Chapter 28. Her secret

Everything went according to plan so far, and that filled Iutah with confidence. He felt that the teachers were judging him, but he wasn't bothered by that. They didn't have any official reasons to blame him – only that mattered.

The Organization's weapon was as amazing as he expected. Iutah had been looking for a chance to test it for a while, and now he had a good motive for it – helping Arriz. And the telepath truly needed that help, it became clear by his reaction to that girl's death. He was shocked so deeply he ended up in the infirmary. Because of some damn mutant! His illness was more serious than Iutah had originally expected. However, he believed he could still do something about it. Once the contamination source was removed, Arriz would start to recover.

In case with Olivia, everything went perfect. Her death was a clear imitation of the hybrid matter block, just like he had wanted. Norman's situation was more complicated… he had already left the infirmary, and the doctor said he was going to keep his powers. But he was the first experiment. Till the last moment Iutah had hoped that he had at least managed to kill the hybrid matter in that freak… then that traitor would go back to Earth where One Breed would take care of him!

But that didn't happen. Iutah planned to deal with Norman later, he had a more urgent goal right now – St. Rio. This hybrid was very strong, one of the best. Luckily, his fight with Olivia allowed Iutah to find a perfect doze to kill a hybrid on the spot.

He knew that killing his second opponent in a row would initiate an investigation. It wouldn't change anything. The Organization's chemicals were designed to disappear from the blood of the victim. And after St. Rio's death there'd be no need to risk anymore. He'd have to find another way to eliminate Norman, but that was the only inconvenience of the situation.

Today's duel was his final and most important battle…

"Kerengree!"

Iutah was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Damian entering the gym. But he wasn't caught off guard or anything, he didn't consider anyone on this planet a serious threat to him.

"Have you been looking for me, Teacher Damian?" Iutah asked humbly.

He was especially polite to the teachers during the exams. He didn't want to cause even more anger in them, his position was dangerous as such.

"I have," the older hybrid confirmed. "Getting ready for the duel?"

"Just a couple of exercises for better speed. My fight is in two hours, I'm using that time. Can I help you?"

"No, I came to talk about your fight."

"If you're referring to what happened last time, I'm really sorry about that," Iutah announced with demonstrative sadness. "I'll never forgive myself for that… And I'm ashamed to look in Norman's eyes. I'll do anything I can to never…"

"You don't have to explain that to me," Damian interrupted him. "Lady Laura can listen to you, that's her job. I just came here to warn you."

"About what?"

"Change of the opponent. You're not going to fight St. Rio."

The hybrid just stared at his teacher in disbelief, trying to figure if it was a joke or not. But Damian remained serious, and jokes weren't his thing in general.

How could that be possible? Iutah knew of one way to avoid a duel: deliberate denial. But that wasn't like St. Rio! His kindness was balanced with stubbornness fitting a true warrior. In addition to that, he'd been spending most of his time with Olivia's sister lately. That idiot had to play the knight in shining armor! Besides, the denial had to happen on the arena, not two hours in advance!

He couldn't guess the reason, so he asked about it.

"Why?"

"It's a complicated story," Damian admitted. "I haven't figured in out myself yet. As far as I know, St. Rio had a conflict with Karajo in a training hall. And to be more precise, Karajo had a conflict with him – she started it. She wanted him to help her in practicing. He said no, because he was getting ready for his fight against you. But Karajo was in an especially foul mood – that's the only way I can explain her actions. St. Rio ended up with a broken arm. Nothing too serious, but it's going to take at least a week to heal."

This wasn't like Karajo. Iutah had been watching her very carefully, trying to find the secret of her extraordinary strength. He failed at that, but he managed to learn a thing or two about her personality. Daniella Karajo was avoiding everyone on this base, no exceptions, she wasn't friendly even with her teammates, she was just neutral. She was a loner by nature, he didn't doubt it.

But she wasn't aggressive. She had never crossed the line in any of her battles. Iutah suspected that even the show she put with Dark Silver was just for fun – and to show the twins her power. Why would she attack St. Rio so savagely?

"And what now?" Iutah was confused. "I have to wait for a week to fight him?"

"No. All duels have been scheduled and can't be postponed. St. Rio has finished his participation in the exam with the amount of points he had up till now."

"So I lose? That's not fair!"

"Calm down," Damian smirked at him. "You have nothing to worry about. A situation like that was included into the rules, and we know what to do. In that particular fight, Karajo was the aggressor, everyone saw it, including Teacher Garin. That's why she'll have to replace St. Rio in a duel with you. That's what I came to warn you about. You may continue your training now!"

Damian went to the exit; Iutah didn't try to stop him. The teacher was among those who blamed him for Olivia's death almost openly. Naturally, the older hybrid was pleased with such change.

And Iutah was far from joy. Fighting Karajo… He wanted that, such a unique chance to test her abilities! But he wanted it later, after dealing with all the hybrids who were influencing Arriz. That meant that St. Rio was protected from him for a while too.

For a moment Iutah suspected some sort of conspiracy behind it. Karajo started that fight to take St. Rio's place! Although that theory didn't last long. Karajo didn't have a single reason to help Arriz, and as a telepath he wasn't strong enough to make her. So that had to be an unfortunate concurrence.

Now he had to choose what to do.

Should he use poison against her or not? He had already prepared the mixture and found a perfect way to hide the syringe. But did he have the right to continue with his plan? On the one hand, Karajo clearly wasn't one of Arriz's friends, they didn't even talk a lot. On the other, she was the pride of this generation, the strongest warrior and the future of the Second Breed. She'd be getting stronger with each year. After leaving Ceres she'd turn into an unprecedented threat for One Breed.

He got a chance to kill her now, when she hadn't reached the zenith of her power yet. Today was perfect for that like no other day. Karajo was most likely tired after fighting St. Rio, she wouldn't have enough time to recover. He was the top warrior of the Green Team after all! She'd never been so vulnerable before!

Her elimination was a worthy reason for risk. Sure, Iutah hadn't planned anything like that before, so he couldn't discuss it with the leaders of the Organization; he was sent here to gain power, not terminate his enemies. But no-one in "One Breed" could've imagined that he'd meet a creature like this! The power she possessed was ugly and… larger than life. It had to be destroyed before it developed. Of course, he would never know why this hybrid was so much stronger than the others, but it was an acceptable loss of data.

He wasn't planning to go too far. He'd take the syringe with him, but he'd use it only if the moment was right. Through this he was giving himself a chance to retreat.

The exams were nearing their end now, with only the best warriors left in the game. The decorations for their duels were evolving too, getting more complicated. Iutah was reminded about it once again when he saw the arena he was going to fight at. It was a foot of an active volcano.

The field itself was even, unlike the one where he fought Olivia. But it was covered with stony gray soil streaked with red lines of lava. The decorations were so realistic Iutah could feel the heat coming from the magma, and he had no doubt he could get burned by it. Clouds of black smoke were rising into the air from where the lava touched the stones, making it hard to see and breathe.

He'd enjoy it if he still had to fight St. Rio. It was much easier to make a shot in such conditions. And meeting Karajo in this little hell… The very thought of it made him want to give up, but Iutah wasn't going to submit to this weakness. One Breed agents don't pull back! He'd make it, because in the future he'd have to meet greater opponents than this little girl!

He was the first to enter the hall, and he used the time he waited for Karajo to look around the platforms. Norman, who had just left the infirmary, was sitting next to Arriz like before. St. Rio was also there, dark and gloomy, his arm in plaster. That idiot didn't realize his own luck! But Iutah was sure he'd find a way to destroy them all.

Then his waiting time was over. Karajo stepped onto the arena.

She was as calm as ever, there was no sign of this fight being special to her. Iutah was pretty good at reading people's emotions on their faces, but in case with his current opponent it was a useless skill.

She didn't look strong. He didn't let it fool him.

"Iutah Kerengree, Red Team, versus Daniella Karajo, Black Team. Contestants, each of you has the right to give up."

A usual pause followed. Iutah felt a new rush of fear; he touched the syringe hidden in his sleeve to calm down. He had an advantage that this devil didn't expect!

"Begin," Damian commanded.

Iutah was the first to attack. Normally he preferred not to do it, but he had no right to wait in that case. Karajo had probably studied his style, therefore he couldn't let her take the lead! He'd been observing her too, but he knew it wasn't enough.

Iutah was aware of her speed, but he had no idea she was that fast. It wasn't nearly as impressive from aside, she had simply disappeared from the place where she'd been standing, like a gust of wind. He almost lost her out of sight, and he was saved by the fact she didn't charge at him.

"Admirable," he commented. "You're as good as they say you are."

She didn't answer him, and even her amber eyes that were watching him through the bandages didn't change their expression. Talking to her was useless, trying to provoke her – even more so. Words would just interrupt with his breathing, weakening him.

He had finally realized what a powerful warrior this generation could have created. But it wouldn't! Iutah understood there was no going back for him, he had to kill her no matter what.

He tried to strike again, he wasn't going to let her stun him anymore! She was literally swirling across the arena, passing the lava streams gracefully. Even when Iutah managed to get close enough to deliver a blow, she blocked it effortlessly, and he could feel that physically she was much stronger than him.

That didn't make any sense. It couldn't be real! The hybrid strength, just like human strength, depended on their size and muscle development greatly. Thus if they got the same amount of the hybrid matter, he had to be stronger, not her. Or did she receive more than twenty percent from the start?

Iutah had been considering such an option for a while now. He couldn't find Karajo's personal file, but he got a look at her medical card. And it said she received twenty percent of the hybrid matter, like everyone else! Why would they lie in their own records?

But if they weren't lying, her power was even more unnatural.

He wasn't going to be scared by this mystery – it angered him. But even through the wall of his wrath he noticed that Karajo was drawing him into the movements that were suspiciously familiar. Or was he imagining this? She couldn't be playing with his mind like that!

He remembered when he had performed those movements before, but it was too late. The understanding of it came when Karajo broke his arm.

He jumped away, cringing in pain, and she let him take that pause. Her eyes were laughing… She knew he had guessed it.

She was copying his duel with Olivia Samara. Only the roles were shifted! He was the weaker one now, and Karajo was wounding him the way he had done it to his last opponent.

"What's the meaning of this?" Iutah hissed through clenched teeth. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Yes. As an opponent you're too weak for me. I'm making it entertaining for everyone – save for you. I'm dedicating it to Olivia."

"Does Arriz have something to do with that?"

He expected her to disagree, even if he was right. But she was bluntly honest.

"Arriz told me everything. I know who you are."

This claim shocked him so much he just froze where he was standing. She could finish him off in one blow if she wanted to. But she obviously didn't.

Iutah recovered quickly, understanding that he was sabotaging his own cover by such reaction.

"I don't know what you're talking about! What could he possibly tell you?"

"No need to pretend. We're alone here, they can't hear us."

"I still don't know…"

"I thought even the likes of you had some idea of honor," Karajo interrupted him. "But I guess I've given One Breed too much credit. What can you know about honor, scum?"

He couldn't tolerate that, not from a hybrid! If she actually knew the truth, he had to kill her. Arriz would join her shortly after, because he had done something that couldn't be tolerated.

Fury filled him with energy. He managed to distract Karajo with a false attack long enough to put the syringe into her skin and even inject some of the poison…. He didn't get any further. Because he wasn't fighting Olivia anymore, who was as helpless as they get.

Karajo moved back with the syringe still in her skin, taking it away from Iutah. She disappeared among the thick clouds of smoke, and he had to follow her. He wanted to finish this! He saw that he got half of the poison into her blood… maybe a bit less, but close to that! That would be enough to leave her paralyzed, and then he'd destroy her!

Her expected Karajo to scream like Norman had been screaming, or fall onto the ground, shaken by spasms. But none of that happened. Karajo moved easily, watching him with open irony. She extracted the syringe slowly.

"You should've seen your face!" she laughed. It was the first time he heard her laughing. "This battle was as hilarious as I thought it'd be."

She held her hand to him, and dark poison leaked out of the tiny wound left by the syringe. It was leaving her body without any harm to her!

Iutah couldn't explain that. Could Arriz have given her an antidote? But there was no antidote! Or did that traitor do something to the poison while Iutah was at the gym? Not an option either, because Iutah hid his weapons very carefully.

"How?" he gasped.

"It's very simple. You and your One Breed buddies have always screamed at every corner that your weapons affect the hybrid matter directly, causing its deformation. Thus this poison can't harm an average human. And I'm an average human."

Once all poison was gone from her blood, the wound disappeared, and she hid her skin under the bandage again. She was anything but a normal human! Karajo's body was overflowed with the hybrid matter, and yet the poison couldn't do anything to her. That combination left Iutah in a deadlock.

"It's time to end this," she said. "I don't think you can surprise me anymore."

She dashed forward so fast that he didn't have a chance to guess the direction of her blows. A set of strikes was a perfect strategy, leaving him face first on the hot ground. That was how he caught Olivia a couple of days ago…

He knew he'd feel a shot in his spine, and he was right about it. Karajo chose the small of his back for the injection, and they both knew that would be enough. Iutah had never imagined he'd have to go through the suffering designed by the Organization himself…