Perfect School

Marie reviewed footage of Jonah fighting that day with Kira at her side. She watched one clip over three times to confirm her suspicion. It was quite subtle.

Jonah:

The sound of Marie laughing startled me. Since I had been here she had been virtually impassive, more so even than Kira. And now she laughed then beckoned to me. “Jonah, how exquisite you are, do you ever cease to use that brain of yours?” She asked, mirth in her face but not her eyes. I stood there in front of the two waiting for her to get to the point.

“Come stand over my shoulder and look at this.” She commanded. I had not been so close to her and it concerned me as I took to the steps and stood just behind her seat and Kira's.

She played a clip of my previous fight then replayed a few seconds of it up close. My opponent made a move that I had not blocked that led to me ending up on the ground in a choke hold. I had been free to block it but it had gone so quickly. It had been carefully calculated to look smoothly. I had missed the opportunity on purpose.

“Kira, do you see what I do?” She asked, her tone had changed to one of mock amazement.

I had studied the video closer after her laugh and my eyebrows shot up for a moment. "Even now? That's impressive..." I murmured. He was conserving energy and taking the losses even after all he was being put through? To have that much foresight and skill was beyond anything I had seen before.

Jonah:

Kira's praise went uncharished as Marie swiveled in her chair to look up at me. I was as relaxed as I could be while not slumping. It was clear that the fatigue was getting to me.

“I'll tell you what I see, Jonah. I see you holding back. I see you losing on purpose.” Her words, like her gaze, were icy. “Are you hoping that I will underestimate you? Have you been doing this,” She gestured to the screen. “Every time?”

I looked down at her tiredly and shook my head. “No. Just for the last four.” I answered honestly. “I can tell in the first minute if they are skilled enough to overthrow me in my current state, so I don't waste energy. My goal was to conserve for the next fight, not to trick you.” It was nearly the whole truth. I had to lose gracefully in order to go forth without her catching me. My exhaustion had let slip the obvious mistake she caught.

Marie laughed again. “What a thought.” She said. “When I told you that you would lose I did not think you would take it to heart. I certainly did not mean that you were to lose on your own terms. You will be made to lose. That is what I meant.” Her eyes were ever so slightly narrowed at me. “Now go walk the perimeter.” She ordered.


As Jonah walked away Marie spoke into her head set ordering a set of her students into the gym. There were four of them, all a few years older than Kira with a varying quality of skills. When they enered through the elevator she commanded one of them meet Jonah on the floor. He was shorter but bulkier than Jonah was.

“You require incentive, don't you Jonah?” She addressed him as the two moved to face each other. “Well then, whoever loses this fight will lose their life.”

My fingers tensed for a moment as four students came out.  Even I would have difficulty taking on all four of them at one time.  But for a brief moment my heart skipped a beat as the real rules were explained.  Jonah versus just one.  Loser loses his life.  It was a good play on Marie's part, Jonah couldn't let himself lose this time around. But quickly I let myself calm down and closed my eyes instead for a brief moment. "Jonah will keep trying to hold out some measure of strength."

Marie watched as the pair began their fight. “Perhaps, but not as he was.” She gave the answer to Kira's comment. Jonah was more vicious with this fight than he had been all day, but knowing that their life was on the line so was his opponent.

Of course Jonah did win in the end to no ones surprise but the attacker who looked quite stunned. “Kill him.” Marie commanded Kira as she slid over a gun. Before her action was finished, however, there was a soft grinding sound of tendons over bone. Jonah had snapped their neck.

I took up the gun, inspecting it and cycling the chamber to draw the first round. When I heard the tell-tale sounds of a neck breaking I was on my feet in an instant, crossing the room to point the gun right at Jonah's temple. My finger lay along side the trigger but not on it as I gazed at him. "We are given orders Jonah. Your order was to fight and loser is killed. Not once was it specified that you are to kill him." My thumb pulled back the hammer though still my finger didn't shift to the trigger. "Follow your orders. My orders are currently to 'kill him'. Never specified who, but one body lays on the floor and I still haven't filled my order. This leaves one choice you realize."

Jonah:

I turned cold tired eyes on Kira. “Not once was it specified that I was not to kill him.” I answered, giving her a steady glare. I had not been brought up to have a lack of emotions like she had. That fact was showing now that my energy was being routed to my body and not my mind.

I had conserved my energy in an event that I would need to fight for my life, and Marie had been surprised? Marie said that whoever lost would die, what did it matter how it happened if it was done efficiently?

“Kira, lower your gun. It is already done.” Marie ordered after a pointedly long time.

Even after Marie's order I was slow to ease the hammer back into place. "We are here to fill orders Jonah. It would do you well to remember that." I pulled the weapon away from his temple and took a step away from him.

Marie called Kira back up but did not confiscate the gun. Orders were now on Jonah to not withhold during the fight. If he did there would be great consequences. The other three who had come in were told to fight him one after another, and if they lost they too would be killed. He declined quickly.

The first of the three matches was very close but in the end Jonah lost, after that he lost easily. On the last fight his body was shaking visibly and it ended with him nearly passing out after only a few minutes in. And thus his fall from glory.

I watched impassively, the pistol still head in my grip.  The fights held my attention as one finger tapped along the side of the gun.  No other sign of my feeling was visible beyond that slow tap.  I eyed Jonah wondering if he in fact still had any last vestiges of strength left within him.  It was simply his nature to hold off on that little extra.  But I had seen nothing in the fights that said he'd purposely lost.

Marie stood up from her seat after sending the other students away. “Get up Jonah.” She ordered him as she descended the steps. “Both of you will follow me.” She told both Kira and the boy. His breathing was still labored when he joined them, as if his lungs could not get enough oxygen.

I followed along readily, adjusting my grip as we walked.  Jonah would be okay or he wouldn't and nothing I did could change that.  This was his first time being broken, but I had been through it so many times in the past.

Jonah:

I was hanging on to consciousness by a thread, all of my available energy was used to keep me in motion and up straight.

I followed Marie and Kira into the elevator, after going up five stories we went into what looked like an interrogation room. I sat down at the table across from the other two. Someone brought me in a bottle of water and another shake which I drank much too quickly.

“Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions and I expect you to answer in full honesty. You will not mislead, and you will not evade the question. Do you understand?” She asked me in a business like manner. I nodded my answer, weary of what she would ask me.

Instead of addressing me the turned to the girl next to her. “Kira, tell me, what has Jonah mentioned about his childhood?” She asked her.

The simple question sent a small surge of adrenalin coursing through my blood. I had been careless in becoming so close and comfortable with Kira, I could see that quite clearly now.

I set the gun before me and began to dismantle it, starting with removing all the ammo from the clip and chamber as I worked. I began to tell Marie everything Jonah had told me about his childhood and family. After everything had been disassembled I began to piece the pistol back together.

Jonah:

I watched Kira work while trying to keep my face impassive. “Interesting that he would tell you so much.” Marie commented.

“Jonah,” She started as she pulled out a file. A glance at it showed me investigation records. “I received all of your records when I bought you from the school, you know. I was going through your records and noticed some discrepancies. I had my own people investigate into it.”

I looked her inn the eyes, knowing exactly what discrepancies she spoke of. “From my findings, your mother was left to die by gang member as a punishment to your father. She was not killed by your father, but of course this isn't news to you is it?” She looked me back in the eyes.

“Jonah I asked you a question. Answer it.” She restated flatly. “No, that is not news to me.” I leaned back in my chair trying to hold onto the impassive mask but I had a pained look that wouldn't go away.

I finished the pistol and with a flick brought the chamber forward to cycle in a fresh round. I aimed the gun into the corner to check the sites before placing the gun down onto the table as I glanced between Jonah and Marie.

Jonah:

“So you can imagine when I look through these reports from your stepmother's murder and see it was very similar to your mother's. I saw that you had moved and there was no gang activity in that area. It is doubtful, I think, that your father would have killed his second wife the same way.”

I set my jaw and made no comment unless she asked. “Tell me Jonah, what kind of man is your father?” She leaned forward on the table scrutinizing me. I took a moment to answer. “He is not a better person than I am. Not kind. Not useful.” said carefully.

I listened intently though my focus was on the pistol as I picked it back up and inspected it. I wished I had a cleaning kit but with nothing else I memorized the serial number on the side of the weapon before ending up just watching Jonah with the comfort of the pistol in my hand.

Jonah:

“Hm. And tell me, how old were you when your stepmother was murdered?” She questioned. “Eight.” Was my answer. I was uncomfortable, and much to my regret, I could not hide it.

“Interesting. Do you know why I do not have my students kill before they are fifteen? It effects the brain of a child, it gives them problems later on in this career.” Her eyes narrowed at me when my brow twitched.

“You did kill your stepmother, did you not?” She finally asked it. I clenched my jaw before answering with a short, “Yes.”

I raised a brow at that, surprise breaking through the mask. Jonah had killed his stepmother at age eight? That was a surprise greater than I could have expected. I glanced to Marie for a moment then focused once more on Jonah. I was slow to bring the emotionless mask back into place unable to keep the surprise entirely gone.

Jonah:

I caught the surprise on Kira's face but quickly returned my eyes to Marie. She was not at all surprised, she had already known it.

“Right. Now, Jonah, I understand that you have an issue with control. I assume it is something you picked up from your childhood. Normally I would not chose damaged children, but you are exceptional. You have the intellect to get past it. I expect you to preform as I wish you to. You must curb your ambition. You must surrender your control to me. I own you Jonah, and I expect to profit from this arrangement, do you understand?” I nodded again.

“And one more thing, Kira is my weapon, nothing more. She is not yours to manipulate. She will do what I tell her to, and she will report on you if necessary. If I find out that you have made an attempt at changing that status, you will pay dearly.” Her tone was dangerous.

My eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Marie spoke to him about control. I watched his face for any signs that he might disobey Marie, that he'd try to further his ambition while under her. But that all faded out of my mind as Marie included me. Like smoke my emotions vanished and dissipated and I stared ahead.

Jonah:

“I understand.” I said simply. I had no energy fro honeyed words, as Kira put it. Marie looked momentarily satisfied before telling us that we could go. I would be able to go back to the penthouse to recuperate. M shoulders would have sagged with relief if I had not already had them relaxed.

I flipped the pistol around in my hand as I offered the weapon grip first to Marie. "Should I call a medic to the penthouse to take care of Jonah's wounds?" I asked her. "It will go quicker for his recuperation that way."

Marie took the pistol. “One will be sent along shortly.” She told Kira dismissively. Now that their conversation was over Jonah looked close to passing out.