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B5 Dark Energy Wins by Bruce Meyer The group circled the two on the rough ground of the clearing in a forested area north of the dormitory complex, jeering, shouting, and hooting. It was night, so the area above the clearing was lit by a light floating like a miniature sun just above them.
"Fight me!" shouted Cecil Metus, one of the two in the circle. "Fight me now!" He threw his wide-brimmed hat and dark sunglasses on the ground, revealing an angry, sullen face.
"Yeah, that's why I'm here," answered Todd Vals calmly.
Cecil's admirers were many in the crowd. "The Champion," they shouted over and over. "The Champion, the Champion, the Champion-"
"The Champion his never lost," cried a loud voice.
There was one, however, in the circle of spectators who wasn't cheering for Cecil. Briel Gimei had a wry smile on his ape-like face.
A hand reached down to a black box and flipped a large illuminated toggle switch. As if it understood what was coming, the box excitedly displayed a series of rapidly flashing lights.
"Shake hands," commanded the shrill voice of Harley Impropio from next to Briel. She was scantily dressed, as usual, but no one was noticing now.
"I don't shake hands," said Cecil.
"The Champion, the Champion, the Champion-"
"No problems here," replied Todd with open arms, chopped blond hair and an olive, handsome face.
Cecil reached down to a device on his belt, and was answered by a series of cracking and popping sounds. A transformation occurred as his pale figure glistened in the glow of the floating lights.
Todd did likewise, but with a different affect. His figure darkened and his blond hair became burnt black.
"What's he doing?" asked a voice from the circle.
"How did he do that?"
The circle screamed when Cecil raised a long, dull-gray cylinder with a perpendicular handle and took aim at Todd.
"The Champion," they chanted.
A bright light flashed that made the floating light look dim, but it just bounced off the chest of Todd's darkened figure, causing another flash of reflected light.
"Is that all you can do?" Todd taunted, his dark grin displaying black teeth.
Cecil fired again, again, and again, causing such a rapid series of flashes that many in the circle covered their eyes. Rapid fire had always been his greatest weapon.
"Spinning quarks, how's he doing that?"
"What's his source of power?"
Those around the circle saw Cecil's hardened face show fear for perhaps the first time. Briel laughed from the circle just behind Todd.
"I want him dead," Cecil bellowed, his demeanor turning furious. He followed his words by another bout of angry bursts of light, to which Todd simply stood with his feet firmly planted and grinned.
"It's not having any affect at all."
"I don't believe it."
"How's he doing that?"
Cecil stopped, staring, his mouth open, wild fear across his face.
"It's my turn, now," said Todd. Leisurely, he raised a crudely constructed water pipe welded to a metal box with a handle and a lever for a trigger. The blast was dark, billowing, and strong. It was so forceful that Cecil never had a chance. The circle drew wide to allow Cecil to slide through on his back, the glistening field acting like a lubricant.
"He's off his feet. He won!"
"Wow, Todd Vals is the winner, he defeated the champion!"
The circle became a throng around the dark figure, who turned a switch on his belt so that the field vanished and his hair returned to its white blond color.
Dark energy had won.
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