4.10

Bakuda’s voice hissed, a terrifying sound, “Getting the upper hand on me? You should be fucking terrified.”

Blinded and in agony, I realized I was bleeding, crimson ribbons pooling on the ground. Bakuda’s taunts echoed, “Leaving me with a grenade launcher? You were begging to be shot.”

Thoughts muddled, disjointed, I struggled to connect them. School, Bakuda, fighting back… the ideas wouldn’t coalesce.

“Bad day?” Bakuda’s pink boots appeared, her voice dripping with venom. She revealed she knew I was responsible for Lung’s imprisonment. “You get special treatment. Watch what I do to your friends.”

“Bakuda, school,” I mumbled, my voice weak.

She hauled me up, pain sharpening my focus. “School. Bakuda failed,” I forced out, “Second place?”

She recoiled as if burned. Grue’s distorted voice echoed, then Bakuda kicked me, dragging me across the pavement. The pain was a nine-point-five out of ten. I saw Grue, bound by golden ribbons.

“Let’s see how smart you are after I give him his treat,” Bakuda threatened, pulling out a metal capsule. “Two-twenty-seven. If you use your power, I’ll use it on the bug brat.”

She removed Grue’s mask, his face a shadowy blur, and inserted the capsule into his nostril. “A space distortion effect that only works on living material. It won’t kill you, but you’ll wish you were dead.”

I had to act. My utility belt. Pepper spray? No. Baton? No strength. Epipens? Useless.

The knife sheath.

A faint click as Bakuda removed the tool from Grue’s nose. “This should be a show,” she gloated.

Darkness crept in. I straightened my legs, trying to fight it off, but failed.

Toe rings.

I drove the knife down onto her foot. A scream. Nausea. My mask was spattered with blood. I’d hit pavement, not armor. Two severed toes lay amidst the gore.

I tried to pull the knife free, gasping. Each breath was agony. Grue was shouting something. “Live knee vuh yife?” Knife. He needed the knife.

I fell forward, face down, my hand clutching the knife. The ground gave, the knife came free. I looked up, saw Grue struggling, then darkness claimed me.