Chapter 71: A Great Plan

  The training arena was vast, its sleek metallic walls designed to withstand the might of metahuman abilities.

  Rory Blake had squared up against Isaac Voss, and it wasn’t a fair fight.

  Isaac had stood calmly, his muscles rippling under his Academy-issued uniform. His posture was relaxed, but there was no mistaking the power radiating from him. With a glance, anyone could tell that Isaac wasn’t the kind of opponent you wanted to mess with—his ability to shift his density at will made him nearly a true horror to fight. Rory had seen the guy spar before, but never up close. Now, though, he was about to experience it firsthand.

  Rory flexed his fingers, feeling the energy pumping through him. He’d never felt so tense before a fight, but something about Isaac’s easy confidence rubbed him the wrong way. Rory had super strength, but against someone who could make their body harder than steel? He wasn’t sure if it was enough.

  The academy’s voice, mechanical and impersonal, crackled through the intercom. “Standard sparring protocol.No lethal force. Begin, when ready.”

  Isaac didn’t wait. He said something but Rory didn’t even hear it. He moved faster than Rory had anticipated—his density rapidly shifting to make him lighter as he dashed forward. Rory barely had time to brace himself before Isaac’s fist connected with his gut, the impact reverberating through his entire body like a sledgehammer.

  “Ugh!” Rory grunted, staggering back from the force, the wind knocked out of him.

  Isaac didn’t give him time to recover. His form was a blur of movement, his density constantly fluctuating between light and heavy. Rory threw up an arm to block the next hit, but Isaac’s hand had already become as hard as concrete. The blow rattled Rory’s bones, and for a moment, his vision swam.

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  “Come on, Blake,” Isaac’s voice was cool but without malice. “You’ve gotta do better than that.”

  Rory gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the sharp pain. This guy was tough. Really tough. He steadied his stance, and Rory decided to push his strength to its limit. He planted his backfoot, and with another step forward with the other he lunged forward, throwing an absolute haymaker straight at Isaac’s jaw.

  The moment his knuckles collided with Isaac’s face, Rory understood.

  He had made a huge mistake.

  Isaac had hardened his density at the last second, and Rory’s fist connected with what felt like a wall of pure iron. There was a sickening crack as the bones in his hand shattered on impact.

  “AGHHH!” Rory yelled, stumbling back, tears in his eyes, clutching his hand in pain. His vision blurred, the edges of his sight darkening with the pain.

  Isaac didn’t let up. He swung another fist, this time aiming for Rory’s ribs. Rory barely had time to dodge, but he still felt the impact glance off his side, sending shockwaves through his body.

  His hand throbbed, but Rory couldn’t let that stop him. He had to move.

  Isaac shifted his stance, clearly prepared to finish things. His body had become impossibly dense, every movement deliberate, each step sending slight tremors through the ground. Rory’s eyes darted to the floor. Alright well, all or nothing I guess…

  Rory squared his shoulders, readying himself for what would come next. He could see Isaac bracing himself, his entire body shimmering slightly as the density shift locked into place.

  Rory took a hit to his shoulder—he let Isaac land the blow—but it gave him the opening he needed. Ignoring the searing pain in his arm, Rory used his hands to grab Isaac by the waist. Then, with all his might, began to lift Isaac off the ground.

  Isaac grunted in surprise as Rory’s muscles strained under the weight of his opponent. The added density made Rory feel like he was lifting a small building, but Rory’s strength had always been his greatest asset. And now he was pushing it to its limits.

  With a final roar of effort, Rory managed to lift Isaac completely off the ground and leapt into the air, twisting his body mid-flight, giving him a great view of the ceiling. Rory’s momentum carried them both up, and then over, before he slammed Isaac head-first into the hard arena floor. The sound of impact echoed through the room, a deafening crash that made the floor beneath them tremble and crack.

  For a moment, everything was still.

  Rory rolled back standing to his feet, panting heavily, his body aching from the effort. Isaac lay where he’d been slammed, the ground beneath him dented from the force of the blow. But as Rory looked down, waiting for some sign that the fight was over, Isaac shifted.

  With an almost casual movement, Isaac began to sit up, his body still as dense as stone. He rolled his neck, cracking it as if to release the tension, and then stood, brushing some dust off his uniform.

  “Not bad, Blake,” Isaac said with a smirk. “I'm impressed you could lift me while I was that heavy.”

  Rory’s heart sank. He’d given everything in that last move, but Isaac was still standing. He wasn’t even bruised.

  Isaac shifted his stance again, clearly preparing for another round. Rory clenched his jaw, forcing himself into a defensive position despite the pain radiating through his body.

  The fight wasn’t over yet.