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The second grabbed her, a glass knife shadoith electronics at her throat Screa in defiance, she stabbed his ear with the chair pin He howled in real pain, and she threw him over her shoulder and into the first man, now recovered

Following thelass training knife across both their throats The glow of the technological blade against their skin flashed, indicating a kill, and their slick-suits turned white Gasping, they went still, paralyzed Real blood, looking alien on the training floor, dripped from the one man’s ear

Peri straightened, keeping the pin as she turned her back on the men and walked confidently to the distant door No h still spilling through her, though shifting to atoward this for months How many times did she need to prove she was ready?

With a heavy thunk, the lights went up At the door, the pad shifted to a locked red

Peri jerked to a halt “Excuse , and the audio connection pinged open

“You failed to demonstrate proficiency with projection weapons,” the round

Peri cocked her hip, knowing the tiun?” she asked with disdain “Handguns are noisy and can be taken away, and then I have to do e to fix it”

“Your ti

“How can I provethe rules?” sheback to the three men, still paralyzed in their white slick-suits Jaw clenched, she snatched the nearest un “I already killed you,” she said when theout the cameras in the corners instead: one, two, three

“Reed!” the man shouted as his screens undoubtedly went black

Peri dropped the weapon and waited, shaking the pinpricks froertips The audio channel was still open, and a sued phrases, “best we have” and “it’s that shitty attitude of hers that makes her perfect”

Glancing at her watch, Peri shifted her weight “So a? I have stuff to do today”