buttons
over there, by the panel. The floor actually lowers so the seats
will be higher, and a glass barrier slides down from the ceiling,
keeping the fighting paranormals and any powers they might be using
separate from Mr. Layton and any of his rich friends he invited
over to see the show."
That sickened her so much her stomach
actually churned inside of her body. It revolted, and it threw up a
little. She gagged on it and barely held it back as she looked at
the leather seats.
They were plush, thick and wide enough to
look like the type of thing a rich guy would sit on when he ordered
first class or something. There were even cup holders in them. And
though she couldn't see it, something told her there was an option
to fold out a tiny slap of glass or polished wood that would snap
into place over the lap of whoever was sitting down, allowing them
to casually work on their laptops, tablets, or just review some
paperwork, not a care in the world about the people who were
fighting to the death in front of them for their amusement.
“ So, we’re just buried
under the entire building?”
“ Pretty much.”
"Did you bring me down here to fight
someone?" Jessica asked. She was enraged by the idea, but her voice
left her mouth sounding surprisingly calm, even for her.
Soren shook his head. "No. I had a talk with
Mr. Layton about that. It was one of the things I brought up when I
stayed behind and Charles took you to lunch."
He looked at her from the corner of his eye,
and there wasn't a hint of any jealousy from what he'd walked in
on.
"You asked him to not have me kill
anyone?"
"You're so sure you would win?" Soren
asked.
"Yes," Jessica said matter-of-factly. She
didn't have to think about it.
Some paranormals were a thousand times more
dangerous than others. It all depended on the power, the ability,
and how they were used.
For example, in this setting, if she were to
go against a man or a woman who could breathe underwater, well
then, even if she was put into a tank of water with them, her ice
powers trumped that any day. Out of the water, the merpeople were
as helpless as ants under some mean kid's magnifying glass.
Even for Cindy, who was a powerful pyro, her
fire would be no match for Jessica's ice.
If there was someone stronger than she was,
all she had to do was freeze their feet and stop them from coming
at her. If they were strong enough that they broke free, then she
froze their eyes, or their bodies.
Stop an opponent from moving, breathing, or
seeing. That was the key to any self defense class.
Of course, with Jessica's power, all three
of those things could greatly hurt or kill the attacker. Which was
what happened when those paranormals were thrown into the cell with
her.
The only thing she couldn't overpower was
the shackles on her wrists, which led her to believe that one of
her few weaknesses was the paranormals who were so good at
controlling the life force around them that it bordered on
magic.
Soren eyed her, like he was trying to decide
whether or not she was being honest or just putting on a show for
the sake of looking tough.
It was a little bit of both, but she wished
the sympathy in his blue eyes would go away.
She looked away from him. "Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Looking at me like that. You don't have to
feel sorry for me, and you don't have to care about what happens to
me, either. That's dangerous for you."
"Of course I care," Soren said.
Jessica eyed him sharply, her eyes wide.
Soren shook his head. "We're not being
listened in on down here. We're too deep underground for anything
to be bugged wirelessly, and Mr. Layton has a rule about audio or
video recordings. He never wants anything that happens down here to
get out to the public. Even his guests are scanned before they come
in. If they want to read or do work, then they have to bring
physical files or papers. No phones, no tablets, no nothing."
"Oh, well, that's really good to hear,"
Jessica said, looking around at the
over there, by the panel. The floor actually lowers so the seats
will be higher, and a glass barrier slides down from the ceiling,
keeping the fighting paranormals and any powers they might be using
separate from Mr. Layton and any of his rich friends he invited
over to see the show."
That sickened her so much her stomach
actually churned inside of her body. It revolted, and it threw up a
little. She gagged on it and barely held it back as she looked at
the leather seats.
They were plush, thick and wide enough to
look like the type of thing a rich guy would sit on when he ordered
first class or something. There were even cup holders in them. And
though she couldn't see it, something told her there was an option
to fold out a tiny slap of glass or polished wood that would snap
into place over the lap of whoever was sitting down, allowing them
to casually work on their laptops, tablets, or just review some
paperwork, not a care in the world about the people who were
fighting to the death in front of them for their amusement.
“ So, we’re just buried
under the entire building?”
“ Pretty much.”
"Did you bring me down here to fight
someone?" Jessica asked. She was enraged by the idea, but her voice
left her mouth sounding surprisingly calm, even for her.
Soren shook his head. "No. I had a talk with
Mr. Layton about that. It was one of the things I brought up when I
stayed behind and Charles took you to lunch."
He looked at her from the corner of his eye,
and there wasn't a hint of any jealousy from what he'd walked in
on.
"You asked him to not have me kill
anyone?"
"You're so sure you would win?" Soren
asked.
"Yes," Jessica said matter-of-factly. She
didn't have to think about it.
Some paranormals were a thousand times more
dangerous than others. It all depended on the power, the ability,
and how they were used.
For example, in this setting, if she were to
go against a man or a woman who could breathe underwater, well
then, even if she was put into a tank of water with them, her ice
powers trumped that any day. Out of the water, the merpeople were
as helpless as ants under some mean kid's magnifying glass.
Even for Cindy, who was a powerful pyro, her
fire would be no match for Jessica's ice.
If there was someone stronger than she was,
all she had to do was freeze their feet and stop them from coming
at her. If they were strong enough that they broke free, then she
froze their eyes, or their bodies.
Stop an opponent from moving, breathing, or
seeing. That was the key to any self defense class.
Of course, with Jessica's power, all three
of those things could greatly hurt or kill the attacker. Which was
what happened when those paranormals were thrown into the cell with
her.
The only thing she couldn't overpower was
the shackles on her wrists, which led her to believe that one of
her few weaknesses was the paranormals who were so good at
controlling the life force around them that it bordered on
magic.
Soren eyed her, like he was trying to decide
whether or not she was being honest or just putting on a show for
the sake of looking tough.
It was a little bit of both, but she wished
the sympathy in his blue eyes would go away.
She looked away from him. "Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Looking at me like that. You don't have to
feel sorry for me, and you don't have to care about what happens to
me, either. That's dangerous for you."
"Of course I care," Soren said.
Jessica eyed him sharply, her eyes wide.
Soren shook his head. "We're not being
listened in on down here. We're too deep underground for anything
to be bugged wirelessly, and Mr. Layton has a rule about audio or
video recordings. He never wants anything that happens down here to
get out to the public. Even his guests are scanned before they come
in. If they want to read or do work, then they have to bring
physical files or papers. No phones, no tablets, no nothing."
"Oh, well, that's really good to hear,"
Jessica said, looking around at the
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