fandomhigh | Constant Vigilance 2, Session 14. Friday the 15th, A Classroom. Period 4

After everyone filed in and signed in, the Doctor turned on the holoprojector, which projected a large chess board in a peculiar set up.

"Take a few minutes to look at this. It's a puzzle. Black can win in one move. Think hard. Now if anyone thinks they know the move, let me know now."

After talking about the puzzle, the Doctor cleared his throat.

"The reason I point this out is that this puzzle allowed me to trap an ancient evil, an evil from before the dawn of time. It called itself Fenric, known also in Norse mythology as Fenrisulfr, the monstrous wolf that will devour Odin during Ragnarök. Fenric was powerful, able to destroy me without batting an eye."

The Doctor then went on about Fenric at a bit of length.

He grinned.

"So I beat him by being clever, outsmarting him. And using the same principles in the chess puzzle against him, as well as the actual puzzle itself. He was unable to grasp the twist, the complete unpredictability. And here is the lesson you should walk away not only from this class, but the course in general."

"Think differently. Conforming to the mold is all well and good, but being creative, now, that's what makes you an individual. Being quick to think will make you able to overcome all obstacles, and give you a real edge in the world that lies out there. Next week, a boring old written exam. Please keep these concepts I've told you today in mind when you take said boring exam. Now, I open today up to questions, or you just chattering about at your desks. Got it? Fantastic."

[ooc: OCD ~~coming up~~ is up!]

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"Which is?"

"You're arguing semantics instead of thinking about the set up," the Doctor said. "White is obviously in the position of power. Think of it like... An assassination. You need to kill the White king, but none of your men can get into a position to do it. What's the only way you can think of that would allow the mission to still be a success?"

". . . Why do the people working for me have to be men?"

Yeah, she's doing it on purpose, now.

"Because your target is in a country where women are opressed."

"I'd sneak in before hand and poison his coffee."

Nadia was smiling now.

"Precocious, aren't you?" the Doctor said. "But what if the situation is like the chess game, where you yourself can't actually take out the target?"

"If I was in this exact situation, trying to off the white king in a country that oppresses women. . . . Are you sure none of the pawns can be girls?"

"The pawns can be girls," the Doctor conceded.

Nadia nodded. "Right. So. If I was trying to assassinate the women-oppressing white king, and I couldn't do it myself, I'd talk that lady right there, who's in the perfect position to do it, to shoot the guy in the head."