Prologue

HALEY LEAPED OVER a chair and rolled behind what was left of the teacher's desk. A few more gunshots were heard and he saw sparks as the bullets pinged off the walls and desks around him. Then there was silence.

"Look, kid," he heard Jet say. "No hard feelings, but you're messin' with the Games. Can't have that now, can we? It'll ruin the cycle. And you know what'll happen if the cycle is broken."

"Yeah, yeah," Haley called, still clutching his side, blood seeping into his hand. "A wormhole. I get it. But I thought it was all part of the Game."

"The missions and the tests-those were part of the Game," Jet explained. "But that other little thing you did, now that wasn't part of the Game."

"Thing or things?" Haley replied. "'Cuz last time I recall, I did something else that made the Makers a little mad."

"But I only need one reason to kill you."

The voice was right on top of him, and Haley swung upwards, the glass shard in his hand nicking Jet's forehead. When the blue-haired man aimed a pistol over the top of the desk, Haley rolled backwards into the alcove of the desk.

BLAM!

It seemed ten times louder than usual now that it was only inches away, and Haley flinched violently. Before Jet could try to aim again, Haley slapped the pistol out of his hand and gripped the edge of the desk. He swung himself out of the alcove and over the desk. He managed to leap over Jet and landed behind him.

The man turned, his black coat swirling around him. He punched Haley hard in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain and collapse to his knees. Even with his Game-enhanced abilities, he was still no match for an Enforcer.

With an almost apologetic look on his face, Jet summoned up his blue blade and held it over Haley's head. "Sorry, kid," he said, and brought the blade down on his neck.