by Madam Marvelous
ID#: 26130
Leagues. Teams. Groups.
These are all kind of just different words for families. When people come together for a shared purpose. The big difference is that families tend to have a lot of biology behind the formation of the group, where the rest are more proximity based.
If you're lucky, you get along. Not all families do. Neither do all leagues, teams, or groups.
Joining a new league, I didn't know how I was going to like my new teammates. Would they be nice? Would we like the same things? Did they get cranky when things weren't going their way? Would I always have to be the person who brought donuts to every gathering?
The Star Force Junior League and I were on what was typically called "the Honeymoon Period", when everyone was on their best behavior. Polite. Supportive. Full of good advice and humor. We trained for a week, getting to know one another's abilities. Our strengths and some of our weaknesses. For the most part, everything went great. Several of them were energy controllers or projectors, like Wyldfyre and Kyrie E. Laser. Arcane Ace used magic, while the Astonishing AlphaBETA and the Invincible Ranger fought with weapons. Obsidian Strike's body turned to super-hard volcanic glass and he fought with martial arts. Geomaniac's Morphon powers were different than any I had seen before. She controlled math. Specifically, geometry. She could manipulate physical laws and change it so that down was up and inside was outside.
And then there was me. Madam Marvelous. I could change into animals and other people. I loved my powers, but they didn't seem as... amazing as everyone else's.
League War 10 started out weird. Not only did we find out our first match was against Nobelgates, but as the first round began, the power went out. Not good omens at all. We could barely scratch them. Any of us. Wyldfyre went in and won a couple of fights, but for the most part, we got our backsides handed to us.
Halfway through the first day, we were sitting around a table in the common area having lunch between our matches, talking tactics, when Arcane Ace asked, "So, what do you all think we could do better for next round? Madam Marvelous, why don't you go first."
I froze. Why did he want my opinion? I didn't know anything. "Um. Well. We could... try harder?"
Kyrie and Ace laughed as Wyldfyre nearly shot beer out of his nose as he was drinking it. "What-," he wiped off his mouth from what had spilled on his goatee, "-what do you think I was doing out there? I fought my ass off."
"I... I... I didn't mean you, specifically," I said. I fought hard to stay calm and in my seat when on the inside I wanted to run for the nearest dark corner to hide.
"It's fine," Arcane Ace said. "She didn't say anyone didn't try. Why don't you tell us one thing you think we could have tried to do differently?"
"Well. I could have paid more attention to the people we might be fighting. I didn't expect to be up against the NobleGates. I didn't know how good they were." I was used to fighting practice matches in the KOTM that were considered lower grade. I didn't know much about the leagues in the division we ended up in. I expected to be a step up in Divison 9, not in Division 8.
"Good idea. Researching our potential opponents in advance," Arcane Ace said as he scribbled down some notes. "Anyone else?"
Everyone chimed in some ideas. Going to the Morphon baths to give us some power boosts. Patrolling more to get more experience. More visits to the gyms. Better gear. The suggestions poured out like water. I started to feel more at ease as we communicated with one another. It almost seemed like facing a loss together was helping us bond as we planned for what to do better the next time.
A small group of BADGE officials came from the battle arena, surrounding a single man as they escorted him away from the league war. People all across the Prominade turned and watched as the group departed. The hushed murmurs of curiosity trailed after them as disappeared into the shuttle bay.
I, as well for nearly everyone else at the table, checked our comm units.
"Well, that is unexpected," Ace murmured under his breath.
"What? What's going on?" I asked.
"It seems like someone planned on tanking their league and got evicted for poor sportsmanship," Ace answered.
"Ouch. Who joins a league just to try to sabotage them?" Wyldfyre said with a snort. "You don't win anything that way."
"What's going to happen to his league. It's not like there are alternates you can put in." Obsidian Strike said with a mild Japanese accent. "Will they be disqualified, too?"
"It seems not. They had seven registered, but they are going forward with six now. Sucks to be them. Short a man because they didn't get to know their teammate." Ace shook his head.
I couldn't understand why anyone would be in a league and then turn their backs on it. "Did they do something to him?"
"We might never know what his reasons were. It just goes to show that you need to get to know who you bring into your house so you don't have to worry they're gonna try to burn it down around you." Ace said. "I've seen some league wars where people sign up to a league and just don't show up for the matches, but this is the first time when it has been deliberate sabotage from within."
"Well, as the official fire-starter of this group, I promise I won't do that to any of you," Wyldfyre said as he waved for a fresh tankard. "I want to win too badly than to torch myself."
I sat back in my seat and thought about the future. My future in league wars. One day I might start my own league instead of joining one run by other people. How would I make sure that who I brought in wasn't a trojan horse, sent in to break me down before I even started? What kind of leader would I be?
No. Far to early to be thinking that kind of stuff. I had school to finish first. I'd be fine being in a good league with good people I could trust. And that started by being the kind of person they could trust. Being honest with them if I had a problem with something and expecting them to be honest in return, even if it wasn't something I wanted to hear, like if my farts stank when I shapeshifted into a giraffe or something.
That's how a good family starts. Honesty, trust, and respect. Every league should have those three things. I hoped that the Star Force Junior League would live up to them.
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