Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing

Chapter 73: Trap

"Only one class can claim the vault? What on earth are they thinking?!"

Reggie, who had been absent along with two guys, shouted in shock once the information was passed to them.

"I wonder." Came James. "Seems to me like they want an all out battle."

"And our pairings aren’t exactly encouraging." Someone chipped in.

Reggie’s eyes searched the room and found Isaiah quickly.

"Hey, assistant." He called. "What class are we paired against for today?"

Isaiah took a deep breath, like the words about to come out were heavy.

"12-B." He said quietly.

"What!"

The whole room sounded at once.

Isaiah shoved a finger into both ears.

Then came the noise.

"We’re up against seniors in a one only trial?"

"We’re screwed."

A boy fell on a girl’s shoulder next to him

"Mama..." He cried.

She pushed him off.

"This is not gonna end well."

"Let’s just give up and go home."

"No." A calm voice sounded through the base.

All heads turned to the door.

Soraya stood straight, arms behind her back.

"There will be no backing down."

Her expression was hard.

"There will be no retreat. No surrender. We all knew this was coming."

She looked around the room, letting her eyes settle on every single face.

She sighed and glanced at her feet for a second, then her head was back up.

"I admit I wasn’t much of a good leader yesterday. And I made some decisions that negatively affected our squad."

Her eyes darted between Yesu and Grover.

"I apologize."

She stood straighter.

"I commend you all for being proactive yesterday. Starting from this moment, I vow to think carefully about orders before giving them."

A pause.

"We still have five Scales. And a vault to claim. So until we’re eliminated, we’re still in this."

***

The squad gathered around the large table in the center of the base.

A map was spread across it.

Everyone leaned in.

Soraya and Isaiah stood side by side at the front.

Soraya placed a finger on a marked location.

A bold number 3 had been written beside it.

"Vault Three." She said. "That’s our designated vault with 12-B."

Isaiah frowned. "How do you know that?"

"I was summoned earlier."

Realization dawned on him.

"Oh. So that’s where you disappeared to."

A student near the back raised a hand.

"Then why summon only you?" he asked. "Why not just tell everyone through the announcement?"

For the first time since entering the room, Soraya looked slightly uncomfortable.

Her eyes accidentally met Yesu’s.

Only for a second.

Then she quickly looked away and faced the map again.

"Doesn’t matter." She said.

Her tone had already returned to that of a squad leader.

"What matters is how we approach this issue. We need a solid plan before going out there."

She tapped Vault Three.

"We have to stop 12-B from reaching the vault. If they get there first, we won’t be able to hold ground against them."

Her gaze swept across the room.

"Any ideas?"

Everyone began thinking.

Silence settled over the base.

Seconds stretched into minutes.

Finch looked around.

Waited.

Looked around again.

Then waited some more.

He seemed reluctant to speak. Eventually, he raised a hand.

"What if..." he began.

The room turned toward him.

"What if we lay an ambush?"

A pause.

"Trap them. Just like we were yesterday."

Faces immediately brightened.

"Yeah."

"That’s such a great idea."

"Why didn’t I think of that?"

"That could actually work."

Soraya studied Finch for a moment. As though seeing him differently.

"Alright then."

She reached over and grabbed Isaiah’s wrist.

"Hey—" He started.

Ignoring him, she checked the time on his watch.

"It’s already nine." She said. "If we can get there quickly and devise a trap, we win this."

Reggie raised a hand."What kind of trap?"

Soraya paused. Her hand moved to her chin.

She looked around the room.

Then nodded to herself.

"Everyone come up with a trap idea that can restrict you from using your Ability. We have ten minutes."

Confused expressions appeared immediately.

"What?" Someone asked from the back.

Soraya pointed at the table.

"Something that can keep 12-B down till seventeen hundred."

***

Vault Three sat in the middle of the forest like something that didn’t belong there.

A metal safe the size of a person.

Smooth steel walls.

An electronic lock built into the front.

Trees surrounded it from every direction.

Around the area, Squad 11-D worked frantically.

Carrots dragged a massive log through the dirt with an arm.

The thing should have required three people.

She hauled it alone.

With a grunt, she dropped it across a narrow pathway.

"Done."

The ground shook slightly.

Nearby, Reggie crouched while tying a trip wire between two trees.

Grover worked beside him one-handed.

His bruised face twisted in irritation every time he moved.

"For the last time," Carrots shouted, walking to him. "Go set yourself somewhere. I’m tired of having to look at that eye."

"I’m fine." He said bluntly.

"You look like roadkill."

Grover’s eye twitched.

Reggie quietly moved farther away before an argument could start.

At the center of it all, Soraya moved from group to group.

Checking. Adjusting. Ordering.

The sun continued climbing.

Far too quickly.

She glanced at her watch.

At the vault.

Then at the watch again.

"Soraya, chill. We still have a few hours." Isaiah called out to her from where he sat, cross-legged, beside his battered computer.

Lines crawled across the screen. He studied them closely.

"Most likely approach routes are east, northeast, and southwest." he announced.

"Mark them." Soraya replied immediately.

Farida and Yesu worked beside a freshly dug pit.

They layered branches across the opening.

Followed by leaves and loose dirt.

Farida stepped back. "Perfect."

The ground beneath her instantly vanished.

"Aaaaah!"

She disappeared.

Everyone turned.

Isaiah shot to his feet.

"What happened?!"

Farida’s head popped back into view from inside the pit.

"Guys, I’m not okay..." She began.

Several people groaned.

Isaiah hurried over with two others.

"Move aside," he told Yesu. "You’re still recovering."

Before helping, he casually shoved the pouch of Scales into her hands.

"Hold this."

Then he climbed down to help pull Farida out.

A voice called from deeper in the trees.

"Yesu!"

Yesu looked up.

Finch waved. "Can I get a little help?" freeweɓnovel.cѳm

"Sure." She walked over.

Finch handed her a length of string. "Hold that."

He wandered off toward another tree. Somehow, he knew exactly where every alarm line needed to go.

Yesu held the string quietly.

Then paused and listened.

Something was rustling in the bushes.

She glanced toward it.

A small movement. Nothing else.

Curious, she stepped closer.

The rustling came again. Farther away.

She followed.

Branches brushed against her uniform.

The sound came again, moving deeper into the forest.

She followed once more.

The voices of her squad gradually faded.

The rustling led her farther.

Soon, the sounds of digging and shouting disappeared completely.

Then there was silence.

The rustlings had stopped.

Yesu frowned, looking around.

Trees... bushes...

Nothing.

As soon as she turned to leave—

A gloved hand shot from behind.

It clamped firmly over her mouth.

And another arm wrapped around her waist.

...

By daybreak, all members of squad 11-D were already up and about.

Some brushed their teeth.

Others washed their faces using bottled water.

The camouflage uniforms they had slept in were gradually replacing night clothes once again.

The atmosphere was quieter than usual. Fatigue still lingered from the previous day.

Yesu finished brushing her teeth and rinsed her mouth.

She splashed water across her face. Then poured the remainder over her hair to wash away dried sweat.

Her hand instinctively rose to the back of her head.

Feeling for the injury.

Farida walked over.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Yesu didn’t skip a beat. "I’m okay."

Farida blinked. "Just okay?"

"Yeah."

Before Farida could question her further, Carrots appeared beside them.

She looked Yesu over.

"You seem to be healing really fast." She remarked. "Do you regenerate or something?"

Yesu didn’t answer.

Carrots narrowed her eyes.

Then casually stepped behind her.

"Let me see."

She moved Yesu’s hair aside.

"Hey!" Farida protested. "It’s rude to invade someone’s privacy."

Carrots groaned. "I’m not invading anything. I’m just checking—"

She stopped speaking.

Farida frowned. "What is it?"

She leaned over for a look. Her expression changed instantly.

Yesu looked between them.

"What?" she asked. "Do I have lice?"

Carrots slowly released her hair.

"No."

Her voice sounded strange.

Farida looked away immediately, hand covering her mouth.

The injury was still there.

The back of Yesu’s skull remained visibly cracked. Blood and fragments of bone were mashed together along her scalp.

The wound had clearly begun healing.

But not nearly enough to look normal.

"So you didn’t regenerate." Carrots observed quietly.

She looked Yesu from head to toe.

"Your head is practically busted." She said in disbelief. "How are you still standing?"

Yesu touched the injury again. "I don’t think it’s as bad as it looks."

Farida nearly gagged. "Doesn’t it hurt?"

Yesu hesitated for a second, then shrugged.

"Not really."

Neither of them knew what to say to that.

Suddenly a hand appeared from nowhere and knocked against Yesu’s head.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

"Of course she’s still standing." Finch grinned. "Why do you think I call her Coco?"

He knocked her head again.

"Her head is as hard as a coconut."

Yesu gently pushed his hand away. "Careful." She warned. "I’m still human, you know."

Carrots stared.

Farida looked horrified.

Finch simply grabbed Yesu’s wrist.

"Come on."

Before she could protest, he was already dragging her away.

"I have something to show you."

The two disappeared around a bend between the trees.

Carrots watched them go. She folded her arms, deep in thought.

"The injury doesn’t look fresh." She muttered. "It’s obviously healing quickly."

Farida finally removed her hand from her mouth.

"Maybe she’s pain resistant?" she suggested. "It explains yesterday."

Carrots shook her head.

"No."

Her gaze remained fixed on where Yesu had vanished.

"I don’t see any resistance there."

***

Finch stopped beside a tree, a short distance from the base.

"What exactly do you want to show me that requires this much secrecy?" Yesu asked.

Finch crouched. He dug around one of the roots.

A moment later he pulled out a small cloth pouch.

He raised it triumphantly.

"Ta–da."

Yesu stared. "What is it?"

Finch opened the pouch.

Dark purple berries filled the inside.

Yesu remained unimpressed. "What for?"

Finch looked offended. "For eating obviously."

He stood proudly.

"I found a berry plant yesterday." His chest puffed up. "I saved some for you."

Yesu took the pouch. Studied the berries. Then looked back at him.

Finch smiled confidently.

"You don’t need to say it." He beat his chest. "As your favorite person, I’ll do anything to win your heart."

Without a word, Yesu stretched the pouch back to him.

"Here. I don’t want it."

Finch blinked. "Why? I thought you liked food."

He took the pouch and inspected the berries.

"Or maybe it’s the colour?" He mumbled.

"They’re poisonous."

Finch froze. "What?"

"It has spiky hairs all over." Yesu pointed at one. "Even a kindergartner knows things like that are poison."

Finch stared at the berries.

At her.

Then back at the berries.

Yesu clicked her tongue in pity. "Seems like there’s no hope for you after all."

She turned and started walking away.

"Wait!" Finch hurried after her. "We can find something else."

"I’d rather starve."

Yesu didn’t even look back.

"I really need to start making normal friends." she muttered with a sigh.

***

In the base, members of 11-D sat on the floor sharing breakfast among themselves.

Crackers.

Cheese.

Water.

Nothing exciting, but nobody complained.

Yesu walked in and joined them.

She sat beside Grover.

His right arm rested in a sling. One eye was swollen, nearly shut, and bruises covered every exposed part of his body.

"Hey." Yesu greeted.

Grover glanced at her briefly. Then looked away without a word.

James handed Yesu her portion of breakfast.

"Thanks." She accepted it and began eating.

"How did you find the base?" she asked.

James gestured across the room.

"Isaiah tracked us."

Yesu followed his gaze.

In a corner, Isaiah sat before a battered computer that looked like it could collapse at any moment.

She stood and walked over.

"Nice work finding everyone."

Isaiah brightened immediately.

"Thanks. The computer was basically dead when we got here." He said. "Spent hours fixing it."

He tapped the side of the machine proudly.

"And luckily I’d already shared a test chip with Soraya. Once I pinpointed her location, finding the rest wasn’t hard."

His attention returned to the screen.

"Now I’m linking everyone’s bracelets to the system."

Yesu glanced around.

"Speaking of Soraya, where is she anyway?"

Isaiah paused, only now realizing she wasn’t there.

"I don’t know." He admitted thoughtfully. "I haven’t seen her since first light."

Just then—

The transmitter beside the doorway crackled to life.

Everyone froze.

"Attention participants."

Mr Ryco’s steady voice filled the room.

All eyes were on the transmitter.

"For day two, your Directive is simple."

A brief pause.

"Claim."

Several students frowned.

"Relics currently in your possession hold no score value." Mr Ryco continued. "To receive points, relics must be deposited into an authorized Academy Vault before sunset. Each paired class is assigned a single Academy Vault."

The room grew still.

Then came the next statement.

"And only one class may claim that vault before sunset."

Alarm spread instantly through 11-D.

"What?"

"Seriously?"

"You’ve got to be kidding."

Mr Ryco continued regardless.

"The winning class is determined by control of the vault according to academy rules."

Silence followed.

A long silence.

Several students exchanged uncertain looks.

It sounded like the annou

ncement had ended.

Then the transmitter crackled once more.

"The vault opens only during a one-hour submission window."

Another pause.

"Seventeen hundred."