Andrea Höst - And All the Stars

They looked at each other, then at the screen at another crumpled, discarded shell which had been a person, and nodded.

" You do not understand me, gentlemen ," Pan said, throwing his head back. " I asked to be excused in case I should not be able to discharge my debt to all three; for Monsieur Athos has the right to kill me first, which must much diminish the face-value of your bill, Monsieur Porthos, and render yours almost null, Monsieur Aramis. And now, gentlemen, I repeat, excuse me, but on that account only, and—on guard! "

Min made a by-play of drawing a sword, and wincing as if his shoulder was injured, but said: " When you please, monsieur ," and then skipped backward as Pan feinted, fist out. Extra layers of clothing bulking their figures, they circled each other, throwing out finger-punches, and then firmer blows, not full strength, but enough that they had to set their feet or be knocked backward by their smoothly responsive shields.

" The cardinal’s Guards! " Emily called suddenly, and Min and Pan spun toward Madeleine and punched with dual force, and though Madeleine’s shield automatically reacted to the punches, there was no way to keep her footing and she struggled to bring up a second shield at the right strength before she collided with one of the support pillars.

Bouncing forward, she stumbled and dropped to padded knees, but managed to counter-punch at Min and Pan both, since they’d foolishly clumped together. Min dived to one side, leaving only Pan to be slammed into a car door. The glass had been smashed in an earlier bout, but this time metal crumpled.

"All right, Pan?" Nash asked from the east lookout post, as Madeleine held her hands out in the no attack signal.

"Yeah." Pan stepped out of the concave imprint he’d made. "I managed not to bounce! Though I’m not sure if I can claim credit, or if I just hit the right point between too hard and too soft. You weren’t holding back as much that time, Maddie."

"Meant to only step up a notch," Madeleine said, shakily. "But I think I’m getting a little better at judging." Hopefully she’d improve before accidentally killing someone.

"Rest and then we’ll swap to Emily and Fisher for a final bout," Noi said from the west lookout, and Madeleine obediently plopped down near the entry gate. Min plucked an invisible hat from his head, dipping into an elaborate, hat-twirling bow, and joined her.

It was the fourth practice session. The garage under the North Building was suitably isolated, entirely separate from the main apartment, with only one perforated metal entry gate and a few ventilation shutters offering anyone a chance of seeing what was happening. And for that they would need to walk most of the way down the wharf and peer into the gloom of the garage.

The first day, upset and angry, they’d done little more than peck at each other, limited by the unforgiving concrete and steel environment, and recognising an added hurdle: for all its privacy, the garage was cramped by a half dozen cars – and their alarms. But as dusk came on, they risked moving several out to the visitor parking between the two buildings, and disconnected the batteries of the remainder, disabling the alarms.

During the second session Pan had started turning their attempts to learn into a game, switching through an endless stream of fight scenes – Hamlet , The Princess Bride , The Empire Strikes Back, Monty Python – and falling frequently back on an evolving Blue Musketeer persona. It wasn’t till the third session that Madeleine realised that Pan was as intent on distracting everyone else as he was trying to make himself feel better. They were all facing the gap between their current abilities and those displayed during the Manila challenge, and trying to believe they had some hope.

"We’re getting better at blocking physical impacts, at least," she said, loud enough for the two lookouts to hear. "And not paralysing ourselves when we try to shield-stun someone else."

"I wish we could practice in a park," Emily said. "So we didn’t have to keep worrying about bouncing into the ceiling."

"Or through it." Pan grinned up at a circular impact mark. "Too much pixie dust, Tink."

"I think I’ll nap before the next challenge," Madeleine added. "And take the late night watch."

"I’ll take early–" Nash began.

"Down! Move!"

Noi, eyes wide, hurled herself from her lookout position at the westernmost ventilation shutter. They scrambled to their feet, hurrying for shelter behind pillars and cars.

Too late, and pointless beside. The glowing thing which leapt against the entry gate clearly knew exactly where they were. It made a huffing noise which had something of the whine of a jet engine to it, and the metal bars shuddered

"The Hell is that?" Pan asked, abandoning attempts to hide.

The thing huffed again, and scrabbled. It stood a little taller than a person, the head long, tapering and bony, topped with two trailing streamers of light which suggested ears. At the front it had streamer-fluffed claws, but its rear was elongated, and curled on itself: a sea serpent’s tail.

"Let it in," Fisher said.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Min asked, backing rapidly away from the gate. "We can’t let that thing in here!"

"We can’t let it go away either."

"He’s right," Noi said. "Maddie, brace yourself against the rear wall so it sees you first. Everyone else to either side. Try not to force punch wildly or we’ll have the building down. Nash, close the gate after it, then stay back."

Nash, nearest the controls, gave Fisher and Noi a sharp look, then pressed the manual release.

"Oh damn," Pan said, then ducked to one side as the gate tried to lift, and slowed as it hit the glowing creature outside. "I don’t think we’re ready for this."

Madeleine was sure she wasn’t, but seeing no other option she dashed to the rear wall of the garage, and set her back to it. She’d barely turned before the gate had lifted enough for the thing to duck under. It raced straight at her, a galloping motion made strange by the twining tail, which undulated above the ground as if it swam through water. She hastily brought up her shield, unwilling to rely on any automatic response, struggling for control. This was impossibly different to mock duelling with Blue Musketeers.

As it neared her the thing reared, mouth gaping, then pounced forward, the impact driving her into the concrete even as the shield bounced it away. Immediately it surged at her again, at a slower speed which didn’t produce the bounce reaction, and she gasped at the weight of it, pressing both the shield and her into the wall.

"Try knocking it down with shields while it’s occupied with Maddie," Pan said, racing up.

Fitting action to words, he immediately shield-smashed the glowing creature, but rebounded from the contact. Then the coiling tail lashed toward him, a crunching slam only avoided by frantic rolling.

"Everyone stand to this side of it," Min said. "Then all low-level punch at once. That might do it without sending it through a wall."

"Hold fast, Maddie," Noi called, as they scrambled. "If it gets too much, try to knock it back."

Maintaining the shield for a long period required concentration, and Madeleine was starting out tired from training, but at least its interest in her gave everyone a chance to gather together out of tail-lashing distance.

"Get ready to move if this doesn’t work," Fisher said. "Go."

All the punches together made a whoomping noise, and the creature did seem to feel it, twisting sideways. But then, glowing brighter than ever, it leaped back at Madeleine, its jet engine howl increasing in intensity.