The Experiment

Chapter XVI

"First of all," Hades started, "what were you doing yesterday during that training session in the city?"

"I—"

"Three things." Hades raised up three fingers. "First of all, you never, never, tell the opponent where you are."

"I had a plan. I was going to lure her towards me and—"

"Don't. Plans like that are always risky, and sometimes fatal." He ticked down one finger. "Secondly, you let Thea out of your illusion?"

Hades looked ready to strangle her. "You should—"

"—never let my opponent out of my illusions," Katrina interrupted. "Right?"

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Don't interrupt me."

"But was I correct?" Katrina insisted, refusing to back down. "That was the second thing you were going to say, right?"

"Yes," Hades admitted impatiently. "Now, the third thing is—"

"—Lemme guess: never jump onto a moving hovercar?"

Ted shot her a worried glance. He shook his head as if to warn her to stop testing Hades' patience. Celia frowned next to him, furrowing her brows.

Katrina ignored the two of them, glaring at Hades defiantly. "Am I right?"

Hades' just stared at her, as if trying to find a reply to her challenge. "Yes."

"But can I say something?"

After a curt nod from Hades, Katrina argued, "I disagree with all three of your points. First of all, my plan was going to work. I would never reveal my location to my opponent unless I was sure of that. Besides, sometimes you just have to take risks in order to succeed."

After a moment without anyone interrupting, she continued. "Second of all, yesterday was, as you said, a training session. It wasn't real, and there was no risk to me. If it were real, I wouldn't have let Thea out of my illusion.

"And lastly, that hovercar was close enough to where I was and moving slow enough that I knew I had the reflexes and grace to be able to jump onto it successfully. A training session is one of the best times and places to test your skills, so you don't have to test them when you're in the real world and it's a matter of life or death, no?"

Hades just gaped at her, dumbfounded. The others' expression matched his.

"So, in conclusion," Katrina ended, slightly quieter and more nervous this time, "I disagree with all three of your points."

Katrina fell into an awkward silence as she waited anxiously for Hades' reaction. He shook his head disbelievingly.

"Well, kiddo, let me say this: You have some nerve."

"Um... So?" Katrina asked nervously. "Is that good or bad?"

Hades gave out a booming laugh, much to the surprise of Katrina and the others.

"It depends. The nerve will serve you well on the field. And yes, you're right; sometimes you do have to take risks, just not unnecessary ones."

Thea raised an eyebrow at her from behind Hades. Katrina shrugged back, surprised at Hades' change in character.

As if reading their minds, Hades explained, "You remind me a lot of my twin brother." His expression grew wistful as he stared off into space.

"What happened to him?" Katrina prompted quietly. "Did he... die?"

Hades wiped away a lone tear before his expression hardened. "None of your business," he growled, going back to his normal, harsh self. "Now, Thea—"