Chimwemwe POV
"Man, Uncle J like I told you I can get there by myself." I complained to my uncle who was driving me to the training building while enjoying a blue berry lollipop.
"Trust me kid I would let you go on your own but this is a further part of town and I have to make sure that Kujitenge doesn't try to kidnap you again. If that happens your Auntie and gogo will use me as a scratching post."
"Guess you're right." I sighed. "By the way how's your investigation going."
"HA! Sorry kid that's private information."
"Fine keep your bad secrets." I didn't push much on it as Uncle J has been living the house more probably to go for his secret meeting with Takhar or something but every time he came back a little tattered. Stuff must really be going down. "Hey Uncle before we get there can I ask you for answer to a question."
"Sure kid the road is congested so we got time."
"Yeah, what the hell are the four families really." I asked him and sure I did know a little bit about them but uncle J seemed more knowledgeable on the topic and by the surprised look he gave me he did.
"Were did you her that?" He asked me and he seemed alarmed.
"Well, when one of the goons tried to snatch me a year ago, I heard that they were going to overthrow the four families or something." It was a bullshit story but should work in context.
"Fuck it's getting harder to keep you away from this life." He rubbed his forehead. "You're not going to drop this are you?" I shook my head. "Okay I'll be honest with you I don't know much about them either only that they're not a little local myth but they are real. Back in the day when quirks we still a little new crime was more out of control and government instability two groups formed to keep Nyasaland in check.
Takhar would take to the streets and deal with criminals and didn't care how brutal they would get either through murder, crippling and extensive fire arms. Then they were the four families and like I said them am not that really well informed but they were the big dogs in the country as they with the government basically brought back what little order the country could have and from what I know the four family are made four head families of the major tribes in the country." He finished.
"Damn so much lore."
"Wait till you get to the deconstructing and contracting of the languages and ethical groups in history and social studies in the coming years kid."
We got to the facility and after he dropped me off, he told me to get a ride from Suiw or quickly board a safe taxi as he wouldn't be able to pick me up due to his usual business. After he left I entered the building and its's been a week now since I've been back to train and they really didn't say anything on it.
I saw Danella coming in the lounge just a few feet behind me so we just walked to gather to the elevator.
"So Chimwemwe why weren't you here for like a whole week and a half?" She asked me.
"Well, I had the first reason is that I was having a hard week case you so I came here with bandages at some point." She nodded "second one I had end of term exams and finally I didn't want to come." I finished my lollipop and took out another one.
"Mind if I have one if you still have any?" She asked and I had two more so I gave her one. "Thanks, and I know my school also closed like four days before yours."
"Oh, so when are going back to Choma?"
"I will but am going to stay here for an extra three weeks as the program informed my parents so as usual, I'll be staying at their little hostels."
"Damn their taking three weeks out of your 8-week holiday for training and basically more school."
"Ha yeah it terrible but I was looking forward to spending time with my friends." She fake pouted. "But then again at least that's 3 weeks more away from cleaning up after my messy younger brothers and sister.
Denelle actually lived in Kabwe she only traveled here to Lusaka for school which was also a boarding school for both the primary and secondary side. After her term is done, she usually leaves after like four days. Guess it must be really important this time.
When we got to the floor of the training room, we saw Vincent their early as usually training with his quirk. He had made multiple veins and roots to attack some dummies but also made his wooden hands seemed to have grown a little increasing their strength. When he finished, he noticed us and Danelle smiled and waved at him and I gave him peace sign to which he gave us the nod.
"So, Vincent how was your work out." She asked walking over to him to which he smiled a little.
"It was alright. I can feel my quirk getting stronger by the day." He replied and turned his attention to me and his face became neutral. "So finally decided to show up after a week and a half huh."
"Meh it's been a busy week what can I say." I shrugged.
"Busy with what playing video games." He mocked and not in a friendly way.
"Really dude." I deadpanned looking at him bored expression. I knew the guy disliked me but it wasn't like that when I first got here. At first, we were at least on okay terms like those classmates which you have who you don't have beef with but aren't close. But as the year passed, he developed this weird disdain towards me don't know what I did don't really care.
"Vincent please don't start now." Danella tried to stop him.
"Am just saying Danella we here to learn and train to become great heroes. He can't just come here whenever he feels like and just mess around." He scoffed while glaring at me a little.
"Hey my guy life just keeps you busy sometimes but I guess you wouldn't know anything about that would you." I held my lollipop and stuck my stuck out my now blue surfaced tongue a little and I saw his eyes twitch violently. "I'm going to change." I than left to the changing room.
End of Pov
When Chimwemwe left the room, it was only just Vincent and Danella who just gave Vincet a look and finished her lollipop.
"What?" He asked her.
"Vincent why do hate Chimwemwe?" She asked the plant user.
"I don't hate him it's just he's attitude towards just irritates me." He gritted his teeth.
"How?"
"I don't really won't to talk about it." He dismissed the question.
Before Danelle could grill him further for answers the elevator door opened revealing Suiw who already her training clothes on with a look which said that she didn't want to be here today.
"Hey Suiw what's with the angry look on your face." Danelle asked.
"My friend Praise is having a big party at today and I can't go because of the well off this." She complained.
"That's what your upset about some birthday party." Vincent said unimpressed which caused Suiw to glare at him.
"Well, it's not just some damn birthday the party will be at palmwood and some of other friends in and out of school will be there." Suiw defended.
"Still doesn't sound like a big deal to me."
"Yeah, I doubt a person like you would understand I bet you never been to a friend's birthday or even had a friend to begin with outside the people in this room and that's putting it loosely." Suiw said angrily.
"Suiw." Danelle whispered.
"Whatever." Vincent said quietly. He looked down a little sad, the comment really got which both girls noticed. Suiw actually began to feel bad as the comeback sounded a little meaner that she intended it to be.
Before she could apologize, they heard an explosion coming from the changing room with Chimwemwe and Lusungu came out of it with their bodies cartoonishly smoking. Chimwemwe had a deadpan look on his face while Lusungu had a shellshocked look.
"Wow what happened to you two." Danella asked amused. "And when did you get here Lusungu?"
"I got here some minutes before you and Chimwemwe did." The youngest pillar replied.
"So, what happened?" Suiw repeated while chuckling and took phone taking a picture of the two of them before the shook the smoke off their body.
"When I got to the changing room, I saw Lusungu messing with some spar mechanical parts from the training equipment. He said he wanted to he wanted to figure out a way to make the equipment better so that they could be more of a challenge by making actual fighting robots so he begged me to charge it up leading to well this." Chimwemwe narrated he wasn't mad just a little annoyed he got blown up.
"Hey! I-it could have worked all I needed was to add and fix a few parts than it was good to go" Lusungu defended himself.
"Man, I know you're really getting into inventing Lusungu but maybe you need actual knowledge in engineering and robotics." Chimwemwe patted the younger boy's back a little.
"Well yeah I mean I do know a thing or two about them."
"Why don't you ask the scientists here for help I mean they help me and Danelle in chemistry because of our quirks maybe they can help you in engineering." Suiw suggested making Lusungu think about the option.
The elevator door the opened revealing two men. The first one the five of them were familiar with he had was average height for a male his in this country short kinky black hair and eyes. He wore a typical lab coat, white shirt and black pants. He Kewli Mgaya and was the head scientist they've frequently interacted with.
The next man was new to them except Suiw who eyes widen man was taller man with faded hair and black eyes. He wore an expensive blue suit and Bluetooth headsets on his ears.
"Hello children am glad to see you're ALL here." Kewli said looking at who just whistled, "Anyway I wanted to introduce you to major investor of the project pillar Mr. Mwamba." He introduced.
"Wow Mr. Mwamba as in one of the Major MPs of Nyasaland it's really great to meet you." Suiw said in surprise.
"Yes, you must be the Mr. Sosala's daughter's it's nice to meet you too. All of you." He smiled at them.
"Nice to meet you too Mr. Mwamba." The remaining four greeted him.
"Now children Mr. Mwamba will be here to watch our special exercise today.Firstly Danella, Chimwemwe, Suiw, Lusungu your schedules for this holiday will be sent to you. Second the second exercise will be a brief spar between two of five of you." After Kewli said that the five of them just had puzzled looks.
"Um is that a good idea sir I mean what's the goal of this spar?" Chimwemwe asked but it was Mr. Mwamba was the one who answered.
"I heard that all of you have incredible quirks and the aim of this project is to make reliable heroes that will protect and inspire the people of this country and so am here to make sure we're getting our money's worth by seeing how strong you kids are." He explained.
'So why not just have us do our usual routines why does it always have to be a fight.' Chimwemwe thought to himself.
"So, Mr. Mgaya which one of them will be demonstrating their skills today?"
"Well today's first official spar is between Vincent and Chimwemwe."
"Alright than let me see if this isn't another finical dumpster." He sighed.
Chimwemwe turned to Vincent how looked and him also and smirked obviously waiting for this for a while now. I looked at the other three and the just looked confused at the whole situation.
"Yes sir." Kewli nodded and Chimwemwe noted he looked really nervous for some reason. 'Guess the MP really is here to see if this project really was worth." Now Chimwemwe did note that the building seemed more technological than most higher places in the country. It wasn't Island levels worth of tech be still impressive, which made him think of the amount of paper going into the whole thing.
A little time later
"So, who do guys think will win." Lusungu asked his fellow pillars. They were all just sitting in the top observing room while Vincent and Chimwemwe were still just down on the practice room.
"Chimwemwe for sure." Suiw quickly answered making Danelle giggle a bit getting the younger girls attention. "What's so funny."
"Oh, nothing I just think it's cute how you didn't even hesitant to support him ." She finished giggling making Suiw blush. "But I think it can go either way I mean Vicent trains a lot more than us so he could win but I am a little scared though."
"Is it because they don't like each other that much?
"Yeah, I mean I've seen fights back at school when people have long pent-up beef and let's just say it gets really out of control."
"This will be really epic than." Lusungu was excited to see the fight as his watched shows where two rivals always have the best fights in their series.
The scientists were getting ready to record the fight while Mr. Mwamba watched the two cheerfully. With the two boys Vincent was staring down at Chimwemwe intensely while Chimwemwe was nonchalant about it.
"Oh I can't wait to kick your ass and knock you down a peg." Vincent balled up his wooden hands.
"Oh, am so scared." Chimwemwe taunted a little. "But seriously my guy you proud of yourself man a 12-year-old threatening a 9-year-old."
"Joke all you want you dumbass bug zapper." Vincent's eyes twitched a little.
"Alright you two remember this is just a brief sparing match don't take things too far." Kewli said through the mic in the observing room he heard what Danelle said and he didn't want things to go too far. "Now begin."
Vincent quicky jumped to action a was about to use his quirk on his wooden arms to extend them towards his opponent. But before he knew what was happening his got shocked by Chimwemwe's electricity making him grit in pain and knocking to the floor.
Everyone in the observing room where surprised to see what happened they just blinked and the match was decided. But they were brought back by Vincent getting up and flinching from the pain. Chimwemwe noticed the seeds behind him on the floor he was trying to hide though he knew they weren't his because his noticed his tree or wood like hands produce acorn from oak trees.
He must have kept seeds of different plants and trees on him for his training or something. So Chimwemwe had to be a little more careful due to not knowing what type of seeds they were.
"Y-You think-k t-that w-will be enough to take me down?" He gritted his teeth.
"I put little volts in that attack so meh." Chimwemwe shrugged putting his hands in his pockets pissing Vincent off.
"DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE!!" He screamed and the seeds burst into plant roots and attacked Chimwemwe at high speeds.
But Chimwemwe just dodged them with and shot some controlled volts of electricity at Vincent how couldn't come close to reacting to it and got electrocuted again sending 13 feet away from his initial position. He struggled to get back up again.
"Dude just give it up." Chimwemwe warned as blue electricity danced around hand. HE didn't really want to cause sever damage to him even the people of this world are generally a hell lot naturally stronger, faster and more durable than his regular earth, quirk or not. But his electric quirk can is still very dangerous and potential kill someone if he wasn't too careful.
"G-G-i-v-e u-p p-lease a h-hero n-n-e-ever g-gives up." He struggled to form the sentence. He noticed that Chimwemwe really wasn't taking him seriously which really pissed him off but maybe he could use. He still had his active roots plus some he had secretly dispersed seeds on the floor he had already applied his quirk to them.
He saw Chimwemwe just watching him with his feline like eyes. Like a predator just playing around with its prey.
'I can't lose to some spoiled shit like him.' He thought than made the previous roots attack Chimwemwe who dodging and them with ease like a little game.
His seeds at him which immediately sprouted into large green pumpkin roots but Chimwemwe used his agility to acrobatically maneuver around them, destroyed some with his electro and when evaded another while using spring in the air made a gun gesture at Vincet how arm extended towards him and was bulker. But Chimwemwe electricity was a lot fast and hit him dead center before he could command his remain plants to defend him.
He screamed in pain and recoil his arm as Chimwemwe put more voltage in it. Chimwemwe landed and the remaining roots dropped to the floor like their master. He than saw Vincent twitching on the floor and not getting up this time.
"Maybe I put in a little too much volts in that last attack." He thought as he saw the guy try to get up again causing him to sign.
"Okay enough Chimwemwe wins!" Kewli stopped the spar.
"NO!! I CAN STILL DO THIS!!" Vincent yelled but was still in pain and his body wouldn't get up.
"Sir please stop this before it goes too far!" Danelle told the head scientist. It was clear Chimwemwe won but she knew Vincent well enough to know he was just being too stubborn to just stay down especially in a fight with some he as some unknown dislike against.
Kewli just watched everything in surprise. Of course, he knew combat wise Chimwemwe's quirk was better than Vincent's but Vincent unlike the other four didn't really have external occupations like school or family due to him being an orphan. Due to that his routine consisted of more time at the pillar training floor than the others. He thought he should have the advantage in this fight.
But he witnessed Chimwemwe display really good control over his quirk not to mention incredible athletic displays. He knew Chimwemwe was strong but he mostly focused on the magnetic side of his Electromagnetic quirk.
"Ha I told you all Chimwemwe will kick Vincent's butt!" Suiw cheered at her friends Victory though she did feel a little bad for the older boy's humiliating loss not to the extent of the other two.
Lusungu just looked at the fight in awe as he so Chimwemwe completely dominate Vincent in the battle from his strong quirk and those cool acrobatics he did when dodging. But he was conflicted as he stared at the Vincent who struggled just couldn't.
"I see both boys have incredible quirks but it's pretty clear who the superior one is." Mr. Mwamba commented. "I've seen enough for today no need for the other three to spar as well."
"S-so what do you think."
"We will keep funding this project."
"Thank you, sir."
"Now that's cleared get that boy some medical attention so we can get the other announcement underway." He told Kewli who nodded and told the other scientist. The children just had confused looks on their faces.
30 minutes later
The five pillars were on the practice room with Vincent wrapped in bandages glaring daggers at Chimwemwe. He was extremely bitter over the loss to add insult to injury Chimwemwe didn't seem to take him seriously and Danelle just patted his back while telling him to stop being a baby. Chimwemwe was just sitting across from Suiw watching her practice her crystal making through the air while she was trying to make shapes from them. Lusungu scratching his head while looking at the insides of a broken machine the scientists lent to him.
"All right children Mr. Mwamba has very special announcement for all of you all." Kewli told them.
"Thank you, Mr. Mgaya." Mr. Mwamba than looked at the five pillars. "After I saw the brief spar, I can tell that our money truly is going the right to the place. I can tell from the reports and even now though your little displays that all very special so we're going to shake things up a bit." This got their attention.
"In three days, we're taking you all on a two-day trip to Blantyre for field testing of some of your abilities." He announced and their eyes widened a bit.