“Are you fucking kidding me?” Magyar, a squat woman with an ugly face and crooked nose, spat. “What’s this shit?”

  “Relax, it’s almost over,” Genpei, a pale girl with long black hair and wide, green eyes muttered. “Just five more minutes.”

  “No, fuck you, it’s my turn,” she said, striding over to the TV.

  I sighed as they continued bickering, Magyar changing the channel from whatever anime Genpei had been watching to horse-racing. I wasn’t sure there was much of a difference, since I was pretty sure the anime was about horse-racing, but here we were. The shouting match escalated loudly, and I felt my eyelid twitch.

  “Shut the fuck up!” I yelled. “Christ who fucking cares what we watch, it’s all garbage.” The only thing TV was good for down here was helping me ignore my hallucinations, usually.

  “It’s the principle,” Magyar said, puffing out her chest. “It’s about maintaining order.”

  “It’s about flexing your muscles and swinging your lack of dick around,” I retorted. Two weeks of this asinine bullshit had worn me down.

  “You wanna go, meat?” she said, striding over to the couch I was lounging on, fists clenched. I hopped to my feet and rolled my neck.

  “You’ll lose,” I said coldly. “Sit down and watch your horsies, and stop causing problems.”

  Her fist lashed out and struck my cheek, and I felt the simmering irritation inside me ignite. I stepped inside her reach and drove a heavy uppercut into her stomach. Magyar bent double and retched, retreating a couple paces as she activated her power.

  A trio of ghostly warriors in strange, ancient armour appeared. They stepped forward in sync, each swinging a triangular sword at different limbs. The blades passed through me without stopping, and I felt icy cold lines of pain tear across my belly, arms, and thighs as they did.

  I ignored the pain, ducking under the next swings and trotting through the ghosts. They were dangerous yes, but sluggish compared to a person. But whatever they did got through my projection and hurt. Magyar had just risen to her feet when I caught her on the jaw with a vicious right hook. I knelt on her back and struck twice more on her head for good measure, then rose to my feet as the ghosts dissipated.

  “Dumb motherfucker,” I spat, shaking out my right hand. I hadn’t hit very well, and ow those fucking ghost-wounds hurt too. “God dammit. I’m gonna go lay down.”

  “Thanks Terrier,” Genpei said flatly, rising and turning the TV back to her stupid horse anime. “Owe you one.”

  “Yeah yeah.”

  I headed back to my cell, doing my best not to limp. A couple people had wandered over to see what the commotion was about, but nobody stopped me. Good, at least there was one place my temper wasn’t going to get me in that much trouble; unless I bit off more than I could chew, but even then I could just...try again.

  With any luck, it wouldn’t come to that.

  God, whatever Magyar had done hurt. She wasn’t even a big-time villain, but somehow she could get through my projection. I shouldn’t have let her hit me at all, should have just wove through the swords and got her in a heartbeat. Maybe if I’d gone through Crane’s training I could. Whatever it was, however tough it could be, at least afterwards I’d probably be better than I ever had been.

  Once I reached my cell, I pulled off my shirt and pants to inspect the damage. I winced when I saw it, a series of thin white lines that were just starting to blister. When I prodded the skin, it was harder than the stuff around it, colder too. Just what the fuck was Magyar’s power, some kind of freezing sword?

  “Hey good looking.” I whirled, hands flying up to cover my bare chest, as Paroxysm giggled at me. “Calm down, it’s just me.”

  “I’m naked,” I snapped, quickly pulling my shirt on. Thank god I hadn’t taken off my panties… I pulled up my sweats and glared at her.

  “I saw,” she replied. “Not that there was much to see.”

  “What do you want?” I demanded.

  “Saw the fight,” Paroxysm replied, taking a step inside my cell, her smile becoming more kind than teasing. “You okay? Magyar’s a tough bitch.”

  “Fine,” I said, rubbing my arm. “Just a scratch, it’s nothing.”

  “A scratch on Miss Invincible?”

  “Shut up.”

  “Look, I’ve got some burn cream back in my cell,” she said. “That’s what it is, freezer burn for lack of a better term. Won’t say a word to anyone, don’t worry.” I glowered at her, then gave a sharp nod.

  “Fine.” Better than being in pain.

  Trailing behind her, I followed down the line of cells towards hers. It was in the in the corner near the stairs, a highly trafficked area. I wasn’t sure why she chose it, but maybe she just had the bad luck to be stuck there. I waited just inside the cell door as Paroxysm dug under her mattress. She retrieved a small pot and beckoned me over.

  “Sit down,” Paroxysm said, gesturing to her bed.

  “I can do it myself,” I said, holding out my hand.

  “You can,” she agreed. “But isn’t it nicer to have someone take care of you?” I frowned, stomach squirming. After a moment, I sat down. “Good girl.”

  “Don’t push it,” I growled, pulling up my shirt to expose the wound on my belly. She opened the pot, giggling, and took out a daub of foul-smelling ointment. “Um…”

  “It won’t hurt,” she promised. “Move your projection?”

  I hesitated, unsure. Marquis had said she wasn’t dangerous, but I wasn’t convinced. Paroxysm looked up at me, and I saw the gentle intent in her pale eyes. I swallowed and nodded, moving my projection just inside my skin, unwilling to do more. She pressed her fingers to my wound and I hissed as it stung, fighting the urge to pull away.

  The pain vanished after just a second, and I sighed as she spread the ointment over my wound. It tickled, ever so slightly, but not enough to be unpleasant. I kept my eyes on her as she worked, not wanting to give her that much of an opening. Paroxysm glanced up and smiled, and I looked away, cheeks flushing.

  “Okay, arms, legs?” she said, taking her hand away. “You’ll have to take off your clothes.”

  “I can do the rest myself,” I complained.

  “Let me help you,” Paroxysm said firmly, locking her gaze with mine. “Please.” I swallowed and nodded slowly, removing my shirt.

  She didn’t stare at my chest as she worked, and thank god because I was humiliated enough as it was. I glanced over my shoulder and let out a sigh as she began working the ointment into the wound on my arm. No audience at least, so nobody would see me like this. A minute later, Paroxysm was done and allowed me to pull my shirt back on.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  After that though, I had to take off my pants. I tugged my long shirt over my crotch, cheeks feeling like they were about to ignite. Paroxysm, blessedly, didn’t comment on my obvious embarrassment. All she did was gently spread the burn ointment on my wounds and relieve the pain.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled once she was done, hastily dressing myself again. “I um...yeah, thanks.”

  “No problem,” Paroxysm said. “Don’t get in too many more fights, eh? I only have so much of this stuff.”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  I beat a hasty retreat to my own cell, trying to ignore how pleasantly my stomach squirmed. It was nice, to be cared for in a place I was expecting to barely survive. But that was terrifying in its own way. Marquis was wrong, Paroxysm was dangerous, because she could slip through my defences like nobody else had.

  But...was that a bad thing if she had no ill intent? She could have hurt me pretty badly back there. Even a skin-deep injury without treatment could be fatal down here. Instead she wasted a valuable resource on something I’d basically done to myself, and she hadn’t even asked to be paid. Why? Because she saw me naked and felt bad? Because she wanted me to feel like I owed her?

  Without any answers, I headed upstairs to the library to try and find a distraction instead.

  “Hey Terrier,” Titania said, poking her head through my cell door. “Toilet’s clogged again, can you fix it?”

  “In a bit,” I said, lounging on my back and glancing back at my book. “Reading.”

  “Well don’t take too long,” she gruffed. “Don’t want to sleep in that stink.”

  I mumbled an affirmative just to get her off my back, eager to get back to my book. It wasn’t the most absorbing thing I’d read, a fantasy about a boy who was one of just a few people who could see behind the veil of reality, fighting against impossible odds to save people from a threat they didn’t believe in.

  Mostly, it was a good way to keep my mind from wandering back to my interaction with Paroxysm yesterday, and my weird feelings around it. I wasn’t stupid, I recognized the feeling from back when I’d been falling in love with Amy. Or more likely in this case, I was just crushing on the first person that showed a vague interest in me.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was Heartbreaker’s kid, and I knew she could manipulate my emotions as she please. But scarier than that was the fact that this wasn’t her. I’d felt her power, it was glaringly obvious, more like a punch to the face than the relatively gentle tug of Cherish. If it was her, I’d have known about it, and I wouldn’t be fighting to not feel that way right now.

  I sighed and plopped the book down on my face, shutting my eyes. Why was I even so intent on fighting this? Wouldn’t it be nice, dating somebody again? I mean she was a murderer, yes, but so was I. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she deserved me, but she was a better fit than Amy.

  Of course there was no guarantee she felt that way, not one bit. She’d already seen everything I had to offer and...well it wasn’t much. Besides, I’d been nothing but a bitch to her. She’d earned it, using her power without asking me but...maybe helping me out was her way of apologizing?

  That actually made some kind of sense. An actual apology would probably be seen as weakness or something, make her look vulnerable to the people down here. Well, maybe...maybe I could do something instead of moping here. I didn’t exactly have friends, but if I tried I might be able to find one.

  I dogeared the page I was on and closed my book, rising from my bed and stuffing it under the mattress. It was a good idea I’d picked up on quickly, leaving anything out was practically asking for it to be snatched. I’d only lost a half pack of cigarettes, but that was money down here. I licked my lips as I approached Paroxysm’s cell, knocking on the bars.

  “Hey,” I said when she turned her head, clearing my throat as my voice cracked. I ignored her smirk and continued. “Do you...want to grab a smoke somewhere?” Her smile widened into something more genuine.

  “Sure,” Paroxysm said with a nod, rising from her bed and sticking a small pamphlet she’d been reading under her pillow. “A smoke, or a smoke?” The sparkle in her eyes told me what she meant, and I blushed.

  “A smoke smoke,” I said, taking a cigarette from the pack in my pocket and offering it to her.

  She took it and put it between her lips, then followed as I walked away from the cells. It wasn’t a date but...I still didn’t want to be around so many dangerous people when I was trying to relax a little. We left the cell block and headed down the corridor a little until I found a little alcove just big enough for two. I stepped inside and took out my lighter, bought from Bonus for a few cigarettes, and lit my smoke. I offered it to Paroxysm, but she shook her head and leaned in close.

  I froze as she pressed the tip of her cigarette to the cherry of mine. She inhaled sharply until her smoke was lit, then pulled away and exhaled slowly.

  “Thanks,” Paroxysm said.

  “It’s fine,” I mumbled, taking a puff of my cigarette.

  “So you’re what, fourteen, fifteen?” she asked, making me choke on my inhale laughing. She patted my back as I coughed viciously, giggling.

  “No, no,” I croaked, shaking my head. “Christ, why do you fuck with me so much?”

  “It’s funny,” Paroxysm said simply. “You look about my brother’s age, so I was wondering.”

  “I’m seventeen,” I said. “Despite my stature.”

  “Oh, same as me,” she replied, grinning. “When’s your birthday? Bet I’m older.”

  “September,” I said.

  “August,” she said, sing-song. She prodded my nose and I batted her hand away. “Pretty messed up they put kids down here, right?”

  “Is it more messed up that we did things to deserve it?” I countered.

  “Mm, I don’t think so,” Paroxysm said, shaking her head. “Take me, right? My dad is Heartbreaker, that’s not exactly someone you can say no to. But no second chances for monsters, right?” Her voice had taken on a bitter tone and I frowned.

  “I mean…” I sighed. “I was only fighting Nazis. Admittedly I was killing them, executing some, but they’d been a problem in my city for as long as I’d lived. My mom, she was part of it, so I felt like I had to do something. I chose extermination and wound up here after I almost succeeded.”

  “Shit,” she swore. “That’s...crazy.”

  “Mm, I guess it was,” I said flatly. “It doesn’t…I don’t know, it doesn’t feel real you know? Like it happened but…” I shook my head.

  “No, I get it, there’s...distance, right?” Paroxysm said, and I nodded. “Yeah. But we’re here so it was.”

  We fell silent, quietly smoking and wallowing in mutual self-pity. It wasn’t the best, but it was nice to bitch with someone that got it. There was no question I deserved it though, even if it was messed up they sent under-eighteens here. Paroxysm may not have the body count, but she was just as bad as me. How messed up was it really?

  “So what have you been doing?” Paroxysm asked, interrupting my stewing. “Been avoiding me the last week, don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

  “Just...trying to figure out where I fit in,” I said. “I started reading Strangelands, it’s kind of fun. Besides that, I don’t know, cleaning and shit.” I took a drag off my cigarette. “Oh, I met Marquis last week.”

  “Oh shit, W’s leader?” There was a note of fear in her voice. “What uh, what was that about?”

  “He just wanted to know about his daughter,” I replied. “I um, I dated her on the outside. Got some cigarettes out of the deal just for drinking tea and talking.” And a little info, but none that helped me here. Although he’d said she wasn’t dangerous…

  “Ah, so you’re a player huh?” Paroxysm teased. “Dangerous stuff, dating the daughter of a guy like that.”

  “It really wasn’t,” I said, shaking my head. “I love her, loved her I mean. She took care of me and…” I trailed off and sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I flinched as her arm wrapped around my shoulders.

  I leaned into her and shut my eyes, letting myself enjoy this as much as I could.

  Another week passed before my boredom finally got the better of me and I sought out Cell Block H. It hadn’t been a bad time by any means. Paroxysm and I spent some time reading together, and otherwise just hanging out. I had been rising early to use the track before anyone else could get to it too, trying to keep in some kind of shape. I’d need it on the other side of this, after all.

  But more than that, I needed to be better. Sure I was bored, but Crane had promised me training that couldn’t be beaten. Marquis’ words of warning had rung in my ears, but I’d ignored them. It was just too important. I needed to be as strong as I could to stand a chance against Jack Slash. Maybe her methods would mess me up, but not more than dying nearly twenty times.

  I hadn’t told anyone, just up and left while the lights were still out. I wouldn’t be missed, except maybe by Paroxysm. But I’d be back before long, maybe even by the end of the day depending on whether Crane actually accepted me or not. She probably would, she’d offered training after all, but there was never a guarantee.

  What would it be like? Marquis warned me it would be grueling, so I was expecting to fall asleep in pain and exhausted every night. I’d been through stuff like that before, and I had my doubts it could possibly compare to fighting the Slaughterhouse Nine, or the Endbringers. Whatever it was I could handle it, I had to.

  The lights came on just a minute before I reached Cell Block H. Taking a deep breath, I strode through and braced myself. A line of grim-faced, muscular villains stood a few meters inside the entrance. In front of them stood Crane the Harmonious, hands clasped behind her back, a welcoming smile on her face.

  “Hey,” I said, stopping a few feet away.

  “I’ve been expecting you,” Crane said, sounding satisfied. “I’m glad you accepted my invitation.”

  “Does that mean you’ll train me?” I asked hopefully.

  “That depends,” she said. “Do you think you are ready?”

  “If I’m honest? Probably not.” I shrugged. “I don’t know how you’re going to teach me, or what I’ll have to do, but it doesn’t matter. I need to become more powerful and I assume you can promise me that?”

  “That and more,” she said, her smile growing. “My martial arts are unmatched, and so will you be if you succeed. Do you think you can succeed?”

  “Yes.” Even if it took me a couple tries…

  “Then come along and let us begin.”

  She turned on her heel and started walking back towards the cells and I followed, hoping this wasn’t the worst decision I’d made yet.