For the first time in three months, Mark felt a little fear.
Drey stood over him, eyes glowing with a blood-red aura.
His usual smile had faded, now replaced by a cold hard look.
"You have lost this fight."
Mark was yet to grasp how Drey had thrown him off his feet when several alloy panels peeled off the arena walls and sped toward Mark.
In a desperate bid to stay alive, Mark scrambled to his feet, swiftly dodging each panel as it came flying toward him.
[NOTICE: New Ability Detected]
[Telekinesis, Level 3 (P-Type: Spaceborn)]
[COPY STATUS: Unavailable. Physical contact required]
It didn't take long after that for Mark to realize who was controlling the panels.
Drey.
"Your first mistake, Mark, was underestimating your opponent."
Mark wasn't surprised that Drey had learned to freely move objects through space.
What surprised him was that he had no idea before that day.
He decided to put his agility to good use, as he evaded the endless barrage of panels Drey sent at him.
However, due to his injuries, he couldn't keep up with it for long.
Drey quickly noticed Mark's change in pace and conjured up another portal beneath him.
As Mark fell through, appearing in the middle of the arena, Drey sent a panel at him.
The panel struck Mark from the rear, and he crashed headfirst into the east wall of the arena.
Without giving him a chance to recover, Drey sent another barrage of panels at Mark, slamming him from multiple directions, until Mark finally collapsed on the ground.
The spectators who previously cheered for Drey, all fell quiet. Regardless of who they supported, it was Mark's examination, and they were sad to see him fail.
*****
Captain Savannah rose to her feet, the disappointment apparent on her face.
She had high hopes for Mark, but it seemed he had not developed even one bit.
Natalya on the other hand, was visibly furious.
This couldn't be it. This couldn't be the result of three months of intense training.
Something in her wanted to scream out and scold Mark. But she kept to herself, even though one question hung on her mind.
Why on earth was he holding back?
Captain Savannah was about to announce the winner when the lights flickered and shut off. As soon as it came back on, Mark was on his feet again.
*****
The crowd erupted in cheer. Nothing gave them more joy than knowing that an intense fight was far from over.
Drey, for one, was particularly pleased to know that Mark had a lot more endurance than most powerborns. However, endurance wasn't going to win him this fight.
"I'm glad you don't give up easily," Drey jested at him. "Although, I don't quite understand why you prefer to prolong your suffering."
Mark didn't reply. Instead, he began to investigate his body to ascertain how much damage he sustained.
"Don't you get it, Mark? You're playing a losing game."
Mark stretched his limbs, grunting a bit whenever he felt pain. When he was done, he sighed out loud and turned to Drey.
"Are you done talking?" He asked.
Drey was surprised to see that Mark still had some energy left. It didn't matter to him anyway. There was no way Mark could win now.
"Yes. I'm done."
Once again Drey began to levitate the metal panels. Then he spun them around until they became floating saws.
"Whatever happens now, I want you to remember I gave you a choice."
Mark suddenly burst into laughter, hurting his ribs in the process. He clenched his chest and stood up straight.
"You're overdoing it."
"What?"
"C'mon Drey. What's with the scripted lines? Did Savanna put you up to this?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I mean, since the fight began, you've been yapping words to provoke me. Smells like one of Savanna's psychological tests."
"You... you're mistaken."
"Nah, I get it now. Savanna thinks I can't control my anger, and she chose you to make me furious and lose control. That was the real test all along."
A nervous look of guilt appeared on Drey's face. It was brief, but Mark didn't fail to catch it.
He was right after all. Captain Savanna was up to her usual mind games.
"It doesn't matter," Drey stated defiantly, spinning his panels even faster. "You've already lost this fight."
"Not really."
"What?"
"Oh, I already figured out how to beat you. I only let it last this long to test my pain threshold."
Drey couldn't tell if Mark was being serious or not. But to him, it was all irrelevant. This fight was already over.
He immediately released the blades. Each one headed right for Mark.
Mark's flexibility seemed to have returned. He dodged each panel almost effortlessly, and when Drey tried to sneak a portal beneath him, he saw it coming and avoided it completely.
With the dexterity of a fox, Mark hopped through the arena until he closed the gap between himself and his opponent.
When he was right in front of Drey, he grabbed a hold of his right arm. Preventing him from making a portal.
"Now, Aries!"
[NOTICE: Copy Request Initiated]
[Telekinesis, Level 1 (P-Type: Spaceborn)]
[COPY STATUS: Available. Physical link established]
[Copying... SUCCESSFUL]
[NOTICE: New Power Category Unlocked - Duo Abilities]
A large metal panel came flying towards Mark. He quickly dashed back to evade it, letting go of Drey in the process.
Eventually, Mark's injuries got the better of him, and he collapsed on the floor to regain his breath.
"Ready, Aries?"
[Initializing]
[Power Synergy Initiated]
[Merging...]
[SLOT 1: Lightning Wave, Level 3]
[SLOT 3: Telekinesis, Level 1]
[SUCCESSFUL]
[Telekinesis, Level 1 has been evolved to Level 2, Electrokinesis]
[New P-Type: TECHBORN]
*****
Drey noticed Mark on the floor and moved in for the kill, but before he could react, Mark raised his left hand.
Out of nowhere, a large sonic blast slammed into Drey, which sent him crashing into the west wall of the arena. He wanted to get back on his feet, but his entire body felt limp.
That's when he saw it.
Right above, close to the top of the arena, were a dozen sonic disruptors from the previous fight, all suspended in mid-air, aimed directly at him.
This was the first time he was hit with a sonic disruptor, and he felt like he had just been slammed by a bullet train.
Somehow, Mark was controlling the sonic disruptors without even touching them.
Was he telekinetic too?
"I think the word you're looking for is electrokinetic." Mark corrected, closing the gap between them. "If it works with electricity, I can manipulate it."
Drey was visibly startled.
Did Mark just read my mind?
"I must admit," Mark continued, "I wouldn't have gotten the ability to manipulate the disruptors if I didn't see you rip off the wall panels with your power.
"Thank you for showing me how to defeat you. Give up, or I'll show you what it feels like to be blasted with a dozen disruptors."
Drey wasn't one to give up easily. Mustering every strength left in him, he tried one more time to move the panels that lay around him.
He instantly regretted it.
Two more sonic blasts hit Drey simultaneously, knocking him back to the wall behind. In an instant, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground like a ragdoll.
*****
Mark was about to fire another blast at Drey when a loud voice boomed through the arena.
"Stop!"
[WARNING: High-Level Mental Breach Detected]
[System Defense Impossible]
Mark lost control of his body. All his limbs froze up, and all the disruptors under his control fell to the floor.
With his eyes raised to the audience, Mark found the Captain staring at him, her aura glowing furiously. After a while, she regained her calm and released her mental grip.
A deafening silence engulfed the arena, but it was soon broken by a loud cheer among the spectators.
The examination was finally over.
Mark was the winner.
There had never been an examination this intense. Previous matches usually lasted less than five minutes, but this one proved to be a match for the ages.
The main doors sprung open, and three members of the Medical Department rushed into the arena to inspect Drey. Afterward, he was gently lifted from the floor and placed on a stretcher.
In the process, Drey regained consciousness. Despite his paralysis, he summoned the strength to lift a finger and beckoned Mark to come closer.
This was the first time Drey had lost a one-on-one fight, but he was not too proud to admit it. On the contrary, he was glad that the one who bested him was his best friend.
"You won't beat me next time," Drey whispered, barely audibly.
"Until then, Belford."
The medics left the arena, and the spectators' cheers roared on.
Many members of the audience were satisfied with the outcome. However, a few were disappointed to see their favorite powerborn get outsmarted.
Regardless, the superiors deemed the match fair, and Captain Savanna declared the winner.
"By rule-of-knockout, Marcus Thornwell has defeated his opponent and completed his examination."
The spectators cheered once again.
"Congratulations, Thornwell. You are now an officer of the Resistance."
Mark was glad, even though his face didn't show it. To him, it wasn't just a promotion. It was another stepping stone to achieving his goals.
Now that he was an officer, he could finally be assigned to missions and get a chance to leave this bunker for the first time in three months.
Now, he could find the man who killed his mother.
As the spectators applauded him, Mark slowly headed out of the arena. He didn't need treatment, as his wounds had already begun to heal. But he was in dire need of a long nap.
A familiar face obstructed him when he stepped into the corridor.
"Mark, we need to talk."