#26130
"That was pathetic," our new training coach shouted through his megaphone. "Every single one of you so-called heroes needs to drop and give me one-hundred push-ups followed by fifty crunches. NO POWERS. I saw you telekinetics out there cheating earlier. You need to build your muscles for league wars. Muscles and STAMINA!!!"
I hit the ground and placed my hands, in the specific position he instructed, on the mat and began my exercises. I could hear Geomaniac beside me counting off as she began next to me.
"Why are we doing all this extra training?" Kyrie asked from the other side. She wasn't actually talking to me though. As our resident live-streamer, she had her camera-bot floating a few feet from her face and spoke to her online followers. "You don't win a gold medal in a division of league war without giving it your all. For all my Only Fans viewers, I'm sure you've noticed how much more cut my abs have been lately."
I stopped listening at that point and just paid attention to my own efforts. For the most part, none of the Star Force: Junior League struggled with the new training regimen Infinite Tempest led us through, except for our leader, Arcane Ace. He might be one of the best spellcasters on the planet, but he relied on his magical aptitude more than his physical attributes. I could hear his huffs and puffs from the far end of the row we had all lined up in.
Obsidian Strike, on the other hand, glided up and down with the ease of a waterwheel. He didn't seem to stop at all as he shifted the direction of his effort. I assumed that his martial arts training likely exceeded anything that we'd endured so far. Born in Japan, his Morphon granted gift gave him heightened dexterity and strength, but the ability to transform into a material that resembled volcanic glass, but was far more than that. It was actually some type of solid energy which defied the laws of physics.
We all followed our instructions, completing our final exercise of the day within minutes of one another. I was grateful for a moment to rest as the last few members of our league finished their sets. Ace wasn't the last to end his efforts, which surprised me. The Cheese Wiz was. Don't ask me how Morphons give anyone powers to manipulate cheese magic. I just accepted it and moved on.
He did have a knack of making sure we all had the best snacks during out breaks.
Another new member of our league war group, Gold Standard, sat cross-legged on the mat and stretched. He was most likely the most physically perfect man I'd ever seen. Not just good-looking or handsome, he was beautiful. And his voice. I'd listen to him read the phone book all day long if I could. Deep, resonant, with a hint of an African accent that made it exotic and wonderful.
Mitch stood quietly nearby and watched, clapping as we completed our exercises. Formerly Archibald Braithewaite, a pre-colonial warlock cursed to an immortal existence, he now went by the Unearthly Mitch the Lich. Physical exercise did nothing for him since he was, for all intents and purposes, already dead. "Exceptionally done, my friends."
"You might not be able to add any muscle mass, Mitch, but you could still participate, you know," Geomaniac said. A mathematical genius, she had the ability to manipulate probability and alter universal constants. Her powers were only limited by her imagination, and as a former dominatrix, she had no lack of creative appetite. "Equal treatment for all."
"The creaking of my old bones wouldn't be pleasant for any of us to listen to," Mitch said with a slight bow to her. "If it would make you feel better, I can go through the motions, should you like."
Infinite Tempest created a tiny lightning strike from his place ahead of us, the boom of thunder drawing our attention back to him. "I'm not done with you all today. We are going out on Patrol around Purgatory Penitentiary, then some BADGE missions to get you ready for your league war contests."
"Is that really neccessary, I.T.?" Arcane Ace asked.
"You all need to bulk up, and bulk up quick. According to the plan you all agreed to, that is the only way you are going to have a chance." Infinite Tempest said. "You registered the league as early as possible so you had time to improve in that small window between registration and division assignments."
"Playing the numbers makes the most sense," Geomaniac added. "We can gain a significant advantage if we are gauged by BADGE against our capabilities a few weeks ago. Surprising our opponents with a higher degree of capability once the tournament begins will significantly improve our odds. Trust me, I did the math."
"I'm sure your math is impeccable but that isn't a guarantee. Other leagues are most assuredly doing what they can to improve," Gold Standard said. He took a moment to swat away Kryie's robo-cam as it circled around him. "Does that go everywhere you go?"
"Heck ya," Kyrie said. Her skin was the same pale blue as a frozen sky at dawn. Her parent's named her after their favorite 80s song, which probably is what triggered her constant need to be the center of attention. "My fans have all access to my life, depending on their subscription rate, of course. This league is going to benefit greatly from the public exposure I can bring to it."
"That means it is going to be spending the next few hours hunting down escaped prisoners," Infinite Tempest said. "There are a lot of heroes running around there right now, searching for villains like Gentleman Rex, and Gamer G. Hunting for both of them can help you build your skills."
The Cheese Wiz lifted hoisted up the buckle of his champion belt from League War Aquatic. "We've done it before. We can do it again. It's all Gouda."
We all rolled our eyes, knowing that one had to expect plenty of cheesy puns while working with him. He had managed to do something I hadn't. He had won with his league during league wars. I was still looking to earn my first championship belt.
"Before we head out, how have you all been doing at pushing your abilities. Remember, your powers are like muscles too and need to be maintained," Infinite Tempest said. "Have you examined your capabilities? Can you advance any of your abilities? Boosting them to the highest output you can sustain?"
Kyrie raised her hand. "It is on my list. I'll get it done before everything starts."
Even with all the chatter, it was strange not to hear Wyldfyre gripe about something. I was going to miss him during our battle rounds. Switching up our ranks was a gamble, but sometimes a good gamble pays off. I'm certain he would of had some comment to make about Infinite Tempest's questions.
All in all, the new training would hopefully make us all better, but also all this extra effort was teaching me more about alternate means to winning. Sure, the biggest and worst brute was going to have an advantage in a physical fight, so I could go fight against them on their terms, but that wasn't the only option. The smarter option was to fight them in a way that put them at a disadvantage. Trick them into running headfirst into a steel wall and then strike them where they were weakest.
And the tactics didn't end there. We learned to analyze not only our fights against an opponent, but their fights against other challengers before even stepping on the mat. A lot of combatants get set into one easy combination when they go into combat. If you know how they might come at you, you can prepare for their challenge in advance, and just as importantly, vary your own means of attack. If their league is good, they will likely study you just like you are studying them.
I reviewed my notes, as we headed off to patrol around Purgatory Penitentiary.
- Make sure your power is at maximum. (That means check your lists of ATTACK, DEFENSE, and MOVEMENT Power Cards and make sure you have the best cards available.)
- Make sure you have the support of your friends. (This means make sure your list of FRIENDS is full enough to support using all the Power Cards available to you)
- Never show your hand first. Let them show you theirs, and then adjust as needed. (If you want to defeat a potentially better capable foe, replay their fights and read the Battle Logs from them. There is a lot of useful information there as to how they are attacking, what their strongest attacks might be, and where they are weak.)
- Take advantage of opportunities. (There is still time to share your thoughts on your preparations for LW, either in character as a story or as actual preparations you took to build your toon and league. First articles of the month pay pretty well. More than enough for at least two shuffle spins.)
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