Thompson clenched his fists, still bitter over yesterday's fight on the school bus. His wrist throbbed as the memory played in his mind.
"Ha, I didn't lose fair and square!" Thompson sneered, his eyes narrowing at Luya.
If it had been a real fight, no sneak attacks, he was sure he wouldn't lose to anyone in school!
Luya, standing across from him, didn't flinch. His expression grew colder, the atmosphere tense. In his eyes, a red light flickered, and a surge of heat began to gather.
Without warning, his Cyclops powers were awakening.
[Motherland Template Unlock Progress: 2%... 2%... 3%]
The system notification echoed in his mind as his murderous intent flared. The progress bar steadily climbed, and soon stopped at 30%.
[Motherland Template Skill Unlocked: Cyclops]
It was too soon. His system hadn't reached full capacity to unlock Cyclops. But the sheer rage burning inside Luya had pushed it ahead of schedule. Now, his laser vision was ready to blow Thompson into nothing.
Thompson sensed it—something powerful, dark, and deadly coming from Luya. He'd never believed in "killing intent," but now, standing in the shadow of Luya's glare, he felt it deep in his bones. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and for a moment, it was as if the world froze.
"What the hell's going on?!"
A teacher's voice broke the heavy silence, snapping everyone back to reality. Luya blinked, cooling the heat in his eyes. He wouldn't kill in front of witnesses—not unless absolutely necessary.
With the tension broken, Thompson slunk out of the classroom, drenched in sweat, heading straight for the football field. Mary Jane silently followed behind, but before leaving, she glanced back at Luya with a strange, unreadable expression.
But Luya barely noticed. Gwen was already at his side, slipping her hand through his arm like they were a couple. Her warmth against him made his heart skip a beat despite his stoic demeanor.
"Heh, I thought you were some cold-hearted tough guy, Luya. Guess I was wrong," Gwen teased, her eyes glinting mischievously. She had done this on purpose, just to see how he'd react.
Luya cleared his throat, trying to keep his cool.
"I never said I didn't have feelings. Why, disappointed?"
Gwen's smirk widened, clearly intrigued by his bluntness. "Not at all. You remember our agreement from this morning?"
"Yeah. Tonight, right? Where do you wanna go?"
Their closeness quickly became the talk of the classroom.
"Wait, is Gwen into Luya?!"
"No way, she's always been with Thompson!"
"Honestly, Luya's strong and kinda hot. Why wouldn't she be interested?"
Meanwhile, a red-haired girl, Liz Allen, glared at them with envy, her heart burning with frustration. "Luya is mine!" she fumed internally, watching them leave.
In the back of the room, Peter Parker sat quietly, admiring his older brother's strength. Luya had taken down Thompson effortlessly, and Peter couldn't help but wish he were as powerful.
"If only I were as strong as him..." Peter thought, but no magical lamp was there to grant him his wish.
As Luya passed by Peter, he sighed. "Hey, cover for me if Dad asks where I'm going tonight, alright?"
With that, Luya and Gwen left the room, while Peter bit back his words.
Later that night...
Under the dim lights of the city streets, Luya found himself walking through dark alleys with Gwen. It wasn't the kind of "shopping" he'd expected, but this was what she wanted. She seemed drawn to the danger, her rebellious spirit shining through.
"I bet your dad told you to stay away from places like this," Luya said, glancing around. The alley was sketchy, even by their neighborhood's standards.
"He did," Gwen replied, her smile fearless. "But what's the fun in playing it safe?"
Luya sighed. He had to admit, her thrill-seeking attitude was kind of exciting. If they got into trouble, he'd deal with it—and maybe make some money in the process.
As if on cue, a tall figure emerged from the shadows, his skin so dark it blended with the night. His teeth gleamed under the faint streetlights, a dagger gripped in his hand.
"Well, well. What do we have here? A pretty girl and a boy who looks like he's got some cash."
The thug's voice was low and menacing, and he flashed his knife in the dim light. "Hand over your money. The girl stays. You? You can leave."
Luya's eyes narrowed as he sized up the robber, who was nearly as tall as he was. Gwen, despite her earlier bravado, was visibly shaken.
Luya gently patted her hand, smirking. "Don't worry. I got this."
The thug had no idea what kind of power he was messing with.
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[ THIS IS TRANSLATED VERSION ]