The rooftops of R.I.S City were like black glass that had been soaked on by the rain. The neon lights leaked their colors into the puddles below, crimson, amber, turquoise, making the narrow streets look like floating rivers of light. The air was like oil and iron and ozone and seemed to me to be a breathing city. The breath of Comet smoked before him as he ran down the deserted training tunnel beyond the ancient gym. His feet were swirling in the rain in his shoes; his heart was clattering like war drums. Faster, he told himself. Precision, not speed--but I will have both to-night--said Kaiser. The alley was the entrance of the secret courtyard where the balance team trained. Broken gates led to a square of spalling concrete, the surface of which was cut up with faint lines of chalk that made up a circle--the unofficial arena of R.I.S High. There was one lamp humming over the place and giving long, dramatic shadows, which leaped to and fro with the lightning flashing across the horizon. Kaiser, with his up-collar buttoned, was in the middle of it, and the slight wind was playfully swaying his long dark hair. Taj, a long, slim silent fellow who, like a blade, is sheathed in patience, stood beside him. His gestures were accurate, sparse; not even standing motionless he exuded tension. Wasif was sitting near by on a broken crate with the meeting of the headphones hanging on his neck, and his face composed, yet alert. He seldom talked, unlike the rest; when he did he was most likely in trouble. Kaiser raised his eyes as Comet came in. "You're late." It was the fault of rain, you see, said Comet, who was out of breath. Kaiser smirked. Enemies are never slowed by the rain. It shouldn't slow you either." He gestured to the circle. "Warm-up's over. You are fighting with Taj to-night. Comet blinked. "Wait—Taj? He's like, a head taller than me." "Two," Wasif said with a grin. "And heavier by twenty kilos." Taj shook his shoulders, and extended his arms. Nothing to worry about, he said to himself in a low steadfast voice. "I won't break you… much." Kaiser's tone turned serious. "Remember the rule. There were no display show-off strikes, no riots on the streets. This is control. You come to sharpen instincts, and not to destroy one another. There was a crack of lightning somewhere above the roofs and the two went into the circle. Taj was the first--smless, deceptive. His kick cut through the air like a whip, and would have struck Comet between the ribs an inch out. Comet just escaped, brushing his shirt against the wind of it. He returned with a sharp thrust at the shoulder, which Taj easily blocked, and swung his arm and sent him away. This struck and Comet lost his footing, yet in its place thrilled his blood. So this is Taj's speed… unreal. They went round in a circle and soaked their feet in the puddles. The eyes of Taj were shining in the semi-dark. You are talking too loud, you see, said he. I can feel it through the manner of your gait. Comet gritted his teeth. Then I'll stop thinking. He jumped forward in a feint, crouched low and swept the leg of Taj. Taj sprung over it--if he had not sprung on to it--and landed with a back hand blow, which Comet just saved. Their forearms came in collision, the collision reverberating in the courtyard. "Good," Kaiser called. "Keep your guard low, Comet. You are not boxing--you are living. Downpour increased, and beat the metal roof. At each drop the rhythm of their combat appeared to increase--strike, parry, dodge, twist. Clumsily accurate movement on his part, Taj matched Comet in a dance of discipline and anarchy. Wasif whistled quietly. "Kid's got heart," he muttered. "But Taj's holding back." Naturally he is, Kaiser answered. Otherwise Comet would be on the ground already. Taj rolled in once more, his knee pressed against the ribs of Comet-controlled, but sufficient to thump the breath out of him. Comet gasped, reeled up, pushed himself up. His muscles ached, his heart throbbed, yet that of him would not give up. He can read the slight flicker of surprise in the eyes of Taj. "Not bad," Taj said. "Most fall after that." Comet wiped his eyes with the water. "Guess I'm not most." Then he charged again. It was not fancy; it was not refined. It was desperate, raw, alive. His shoulder was hit by his punch and Taj was slightly out of balance. Taj smiled, the first time he had ever smiled--a great, wicked grin. "That's more like it." The tempo quickened. Taj moved faster, testing him. Now the body of Comet was acting instinctively and not calculating. Each dodge, each blow was more natural. The air that existed between them tore with vitality. At last Taj paused in his stride, and Comet was only a few inches away with his fist and his jaw. "Enough." He lowered it gently. You are quicker than I thought. Comet shivered half soaked. Kaiser came forward, with one applause. "That's what I wanted to see. Adaptation." Wasif tossed him a towel. "Welcome to the real club, kid." Kaiser changed countenance before Comet could make a reply--his serene interest contracting into a hawk that sees its prey. He wheeled and faced the end of the alley. "We're not alone." All three froze. Out in the rain some faint footsteps could be heard. The shadows extended in the entrance to the alley--three figures with their faces covered by the hoods. The lamp above fluttered a moment, two moments, and leveled. they spotted us, he whispered Wasif. Comet tensed. "Who?" "Silver Hounds," Taj muttered. "Rex's boys." The characters went nearer, wet with rain. The one before was a small silver badge in the form of a fang. "Kaiser," he called out. "Rex sends regards." Kaiser didn't move. say to Rex I do not keep night meetings. The hooded one laughed. "This isn't a meeting." He snapped his fingers. Two others came out of the shadow behind them--barring the outlet. The heart of Comet nearly bumped against his ribs. An ambush. Taj cracked his knuckles. "Guess training's not over." Kaiser's voice was ice. "Wasif, lights." Wasif put his hand into his bag, threw a little ball on the ground. It crashed down in a flashing flash--magnesium white. By the time the light went down Kaiser was on the move. He was as shadowy as possible, dodging a chain, blocking a punch, kicking out at an assailant, the lightning quickness of the movement too quick to trace. Taj was in at once, and struck devastatingly. Comet was trailing behind with a natural instinct to do what he had trained to do only a few moments before. He scurried under one of the wild swings, and thrust his elbow into a stomach, and whirled, and side-stepped another blow. The courtyard was transformed into anarchy by the rain mud, blood, and neon reflection. Comet fell on his knees, seized himself just in time before a blade flew past his ear. "Kaiser!" he shouted. "Left!" Kaiser's voice snapped back. Comet turned in time to behold a figure that was rushing out of the shadows. With a crunch his fist struck the jaw of the attacker. The man fell in a puddle, senseless. With each strike that fell Two others followed. The Silver Hounds were trained, drilled,--but so was the instinct of Kaiser. He was moving as though he could see the fight several seconds before anybody. Taj was his exact reflection, interpreting angles and counters as though the two had been in this dance together many years. Wasif was a fighter of terrible accuracy--low kicks, blows with the elbow, quick short charges that killed fights before they began. His manner was serene, but all his movements were full of violence. Comet, who was caught in the storm, felt that his fear was being burnt out, and in its place was something crazier, some kind of clarity. All the sound, all the action made him sharp; he could nearly nearly tell where he next was hit. As one of the Hounds, swinging a pipe, Comet side-stepped, caught the weapon half-way, and in a motion of startled surprise returned it. The crash of metal with bone reverberated in the courtyard. At the conclusion of it all, five attackers were lying lifeless. The other one fell over backwards, holding his arm, his eyes very big with disbelief. He looked at Kaiser as though he had seen a ghost. Kaiser stepped closer. Hath tell Rex this was his one free fault. The boy pointed his head, which was in horror, and ran away into the night. The quiet fell again, interrupted with discontented hissing of the rain, and with the moaning of the one lamp in the air above. Comet was at the centre, his chest up and down, wet and trembling--but alive. Wasif let out a slow breath. "Well," he said. "That escalated fast." As Kaiser looked at Kaiser, Taj wiped a cut on his cheek. "You think Rex's testing us?" Kaiser did not reply at once. He raised his eyes and was sprayed by the rain as blood streaked down over his face. "No," he said finally. "He's declaring war." Flashing, lightning revealed the four, silent shapes against the storm, with each his own secret burden. In some corner of R.I.S City some sirens started to cry and were swallowed in no time by thunder. Comet shivered. It was not known whether it was cold or it was the understanding that this was but the start. Kaiser swiveled around his face inexpressible. We go underground the day after tomorrow. Training level two." Comet blinked. "There's a level two?" The weak smile of Kaiser came back. "You'll see." The rain became a fine mist, which hung on the alley surfaces. Neon signs shone on puddles and the anarchy of the city fell off to the background and left only the four of them, Comet, Kaiser, Taj, and Wasif, as the only people standing on the street in the aftermath. Kaiser gave Comet a calculating look. "Tonight wasn't just sparring. It was an introduction. You had seen how swiftly they moved, how well they worked together... That is what it means to survive in R.I.S City. Trying to calm his heart, Comet wiped his face with his hand. "I… I think I'm ready for more. Maybe." Taj smirked. You came out of your first ambush. That counts for something. And the city is not all about streets and alleys. There are upper tiers, roof tops, cellars, ruins. Rex will test all of it. You have to be ready." Wasif came out, cool as he always does. And not only physically prepared. You will want your brains to be sharper than your hands. Get used to the way of learning, become suspicious, observe individuals. Each look, each murmur... it may make you know who is a friend, who is an enemy. Every word was taken in by Comet as he nodded. This was not the first time he made this realization: this was fighting. It had to do with reading the city, reading the people, fitting in somewhere bigger. The eyes of Kaiser focused on the roofs around the court. One of the shadows flew forth, and crouching high above, he was watching. Comet's chest tightened. "Someone's up there again." Kaiser's jaw tightened. "Rex has eyes everywhere. That one's just a scout. But don't be distracted." He turned back to the group. "Tomorrow, underground. Level two. You will know better than punches and blocks. You'll learn the city itself." The troop passed without a sound along the wet streets, where the rain was reduced to mist. Comet followed close, with pained muscles and alert mind. Each flash of light, each dark, everything that was beyond hearing he flinched at, and concentrated, and awaited. They came to a lateral exit of a deserted subway tunnel. The doors began to groan and Kaiser forced them open and found darkness leading towards the underground. The smell of rusted metal, damp air, and faint echoes received them. This, Kaiser said, was the real training and his voice was low and commanding. The City of the sky is foreseeable. Down there… that is where you live in the fasten on the froth. Taj stepped forward and pointed towards Comet. Follow the tracks, keep the lights. Don't fall behind. And bear in mind--no noise is accidental. Wasif replied, Every step might be noted. Any place might be a source of danger. You have to be quicker than you are scared. Comet nodded and his heart was a-pumping as he fell. The blackness devoured them, the air above having been taken by dark passages. Streaks made of the old subway lights could be seen in jagged forms on the walls. Each step echoed. Each breath felt magnified. All at once some one stepped out of the shadows, holding a knife in his hand. Comet stopped a fraction of a second and jerked, side-step, grab, push, strike. The man went down, moaning, striking the wall. Comet's adrenaline spiked. Taj gave him the shoulder after a pat. "Good. Quick thinking. But don't rely on luck. You need precision." Kaiser stood back, and watched, and went on like a smoking spectre, and before Comet could strike, stripped another man of his weapons. The battle intensified--hammer and fist and body in narrow passages. Comet improvised, and worked his way through the fray, applying the experience of the night and the previous fray in the courtyard. All of a sudden the tunnel opened to a cavern in the ground. An old machinery, crates and broken lights formed maze of shadows. Several personalities materialized--Silver Hounds, with guns and ammunition. The troop stood still to evaluate. The expression of Kaiser could not be read. "No more warnings." The ambush began. Taj was as fluid as molten metal, and he attacked with accuracy. Wasif figured angles, getting in on the attackers before they could approach. Comet, rawness and instinctivism, dodged beneath strokes, defended where he could, and retaliated where he could. Fear, attention and survival instincts were magnifying every movement. One of the scouts was overhead--another was falling down off a broken ledge. Comet turned, and taking a metal pipe lying on the ground, he swung and struck his attacker to his knees. The auditorium was filled with symphony of combat, shouts, clashing metal, wet thunder of flesh striking concrete. The voice of Kaiser broke the mayhem. "Comet! Left! Watch the flank!" Comet turned in time to prevent a swing of the knife to stab Wasif. His forearm was grazed, and there was a shallow cut, but his friend was saved by the action of Comet. Taj stopped another blow, punching back one of the attackers into a pile of boxes. The battle drove Comet to the extremes. The rain and sweat blended on his face and his vision was blurred. His muscles were screaming, his lungs were burning, yet he continued. Each block, each dodge, each blow was a lesson, an adaptation, a development. Kaiser and Taj were flowing towards one another like a unit. Comet knew they were not fighting--they were going through an instruction. He started to experience the beat, the trends. The disorder had become familiar and his movements began to follow the unconscious direction of combat. In an instant there was a great bang, further down the room. The floor shook. The intruders stuttered, and gazed at the noise. A giant figure came up out of the shadows--tall, imposing, a hooded form which exuded danger. His steps sounded like a thunderbolt. Kaiser was whispering, "Rex, his voice constricting. Comet froze. The character entered the low-light. He was bigger than any of the Hounds they had met with, and his presence made a warping in space around him. His snowy hair hung in his flickering lights, and his eyes gleamed with murderous amusement. You have become a jerk, Rex, said, and his voice was smooth and deadly. Kaiser, and your little chums. His strength was as though to shake the ground. Taj went in front of the way to bar it. Wasif tightened his jaw and his eyes were counting. The heart of Comet was galloping. Rex's smile widened. "This is just the beginning. We should find out how far the rookie can be brought. Rex sprang with sudden velocity. The hall fell to a tempest of movement. Kaiser and Taj came to the rescue, but Comet was alone with the figure that was approaching him. Reflexes took over. He ducked, parried, rolled, but the blows of Rex were deadly, accurate, calculating, and frighteningly fast. The vision began to constrict in Comet, and the adrenaline had run through all the senses. He saw that he was being tested--not by the Hounds, not by Taj and Kaiser, but by himself. It was not a struggle of survival anymore. It was concerned with establishing himself in a perfecting world. Rex made another blow, the one intended to hit the midsection of Comet. Comet turned, just in time to avoid the blow, however, the impulse of it crashed into the earth throwing fragments of concrete into the air. Pain lanced through his side. Kaiser and Taj turned to go round Rex, but the figure withdrew, almost in an almost friendly manner, with his grin keen and calculating. "Clever," he said. "I like that. But cunning will not do the next time round. Another moment Rex disappeared in the darkness of the tunnel, and the four of them stood breathing heavily, with blood streaming down and rain and sweat on their clothes, and gazing at the vacant spot where he had just been. There was a silence in the room. The chest of Comet heaved up; his arms trembled; all his senses were on the alert. The rain fell on the leaking roof and intermingled with their deep breathing. Kaiser looked at Comet, with eyes dark, and without mark. "You survived. Barely. But this very evening... you have only scratched the tip of the iceberg. Taj wiped his face, smirking. "Surface, huh? That was as well as jumping into the deep sea without a life jacket. Wasif had shaken his head calmly yet intensely. "And Rex is just the beginning. The city is alive. You'll learn its language. You will know how to walk in its shades. Comet swallowed, and looked into the gloomy tunnel. He had a realization that nothing was safe in R.I.S City. Nothing was predictable. And the storm... the storm was not finished yet. Another lightning-stroke fell, and the chamber was in the startling, white light. It was in this moment that Comet got a glimpse of something above, on a catwalk, silent, staring, computing. He could not see the face, though he knew: R.I.S City had more eyes than he could have ever imagined. And then the lights went on and off and blackness swallowed it and all. Comet felt a shiver running down his spine, a warning and a promise, and a challenge, the last thing. The storm had begun. The fog which hung around R.I.S City in the morning was as thick and slow as a living organism, and wound around lampposts and scaffolding. As he followed Kaiser, Taj and Wasif, Comet looked behind and followed the mist with his eyes. The aches of the underground fight of the night before still ached in his muscles, and reminded him, as it were, people of the fact that R.I.S High--and the city which enclosed it--was no common school. Kaiser was the first, and, mute as his coat, avoided saying a word. Taj had strolled with him, grinning, though on his guard, sweeping all the windows and all the roofs. Wasif followed behind, his glance going down all the streets, all the possible danger. In the midst of it all Comet was made to feel the pressure of their joint vigilance upon him. You think too much, Taj told him abruptly, and dented the silence. His voice was so low, flirting--but his eyes were keen. "You move with instinct. That's your advantage. Don't ruin it with hesitation." Comet swallowed. "I… I just don't want to screw up." It was a voice as sharp as a blade of Kaiser. Nothing is learned better than through errors. But don't repeat them." His eyes went over the roof tops and fire escapes on top of the roofs. "Today, we move fast. Eyes open, mind open. And, by the way--Rex is on the lookout. The streets were lying still. A light drizzle fell upon the pavements and neon images glittered in puddles. This procession was like trackers dashing through the city, or tiptoeing between shadows, or scurrying under fire escapes, or hiding in alleys. Each was counted, each look counted. They came to the periphery of the industrial sector that had been deserted a long time ago. Old rusted machinery and shattered scaffolding made a jumble of serious steel and shadow. Taj smiled, and rubbed a hand up a pipe. "Welcome to your next lesson. Here reflexes have a collision with danger. Follow me, rookie." Comet's chest tightened. The broken walkways above, platforms, and tunnels resembled a battlefield that was soon to come about. His muscles tensed. Adrenaline of the fight of the previous day was still flowing through him, with fear and anxiety. First, said Kaiser, halting on a high metal staircase, we climb. Every step counts. Eyes, balance, speed. A slip could be fatal." Comet was behind him, and with the wet metal grumbling under his foot, climbed up. Taj went as water, smooth and flowing. Wasif scramled up steadily, step by step, step by step. Kaiser was in the lead, his movements were under control, almost hypnotic. On top they saw the city spread out beneath them a great snake of rooftops and alleyways and neon streetlights. The wind was breathing the noise of the traffic far away, the hissing of engines, the light smell of the rain-soaked asphalt. Taj went out on the roof of one building, surveying the crannies in between. Lesson two: swiftness and accuracy. So when you want to jump, jump where it is safe. Trust your instincts." Comet's stomach dropped. The rooftops were far apart, as to to challenge a failure. He squeezed his fists as he breathed deeply. One, two, three--and he jumped, and the muscles were spring-like. He hit the ground roughly but steadily rolling to take the shock. Heart racing, he looked back. Kaiser was already in progress, liquid, nearly indescribable. Taj grinned. "Not bad for your first jump." The voice of Wasif was heard behind. Keep in mind-there is no step taken on earth that passes unobserved. Any shadow may conceal evil. Don't underestimate the city." The band proceeded over roofs, and at increased speed. The legs of Comet were burning, his lungs were aching, though he persisted. They evaded fire-escapes, scrambled over chimneys, and slipped on railings. It was a combat city, and Comet was just starting to feel his way with its anarchy. Then all at once someone fell on top of them--a Silver Hound scout. in the neon light, twin blades in drawn, he leapt at Comet. Reflex took over. Comet bent, snatched one of the pipes which hung on the ledge of the roof, and struck one hit, then pushed the scout away, which pitchedched him off the edge. The figure thudded down with a distance thud below. Taj thumped him on the shoulder. "Good. Reaction time's improving. But stay sharp—more will come." Kaiser paused and gazed in the direction of some more distant rooftops. "Rex isn't far. He is trying the country, how much you can adjust. Keep in mind--it is not about brute strength. It is the matter of control, timing, being aware. Comet's heart pounded. The lessons were hazardous and every step he executed seemed to be a fragment of a puzzle falling into position. He was growing, developing, living. They came to a deserted tower building. Darkness consumed the upper levels of the houses, and rusted stair cases led to places of darkness. Taj grinned. "Final test. Go higher. Find the vantage point. And keep in mind--the further up you are the more you have to fall. Comet walked up, step by steps, which reverberated in the vacant building. Rain fell upon shattered windows, and the light was flickering in the neon signs far away. He was at a high floor, and looked down on the city that spread below. All the streets, lanes, and roofs now appeared to possess threatening secrets. Then there was a shadow, which separated off the wall like a rattlesnake. Rex. Bigger than big, his silver-white hair snatching at the dim neon light. His smile was keen, and the eyes sparkled with a lethal enjoyment. "Impressive," Rex said. You have gotten on well, greenhorn. The adaptation is just a start. It will be more than reflexes to live through R.I.S City. Comet's muscles tensed. The figure leaped, and ran away beyond his speed. Reflex, instincts, and all he had been taught that very night came together. He wigwam, ducked, hit and blocked--but Rex was undaunted. Kaiser, Taj, and Wasif went to stop, but Rex sprang in another direction, and, with unnatural ease, crossed the building to the opposite side. Very smart, but being very smart isn't enough, he said, and went back into the shadows. Comet's chest heaved. The city was dynamic, dangerous and unpredictable. And Rex… Rex was just the beginning. When they were rejoining each other on the roof, where the rain had been reduced to a mist, Comet saw something. This city, these fights, the peril every day, it was not only surviving. It was molding him, working some instincts of his of which he had been unconscious. Kaiser's gaze met his. "You survived tonight. Barely. But you have learned more than you know. R.I.S City is educating you, like you or not. Comet nodded, heartbeat soaring, and scanned the misty below streets. The storm was far from over. And somewhere beyond there Rex was thinking out the next step. There was lightning, blazing down through the sky and enlightening the city. And in that flash Comet fancied movement--shadows dashing over the house-tops in the distance, silent observers, pre-cogging predatory birds. It was a cliffhanger, dropped like a rock: the tempest had just set in, and Comet lay in its middle, unprepared for it, and still alive.
