."

I watch her eyes as they slowly burn a fire into mine. I didn't know her story was this bad.

"I that why you refuse to live? You sit at home and wait for others to bring you joy. You never search for pleasure, sneak out, or find something that you love."

"I found you!" The words ring in my ears. "That was good enough for me."

"I don't want your love if you've got something to do with all these innocent people dying. You've joined up with Kode, haven't you?"

Hannah narrows her eyebrows and activates her barcodes.

"You never look at him directly, and now I know about his aura on you."

"You're the one who has the blood of innocent gladiators smeared on your skin. You killed them while fighting in Hades, didn't you?"

Anger overwhelms me. I hate the very thought of what I've done. Instead of admitting my faults I continue attacking, "Answer my question!"

"Kode is the demon that brought me back to life. His blood has healing properties. I felt the surge of energy vibrating through my bones. Before I met him, Athena wouldn't lend her power to me. Though my womb was strong, I was weak. I was hardly able to tear at my own flesh, but I did. Kode saved my life—what little I have."

Whipping my body around, I swing at the wall. It's reinforced. Damn.

I feel more pain than relief, but I continue bashing it until I'm out of energy. My body's already tired, so it doesn't take long.

Somehow, Kode's found his way into every area of my life. The only person he's yet to corrupt is Michelle, and she just found her way into the room. Instead of watching her taken as well, I decide to end it here.

"Michelle, I love Hannah," I say, and the words seem to break her heart. It's not like she didn't know, but hearing's different than sensing. "Hannah, I love Michelle." Hannah's body jerks suddenly. "I don't deserve either of you, so please stay away from me."

Before the new term begins, I bolt into Dennis' office demanding to receive training to fight Eli. He looks at me with his head tilted and claims he'll arrange for something within a week.

I don't move.

"Spencer, I'm too busy to set it up right now. If you don't have anything else, let me get back to this mess with Yang Arena. I won't have time to sleep with the demands from the city's people. It's my responsibility to take ownership, but many businessmen want control of it." He massages his temples and sighs.

As though I'd lost my mind (because let's face it, I have) I begin tearing his office to shreds. He watches in amazement as I bounce off walls and stick my foot into furniture.

Once he stands to his feet, I stop, and mind my manners at the door. Clerks from his floor and even chefs in his kitchen come out to see a room hit by Tornado Spencer. The only thing remaining, a very calm boy whistling and doing a few calf raises.

"As you can see, I can't wait that long. You'll make arrangements, right now, for every single professor, including Gonzales, to help." I shiver at the thought of that lunatic locking me in a room. "They'll train me daily, between their classes and after hours. If they have a problem with it, they're fired."

"Honestly, what's gotten into you?"

"I made my decision when I woke up, and I want to protect someone special. Maybe a few mortals if they're in the way. So, make a phone call right now, or type something up. Otherwise, I promise to rip that worn tie you have with mom's aura all over it." Dennis raises his eyebrow, "Yeah. I know it's hers. She has a pink aura, like Michelle, and she hated it so there's a red one creeping into each fiber, but she couldn't change who she was completely."

Dennis laughs frantically as he lifts the phone. Casey's cell rings outside of the door and he turns the corner. Grandad jeers, "The tearing stuff up idea was all me, but I didn't think about the tie. Nice one Spence." He delivers a high-five up top.

"Seriously Dennis, you didn't think I'd come prepared? Push some buttons on that keyboard and send a message to all your staff. They're also training Leo, Michelle, and Hannah, but only after school."

"What about your education?"

I roll my eyes, "Let's be real about this; I hate school. I think I have a bigger responsibility of protecting this campus. You're obviously too busy—"

"And worthless," Casey adds.

"And worthless—thanks—to actually protect me. Anyway, how's 'bout you make sure I can defend myself? Like you should have done a very long time ago."

Dennis' smile fades. Though we sound playful, he knows very well that he hasn't done his job as a father. He quickly adjusts the schedules and sends a notice to all staff about my training.

As requested, I'm withdrawn from my classes and trained by every professor for four months straight. I spend every waking moment strengthening my body and perfecting my techniques. Without the distraction of friends and relationships, I improve drastically.

Professor Gonzales would be my most difficult trainer uses her pets to improve my sparring skills. She introduced me to the first man Arnold killed this year, or fragments of him. For the most part, Kwan's body was attached to a humongous horse. Professor Jules taught me how to stand against weapons. Many people believe that he has access to a dungeon similar to the one at the bottom of our school. I believe it.

Casey's my favorite instructor worked on my speed and real endurance. He put me in situations that clouded my judgment, and forced me to think logically. Because of him, I've been able to resist entering Hades.

Over time, my uncle even came to train me and used Angie as a sparring partner. Initially, I was too distracted, knowing how she's being used by our family. I haven't found the courage to talk to her about it. But once she planted her fist on my jaw, I realized that I didn't have much time to think about her situation. Even though she holds back her strength when taking me on, I know I could take her.

After my training sessions, I meditate or do yoga. Occasionally, Hayley brings me cake and watches movies with me. She always leaves with a gentle peck on my head. She even says, "I love you," and warns me to stay out of trouble.

Normally Hayley visits on Fridays, but she's late. It's one week before finals, and I want to relax a bit, so I begin without her. Ten minutes into the movie, someone bangs against my door rudely. Using my sensors, I can tell that Hannah and Michelle have found their way into my building and even managed to open my door, though I specifically made sure her passwords wouldn't work. She's been living with Hannah this entire time. Hayley must've given her permission.

Michelle's carrying Hannah under her arm.

I hit play on my movie again. "You're spilling blood on my carpet. Oh. I also told you to leave me alone."

Michelle throws her phone at my head and drops Hannah on the ground, which partially wakes her up. She's shifting in and out of consciousness.

Michelle drags her bloodied boots across my floor until she lands playfully in my arms. She wipes her blood on my shirt and looks up at me with a face only someone madly in love could want.

I'm pretty beat up after my match with Angie today, but Michelle has swollen lips, a black eye, and blood on her teeth.

"So," reaches to my coffee table and grabs some of my kettle corn, "we argued all day about coming over here. When she didn't want to talk with you, I did, and when I didn't want to, she did. After a serious intervention," Michelle chokes on the kettle corn and coughs blood on my lap. "Hmm. I'll clean that later. I swear," she giggles.

"No need," I reply, turning up the volume.

"Okay! We decided to work things..."

I turn down the television to give my ears a break.

"Thanks, babe. We talked it out and discovered we were so confused over coming here because we both wanted you."

"Heartwarming."

"I know, right? Tearjerker." Michelle moves her hair from her face, but smears more blood. "Hannah came up with the idea to fight for you. Whoever won could have you, and the other has to support, no matter how much we may want to kill the other."

"Let me guess, Hannah won," I say sarcastically.

"Actually yes. We both passed out and I woke up first."

I gaze into the hazel eye on her battered face. "What if I wanted you?"

"If you wanted me, you shouldn't have run away."

"I shouldn't have, but it's the best thing for you. I want you more than any—"

"I know you do, but I wanted to hear you say it." Michelle sniffs and blinks her eyes widely. She's trying to stay awake. She may have a concussion. "Actually, I won. In fact, I beat the hell out of her. You're my little trophy." Turning around to see Hannah still motionless on the ground, Michelle utters, "Seriously though, we should get her to a hospital."

Hannah suddenly crawls across my floor. "Nah. I'm good. Let me get some popcorn though. It smells sweet."

"Kettle corn," I correct.

"Hmm. Even better." Hannah seems to faint for a second then returns to the bowl, which is already sullied from Michelle's vital fluids.

Before Hannah can contaminate the bowl any more, I carry her to the tub and turn on the shower. Then, I walk back to Michelle, kiss her bruised lips, and throw her in with her friend. I leave as they strip their armor and take a bath together.

I rush in when I hear Michelle slapping Hannah. "Don't go to sleep sweetie. I don't think you'll wake up," but Michelle throws soap at me once I enter. "I don't want you looking at her body."

"I can sense her body in the tub anyway."

"I don't care. Get the hell out." Though she's laughing the entire time, I know she's serious, and that's okay with me.

I take them to the hospital once they're clean. While waiting in Michelle's room, Vincent sticks his head in the doorway. "Hey, kid. I heard you were here. Come with me."

Michelle's asleep, so I decide to join my uncle on an adventure. He takes me to the seventh floor to an empty with black tar stains on the floor and dirty windows. There's nothing, but grit and grime everywhere.

"I thought you said Dennis finally gave you a lab."

He shakes his head. "That's down the hall and it looks much worse than this. This room is where I think I'll hold ceremonies to hand out bandages. I got permission from The Council to give them to students other than family members. Right now, I can only choose two people but I'm going to make this a great event."

I sneer at the room. "Sure. If that's what you want."

"A little paint and cover the windows, it'll be nice. But that's not why I brought you here. I wanted to tell you it's time for you to remove your bandages."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." He doesn't sound enthusiastic.

"What's wrong?"

"There's been some strange movement of military officials in the city. A lot of politicians are moving out and leaving their apartments empty."

"What does that mean?"

"Same thing happened when Helios began taking over Northern America."

"You think he's close?"

"Damn close and geared up to attack. I want you to be prepared just in case. If anything seems wrong this week, you should lay low until we figure out where he's going to attack."

I nod.

"Now, let's get back to the good news," he winks with a smile. "The wraps are connected to your codes. You know that. They can be removed ceremonially through my permission. Angie knows how, but she isn't as good just yet. I don't want your skin to come up missing."

I cringe, "So what's the ceremony? Are there others that come and watch? Do I get a cloak like the liminal beings?"

Vincent touches my shoulder and I feel them loosen. "Congratulations."

"That's it?"

"I'll work on something big when I start using this on other students, but for now that's all I got."

"Cool."

I try to remove the bandages, but he snaps, "No. It's best if someone connected with your tattoo removes them. I'm not sure who taught you how to use your power; it's normally a parent, but I know my stupid brother was probably too busy. So let me know who linked them when you were a kid and I'll fly you to their place."

I mumble, "It's Michelle."

Vincent bursts into laughter. "Just friends, huh? The pleasure part was probably really different."

"Different?"

"I mean, you had to be...naked. Plus, she probably did more than just tickle and hug you, right?"

I blush. That's all she had to do?

Vincent grins from ear-to-ear. "Anyway, the data will be extremely sensitive and easily corruptible. You should never remove them under jealousy or hatred. The surrounding data can influence the new code and cause you to become overwhelmed with emotions. Your father and I got into a fight before I removed his." He scratches his head. "People only know him as The Black Hand, but when he really lets loose it's much worse than that."

Fearful of another trip to Hades, I vow to have Michelle remove them as soon as I get the chance.

Vincent exits the room before me. He has a few things to set up in his laboratory and I need to get back to Michelle. That was my initial goal, but when the elevator door opens, Kode is leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

He must have come for me because he waits for me to enter and presses the button for the first floor. I follow him into Professor Jules' classroom, making sure to stay a few steps behind.

When the door slams shut, an image of Gi Young's severed body flashes before my eyes.

"There was no reason for you to kill those gladiators."

A pain strikes my head. I'm already upset and have to relax, but I've been holding that in for months. I've hated him all this time. Luckily, we haven't shared classes for four months, or I would've blacked out and leapt across a table.

Kode grunts angrily, "You blame me?"

"There are no other murderers in the room, so yes. Let's go with you for now."

"Those people watched us fight Helios and kill anyone that got in the way. You're lucky I was willing to do your dirty work or you'd be in prison with Talib."

"You're trying to convince me that it was a favor?"

"A selfish favor. It benefits me too, but that's not why I wanted to speak with you. Vincent was right, Helios is closing in, and I don't think you're strong enough."

"You can just kill him for me," I reply sarcastically.

Kode taps on his mask. "Not enough power. This is the same as your bandages, except mine won't come off. I will admit, it does feel loose around you for some reason." He pulls his mask. It floats from his face slightly, but it doesn't get far. After a small struggle he gives up.

"What's the plan, coach?"

"Get Michelle to remove your bandages. Then kick her to the curb or she'll weaken you."

"Stay away from her." I accidentally release a fragment of the force I'd been withholding while speaking with him.

"I'm trying to get you to do the same thing. What do you think Helios will do once he sees you with her? He's coming soon and she's got death dancing around her skin because of you. Think about it."

"Kode. Are you trying to protect or kill me? Choose one."

The tall terror stands and I'm able to see just how much he's been training over the past few months. His muscles are defined, and he may have put on ten pounds or more. Kode's stopped wearing armor all together. This guy really has a death wish. I doubt his black thermal and green jacket with ripped sleeves offer any serious protection. He walks directly in front of me and we stare each other down. Well, I'm looking up for the most part.

"I wouldn't kill you. I can't." Kode clears his throat and walks to the door. His abrupt stop startles me, but I don't turn around. "You're the only person that can hear me. Ending that would make life bland. No. I'm not the enemy I project myself to be, but I will kill everyone around you to make you stronger."

My lips hardly move as I mumble, "If this story we lived in weren't a tragedy, maybe we'd be friends."

"There is no story. No Writer. We search for heaven only to find more hell." Kode flings his dreadlocks over his shoulder, something I'd never seen him do. Even he's getting more comfortable around me. "I'd never threaten to kill Michelle. Her heartbeat reminds me of someone important."

I tease, "You're in love with her too?"

He shifts his weight to his right leg. "Maybe. Either way, keep her away."

TWELVE

Two more days of training pass, but there's no sign of Helios' attack. After slaying one of Professor Gonzales' pets, I head to the hospital to check on Michelle. The nurses say she was released and sent home. I try connecting with her avatar, but get no response.

When I walk into my apartment, I'm surprised to see a pink glow at the end of my hallway, illuminating the entire apartment.

Michelle's golden legs ease off the bed and she glides towards me once I step in the room. She's wearing her typical tiny shorts and a large blouse with a wide neck.

My head spins as she comes close enough for me to smell intoxicating fragrances of her perfume. I waver slightly. To stabilize myself, I place my hand on her shoulder. It feels as though firecrackers explode under my palm as sparks occur when our skin connects. It reminds me of the first time I noticed her skin in the hospital. I reach down for her wrist and kiss the spot I once burned through our cosmic bond.

The delicate warrior leans over and rests her lips on my neck. My favorite song plays under her kiss. She controls and consumes me.

Every part of our bodies reacts to each other enchantingly. I enter into another dark region, but this time I know I'm on earth. The only person that can reach me is already along for the ride.

With a stroke of her hand, Michelle knocks off my wristband and the rest of my upper body armor falls along with it. I pull her blouse above her head and a smile appears that makes me fall in love three times over. Michelle kicks off my bootstrap and the last bit of gear falls off. With the strength from my tattoos, I pull her pants off by spreading them apart. I know her legs are strong enough to hold the weight, and the material rips easily. I didn't realize that I had her underwear in my grip. They vanish as well. We both chuckle.

When she steals herself away from the laughter, our bodies magnetize. Even with her face approaching, I feel something pushing me. We're both dressed in nothing but a layer of protection covering our upper bodies. I unhook hers as she slides her hand around my back. Michelle pulls tightly on one of the straps until it snaps. Then, she unravels my bandages slowly.

I'm finally here. With more stress in one year than I'd ever experienced, it took me all this time to find love. I'll never forget the pain I felt receiving these bandages. Now, I'm watching as the woman I adore the most frees me of their bondage.

When the last strand is removed, a loud tuning fills the room. Michelle ignores it and pulls me towards the bed. I hear her moan as my barcode turns the black walls golden. I slowly fall on top of her, and her skin takes the driver's seat in my bloodstream.

Her eyes watch me with the softest expression as we situate ourselves on the bed. Once we're comfortable, she traces her fingers down my tattoo lightly, and I shiver uncontrollably. Then, we form the physical connection I've wanted since the moment I knew I belonged to her.

Later that night, I sit up in the bed feeling traces of Michelle's data within me. I reach to pick up my armor, but she follows. We both stand with our barcodes still shining. She's invading my privacy again. I don't think she can stop.

Against her own knowledge, she touches me in a way that causes my eyes to burn. Her lips press firmly against my chest. She doesn't stop kissing.

A river forms at our feet. We're both crying, and I'm losing my breath. I search my heart, wondering what I want, but I can't find the answer.

The only thing I do know is that she has to stay alive. I never want her to suffer. I whimper when pushing Michelle away.

"Don't," she demands with a voice that draws me closer to her.

I can't, echoes in my head. It's not Kode's advice or Helios' threat of returning that's pulling me away. I'm the one doing this because I'd lose myself to this world forever if anything were to happen to her. Michelle is the only thing on Earth that holds me and makes me cherish my life.

My eyes weld themselves to the ground as I step away. I can't have the strength I need to leave while looking into her hazel eyes.

"Kiss me," she shouts, trying to control herself. She hits me, and the electricity between our skin reestablishes itself firmly.

"Don't run away. Kiss me. Love me." Her tears turn to screams and her love turns to anger. "Spencer. Spencer!" She says my name so many times I have to convince myself I'm someone else to avoid returning. The second I look at her, I'll belong to her again, and I'll never leave.

Grabbing my armor from the floor, I try to reactivate it, but hesitate long enough for her to ask a question that forces me to search my soul for an answer that's already written on my skin, "What do you want?"

"I don't know," my obvious lie still causes her to sob. That sound. It's like I've stolen her heart.

"Why are you here Spencer? Spencer. What do you want?" Unable to understand why I won't answer, she blares, "Spencer!"

"Not you," I affirm so nefariously she covers her mouth. I sense a stream flowing down her face because of what she's taught me. To feel.

I attach my wristband and the rest of the armor does the work for me. Fully clothed in my gear, I slam the door and listen to her cry into her hands. I might as well have killed her myself.

Michelle senses the truth. She knows how deeply I desire to have her by my side every minute of the day, but there's a difference between feeling and hearing the words.

I walk down to Leo's apartment, but leave several dents in the wall along the way. It seems that not even MMIBS reinforcement can withstand my wrath. Sound has cut itself off from me. My worlds have combined. Though I'm not completely in the dark, I'm not on Earth either. Right now, I think I need a friend.

I open the door and expect to discover Leo stretched out amongst his junk. But that's not what I find at all. Instead, I find him making out with someone. I try slipping out without him seeing me, but they're both so startled that I'm able to see his significant other clearly. He and Patrick stare at me fearfully.

I don't stay long enough to catch any more details.

Images of Michelle and Leo blind me.

Her pain. The expression on his face once he noticed me.

Before I can think of where I should run, I find myself forty floors away from my room, in our gym. While driving my fists through a practice dummy, a digital projection appears behind me that is slowly building its color.

"Took me forever to find you."

"You knew but you didn't tell me?" I verbally assault Antonio. I'm taking my anger out on him when really I should apologize for bursting in. I invaded their space and intruded on Leo's relationship.

"There's nothing you could have done if you knew. You would have overreacted, just like you are now."

"He's gay and he's been living with me."

"Leonardo's bisexual and he's living in an apartment on your floor. Stop pretending like you took showers together."

Antonio walks towards me, but has to calibrate first.

"When did you find out?" I ask, punching the limbs off a steel dummy.

Antonio looks away during his calibration. "I was his first boyfriend. Leonardo was the love of my life."

My eye twitches from the excessive amount of information I've received in one night. Overload.

"You guys hid this from me."

"Okay, let's hear this then. Hey, Spencer—you testosterone-filled jerk that thinks with your biceps more than your heart, I'm Antonio, dead data conformed to a computer. I'm Leonardo's ex-lover who died trying to protect him from Eli."

"Antonio."

"Only, I never made it that far. I was killed by a boy my age because I was in the wrong arena at the wrong time."

"Antonio."

"Oh yeah. Leonardo's seeing Patrick by the way, and he's all queer."

"Antonio!" My voice booms around the room. "Maybe another night. Possibly on a day where I'm in a good mood." Tears race down my face, "Maybe some time when I haven't just broken her heart, alright? I don't want to understand or care...or not judge. I need to be pissed and angry and blow something up. Don't..." I trail off for a moment, "Don't start tonight."

The hologram disappears without a word and I can finally cry freely.

As I walk into the arena from the entrance to the garden, I overhear students complaining about finding an open route to school. It seems that almost all the streets were closed. Only those local and arriving by helicopter could make it in.

Many students live in Griffith Park, but some, like Kyle and Wesley, won't make it today.

When I enter the arena, my avatar fires a miniature pistol to get my attention. "Spencer!"

"What's up, little man?"

"You have a message from Dennis. He canceled your classes today. Supposedly, there's too much traffic for a few professors to make it in today. He wants you to go straight to Gardezi's."

"Why the pistol?"

"I don't like the way things are looking. There's a lot of avatar talk in MeeToo. We think Helios is up to no good. Actually, it's more like Eve."

When I look around, there is a significant amount of people missing. "Something doesn't feel right. Let me know if you get any new information."

My avatar salutes me and disappears.

I'm a little early for classes. I sit outside of Professor Gardezi's class and wait for the bell. During that time, quite a few students approach me with foods and gifts. Abby leaves me a tiny, nicely wrapped box, and kisses the crown of my head. Selena drops off a first aid kit, which I obviously need after all the bloody incidents in my apartment.

I'm given so much that one student runs off to steal a basket from the cafeteria. When he returns I ask, "What's all this for?"

The freshman looks away and whispers, "Rumor has it, you're training hard to defend us from Helios. They say you're working to replace Arnold. We've been waiting a long time to thank you." The freshman awkwardly pats me on the back as though he wanted a hug and runs off with a smile.

Kode walks up to our classroom door and pushes a few buttons on his phone to unlock it.

"It's amazing how blatantly you hack into the school's system."

He reaches into my basket, steals a bagel, and attaches it to his mask. It vanishes after a few seconds. "You'd think they'd catch me by now."

Professor Gardezi watches closely. His classroom is scheduled to stay locked until eight-fifteen and we're five minutes early. I can understand his surprise. I leave the basket of snacks and gifts on his desk, which distracts him.

As we find our seats, Kode mumbles, "You had an eventful night."

"It was pretty amazing."

"Just a heads up, Hannah's ready to punch you in the face, but how are you feeling?"

I dryly groan, "Look at how happy I am right now and take a guess."

"You have two of the hottest girls at this school fighting over you. I don't have much sympathy. In fact, I think you're an ungrateful dick."

"Jealous much?"

"More than you'll ever know."

I restrain my laughter. "You think Helios will finally make his move?"

"With all the weird things happening outside, I can almost guarantee it."

Professor Gardezi walks closer to us. "Are you talking to me?"

I shake my head and point to Kode.

"You're talking through Tartarus?"

Kode and I both nod.

"You think there's any X-Eyes in that basket?" Gardezi manages to find some pretty strong alcohol. He drinks the bottle with trembling hands.

Our classmates trickle into the room. Hannah pulls her chair right next to mine. "How could you?"

I don't respond. She's probably not used to me treating her how I once did Michelle.

Hannah slaps her phone on the desk. "She's not coming to school today."

"Good. You go home too," I say, looking over at Kode.

He waits until Hannah follows my gaze before nodding his head.

"If something happens, I'm fighting," she speaks so low, it's like she' talking to herself. "That's what we train for...why couldn't you let her help? She's strong enough and would back you up better than me."

Professor Gardezi begins the class, but I slowly turn to Hannah and speak loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Because I love Meesh, like she's a piece of me. I don't want her to die. If you're staying, stop bugging me and get ready to fight. Otherwise, join her."

Hannah doesn't say another word to me for the rest of the school day. Leo never shows up, though I don't know what I would say if he did.

I make it all the way to Professor Gonzales' class and listen as the final bell rings. Turning to Kode, I tease, "Wow dude. You really had me hyped up about explosions and death. I thought I'd get some action."

He chuckles before releasing a force from his chest that causes everyone in the room to stumble. When I'm upset or Angie's yelling, the pressure we exert resembles someone pushing down on your chest. Yet, Kode's presence feels like a literal shock wave.

He mumbles, "How the hell did I miss that?" As though he were a search dog, sniffing his surrounding, Kode's head scans the room. Then, he dashes through the doors. Yes. Through them. Both wooden barriers fall over as if they were the beginning pieces of a domino set.

I try chasing him, but his head start already has him trampling students in the hallway and making his way to the entrance. When I finally catch up, Kode exits the school and closes the double doors, trapping us inside. Then, he does something that I thought was impossible. He transmutes the solid doors until they're too heavy to move.

Before the process is complete, I punch holes through the door. Other students crowd behind me. Angie and Hannah bully their way to the front. They peek through one of my peep holes to see what's happening outside.

Kode waits silently, leaning against the opposite side of the barrier.

Belittling his effort, I jeer, "You know there are other ways out, right?

"Yeah. You might want to get someone to cover those."

Monte, Stephanie, and Trinity join us at the door.

"What's going on?" Monte doesn't sound like his normal, pleasant self. He has heavy bags under his eyes.

"Your brother's blocking the exit."

Suddenly, I see a row of soldiers marching up the street. I've never seen an actual army face to face. Gladiators are strong men that armies often recruit if a war breaks out. Yet these men seem like they're on a different level all together. Their suits are camouflaged, their guns are large, and the gear looks heavy.

A fight breaks out behind us with students chanting Eli's name. These mortal level gladiators pull out their weapons and stab various students trying to defend themselves.

Snapping at Stephanie and Trinity, Monte asserts, "Shut them up. Now."

I'm not sure what level of power Eli's men have, but they're not strong enough for the duo. The two girls put the two dozen revolters to sleep within minutes.

A massive helicopter drowns the noise in the school. Kode stretches and begins approaching the army.

Angie shouts, "Kode, come back inside and we can fight them together."

He neither replies nor returns.

The soldiers unload several rounds. Kode closes the range in a flash and begins taking them out one-by-one. Though he's doing a fine job, they're still advancing towards the school. Angie shrieks a few times when he's hit.

The Nubian warrior takes off towards the battlefield, and everyone follows. When we make it to the center of the stadium, men from Eli's army slide down ropes from a chopper and spread out across the field.

Instead of attacking, Angie hops the walls and runs up the stairs of the stadium. Hannah and I follow, but once we make it over the wall, we're halted by a shot from a soldier.

"Monte," I shout, pointing from the first row in the stands. The brute removes his chest plate and reveal his frightening tattoos. His chest is fully covered in tattoos. He's holding an illegal amount of power that would have easily crushed me during our Final Exams. Unlike Kode, he's both buff and ripped. I'm starting to wonder which of the two are actually stronger.

The soldiers open fire on him as he collects air. A lot of air.

Hannah and I eventually catch up to Angie at the top of the arena. Kode's still fighting off the soldiers, but there are too many. He's struggling with the thirty in range, and a few hundred more are marching up the street.

That's when I see something incredible. Kode seems to vanish and appear behind each soldier at the same time. Either I'm losing it, or he just killed thirty people at once. My eyes cross and I feel woozy.

Hannah vomits on one of the seats and Angie digs her nails deeply into the Colt Stone. We each felt whatever energy he just let off.

Kode drops to his knees to catch his breath. He holds his mask cries loudly. Though no one can hear his pain besides me, it's visibly obvious that he's hurt. His body convulses as though it were possessed.

Whatever he did required a lot of energy and it's taking him too long to recover. The second wave of soldiers is closing in on him. That's when I remember him telling me that the mask drains his power. Could he really do more damage than killing thirty men at once?

Angie places one foot on the outer wall. I pull her back. "Are you crazy?"

"I have to save him," she cries. "Spencer, I know he came here to kill you. I knew all along."

My eyes widen, but my grip strengthens. I would've probably broken anyone else's arm, but Angie hardly bats a lash.

"He started half the problems that you guys have, but I helped."

"Angie. You're trying to kill me?"

She shakes her head, and violently gushes, "I would never do that. Ever. I always hoped you two could get over the rivalry and see how much you could help each other. Whether you have or haven't, I need to help him."

"That drop can kill you."

"I know, but..." Angie trails off. "But if it were Michelle, would you follow her?"

Does that mean she's in love with Kode? Hannah watches me closely. I can finally sense her emotions, but reading her aura's enough. She wishes Angie said her name instead of Michelle's.

My cousin fights my grip, and I watch Hannah leap down the wall. Shocked, I let go of Angie, and she follows.

Hannah hits the ground hard and I can hear her legs snap from seven hundred feet up. Angie releases a huge force to break her fall. Then, she chases after Kode.

The duo fights brilliantly together. It's like watching two veteran dancers tango.

A loud snapping noise continues popping from Hannah's area. Her bones are healing themselves. While waiting for them to complete, she whips out a gun with a barrel about the length of her arm, and plants it into the ground. She fires a strong amount of data at the army. When the soldiers begin firing back, she creates a shield around her gun.

The entire school breaks out into a war zone. Helicopters drop off more men, as though there weren't enough from the first set.

Student-teacher groups form, defending the field. Before I begin my assault, I command various units to team up based on the strengths and weaknesses that I can remember.

Once the groups are clustered across the field, aiding one another, I search for Selena. The timid girl had her own story to tell because she's not ducked in a corner. Instead, she's using her ears to direct Patrick's sniper rifle.

"Selena. What you're doing is great." My words bring a smile lights to her face. "But I need you inside. Take Patrick. If you hear any soldiers, take them out with a long shot. Fire through the walls if you have to."

Patrick slowly rises to his feet, and avoids looking me in the eye.

"It's my fault and I'm not telling anyone," I admit before rushing to the field.

Andvari and I smash through any and every enemy that comes into sight. In my first war experience, I take on the role as a leader of my peers, promising myself that I won't enter Hades in the process.

While blood spills on both sides of the battlefield, I continue pushing the soldiers back to the furthest side of the stadium. I don't want them gaining any leverage in this fight. Though we're doing a great job of stopping them from taking over the inside of the school, all of my classmates and instructors are being worn down. Eli's army causes more damage than I assumed they could. Their guns are killing us at long range.

The soldiers come and go for hours; drop off more men and return again.

I see a large purple cloud of smoke at the rear end of the school, that's Dennis. I forgot that it's his responsibility to guard the outskirts of the arena when under attack. That means Vincent and Casey are covering the sides. Arnold was listed as the forth guard, but I assume that Kode and the girls are making up for that loss.

Monte and I cover our own ends of the field, defending ourselves against anyone that we can. When it finally seems over, and the last few of Eli's men are killed off, the students cluster in the center of the battlefield and cheer in victory, but our moment is short lived.

Seven helicopters—each larger than the ones we took down earlier—fly towards the school. I hear a beautiful explosion and one of the helicopters is hit by a missile, causing the others to scatter. When I turn around, my eyes zoom between several buildings and I see Michelle sticking her tongue out from the tallest skyscraper in the area, our home.

She destroys four more choppers before one fires back causing a monstrous explosion. When the dust clears, Michelle's motionless and not breathing.

Her pain causes me to laugh hysterically.

All the suffering I caused her was for nothing.

My body trembles so roughly I can hardly stand. When I look around, all of the students and professors are staring at me.

My sanity. I'm losing it.

The laughter I cause to echo throughout the amphitheater evolves into a roar. I enter Hades. Only, my barcode shines brightly enough to illuminate the people and obstacles in my way.

My data has merged with the afterlife, but my eyes maintain a visual connection with the world before me. An extreme power surges through my body. When I release a fraction of it, the defenders of Colt Arena get thrown back. They're all knocked unconscious and three students hit their heads hard enough to lose their lives. Because of my power, only those on the outside and myself are left to end this war.

The two surviving helicopters drop off their remaining passengers, and Eve Payne is leading them. It was her helicopter that struck Michelle.

As they set up and surround the perimeter, I collect my chains from the field. One soldier holds his gun at me as I walk directly in front of him and pick up the last ball and chain.

Andvari is now completely gold and lighter than a feather. Codes appear along the chain that beg for my energy. I slam all three chains into the ground, which crumbles under their weight. Then, I supply the data they request.

The soldier stares in amazement as the smallest ball and chain breaks in half and each piece wraps around the other two chains. Energy flows into the two links. They transmute into a mysterious material that seems to have some life to it. Now, I possess two whips with sharp golden daggers at the end that's much easier to control and retract.

My whips have small fragmented daggers that appear a split second before they cut through the soldier pissing his pants in front of me.

Everything about Andvari sings death, and my armor does the same. It seems that the Moreno gear has reached its last stage of evolution. My chest plate and shoulder pads have vanished. All that remain are wraps. Charcoal gray bandage-like material fully covers my arms and stretches across certain parts of my torso. They make an X-pattern across my chest and back.

My pants are lightweight and baggy. I jump up and down to test the weight out and notice that they absorb air and allow me to float for a second longer.

Wrapping a bit of the whips around my forearms, I breathe heavily and wait for the very last soldier to exit the aircraft before allowing Andvari to feast on their flesh. Not even the surrounding helicopters escape my wrath.

I twirl and spin my blades and whips as they cut through men and women like butter. This time, I make sure to avoid damaging any of my comrades.

Eve jumps or uses her sword to defend against Andvari's fangs. Though I've torn through hundreds of soldiers' steel, her weapon seems to be on the same level as mine.

When all her soldiers are dead, she claps and shouts, "That's magnificent, Apollo."

When I look down, I'm covered in blood with my eyes spread widely and my arms trembling. I can hardly contain myself. Though my thoughts seem clear, no matter how hard I try, I cannot restrain my anger. I'm pissed. It's not just Eli or Eve. I'm upset with the world.

I hate pain; it's around every corner. I hate joy; it's temporary. I despise Dennis, the police that help him cover up murders, and the gladiator system of death.

The one bit of happiness I found was just shot.

"Ahhhhh," stretches from my mouth.

Eve tilts her head. "Wow. You're in a bad mood. I'm actually disappointed you're alone. My barcode doesn't really kick in until there are multiple people to fight against, but it looks like you'll have to show me that fearsome power."

"Why are you doing this?" The words come from my mouth, but they sound deep and muffled. Demonic.

Eve stares at me strangely before speaking. "Me? Everyone hates your family. Look at how many soldiers came to stand against your system and way of life. Even Kode and Monte volunteered for this."

My natural voice returns as I yell, "Kode's not with you!" Though I can sense her evil aura and I know she's lying, it's difficult to avoid listening.

"I'm not, dear. Look closely with your barcodes. Blake told me all about your ability to read thoughts. See with your heart. You'll know the truth."

Despite her challenge, all I see are her lies. Strangely, the more I gaze into her barcode, the more truthful they seem. Everything's blurry.

It hits me. That's why they call her Medusa. Standing here and challenging my thoughts makes me immobile, like stone.

I close my eyes and attack. I'll have to use my senses to find her because I can't trust my eyes or ears around her.

Eve manages to avoid my strikes, despite her size. I see no weak points on Eve. Her sword changes directions so gracefully, it's like they are magnets defending against my whips.

I'm getting tired, but I feel Michelle fighting for her life. Her only desire is to see me one more time.

"You can't die," I shout while twirling Andvari overhead until Eve backs into a corner.

"Your anger is blinding you. You should calm down and think things through, Apollo."

"Check again, you soulless bitch." I direct my eyes at an empty space near her feet. As she glances down to see what I'm looking at, I throw the whip in my left hand at her head, and Eve loses her footing. She tries to catch her balance but backs into a pool of blood. As she stumbles, I cut off her right arm.

Eve wails openly. Instead of concentrating on the pain, she rams into a wall to avoid my killing strike. If I had both whips, I could easily finish her off, but I draw my whip again as she runs to the top of the stadium.

Andvari chases her each step of the way. I slice her back right before she jumps out of the arena.

Angie is bleeding out and leaning against the stadium wall. A piece of Kode's green jacket is tied around her right thigh. I'm not curious enough to know what happened, so I don't stop. Swinging my arms wildly and leaping over tons of dead soldiers, I continue rushing down the street until I make it to our skyscraper.

A few seconds later, I make it to the roof. Michelle is bloodied and bruised. The flesh on her arms is burnt off. My eyes zoom in to search for more injuries. Thank The Writer. She's losing blood slowly. She's missing a few fingers, but Leo can replace them with some mechanical ones.

Michelle's smiling and trying to reach for my hand, but she's lost command of her own. I watch the determination in her eyes as she fights to regain her motor control. I try lifting her, but she shakes her head frantically and mutters, "No."

She hardly has the energy to speak. Her beautiful voice is shattered. The gentle warrior sounds more like a trampled lion. I hold her face. "I love you. I love you. I'm so sorry."

She accepts my apology, but still won't allow me to move her.

The only word she can speak breaks my heart, "Kode." I nearly swallow my own tongue. Before my world darkens any further, Michelle rolls on her side and does her best to look at the neighboring structure where Hannah and Kode are fighting violently.

Without another thought, I rush to save Hannah. I could swear I hear Michelle utter, "Save him."

Hannah backs Kode into the furthest corner of the building, and I'm pumping rapidly to get there. I scream for Hannah to stop, but she continues charging him. Kode ducks underneath her center of gravity. I watch every agonizing moment as she's thrown from the roof.

I release my whips and convert them into two chains. With one, I reach for Hannah while leaping after her. I wrap the other around Kode while Hannah screams, "No!"

My chain wraps around their bodies and I feel Kode nearly fall off the edge while Hannah and I swing towards the building. Kode catches his balance and begins pulling against the weight as Hannah smashes through a window. This high-rise is all glass, so I do the same.

Seeing Hannah dangling at the end of my chain eases some of my nerves. Safe. A few shards of glass are in my arm, but I manage to hold on.

Kode pulls us up, and I fixate my eyes on him, until he grunts, "Damn."

Hearing his word nearly scares me enough to drop her. Something's wrong.

When I'm back on the roof, I drag Hannah up with his help. When I place her on the ground, I realize I'm screaming again. The sound from her voice brings tears to my eyes.

Her chest expands and contracts rapidly. I place my hand on her to calm her down, but she can't. The blood pouring from the glass stuck in her neck is too painful. She's lost so much blood already.

"Hold on," I cry. But before I can lift her in my arms, I see death. The sight of her causes tears to stream rapidly down my face. Hannah's eyes lose their vibrant blue hue.

She expands her chest for the last time before it deflates. I feel the life leave her under my own palm. The blood's still oozing out.

Kode takes off running towards the other building while shouting, "Bring her."

I wrap my chain around his leg and reel him in rapidly. When he's right underneath me, I pound my fist against his mask until it disappears. Then, I see what Kode really looks like.

His gentle complexion is smooth and even. He looks older than I expected. Mature. His cheekbones are strong and his face is broad. I never imagined what he'd look like, but if I had, I wouldn't have been close. He's handsome and looks more innocent than the demon that tormented me.

I hold his head, realizing what I've done. Was he only defending himself from Hannah or was he trying to deceive me like his mother?

My data takes its final trip to Hades.

A deep voice like the one I screamed with earlier says, "Do you want power to stop Helios?"

"At what cost?"

"Releasing your connection on Earth and following me. Sleep one night in the hospital, recover. We'll find him tomorrow and end this world."

"Tartarus? That's you isn't it?"

"Yes."

"If I accept you, I'll be as emotionless as Kode. Right?"

"Yes. But you'll have—"

"Do it," are the last words I assume I'll ever speak to the world. There's nothing left for me here. All I want to do is seek revenge on the man that did this and die alone.

Tartarus slowly forms on my face. The cold sensation that always surrounded me takes over and consumes me. I feel nothing and everything at the same time. I have more power and strength than ever before. My senses are enhanced. It's almost as though I can see what I touch, and everything is touching me.

I walk over towards my skyscraper. I can sense my room and the laboratories. I even feel the people scrambling inside. This is incredible.

With my new strength, I set a plan in my mind: Get Michelle to the hospital. Then, find Eli. He'll be no match for me now.

A barcode tattoo forms over the mask's forehead, and my power is complete. I leap onto the seventy-third floor of my building and climb the stairs. Glass continues shattering behind me.

I turn around for a second. Something's stalking me. Either I'm losing it, or adjusting to this power will take a while. I shake my head and continue the climb.

I finally reach the top and open the door. Someone's standing over Michelle's body, talking softly to her.

"Relax," he says in an alluring voice that vibrates through my chest. The sound fills the air around me, and I lose my breath for a second. Jealousy attacks my better judgment as I see her eyes gazed upon him. A drop of his black blood drops on her skin. Kode?

"How'd you get here?" I shout, but he doesn't respond. He tries to lift her, but I use my chain to knock him away. "Answer me."

He lifts his head, but his eyes are closed. He's probably not used to having them open.

"I hear so much pain, for miles. This is worse than having Tartarus. Angie's being treated in the hospital. Dennis is on his way to kill my father. Casey's checking over all Eli's fallen men and stabbing them with what looks like a large arrow to make sure they're dead. Kids are being beaten by their parents. Women are persuaded to sell themselves. All that, and Eli's on a business call with a company he's trying to buy out." He snickers devilishly. "I hate this world."

Kode approaches Michelle again. "Don't touch her. You've already killed Hannah. You can't fucking come near her."

"I killed her Mr. Potty Mouth? You killed her."

The nerves in my neck contract. A dynamic pain shoots through my shoulder.

"She would've survived that fall because that's how strong her bones were. She simply needed to fire a large gun before hitting the ground and her bones could heal themselves. You killed her by throwing her through a window. I was only trying to get her away because she thought I hurt Michelle."

"You," slithers from my mouth before my thoughts finish. My heart breaks at the thought of killing someone I loved. That's how I've ended up in Tartarus. Between setting up Arnold and swinging Hannah through a window, I've constructed my own tragedy.

I lash out against Kode. He doesn't try avoiding my blow and tumbles on the ground.

"Fine," he fumes through his fangs. "I could at least save her, but you're too blinded by your own anger. That's why Tartarus was attracted to you. You're a leech that sucks the life from those around you, which makes you two perfect for each other."

Kode walks to the edge of the building, but I shout, "You don't get to leave! You're always preaching about me getting better, but what about you? You're still a puppet trying to get another suck from your mother's tit."

His hair whips as he looks over his shoulder.

"I'm stronger with Tartarus and it pisses you off because you weren't. You're really angry at that demon known as your mother because she killed your girlfriend and everyone at that stupid arena years ago. How about you grow up and get over it? Stop begging to be noticed by Eve. She hates you. Isn't that clear?"

A demon awakens in Kode that I haven't seen. "Don't talk like you know." He unleashes a vehement force that expands a mile over the city. The ground crumbles beneath his feet, but I won't.

"I can read it in your aura. You killed the girl you loved because you were too afraid to stand up to your psychotic mother. Now, I'm going to kill you, and put you out of that misery."

I rush Kode and grab him by the neck. He doesn't struggle or fight back as I hang him from the ledge. I nearly drop him when he opens his eyes. They're a bright and solid green with no pupil. Both sparkle like Michelle's hazel eyes in the dark. The only difference, there are infinite barcodes surging around.

The punch he delivers to my gut causes me to release him and step back. Kode falls as I hold onto my stomach. Everything within my data hopes to sense him smash into the ground in a few seconds. I shuffle back to Michelle. She still seems entranced by Kode's visit. I don't notice the pain on her face any more.

After a few seconds, I realize that his body never hit the ground. I spin around to check on him, but a hand reaches through the cement and pulls me down into Dennis' penthouse. We end up in the largest meeting room. My head smacks onto the fifteen-foot table.

I watch as his gloves screech with an electric energy. Shiva now sees me as an enemy. Tartarus whispers, "She always hated me, and you. She repelled the power I had for Kode since the day he joined with her. That abomination doesn't respect true strength and you need to kill her. This is your true fate, to fight with her.""

Kode coldly retorts, "Actually, she did me a favor. She stopped that leech from constantly draining my power. Now, stand the fuck up."

After getting on my feet, I transmute my whips and condense them. Then, I wrap both around my arms like a long wristband.

Once I'm done, Kode slowly walks back down the table as though he were fighting his own urge to kill me.

"I don't feel the same," I project after reading his thoughts.

With a smooth run, he enters my space, and we exchange a few blows. When I scrape his shoulder with Andvari, black blood flies onto the wall.

Not only is the color creepy, but the texture as well. The blood's as thick as honey.

He knees me in the stomach and hits me with a combination of three elbows until I roll off the table. I back out of the room to get into a more open space.

At least twenty people are sitting on brown couches and a bar.

Voices converse and faces lean around corners to see what's going on. Kode lunges from the room with his knee aimed at my head. The visitors rush out, screaming at the top of their lungs. The evacuation alarm sounds.

I knock Kode over a couch and step away as he stands up. He approaches me. Once I stop moving, he begins bouncing up and down with his fist held high. I finally recognize his fighting style as Muay Thai. That's an ancient martial art that hasn't been taught for centuries.

I punch him in the chest with a straight followed by a casting punch. He accepts all of my hits without countering, but doesn't allow me to scrape him with the whips again. Eventually, I kick him hard enough to send him smashing through the bar. Water sprays everywhere.

When I try tackling Kode, he disappears into a pile of smoke. Knowing how Michelle's technique works, I sense his direction and reach for the air. When I close my hand, I grab his foot and throw him into a pillar, which crumbles as he smashes into it. He struggles to stand, and I use that time to apply my boot to his face. The tall man flips backwards and lands on his head. When he rolls over, I press my knee into his chest and try punching him in the face.

Kode catches my hand and his eyes flash a violent green. With a scream, a shock wave releases from his face. It's strong enough to cause me to stumble back.

While I'm flying back, I recall my nightmare in the hospital last year. It was a caution warning me about my path towards madness. I thought I'd grown, but I'm still blaming others for the mistakes I've made.

I catch my balance and Kode flips on his feet. He deflects two of my punches at a blinding speed. As my hands fly in the air, everything in my body begs me to stop his next strike. Tartarus screams for me to move out of the way, but I can't. My body won't comply. He's way too fast.

Kode punches me right over my heart. We both look down at his fist. He tries to pull it away, but it doesn't work. His eyes flash brightly. When he finally removes his hand, I see a three small daggers. Shiva's trishula attached itself to his glove.

Kode quickly grabs me and I feel a black poison seeping into my heart. My skin darkens as black ink pumps through my veins. Tartarus groans, "How disappointing Spencer. Of all my hosts, you're the first to go down so easily. Then again, we were up against the demon of all gods and the city of murderers. All my plans go to waste."

I try saying a million things, but the only words that leave my lips are, "Sorry, Kode."

Tears swarm my eyes, but I see more clearly than ever. We were meant to make each other stronger. Without him, I'd still be that kid avoiding responsibility, and making everyone around me weaker. Because of him, I'm stronger.

I just wish he, of all people, didn't have to watch me die. I also wish I reminded him to save Michelle, but I can't speak. I sense my heart deleting.

This sucks.

LIFE

A sensation more painful than Tartarus burns my face. Why was he able to bond so well with the mask that tormented me every day of my life? Spencer's data is deleting, something that only happens hours after you've passed.

How many times did he say sorry? And why?

I've never done more for him other than bring him pain. From the very first day I overheard my mother's plan to kill the only real threat to Helios, I made up my mind to use him to my advantage. I convinced everyone that I'd kill him.

My first lie became a reality.

I hold Spencer for a second or two more. His voice echoes in my head, begging me to save Michelle. Leaving him on the waiting room floor, I bolt back into the office and pull myself up to the roof. I've already thrown Hannah's body into the sixty-eighth floor with the Moreno laboratory. Now, there's only Michelle.

I hold the fragile girl in my arms. Her head bobs back and forth as I rush down the stairs, into the lab. I try to leave her there, but she won't release me.

"Take me with you please," she says softly.

"No need to use the baby voice request with me. It may be the blurred vision or the fact that you're bleeding to death, but I need you to focus your eyes for a second. I'm not Spencer." I'm still shocked by the sound of my voice outside of the mask.

"I know. I know. You're an angel. I don't want the demons on the walls to take me." She looks around and trembles in my arms. "I've been fighting them off, and I can't anymore. Please take me," she cries as she looks over at Hannah lying motionlessly on the ground with the wind blowing her hair and the broken glass.

I bolt through the empty floor. In the elevator, I feel her body losing heat. She's dying quickly.

"Hey, you're doing just fine so don't pussy out on me now. I'm going to show you what I do to stay awake when I'm on the verge of death."

"What's that?" she asks, breathing cold air onto my neck.

"Cause more pain."

"Cool," she snickers.

I bite her neck until she screams.

Michelle punches me weakly in the chest. "Sorry. Natural habit."

"As long as you've got some fight, I'm good."

After kicking in Leonardo's door, I shout, "Antonio!" There's no response. "I know I don't need to do that stupid swiping thing. I have Michelle and she's dying. Command the remaining nanobots to follow me and I need you to come along too." Still nothing. I hold out Michelle to drop the blood that gathered on her stomach. Once a few blots fall on the floor, Antonio appears in hologram form.

"How'd you know about me?"

"I see dead people. Let's go." I back up towards the elevator and bump into the button.

He isn't coming. Antonio's observing Leonardo curled in a corner. He's drunk.

"I can help him later, that's not a promise or guarantee but let's say I will for the sake of argument. Now, you could stay here and comfort the self-pitying idiot that drunk a stupid amount of poison or you could make something of your meaningless life. Now grow some balls, digital ones of course, and follow me."

Antonio reluctantly joins me in the elevator. So many nanobots fill the space I could nearly sit on them. Once we're back at the lab, I hold the door open while the swarm buzzes past and Antonio calibrates.

"Really? He's that smart, but your calibration sucks."

"How many holograms do you know that can walk?" he replies angrily in a strong Spanish accent.

"None. Does that mean you won the argument because...you're still tripping over your own feet."

We make our way into the room and I throw Michelle on a chair that the Gonzales family uses to dissect various creatures. I'll make sure to avoid telling her that.

"Are you a surgeon?" Antonio asks with a distrustful tone. "Because you'll need to be one to keep her alive."

Michelle gasps, "Seriously? I'm that bad?"

"Antonio, shut the hell up. Thanks." I reach into a cabinet for several syringes and begin drawing my blood. "Stupid." I stop after filling three syringes and concentrate on what I should have done first, seal Michelle's more serious wounds.

I search the cabinets for stitches until I remember how Leo and Spencer held the axis of the wheels together.

"Antonio, command the nanobots to stitch her wounds together using their webbing. I know that steel can be toxic, but I need to stop the bleeding for now. When I complete the transplant, my blood cells will reject the poison."

The nanobots begin their work.

Luckily, the tattoos on her legs are intact, but all the skin from her arm was ripped apart. The bold warrior rolled around in the fire to lessen her bleeding.

I point at Antonio, "For your next magic trick, I need you to have the nanobots combine with a television, radio, and walkie talkie. Tell them to create a cardiac monitor and an electronic IV that constantly undergoes MIBS-squared."

He folds his arms and the nanobots race around the room, carrying a small paper screen TV and other materials they use to concoct my devices.

I set up the IV and add my blood into a bag. Once I'm done, I rush over to Hannah and withdraw her remaining blood without fully depleting the little life-stream in her body. Finally, I combine all of it into one bag.

"That's not safe. What the hell are you doing?" Antonio asks while forcing the nanobots stop functioning.

"Nothing I do is safe. But if you must know, my blood isn't normal, especially after combining with Shiva. Data flows through my entire bloodstreamd. If your nanobots connect with the monitor and display the blood type in the bag, I can temporarily match it with Michelle's type. So, all you have to do is get one bot to measure her blood and I'll do the rest. But understand, I only have a split second to get it right. Once my blood enters her body, it'll corrupt her system and create an irregular blood type, so don't mess up."

"The Writer. You really are Okodemah."

"Hmm. That's an Aeoy word right?" Michelle says, puffing air in her cheeks. "I don't know the language that well, but The Writer is definitely in there. Okodemah. That's you?"

"Hey you digital monster, keep the spiritual babel in church. We don't speak tongue in here. Now, have the nanobot determine her type. I guessed with Hannah, and got it wrong. It was a bit fun to watch her flop around like a fish, but it obviously caused some mental damage seeing how she fell in love with Spencer." Turning to Michelle I whisper, "No offense."

"None taken."

Antonio has one nanobot sample her blood. "AB."

I hold the bag and watch the blood swim around until nanobots confirm the blood type. Without hesitation, I inject the needle into her arm because my blood will only stay AB for a few seconds. Michelle loosens her clutch on the bed as my blood enters her veins.

"What's going on?"

"Do you really need a play-by-play of everything I do? Pay attention you inquisitive geek. Unlike barcode ink, my blood isn't painful. It causes a state of euphoria, that's why she seems so happy. I gave her a small dose of my blood on the roof. If I hadn't, she wouldn't let me touch her. Listen to her. She's not talking or thinking like herself. And she doesn't know me without the veil. If she were aware of all the pain I've caused...Believe me, she won't ever need drugs after this has entered her system. Morphine's got nothing on me."

"What are you?"

"The hologram asks the man," I reply sarcastically.

I begin stripping Michelle's armor, which held up pretty well against the explosion.

"I don't even know you," she says playfully. Her voice remains fragile. "Already you're undressing me?"

Turning to Antonio, I say, "She obviously used her arms to cover her beautiful face."

"And you're flirting with me? I really am on my way to heaven."

"There is no heaven. No Mount Olympus. No gods. You've got me though." I smile and she returns the friendly gesture. "No. That's the part where you scream."

Michelle tries to lift her arm, but it barely twitches. Then, she chuckles. "I'm supposed to be taken by a pretty nice guy, but this angel's tempting. I'd like to see you when your face isn't so bruised."

"Why is she calling you an angel?" Antonio asks, watching me inspect Michelle's arms.

I shrug my shoulders and say, "Beats the hell out of me."

"He flew onto the rooftop to rescue me, and look at him."

Antonio nods, "You are damn sexy."

"Will you two cut it out? I'm about to chop off your arms and you're joking around? No, I'm just kidding. Please continue the flattery, I never received a compliment before, though I did catch Angie staring at my butt a few times." I squeeze the bag to make sure it's empty before finding a surgical knife. "But if I screw this up, you're not going to have any arms. Think you can manage?"

"Sure. I use my legs to do most of the feeling." She blushes and sends energy to her legs.

"Don't activate your codes! That could kill you right now." That's one problem, but I really don't want her to sense Spencer's dead body a few floors up.

"Oh. Even angels get scared when you're about to die, huh?" Then she mocks me, "Don't turn them on!"

As I reach towards her arms with the butcher knife, Antonio says, "What are you doing?"

"Cutting. Wanna try? Oh. No arms. Well, back to business," I tease before bending down again.

"No idiot. I can cut them. Let me use the nanobots to reduce the blood loss."

"Actually, I was going to use Shiva's tuning to seal the wound as it cut, but nanobots sound less horrific." A few thousand fly over her arms, and right before they cut I yell, "Wait!"

"What?"

"If they can cut, can they stitch?"

"Stitch what?"

"As you may have noticed, I got some skills with MIBS and can shift the blood. If they cut fast enough, we can preserve the nerves and connect Hannah's arms." Turning to Michelle I say, "Her boobs might be two cups bigger. I can add those too if you want some enhancements."

Michelle huffs, "My boobs are perfectly fine!"

Antonio combines several nanobots to strike me in the rib. "Ouch."

"Stop joking around so we can save her life! We can't combine her arms because they have god codes on them. Two hosts can't live in one body."

I rub Michelle's head. "Hey, sweetheart."

She gleefully replies, "Yes, dear?"

"Would you mind me risking your life for a bit of experimentation?"

"I might die either way, right?"

"Right."

"Let's get this puppy on the road." Her voice sounds more dynamic, but her vital signs are still low. If I cut her arms off, the additional trauma may send her into hypovolemic shock.

Antonio has the bots nudge me, "You don't seem too sure."

"Not at all." I walk over to Hannah's body one last time and chop off her arms at the shoulder.

Michelle gestures to Antonio to pay attention to her, but he's too busy being distracted with my barbaric methods. Eventually she shouts, "Hey, hologram."

"Antonio."

"Yeah. Spanish accent guy. Why doesn't that bother me?"

"It seems you're being drugged by his blood."

Michelle turns her head towards me as I bring the arms back. "Is that why I'm not bothered by Spencer's death or am I turning evil?"

I'm stopped dead in my tracks wondering if she knows I killed him.

Michelle, on the other hand, tries making a demonic laugh. "It doesn't suit me."

"You're too sweet," I say while resting the arms on each of her sides. "A bit crazy, but sweet."

She makes a choking sound and shifts uncomfortably on the table. Suddenly, her vitals fall and she nearly flatlines.

I grab a fist full of nanobots and force them into my ear. "It's not that I don't trust you Antonio, but I don't. I'll control them from here."

"How'd you know that would work? How do you know all of this?"

"Come on, you can access any street light, computer, or electronic device to hear recorded information on whatever you'd like. You're very well aware that I killed you. Let's stop asking stupid questions and I'll begin the surgery."

Michelle pouts again, "Wait, angel guy. You killed the cute hologram? You can't touch me until you apologize."

"You're dying. Plus, I don't want to."

"I don't care. Apologize!"

Turning around, I say, "I'm sorry for killing you and the others at the arena. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That's better," Michelle sings with her eyelids closed. "Be gentle. Kay?"

I control the nanobots to remove Michelle's arms, and her heart stops. I add Hannah's arms as quickly as possible. Three minutes pass with Michelle completely lifeless, but I continue talking to her as though she were alive. "So here's the deal, cutie. I'm going to need your heart to start beating again. Spencer would never forgive me if I let you die."

"She's dead!" Antonio shouts, "Just give it up."

"Loss of data and death are two different things. If she were dead, her data would vanish to be reborn again. Now, you should wonder, when someone dies why does their barcode stay for so long? That's because they're not dead, just waiting for someone to save them."

"That means you could've saved Hannah!"

"I still can."

I place my hand on Michelle's stomach and use Shiva to tune the new blood and body parts with her organs. I even mend her pigmentation to make sure Hannah's long arms match Michelle's complexion. Michelle bucks so violently, she nearly throws me off of her.

With the most alluring face, she reaches up and holds onto my neck. If she'd known I killed Spencer, she would give me the death I deserve.

"You saved me after all."

"Sort of," I say leaning closer to her face. "I still have to combine your codes." I command the nanobots to outline Hannah and Michelle's barcodes, which will soon solely belong to Michelle. The bots apply a glue to perfectly align with their tattoos.

"Hey Antonio," I wave at the nerd as the little bugs finish. "I can also combine their memories because of the barcodes. I can even MMIBS their bodies. The outcome will be the strongest, sexiest goddess in the world with double-layered skin and organs. She'd be one of the only people that could stand up to the tyrant in an all-out fight. Should I do it?"

Tears swell in Michelle's eyes.

He stammers, "Why are you asking me?"

"I hate playing god all the time. I need to put the pressure on someone else."

Antonio doesn't respond.

I continue pushing, "If I don't do something soon, she'll die." Michelle tightly holds onto the surgery table.

"No. Don't."

"Why not?"

"Hannah..." Antonio nervously stares at the ground while stuttering, "Hannah already had her second shot and didn't use it to the fullest. Michelle deserves a chance to make the best of her life on her own, without her thoughts and emotions competing against each other."

"Exactly." I cut my thumb and paint my blood over her tattoos.

"Wait, you had already made your mind up?"

Turning around, I paint Michelle's legs. "Yup, but she needed to hear someone tell her why she deserves to live. Especially after this."

Softly, she cries, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, just kill me when you get the strength." She tries moving her arms, but I hold them down. "I don't want you to spread the blood or your new tattoos won't be as cute."

"What did you do?"

"I would've done this for Hannah if I knew about the ability then, but once upon a time, a wolf-fox bit me in the woods. I spanked him and made him my pet. After a few weeks of training, I looked closely enough and noticed a barcode on his nose where my blood spilled. I went a little overboard and covered him with it, but he's a hunting monster now and I love him. Anyway, Cerberus taught me that my blood can make tattoos. Right now, I'm creating new codes that will sync together. Athena and Atalanta's data strength will continue running through your veins, but they'll be powered by something better than current science. "

"What's that?"

"Me."

Michelle laughs. "You really don't believe in heaven or The Writer?"

"No." I purposely forming tears. I bend over her face and inform the ignorant girl, "Heaven and hell exist only on Earth. The Writer's supposed to be this all-knowing god that cares for us, but look at yourself. If he loved you, this wouldn't happen. Gods are myths created by cowards too afraid to blame their mistakes and failures on themselves."

"Even though you're so morbid, I'm in love with your face. Oh. And those gorgeous eyes." She seems spooked, "Are those barcodes?"

Her heart skips several notes as I press my nose against hers. She tries to close her eyes, but my tears fall gently into her eyes.

Michelle breaks out into laughter and begins moaning passionately. I step off of her body and walk towards the exit.

"What did you just do?" Antonio asks before I leave.

"I gave her an intimate experience known only to the Ancient Egyptians." Swinging around, I get thrilled knowing I have information that not even Antonio knows. "I studied the remains of the tombs whenever I got bored and would run away from home. Though the pyramids are destroyed, if you know where to go, you can enter the hidden chambers after some serious digging. I found data from the most evolved civilization ever. They would share their tears to reach heaven on Earth."

"Seriously?"

"It's a process when you create a Utopia for each other. Once the tears enter your mate, you both experience an eternity of pleasure within minutes."

"Are you experiencing that now?"

"All I know is pain." I bend down on one knee and stare at Antonio's digital eyes, "You know what the worst pain known to man is?"

"Never knowing pleasure?"

"No. It's leaving heaven for hell."

"Okodemah, do know what your name means in Aeoy? How can you not believe in heaven and hell?"

"Michelle's about to leave her eternity in heaven that she spent with me. We were married and enjoyed years of passionate love. There was no pain, only what feels like a thousand lifetimes of pleasure. What do you think she'll feel when she comes back?"

As I exit, a horrific scream rattles the walls. The wave of energy pouring from her body is strong enough to short circuit the three nanobots Antonio tried leaving in my brain.

Dennis drags his bruised and broken body down the hall. I've made sure that the only lights in the penthouse are in the waiting room where I murdered Spencer.

Dennis stares at his son as he lies on a coffee table with his arms neatly folded across his chest. I've cleaned up the blood and a bit of the dirt. Once that was finished, all I had was waiting. Even Michelle managed to recover from the worst pain she's ever experienced and make her way back to the room. Currently, she's packing her things and searching for somewhere to go.

Dennis stares at my face, trying to figure out who I am. Eventually, he looks at my dreadlocks and Shiva.

"You killed him?" He asks while watching my hand and cheek attitude.

I nod my head and Dennis falls to his knees. He reaches out with his right hand to rub Spencer's forehead.

I haven't even opened my eyes yet. The world's pretty black and white when they're closed, but I can still see things for miles. I'd only used them in Tartarus when I needed to fight. That's when the mask would try stealing my life. Nevertheless, I've grown accustomed to keeping them closed.

"I spoke to your father."

I raise my head. I know they fought and talked for some time.

"I'm aware."

"He said neither of you had anything to do with today."

I make a wavy gesture that suggests we didn't.

"Why'd you kill my son?"

"Doesn't matter."

Dennis punches the ground and the floor nearly caves in. As though he changed the property of the ground, the foundation curves into his fist. Many of the couches slide towards him a bit, even the leather couch I'm sitting on moves.

"It does! Don't tell me what matters. It matters."

"I'm not telling."

Dennis cries openly, "Blake said that Eve deceivingly gave Spencer information that would make you kill him. He guaranteed me that Spencer would already be dead when I'd gotten here."

Shrugging my shoulders, I hint that what he heard doesn't matter.

Spencer's dead. Why should he care about the reason?

"He predicted that I wouldn't have to chase you down. You'd come find me."

Dennis repeats so much of what I already know that I stand up quietly to begin the bout.

"Why do you want to fight? You've yet to throw the first punch during a match, and suddenly you're ready to battle me?"

After a minute passes, Dennis stands. He's aware that I've shut down and I want this to end. I only hope he's as strong as the rumor promotes.

He is nearly as tired as I am. He not only fought off soldiers, but he also managed to hold onto his life against my father.

The Mexican standoff occurs for longer than I'd like. I have no real reason to fight him, but he won't attack either. I charge him, but he easily catches my fist with his right hand.

I punch him with everything I have left for the day. He recovers quickly and waits for my next strike. The one sideded fight continues this way for what feels like an eternity.

Consumed with frustration and anger, I cry, "Why won't you kill me?"

"Why should I?"

He's cool. Dennis isn't raising his voice like my father would, or beating me an inch from my life like Eve.

I rush him again, and he shouts, "I love you." That hit me harder than his fists. Scary word.

"You don't know me!"

"I do know you. I've spoken to your father, and I can sense your eyes even though you have them closed. I can read people like Braille," he says while showing me his fingernails. "When I caught your hand I knew your entire past and even the present. Only you know the future."

"You don't know me!" I scream wildly.

"Your blood and sweat can become barcodes at your will. After finding that tomb, you'd been waiting anxiously to cry into someone's eyes. Once that mask came off, it was all you could think about." Dennis massages his hands and processes the data he received slowly. I can hear the blood stirring in his fingers. "You hate Eve, not because of how she treats you, but because she's a manipulator and liar. The poison she gave you weakens you when the magnets in her armor are close. You're quite sure she hides smaller ones in Monte's armor, just in case you ever turn against him."

I scream, "Stop," and rush in to attack again, but he thumps me with his index finger and I feel as though a bomb explodes in my mind.

"You fell in love with Michelle because her heartbeat reminds you of Carmen. So did Spencer's." He smiles so authentically that it causes my eyes to burn with a tingling sensation. "But you don't realize the one person that's loved you ever since you saved her from Helios, and even before that. I personally think you're in love with her, but you view her as a pest." Dennis takes a few steps closer. "You came to protect Spencer, but your motives were clouded by your past. You considered killing him for his weakness several times, but couldn't. Only he could hear you."

Anger feels my blood. How can his barcode pierce through my mind like this?

"You seem older than you are because every time you sleep, you had to live in Tartarus where you were tortured and beaten. But to me, you're still a child."

Ignoring his words, I shout, "They're nightmares. Tartarus is only a mask."

"Tartarus is in Hades. You don't have to admit that, but you need to know it is real." Dennis thumps me again and I fall to my knees. He hits the ground at the same time, but before I can resist, Dennis wraps his arms around my body.

I'm a bit taller than him, but he seems much larger in my mind.

"If you want to kill me do it. If not, we'll live together. You'll be my son, and I'll be your dad."

"No," I say fighting his words, and his arms. He'll kill me the second I lower my guard. No one could love the person that killed their only child. "You can't keep me. You don't know what I've done, and you don't know who I am."

"I know everything about you, but you know nothing about me. I've done more evil in a day than you could in your life. I had this coming." I listen to the honesty in Dennis' heart. He's staring at his real son while holding tightly to me. "I love you, son."

I've never heard those words before.

"You're trying to hurt me. Just kill me."

"No," he replies softly. "I truly love you for who you are. Now, let go of the fight and give in son."

Before he can finish, I'm already weeping into his shirt. I hold his back tightly as I scream. I want to say I love him back, but it hurts too much. I want to say it so badly. I need to.

"I love you," I stutter. The million times I say it after that can be heard clearly.

Time is limited by the bullet I deserve to swallow.

That's what I think every morning I wake up, grabbing a mortal level gun with the barrel the size of an eagle's neck, placing it in my mouth, and debating whether I should pull the trigger. The only thing that ever stops me from completing the bold task is my unparalleled desire to kill Eve and Helios.

Yeah. I go through that every morning, except this one.

My body won't move. Generally Eve's poison makes me feel sick and nauseous. I know this isn't her doing.

No. When I look at the edge of my bed, I see a large man in an expensive Tony Piaget gray suit on a cell phone speaking with such a powerful voice that I feel as though the ocean is crushing me.

"Yeah. No-no, I saw him with my own eyes. Z's pissed, huh?" He laughs.

I grunt, hoping to grab his attention. Every word makes my flesh feel as though it were being torn apart.

"Asleep, I think."

I continue whimpering for him to notice me. Then, I wonder if Dennis hired someone to have me killed. Desperately, I struggle to hear the world around me. For the first time in my life, I can see no further than a few feet away.

Finally, I whimper loud enough for him to notice me.

"Call you back." Now he's standing over me. I can't roll my head to see his face, but his hands are the size of my head and he's possibly taller than my monstrous father.

"So you're up. That's rare. It takes some serious strength to wake up and see me."

Big-Man sits next to my head and the entire bed sounds as though it'll cave in.

"I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, little one, but I had to come see you myself. Normally my brother comes through with me, but he's too upset. He had all his money riding on Apollo's host. Your power came out of nowhere though." I hear him scratching his head and the flakes fall near my face. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be on a losing streak. You're my first win in eighty years."

I think I'm blacking out from the sound of his voice, but with each word, I'm able to tolerate his trampling tone a bit more.

"Who?" That's all I can get out of my mouth. My jaws weigh a ton and nerves are pinching in my neck.

"Who am I? You're not ready for that yet, with all of your spiritual hatred. If I said I were Hades you'd think I meant the host. Maybe we'll talk in a few years and get to know each other better. Until then, just try to remember my face." He stands up and dusts the flakes from his shoulders. I still can't see above his waist. "Anyway, thanks for the win. You've got a lot more trouble ahead of you, Okodemah, and my brother will make sure you don't end this war. I can't wait to see what you'll do."

I believe the large man waves before grabbing a hat from the counter next to my bed. It's known as a Stitched-Helm, the most expensive Fedora made to date. Seconds after the hat is out of my sight, he disappears.

The paralysis releases me and I grit my teeth as I slowly lift my body from the bed. Everything hurts.

It's not just the amount of bullets I dodged and the fists that pounded into my face, but fighting against that brute's voice took some energy too.

My sight returns and I hear Dennis in the next room. Helios is out on a morning jog near China Town, and my father's still managing things at Yang Arena for Dennis. Eve had helicopters fly her to safety. She shouldn't be a threat anytime soon.

I'm in Dennis' penthouse suite. His room is at the far end of the hall, but he slept in the waiting room where Spencer was killed. We removed the body ourselves last night and placed it in the dungeon at the school before returning to the house.

I slept in Dennis' guest room right next to a mini-kitchen and small dining area. It connects to a long hallway that leads down to his dressing room.

When I walk into the kitchen, Dennis sits a plate of food on the table. He looks a bit distraught.

Tilting my head, I ask, "What's wrong?"

"I burned the food. Spencer learned how to cook in a week from the chefs, and I haven't learned after forty-two years of life."

I flop down at my seat, staring at the atrocity. After taking a bite, I accidentally smile.

"Are you laughing at it?"

"No," I look away embarrassed. "I've never eaten real food. This disgusting looking crap tastes good to me."

Dennis breaks into laughter, and sits down with a plate. After he takes a bite, he pushes it away. I continue digging in to his amazement.

"How can you eat that?"

"Shut up," I snap with a mouth full of food. "You don't know what it's like eating through a mask."

"No clue." Dennis cracks up. He laughs himself to tears, though I know it's just an excuse to cry.

While he continues releasing his joy and pain, I place the dishes in the dishwasher and walk back to the table.

"I'm going to introduce you to Hayley later. I'm sure you know her."

I shake my head. "I can't meet her."

"Why not?"

"She loved Spencer like a son, and I killed him. I can't live with that. I'm pretty bad at lying as you can tell."

"You'll learn." He sips coffee that he doesn't seem to like too much.

"Right now, she's crying in her room on the tenth floor, curled up in her bed all alone. You don't understand. I can't do that to her."

"I understand...I killed her husband. My best friend." I flinch once I hear his words. "I've broken her world more than you ever could. There's nothing we can do about the past, but I put every effort into the future to—"

"Is that why you wouldn't kill me?" I ask staring coldly in his eyes. "You're still suffering from killing your best friend?"

"I made the wrong decision then, and I won't make it again."

"What if I deserve to die?"

"Me first," he says casually. "Don't sweat it. You look like someone from her past. As long as you don't tell her what you've done, you'll be fine."

After we finish breakfast, I help my Dennis clean his office and patch the hole I tore through the penthouse roof. He's removed all the staff from the building in case they recognize me. Dennis promised that he'd be able to change my appearance with his brother's help, though it may come at a cost.

At the end of the day, we have a long discussion about the future. Dennis figures that there's a possibility we'll have anywhere from a few days to a few years until the next host of Apollo's barcode is announced to the world. To avoid any suspicion, he wants me to go by the name Kay, as though Kode wasn't short enough.

Dennis gives me a hooded jacket that has an interesting ability. By pulling it over my head and zipping it up, sensors on the inside of the hood can remove light like Blake's barcode. Thus, the inside of the jacket will look pitch black. It seems that the only light that can't be removed are my eyes, but I can see clearly without them.

That night, I visit Antonio to check on Leonardo. Antonio promised that he didn't tell him anything about what happened, though it doesn't seem like he'd care much. Leonardo's so drunk he can hardly stand on his own two feet. I use the nanobots to remove some of the toxins from his blood.

When Leonardo sobers up, I tell him the amount of X-Eyes he needs to take per hour to remain functional. Though he'll still be smarter than the average person, Leonardo will never be the genius that he once was.

"Antonio, it looks like you'll have to figure out a way to make the nerd smart again."

The hologram shakes his head. "That's too far beyond me. I absorb knowledge and spit it out. I can't innovate."

"Contact his parents and see if they'll help."

"They've already changed his name. Leonardo Moreno is now, Seth Pena."

"Seriously? He can't even stay the same person?"

Leonardo stumbles to his feet. I expect the drunken idiot to put up a fight, but he smiles. "I chose the name actually. They wanted to name me Felix. Sounds like a bitch to me."

Antonio sighs, "So the rude jerk I had to deal with every morning is now his entire personality."

"Oh. Come on Antonio, I'm not that bad," Seth burps, staring at me. "Who the hell are you anyway and why are you wearing a hood inside?"

"I'm the grim reaper, and I'm considering doing Antonio a favor and killing you."

Seth holds up two fingers and forms a cross while limping over to a couch that he falls on. "Stay away you demon." He activates the barcodes on his forehead. "Hmm. That jacket has some wicked technology. It shuts out all light on the inside, but it looks so bland. There are no designs."

"I agree."

"I need to get some practice in with my mind under the influence. I'll develop an adjustable jacket that changes with your size so if you bulk up or slim down any, it'll go with you."

After saying goodbye to Antonio, I head back up to my room, which is three floors down from the penthouse. Dennis says no one uses that floor and thought I would appreciate having a smaller room with the rest of the floor dedicated to my training. He knows me so well.

I quickly remove my hood and jacket, stand up straight, and adjust my black shirt. I take a few deep breaths and open the door to my actual apartment, a replica of the apartments on Spencer's floor. On my couch I see Dennis waiting with Hayley.

The room smells nice. I'm still learning about different smells, but I think this may be a perfume.

"If that smell is food, it's a lot better than your cooking earlier," I say to Dennis.

He shakes his head and introduces Hayley. She's drying a few tears, but finds time to marvel at my face. "Oh my Writer." She jumps over the couch and roughly holds my cheeks. "You are gorgeous."

"He's a boy. That makes him handsome," Dennis tries to correct her.

Hayley waves off his comment while still holding on. "He's prettier than me. I think I can say what I want. Why is your skin this perfect?"

"My blood naturally filters out—"

Not caring or listening, she adds, "And your hair's so smooth." She briefly allows one hand to stroke my short hair before returning to my face.

The first thing Dennis did this morning was cut off my hair. He didn't want to risk Hayley hearing that Kode had dreadlocks.

No. I wasn't willing. Yes. He did have to hold me down, which is why he introduced me to my sparring room. After he trimmed most of them, he had a professional barber from East LA cut the rest. I'm glad he didn't think he could style my hair on his own.

"Thank you," I mumble with my face smashed between her soft hands.

"It's like looking at a magazine cover."

Dennis tries to pull her hands away, but she digs her nails into my skin. Tears stream endlessly down her face. She briefly glances back at Dennis, but returns her focus to me. "Writer. You look just like—"

"Hayley," I interrupt heartlessly. "My real name is Kode."

Dennis hangs his head, and Hayley watches me closely, waiting to hear the rest.

"Dennis wants me to hide my identity because Spencer and I fought after the war and my weapon accidentally killed him...I killed him." Tears trickle down her face. "I'm..."

Her eyes are glued to me, and mine are still closed. I think she deserves to look into the murderer's eyes. I open them and try to speak, but her green eyes sparkle brilliantly. I lose myself.

Her beautifully vibrant red hair reminds me of fire dancing in the wind. Her tanned skin is bronze and even all around her body. Though she tries smiling, her smooth pink lips are bent, reflecting her pain.

The sound her heart makes falls like feathers on my ears. The ticking inside of her chest has no rhythm, but it sounds like music. She's not like the heartless warriors I know; she's a real human.

Beads of sweat form on the back of her neck.

Still sputtering over my words, Hayley wipes my salty raindrops. "Finish, sweetie."

"I'm sorry I killed him. Damn. I don't cry this much I swear, but..." I trail off again before muttering, "The only time I've lied, I ended up killing the one person that was connected to me. It's my fault and you deserve to know that. I don't deserve your compliments or affection. I can't lie again."

As the small woman wraps her arms around my waist, I notice barcodes forming on her hand. I try stopping my tears, but a few more fall on the crown of her head.

Dennis catches me as I fold over Hayley. I bury my head into his chest.

THE END

Still have questions? Why did Dennis accept Kode as his son? Who does Kode remind Hayley of? Who is Hades and what relationship does he have with our new protagonist? What will happen when Leo becomes Seth? Did Angie survive the match against the soldiers? Will Eve and Eli be stopped? And is Kode a hero or a villain?

All these questions and more are answered in Barcode: Cavern of Youth. Purchase your copy today.

