Category Archives: Book 07: Compound Kids

Arc 7.4: Burning

Burning: Part 5

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The laughter faded, leaving me with a strong sense of Daniel’s presence plus a hint of both amusement and tiredness.

I was with him on all of the above.

That’s a better way to go than going over and taking over a country. It’s nice to fantasize about, but at core when someone does that, they’re assuming that they know better than all the people that live in that country. Plus, it’s a sovereignty thing. Countries have rights, or at least they ought to.

I looked around to find him. Daniel was faster than I was, but his range couldn’t cover the entire track from what I remembered.

I checked in front of me, seeing other runners, but not him.

Behind, Daniel said, and I turned my head all the way around, seeing Daniel on the curve half a lap behind me.

My range is improving.

Continue reading Burning: Part 5 →

Arc 7.4: Burning

Burning: Part 4

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Camille grimaced. “That’s horrible. That shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

She turned, following Tara with her eyes to where she sat. Gordon stood next to her. I couldn’t hear him, but from the expression on his face I guessed he must be apologizing.

Tara’s face didn’t show any emotion, and after a moment Gordon left.

Camille let out a breath, and shook her head. “We should do something for her.”

I found myself imagining it as an episode of a a children’s cartoon–“My Little Pony” or something. Camille would throw a party for her, and Tara would say, “Thanks Camille, now I don’t feel bad about my dead parents anymore!”

Come to think of it, that sounded more like the Simpsons satirizing children’s cartoons.

Continue reading Burning: Part 4 →

Arc 7.4: Burning

Burning: Part 3

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Camille nodded. “I don’t think I’d overthrow a country, but it would be nice to be able to do something. I don’t know how many people the regime killed, but it’s a lot.”

She glanced over at Haley and me. “Right?”

“Hundreds last night,” Haley said. “That’s what the TV was saying when I turned it on.”

Gordon nodded slowly. “Thousands over the last few weeks. Look, I know we’re not going to do it, but we’ve got the power to end it right here–definitely in the room, but maybe even at this table.”

I looked up at down the table from the side where the sun streamed in, bringing out the redness in the rocks all the way to the far wall where the stained rocks glistened.

I guessed there might be fifty people at the table. He had a point there. Fifty people with powers could do some damage.

Not that the world needed or wanted more damage.

Continue reading Burning: Part 3 →

Arc 7.4: Burning

Burning: Part 1

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People were talking about Turkmenistan the next day. Around noon, Haley and I were sitting in the compound’s cafeteria with Camille, one of Haley’s friends and a Heroes League recruit. We’d taken the van to Castle Rock’s Catholic church—St. Francis of Assisi.

I still wasn’t sure if that had been a good idea.

We’d gone as ourselves, and not in costume. All it would have taken to blow our identities was pictures placing us near the very well publicized Stapledon summer program while the Rocket wasn’t appearing much in Grand Lake.

Still, the Castle Rock church was on the list of churches that the program said were safe, so we went.

Don’t ask me what made them safe. Given the program’s reliance on mental blocks for it’s students, I probably wouldn’t be happy to know.

Continue reading Burning: Part 1 →

Arc 7.3: Entry Assessment

Entry Assessment: Part 6

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Gunther glanced back to the field, and then turned back toward everyone watching him. “But here’s one of the major things you need to get out of this. Fairness is completely irrelevant. This is combat. Fairness is for games. The whole situation is unfair from the beginning. You’re all a bunch of heroes in training. Chances are, you’re not trying to kill them, but they are trying to kill you. Sure, some of them won’t be. Many, even. No matter how many jewelry stores a guy breaks into, he may still have a set of morals that means he won’t kill, but you know what? That doesn’t matter.”

Despite his topic, Gunther managed to sound slightly amused.

Continue reading Entry Assessment: Part 6 →

Arc 7.3: Entry Assessment

Entry Assessment: Part 5

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Calvin flew toward us in the air in a leap that had to be getting extra force from the wind behind him, and he wasn’t alone.

Cindy and Paula jumped after him.

It didn’t work out as well as any of them would have expected.

A beam of iridescent light hit Calvin in the air, surrounding him with sparkles that kept on glowing as he flew toward us.

Continue reading Entry Assessment: Part 5 →

Arc 7.3: Entry Assessment

Entry Assessment: Part 4

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Gunther continued, “The paintbot rounds stand in for the suit’s lasers, and for the explosive rounds which take out most people. Non-lethal rounds are perfectly allowable for this fight, Rocket. Captain Commando, your gun counts as a laser for this. Paint them with light, and you’ll take them out. The sword works too, but don’t turn it on.”

Gunther took in the group of us standing together. “Here’s how this will work: each group fights until there’s a clear winner between the two of you. You’ll need to think about how to do that, but I’m not going to give you time to talk about it.” Continue reading Entry Assessment: Part 4 →

Arc 7.3: Entry Assessment

Entry Assessment: Part 3

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Several people stood up. None of them looked as impressive as the elite Cabal soldiers we’d fought–the reserves. Nearly immortal, constantly regenerating, they were incredibly strong and extremely tough as well.

Fighting people you could barely hurt who also regenerated had always seemed particularly unfair to me.

The Cabal had other soldiers too. They weren’t as tough, but they had a wider variety of powers. Maybe I was seeing their descendants?

Gunther looked them over, and said, “Any of you who can’t lift more than 20 tons, please sit down.”

None of them sat down. Continue reading Entry Assessment: Part 3 →

Arc 7.3: Entry Assessment

Entry Assessment: Part 2

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I glanced up at the red, rocky cliff to my left, thinking about how I’d have to run into the parking garage to get to the truck, and walk back.

It wouldn’t be too bad once I got the Rocket suit, but, it looked like a long walk from here.

Turning back to Gunther, I said, “You realize that we’re tired, right? Dr. Nation’s program is all about unpredictably stressing us to the breaking point, and maybe a little past it.”

Gunther nodded. “I’m counting on it. That means you won’t be able to fight for long, and you’ll have to use quick, efficient takedowns on anyone you fight.”

“Takedowns? Who are we fighting?”

Gunther grinned, revealing white teeth. “The toughest people in the first year class–at least on paper.”

Continue reading Entry Assessment: Part 2 →