Chereads / The Kinetrix Runner / Chapter 21 - The new kid

Chapter 21 - The new kid

"Hey, er…your name is Alana right", Exelirus asked with a nervous smile on his face as he approached the girl seated alone in an empty table in the cafeteria.

The girl raised her head up slightly, to meet his gaze with her tired eyes, before bowing it back down and continuing her meal.

"Uhmm, is this seat taken", Exelirus asked, knowing her dumb his question was as the girl was seating alone on the table with the rest of them being vacant.

The girl remained silent and continued her meal, seemingly ignoring his presence.

Exelirus then let out a deep sigh before, seeing as they seemed to be no way he would ever get a single word out of her, proceeding to just take a vacant seat on the table across from her, taking her silence as permission.

Exelirus then brought his launch box which resembled more like a massive picnic basket. He then began unpacking his launch an act that drew the attention of almost every student in the cafeteria. Chocolate chip cookies, jelly donuts and cakes all crammed in to one massive launch boxing, making the mouths of the most of it not all the students their water, wondering if he was really going to finish all that on his own.

Alana, still seated next to him, upon seeing the massive spread of sugary goodness present before her by Exelirus, looked at him with look of shock and disbelief, wondering where on earth all that food was going to go. The answer was giving to her few minutes later as the boy before proceeded to suck in the entire thing in to his belly. She, despite the fact that she was seated right across from him and had witnessed along with the rest of the students who just stared at the table they were seated on with awe and shock, couldn't bring herself to believe what she just saw, wondering how can so much food fit in such a small body.

Exelirus then out loud burp, before saying, "Excuse me".

Alana just took a moment to glance at Exelirus, a strange and peculiar boy, before diverting her gaze away from him to finish her meal.

The bell soon rang once more, signaling that it was time for recess and the kid rushed in to the play ground.

Exelirus chose to stay by the money bars observing all the children as they play.

'They actually find this fun, moving around as slow as this?" Exelirus thought to himself as he watched as the students chased each other and played games with one another.

Exelirus couldn't really see away he could possibly have fun there. Exelirus then let out a deep sigh, recalling how he and Sonikro would often race each other on the tracks back in his former school in Kinetrix. It was actually one of the very few things he loved doing in school, in fact racing with his brother at supersonic speeds might have been the only thing about school that didn't make him groan in dread and frustration. Thinking back to those memories Exelirus couldn't help but feel an immense wave of sadness wash over him, reminding him that those memories were all he had left from Kinerix.

Exelirus took in a deep breath, his body then began crackle with blue sparks of Kinerix racing through him. Time along with everything else began to slow down. He then exhaled before walking away from the money bars.

Remembered what Daniela said about him not using his powers but he couldn't really help himself, moving fast was the only way knew how to connect to his with his people as it served as he reminded that he was a Kinerixian and each step he made as the world around him stood perfectly felt like a step made by his entire race, as though they were all still alive, moving along with him with each step he took.

Exelirus made sure wasn't expelling too much Kinerix energy and was moved fast enough to avoid drawing any attention to himself. He walked around the school seeing as the other children stood seemingly frozen in place with smiles etched on all their faces. How was he supposed to get used to that, moving so slow that you might as well be standing still and doing it with a smile on your face.

Exelirus then took in another breath.

He knew he made a promise to himself that he would give this new world a chance but he didn't know he could ever bring himself to stand still and gradually move as slowly as them. Exelirus then continued his, moving all throughout the schools, through its halls and classroom, seemingly walking while everything was moving at a snail's pace. He walked and he walked, not entire sure where he exactly he was headed and just simply roamed about through the school until he eventually reached the school's backyard.

He didn't really expect anybody to be there so he was surprised to see a familiar face.

Time sped up back to it normal pace and the sound of thud could be heard as someone fell to ground could hard coming from back of the school.

"Give it back", the voice from down below spoke, heavy and trembling with rage and helplessness.

"Or what, what you okay do about it", said the looming figure.

Exelirus just hid by the corner watching as the scene folded before him. Alana Williams, that was the name of the girl he sat next to in class and in the cafeteria during launch, and the same girl currently on the floor being bullied by a couple of other kids. He couldn't recognize all of them but was able to recognize one of them.

A kid with a smug look on his face as he looked down at Alana as she laid on the ground, holding what appeared to be some kind of small device in his hand.

"I said give it back", Alana yelled out furiously before lunging herself straight for the kid and attempted to grab hold of the device on his arm.

"Na, I don't think so", said the kid as he brought her back down to the ground.

The kid, along with his friends, then began to laugh at her. The kid then looked at the strange device he stole from the girl; it looked like some kind mini gaming console.

"So you like playing video games. Why am I not surprised, you are the school's slacker after all", said the kid.

The girl just seat there on the ground, her eyes wearing a tired and defeated expression on her face.

"You know what bugs me the most about you, the fact you can get away with lacking. You do is sleep all day in class, you don't bother to pay the slightest of attention during class and the teacher let's get away with it", the kid then grabbed Alana by her hair.

"Why tell me Alana, why is that? My dad always that bad kids deserve to be punished. It's not right that you get a free pass and avoid being punished while the rest of us have try to behave ourselves", said the kid as he began yanking and pulling on her, causing her scream and yell out in pain.

Exelirus, still standing by the corner watching it all, pondered on what to do. He could go and report it to one school's authorities but as he heard Alana's yells a memory flashed in his mind.

Behind the school in Kinerix before its destruction, in a dark corner, hidden away the muffled sounds of pounding fist heard. A small slightly younger Exelirus then fell to ground, covered from head to sores and bruises with a little blood sipping out of his body.

"Are you sure this is the son of the captain of Kinetrix", said a figure looming over him along with a few other his beaten up face couldn't quite make.

"You're pathetic", said figure before charging his feet with kinetrix energy using it to kick Exelirus, launching straight to the wall.

Exelirus felt his vision slowly began to fade as all his sense began to be over taken by the overwhelming pain flowing through his body. He managed barely managed to find the straight to raise his head and to look up the looming figures before, only being to make out faintly, dark silhouettes smile with glee as they looked down at him.

The figure then took a step forward, a twisted smile on his face, deriving a sweet twisted pleasure from seeing him the way he was, on the ground beaten and weak to fight back. He then raised a fist, charging it up with Kinerix energy, ready strike before he could, flash red zoomed passed and sent him flying straight to the wall with a single blow.

"You know he's a bit of a runt and can be annoying at time", a familiar figure appearing from the flash of red, his body crackling with red sparks.

"But at the end of the day, he still my little bro", he then cracked before his knuckle.

"And nobody messes with him but me", he said with smirk on his.

Exelirus then let out a deep before stepping out of the corner he hid behind to face the kids bullying Alana.

"Let her go", said Exelirus the attention of the kids.

"You?" said Alana shocked to see him of all people there. 

"Huh, oh you're the new kid. Excel right", said the kid still yanking on Alana's hair.

"Let her go", he said once more.

Alana was a bit taken aback by what he said, wondering why he was trying to save her especially since they barely knew each other.

The kid upon hearing what Exelirus said just smile and nodded his head.

"I get it, it's not your fault. You're new here and you don't know how things work around here and you're trying to play hero", the other kids then began to walk towards Exelirus, cracking their knuckles and pounding their fist in to their palms, ready to give Exelirus the beaten of a life time.

Exelirus, upon seeing them approach was taken back to his past in Kinerix, recalling how he constantly being bullied and beaten up by his peers. He didn't know why they liked doing it so much, all he knew was each and every time they drive their fist in him, kicked and hit him over and over again, their euphoric sense of pleasure that rushed through them almost as they knew no greater pleasure than beating him to a blood pulp. Exelirus then took in a deep breath, his eyes glow with blue spark racing through them.

They were bigger, tougher, stronger, and faster than him, and yet they were all gone, reduced to star dust along with the rest of Kinerix. They were a part of one of the few memories he had about Kinerix that he didn't wish to remember, and seeing bullies like them on Earth reminded him so much of them, that he just couldn't help him.

Smiled slowly formed on Exelirus's face and then just as the kids were about to gang up on him, time slowly began to slow down with small blue sparks racing through his body.

One of the kids tried to punch Exelirus but his fist met nothing but thing air.

"Missed me", said Exelirus with a playful smile on his face.

"Wait what!?" said kid spoke in a confusion, wondering how on earth he could have missed Exelirus.

Another kid then tried to his Exelirus, only for the exact something happen again, his fist missing him by mere inches.

"What the heck", said the other kid, unable to understand he missed Exelirus.

"Come, if we all come at him at once their it no way we can miss", said one of the kids suggested.

Exelirus's hearing what the kid said just smirked.

The kids then charged straight for him however, Exelirus remained perfectly still and did not dare to move an inch.

"What are doing just standing there, are you some kind of an idiot or something, run", Alana yelled out not wanting Exelirus to get hurt because of her.

Exelirus's grin just widened as he saw the kids approach him.

They all then pile up on him and then formed a cloud of punches and kicks. Their leader, the kid still holding Alana by her hair just smirked, thinking that they finally got him.

"There, that will teach you not to go around playing hero", said the kid.

Alana just watched on in horror as the kids on continued beat up what they presumed to be Exelirus.

"Yeah, that will teach him", said Exelirus as he stood next the kid.

"Yeah…Wait a second", said the kid realizing just who it was that was speaking.

"What the…", before he could even complete his sentence, a fist was sent his was, colliding directly with his face, sending him straight to the ground, letting go of Alana's hair before hitting the ground.

Alana then looked at Exelirus, her glimmering with a mix of shock and intrigue as she wondered to her just who exactly was he.

"Hey knuckleheads", Exelirus called out to the cloud of hits and punished.

The cloud immediately dissipated with the kids realizing that they were busy beating up themselves instead of Exelirus.

Exelirus then whistled to them, drawing their attention to him.

"You may want to get him out of here", said Exelirus pointing at the conscious kid laying on the floor next to him.

"Francis", one of the kid yelled out in shock upon seeing their leader on the floor.

They all then looked at Exelirus who looked back at them with a playful smile, with look fear and terror etched on their faces, wondering what kind of freak they were messing with.

The kids then hurried and carried their leader before racing away, with one of them yelling, "This isn't over you freak. You better watch your back".

Exelirus just watched them as they darted away, thinking that they were almost as fast as Daniela. He then turned his attention to the girl seated on the ground next to him.

He then, with a playful smile etched on his face extended his hand to her. Alana, looking at his opened palm, at first hesitated but eventually placed her hand on his and allowed him pull her back up on her feet.

"And I believe this belongs to you", said Exelirus as he brought out the game console the kid took from her.

"How did you…", Alana had a hundred and one question spiraling in her head about Exelirus but before should even finish uttering the very first one the rung, halting her midsentence.

"Well there goes the bell, got to head to class", said Exelirus before he began darting away, running like normal person with using his speed.

Alana just watched him go while internally contemplating to herself, what a peculiar boy. She then looked down at the console, peculiar indeed.