“Definitely.”
Andy and the Kilodan entered and bowed to the class. Andy hit a button on his chest armor and the theme song from the Addams Family played softly in the background. I did a mental eye roll. I could always predict the weirdness of the lesson by the music Andy selected. Tonight promised to be unusual.
“Fear,” the Kilodan began, “is a terrifying weapon.”
“Scares me half to death,” Andy quipped.
The Kilodan elbowed him and continued as though nothing stupid had been said. “Most fear is an illusion, yet we convince ourselves otherwise. Fear makes us see things that do not exist. It creates monsters in our minds. Turn your opponent’s irrational anxieties against him, and you will gain an easy victory. Today we practice the Dart of Paranoia, a technique that makes imaginary terror feel very real. Lynn and Andor.”
I smiled as I drew my Amplifier. I loved battling Andy with the Dart of Paranoia. It never mattered who won, the outcome was always hilarious. Last time I skewered Andy with the Dart, he started dancing around, screaming that somebody had copied daytime soap operas over his Three Stooges DVDs.
I faced Andy.
Fear me, I thought. My hair fluffed, and psychic flames rippled down my arms. Red mist shot from my Amplifier, and took the shape of a short, fiercely pointed spear. I eased into my fighting stance, holding the Dart of Paranoia in both hands. Andy’s weapon had taken the form of a banderilla, the brightly colored barbed dart used in bullfights. Andy loved theatrics. Without warning, he attacked, stabbing fiercely at my heart. I parried with a lazy flick of my own Dart, and blew him a kiss.
Andy smiled. “A thought just crossed my mind.”
“Short journey,” I said, and lunged forward, slashing at Andy’s leg. “Tell me all about it.”
Andy twirled his banderilla, knocking my attack aside. “I think it’s my turn to win.”
“Even a blind pig finds a truffle occasionally,” I said, resuming my guard. Andy thrust low with his banderilla, and I flicked my Dart to block. He stopped short and slashed high.
“Oink!” he yelled triumphantly. His Dart brushed my forearm and I started to laugh, knowing I should not have fallen for such an obvious trick. I tried to think of an appropriate insult, but then the whole world changed.
The laugh caught in my throat and my vision blurred and refocused.
Mason stood grinning at me. “Smile, Peroxide.”
“It’s not bleached!” I covered my face as Mason reached out for my hair.
Rinnie, it’s okay, it’s not real.
I thought I heard Susie’s little voice in the distance. I looked up, trying to find her, but a huge face blocked my view, laughing and pointing. “I’ll take your sister,” a man in an Elmo mask whispered. Wires of cold fear tightened around my chest, restricting my breathing.
“You will not!” I screamed, and closed my eyes tightly. Uncontrolled terror filled me, and I thrust my palm forward. A sharp crack echoed through the room.
“Rinnie!”
Suddenly, there was silence. I opened my eyes, and found everyone staring. But they weren’t looking at me.
I followed their gaze to find Andy’s limp body lying against the wall, his chest armor shattered.
“Oh, no,” I whispered. “Andy—”
The Kilodan knelt beside Andy’s body. I couldn’t tell if he was breathing. The class began to murmur. My heart thumped so hard I thought it might burst through my uniform. Then slowly, Andy opened his eyes and looked down at his demolished chest armor.
“Good one,” he said weakly. “Do I know how to work the Dart, or what? I’ll bet you never watch Sesame Street again.”
“Oh, Andy, I’m so sorry,” I sobbed, tears running down my cheeks. “It was so real.”
“You just proved my point,” the Kilodan murmured impassively. He helped Andy to his feet, then clapped his hands. “Class dismissed.”
Susie and the other students looked shocked, but bowed obediently, then filed through the main door. I wanted to know what point I had just proved, but it was obvious that there would be no discussion, so I bowed and turned to leave.
“Wait, Rinnie.” The Kilodan’s electronically altered voice leaked the slightest hint of emotion. Fear gripped me and I stopped in my tracks. Other than mild exasperation with Andy’s teaching style, the Kilodan didn’t show feelings. He never called me Rinnie. That couldn’t be good. I didn’t think he even knew I had another name. I slowly turned to face him.
“I asked you to stop the trouble at your school,” the Kilodan said. “I was wrong to ask.”
“It’s okay. I know the man in the skull mask is connected to the kidnapper. Mason is my link to him. I won’t make the same mistake I made ten years ago. Nobody will die because of me this time. I’ll be careful.”
“What mistake?” the Kilodan asked.