"Well, that was a complete mess of an exam," Talon said, slumping back against the bench just outside the academy hall. His head tilted back, eyes staring up at the sky like it might offer him some answers.
"Haaaa... yup," Jason agreed, letting out a long, exaggerated sigh as he leaned his head against the wall behind him. "A total disaster."
Honestly, with Talon cramming last minute, he hadn't expected anything less. Still, the sting of it lingered in his chest. Knowing and experiencing were two very different things.
Alice rolled her eyes, towering over them with her arms crossed. She looked every bit the disapproving older sister they didn't ask for. "You two are unbelievable. You didn't even have to take the martial section, and you're still complaining?"
"Exactly!" Jason shot upright, throwing his arms up dramatically like he'd just been accused of a crime. "We didn't get to fight anyone! I had this whole plan to leverage my grade, but nooo, the Concord had to pull us out like we're some rare, fragile artifacts or something."
Talon chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, Alice, you got to shine. Meanwhile, we're just sitting here wondering what could've been."
'Not that I'm complaining,' his mind drifting to where he would have ranked if he had joined.
He was solidly in the lower half of the class, globally near the bottom. 'At least I didn't have to embarrass myself. There are... many lives ahead to improve.'
Alice smirked, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Poor Supers, excluded from the fun. What a tragedy. And for the record, I crushed it."
"Oh, we know," Talon teased, narrowing his eyes at her. "You probably sent half the simulation bots to the scrapyard."
"More like all of them," Jason added, grinning mischievously.
Alice rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the flicker of pride that crossed her face. "At least one of us is taking this seriously."
Before Talon could retort, his gaze caught Kieran weaving through the crowd of cadets exiting the hall. The guy looked a little lost, like someone navigating a maze for the first time. Talon raised a hand and called out, "Hey, Kieran! Over here!"
Kieran's face lit up as he spotted them, and he quickened his steps. "Hey, guys."
"You're just in time," Jason said, elbowing Talon as he grinned. "We were about to hit the arcade. You in?"
"The arcade?" Kieran hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. His gaze flicked between them, uncertainty written all over his face. "I don't know…"
"Come on, it'll be fun," Talon encouraged, leaning forward with a grin. "We've all had a long day. Might as well blow off some steam."
Kieran shifted on his feet for a moment before breaking into a small smile. "Alright, sure. Why not?"
---
The sim arcade was a sensory overload of flashing lights, humming machines, and the faint buzz of excited chatter. Holographic displays flickered above the booths, projecting colorful previews of the games in progress.
Everywhere, players were immersed in their own virtual worlds, some shouting orders to teammates, others letting out triumphant cheers.
Jason pointed toward the back with barely contained excitement. "There it is! Right for Dead. We're totally beating our high scores today."
"Bold of you to assume," Talon said with a smirk, trailing after him. "I'm still first."
They made their way to the game, bypassing the fancy full-dive simulation centers and opting for the VR pods. The equipment strained as they adjusted to each of their heights, visors lowering into place.
Talon glanced at Kieran as he smoothly set up his pod like a pro.
"You come here often?" Talon asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kieran shrugged, fiddling with the settings. "Yeah, it's kind of my go-to spot. Good way to clear my head."
Jason snorted. "A regular, huh? Guess we've got an advantage having you on our team."
Alice grinned. "Don't get too cocky, Jason. If Kieran carries us to victory, it's not really your win."
Jason waved her off dismissively. "Details, details."
As the simulation booted up, the world around them shifted. The arcade dissolved into a sprawling, ruined cityscape.
Shadows danced across cracked pavement and crumbling buildings, the low growls of the undead echoing in the distance.
Talon gripped his virtual weapon, the weight startlingly realistic in his hands. "Alright, let's do this."
The game started with a burst of chaos. Waves of undead shambled toward them, their moans growing louder as they closed in.
The group moved as a unit, their actions almost perfectly in sync.
Kieran's skill was immediately apparent. He covered their flanks with pinpoint accuracy, taking out clusters of zombies before they could get too close. Meanwhile, Jason charged headfirst into the action, reckless enthusiasm.
"Jason, you're downed again!" Alice called, exasperation clear in her voice.
"Revive me!" Jason shouted, his avatar flailing dramatically on the ground.
"Maybe if you didn't play like a maniac," Talon muttered, but he moved to revive him anyway.
Alice, ever the strategist, barked out orders to keep them coordinated. "Kieran, watch the windows! Talon, take point while I handle the rooftop lurkers!"
"Behind you, Talon!" Kieran called out, his shots taking down a sneaky group of zombies creeping up on Talon's blind side.
"Thanks, man," Talon said, spinning to take out another cluster. "You're a lifesaver."
"Literally," Jason added, laughing as he charged forward again.
By the time the simulation ended, all four of them were panting, their scores flashing across the screen. Jason whooped, throwing his arms in the air. "New high score! Easy!"
"Not bad," Alice admitted, a rare smile crossing her face. "Kieran definitely carried, though."
Kieran scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "You guys weren't bad either."
They spent the next few hours hopping between games. With each round, the tension of the day melted away, replaced by laughter and friendly banter. By the time they left the arcade, the exhaustion from their exams was nothing but a distant memory.