Chapter 10

Tom gulped the moment the thought of what Hammer said struck his mind.

"He should stay outside this hall, where his powers will be restricted in case he was a hired assassin spy and an Insignia at the same time." Hammer spoke to everyone. He finally gazed to Tom, "I hope you understand. It is not to discriminate you, but we are on a desperate situation, that the lives of each of us are on the line."

Tom just nodded.

"Alright." Hammer turned his back and started walking. Thor and Coal followed him. Brimstone led Tom towards the door. Hammer from where he is, commanded, "Brimstone, activate the force field around this hall and cast the nullifying field around the whole manor."

"Roger!" Brimstone answered. He let Tom stood outside the door of the gym. He said, "I hope you understand. If you really are one of us, you'll get it why soon."

"Thanks." Tom nodded his head. It was when the light of the gym hall disappeared from his very eyes. The dual door is now tightly closed.

Tom walked from the facade of the volleyball gym and gazed upward. There were up the stars, the glittering night sky and the huge full moon. He smiled when seeing it and bliss sprung inside him. But later, a violet curtain of light spread across the sky, forming a dome above him. It was Brimstone's power, he thought, the force field and that nullifying field. As far from what he understood, that would restrict his powers. Not unless he was more powerful than Brimstone, he thought.

He had powers. That was the most ridiculous thing he thought, that from his world, it sounds totally no sense. His skills and capacities in playing volleyball are his powers way back on his games. But now he was on another world, a very strange world were all of his opponents back then are here, and are after to catch each other's lives. He thought of that Future Oracle. Though he doesn't have totally the idea about it, but after what he had been through, it was really an actual death game, and that Psyche was a killer way back in her time, a victor with a twisted mind.

He also thought this scene was quite familiar. Way back then, it is his first time meeting his seniors at this gym, when he and Toby accidentally broke off the principal's wig over his head due to their own tantrums. Tom was sent here outside. He had to spend some time getting along with once an egocentric Toby. Toby was their resident setter, and the only one who could toss that high for him to spike. The two of them thought it was their destiny to be partners in games through the championship. And later in their own world, their partnership stood a great explosion across volleyball history. He hoped that time will happen again. He hoped to see Toby out here right now and things will patch up the way it was before, but with slight twists though.

"Hey! You are an Insignia, right? Or as you claim yourself you are." far from the end of the volleyball gym, a deep familiar voice spoke out.

"Toby?" Tom whispered in himself. He stood from where he seated and turned his head at the end of the alley.

It was Toby. Though he hardly see him because of the gloom, the moonlight reflecting from the tennis court behind him shows his frame, his tall stature, the shape of his body and his clasping hands whenever he was throwing his tantrum over him. When he recognized him, Tom grinned. He almost cried when he thought things are happening according to what he wanted.

"Yeah, I am." Tom stood without directing his head on Toby. He sounded so cocky like he was before, just to instill Toby's nerves like those in times back. Toby will definitely take this bait. That is what he was naturally. He added, "What do you want, Toby?"

Toby stepped back. Though he was just a blinding silhouette, Tom knew he moved back. He tilted his head down. Tom thought Toby grits his teeth right now.

"I won't lose to you, you know." Tom sounded like he was going to laugh. But for him, it is quite hard since after all those years, his jolly attitude slowly dropped into a serious loneliness.

"Me neither." Toby said. His voice is shaking. He asked stammering, "Ho-How d-do yo-you know my name?"

Tom's eyes gone big said to himself, "Crap, they didn't introduced themselves yet."

Nothing he could think and blurted the first thought to struck his head, "Because I am an Insignia."

Toby drifted his feet on the ground. He squatted and stood on opposing stance.

"So cocky huh? You never know yet the power in you and you boasted like you know how to use it." Toby's voice spoke out deep within his throat.

Tom smiled. He knows Toby could never see his expressions but he was really happy. He can't forget those lines Toby said to him right before that wig on the principal's head flew in the air and fell on Hammer's head in his real world.

"Then bring it on!" Tom shouted. He balled his hands and put it on his chest.

Toby's feet skidded and started to run. Tom stepped back and opened his zoomed towards him. He was almost blurring. Toby roared. He whirred his right arm in the air towards Tom's chest. Tom's pupils dilated and the whipping arm brightened on his eyes. He jumped and hoisted himself up.

He floated in the air for few seconds. Toby was pulled on the ground rolling. His face crashed on the soil. Tom bounced back and stepped backward. He looked at Toby who was wiping his face with his arm. Toby stood. He clasped his hands into fist and shot his arm on Tom.

Tom tilted his head a little and watched Toby's arm arching on his side. It seems seconds slow down. While on the force of thrust, Toby's eyes darted on him. Toby was gritting his teeth until he faltered the second time.

"Wahhh..." Toby shouted deep within his throat as he moved his clenching fist on Tom. The blood vessels on his neck are all in shape.

He rained his fists in the air, on the whizzing after image of Tom his eyes see on his front. Tom was like air, turning, storming around moved so fast that he can even see Toby's movements like in slow motion.

Toby put all his rage on his hands in every fly of his hand that it failed to hit.

"Wah... Wahh... You are a monster!" Toby suddenly stopped. He arched his body and his hands landed on his legs. Sweat runs through his forehead. He hyperventilated until he caught his breath. For few more seconds, Toby stopped from moving.

"As I recall, you are the guy who never gives up on me, starting on the time we first met when you defeated my team in junior high." Tom stepped close on him. He grinned without Toby seeing.

Though may seemed to be a rough time, he missed this situation, most especially on having Toby so pissed because of how stupid he was for him.

"Are you crazy? " Toby said. He took few pauses as he replenishes the air on his chest. He further said, "I have never met you before. Who are you?"

Tom's eyes opened wide. He made another mistake, he thought. He felt he was taken too much by this world he was in.

"Well, yeah you know, we tend to know each other when we we're in the previous life, I guess." Tom shielded his hands on his chest and spoke out.

"That marks you an enemy. Regalia that remembers automatically turns into phantoms." Toby stood straight.

The two of them suddenly turned their heads on the tennis court while facing each other. Their jaws dropped and their feet almost dangle on the point they were standing.

"Well, I guess you have taken the bait, Insignia, or to be more appropriate, hired assassin spy." What beheld the two of them are the silhouettes of their team mates. The one who spoke out was Hammer. His arms are crossed on his chest. Behind him, all of those silhouettes are on opposing stance. Coal sharpens two daggers. Thor holds a spear, and the rest are holding rocks.

Hammer again spoke out, his voice was so deep and whole that gave the two of them goosebumps. He said, "You have to be eliminated. And perhaps it's time to put an iron hand on a hard head."

He pointed out his hand on the two of them and commanded, "Cease them."