I stood there, frozen. N32 was screaming at the top of her lungs as blood splurted like a fountain from the opening where her arm used to be.
My breathing grew heavier as blood stained my clothes, face and arm.
I had seen blood before in training. Few broken noses, wounds and cuts. But nothing this bad or gorey.
I tried to keep my breathing stable and calm in vain. As I was cose to collapsing on the floor, I *woosh* of air displacing sounded out next to me.
Our instructor was there, floating a few inches of the ground, his hands behind his back and the usual stern expression present on his face.
He looked over the situation, not at all bothered by the child bleeding out on the ground foaming at the mouth.
"You." He gestured to a slave race nearby.
"Get this maggot to the medical bay. "
The slave bowed hastily and scampered to carry the little unconscious girl with him.
Then the instructor turned to me.
"And you. It seems you have awakened your powers. Good. You shall receive a name tomorrow. "
Before I could ask any questions, he grabbee me by the scruff blastee of into the sky.
Wind slammed into my face like a wall. Unlike the gentle and easy going flights with my mother, the instructor and I were speeding through the air at mach 3.
I could barely make out the surroundings, and I felt the skin on the back of my neck start to break because of the instructors vice grip.
Within have a minute, we were back at the academy, and the instructor guided me a desk.
"Schedule the assessment with N40 tomorrow. We have found his opponent. " He said.
"Alright, Vidor. " Said the viltrumite behind the desk
As I snapped out of my confusion, I realized what was happening.
"Naming ceremony... " I whispered.
The instructor, Vidor, heard my words and nodded.
"Indeed, boy. Tomorrow, you shall battle another who recently awakened their powers to the death. The one who survives will be bestowed with a name of their parents choosing. "
I clenshed my fist hard as I imagined what was going to happen. Tomorrow, around this time, I will have my first kill.
All this time, the viltrumites have been desensitizing me to death, so that when the day came, I would not hesitate. And now, the day was finally approaching.
__________
I opened the door to my dorm room, walking in with a resigned expression and collapsed on to the bed.
The reom wasn't very big, around 7 meters in length and breadth and 4 meters in height.
One 'bed' if it could be called that. It was more like a slab of metal with a pillow. A table sat a little farther, with a dispenser that spat out white nutrient rich paste that tasted surprisingly good for how it looked.
I looked at the ceiling and sighed.
Just then, my mechanical doors opened with a *hiss*, and I instantly recognised the figure who just opened it.
"I heard you got your powers. " Vara said with her hands crossed in the standard viltrumite pose. Her eyes gave me a once over.
"Well? Did you? "
"Yep." I conformed.
"Have you flown yet? " She asked.
"Um, no. "
Her mouth raised slightly into a smirk, and she turned around and started walking towards the roof.
"Well, this looks like it will be interesting. " I said, before running after her.
__________
A few minutes later we were standing on the edge of the roof 800 meters in the air.
I peeked down the edge, and then just as quickly pulled my head back.
"Um, mom? Are you sure about this? "
She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Don't be a child. This is how we are all taught. And I will not have my son fail his naming ceremony. "
"But... I am a child. "
She sighed and waved her hand.
"Just jump. It'll be fine. I'm here if anything goes wrong. "
I nervously peeked over the edge again, looking at the ground as sweat started pouring out of my back.
"Um... A-are you sure mom? I mean -! "
Before I could finish my sentence, my mother kicked me hard, sending me flying of the edge.
"AAAAAAARRRGH! NOOOO MOMMY! HELP ME AGRGGHHH!! "
I went speeding down the side of the skyscraper, moisture and haild in the clouds slamming into me as I went down. As I got closer and closer to the ground, i could hear my heart thumping in my chest. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact
2 seconds.
'Shit! I'm going to die! '
5 seconds
'Any moment now! I'm gonna be splatter on the floor! '
10 seconds
'Oh my god, I'm so young! Why me? Why!? '
20 seconds
'Oh I'm gunn- Okay this is getting ridiculous, I'm not that scared. '
I opened my eyes to find myself floating 600 meters in the air, and my mother hovering right next to me with a deadpan expression and her hands crossed.
"Are you done overreacting? You're embarrassing me. "
I cleared my tthroat and tried my best to look stoic, which just made me look even more ridiculous considering I was a 4 year old floating upside down.
"Uh, y-yeah I'm fine. " I said awkwardly in my best big boy voice.
My mother sighed again and shook her.
"You're lucky you're cute. "
"What? "
"Nothing, let's go. " She said quickly before turning around and flying away.
I swear I saw her smile a little though.
"W-wait for me! "
I flew after her as fast as I could, creating a little *boom* behind me.
At first my flight was awkward and clumsy. I found it hard to control the direction and didn't really understand how my mother was able to stop so easily and turn so naturally.
But after a little trial and error, I was slowly able to get control of it.
If I were to describe the sensation, it felt like moving some kind of muscle for the first time. I remembered distinctly how I had struggled to walk normally when I was a child, and this felt very similar.
"I think I'm getting the hang of this. " I said to my mother, who had at some point moved next to me
"Sure you are. " She said.
I smirked a little and then suddenly pointed to a mountain in the distance.
"Race you! "
I rushed past as fast as I could, creating another sonic *boom* behind me as I accelerated to my top speed.
My mother looked on at my shenanigans with a blank expression.
"He's lucky I'm his mother. That little brat... "
__________
6 minutes later, I arrived at the mountain peak only to see that my mother was standing there, as rigid as a metal pole with a neutral expression.
I collapsed onto the space next to her, having pushed myself too hard while trying to catch up to her.
"Man*huff*, this isn't *huff* fair. *huff* when did you even get here? "
"4 minutes ago, " She said without even look at. "Let this be a lesson to you. Always gauge your opponents true capabilities before acting rashly. Understood? "
"Yes, mom. "
"Good." She said.
And then we both stood there for a moment. We gazed at the towering viltrumite towers and constructs in the distance. The ships entering and leaving the atmosphere. The cold air condensing in front of our mouths whenever we breathed. The clouds passing by us.
Finally, I gathered up the courage asked my mother the question that had been weighing on my mind.
"Um... Mom? "
"Yes? "
I shifted a little on my foot while speaking. "You know about the ceremony that's going to happen tomorrow, right? "
"... "
"After I win... what name would you give me? "
My mother turned to me with a slightly amused expression.
"Oh? Are you so sure you're going to win? "
"Of course! I'm confidant in my abilities! " I said proudly while thumping my chest.
My mother went silent again for a while before turning her head away from me.
"It's a secret. "
"Oh come o-"
"Race you back. "
*boom*
"Hey! That's not fair! "
__________
(The next day)
A huge white building with a circular snd futuristic look stood next to the viltrumite academy.
Inside the building was a wide circular indoor arena.
Six viltrumite instructors surrounded the arena, gazing intensely at the to small and young looking figures.
One was a taller and slightly older looking boy with blonde hair and green eyes.
The other was a little shorter, with black hair and black eyes.
One of the six instructors stood with her hands raised high.
After a tense stare off between the two combatants, she brought her hand down.
"Begin! "