Ash and Kevin approach the center of the arena.
“
Kevin:
Alright, Ash, it’s time for our match!
Ash is deep in thought.
Kevin:
Huh? Ash, you in there?
Hayze:
Ash? Are you alright?
Ash stands up and puts her hand in the air.
Ash:
Madame Mummy, I withdraw from the match!
Everyone is shocked.
“
— Chapter 26
Ash:
(Back then, the difference in our power was so massive, I knew it would be a waste of time to even enter the arena. But I’ve been training for a moment like this. Kevin is one of the most powerful members of our class. Defeating him would validify all of my hard work. So I have to win.)
Kevin flashes back to his defeats against Fearmonger and Grace.
Kevin:
(I spent the entire summer working on remodeling myself, but I haven’t found much success up to this point. I have to do well in this tournament. Otherwise, all of my work could be for nothing. I have to win.)
The TV screen appears next to Hunt.
Hunt:
Alright, let’s select the terrain for this match.
The screen starts randomizing through locations.
Kevin:
(Open terrain would be better for me. I can’t have Ash hiding behind cover.)
Ash:
(Kevin’s increased pain tolerance will make it difficult for me to knock him out. I’m going to have to rely on forcing him to forfeit the match by taking over his body. I’ll need the element of surprise for that, so I’ll need some cover.)
The screen stops on a desert.
Ash:
(*sighs* Of course.)
Kevin:
(Jackpot!)
A blinding light blares, and Ash and Kevin suddenly find themselves standing in the middle of a desert.
Kevin:
Well, Ash, it’s time for our battle. A battle a year in the making. If this were a tv show, this would be the match the fans would be clambering for!
Isaiah and Demetri are both asleep.
Wes:
Guys… it’s literally the first match of the day. So you woke up for this.
Ash faces Kevin.
Ash:
I don’t regret withdrawing from our match a year ago, but I’ve always wondered if I could reach a point where I believe I could face you and stand a chance. I think that time is now.
Kevin:
Unlikely.
Kevin lunges towards Ash.
Kevin:
90% Fusilade!
Kevin’s arms turn bright red.
Blair:
Kevin’s really starting with that move?
Eve:
He means business!
Ash puts her hands together.
Ash:
(Not enough time!)
Ash dodges Kevin’s initial punch, but Kevin continues his attack, forcing Ash to avoid each punch one after another.
Wes:
Why isn’t Ash taking over Kevin’s body? They’re within inches of each other, and it would only take a second.
Saige:
Because a second is too long, if Ash leaves her body, she’s completely vulnerable. One of Kevin’s punches would almost certainly connect.
Hayze:
If that happens, her astral form will be forced back into her body, gaining nothing.
Wes:
I see…
Hayze:
Ash isn’t the fastest, and she can’t overpower Kevin, so she will have to think outside the box if she wants to escape his attack.
Kevin uses his foot to swipe Ash off her feet.
Ash:
(Oh no!)
Kevin:
(Now you’re mine!)
Kevin’s fist fast approaches Ash’s stomach. She quickly has her astral form enter his body.
Kevin:
(Huh?)
Kevin punches Ash in the chest, instantly pulling her spirit back into her body. She pukes up blood as Kevin is stunned for a moment.
Ash:
*groans* (No time to waste.)
Ash gets up and runs away as Kevin regains his composure.
Wes:
Okay, so why did she do that then?
Hayze:
To avoid taking multiple hits, 90% Fusilade is a barrage attack, so she drastically reduced the damage she took.
Saige creates a notepad and pen for Wes.
Saige:
Here, you can write all of this down.
Wes:
Fuck you!
Kevin chases after Ash.
Kevin:
You’re not getting far with that wound!
Ash continues running back, and Kevin is quickly picking up ground.
Ash:
(This isn’t good… I have to keep-)
Ash suddenly stops dead in her tracks.
Ash:
(Huh?)
Ash looks down… she’s sinking.
Ash:
(Oh no!)
Kevin doesn’t notice Ash’s situation and continues pressing after her.
Kevin:
(Why did she stop?)
Suddenly Kevin freezes and starts sinking.
Kevin:
(Oh… fuck!)
Both Ash and Kevin have been caught in quicksand.
Kevin:
(Well, this isn’t good.)
Ash:
(If I stay completely still, I’ll sink slower than him.)
Both of them continue to sink slowly.
Kevin:
So… this is awkward.
Ash doesn’t respond.
Kevin:
Rude.
Kevin struggles to get free, causing him to sink faster.
Kevin:
(If I go 90%, I could break free of this quicksand with ease… No! I can’t! I refuse to go back to the way I used to fight. I’ll figure a different way out of here.)
Kevin’s legs emit a white aura, and they turn blood red.
Kevin:
(Adrenaline Rush!)
Kevin leaps out of the quicksand and lands on the outside edge of it. The skin on his legs reverts to normal, but his legs themselves are shaky.
Ash:
(That’s not good!)
Kevin stares at Ash.
Kevin:
I guess this is it. I was expecting a bit more of a match.
Ash has sunk to her lower torso.
Kevin:
It’s kind of upsetting, to be honest. I’m not purely motivated by the thrill of combat anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about it.
Ash continues sinking to her neck.
Kevin:
But hey, a win’s a win.
The sand covers Ash’s mouth.
Kevin:
Just kidding.
Kevin leaps across the quicksand, grabbing Ash by the hair and ripping her out of the sand. Ash grabs her head in pain.
Ash:
Ow… huh? Wait a second… why did you-
Kevin:
Because I want a good match, winning off some bullshit like that is stupid.
Kevin grabs Ash’s arm and chucks her across the desert. She smashes into a dune with a loud thud.
Ash:
*groans*
Tyson laughs.
Tyson:
He should have just taken the win.
Daniele:
That’s literally not the goal of this tournament.
Tyson:
Sorry, I mean, he should have just taken the win if he was going to throw her across the arena.
Aster:
I can’t disagree with him there; Ash needed to build distance between herself and Kevin. Now, not only does she get to continue fighting, but Kevin also gave her exactly what she needed.
Daniele:
I guess he’s taking the whole “quality of victory” thing a little too seriously.
Yul:
I believe Kevin knows what he’s doing, and I’m confident he has a plan.
Aster:
Maybe, it’s not the worst situation in the world for him to be in, but it’s not perfect by any means.
Ash slowly gets to her feet.
Ash:
(Well… that wasn’t the start I needed. This match isn’t over, but that’s because Kevin chose for it not to be.)
Ash starts walking through the desert in the direction opposite Kevin.
Ash:
(I have to find a place to hide.)
Kevin rushes through the sandy dunes searching for Ash.
Kevin:
(It probably looked pretty stupid for me to throw Ash away, but if I’m going to prove that I deserve to pass this exam, I need to show that I can outsmart my opponent even when I’m at a disadvantage.)
Kevin finds the spot where Ash landed. He notices a trail of blood drops leading up and over some dunes.
Kevin:
(Ash isn’t dumb enough to not notice something like that.)
Kevin starts following the trail in parallel.
Kevin:
(She definitely left some of her explosive ghost mines on the trail, so as long as I follow from a distance, I’ll be-)
Suddenly an explosion goes off in front of Kevin, sending him flying backward.
Kevin:
What!
Kevin sits up and frantically looks around.
Kevin:
(Where is she? And how did she get over here without dropping any blood?)
Suddenly another explosion goes off in Kevin’s face; he gets sent flying again. He slams into the sand with a loud thud.
Kevin:
(What’s going on?)
Demetri and Isaiah both wake up to the sound of the explosion.
Demetri:
Wh- what’s going on?
Isaiah:
Is it over yet?
Will:
You guys are just asking for nobody to root for you during your match, huh?
Eve:
How did Ash accomplish this? I never saw her go over to that area Kevin is in; how is he trapped in a minefield right now?
Aaron:
Yeah, and how did she know Kevin would go that direction? He could have gone the other way.
Saige:
Who said anything about Kevin being in a minefield or that Ash never went to that area?
Eve and Aaron:
Huh?
Another explosion goes off in front of Kevin.
Kevin:
*frustrated grunt* What’s going on? Where are you, Ash!
No response.
Kevin:
(The mines aren’t going off when I move, so she has to be controlling their detonation and location. I just have to figure out where she is…)
Kevin stands in dead silence for a few moments.
Kevin:
(Now!)
Kevin leaps back as an explosion goes off, avoiding it.
Kevin:
(I see, she’s waiting until I’m still to launch another explosive. But why? It has to be because she wants to be sure the attack connects, and the only reason she’d do that would be so that I couldn’t figure out what she’s doing.)
Kevin surveys the terrain.
Kevin:
(I get it…) I know you’re here, Ash. I figured it out… finally, but hey, better late than never, right?
Ash is standing a few yards away from Kevin in her astral form. She has about five explosives floating around her.
Ash:
So he finally realized…
Kevin:
You’re using your astral form to maneuver explosives towards me rather than taking over my body because your hold would be too weak. Pretty clever, but now that I’ve unearthed your tactics, there’s only one thing to do.
Ash:
And that is?
Kevin rushes towards the trail of blood.
Kevin:
Take you out while you’re vulnerable!
Kevin’s legs emit a white aura and turn blood red.
Kevin:
ADRENALINE RUSH!
Kevin bursts forward at an extreme speed. He follows the blood trail up a dune, but the trail ends when he reaches the top.
Kevin:
(Wh- what?)
Ash watches from a distance.
Ash:
(Kevin forgot that the only time he saw me bleed was from my mouth. He probably assumed that my collision with the ground opened an injury, but I think he realizes now that wasn’t the case.)
Kevin frantically looks around.
Kevin:
(There’s gotta be a sign somewhere! She’s injured! She couldn’t have gotten far!)
Ash’s astral form approaches Kevin.
Ash:
(This is the same trick I used on Zach during the joint training exercises. Kevin is so fixated on finding me that he doesn’t realize that’s exactly what I want him to do. The closer he gets to my body, the stronger my astral takeover technique will be. So, keep searching, Kevin.)
Kevin takes a deep breath.
Kevin:
(Alright, Kevin, think. Her body has to be somewhere safe, I know that. But what else do I know?)
Kevin surveys his surroundings.
Kevin:
(She couldn’t be under the sand; she’d suffocate. Ash also wouldn’t be dumb enough to leave herself out in the open. So, she has to be behind cover of some kind.)
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Kevin spots a large rock.
Kevin:
(She must be there!)
Kevin bolts towards the rock.
Ash:
(Yes! He’s falling for the bait!)
Silver watches intently.
Silver:
(Kevin can’t really be this stupid, right? What’s the point in changing his fighting style if he’s still going to battle like a moron?)
Kevin quickly approaches the rock.
Ash:
(Now is my chance!)
Ash rapidly floats towards Kevin. However, her movement in the astral plane is faster than Kevin's.
Ash:
(Once I have control of his body, I’ll forfeit immediately. He’ll have hardly any time to break free.)
Suddenly, Kevin stops.
Ash:
(Huh?)
Kevin squats down. His legs emit a white aura and turn blood red.
Kevin:
Adrenaline Surge: Fight or Flight!
Kevin jumps 150 yards into the air.
Ash:
(What!)
Kevin winds back his right arm; it changes to bright red.
Demetri:
Why did Kevin do that?
Silver:
Because now, if Ash tries to take over his body, there’s nothing she can do to stop him from colliding with the rock she’s behind.
Saige:
Kevin knew what he was doing, so now Ash only has one option.
Ash’s astral form retreats to her body.
Ash:
(I have to run!)
Ash hurries away from the rock.
Kevin:
(I got her to return to her body! I guess it’s time for me to kick this into high gear.)
Kevin smashes into the rock, breaking it into tiny pieces. He then chases after Ash.
Kevin:
Deja vu, huh?
Ash:
(This isn’t good!)
Ash keels over and falls into the sand.
Kevin:
(Shit!)
Kevin comes to an abrupt stop; he leaps back about 30 yards.
Kevin:
(This should be far enough. All I have to do is-)
Kevin falls to his knees in pain.
Kevin:
(Dammit! I’ve used too much adrenaline in my legs! They’re starting to fatigue fiercely. Did she know that? Dammit! Ash is pretty smart.)
Ash lies against the sand, completely conscious.
Ash:
(Good, the fake out worked, and his constant use of his quirk is catching up to him. Now what?)
Kevin looks over his shoulder at the rubble of the rock he destroyed.
Kevin:
(Hm…)
Kevin starts walking towards it.
Ash:
(I have to take advantage of his fatigue, but he’s playing so safe. He’s not giving me any opportunities to take over his body. What can I d-)
A small rock hits the back of Ash’s head.
Kevin:
Welcome back to your body! Now it’s for you to eat some rocks!
Kevin begins approaching Ash while throwing rocks at her.
Blair:
That’s not good for Ash…
Silver:
No, if Kevin continues throwing those rocks at her while moving closer to her, she won’t be able to leave her body. Then eventually, Kevin will reach her and end this fight.
Ash doesn’t move; she just keeps getting pelted by rocks.
Wes:
Okay, so wouldn’t it be in Ash’s best interest to start running? Or hell, at least dodge these rocks?
Saige:
It would be… I’m not sure what she’s doing right now…
Demetri:
Probably giving up.
Isaiah:
Yeah, she already did it once!
Isaiah and Demetri both laugh. Eve punches both of them.
Eve:
Shut up, you assholes!
Kevin gets closer and closer to Ash.
Kevin:
(It’s almost time.)
Kevin’s arm starts to emit a white aura.
Kevin:
(Just a few more steps, and I’ll go in for the kill.)
Kevin’s arm turns blood red.
Kevin:
(Now!)
Kevin lunges toward Ash.
Kevin:
ADRENAL DR-
Suddenly a bunch of small explosions go off all around Kevin.
Kevin:
AHHHH!
Everyone is shocked as Kevin goes flying backward, heavily wounded. Ash slowly gets to her feet; she’s bruised and battered from the barrage of rocks Kevin threw at her.
Kevin:
*groans* When did you… you never had the chance to do that. You were in your astral for-
Ash:
No, I wasn’t.
Kevin:
Huh?
Ash:
I faked entering the astral plane. I was lying there the whole time, conscious.
Kevin:
Dammit…
Ash:
I set up an entire perimeter of astral explosives around me, and all I had to do was wait for you to get close enough. Then you took the brunt of the blast.
Kevin struggles to move.
Kevin:
*grunts* (I can’t believe I lost… I tried my best to be more tactical, but maybe I’m just not cut out for that. What if 100% is my ceiling… What if I’ll never be able to excel past that? I thought I could aspire to be the hero that surpasses Colossus, but maybe being a mindless powerhouse is all I’m suitable for…)
Ash starts walking away.
Kevin:
Huh? Where are you going?
Ash:
I’m going to walk over that dune over there. I’ll come back in 3 minutes to continue this fight.
Kevin:
Wh- what? Why? I can hardly move! You can win with ease!
Ash:
Yeah, that’s true, but you had that same opportunity earlier.
Kevin flashes back to saving Ash from the quicksand.
Ash:
It wouldn’t sit right with me if I won after you gave me a second chance earlier. Now, I’m letting you have a second chance; we’re even.
Kevin:
A- Ash? I understand, but… I didn’t expect that out of you…
Ash:
Why’s that?
Kevin:
Because… I don’t know. You’re just… kind of passive.
Ash smiles.
Ash:
I know, I’m just the typical nice girl, and I like that about myself, but I always wanted more. I wanted to be like you, or Justus, Silver, Hayze, or Saige, you get it. I wanted to be powerful, and for a while, I didn’t know how, but then Justus said something to me during the Final Exams I’ll never forget:
“
Justus:
It’s not about the loss… it’s about what the loss means. I need to integrate more moves into my repertoire, change my strategy, and find a way to progress. That’s what a fight between rivals means; it doesn’t determine who is stronger definitively… it indicates to the winner that they’re moving in the right direction, and it demonstrates to the loser they’re going in the wrong direction.
Ash:
I… I think I get it. You’ve been quiet cause you’re trying to figure out what you can do to get better… so that you can win next time you fight Silver.
Justus:
Precisely.
Ash:
But… but what does that have to do with-
Justus:
Hard work isn’t the only thing that makes you stronger; you have to have direction. If you’re just trying to get strong by doing the same things repeatedly, eventually, you’re going to hit a wall. You have to adapt, learn new things, and evolve as time goes on. One person did that, the one that changed the way he’s perceived more than anybody else: Hayze.
Ash:
Yeah… watching him beat Silver was…
Justus:
Unbelievable. “
— Chapter 78
Ash:
I realized if I wanted to get stronger and reach the level you guys were on, I needed to hold myself to the same standard. I needed to be confident and resourceful and search for new ways to continually improve myself. That’s how I discovered more aspects of my quirk and refined my tactical abilities. So, if I’m going to beat you, Kevin. I need it to be a victory I can be proud of, and I know you feel the same way.
Kevin stares at Ash.
Kevin:
Alright, so we’re even then. But, let’s set a rule that there will be no mercy after our next engagement.
Ash:
Deal.
Ash walks off.
Hayze:
(Good for Ash. She’s come a long way.)
Walker smiles.
Adrian:
(This is bold, but if Ash would rather lose than win and not feel proud, I guess it’s the right decision.)
Ash disappears over the dune.
Kevin:
(I’ve gotta figure out a plan. I can’t move much with these injuries, so all she’ll have to do is get nice and close to me and take over my body. Once that happens, it’s over.)
Kevin starts crawling, wincing.
Kevin:
(Dammit! The pain is so bad… I can’t-) *frustrated grunt* (If I was using 50% right now, I’d easily be able to power through my pain, but I can’t… I promised myself I’d stop relying on that.)
Kevin lies in the sand, deep in thought.
“
Justus:
It demonstrates to the loser they’re going in the wrong direction. “
Kevin:
(I’ve found almost no success since switching to my new style… maybe
I’m
going in the wrong direction.)
Kevin digs his hands in the sand.
Kevin:
(50%!)
Kevin stands up and starts running back in the direction he came.
Kevin:
(I can still win this!)
After a few minutes pass, Ash emerges from behind the dune.
Ash:
(Kevin’s gone…)
Ash spots Kevin’s trail of blood.
Ash:
(This has to be real. Kevin had multiple wounds pouring blood, so if I follow this, it will lead me straight to him.)
Ash cautiously follows the trail.
Ash:
(Kevin couldn’t have moved this quickly in the condition he was in. He had to have increased his adrenaline. If that’s the case, he’ll be looking to finish this match soon.)
Ash continues following the trail until she finds Kevin sitting in the sand, breathing heavily.
Kevin:
I tried running… but I ran out of steam. Looks like we’ll have to do this here.
Ash keeps her guard up.
Ash:
(This has to be a trap. He’s within my range, so if I take over his body now. It’s over.)
Kevin slowly gets to his feet; his arms turn blood red and a white aura.
Kevin:
I say it’s time we finished this, Ash.
Ash notices Kevin’s blood trail isn’t as frequent leading up to Kevin.
Ash:
I see…
Kevin:
Huh?
Ash:
This is the quicksand pit from earlier.
Kevin:
*grunts*
Ash:
You’ll have to be less obvious, Kevin. I can see that your blood droplets are farther spaced apart in that part of the sand, almost as if you crossed it quickly by jumping over.
Kevin:
What a coincidence…
Ash:
I’m guessing you planned to lead me into the sand. If that happened, I’d lose instantly.
Kevin:
No…
Ash:
(If I enter my astral form now, Kevin will be in quite the jam. He’ll have to choose whether he thinks I’m faking or actually in astral form. If I’m pretending and set up another astral minefield, he’s done for. If I’m in astral form and he does nothing, I win. If I know Kevin well enough, I think he will instantly lunge at me the second I keel over. So, I’ll enter my astral form and wait at the base of my body. When he attacks, he’ll jump straight into me and be ensnared.)
Ash falls over and smacks into the dirt.
Saige:
There it is.
Eve:
Is this real or?
Hayze:
There’s no way for us to know.
Ash’s astral form emerges and stands just above her body.
Ash:
Alright, Kevin, let’s see what you do.
Kevin smiles.
Ash:
Huh?
The skin on Kevin’s arms turns blood red.
Kevin:
It’s over, Ash!
Kevin crouches and starts digging up sand at an extreme pace, burying Ash’s body.
Ash:
What!
Ash’s body slowly becomes submerged in sand.
Kevin:
Your body can’t breathe if it’s covered in sand, so whether you’re in your astral form or not, you will have to get air eventually.
Ash’s body starts suffocating, forcing her astral form back into it. Finally, she bursts out of the sand, frantically breathing.
Ash:
*coughing*
Ash looks up to see Kevin lunging at her.
Ash:
(Oh no!)
Kevin:
90% Fusilade!
Kevin begins beating Ash with a barrage of punches.
Ash:
AHHHHH!
Ash falls to the ground, beaten and battered.
Ash:
*groans*
Kevin:
Good game, Ash.
The arena reverts to normal.
Hunt:
The winner is Kevin Bohm.
Kevin collapses.
Kevin:
That… was tough…
Medics come out and place Ash and Kevin on stretchers. They each get wheeled to different parts of the stadium.
Wes:
There goes Ash… off to the dungeon…
Demetri:
She should have just taken the win…
Isaiah:
Yeah… that bites.
Aaron laughs.
Aaron:
Man, Ash ain’t half bad now. I might want to take her on someday.
Silver:
Yeah, she clearly put a lot of work into getting stronger.
Eve:
All of the girls did! This class isn’t just a sausage fest anymore!
Silver:
It never was; Saige exists.
Saige:
Yeah, we measured. Mine was the biggest.
Silver:
Not what I was referring to.
Saige:
You’re just mad you lost, Silvy.
Silver:
*frustrated grunt*
Walker stares at Ash as she’s wheeled off.
Walker:
(This is a loss you can be proud of, Ash.)
Adrian smiles.
Adrian:
This has been an impressive performance so far from Class 2-A. Maybe more of them will pass than I initially thought.
Houston:
Good for you. I will have to revoke my class’ privileges to hot water. Tobias and Sydney are all I have left.
Adrian:
Chin up, buddy. It’s only their first try.
Houston:
I know… anyway, I’m looking forward to this next match.
Fatal:
Yeah… this will be an interesting one.
Adrian gets a stern look on his face.
Adrian:
(Hayze…)
Adrian flashes back to Hayze and Tobias’ confrontation in the joint training exercise.
Adrian:
(Please… for the love of god… don’t lose control…)
Hunt clears his throat.
Hunt:
Alright, let’s begin the fifth match.
Two staircases materialize leading up to the spectator’s area.
Hunt:
Adam Hayze and Tobias Ingram, please enter the arena.
Tobias stands up and starts walking towards a staircase.
Aaron:
Good luck, Hayze.
Blair:
Kick this guy’s ass!
Saige:
And don’t forget to have fun.
Hayze stands up.
Tobias:
You won’t be having much fun during this match.
Hayze stares at Tobias as he walks down the stairs.
Wrath:
(Oh… I’m gonna enjoy this.)
Hayze starts walking towards the other staircase as Saige grabs his hand.
Hayze:
Huh?
Saige:
You’d better not still be holding a grudge against him for what happened during the joint training exercises.
Hayze flashes back to Tobias savagely beating Saige.
Wrath:
(Yes, I am.)
Hayze:
No, I’m not.
Saige:
Okay…
Hayze walks down the other staircase.
Eve:
What was that about?
Saige:
I don’t know… ever since the prison exercise… Hayze has been different.
Aaron:
What do you mean? He seems the same to me.
Blair:
Yeah… What
do
you mean?
Saige:
I’m not talking about his attitude. It’s more the way he’s been fighting. His matchups against Fearmonger and Killian were different… Maybe I’m paranoid; I hope everything goes well.
Aaron:
Right…
Eve:
Whatever.
Hayze and Tobias approach the center of the arena.
Hunt:
Let’s see what terrain you’ll be fighting in.
The randomization screen appears next to Hunt.
Tobias:
Before that, may I ask a question?
Hayze:
Huh?
Hunt:
Go ahead.
Tobias:
Can I allow my opponent to select the location of our battle?
Everyone is surprised.
Hunt:
No, the location will be random, no matter what.
Tobias:
Alright, thank you.
Hayze:
What are you after?
Tobias:
This match will be a blowout in my favor regardless of what appears on that screen. I thought I’d give you the luxury of choosing where you’ll be defeated.
Wrath:
(Kill him!)
Hayze:
Blowout, huh?
Tobias smiles.
Tobias:
I may be blind, but I can see right through you, Adam.
Hayze doesn’t respond.
Tobias:
You think you’ll be the hero that can save everyone, right? How are you supposed to do that when you can’t even save yourself from the demon inside you?
Hayze stares at Tobias.
Tobias:
You’re a monster, Adam. The police should have locked you in a cage and thrown away the key; it’s the only safe thing to do.
Hunt looks back and forth at Tobias and Hayze.
Hunt:
(This one could get ugly.) Alright, let’s shut down the pre-match trash talk.
On the island, Ash has arrived and joined the others around their fire.
Ash:
I’m glad all of you are okay. Like I said, Hayze thought he heard something about everyone being locked in cages.
Alexis:
He must have misheard those medics; they might have been referring to our bodies' simulation devices.
Ash:
Probably.
Angel:
Now, you can join us in our adventures of surviving on this island.
Karma:
It can get quite dull, unfortunately.
Grace:
Dull?
Killian:
Oh boy…
Alec:
Here she goes…
Grace:
Let’s play a game of strip poker!
Alec and Killian:
NO!
Grace:
But why…
Killian:
First of all, we don’t have cards! Second, nobody wants to!
Grace:
Oh, come on, you don’t want to see the girls naked? Or maybe… it’s because you’re afraid of us seeing downstairs. *whispers* Growers, not showers, huh, boys?
Alec and Killian both stare daggers at Grace.
Grace:
What? I’m kidding!
Killian:
Alec.
Alec:
Right.
Killian and Alec tie Grace to a tree 40 yards away from camp.
Killian:
Cya, Grace.
Alec:
Have fun.
Grace:
HARDER!
Alec and Killian walk off.
Grace:
HARDER, YOU BASTARDS!
Ash and Justus sit on the beach together.
Justus:
I’m glad to hear you did well.
Ash:
Yeah, and it was all thanks to you.
Justus:
Not
all
thanks to me. I just guided you. You’re the one who put the work in.
Ash:
Maybe…
Justus:
Do you regret letting Kevin go?
Ash:
No, not one bit. I gave him a second chance, just like he did for me. Of course, I wanted to beat Kevin, but I’m glad I could put up as good a fight as I did. It makes me happy because I know I couldn’t have done that a year ago.
Justus smiles.
Justus:
Good job, Ash.
Ash:
Thanks, Justus.
