Eyes wide and strained, Sami could discern nothing in the oppressive darkness of his captor’s room. The thick, grimy foam power still clung to his mouth and limbs, a lingering stench of something chemical and sweet burning his nostrils. His ankles ached, landing at a bad angle when tossed down the stairs. The room was quiet, but soft, panicked breaths passed through the space like coughs from all angles. There must have been a dozen others inside.

  The reality should have been stark, but Sami’s adrenaline was just as excited as it was anxious. Without meaning to, he had both discovered and located a hidden kidnapping ring in Indus. Once he broke himself free, he’d be able to get others out as well. The extent of his Shadow Hands, with the ability of contorting and slipping through any gap, was a secret to his captors. At least, that’s what Sami told himself.

  Working his jaw, Sami attempted to open his mouth and speak, but the foam held firm. The acrid stench stung his nose and he decided against trying to use his tongue to make it slick, considering that it could be coated in poison. Plus, he was still super parched, not certain his tongue would have the saliva needed to help.

  Listening as he thought, Sami closed his eyes to focus on the sounds of the others trapped, wondering if they were going to help or remain unmoving. As he focused with his eyes closed, he wanted to get a feel for how many people he had to work with, and the overlapping shudders did little to help him get an accurate count.

  Flipping his eyes open in annoyance at himself, he turned on Power Sense and had the dark space filled with the bubbles of power floating above each person down there with him. A few had more than one power, but the balls of mist all hung close together like balloons on a string tied to its owner. With that in mind, Sami clocked nine people captured with him. Unless there were UnAwakened in there with him. Either way, he had a good number of powered allies.

  Somewhere beyond the infinite darkness a metal scraping danced just in ear shot outside of their prison. Tilting his head to get a better listen, Sami could barely make it out over the increasingly panicked sounds of the others. Frowning to himself, he summoned two Shadow Hands and thought about how to communicate with them. Wiggling them past one another, he wondered how bad it would be to brush a hand against the person closest to him. No, it would terrify even him if something strange and ethereal suddenly poked him.

  Then, he realized that two hands had the simplest form of communication built in. Lightly, he clapped them together twice. Even without sight, he could feel the entire room flinch away from the sound. Sami hummed two sounds out in a rhythmic succession. Then he clapped at the same pace, indicating he was the one making the noise.

  To his surprise, multiple people answered with a clap of their own hands, matching his rhythm. Heart fluttering in excitement, Sami felt like he made a breakthrough already. They were talking! Okay, maybe only communicating, but progress was progress! If only he and everyone else knew Morse Code, he would have a place to begin. Instead, he clapped three times, just to make sure he wasn’t hearing things. More hands matched him, clapping three times. Sami hummed loudly in triumph.

  No one replied. They must have been similarly muted with foam over their mouths. Hand talking only. That was fine. Humming like he was explaining something, Sami slid out a Shadow Hand and bumped into someone’s arm. He hummed “nice to meet you” and gave the forearm a blind handshake. Scoffing, the body on the other end clapped four times, matching Sami’s cadence of “nice to meet you.”

  Introducing himself to the rest of the room, he could feel the tension reduce between him and his allies and also confirmed that the only people in the underground cell were Awakened. Everyone that could would reply to him with four claps like the first person. Most of them didn’t have their mouths sealed shut from what Sami could tell in his blind probing, but he couldn’t exactly ask why they wouldn’t talk to him.

  More grinding noises came from outside, with mumbled instruction from what sounded like Cassandra on the other side of the wall. From the sounds alone, Sami couldn’t put together what was happening, but was pretty keen on not wanting to end up on that side. More grinding. More tense silence.

  Sami patted his Shadow Hands up the walls softly, making a mental map of the space until he hit the stairs he was tossed down. Sliding up the stairs with a stretchy Shadow Hand, he found the door and knocked lightly against it. For a tense moment, everyone waited for a response. Nothing came.

  On the side of the noisy wall, the sound of people filled the space, talking jovially like a group gathering before a magic act. Was the Fight Nights arena that close? And did the gathering audience mean they were starting soon?

  Feeling the urgency rise, Sami knocked against the door with one outstretched Shadow Hand, and used the other to pat someone on the back. He didn’t know how to encourage them to use their Awakening to break down the door otherwise, but as he did it, he felt them shake their head. So at least they were getting the message, even if refusing. He tried again with the next person. Same response.

  Knocking rapidly, Sami tried to coax anyone to get them out. They didn’t even need to be super strong! Maybe they could pick a lock or sneak out of the room and unlock it from the outside. If he had that ability, that’s definitely where he would have started.

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  Opening and closing the Shadow Hand at the door, Sami worked his sealed jaw thoughtfully as he ran fingers over the knob. It was locked, but what if his Shadow Hand was the power he needed to sneak out of the room? He’s always assumed they had to retain the size of a fist, but they were shadows! Could they pass under a door?

  Microphone feedback sang out the other side of the wall, followed by cheers.

  Sami closed his eyes to concentrate as he placed the palm of the Shadow Hand flat on the floor atop the stairs. Wincing in focus, he willed the Shadow Hand to take a new form. Twitching like someone confused by the rules of Rock, Paper, Scissors, the Shadow Hand spasmed on the floor. Then, it pressed into the ground, flattening like a piece of paper.

  Yelping in excitement, Sami slid it forward, having to use significantly more energy than usual to move it in its new state.

  As dark fingers slid under the frame, an announcement made the crowd on the other end explode in excitement. Then, the announcer yelled something and the wall between them thudded menacingly, loud enough to break Sami’s concentration to look at it.

  Creaking and groaning, the wall formed a massive straight crack, opening like a heavy set of elevator doors.

  Blinded by the light, the bodies in the prison space shuffled away from the open door as the roar of the audience blasted into their tight space. Sami couldn’t make out any shapes through the sudden light and returned his focus on the Shadow Hand sneaking under the door. The full palm got through the door, but he was having a hard time angling the wrist to slide upward while it was still as thin as a dime.

  More spasms. More time lost.

  “We have some newcomers today, people! A real treat! If I’m not mistaken, this is a member of HUE!” Cassandra’s voice played out grandly over scratchy speakers.

  Sweat dropped out of Sami’s hair and landed between his mouth and its seal. With a quick twist, the tiny drop of lubricant was all he needed to free his mouth.

  “I almost got the door!” he gasped to the others. “Get ready to bolt! I need someone to carry me, I’m all tied up in the foam!”

  Bloodshot eyes shot toward him, but none looked ready to move. All of them had resignation or despair written on their deep, anxiety wrinkles. What shocked him more was that none of them had any foam restraining them. Were they all in on it? Was he the only prisoner? No. One of the guys with a short buzz of blonde hair and sharp chin shook his head vigorously for Sami to stop. They were on the same side, but something was keeping them down there even with all their powers.

  Feeling his hand slide up the door, his index finger brushed lightly against the knob. All he needed was the lock and he could get everyone out the back before being dragged in. Another inch climbed. So close to freedom.

  Sami locked eyes with the same prisoner, pleading with wide eyes for Sami to stop. Frowning, Sami felt the confidence slip away. Just like he was naive enough to get caught, he didn’t want to be naive enough to think escape was so easy and cost people their lives. His Shadow Hand hesitated, having just found the dead bolt. Freedom a flip away, but the eyes so concerned.

  Sami grit his teeth and made a snap judgement. They were drowning in fear and that’s what was holding them back. He knew it could have consequences, but he was opening the door and bolting, pulling at least two people behind him with Shadow Hands.

  Just as the thought passed his mind, he felt a blade stab right between the knuckles of the Shadow Hand at the door and the power dissipate. Blinking in shock, it hadn’t even occurred to him that someone was on the outside when the Fight Nights business was beginning. Watching the long shadow shred apart in a puff, Sami’s heart suddenly accelerated to a rapid drumbeat.

  Someone stepped into the prison area and grabbed his shoulder tightly. Glaring, the man had a fat pair of glasses and two powers above him. Escape was out of the question, he was going in the ring. And with how poorly things were already going, he didn’t want to imagine what it would be like to fight with another Awakened in a desperate no-holds-barred battle surrounded by scum. That still wouldn’t stop him from resisting.

  Whipping up, his second Shadow Hand slogged the man right in the face. He didn’t even react, dragging Sami’s body toward the ring. Exiting the prison space and forcibly pulled into the main fight area, the entire room exploded in raucous cheers and jeers from all sides. Squinting in the bright space, Sami tried to get a rough estimate of the amount of people in attendance. Hundreds, at least. And several were Awakened. And they reeked of bloodlust. His half-plan to convince the fighter not to fight started slipping away. The audience wanted blood. They’d get it one way or another, whether from the fighters or otherwise.

  “As always, the first bout will be a battle royale with all the newcomers. The last one standing wins,” Cassandra said over the speakers.

  Tossed into one corner, Sami struggled against his restraints, hoping he wouldn’t have to fight with all his limbs stuck in place. As he fought, two downtrodden looking young men around his age were ushered into two other corners. Eyes wide and staring down in shame, they looked resigned to the battle. Sami was baffled that he’d be the only one to struggle. Even if they were scared, a group of Awakened had to have creative ways to get out. There was something he was missing. Or maybe he just wasn’t taking a fight to the death seriously enough.

  With a loud scraping shriek rivaling the craze of the crowd, a large steel fence slid up around the ring, dragging itself against the edges. A cage match. Once set up they were surrounded on four sides, with a large opening at the top at least twenty feet up. Only when it was in place did Sami finally feel the foam fizzle away from his limbs, allowing him to leap up and stretched as he addressed the others.

  “We don’t have to fight, you know. This is their game, but our life. We can work together to get out!” Sami said earnestly.

  The two shared a sorrowful glance, then looked up to Cassandra expectantly. She smiled at the two of them, then frowned at Sami.

  “Focus on him first. Let this Fight Night begin!!”