Page 15 of Failed State

Krista stops in front of a door marked with a three again, nodding. “That’s right! The coordinators have lined up a series of starter challenges to get the blood pumping. Those who win will be dressed to the nines and those who fail will wear their uniforms. Support from fans is imminently necessary in future months and trials, so you should put your all into winning them over early!”

The amount of bubbly exclamations this woman uttered in the five minutes since we met her is egregious for anyone not wearing a cheerleader outfit.

“Fine. Win people over. We get it.” Sydney growls as she glares at the human. “It’s all a big dog-and-pony-show and we’re the livestock. We understand.”

I roll my eyes to the ceiling as she stomps into the room, leaving Thad and I behind to give Krista sheepish smiles.

We’re going to have to work on her people skills for certain.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

SYDNEY

I havezero faith that this Krista woman will do anything but truss us up like prize ponies until we become a liability. Huck, Thad, and I are determined to survive this nonsense, but who knows what the extras have planned? If they were moved here unwillingly, our new friends might be fine with taking a dive.

If they put me or the guys in danger, I’ll help them along without batting an eye.

“Why do you look so adorably vicious, sweet pea?”

My eyes cut to the demon as I follow him to the fat couch against the wall. Plopping down next to him, I make a face that I hope conveys my doubt about this whole situation. “I’m not great with new people, remember?”

Thad chuckles as his big frame makes a dent in the cushions next to me. “But you’re so charming and open, Syd.”

Rolling my eyes as he puts his arm around my shoulder, I shrug. “This isn’t a world where you can trust people anymore, Thad. If anyone knows that, it’s supes like us sitting in places like this.”

Krista’s eyes widen and I can tell it makes her uncomfortable to hear, but I don’t give a randy, red fuck. Humans fucked supesover entirely instead of figuring out how we could all work and live together. They don’t get to pretend we’re living it up in these fucking camps like some stupid teen summer movie. It’s dirty, soul-crushing, and inhumane; that’s the plain truth.

Don’t want to be labeled the villain, don’t do villain shit.

A soft chime, almost like a Fae call, rings and the woman looks up with a forced smile. “Ah, that would be the matchmakers. They’ve put your data into the system and we’ll have your team complete very shortly.”

I arch a brow at her. “How did they do that? You didn’t leave, nor did you call anyone.”

“Oh, our magical staff enchanted the forms. The input is transmitted directly to them and they feed it into our system. It’s a miracle of technology!” she gushes. “Our leaders have spared no expense to ensure this challenge is remembered for centuries.”

My lips press together in a thin line as I strain not to remind her that without their supe slaves, this bullshit tech wouldn’t be possible. It won’t help to antagonize her constantly; I imagine she’s not the worst human they could have assigned us. I’d prefer not to be given someone who would use this position for more nefarious purposes than inching their way up the ladder.

“If your ‘system’ is so good, what exactly is it supposed to do, darlin’?” Huck is leaning back with his hands stacked behind his head as if he’s relaxing, but I can feel the tension in his body.

“Thank you for asking, Huckleberry!” Krista says with a bright grin that seems real this time. She bustles over to the chair opposite of our couch, resting her hands on her lap. “The Matchmakers take the information you provided and the algorithm in the computers compares it to all of the other competitors in teams with spots. It looks within the current camp, as well as the new residents we’ve imported for the most balanced group of contestants possible. Once it finds the rightcombination, I’ll get a notification. The gu… assistants in the gathering area will be summoned to bring your new best friends to this room. I’ll speak to you all for a few moments, then we’ll head for the medical bay.”

All three of us notice her slip—the humans or supes in the ‘gathering area’ are guards, not assistants. That means there are beings there they don’t believe they can leave without armed humans to watch them. The rumors about lockdown losers may well be on the nose. Tilting my head back and forth, I crack my neck to relieve the pressure building there. Huck lifts a hand and his fingers massage the base of my neck, and it feels so good that I let him without a snarky comment.

That should tell you how much this process is tripping my gut—I never let Huck do that shit without complaint.

“What do you mean ‘balanced’?” he says with an easy smile. “Are they looking to balance species or powers or levels….?”

Krista frowns, then sighs. “Honestly, I don’t know the trade secret specific details. No one besides the Camp Coordinators, the FHSA public relations team, and the government advisors have that information. It might be some of those things or all of them. They simply guarantee that your team will be balanced for the competition.”

Thad snorts. “Secrets on secrets, even from their own people. Of course that’s how it works.”

“We don’t need to worry about it! The FHSA always takes care of our people and these challenges are history in the making.”

“Uh-huh,” I mutter. Taterman has the entire country practically lobotomized at this point. Krista is a prime example of the cogs in the wheels everywhere who blindly follow orders and don’t question it. Dissenters to his evergreen rule gained through a hostile takeover of the judicial and legislativebranches of this country after the virus were dealt with more severely than us supes.

“Hopefully, you get your message soon. It sounds like we have a few more steps before we’re able to strategize.” Huck continues rubbing my neck, trying to keep me calm, but I know it’s also to distract her from realizing his true goal. He wants to know what’s coming and how we’re going to avoid bad shit.

Krista nods, her hands clasping together and squeezing as she practically vibrates with excitement. “I hope so, too! And yes, you will go through the medical certification, then a mental health review, and then I will escort you and your team to the competitor headquarters to tour the facility. Your new dorms will be there for the duration of the competition, so you will have a short time to go home and get your necessary personal items.”

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