Armina's instincts fought her. She wanted to stand and fight, but her mind pleaded that she run.
Six of her fellow red level students stood ready in the courtyard, placed outside in case things got messy. Louisa was an extension to the backup safety plan. She sat on a bench, watching the clouds roll by under a bright blue sky. The sharp middle-aged woman couldn't heal or do anything more than the average human, but she was the illusion of safety.
By some miracle, she had approved of Armina's participation in combat class. Armina didn't believe it. She hadn't fought since fifth grade, but there she was with a paintball gun locked in gloved hands.
When combat classes began, dangerous red level students were restricted from using their powers outside of class. Armina was the only one who couldn't help it. Her "on-and-off" switch as she called it was stuck, sealed by another layer of superglue everyday. Only if she had no hate of those near her could she hold her power back.
Now, as every student was screaming orders and hiding behind outdoor decorations, Armina could let loose and kick some ass. She flipped her gun, lowered her goggles and shot straight back, splattering blue across the face of a technopath named Logan O'Brien.
She was one of six still standing, but she was distracted. Lewis had left a note early that morning, detailing a plan to deal with Jayce. Although his heart beat for the new kid, he couldn't let love blind him from the fact that Jayce had showed up on the first day when most students enrolled whenever their discovered normal school wasn't an option. Not only that, but Mari's mysterious family who no one but Andrew and Louisa had ever seen were friends of Jayce's parents. And Mari, the most annoying girl on planet Earth, had her sights out for a boy overly anxious, even for a blue level student in a private magical mansion of powerful kids.
A pocket of cold air behind Armina's back caught her attention. She swiveled on her left foot and was met by Martin's cold grey eyes. He was an average-looking guy with wavy brown hair and an ego. He could teleport, which wasn't too fantastic if you didn't know he used it to steal government documents that he sold to foreign spies. Luckily, the Evans Academy picked him up before the FBI. Andrew had a way of making people disappear.
Armina, too close to shoot, clamped her hand down on Martin's shoulder. She grinned. Not fully thinking, she took just a smidgen of his power, enough to teleport maybe three times. He hissed and felt to his knees, dropping the paintball gun.
Armina shot a ball of blue into his chest. He went down hard, protected by a vest.
Louisa looked nervous, fearing Armina would go overboard but was too interested to intervene. Restrictions were lifting on Armina's powers, and she thought her adopted parents might even trust her if she could prove herself.
Four more reds to bring down. Amy: the one with the ability to see twenty seconds into the future and one of five red level girls. Leon: a valedictorian of sorts for the red class who could control fire. Ben: a thirteen-year-old and Leon's right hand man; he could emit a paralyzing shock, and Armina wasn't sure why he hadn't used it yet. Lastly, there was Ryan who was beefed out with the classic super strength. He'd be a problem.
Armina, having no time to figure out Martin's power, prayed she wouldn't end up in a tree when she flashed out of existence. That moment between reality and the darkness was terrifying. In it, she felt cold and alone like she had after uncle Peter stopped visiting her, like she had after Elliot left for Iowa. Then, as she popped back into reality, she shook off the feeling, knowing Lewis was there for her.
Armina elbowed Amy, sapping a bit of power and shooting her in the hip. Three to go.
As a pink ball of paint soared toward Armina's face she flashed into nothingness again and pictured her destination. The paint splattered across a window.
"Got ya," she sneered as she grabbed Leon's upper arm and used him as a shield. Her power stolen from Amy portrayed Leon bursting into flame and scorching Armina's arm. She shot Ben in the shoulder, then pushed Leon forward. He went down with a blue spot in the middle of his back. Two more down.
Cheering in her head, Armina let herself be distracted for a moment.
Ryan snuck up from behind her and yanked the paintball gun from her hands. He stuck his gun to Armina's temple and remarked, "Got you."
Out of the corner of her eye Armina could see Ryan's seven-foot-tall form built with the muscles of a thirty-year-old heavy-weight champion. He had a mature face and form for an eighteen-year-old, but was handsome in a strange kind of way. His shaggy red hair stuck out among crowds and drew up questions about his heritage. Ryan claimed to be half Irish, but Andrew's files said his three times great grandfather had been Irish. Of course Armina wasn't supposed to know that, but she had Lewis sneak files out of Andrew's office from time to time.
"That's what you think." Armina dropped to the ground, the concrete path beating into her hands. She swiped her leg across, connecting it with Ryan's ankle.
He stumbled, but didn't fall.
"Shit," she muttered, trying to get up. Ryan aided with that. He picked her up by the shirt and slammed her into the ground. Armina gasped for air as the sun blinded her. She knew Ryan would be the most difficult to take down.
Ryan's foot came down hard on her stomach. Armina fought back the bile. She smacked the ground three times. "I'm down!" she sneered.
Louisa stood. "That's enough! Class dismissed!"
Louisa rushed over and kneeled next to Armina as she sat up.
"You could've won."
Armina knew she could have, but something held her back. After years of being told no, she was too scared to use her powers to a further extent.
"Well, I didn't." Armina brushed off her jeans and got up to look Louisa in the eyes. "I'm taking the rest of the day off."
"Please head to the nurse."
Walking away, Armina shrugged off the pain. She'd had enough embarrassment for the day so retired to her bedroom.