It was odd, I could breathe just fine. Even though I was seemingly floating in an endless sea. There was this cold sensation washing over my body, kinda like gentle waves sweeping over me. Yup, this was the same exact feeling from before.
I looked around and saw what I assumed to be the sun above me. It was like opening your eyes underwater. Soon I felt myself being pushed up by the waves, getting closer and closer to the light. I prepared myself and soon popped out. I kept my focus and shot out of the blue, and landed on the dirt ground.
I took the time and began to take in my surroundings, we were deep in the woods somewhere. It kinda looked familiar to me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Suddenly a roaring screech pierced through the woods from behind me. It sounded like a little girl, my adrenaline activated and I quickly summoned a sword.
I quickly turned around to an icy patch on a tree. The patch was screaming...? No, no this sound was actually sounding pretty familiar now. I lowered my sword and began to relax.
That's when Zack popped out from the ice like a kid off a slide.
He finally stopped screaming once he crashed face-first into the dirt.
He popped up quickly and frantically, holding out his hand like he was ready to shoot fire at someone.
"Where are ya frosty!? Huh!? Huh!?" Zack hollard. (He looked like he was gonna crap himself).
It had just occurred to me, we technically could still be in the challenge. The likelihood of that is low, especially since I feel like the ice healed us. But could it be a trap to lower our guard? No, if he restores my stamina he restores my ability to summon and use my eyes.
"Not bad for a couple of street rats!" I heard Jack cheer as he walked from behind the tree.
Which made me calm down.
"For Narnia!" Zack yelled as he attempted to shoot fire at Jack. But nothing came out.
"You read a book!?" I cried out in shock.
"Aaahhhhhh... Oh." Zack said softly. "No more juice."
"Good observation Einstein." Jack sighed. " Here I was about to compliment you..."
"So...it's over?" I asked.
"Yes, the snowflake was pretty much a floating bomb of ice. I used it to heal you both and teleport you here." Jack said as he walked forward toward us.
"Arthur was right, you two just might be something. Don't get me wrong though, you both are turds. But with a whole lot of work! You two can be fine a piece of crap!" Jack cheered.
"What?" Zack asked.
"Your teamwork is your best attribute. You both compliment each other well. But that only works for when you two actually work together." He said sternly. "Stryder, you need to be more loose and confident in battle. Your hesitation nearly caused your demise in the first five minutes. There won't be a therapy session in a real fight."
"Right!" Zack cheered.
I slowly looked down to the ground in embarrassment, Jack was exactly right.
"Oh don't think you're safe! You're too confident! If Stryder didn't remind you about the level of your opponent, you wouldn't have seen me coming! Plus you're impulsive, going in thinking everything will be fine. You almost blasted Stryder away!" Jack huffed. "Like I said, your both turds."
I looked up for a moment and I could see Zack looking away from Jack, his fist balled in frustration. We were all silent for a moment.
"So what now?" I asked.
"We go home, your sister's been calling for you," Jack replied, giving us one more hard look. Before he finally turned around and started walking.
I took every word Jack said to heart, I was even thinking about what Zack had told me. A sacrifice my mom made for me, I've turned it into such an ugly thing. I was so afraid, even after all that I'm still afraid of myself. Deep down, I still wonder if I'm good enough to be using super strength.
I wasn't sure how I was supposed to deal with this. Because it wasn't just my mom holding me back, she wasn't the only shackle holding me down. If I ever really wanted to become a hero, I needed to do something about this.
Maybe I should talk to Lux about this...
I was suddenly snatched away from my thoughts as someone smacked my hand from my mouth.(I hadn't even realized I was gnawing at my nails).
"Stop biting your nubs!" Zack yarped. I quickly moved my hands into my pockets.
"R-right, my bad.."I replied softly. " Just a whole lot to take in right now..."
" I have been telling you the same damn thing for years!" Zack roared.
"Using my superpowers and asking out girls are two completely different things." I quickly retorted. "Besides we know how well that went last time," I added under my breath.
"Potato, tomato the point is you hold yourself back from being the mega Stryder you can be!" He cheered.
"Mega Stryder? I asked.
"Yeah! I bet you'll be like Superman or something! Laser vision! Flight!" Zack went on, and on.
I appreciated this, the tension had faded away from us. It was like we were walking home from school, way before this whole superpower business. Us to dorks being dorks. I wondered if Zack knew, did he do this on purpose? Or was it just Zack being Zack again. It didn't matter honestly, it was just what I needed either way.
We eventually arrived back at the apartment, me and Zack laughing and joking around still.
As Jack opened the door, we stopped dead in our tracks. None of us said a word, Lux was sprawled out on the floor. There were notes, photos, and a whole bunch of paper all over the living room floor. She was looking over something on the floor, we all just stood there. Watching her...do whatever she was doing.
"Umm, Lux?" I asked.
I stepped forward a bit toward her, but as soon as I got close all of her shifting stopped. Which kind of freaked me out.
"Lux...are..are you okay?" I asked softly with concern.
"I tried so hard Stryder!" She cried out. "But there's like nothing online about Icarus! I searched and searched! But the only video I could find was that video with Helios Comet! Everything else is just speculation!"
I jumped back hard as she snatched my hands, her eyes looking a bit red and strained. The aroma of coffee was seeping off her.
"Umm is that so?" I asked with slight concern.
"That's a pipe dream your fighting after, Icarus is an elusive type. The Helios comet fight was the world's first confirmation of whirlwind urban legend." Jack added cheerfully, as Lux sprang over to him.
"You trained the guy right! Tell me more about him!" Lux demanded as she got in Jack's face.
Who promptly threw a snowball at her.
"Sooooorrrrryyyyy, my student master relationship is very confidential." He said firmly.
Lux just stood there, letting the snow slowly fall off her face. A low intense growl seeped from her lips, as I felt the hair on my neck stand on end.
"I'LL KILL YOU! YOU POMPOUS LITTLE-!" Lux began to scream.
She stopped in her tracks however as the T.V flipped on. I quickly turned to the screen in pure bewilderment. We were all silent as the T.V show chased some scenes in the desert. There was a huge tipped over truck, flames erupting from inside of it like a bubbling volcano.
What the hell was this? Was the Goddesses doing this?
The shot zoomed in on what seemed to be four people, besides the blazing fire that flung around them like snow. Three of the four were in orange jumpsuits, while one seemed to be in a regular T-shirt and Jeans. His hair was white as snow, just like Jack's. He didn't look much older than us, maybe college age. The screen focused on them for a moment before they started running.
"Lux is this some movie!?" I asked frantically.
"No it's not, plus I know that guy with the white hair isn't any actor..." Lux said with a look of awe, at the T.V.
That's when Zack quickly jogged over to the couch and plopped down on it.
"That kid's name is Rex." Jack added very sternly. "A gifted."
This must've been the Goddesses doing. But why?
I could see Jack's usual nonchalant face, turn to one of shock and horror. I looked away from him and back to the T.V screen. Someone with a familiar hood was standing before the group.
"Is that Icarus?" Zack asked as he sat up more.
"What the hell's going on?" Jack growled.
Icarus hood began to glitch and static on the screen. Until his face just stayed glitched.
"Rex, I can't let you go any further. If you don't surrender, I'll stop you with force." Icarus said out in an odd robotic autotune.
Someone one was glitching his audio and face...
"Well why don't you come and try?" Rex said with intense confidence.
The camera angles and sound quality made it almost seem like a T.V show or a movie. The sound was clear and perfect, plus the camera was following along perfectly. The camera eventually looked over the prisoners, who were pointing in shock at the camera. Clearly something was there taking this video, that was really freaking them out. While something else was hiding Icarus's identity.
"Jac-" I turned to ask Jack, but I stopped.
His fists were balled, and he had a nasty glare at the screen, I didn't think Jack could make a face like this. He was fuming.
"Ha! I've heard all about him on the news! This guy's a joke!" The prisoner in the middle spoke up.
He stepped forward toward Icarus now as the camera slowly zoomed in closer to him. He had long nappy brown hair, and looked pretty built. The other two followed behind him slowly. One with darker skin and a bald head, the other had short blonde hair and was rather round in shape.
All three of them walked past Rex, and stood off against Icarus. The camera zooming out, so we could see all of them standing off against one another.
Icarus got into a stance and kicked high into the air. Landing with his right foot forward. His hands up and flat, kinda reminded me of a Bruce Lee stance.
The camera zoomed in intently on Icarus, still a glitched face but his hood visible. Whoever was hacking was doing great on only blocking his face.
I guess it makes sense that the Helios comet video is the only video out there of him. Plus this Rex guy, sharing his identity out in the open. Not even trying to hide it. Plus no glitches on him either, which means, whoever's doing that must be on Icarus's side specifically. Which would make sense, considering knowledge on him is really scarce.
The one with stringy hair charged him, two chunks of the earth shot up from the ground that looked like the size of cars. The prisoner leaned forward and stayed low, flinging his hands forward at Icarus while charging in at him. Icarus jumped as the left boulder rocketed forward at him.
The wind dispersing around him became a bit wild as he shot high in the air. He landed on the boulder hands first and vaulted over it and up into the air quickly. The right one came quickly at him, he spun around like some graceful ballerina. The air swirling around him as he just barely dodged the rock. It was like he was riding the wind. He spun forward like a wheel now and came down on the prisoner with his leg raised high with tremendous speed. Driving home an axe kick on his head, making him drop to the floor.
"Damn!" Zack cheered.
Immediately the heavier set prisoner charged in at him. He leaned his head back and shot this huge steaming green vomit out his mouth. The air seemed to swirl around his body as he just barely dodged the acid spit. I fell forward leaning on the couch in anticipation now, I wanted to do something to help him. I gripped the couch harder and harder now.
"Come on kid..." Jack growled under his breath.
I looked over at him, and I could see his fist clenched even tighter. An Icy mist coming from his hands now.
"Kick their butts Icarus! Woah! This dudes a freaking ninja!" Zack cheered.
I quickly looked back to the screen as he pulled out what seemed to be a gun from his hoodie. He shot one time, and he seemed to hit the acid spitter in the leg as he was spewing the acid.
"My dude brought a glock! He poppin em!" Zack cheered.
The acid spitter fell to his knees, and the acid spit fell all over on his own body, and he seemed to be burning. Before he even had a chance to react to anything, Icarus was already upon him. Icarus leaped forward and rammed his legs into his face, kicking hard off him and flying into the air. The spitter falling back and rolling backwards on the ground.
"I don't see what all the memes are about! This dudes legit!" Zack cheered.
Zack wasn't wrong, he was so much better than people had been saying. He didn't waste a moment incapacitating those two. All the while barely showing us anything new. I could tell he was trying to end this as quickly as possible, with no deaths either. As far as it looked, he could do it too. But Jack didn't seem so sure, and since he trained him. I'm sure he knows him best.
Even after all that with the prisoners, Jack's still worried. Which means, he was worried about Rex.
I looked away from the screen as Zack cheered Icarus on.
"Get Em bird brain!" Zack cheered.
"Jack tell me, just who is this Rex guy?" I asked sternly.
Jack slowly turned toward me and relaxed with a deep breath.
"Rex, is a monster." Jack said softly.