SERA'S POV
As John left to go to school hours ago, I was busy packing all of my things in my suitcase since today's the last day of my suspension "Well, that's pretty much everything, now all I have to do is wait." I thought as I stood beside my suitcase. I got my phone from my pocket and opened it "1:47 pm, another two hours to kill..." I thought for a second before stuffing my phone back into my pocket and heading out the door. "I guess I'll go for a walk" I locked the door then went on ahead. After a few more minutes of walking around, I arrived at John and I's favorite boba cafe, I went inside and bought a mango boba, then left. As I continued walking through an alleyway I could hear faint footsteps close behind me, then I called out to me.
"Excuse me, young lady!"
I stopped in my tracks and turned my head towards the person behind me.
"Yes?" From there I could take a good look at the person, she had blonde hair that goes below her shoulders, she had red eyes and she was about my height.
"Sorry to bother you, but it seems that I left my phone at home. Would you mind telling me the time?"
"Okay sure," I said as I took my phone out of my pocket and opened it, then she started talking again.
"I've got this important presentation today! it's unlike me to be careless!"
"Hm"
"Ah! maybe I'm too nervous. That's why I forgot!"
I was about to tell her the time but before I could, I felt something hit me but not physically which stunned me for a sec, but I didn't realize that I dropped my phone by accident. we stood there awkward in the air then she spoke.
"Oh gosh, it cracked! I'm sorry!
"It's fine, I think it still works," I said as I bent down to pick it up. What was that just now? I thought for a second before picking my phone up from the ground, I then glanced at the time and spoke.
"It's two-thirty by the way"
"Phew! Thank goodness! I still have some time! Thank you so much! You have been a huge help!" The lady said as she started walking away while waving goodbye to me.
"..."
"All I did was give her the time why was she excited?" I thought to myself but shrugged it off quickly and went on ahead. But as soon as I took a few steps I noticed that my hands started shaking ever since I felt that sensation earlier.
"Strange..." I thought as I continued walking. Not less than a second I heard a loud vroom and honk from behind me, causing me to turn my attention. It was a white van heading towards me so I used my ability to freeze time, enough time for me to move aside. But to my surprise it wasn't as slow as I expected it to be, I was able to dodge it but my drink fell in the process.
"Still shaking...something isn't right". I should've been able to avoid that easily, but for some reason, I felt slow. Then suddenly a guy got out of the van and started rushing towards me while shouting.
"HOLY SH*T! Young lady, are you alright?"
"..."
"We're so sorry! My partner lost control of the wheel"
As soon as he said that two other people came out from the van and ran over to us.
"Nice going dude."
"Ah, be quiet, you!" The guy then turned to me
"Are you injured at all, Miss?"
"I'm fine, your van didn't touch me, drive safely next time," I told them, then a girl with them spoke.
"You sure you okay? At least let us take you to the hospital" something feels fishy here, I thought as they continue pressuring me to go with them to the "hospital".
"Just to double-check" as soon as she said that she grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the van. Okay, NOW I'm sure they're up to something.
"Hey...I'm-!" I had enough of them dragging me so I pulled my hand away making them turn their heads.
"Stop it! I appreciate the thought, but I already said I'm fine. Leave me be." I stated to her, she looked shocked at my claim then spoke.
"There's no need to be so aggressive. We just want to make sure your okay, at least let us buy you another drink."
I was about to say something but was interrupted by a sharp sting on my neck. I didn't realize that there's a person behind me until now." What...?! What the hell is going on?!" That's it I had enough of this.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!!"
I quickly broke away from his grip and activated my ability and took them down. I breathed heavily trying to catch my breath while processing what just happened. I then tried to rewind the injection, but to my horror, it didn't
"What is this? I can't rewind the injection!" I wanted answers so I approached one of the guys who was coughing on the ground. He noticed me towering over him and looked at me.
"What did you do to me? And what business do you have? Talk!" I said as my eyes started glowing blue.
"You are in no position to make demands...I suggest you come with us quietly, or we'll have no choice but to harm you" he said as I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and anger.
"You must be joking. Don't make me repeat myself-!"
I was cut short by a sudden intense pain in my lower back. And before I realized it, a girl stabbed me with a knife. Damn, I let my guard down! I thought as I slightly turned my head to see her, as I did she continued thrusting the knife deeper.
"...?!!"
These people...Are they really...Trying to kill me!!? I used my elbow to shove her away from me, hard enough to make her hit the wall and fall unconscious. I turned my attention away from the girl then saw the two other guys I took down earlier, were trying to stand up while holding a knife in their hands. I touched the knife on my lower back with shaky hands before pulling it out, causing me to cream a little.
"Something is in that needle is messing with my ability! That's why I can't rewind the wound!" I shouted in my mind as my vision started becoming fuzzy making it harder to focus. "It looks like I can still freeze my would" I then froze my wound for the meantime so I would be able to defend myself for now. Without giving them enough time to think, I quickly sprinted towards them and slash through them, which caused them to fall on the ground screaming in pain. At the corner of my eye, I saw one of those guys go through a portal and leave.
"Hey! Get back here-!" I was interrupted AGAIN by the pain from the stab earlier comeback, making me kneel on the ground and hold the wound. "What?! My freeze is wearing off on its own? Could it be...? That the injection did more damage than I thought!" At this point, I kind of started panicking.
"How did they get their hands on something like this? Who ARE these people? How many of them are there? Why are they after me? What do they want?" Thousands of questions are rushing through my mind as I think about what happened just now. I stood up and tried walking while gripping the knife in my hand. " I gotta get out of here! They'll be back and...I can't fight another ambush like this...!" I thought as I started walking out of the alleyway and through the streets. People then started staring and talk about me as I continued walking while clutching my stomach.
"See that girl over there? Yeah, what's wrong with her?"
"She's limping"
My vision was becoming more and more blurry and I started limping, my breathing started getting uneven with each step I take. " I feel like I'm about to collapse...! As soon as I get back, I'll call Elaine, and have her heal me." I thought as I limped through the crowd that continued looking at me instead of doing something more useful.
"For now I just have to be careful, make sure I don't fall for another trap. That group...Who were they? Could they still be following me-?"
I was pulled out of my by someone suddenly placing a hand on my shoulder
"Excuse me." I turned around to see who was, and making sure to put my guard up it might be one of the guys who attacked me earlier.
"You look like your having trouble."
"..."
"I could help you out, if you'll come with me-" I didn't waste any time and placed the blood-stained knife from a while ago up to the guy's neck, causing the people around us to panic.
"Getaway!" I said
"Uhh...-"
"Step Back!" I couldn't take it anymore, if I waste any more time there I would end up fainting, so I dashed through the crowd as fast as I can toward John's house not caring about the people's stares or murmurs.