[New Orleans/ Lakeshore/ Hoyaga Real Estate Apartment complex No: One/ Oliver's apartment]
Gwen dropped into Oliver's room with a moment to collect herself. Before seeing Akane conscious on his bed and with a bleeding forehead. Her blood burned through the sheets and the mattress. "Oh no, no. Akane!", she yelled, going to her and grabbing her shoulder. Shaking her gently by the shoulder hoping to wake her up, but only hearing calm breathing.
"Alright, she is breathing", she thought, "I need to stop the bleeding quickly!". "Check the side table", a voice whispered in her ears, the familiar voice of the Oracle. Quickly, her eyes caught the gleaming pair of Regeneration Cores on the side table. "Oh," she said, quickly grabbing both of them.
Meanwhile,
[Hoyaga estate/ Main Council building/ Agent's private room]
Mark stared at the person who had suddenly appeared and said some distressing words to Gwen, and had not taken any notice of him. But without Oliver saying a word, a sudden jolt touched all three of them.
One moment, Mark found himself standing in the room, and then the next, he began falling enveloped in the morning sun. A blue sky and then a sudden coldness of the rushing water assaulted him and his eyes. Quickly, understanding his surroundings, Mark pulled himself together and swam upwards. Coming to a flow of rushing flow of the Mississippi River, looking around really confusedly.
"Excuse me?" he asked, but he was met with no reply or indication of why this had happened. He looked around, locking onto a port nearby.
[Ability Activated] [Fiber Creation and Manipulation... Extending Strings]
Mark's scarf extended and wrapped around his arm, then stretched across towards the railing at the edge of the port and wrapped around it. Pulled himself up and onto the solid ground. Dripping wet, he pulled back his blond hair out of his face.
"I don't know what is going on, but I think we are going to talk about this one," Mark said out loud, believing that Oracle would be hearing him.
[Ability Activated] [Fiber Creation and Manipulation... Full Body Suit]
The fibers of the scarf stretched out and completely wrapped around his body, up to his neck.
[Sub Ability Activated] [Fiber Manipulation...Super Speed]
A white outline engulfed his person, and he shot off the ground. Speeding like a bullet toward the streets.
...
On the other side, Nova and Oliver appeared outside of the Hoyaga estate. Nova looked around at the empty field of grass and then back at Oliver. "What the fuck is going on?" was asked.
"It's time," Oliver said, throwing Darkness into the ground and taking off his burnt coat while his inner shirt and skin healed back up with a golden shine over him. "I am asking you, what the hell is going on?" Nova asked again, with a more serious tone.
While Oliver opened his sleeves and began folding them up. "Akane was ambushed by Lord Fictor's daughter, while she was on her way. So, I sent Gwen to her, and as for me, I need your fire", Oliver explained.
"What the... You want my fire?", Nova asked, only showcasing confusion. "Don't think about it too much, just melt my face off", Oliver replied.
"Listen, I am glad we are having a private moment Oliver. I don't know who you are and I don't trust you. So, I don't think I will", Nova replied. He turned around and began walking away.
Hearing this Oliver became silent, giving himself a moment to think. Then he just sighed in response. Darkness jolted out of the ground and into his hand, and he teleported in front of Nova. Giving him a swift kick in the shin with his point shoe.
Nova flinched, looking at him with a fit of anger. "I didn't remember coming here to answer an inquiry. Get on with the fireworks," Oliver replied. Nova gritted his teeth at Oliver, as a nerve popped out of his temple. "Fine then. I hope you can take the heat," Nova yelled, swinging his arm around.
[Ability Activated] [Flames Creation and Manipulation...Infernal Wave]
[Ability Activited] [Weapon Creation...Analyzation]
A golden gleam outlines him while Oliver, while he shields his face with his arms. Redish-orange Flames erupt from the ground underneath Oliver, engulfing him and overflowing for a few solid seconds. Before abruptly exploding in a chaotic blast, enough to light up the field.
...
Looking back at the past, things were not clear to her. Finding her son in the kitchen alone in an awkward position. With his arms warped in cloth and on fire, confirmed her suspicion that her son had gone mad.
Young Oliver was in pain, his skin and flesh burning away in the fire, and when she stepped in to help him. He yelled at her to stay back while fighting through the pain.
To the surprise of his mother, moments later, a white orb appeared in between Oliver's burning arms. The fire traveled from his arms into a swirling vortex, into the white orb. Then, it quickly dissipated into a ring, which fell out on the ground.
Her mother stared in confusion, as she had never seen her son create anything more than conventional weapons. To make an item of jewelry, no less while harming himself. Once the creation was completed. Oliver stomped his hands on the ground, putting out the flames, while he chewed on multiple Regeneration Cores in his mouth.
His healed quickly, while he peeled the burned cloth of his arms. Oliver then picked up the ring, a smile creeping from the corner of his lips. This was the moment, his mother understood the potential of her child. Showing a terrifyingly playful combination of his parent's abilities. Leaving his mother awestruck.
Hence, this resulted in the creation of the Amulet, which became the key. Allowing Oliver to stay aware of all his experiences while rapidly healing his grievous wounds.
...
Nova's eyes widen in horror, seeing Oliver's burnt and steaming body lying limp on the ground. Thinking he might have gone overboard. Suddenly it began to act, slowly and painfully healing right back up.
[Flame burst...2861°C] [Level Two Flame Burst]
His muscles were the first to come back up, enabling him to move. Oliver pushed himself off the ground, his face and body burnt beyond recognition, now coming to life with skin and flesh growing back Darkness appeared in his, and he supported himself up.
Soon, his pupils came along with his vision. He stared at Nova while his breathing was unsteady. Nova could see the lingering sense of excruciating pain on Oliver's face. "You are definitely insane. Well, you did ask for this," Nova said. Oliver took a deep breath and stared up at the sky, calming himself down.
As soon as he was able to move again. He looked back at Nova, instantly, teleporting in front of him with a sucker punch to the face. The punch threw an unsuspecting Nova off, causing him to stumble back in shock. "Don't stop now", Oliver said back.
[Ability Activated] [Flames Creation...Combustion Fist]
Enraged with his attitude, Nova turned around with his arm dripping with flames, driving straight into Oliver's stomach. The force shot the air out of Oliver, making him drop the Darkness and lifting him off the ground. Flames burrowed through Oliver's abdomen and came out from the other side.
Angry quickly subsided as Nova stared back at Oliver's shocked expression, gasping for air, unable to scream with a burnt hole in his person. But Oliver quickly disregarded the pain and looked back at Nova, with a look of "Don't you dare stop?" Nova continued. Stepping forward with his left foot, Nova switched his stand to deliver a left hook dripping with Flames.
Combusting upon contact with Oliver's shoulder, sending him cartwheel across the field, while his severed arm flew separately.
[Flame burst...2200°C/ 7 Gj] [Level One Flame Burst]
Oliver felt his inside on fire and the phantom feeling of a missing arm. Without resting, Oliver began to pick himself up again. "Are you some sort of a masochist? What's the point in all this?", Nova yelled.
While Oliver stared up at him, his arm regrowing back to an elbow, then a forearm, then a wrist, and then his hand, from which he flipped Nova off. Nova's right eye twitched for a moment, "Oh real mature. Fine, power to you then".
[Ability Activated] [Fire Creation and Manipulation... Sunfire]
Nova brought his hands together, while his body erupted in massive amounts of Flame, releasing them all across the sky. Oliver straighten himself up, ready to take on the complete brunt of what was to come. The sky filled with bright reddish-orange flames and in the next moment, it all immediately started collecting in the middle of his hands.
Resulting in an immature orb of intense heat and energy, no larger than a soccer ball only held together by Nova's hands. "Here it comes, try to stay in one piece", Nova said, turning his hands towards Oliver and launching the orb at him. While Oliver closes his hand into a fist and raises it and moves his left foot back, clinching his mother's pendant.
Though initially strong enough to heal all of Oliver's injuries, Pendant takes priority towards Oliver's vital organs, and all rest comes after. The moment the orb made contact with Oliver's knuckles, It expanded into a fiery hell, reaching a 30-foot radius.
[Flame burst...5000°C/ 5,002 Gj] [Level Three Flame Burst]
This was followed by a large smoke cloud, which required minutes to set before Nova finally saw him. Lying on the ground, a charred lump of a former man, his heart still beating. Lost his skin and all four limbs, but slowly it started to come together along with his clothes.
...
Akane finally opened her eyes, due to extreme hunger, finding herself in an unfamiliar room. A delicious savory smell wafted around the room. Her blood had dried on his skin and the upper part of the white-top burnt away from the back. Her eyes doted around the plain and empty room, seeing only the shelf next to the wardrobe and the nightstand next to the bed.
Finally, hearing noise coming beyond the bedroom door. "Is anyone there?", she asked out loud. Quickly hearing hurried footsteps, ending with a worried Gwen coming into view wearing a red and white striped apron. "Gwen? What is...", before Akane could complete that, Gwen jumped on her, embracing her with tears in her eyes.
"You idiot...do you enjoy getting hurt?" Gwen said holding Akane tightly. Finding genuine relief, being here with her. Akane rubs her back, providing what little surety she could provide, that everything was alright. "I am...sorry, I didn't mean to", Akane responds.
Then suddenly her stomach growls loudly and uncontrollably. Akane is instantly left stunned, as Gwen pulls back, "Really? are you serious?". Akane's check immediately flushes red, "I...am, just..really hungry", she says in a low voice. Gwen smiles and wipes her tears, "I know, come on let's eat. I made steak".
...
"How long are going lie, therefore!?". Hearing Nova shout, causes Oliver to wake up. His vision setting and the feeling of his aching body coming back to him.
[Analyzing Complete]
He sits back up and looks at Nova. "You look insane, are you right in your head?", Nova remarked, while Oliver began to climb to his knees. Darkness appearing his hand, "I don't care, how much there is", He said pushing himself off the ground and the Darkness disappeared, "I will do this all hundred times over... If this means getting stronger".
[Activating Ability] [Weapon Creation... Materialization]
A white circle appeared beneath Oliver, which then stretched across to Nova coming underneath him as well, connecting both of them. "Huh", Nova expressed his confusion not only seeing the light connecting them, but the involuntary flames escaping his body and retreating into the white.
Nova looks up at Oliver who smiles back, "I have seen enough!". As he drops down, shoving him into the white light, flames burst out. He then pulled out his hands, still on fire, while the light disappeared.
Standing back up, Oliver shook the Flames away, reviling vibrant pair of knuckle dusters, the color of Nova's bright orange hair. 4.5 Inches across from the top and 2.7 Inches across from the bottom, 6.5 inches in thickness, 2.5 inches in length, and finger holes 0.8 Inches in diameter.
[Materialization Complete]
[Weapon Name: "Awaiting Name"]
Oliver smirks at Nova, "Nice aren't they, I think I am going to call them. Casanova".
[Weapon Name Awarded] [Weapon Name: Casanova]
[Weapon Ability: Flames Burst] [Weapon Passive Ability: Flame Immunity]
[Weapon Creation Completed]
"What are implying by that and is that the best you make out of me?', Nova complains seeing something far simpler image of his Ability.
"Nowhere is the thing, creation is not the only thing my Ability can do", Oliver replied.
[Sub Ability Activated] [Weapon Manipulation...Weapon Fusion]
[Darkness + Casenova]
Suddenly the bright orange knuckle duster took on a black shine. Pulling back his hand for a punch, then suddenly teleported right in front of Nova. He was able to react quickly enough to shield his face, but this was not what Oliver going for.
[Level Two Flame Burst]
Coming to his stomach, he released the amount of heat and energy equivalent to Nova's Infernal Wave on a single point. The explosion was strong enough to silence everything else around Nova.
[Passive Ability Activated] [Flame Immunity]
Next moment Nova was flying over toward the gate leading to the Academy, leaving behind a smoke trail. Pulling his head back straight, he saw himself approaching the ground quickly.
[Ability Activated] [Flame Creation and Manipulation...Flame Sphere]
Quickly a sphere of spinning Flames wrap around his plummeting body, rotating in the opposite direction. As soon as the Sphere hit the ground, it exploded and slowed Nova down, enabling him to land.
For a moment he stood there, looking around and not finding Oliver. Slightly rattled by how perfectly Oliver was able to mimic his Ability. Dropping his guard, he turned around to leave. Only to lock eyes with Oliver, causing him to jump back, "The fuck man!?".
Oliver pulled his suit on his person, along with his body healed slowly as evidenced by the steam coming from him. "Oh sorry, forgot to tell you. Gwen and Akane are in my apartment, complex one, third floor, and the second last door to the left of the elevator. Take care", and then as he came in, Oliver teleports away.
Leaving behind a slightly confused and on-guard Nova.
...
Meanwhile, as Mark was running around the side of New Orleans City Park. Coming ever so close to the Hoyaga Academy, a stone jutted off the ground at the right precise moment, causing him to trip.
He fell, quickly catching himself on a street. He stopped and looked around, finding cars driving past him and many pedestrians walking by, not paying attention to him.
Then a familiar voice called out to him, turning to his right he found the Rum House, a sit-down place for a quiet and nice happy hour. The table being severed colorful drinks and an assortment of green and fresh dishes.
There, sitting at one of its tables were two other members of the Concile. Lord Igarashi, was a tall and slim man in his mid-second century with dark black hair pulled back and an ivory skin tone. The person wore a long dark black coat with a purple outline, shoes, a violet t-shirt, and denim jeans.
Sitting across him was lord Allum, A beefy-looking man in his late-second century with ruby-colored hair and light ruby-colored skin. A bonny-looking face with Gotye downing sunglasses. He was wearing a blue Hawaiian T-shirt with yellow coconut leaves, brown shorts, and slippers.
"Why did you suddenly appear socking wet?", Igarashi asked putting a Spicy Tuna Ceviche Taco in his mouth. Mark got himself up from the street, still soaking wet. "What is going on with the Ordeal, she has been keeping me away from the Academy", Mark complained walking over to them.
"AHAH! Oh boy, what did you do to piss her off", Allum asked holding a fork full of Roasted Garlic Pulled Pork and a tall glass of The Painkiller rum. "Nothing so far. That King's brat showed up, covered with Akane's blood, saying that she was attacked", Mark explained.
"Again, twice in one week. huh, surely it's fun hearing that isn't it", Igarashi said looking at Allum as suddenly his face twisted in embarrassment. "Screw this then. I admit that I wasted my time with that little shit. She can go and die for all I care", Allum said gulping down his rum.
"Wow there, I believe the king ordered you to strengthen her Ability and also to protect her", Mark replied and Allum turns to him. "And? I did my fucking part. It sure ain't my business if she is afraid of her Ability" Allum said in a defensive tone.
...
[Hoyaga Real Estate Apartment complex No: Two/ Afternoon]
Sotokie sat on her sofa. dazed and not believing what she had done. A man by the name of Oliver, a stranger had taken Akane away and she didn't know what to do. Any second, Council Agents might come through that door to apprehend her. Sitting in silence, only imagining whether Akane is alright.
Suddenly an explosion happens in the Apartment building, shaking the whole thing. This immediately awakes her up and on her feet. A few seconds before, Oliver appears over an abbreviating purple-scaled snake. Hiding in the corner of the hallway, keeping an eye on Lord Fictor's child.
[Flame Burst...One]
Oliver dropped his fist over it, destroying the spare eyes of the Fictor's Agent. Then made his way toward the Sotokie room. In the deep silence, she became aware of the sounds of footsteps coming towards her door. Sotokie moved a few inches in front of the hallway which connected to the entrance of the apartment.
As the footsteps ended in front of her door, this came with a pause followed by a blast. The door shot forward, breaking into pieces, while she quickly shielded her face with her arms. Then she looked up at the man in front of her.
His eyes fuming with neon green fire and staring into it caused the world to start shifting around her. This immense amount of weight fell on her, limiting her breathing and mental functions. As Oliver started walking toward her, she just loosely stared at him, becoming terrified out of her mind. She couldn't understand why she felt this way since she had no reason to fear this man.
And she wasn't afraid of him, but something else loomed within this person. In the end, she could only stand still, her mouth closed shut. As Oliver came close to her, brought his hand up to her face. Held it in place, with his thumb pressing on her cheek.
"You should be glad, you are someone important to Akane", Oliver spoke softly, but his words carried unusual weight for Sotokei. The fear built up as she felt her lungs shirking. While Oliver's eyes widened and his face started to stretch.
"For what you have done today...if you were someone else, I would have killed you". Hearing the threat to her own life and weight became unbearable. Her mind shut down and Sotokie fell to the ground, out cold.
...
For the next few minutes, Gwen watched, as Akane gobble down 14 steaks, with an expression of pleasure and joy. While she stared back at her portion, a reasonable size for a normal person. Though seeing her enjoy herself made Gwen happy as well, she had to ask.
"Akane, what happen this time?", Gwen asked with a sense of guilt, as she pressed her eyes to her plate. Akane snapped back to the person in front of her, who was worried and downright depressed. She swallowed what was in her mouth, "It was Sotokie and it... was an accident".
This made Gwen look up at her, with an angered expression, "An accident?". "No, really...She wanted to take me back home", Akane said defending Sotokie, without looking Gwen in the eyes. Gwen sighed and grabbed the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"I am sorry", Akane quickly said. "Akane, you should not be sorry, you should be angry. Nothing is your fault and if you act like it is, then you always be the one getting hurt in the end After this", Gwen said all that and Akane didn't Akane, just sheepishly continued eating her food.
"Anyway don't forget to thank Oliver for all this", Gwen said to dispel the awkwardness. "Oliver?", hearing his name, it came to her, "Oh, right. This is his apartment". 'Yes, that is right", Gwen replied, "We have raided his fridge as well, Surprisingly he had all this meat", Gwen said then paused for a second. Hearing herself say this, caused it should unusual.
While Akane quickly stuffed the rest of the remaining stake in her mouth, not wanting Gwen to say more. Gwen rolled her eyes around, falling on her back. Momentarily staring at the ceiling, then her eyes went to the shelf behind them. Immediately see carved wooden figures and a small wooden chest at the bottom.
...
Akane soon wiped away her mouth with a napkin, while Gwen got up to browse through Oliver's shelf, closely observing the eight figurines on the shelf. "Gwen, don't look through his stuff", Akane immediately said.
"Oh come on, I am not touching anything. Besides don't you wanna know more about him", Gwen replies. Looking at what she could tell were handcrafted into weapons and such. "Not by going through his stuff, I would rather hear it from him," Akane said back.
Gwen turns back to her with a sly smile, "So you want to know more about him, huh?", to which Akane immediately rolls her eyes and Gwen goes back to looking. One she immediately recognized was in the center. The elongated thick butcher's blade, which Oliver made from the Darkness Hollow.
Looking at others, she saw one curved as a pair of knuckles, a strange-looking dagger with a crescent blade in front and a small curved blade at the end, a thin single-edged long sword, a heavy-duty revolver, a piece of cloth with a pattern of circles with a single line going through them, a long stick with a blade at the end of it, and at last a wooden cube.
"Hmm...interesting", Gwen said to herself, finding Oliver suspicious even though the council did not. She couldn't put her finger on what it was. But then her eyes went further down, glossing over books and other stuff, towards the chest at the bottom. Without much thought she picked it.
"Gwen!", Akane yelled at Gwen with an irritated tone. "Well, he is not here," Gwen replied without looking back. Staring at it, it was just well-decorated with silver metalwork outlining the dark oak box with a keyhole. She brought it close to her ear and gave it a shake, hearing nothing. "Hey it's empty inside, what's the point in locking it?", Gwen said, suddenly hearing a thud behind her and Akane gasping.
Turning around, she found Oliver standing there and staring at her. "Oh, ha...hey", Gwen said awkwardly. "Will you please put it back, it's really important", Oliver said in a disbelieving tone. "Right, sure", Gwen said, catching a glimpse of Oliver wearing a pair of knuckles, before they disappear.
"Oh, I...I am sorry about her", Akane said springing to her feet. Oliver turns to her, staring at her with a pause. Then smiled, "Oh, don't worry, I don't mind. I am just glad to see you are alright, Akane", Oliver replied. "Oh yeah...Hmm, thank you for that, I. It was not, she was not trying to".
"Akane, I didn't ask", Oliver quickly added, stopping Akane from saying any further. "Oh, hmm...", Akane muttered not knowing what to say next. Gwen quickly spoke up, "Well okay, and alright then. You heard the man, let's go Akane", she said walking past Oliver and grabbing Akane's arm. "What? Wait, what about the mess", Akane said.
"Don't worry about it, I take care of it, you go take a rest. Okay", Oliver said back. "See, what a gentleman. Come on let's go", Gwen said pulling Akane along with her, "Hey wait, but we...", while Akane protested. "No buts, we're out of here", Gwen said quickly. Without much strength, Gwen pulled Akane out of the apartment, while last seeing Oliver waving back at her, as the door closes shut.
"Hey what's with you", Akane said becoming angry and pulling her arm out of Gwen's grip. "Hey, I didn't want to clean" Gwen replied, smiling and walking away. Akane sighed, not wanting to face the awkwardness, she also decided to go home as well. Still uncertain as to what Oliver might have thought about her or where Sotokie might be.
Coming down to the ground floor, Gwen and Akane ran into Nova, "Hey, there you two are. Are you alright, Akane?". "Well you came in time", Gwen replied first. "I am alright, just a little tired", Akane adds. "So did he create something out of you", Gwen asked while they started to leave.
"Yeah, he did. A pair of brass knuckles and he names them Casanova. Like why would you name it that?", Nova complained, while Gwen gave him a look, "No actually. It kinda suits you", She replied without a smile. "Huh? No doesn't?", Nova Yells back.
...
Oliver sighed in relief after his apartment fell into silence. He took off his coat and began cleaning up. Picking up the dishes and walking over to the kitchen seeing the mess that Gwen had left. Without many complaints, he started collecting the dishes, the skillets, and utensils into the sink and washing them.
Oliver his time to scrub them well and clean them. Then he started putting everything in its place, the pieces, and the ingredients. Then cleaning what else he could, finally coming back to sit on the sofa in the living room.
There in the silence, only a single irritating sound sang in the background, a wall clock ticking. Hunching forward Oliver rested his head against the back of his hand.
Tick, tock. "Is this the right way to go?" Tick, tock. "I don't know how you are" Tick, tock. "Are these The right course of action?" Tick, tock. "I don't trust you" Tick, tock. "You can't protect them" Tick, tock. "Where do you come into all of this?" Tick, tock. "Are willing to lose yourself?" Tick, tock. "You look insane" Tick, tock. "It's the pain worth it" Tick, tock. "For how long will you keep this up" Tick, tock. "You fail once" Tick, tock. "It can happen again" Tick, tock. "You are still powerless" Tick, tock. "Too weak" Tick, tock. "Pathetic" Tick, tock. "And a coward" Tick, tock. "What's the point" Tick.
...