Chereads / Powers Against The World / Chapter 4 - A New Opportunity

Chapter 4 - A New Opportunity

Jamal stood outside the door of the restaurant after a few hours. No one bothered to help him or even looked at him during the way there. He should have been furious, but simply didn't have the energy to do so. It hurt to even raise his hand and arm to open out of all things, the door, but grunting in pain, he did it anyway. As soon as he entered, one of the waiters he was friendly with, Lune, rushed to his side.

"My man, are you good?" he asked him with disapproval.

"Oh yeah, I'm great. Never felt any better before in my life." he pretended to say with difficulty, "Of course I'm not good! I got beat up again! It was like twenty of them ganging up on me!"

"It was a joke-, I mean it isn't, but I was being sarcastic in a way," he responded as he helped him take a seat by the door. "Stay there for a bit. I'll help you clean up."

Jamal watched as he went behind the counter of the restaurant and into the kitchen. He cursed himself again for letting him be like this. Always depending on others to fend for him, to help him, just why can't he fight for himself? His fist ignited in fury and he almost punched the window next to him.

"Hey, no powers in the building!" A server yelled at him.

He quickly put it out and almost walked out until he remembered how much it hurt for him to even stand up. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he saw a cloaked man sitting at the bar at the corner of the restaurant. He just ordered two number eights off of the menu. That was the largest meal the restaurant had to serve. He heard the waitress ask if it was for later or someone else and heard him grumble something back. She looked surprised and walked away to the back of the counter and asked for his meal to be cooked. By the time she finished asking, Lune came back with some napkins and hydrogen peroxide.

"Dang, took you long enough." Jamal complained to him as Lune handed him some napkins.

After Jamal wiped his face off, Lune removed the cap and wet some napkins with the chemical. "Don't let that stuff get on your eyes or mouth. That stuff is probably hotter than your fire." Lune joked to him.

That was a terrible joke, but Jamal was going to let it slide this one time. Washing the wounds with the peroxide burned, but he didn't really care at this point. Once he finished, as he walked back to the chair after finished cleaning himself up, Jamal noticed the cloaked man watching him carefully. I'm definitely going to leave, as he grabbed his stuff to go. Suddenly, the cloaked man got up and started to walk towards him. Jamal, ignoring the pain, noticed this and started to pick up the pace while thanking Lune as he was leaving, with the mystery man catching up to him. He opened the door and sped-walked across the street. He turned behind him, only to see no one there. Hold up, wasn't he just right behind him? Instantly, he felt someone grab him and shove him into the alley that he conveniently was next to.

Jamal nervous, lit up a small fireball from his hand, only for it to get snuffed out immediately. "Do that again, and you'll beg that you weren't as injured as you are. I can do 100 times worse than whatever did that to you." A deep voice bellowed at him.

"Or what? I ain't scared of nobody! I can fend for myself." Jamal croaked. He already knew that it was the cloaked man and that he would lose even if he tried his hardest.

The man sighed and looked behind him to make sure no one saw both of them. Then he took his cloak off.

"Wait! I know you! Aren't you-, um, like Tomb? The guy that takes out enemies left and right?" Jamal questioned with eagerness.

"I'm Boom, not Doom or Tomb or whatever sorry name you call me. And yes, I take out many enemies threatening the nation. But look, you left some of your stuff right here and I'm here to help you." He told him as he handed Jamal the things he left behind, "Now look, I saw how beaten you were and I'm not going to lie to you, I almost felt bad. So I just want to ask you if you needed some help." He told him.

Getting help from one of the strongest people that the world knows of, Jamal could not have had better timing. "Of course, I would like some help. I've needed help since I was born. No one stood up or bothered to assist me, except for Lune at the Ponnu Diner, but that doesn't change a thing. People are always doing better than me, even the ones with no to barely any power in them. I-I'm tired of living like this! I just can't anymore!" Jamal exclaimed in frustration. "If you can help me, then I don't need anyone's help anymore!"

"Well kid, if I do train you, it won't be easy. And plus, I got work to do, and after seeing you try to fight me, I'm surprised by how strong you were." Boom explained to him.

"Wait for rea-?" Jamal tried to ask.

"Of course not! Man, your power is as weak as that dying tree branch across from us. But maybe, with a few days, it won't be much, but you should hopefully get stronger. Now let's see what you can do to me!" Boom said with a passion of determination.