Brett’s SUV sped off out of the parking lot as Seth walked in to CFA. It was fifteen before the last class of the night, and about a dozen students were warming up in the back corner of the floor as the twelve to sixteen-year-old colored belt class wrapped up. Seth felt a lot better now, more balanced. He wasn’t nearly as afraid of losing control. Locke, one of the female black tabs, taught the class, running them through counter-striking drills. The sound of fists and shins on leather padding filled the building, and sweat hung heavy in the air today.

“Seth!” Ms. Tull said in a tone approaching a shout. “My office. Now.”

Seth almost jumped. He had only heard that tone from Ms. Tull a few times. Jayson had been the source of it more than once back when he attended CFA. Seth swallowed and walked into her corner office, duffel still over his shoulder.

“Shut the door, Seth,” she said from her chair as she looked at something on her computer screen.

Seth complied. Her computer faced away from him, but from the way she watched it, he had a sinking feeling what was on the screen. His stomach descended through his pelvis, twisting itself like so much rope.

“Sit down.”

Seth set his duffel on the ground and pulled out a chair, easing himself into it. Ms. Tull pinched the bridge of her nose and screwed her eyes shut. “Seth, you know you can come and talk to me or Coach John or any of the senior instructors about anything, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She blew air out her nose and opened her eyes. Her gaze was intense, anger floating in her irises, coupled with a tonic of disappointment. “Why didn’t you come to us, instead of… Instead of this.”

She turned the computer so Seth could see. He winced, but he wasn’t surprised. It was a video of him grabbing cage and kicking the living piss out of an unconscious Jayson at David and Anthony’s party. Seth swallowed as the video showed him hauling Jayson up and lifting him by his neck against the cage. Ms. Tull stopped the video.

“You know how I got ahold of this?”

Seth shook his head, numb as his mind relived the fight.

“Jayson sent it to me. He pulled it down before those kids that run those fights deleted it. Subject of the email was ‘I know Seth’s selected for black tab’.” She set her elbows on the desk, steepling her fingers. “What do you think I should do, Seth?”

Seth looked down for a moment, grinding his teeth together. “I know what you’re going to do.”

She sighed. “Seth, I’ve known you for a long time. I’ve seen you go through a lot, and I’m sure I’ll see you go through more. But, this isn’t the behavior we expect from our black belts, let alone our black tabs.” She pressed her lips together. “You’re out of selection this year, Seth.”

Seth felt that anger that had seemed quelled not two minutes ago rising up inside his chest. “It was just a fight,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. “It wasn’t like I jumped someone.”

She pointed a the screen. “You beat the shit out of someone already unconscious. It’s a miracle he’s alive, Seth. If he pressed charges you would be absolutely fucked.”

“He didn’t though.”

“That’s not the point. You’re a good person, Seth, but you’re going through something and I won’t let that be the example my students see from a black tab. Or a red tab. You’re on probation right now. Your tab is gone.”

Seth’s jaw went slack. “I-Will I get it back?”

“If you don’t show this kind of behavior anymore.”

“I made a mistake.”

“Yes, you did.”

Seth clenched and unclenched his hands. “Is there anything else?”

“I still expect you to attend class tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Seth, biting back any other response. The anger roiling within him wanted him to snap, to fight back, but he couldn’t. Ms. Tull had been there for him more than his own parents had, and he wouldn’t disrespect her like that. He stood, stiff, offering her a nod, and leaving her office to walk to the locker room. As he walked past the seating area, someone caught his eye, someone he recognized. One of the shamans they had met with. Seth whipped around on his heel to face them.

The shaman, a man with dark skin and equally dark hair, grinned and waved, brown eyes full of menace.

“The fuck are you doing here?” Growled Seth.

“Checking out a martial arts gym,” said the shaman from his chair. “Scurry along, I don’t think you want to cause a scene here.”

Seth looked towards the office. Ms. Tull watched him with a concerned look on her face. He looked back to the shaman. “I think you should leave.”

“I’m pretty comfortable right here.”

Seth placed a hand inside his duffel bag. “No, I really think-” The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Seth twisted to look out the windows. As he did so, he felt the wasp-sting between his eyes and he took his hand off the knife in his bag to grab at his skull. “Ah, fuck,” he growled.

The shaman chuckled. “Got a headache the-” His next word turned into a hacking, choking noise and he fell forward out of his chair, hands and knees on the ground, wheezing and coughing. Seth saw the faintest edge of a magenta aura swirling around the shaman, but he blinked and it was gone, along with the wasp-sting. The man began to shake, rolling onto his back, eyes turned back in his head. Ms. Tull came out of nowhere, pushing Seth out of the way and kicking the nearby chairs away from the man before turning him onto his side.

The entire class had stopped to stare, along with the students warming up. “Seth,” she said. “Call 911.”

Seth pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed.

“Hey, easy now,” said Ms. Tull as she kept him from rolling onto his back again. The man continued to convulse, shaking and writhing on the floor, limbs twitching and lashing out.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“I need an EMT,” said Seth. “There’s a man here having a seizure, I’m at Central Fighting Arts.” He rattled off the address. “It looks really bad.”

“Alright, please keep sharp objects away from him and keep him rolled onto his side. Do not try to restrict his movements. Please keep track of how long the seizure is going. Do you know if this is anaphylactic shock?”

“No.”

“Did he eat something?”

“No, he just started coughing and wheezing and then convulsing.”

“Does he have an EpiPen on him?”

“Ms. Tull,” said Seth. “Is there an EpiPen on him?”

She quickly patted down his pockets as best as she could and shook her head.

“No,” said Seth.

“Alright, emergency services are on their way, they should be there in five minutes, you’re very close to a hospital.”

“You need me to stay on the line?”

“No, you’re good.”

“Thank you.” Seth hung up and crouched down a good few feet from the convulsing shaman.

“What happened?” Asked Ms. Tull.

Seth shook his head. “I… I thought I recognized him. He just started convulsing.” As he finished speaking, Seth’s eyes bulged. The shaman’s nails were elongating, and thick fur was beginning to sprout from his forearms. Seth opened his mouth to say get back, but before even the first syllable left, Seth fell backwards from the most intense wasp-sting he’d felt yet, still square between his eyes, his whole world going black for half a second. He blinked to clear his vision, and saw what looked like magenta flames licking over the shaman’s entire body as he arched backwards so hard Seth thought his head might touch his heels.

And then it all stopped. The man relaxed, and lay there motionless.

Ms. Tull put two fingers to his neck and her eyebrows raised. She immediately rolled him onto his back and started CPR. “Seth, go outside to wave down the EMTs!”

Seth nodded, stunned, and rushed outside, leaving his duffel bag where it lay. The area between his eyes ached like a still-healing burn. What the hell was-

All the way across the parking lot, a person with indiscernible features sat in a red sedan. He could feel their hair-raising gaze on him. The car started and pulled out of the parking lot, and Seth let it go. This was not the night for another chase. The car turned from the side road onto the main road past CFA, windows now rolled up, occupant only a blur inside. Seth stared after them as he began to hear sirens in the distance. Who the hell were they, and why did they seem to be protecting him of all things? What was going on?

The ambulance pulled into the parking lot and Seth waved it down. Those answers would have to wait, as he hurried inside the medics who would save the life of an enemy.