CHAPTER 1
Care Free days
Fifty-Eight years ago a strange event occurred known as the Great Flash. It happened in a matter of seconds, an immense cloud of gold colored star dust appeared from deep space and phased through Earth. Even though nothing had seemed to change within the planet, something changed within some of us. It took a couple of years for the symptoms to appear in the small five percent of the population that somehow got infected with a virus. Although the virus was none lethal, it changed us. The ones infected gained abilities we could only think of in our imaginations. Super strength, telekinesis, hyper speed, gravity manipulation are just some of the powers gained by these few. Soon the government began to hunt down the people with abilities to find out why they became gifted while the rest did not.
In a matter of five years, most of the Specials, as they were known as, were captured and sent to special centers where the governments of the world sent their top scientist to understand their powers and determine whether they were treats to humanity or beneficial for our evolution as a species.
After the public found out the way the governments were treating the Specials, many became outraged and began to protest for their equal treatment as regular humans. The governments, who were mostly controlled by corporations, chose not to listen but instead began to experiment on others from extracted samples from the captured Specials. By creating these new humans known as HUNTERS, they began to hunt down the remaining Specials by any means deemed necessary.
A great war broke out between the remaining few and the HUNTERS. At first the war was public everywhere, cities and towns destroyed or ruined do the powers at play by both sides. Soon enough the public began to fear the Specials due to an event that changed the outcome of the war.
A group of Specials assassinated the President of the United States in order to destroy the union between the governments and their corporate allies. It did not have the desired affect the group was hoping for. Humanity finally accepted them as an enemy to peace and allowed the corporations to capture or exterminate the remaining Specials.
Or at least that's what my World History professor tells us. I never once cared for the bullshit that happened in the past. I'm sort of the kind of guy who enjoys living in the moment which in truth gets me in to some pretty deep troubled shit. You can just ask the two overly angered guys chasing me down the crowded halls of Monty University. I am about to run past a group of girls talking by their lockers when I notice one of them is holding a bottle of water. I snatch the bottle as I glide past her and turn the corner, not ignore the asshole remark she states. I stop running and take cover inside an empty classroom I pass by. Maybe I lost them? I take a peek from inside the classroom into the hallway; I look both ways before letting out the huge chunk of air I had been holding. They had probably given up their fugitive search the second I rounded the corner. I open the bottle of water and began to drain its cooled contents down my throat when I feel a slender finger tap my shoulder. I spit out most of the water as I turned to see who has tapped me and tripped on my leg, landing hard on the floor.
"Who are you hiding from this time Zek?" says a joyful voice.
I immediately recognize the voice and look up to the see my closest and only friend Giselle hovering over me with school bag over her shoulder and books in a tight embrace across her chest. She always seems to be amused by my antics around the school, never really questioning my motives but always warning me to not go overboard.
"Eh… You know… just trying to make friends with the guys," I answer too quickly as I get up.
She eyes me suspiciously and I recognize a hint of something in her brown eyes.
"Guys huh?" she shakes her head, shoulder length light pink hair waving about. "You don't need to lie to me Ezekiel. I sort of already heard what happened from Sarah, she was sort of bragging about it in class today."
I immediately curse at the speed rumors go about in the school. It's a damn university why the hell do people still act like they are in high school? I step outside the classroom into the hall and sip more from the bottle I was still holding even after falling.
"It's not like that Azuka."
Azuka was here middle name. I always called her that since we were in middle school. I enjoy saying it more than Giselle. Rolls off the tongue smoother in my opinion.
"Sarah kissed me, I swear it, Scouts honor!" I state with two fingers on my right hand jutting upward.
She laughs and just punches my arm. "Well it doesn't matter, it's the end of the semester today anyways, and summer is just around the corner. We got any plans?"
I feel relieved that she doesn't ask about how the kiss happened between me and her most hated enemy in school. Sarah Fauller. That girl had been on Giselle Azuka Santo's case since day one, always insulting her dress style and hair color, which I never understood. Azuka loves pastel yellow and wears any type of top or dress with that color, in which in my opinion, she pulls off nicely. As for her hair, Light Pink is and odd color but it matches perfectly with her gentle personality. Sarah was never fond of her standing out more than her I guess, so whenever she got the chance she would give her a hard time. Like never letting Azuka answer questions in Sociology properly by interrupting her abruptly; in which would turn out into full blown arguments between the two. Pretty sick shit I tell you. I think back to the day their rivalry began, it was a year ago in one of the café's around the university in which me and Azuka were fond of visiting. One minute we are enjoying jokes about the day at school the next comes in Sarah with her cocky aurora and comments on the first thing she can come up with through the door.
"Who told Strawberry Shortcake over here she could sit at my table?"
There is one thing people need to know about Azuka; even though she is small and very innocent looking, never, under any circumstances insult the hair. In a millisecond Azuka was on top of her like a lion trying to maul its prey. I had to swing her over my shoulder and bolt for the doors before the cops were called that night. Surprisingly though Sarah never tried to get her expelled or arrested for assault. She seems to enjoy pissing off our lovely Puerto Rican/Japanese friend. Ever since that incident, they have been mortal enemies.
I think back to her question and truth be told, I didn't have anything plan for our summer vacation. We usually always spend it together, either traveling or staying at home enjoying Netflix. I know I shouldn't lie to her more than once in a day.
"Nah, I didn't think about it," I shove my hands into my jean pockets. "Too busy trying to pass this semester after neglecting my studies for fun."
Azuka rolls her eyes and begins walking down the hall towards the student lounge. I quickly catch up to here and follow beside her.
"Well we can always just stay home and kill our brains watching movies and shows," she says sarcastically.
"Or we could spontaneously catch a ticket to the coolest destination we can think of at the airport?" I ask opening the doors heading to the stairs towards the next floor.
"But we already went somewhere last year!" she whined. "Can't we just stay home this time and think of something less expensive?"
Although money wasn't an issue for me since my father was a stockbroker and my mother a doctor. I am always given a very hefty monthly allowance by them and being their only child helped in that. I sort of can get what I want when I want. I decide not to comment on my financial status.
"Fine by me, but I get a feeling we aren't going to enjoy that idea." I say as we reach the top of the stairs and turn into the student lounge.
"You and you're feelings Zek… We'll think of something." Azuka giggles.
She makes her way towards one of the couches in our student lounge and flops down into it. Monty University is one of the top schools in the country due to its science and health programs. Mostly all their courses require their students to keep a steady B grade average or get expelled. Pretty extreme but it keeps the student body at a constant nine thousand and funds at all-time high from research companies and hospitals. I wasn't really fond of the research curriculum but I did enjoy the photography and journalism courses. The fact that I was aiming to be hired as a top journalist for a magazine was my one true motivator to stay at the constant B level status of the school. Azuka was a top student aiming to be in the medical field, her high grades and numerous academic rewards keep a steady stream of early graduation letters and job offers flooding into her mailbox. I sometimes wonder why she stills hangs out with me, but then those thoughts slip away when I think about it. I am just a fucking awesome friend.
"My feelings help us enjoy our summer's woman, besides they have never been wrong." I lightly shove her shoulder when I a seat next to her.
"Whatever goof ball." She jokes.
We sit there for an hour just joking and arguing about what our plans would be for the summer not knowing that our care free days and world were about to change forever.