[Author note : New KoSP chapter. Also, in other news I got Covid-19 this week... I didn't go to work but unfortunately, I spent most of my time sleeping. To me, the disease was kind of like a powerful cold or a flu, with symptoms piling up every few days... However, I don't know whether it's the meds or the disease, I'm soooo sleepy and when I wake up, I'm still feeling drowsy and stuff... Oh, and I feel pain in my back every now and then. Today's supposed to be the last day of quarantine for me... I just have to tickle my brains through the nose to make sure.
Anyway, except the scheduled stories, I haven't posted much this week.
If you're interested in my stories or want to encourage me, please check out my Patréon : https://www.patréon.com/user?u=66371596 (replace the é by a normal e) or look for Cathbel on their website
KoSP : 2 advanced chapters
The Squib who became Iron Lad... In DC : 3 advanced chapters
AoH : Prologue + 6 chapters (exclusive)
MoH : 8 chapters (Exclusive)
VOG : 6 chapters (exclusive)
Enjoy and please tell me what you think of it !]
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Just as the words left his mouth, the woman unleashed a torrent of electricity from her hands. It arced, twisted and branched out all around her like a tree made of light, energy and death. In an instant, the lightning had dissipated and the manic smile the woman bore, froze, as she looked into the eyes of an annoyed-looking Terran young man. She could only do that because of the residual lightning she emitted and the one being absorbed by the unknown in front of her. And when both were gone, so was her sight of the opponent.
Knowing that, if she didn't keep her eye on him, she'd be at a disadvantage, she approached two fingertips from each other and linked them up with a small but powerful arc of electricity. Now with a small amount of light, she looked ahead… Only to see no one there. Neither her opponent, nor the bank's personnel and clients were anywhere in her sight. She looked to the side, only to see them scurrying like rabbits. A smile stretched her lips as the electricity in her hand started ramping up…
« Hey, psycho ! » A voice from behind startled her. She whirled around, instinctively launching a preemptive and ineffective strike toward the voice. This time, the lightning stayed longer, arcing and bouncing around on his body like snakes. And yet… He didn't seem the least bit affected or hurt by it. In fact, his bored gaze trained on her unnerved her.
« You're looking down on me ! » She exclaimed, annoyed. To which he answered casually :
« Huh ? Oh ! No, that's just my resting bitch face… It's totally natural and not meant to look down on anyone. Though I've been told that a couple of times ! »
If Simon was hoping to diffuse the situation before it got any worse, this didn't work ! In fact it might have achieved just the opposite !
The woman suddenly rose up, floating as electricity shot out of outlets, office devices and even where before there were lightbulbs… It converged on her, building up and turning the blue-clad woman into an impressive light-show.
As he contemplated her floating form, wondering how electricity and flying could be related in any way, he thought of a video game from his old life where he played someone with powers over electricity. He, too, could fly. Well… More live hover and glide, but it might be the same principle essentially : something to do with electromagnetic fields. Magneto used the same trick…
So, if she turned herself into a magnet, wouldn't it be possible to affect her like one, too ? Although, he had the theory, the means of how to apply it was completely lost on Simon… Until and even still now, he used his powers blindly. Either his instincts were right on the money and he accomplished what he set out to do on the first try, or he failed and tried again… And again. And again… Until he reached a satisfying result.
And so, once more, but this time in a situation people would consider dangerous, Simon decided to experiment. Thankfully, he'd just been supercharged in electric energy so, he could use the energy without tweaking it too much. That's what he did…
The first few times, it only helped the woman charge herself up further. She didn't move, flinch or even react to the pitiful arcs of lightning Simon sent her way. It didn't matter, really : even his expression remained focused and placid. At the moment, he was just testing the energy for himself. How it behaved, how much of it he currently had and if need be, how it felt to him if he needed it converted one way or the other.
The second part of the testing took place just as the woman prepared her attacks. Once again, she got ticked off by Simon's total disregard for her actions. In her eyes, Simon was just doing whatever while she exerted considerable effort to unleash her full power. He was obviously mocking her ! And then, she smirked, thinking to herself :
Laugh while you can ! You're dead and cooked meat, now !
Just as she was about to launch her strongest, most powerful lightning bolt, she paused. Her enemy seemed to absorb her electricity… He was obviously a Lightning mage of a similar level as her. However, would he be able to replicate or even take on her most powerful attack ? Swiftly and stealthily, she retrieved something from her pockets and put it between each of her fingers, which she then pointed at the arrogant jackass… With a yell of Die, bastard ! she unleashed her attack, propelling the small metal marbles between her fingers at a speed close to lightning.
Thanks to her own talent in the element, her mind could process things much faster than normal people, so she watched, enraptured as her marbles hurled towards her enemy, igniting the oxygen around them thanks to the speed and friction of the projectile. In fact, it almost seemed too slow, but she wanted to enjoy the moment. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to read any fear or pain on the jerk's face, but seeing him getting plastered and vaporized in slow-motion would have to do ! It had its own artistic quality, seeing a flesh and blood human turning into a smear on the walls and ground…
Only, this didn't happen ! In fact, it was like nothing happened ! Or almost nothing… her opponent's expression did not change and his status as a living being wasn't updated to a magnificent piece of modern art. As for her marbles, they did touch him but instead of being destroyed along with their target as they usually did, they stopped and fell on the ground, rolling back toward her.
« The fuck… ? » She furrowed her brows in concentration, trying to understand what happened. At the same moment, Simon clicked his fingers and exclaimed, with a smile :
« I think I got it ! »
He raised his hand and motioned as if to beckon her to him… And she felt herself get pulled to him, unable to resist it. It wasn't fast but it was frightening for her ! It was perhaps the first time she found herself facing someone she couldn't understand. Moreover, she was powerless against the man ! None of her attacks worked and he just seemed to be doing… whatever the hell he was doing !
To her it looked like he was experimenting with magic. It was like facing someone with a tremendous amount of talent and intuition for magic, but seeing him at his beginnings… Without a mentor, teacher or tutor, or even being told about it the person discovered magic and started… playing with it ! That's how Simon felt to her. And when this thought reached her brain, it was probably the moment she lost her mind. Or at least started to…
She spent her entire mana reserves trying to obliterate the man, sending lightning bolts, speeding projectiles, trying to electrocute him point blank… At some point, she even got up close and personal, hoping to at least bruise something ! Alas, not even her fist were hurt hitting the man.
Meanwhile, her opponent moved her like a puppet-master moved her puppets : left, right, up and down. When he was tired or he finally got the hang of it - the woman wasn't sure - the hold on her increased and so did the speed at which she traveled. She never saw or even felt it when her lights went out…