Original: "The Final Test." Femslash
Oh man, guys. I'm going to die this quarter and I've only had two days of classes so far. Anyway, been way too long since I could post (had limited internet when we moved into our new place, then was in the mountains without internet, and then was in Vegas without a computer). In only slightly related news, I'm super excited to say that I submitted a story over at Less Than Three Press (which I'm pretty sure at least some of you know of) and it's been accepted for publication.
Anyway, this week's theme was #8, The Final Test. It may or may not be the superhero story I told mechante_filleand caityjay I would totally not be writing and which would totally not have any new characters. As is par for my course, there are totally new characters, though they may or may not be related to one of the ones you already know (and by related, I do in fact mean related). This one takes place a couple dozen years before all the others and takes place at the Academy, instead of the Firm. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Summary: Imelda's worked hard to be top of her class, but losing her spot may not be the worst thing that's ever happened.
Imelda cursed inwardly as she panted, bent over with her hands braced on her knees. She’d done well - damn well, better-than-any-boy-had-done-before well - but it hadn’t been good enough. Her time had fallen just short of Warrior’s Shadow, and bitterness rose in the back of her throat.
She’d worked so hard to prove that a girl belonged in the Academy and one could even become number one, could remain there until graduation, opening the door for more non-powered females dreaming of becoming a superhero. Now she’d been unseated by the cloaked and reclusive Warrior’s Shadow.
Glaring at anyone who approached her, Imelda gathered her things and headed straight for the training yards, relieved to find them deserted at this time, so she could train in peace. She wouldn’t regain her record by sulking in her room or pouting about failing. She couldn’t regain the top graduating spot, but she could take back her record. Only if she tried harder though. Soldier of Fortune would reclaim that spot before she was done.
She’d just barely gotten into the rhythm of one of her weighted staff combinations when a scuff by the door had her whipping around on high alert, staff held defensively in front of her. She didn’t relax a single muscle as she took in the dark cloak of Warrior’s Shadow, body tensed.
The super-in-training stepped forward slowly, blue eyes fixed warily on Imelda’s face from the darkness of his hood. She tried not to scowl, because it would be nothing but unprofessional, but it was hard keeping a neutral expression without clenching her teeth. “What do you want?” she demanded, angry - perhaps irrationally - that someone would intrude here when she was obviously trying to work through some things.
“I came to congratulate you on your time today. It was a personal best, was it not?” His voice was lighter than most of the other boys Imelda dealt with and he didn’t play at having a deep voice like some did. Imelda guessed he was several years younger than her, judging by his face as well as his voice.
That just fueled her simmering anger, to be condescended to by a super who looked so much younger than her and who’d been at the Academy for barely a year, and her jaw was tight as she used her staff to point at the door. “Get out.”
Imelda could see him furrow his brows, cocking his head uncertainly. “You…” He lowered his hood, revealing overlong blond hair that fell to his shoulders and a face that was framed by overly-delicate looking cheekbones. “Do you dislike me?”
She could do nothing to stop her eyebrows from shooting up incredulously. “Yes,” she stated simply, leaving it at that.
“Oh.” Warrior’s Shadow obviously hadn’t yet figured out how to school his reactions and Imelda could see his shoulders slump. “Why…why do you dislike me? Have I done something to upset you? I - I know I have beaten your scores in some areas, but none of the other students seemed very unhappy by that, and I had…I had assumed that perhaps you wouldn’t be either,” he trailed off, sounding far more hurt Imelda thought he should.
Imelda turned away, not entirely trusting her self-control. She remained silent for several long moments, beginning another staff combination as Warrior’s Shadow waited, apparently prepared to wait for his answer. “I have been at this Academy since I was twelve and I’ve spent the last six years preparing for this day and the last test that would determine standings for graduation. I am the first female to ever be allowed into the Academy, the first they’ve let in with all these men.”
She was panting as she talked, spinning faster, and moving more aggressively through each consecutive combination. “I have spent these last six years proving that I can be just as good as them, sometimes even better. I’m trying to show all the girls out there that there can be female supers who are non-powered, and barely half a year before my graduation tests, you start displacing me at the top and dash that dream - even if it was partly selfish - of having a girl graduate at the top of her track. So, yes. I rather dislike you. I’m sure you’re a good person and you’ll be a good super and all, but I hope you’ll forgive me if I can’t find it in me to like the person who bumped me down to second place.”
She could see Warrior’s Shadow from the corner of her eye, as her muscles started burning slightly. “I still don’t understand. How do my scores take away from the dream of a girl graduating at the top?”
Imelda almost smacked herself with her staff as she turned to stare incredulously at Warrior’s Shadow. “Well, seeing as how I’m second and I’m currently the only female at the Academy -”
“Oh,” he interrupted, surprised though Imelda couldn’t see why. “I…I told them I didn’t want them making a fuss about it, but I had thought they would at least tell you.” Imelda watched, confusion staying her tongue as Warrior’s Shadow reached up and deftly unclasped the frog that fastened his cloak. It billowed down around him in dark ripples, revealing…an unmistakably female body.
Imelda could feel her eyebrows hit her hairline. If she had to describe how she was feeling, she’d have to say she was just this side of dumbfounded. She blinked rapidly, snapping back in as she realized Warrior’s Shadow was talking again. “I know it is not generally the done thing, but under the circumstances, I don’t think introductions are out of line. I’m Celestine.” A small-boned hand was shoved at her, and Imelda took in gingerly without thinking, idly fascinated by the differences in their callouses.
“Imelda.” Looking at her anew, Imelda decided Warrior’s Shadow was probably closer to her age and somehow that went a long way to soothing the ruffled feathers that hadn’t already been soothed by finding out her number one spot had simply gone to another girl.
Celestine cocked her head to the side curiously. “Do you dislike me less now that you know the dream is still alive?”
Imelda’s lips crooked up slightly. “It’s hard to stay angry given the circumstances, though I am a bit disappointed not to be the one inspiring girls to push for these sorts of things.”
“But you are!” Celestine burst out, before snapping her mouth shut, a blush quickly overtaking her face. At Imelda’s inquiring glance, she reluctantly went on, flush not abating in the slightest. “You are an inspiration, you know. You’re why I’m here, anyway. News spread to our little town, out on the Western Border, about everything you’d done since arriving here at the Academy. I left a week later to try to track down Renzin.” She smiled as Imelda’s eyes lit in recognition. “Your mentor sends his best, by the way, and says you should visit more often. Anyway, he’s the one who prepared me to join you here. I had a much easier time getting accepted, because you were here, I think, and you’d shown girls could excel here.”
They stood in mostly comfortable silence for several moments, neither entirely sure what to say. “That’s how I got my name too.”
“How?” Imelda’s brows furrowed. Renzin didn’t choose names; he just laughed at his mentees’ choices.
“Well, my original name was a little too obvious, but it’s still the same intent.” Celestine’s ears were a bright red as she looked anywhere but at Imelda, looking almost as though she wished she hadn’t said anything.
“What was your original name?” she prodded curiously, leaning on her semi-forgotten staff.
Blush heightening, Celestine mumbled, “Soldier’s Shadow.”
Imelda blinked dumbly a couple times, before gesturing between them, taking in Celestine’s color. “So is this hero-worship or…?”
Celestine sighed in something akin to exasperation. “It was. All the way up until the first time I saw you spar against Tracker. Then, it somehow changed.” The last was said on a slight cringe and Imelda didn’t miss the small flinch when she passed Celestine so she could store her staff properly.
“Good,” Imelda stated in satisfaction, turning back to the slighter girl. “Boys are idiots. You shouldn’t waste your time on them. You are obviously destined for much more. Are you hungry? They should be serving dinner by now.”
Celestine seemed completely overwhelmed and merely nodded, eyes impossibly wide. Smiling slightly, Imelda bent to collect Warrior’s Shadow cloak, swinging it over Celestine’s shoulders and refastening it only a little clumsily, the slighter girl’s cheeks flushing a faint pink. Smirk growing, Imelda gestured to the door. “Come on, Shadow. Maybe we can trade training regimens.”
Celestine snorted, ears still pink. “Dream on, Soldier. That spot is mine.”
Imelda couldn’t keep in a laugh. One way or another, a girl would be taking the top spot in the Academy’s graduating class.
Anyway, this week's theme was #8, The Final Test. It may or may not be the superhero story I told mechante_filleand caityjay I would totally not be writing and which would totally not have any new characters. As is par for my course, there are totally new characters, though they may or may not be related to one of the ones you already know (and by related, I do in fact mean related). This one takes place a couple dozen years before all the others and takes place at the Academy, instead of the Firm. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Summary: Imelda's worked hard to be top of her class, but losing her spot may not be the worst thing that's ever happened.
Imelda cursed inwardly as she panted, bent over with her hands braced on her knees. She’d done well - damn well, better-than-any-boy-had-done-before well - but it hadn’t been good enough. Her time had fallen just short of Warrior’s Shadow, and bitterness rose in the back of her throat.
She’d worked so hard to prove that a girl belonged in the Academy and one could even become number one, could remain there until graduation, opening the door for more non-powered females dreaming of becoming a superhero. Now she’d been unseated by the cloaked and reclusive Warrior’s Shadow.
Glaring at anyone who approached her, Imelda gathered her things and headed straight for the training yards, relieved to find them deserted at this time, so she could train in peace. She wouldn’t regain her record by sulking in her room or pouting about failing. She couldn’t regain the top graduating spot, but she could take back her record. Only if she tried harder though. Soldier of Fortune would reclaim that spot before she was done.
She’d just barely gotten into the rhythm of one of her weighted staff combinations when a scuff by the door had her whipping around on high alert, staff held defensively in front of her. She didn’t relax a single muscle as she took in the dark cloak of Warrior’s Shadow, body tensed.
The super-in-training stepped forward slowly, blue eyes fixed warily on Imelda’s face from the darkness of his hood. She tried not to scowl, because it would be nothing but unprofessional, but it was hard keeping a neutral expression without clenching her teeth. “What do you want?” she demanded, angry - perhaps irrationally - that someone would intrude here when she was obviously trying to work through some things.
“I came to congratulate you on your time today. It was a personal best, was it not?” His voice was lighter than most of the other boys Imelda dealt with and he didn’t play at having a deep voice like some did. Imelda guessed he was several years younger than her, judging by his face as well as his voice.
That just fueled her simmering anger, to be condescended to by a super who looked so much younger than her and who’d been at the Academy for barely a year, and her jaw was tight as she used her staff to point at the door. “Get out.”
Imelda could see him furrow his brows, cocking his head uncertainly. “You…” He lowered his hood, revealing overlong blond hair that fell to his shoulders and a face that was framed by overly-delicate looking cheekbones. “Do you dislike me?”
She could do nothing to stop her eyebrows from shooting up incredulously. “Yes,” she stated simply, leaving it at that.
“Oh.” Warrior’s Shadow obviously hadn’t yet figured out how to school his reactions and Imelda could see his shoulders slump. “Why…why do you dislike me? Have I done something to upset you? I - I know I have beaten your scores in some areas, but none of the other students seemed very unhappy by that, and I had…I had assumed that perhaps you wouldn’t be either,” he trailed off, sounding far more hurt Imelda thought he should.
Imelda turned away, not entirely trusting her self-control. She remained silent for several long moments, beginning another staff combination as Warrior’s Shadow waited, apparently prepared to wait for his answer. “I have been at this Academy since I was twelve and I’ve spent the last six years preparing for this day and the last test that would determine standings for graduation. I am the first female to ever be allowed into the Academy, the first they’ve let in with all these men.”
She was panting as she talked, spinning faster, and moving more aggressively through each consecutive combination. “I have spent these last six years proving that I can be just as good as them, sometimes even better. I’m trying to show all the girls out there that there can be female supers who are non-powered, and barely half a year before my graduation tests, you start displacing me at the top and dash that dream - even if it was partly selfish - of having a girl graduate at the top of her track. So, yes. I rather dislike you. I’m sure you’re a good person and you’ll be a good super and all, but I hope you’ll forgive me if I can’t find it in me to like the person who bumped me down to second place.”
She could see Warrior’s Shadow from the corner of her eye, as her muscles started burning slightly. “I still don’t understand. How do my scores take away from the dream of a girl graduating at the top?”
Imelda almost smacked herself with her staff as she turned to stare incredulously at Warrior’s Shadow. “Well, seeing as how I’m second and I’m currently the only female at the Academy -”
“Oh,” he interrupted, surprised though Imelda couldn’t see why. “I…I told them I didn’t want them making a fuss about it, but I had thought they would at least tell you.” Imelda watched, confusion staying her tongue as Warrior’s Shadow reached up and deftly unclasped the frog that fastened his cloak. It billowed down around him in dark ripples, revealing…an unmistakably female body.
Imelda could feel her eyebrows hit her hairline. If she had to describe how she was feeling, she’d have to say she was just this side of dumbfounded. She blinked rapidly, snapping back in as she realized Warrior’s Shadow was talking again. “I know it is not generally the done thing, but under the circumstances, I don’t think introductions are out of line. I’m Celestine.” A small-boned hand was shoved at her, and Imelda took in gingerly without thinking, idly fascinated by the differences in their callouses.
“Imelda.” Looking at her anew, Imelda decided Warrior’s Shadow was probably closer to her age and somehow that went a long way to soothing the ruffled feathers that hadn’t already been soothed by finding out her number one spot had simply gone to another girl.
Celestine cocked her head to the side curiously. “Do you dislike me less now that you know the dream is still alive?”
Imelda’s lips crooked up slightly. “It’s hard to stay angry given the circumstances, though I am a bit disappointed not to be the one inspiring girls to push for these sorts of things.”
“But you are!” Celestine burst out, before snapping her mouth shut, a blush quickly overtaking her face. At Imelda’s inquiring glance, she reluctantly went on, flush not abating in the slightest. “You are an inspiration, you know. You’re why I’m here, anyway. News spread to our little town, out on the Western Border, about everything you’d done since arriving here at the Academy. I left a week later to try to track down Renzin.” She smiled as Imelda’s eyes lit in recognition. “Your mentor sends his best, by the way, and says you should visit more often. Anyway, he’s the one who prepared me to join you here. I had a much easier time getting accepted, because you were here, I think, and you’d shown girls could excel here.”
They stood in mostly comfortable silence for several moments, neither entirely sure what to say. “That’s how I got my name too.”
“How?” Imelda’s brows furrowed. Renzin didn’t choose names; he just laughed at his mentees’ choices.
“Well, my original name was a little too obvious, but it’s still the same intent.” Celestine’s ears were a bright red as she looked anywhere but at Imelda, looking almost as though she wished she hadn’t said anything.
“What was your original name?” she prodded curiously, leaning on her semi-forgotten staff.
Blush heightening, Celestine mumbled, “Soldier’s Shadow.”
Imelda blinked dumbly a couple times, before gesturing between them, taking in Celestine’s color. “So is this hero-worship or…?”
Celestine sighed in something akin to exasperation. “It was. All the way up until the first time I saw you spar against Tracker. Then, it somehow changed.” The last was said on a slight cringe and Imelda didn’t miss the small flinch when she passed Celestine so she could store her staff properly.
“Good,” Imelda stated in satisfaction, turning back to the slighter girl. “Boys are idiots. You shouldn’t waste your time on them. You are obviously destined for much more. Are you hungry? They should be serving dinner by now.”
Celestine seemed completely overwhelmed and merely nodded, eyes impossibly wide. Smiling slightly, Imelda bent to collect Warrior’s Shadow cloak, swinging it over Celestine’s shoulders and refastening it only a little clumsily, the slighter girl’s cheeks flushing a faint pink. Smirk growing, Imelda gestured to the door. “Come on, Shadow. Maybe we can trade training regimens.”
Celestine snorted, ears still pink. “Dream on, Soldier. That spot is mine.”
Imelda couldn’t keep in a laugh. One way or another, a girl would be taking the top spot in the Academy’s graduating class.