Pittacus Lore - The Fall of Five

I line up my shot and fire.

I don’t know how he does it. Maybe it’s just my crappy luck. Nine spins Six around just as I fire. My blast hits Six in the back and she crumples, spasming, to the ground. The flag goes fluttering out of her grasp and Nine snatches it up.

“Six!” I yell, startled. “I’m sorry!”

I don’t even see Marina coming. Now is your chance, Marina. Go!

With Sam distracted, I sprint past him and grab their flag off the wall. He notices me just as I start running back to my side, keeping close to the wall. He tries to take aim at me but I rip the blaster out of his hands using my telekinesis. He won’t be a problem now. Five is laid out just a few yards away, looking groggy from tangling with Nine. He won’t be a problem, either.

It’s John and Bernie Kosar I have to worry about.

The two of them break away from Eight when they see me running with the flag. Eight quickly teleports into BK’s path, tackles him, and teleports with him to the other side of the room. That just leaves John.

Nine tries to intercept him but even though she’s barely shaken off the effects of the blaster shot, Six manages to jut her leg out and trip Nine up. That gives John a clear path towards me. I’m still wearing his bracelet, so he must know that shooting his fireballs at me won’t work. Instead, he makes a beeline to cut me off.

It’s disorienting at first, using the antigravity Legacy that Nine transferred to me at the start of the game. It’s odd to feel the world shift sideways as I run up the side of the wall, my feet landing where it should be impossible. John’s coming on so fast that he doesn’t have time to adjust and crashes into the wall beneath me.

I sprint across the ceiling to our home-base wall and drop back down to the floor, holding the flag aloft. Part of me can’t believe it, even when Malcolm blows a whistle signaling an end to the game. I did it. We won! “Damn,” I say, rubbing my head where it bounced off the wall. “Didn’t see that coming.”

I can’t help but smile as I watch Marina celebrate. Eight teleports across the room to wrap her in a big hug and Ella runs over to join in. Nine limps over to me, extending a hand.

“Good game, boss,” he says.

“Yeah, you too,” I say, clasping his hand. A couple weeks ago the idea of losing to Nine would’ve made me nuts. Now, it doesn’t seem to matter as much. The important thing is that both sides worked well together. The Legacies on display, the fighting skills, everyone watching one another’s backs—I know it’s only a game, but it makes me believe we can take on anything.

Nine steps away from me to go help Five back to his feet. Five looks pretty beat up, bruises all down the side of his face, one of his arms hanging limp at his side. Nine makes a show of brushing him off.

“No hard feelings,” Nine says, smirking.

“Yeah, sure,” Five replies sullenly.

I watch as Sam kneels down next to Six. She’s still shaking off the electric jolt of the blaster. I can tell Sam is feeling guilty.

“Six,” he begins, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Six waves him off. “Forget it, Sam. It was an accident.”

“Not really,” interrupts Nine, strolling back over. “Ella warned me it was coming telepathically. That’s how I knew to turn you around.”

We all turn to look at Ella. Her face is flushed from the excitement. She looks healthier than she did when we started. And more awake.

As the others cross the room to congratulate Marina and get themselves healed, Malcolm strides over to me. He pats me on the back.

“Well done,” he says.

“Not exactly. We lost.”

Malcolm shakes his head. “That’s not what I meant. Well done bringing this all together. You know what I saw while watching all this, John?”

I look at Malcolm, waiting for an answer.

“A force to be reckoned with.”

After training, when I emerge from the shower, Sam is waiting for me in the hallway outside the bathroom. He’s frowning, pretty much the same look he’s had since after capture the flag, like he just single-handedly lost the war for us instead of making one mistake in a training game.

“I really screwed up out there,” he says. “I can see why you’re not bringing me to the Everglades.”

Once everyone was healed, the group came together to unanimously vote on flying to the Everglades tomorrow. Sam staying behind has nothing to do with his performance in the Lecture Hall; it just makes sense to have him and Malcolm in Chicago, using the tablet to coordinate if we should get separated, and monitor news feeds in case of trouble. It’s an important task, but not something I was going to try talking any of the others into doing. No one wants to stay behind on our first mission as a unified Garde.

“You know that’s not why, Sam.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he replies half-heartedly.

“Come on, it was just a game. Forget about it,” I reply, punching him on the arm.

He sighs. “I was a freaking embarrassment out there, dude. In front of Six.”

“Ohhh,” I reply, catching on. “So, you shot the girl you like in the back. Big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” Sam insists. “I looked like a fool that can’t protect himself. Or even worse, like someone that’ll get the people he cares about hurt.”

I don’t know what to tell Sam. He’s never had a girlfriend before. Trying to get with Six is like deciding to take up mountain climbing and choosing Everest as your first mountain.

“Look, I wish I had something useful to tell you, buddy. Honestly, though? Six confuses the hell out of me. If you really do like her, just be honest with her. She appreciates honesty. Or, like, directness. Bluntness.”

“Bluntness makes me think of cavemen.”

I pat Sam on the back. “Be direct but, you know, don’t club her or anything. You won’t survive that.”

I’m joking, but Sam’s frown only deepens. “What chance do I even have, John? She’ll be hooking up with Nine in no time, probably. At least he can fight.”

“Nine?!” That makes me laugh. I pat Sam on the shoulder. “Come on, man. And Six can’t stand Nine.”

“Really?” Sam looks at me. His smile is more relaxed now, if still a little embarrassed. “Sorry to bug you with all this,” he says. “Guess I just need a confidence boost or something.”

We’re standing in front of my door now. I put my hands on Sam’s shoulders, looking him in the eyes. “Sam, just go for it. What have you got to lose?”

I leave Sam in the hallway to ponder his next move. I hope it works out for him. In a way, I think he and Six would work really well together, but I don’t want to spend any more time trying to play matchmaker. I’ve got more important things to worry about. Not to mention a girlfriend of my own to think about.

Sarah is waiting in my room, drying her hair with a towel. She gives me a knowing look after I’ve closed the door behind me, her face lit up by a playful smile.

“That was some good advice,” she says.

I glance over my shoulder towards the hallway, wondering how much of my conversation with Sam she overhead. “You think so?”

She nods. “Sam, all grown up. Emily would be heartbroken.”

It takes me a moment to remember Sarah’s friend from Paradise, the one Sam had a crush on when we took that hayride together. It seems like such a long time ago. “I hope I didn’t just set Sam up to get his heart broken. You think he really has a shot with Six?”

“Maybe,” Sarah replies, walking over to me. “Beneath that tough exterior, she’s still a girl. Sam’s cute and funny, and he obviously cares about her. What’s not to like?”

She tosses her arms around my neck and I pull her close. “Maybe you should give him some advice on how to charm us Loric. You’re pretty good at it.”