"Hey. Wake up", I slapped the perp tied to the chair in the middle of the shop. When I had previously punched him, I meant to make him shut up but I think I overdid it and knocked him out instead. I dragged him by the front of his tank top into the shop then Oyiza had tied him to the chair. He was finally starting to come to but he was still groggy. So I emptied a bottle of water I found in the shop's fridge on his head. He couldn't use his abilities because I was still close by. I had mentally challenged myself to increase the range of my negation ability so I could affect a Sigma not just by touching them but by being in their immediate environment and it was working quite nicely. I mentally patted myself on the back. The perp was fully awake and had started squirming in his seat, speaking an ethnic language I wasn't bothered to understand, looking me from to Oyiza with murder in his eyes. She slugged his jaw with her fist - I guess she understood whatever he was saying. Damn, she packs quite the punch, I thought to myself, smirking. She replied in the language he spoke and punched him again. He started bleeding. Even as a Two, she could deal enough damage to another Two quite nicely. With my negating his abilities, he wasn't going to be able to shake the earth around us now. He said something and spat blood at Oyiza's feet, earning himself a punch to his gut. He coughed up a bit of blood but he still managed to say some words in defiance. I glanced outside and folded my arms. Dark clouds had really gathered across the sky and the winds were picking up speed. I walked towards the door.
Every second that passed meant we were running low on time. I'd had enough. I started to glow, my power spreading all over me, engulfing me in a bright light. Yellow currents ran up and down my left arm. The perp must have seen me glowing because he suddenly fell quiet. I turned around to face him, letting my arms fall to my sides. I slowly walked to the middle of the shop and stopped right in front of the man who was still bleeding from his nose and the sides of his mouth. He squinted, trying to shield his eyes from the light. Oyiza wanted to protest but I raised my hand as if to stop her. She complied. She stepped backwards into the further side of the shop, away from the brightness I was exuding. I squatted down so I was almost face to face with the perp.
"You think I'm afraid of you?", the perp spoke in English, forcing himself to look at me. FINALLY. I smirked beneath my energy helmet. "You think I am afraid to die?", he bellowed. I cocked my eyebrows.
"No...", I answered. At this point my voice sounded deeper. I strongly resisted the urge to crush his skull - the fingers on my left hand twitched. I closed my eyes and willed myself to calm down mentally and the urge dissipated. I opened my eyes, focusing on the perp.
"...I don't want you afraid. In fact, now that I know we can understand each other perfectly, I have you exactly as I want you. The stronger you are, the happier I will be when I break you. As a matter of fact, I won't negate your powers any longer", I said as I mentally released my negating hold on his powers as I stood up and took two steps backward. His eyes shifted around the room in confusion as he might not have understood why I released my negation. It only lasted a moment, because he broke free of the rope and lunged at me with his enhanced speed. Stupid - his earth moving abilities would have been of far more use to him - even though it would have made no difference. I grabbed his head between my hands and I mentally reached into his mind. I had already begun to understand the way inception worked and I had thought of a way to copy it. Now I wanted to see if it would work. I spoke to the inner recesses of his mind.
You are NOTHING. You are NO ONE. You have NOTHING to fight for. You will tell us EVERYTHING.
In the real world, the result of what I'd done was that he lost all will to fight and his body went limp, his head still in my hands. I let him drop to his knees with a thud. I drew my power back to my core and I looked normal again save for the energy helmet. Oyiza looked at me, surprised - and a little scared.
"How did you do that?", she asked when she had regained her composure. "What did you even do?"
"Inception...basically", I answered as-a-matter-of-factly. "I can control waves - including brain waves apparently. So I just...I don't know how, but it came to me and I did it". I turned to the perp who still looked like his mind was in a haze. "Now, you...you're going to me tell us everything you know about the people who want to put this city under water".
Almost immediately, the perp replied...almost like he was drunk. He repeated some words and drawled some but it was enough.
"We saw...broadcast...me and my men...at our outpost... in Mowe. Less than half of us are already on their way to meet the super powers...we decided to rob one last time and...decided to rob...and get rich...at least when the water is gone...we can start over with the super powers and be rich...they said they won't drown us along with the rest of the city if we join them at...at..."
"...at Oniru. But where exactly are they?", Oyiza asked, urging him on.
"...they are...at the...Landmark Hotel...we got...reports that the superpowers moved from Hotel Bon Voyage and went to Landmark Hotel...", he drawled then he started to laugh as if under a spell. "...you can't stop us...we are many...you can't stop them...they are too powerful...this...world is ours now...you and everyone you love...going to die...but don't worry; out of the demiurge a better civilization will rise...a Utopia...", his voice trailed off.
I looked to Oyiza and she nodded. We had both heard enough. I thought I was just going to knock him out again but what she said next came as a surprise.
"Kill him", she said, her voice breaking. I could sense a darkness in her voice. It had finally come to this.
"Are you sure?", I asked her. She cleared her throat and looked into my eyes.
"You heard what he said. If we allow ourselves be inhibited by our morals, we will never be able to truly stop them. You were right - killing them stops them permanently. I can't believe I was so naive to think otherwise. So, yes, I'm VERY sure", she replied.
"I know how much this means to you. So, after all this is over - we save Lagos - no more killing. For both of us. Deal?", I offered. The perp had reverted back to his ethnic language, speaking and laughing like he had gone crazy.
"Deal", she nodded. And with that I grabbed hold of the perp and snapped his neck like a twig. He dropped to the floor, his eyes still open and his neck twisted at an awkward angle. There was silence for a moment and then Oyiza made to leave.
We walked out of the shop and into the street that connected Ojodu road, the harsh wind welcoming us. Anything light enough to be carried in the wind was already in the air. If the wind got worse, roofs would start coming off. Any worse than that, trees would start to get uprooted. Dammit. We needed a plan as soon as possible.
We thought it better to walk for a bit, since we had some time to kill before Nene and Obeten wrapped up and got to The Sisters' house. We walked the length of one street before we came upon another street without any debris from the robbery incident. I stood in the middle of the street and inhaled deeply. My phone rang. It was Kara. I picked the call.
"My brother; the superhero", she quipped. I smiled. I actually missed the little brat.
"How are you, baby sis?", I asked. Oyiza perked up. I put the call on speaker.
"Peachy. We're in the bunker now. Thankfully the WiFi we installed here doesn't suck...", Kara said.
"How's my mom and son?", Oyiza asked frantically.
"Oh hey! You must be Jade! I am such a HUGE fan! My brother is a fan of yours too, even though he'd rather die than admit it. Your mom and kid are okay! Don't worry, we have food supplies in here to last a damn long time - sorry for the cuss word. Hey, don't forget we're counting on you guys to save the world! I know for certain, with my brother's help, you guys won't just save this godforsaken world, with time you'll probably be able make it into something new and beautiful - sorry - I'm beginning to talk too much. Come, Amir, say hello to mom", Kara said all the words so fast I found myself wondering how she packed all those words into one breath. She had drawn on 'godforsaken' for emphasis.
My family always shared the idea that this world was too flawed to continue much longer. However, we had no idea this was how it was going to end. We had obviously bet on nuclear warfare - World War Three; hence the bunker. Instead, what we got was World War Sigma. Without super powers, human beings did fine with destroying the world. Now they have super powers, of course it'll be way worse.
Amir's voice came over the phone next.
"Hey Mom. I told Aunty Kara I wanna be a superhero like you and she said she's gonna make me a superhero. I know she doesn't actually mean itWhat super power do you think will suit me?"
I saw Oyiza's frame soften as if she was about to cry. I rubbed her shoulder as if to reassure her. I personally found it cute that Kara could keep the small guy entertained - what with a human asking another human what powers they wanted. First, that wasn't how it worked and second... I snapped out of it. I was overthinking it. I'd probably say the same if I was in my sister's shoes - keep the boy's mind busy so he's not influenced by the fear theyre all probably feeling. I needed to stop what was coming.
"Think about it and tell her what you want, okay? Behave yourself, okay? I love you so much, Amir", Oyiza said, sounding teary then she made a kiss sound with her lips.
"I love you too, mummy...and I choose speed - like 'The Flash' ", came the excited voice on the other end of the phone. Oyiza laughed softly. We heard Kara gently take the phone back, laughing too.
"Alright sis, we have to go now. We need to get to their home and come up with a plan - figure out a way to stop these Sigma Ones...", I stopped for a moment, looking around me. 'It's so cloudy and windy, Kara...your favourite kind of weather. I guess you can't see it or feel it in that bunker right now. Keep everyone safe for me, sis. I'm counting on you. I love you guys", I said.
"Okay. Just make sure you keep in touch, Lēohtan. We love you too. Mom and dad would have talked to you, but they're keeping themselves busy talking to Jade's mom - it's their way of not being anxious about your safety. So, maybe next time we speak. Go save the world, brother", she said softly then she dropped the call.
"So... I'm guessing she's the one that gave you the name Lēohtan, huh?", she asked
"Yeah. It's old English for 'Light' - or at least that's what she said", I shrugged.
"Alright. Well, let's get home quickly, so we figure out what to do about The Inevitables. The world is not about to end less than a week after my baby's ninth birthday", she said, determination in her voice. To that, I nodded and we bolted for her house... and quickly...but at her speed.