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A7 The Champion at the Kyla by Bruce Meyer Dr. Trevor Reproba stood and slammed down one last energy drink. "You guys stay and have a good time," he said to Todd Vals, Briel Gimei and the others sitting around them at the large round table at the back end of the Kyla. "I have to get back to my work." The others at the table lifted their mugs and roared in response, overwhelming all the other noise at the Kyla.
As he left, he passed the table next to him, but didn't seem to notice the guy watching him closely and wearing a long brimmed hat pulled low so that a dark shadow hung over his angry, hardened face. Cecil Metus sat surrounded by admirers, including Bob Beundre, his most faithful. Bob wore a similar hat also pulled low, except that his attempt at being angry didn't quite have the same affect with his boyish, pudgy cheeks.
After Cecil's eyes followed the famous professor as he left the club, he turned his towards the table from which the professor had just left, clearly irritated by their loud demeanor. "Hey you massless neutrinos," Cecil called through clenched teeth, "I beat your best," nodding at Briel.
Todd's smile faded when he heard the challenge. Briel's long sloping forward turned bright red, straining to keep himself under some semblance of control being obviously in the full spotlight. Harley looked down at her drink, embarrassed. Everyone at both tables became quiet, causing a cascading affect of silence throughout the Kyla. Even the music playing in the background seemed to reach an unusual, quiet interlude.
"We have a powerful new weapon," Todd called back. His olive skin shone in the lights of the Kyla.
The brim of Cecil's hat barely lifted to acknowledge him. "Good. I want to be the first to test it."
"We'll make sure that you are," Todd replied, a smile working its way across his face again.
"When?"
"Give us two weeks."
"Why? Are you such massless, spinning neutrinos that you need to two weeks to get ready for a fight?"
"You're the Champion, and your reputation precedes you," Todd said, winding up to his full smile. "We need to make sure we're ready to give you a decent fight. You wouldn't want it to be too easy, would you? What would that do for your reputation?"
Cecil smirked mockingly while his admirers broke into howling laughter. "The Champion, the Champion, the Champion," they chanted around the table.
"Alright, you get two weeks. Then we'll meet in the clearing, right?"
"Agreed."
But Briel, red, joined Harley in slumping in his chair, looking at Todd as if he wanted desperately to ask, "What are you talking about? What new weapon?"
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