[color=gray][CENTER][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1070792705547980842/1103779297828802630/Katja2.png[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=SILVER][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team Swap Ceremony - P.R.C.U. Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=SILVER][b]The Homecoming Trials #2.25[/b][/COLOR] [I]Flight From Formation[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][INDENT][sub][color=SILVER][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team Blackjack[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=SILVER][b]Previously: [/b][/COLOR] [I]Dusk Hour[/I][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT]Katja couldn’t tell whether it was the cold coastal wind or Team Blackjack’s topic of conversation that brought a chill to her spine. Honestly, it didn’t matter which as it wouldn’t change a thing. Sticking to the sidelines, a few feet removed from the rest of the group, she listened in on the increasingly more heated debate. Luce had joined in, the girl who previously had been so quiet had surprisingly taken on the role of the biggest firebrand in favor of revenge for Cass. Iñigo and Makenna joined the debate on the opposite end, trying to urge against rash actions just like Rory and Trace had proposed. 

Barbs were exchanged, accusations of cowardice, stupidity and arrogance flying back and forth. It didn’t take long after that for the group to break off in different directions, some looking for apparent forgiveness from Banjo while others clearly wanted to be left alone to contemplate what steps to take next. It hurt Katja to see her team fight like this. The world was already hostile enough to the children of the Hype-Gene, squabbling amongst themselves would only make things worse. She wanted to interject several times, but any time she opened her mouth no sound would follow. Instead she practically hid away from the confrontation. [i][color=#FF7514]Something you’ve been very good at since a young age, right Kruger?[/color][/i]

Katja shook her head, trying to get the negative thoughts out of her head. Not now, not fucking now. Of all the times to have an argument with yourself, now was possibly one of the worst. She felt like she had to do something to prevent Blackjack from falling apart. Even though she’d only known them for about two weeks, she still felt a bond to all of them. Almost like a family. She supposed one of them dying would forge that kind of bond. Recalling the incident at the gym the day before, she definitely knew that the thought of Cass kept her in Blackjack. Katja knew that he’d haunt her forever if she failed the team, if she failed him.

That settled it. She’d do her very best in keeping the team together. At least so they’d stop going after each other’s throats. Her personal feelings about Hyperion’s cause didn’t have to conflict with her wanting to see her fellow team members, her brothers and sisters, be well and thrive. This was going to be her priority for now. At the very least this cause might be a welcome distraction from all the shit that happened in the last week.

She decided to go after Trace first, the person whose feelings on the matter seemed to align the most with Katja’s own. They were also the only one whom Katja truly considered to be a friend. For the first time since that fateful night Katja recalled her talk with Trace in their tent. For the first time since the incident, the pleasant memory brought a smile to her face. Not just a friend, she thought, Trace was more than that to her.

Making her way to the fountain, she planned to help calm Trace down and assure them that they didn’t stand alone in the team, that she had their back. And together they’d be able to stop Blackjack from doing anything rash that’d get them in trouble, or worse. But as she rounded the corner towards the fountain Katja saw Trace already in conversation with none other than Blackjack’s very own Banjo. The sunny Roo was supposed to be bed bound for all she knew, so seeing him here in that wheelchair was quite a surprise. A smirk curled on her lips as she put two and two together and figured he’d slipped out of the hospital ward he was supposed to be staying at. Typical Aussies, causing mischief just for the hell of it.

Observing the two from a distance, Katja got a message on her personal device telling her that the team swap and House ceremonies were imminent. Casting one last glance at her two teammates, it looked like Banjo was doing a good job at calming Trace down. There was no need for her to get involved now and possibly make things worse. Katja figured that she’d get plenty of time to talk to Trace after the ceremony was over anyway. 

[hr]

P.R.C.U’s Hyperball stadium, “The Chimera’s Lair”, was selected as the venue for the Team Swap and House ceremony. It was shocking to Katja to see all the people in attendance, even more so when she noticed that the stadium hadn’t even completely filled out yet. Camera drones flew over as they were broadcasting the event. It really brought the point home to Katja of the significance of this event.

Standing in a line with the rest of her team, Katja’s conviction to keeping them together had given her a second wind. Even the bags under her eyes seemed less noticeable. Looking over to team Firebird and back to Blackjack, the difference in expressions was like night and day. These remained largely unchanged as Lehrer gave his speech. Unlike back at the entrance ceremony, Lehrer seemed to have left his charisma back home, as the speech largely fell flat. Even the applause of the crowd seemed to be phoned in compared to the usual reception. Only when Jim started explaining the process of the team swap did the tension in the air get thicker, the crowd anticipating with bated breath what would follow.

In hindsight, Katja should have seen it coming, should have anticipated what would happen. The wounds were too fresh, too deep. Animosity had reached an all time high with the argument from earlier this day. But she didn’t see it, or choose not to see it. There had been fights between Blackjack before, and those got resolved too. Why would this time be any different?

But it was different.

With the sharp sound of the whistle filling the air, with people making their first moves towards their new teams, Katja’s attention was only drawn to one person. Her heart stopped. Someone broke from the Blackjack ranks and time seemed to slow to a crawl. With anyone else it might've been hard to catch who stepped out into the center as they kept their back turned to their former team. But as they raised their pale hands to display the Firebird and Eclipse armbands, even from a mile away there wouldn't have been any mistaking the fact that it was Trace who took their first steps out of team Blackjack. 

Katja wanted to run after them, drag them back to their spot in the line. Or maybe go after them, so that they wouldn’t be alone in whatever team they ended up in. She wanted to reach out and yell at them… Her size, her strength, her good intentions, her determination to keep the team together, it all came to naught as the South African girl was overtaken by despair. The floor seemed to vanish below her as she sank into darkness. Only the white hair of Trace being a source of light, fading more with every step they took. Like the light fading from the eyes of Cassander.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to call out to Trace, call them back to Blackjack, back to her. But as she opened her mouth the only thing Katja could manage was a barely audible whimper. [sub][sup][color=#FF7514]”Please stay… Trace…”[/color][/sup][/sub]

Katja lowered her head, hair falling infront of her face. She didn’t pick up what was happening around her, who was switching where or what the reactions were of the other teammates. 

All she could hear was the crowd as they cheered for their afternoon entertainment.


[hr]

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