The Destiny's Bounty, 7:00 pm
Something was off. Everything about Karma's act earlier had perplexed Cass, especially the fact that she had decided to leave the ship in an instant. Despite only knowing her for a year, the master of wind felt as though she knew everything about her. Karma never wore hoodies unless it was fall or winter, she would often tell Lilly or someone else where she's going, and usually she never took her motorbike unless they were on the ground. The fact that Karma had lied about thermostat had confused Cass too, as it wasn't cold at all when she entered the inside of her flying home, and the fact that Kai wasn't even on board to be blamed for making it cold.
Now it was evening and she hadn't returned. Cass couldn't help but feel slight worry on why Karma had left so secretively. Surely there isn't a traitor situation again, right? Cass thought to herself. She hoped not. The last one almost didn't end well, and she was afraid Jay and Nathan would actually kill each other this time. She didn't want another fight to break out again, nor did she want anyone to die. Lilly almost dying was about enough for her. She didn't need more of that in her life.
She now sat in the living room of the ship, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at a pastel-colored cartoon on the TV screen, her mind racing with questions on what had happened earlier. As much as it wasn't her business, she couldn't help but worry. Karma had been acting odd lately anyways. What exactly is making her act this way? She pondered on it before sitting back and deciding to calm down for a moment. She's fine, she probably went to her uncle's house or something.
Cass stared at the dreamlike characters on the screen, each one having a respective crystal to compliment them. It's been a while since she had seen this show, yet it still captivated her as it had done when she was young. Though, it didn't distract her from her worry. Not even the approaching footsteps of one of her teammates broke her out of it.
"Are you watching that again?" she heard Cole ask as he entered the room. She sighed and nodded, scooting over to allow him a seat. The ghostly man sat down, nearly phasing through the couch when he tried. The master of earth stared at her for a few seconds, noticing her worried expression. "Is everything alright?"
"Karma just weirded me out earlier today," Cass admitted, "She had on clothes like we were in late fall and she randomly left. Not to mention she lied about Kai changing the temperature in here."
"She's been acting weird in general lately, so I'm not surprised," Cole said, his eyes now focused on the sparkling cartoon, "She's been this way ever since we were put in Kryptarium. You think someone attacked her or something?"
"The only one I know of is that she and Alex got in a fight, but he was only armed with a fork and she can easily overpower him. Besides, the only thing that comes out of his mouth is lies, so there's no way she'd ever listen to him," Cass told Cole, "Other than that she was with us the whole time, so we'd know."
"Didn't a prisoner try to pull her into his cell?" the master of earth asked. Cass nodded.
"Yeah, but it wasn't long enough for her to be told anything."
"True."
Cass sighed and rested her head on the back of the couch. "Maybe I should talk to her when she gets back, or ask Lilly to do so if I don't see her."
"Yeah," Cole nodded.
That is, if she ever comes back, Cass though, still worried. Something really seemed wrong to her, but she couldn't tell what. It was a gut feeling that wouldn't go away, a clear indication things may not be what they seem. Sighing, she crossed her arms and focused back on the colorful children's cartoon.
Maybe I'm just overreacting.
Unknown location, The Next Day, 7:00pm
"Focus, Seiko. Reach for that energy inside you."
I focused as much as I could, my eyes clamped shut and my hands clasped as I reached for the light inside my being. Uncle Clouse insisted I begin unlocking my power today, and I've been trying ever since the afternoon. He said it's not that hard, but to me it seems difficult. Perhaps because I've only practiced one power of it.
"Once you hold onto it, don't let go. Let it flow through your veins. Only then will you truly connect with the powers you desire," my Uncle was starting to sound like Sensei Wu, but a better version. He wasn't a tea-addicted, frail old man. My Uncle actually looked quite young compared to my old Sensei. My Uncle's hair hasn't began to gray yet either, but I know he's around 60. He was always quite older than my mom.
Through my mind, I reached out for the light inside, a breath escaping me once I came in contact with it. A chill ran up my arms and legs when I met it, a feeling like liquid washing over my arms accompanying it. It felt weird...but satisfying. They never said gaining new powers would feel normal anyway. I can't help but wonder if this is how Chen felt when he took the powers of my old teammates. He should have kept them.
"Good. How do you feel?" my Uncle asked as I took a deep breath and let the light continue to flow through my veins. I didn't know how to describe it. It was a satisfying feeling to say the least. I almost felt as if I were a different person, an overlord if you may. I felt stronger, as if I could take on Cole without a struggle now. I don't want to remember him though.
"Stronger. Satisfied," I spoke, separating my hands and opening my eyes. My Uncle smiled.
"Great. It's working. You've gained control of them. See what you can do now," he told me. I closed my eyes again and listened for any sounds. Other than my own breathing, I could hear the quiet clinking of a glass and the low hum of an air conditioner. Targeting the glass, I swiped the air and let an intricate line shoot out of the ground and pierce the glass. A loud "Holy shit!" from Alex accompanying the sound of glass breaking.
I turned around to see glass and ice scattered on the floor with the line penetrating the wall. Alex stood back, his shirt soaked and a peeved look on his face. "Thanks a lot! I wake up and can't even get a glass of water!" he grumbled, crossing his arms. I snickered, withdrawing the line.
"Maybe you shouldn't walk through the area where I'm practicing," I suggested to him. He gave an exasperated sigh.
"Maybe I wanted to see h-...what Clouse was doing!" he claimed, before huffing and walking out of the room. I shook my head and turned back to my practice. My Uncle sighed.
"Carry on, Seiko. I want to see if you're able to change your appearance with your power," he said, to which I nodded. I focused for a moment, thinking up something that wouldn't make me look like your stereotypical, weirdly-dressed female hero. It wasn't that hard, though some would think it is. I let my lines wrap around me, the feeling of cool metal on my arms, stomach, and legs growing. I then let the lines fade away, revealing a sleeveless white and purple suit with a hood. Armor covered my arms and his beneath the suit. Brown boots protected my feet and a leather pouch tied around my thigh held my staff. Brown leather gloves protected my hands with metal rings around my fingers. I looked badass.
"Excellent! You've gotten the hang of this quite quickly!" my Uncle smiled, his purple eyes actually not filled with gloom for once. I felt accomplished.
"I've been trying to practice with this magic for as long as I can. Though, Sensei Wu would always scold me for it," I admitted. Uncle Clouse sighed.
"But he's no longer your teacher, I am, and I say that's fantastic. You can take a break now. You've truly earned it," he told me. I smiled, then nodded, running out if the room with glee. Maybe I'm not such a slow learner anymore. Maybe I'm just gifted. Whatever it is, it's wonderful!
I stepped into my new room with joy, meeting my slightly messed-up bed and a single mirror that lay atop a polished black desk. I glided over to the desk, picking up the mirror and admiring myself for a moment. My reflection grinned until I noticed that the irises of my eyes were now the same shade of purple as my Uncle's. Somehow, they reminded me of those beautiful purple nebulas I'd see on the internet. Maybe I hold the galaxy within my eyes.
Though, what disturbed me were the long locks that hung by my face. The chocolate brown waves that hang past my shoulders when not concealed within a bun. Memories flooded my mind of the many times I let Sammie and Lilly braid my hair. The countless times Lloyd ran his hand through the waves I harness in a bun. All if it.
I frowned at the memory, then glared at the locks, an idea popping into my head. If I had felt like such a different person earlier with these new powers, why not take on the look of someone new? With that idea, I grabbed a knife from the pouch on my thigh in a flash, chopping off the locks from the side of my face until the ends met the lower portion of my cheeks. I then tore my hair out of it's bun and chopped it with fury until it barely met my shoulders.
With little strings of hair tickling my arms and face, I threw the knife aside onto my desk, silently panting as I looked down at the locks of hair that lay miserably on the floor. It was a mess, but everything felt lighter to me. It was almost as if my hair was those memories, and the ones with those traitors were laying on the floor. I felt better now and happier, even though I knew I would have to be sweeping all this up in a moment. I was about to go get the broom before I heard a sudden knock at the door.
Once I opened the door, I found Alex in the hallway, a perplexed look on his face. "What the heck were you doing? Your shouting was so loud I'm sure the whole City heard it!" he asked, staring at my hair. For some reason, I felt taller than him, though I knew these boots only made me a few inches away from his height. I felt like I could crush him under my heel anytime I wanted now. "Um, you have something on your face."
"What?" I asked, patting my face. Don't tell me he's playing an elementary school trick on me. I surely will crush him if he is.
"It's fading now but you should probably look in a mirror. It's beneath your left eye. Well, my left that is," he told me. I walked back into my room and picked up the small mirror, looking for any marks on my face. Almost immediately, I found fading spiral markings that were beneath my right eye, which appeared left in the mirror. They looked a lot like my intricate lines. Perhaps I may have accidentally made them grow on my face.
"I probably messed with my powers again," I told Alex before returning to the doorway and crossing my arms. "Now what else do you want?"
He paused a moment. "Nothing. I'll be go-"
"Wait, what about what you were going to say while I was practicing? You stuttered very loudly," I asked. He looked surprised for a moment, then turned away. I can't help but think about how weird it is to see him without his eyes glowing pink for once.
"It was nothing. I just messed up when speaking. I'm half awake, you know," he claimed. The tone of his voice told me he was lying, but I decided not to keep bothering him about it.
"You know I still don't forgive you from my mother's death," I told him. It didn't seem to phase him.
"You don't have to. I've already learned that I've done tons of unforgiveable things, so your statement isn't new. In fact, if you are still filled with vengeance..." Alex paused before facing me again and holding his arms out to his sides, "...go ahead and get it out of your system now! If you have to kill me then just do it! Do me a favor!"
I waited a moment, considering his offer. It's something I wanted to do throughout those days of grief I suffered a year ago. Thoughts that Lloyd said weren't correct. I really didn't have that much of a desire to kill Alex now, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to kick him in the face right here right now. I held back, deciding to save it for another time.
"Just go," I told him, "I don't feel like doing that."
He nodded, then began to walk down the hall. Despite what I had said though, the desire to hurt him only swelled. The recalling of Lloyd's words making hatred boil inside of me again. Why should I take a traitor's advice? For all I know he could have only said that to manipulate me into letting him have all the glory of eliminating the world's worst enemies. I clenched my fists tightly, then came to a decision. I shouldn't have let him go.
Knowing my boots were silent when hitting the floor, I charged after Alex and spun, letting my leg fly through the air towards his face. Though, before it could even touch his face, Alex grabbed my ankle and caught it without turning around. I stared in disbelief, landing on my other foot as he turned to let one eye glance at me. Without saying a word, I jumped again to let my other foot try to hit him, but he caught that too, making me fall onto my back. Curse him and his reflexes.
He dropped my ankles and stepped back, looking slightly peeved. "Karma, I'm not in the mood for your games. You came to a decision that you didn't want to use the chance I had given you," Alex reminded me as I got up. I only glared back at him.
"You said I would be doing you a favor if I killed you," I told him, subtly reaching for the small knife in my pocket. He nodded.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'll go easily," he clarified, returning the glare. Alex then turned to walk away again and I grasped the chance to throw the knife and end this forever. I threw it and watched it sail towards him, but he jumped out of the way of it and let it lodge itself in the wall behind him. I didn't wait for him to speak again. I lunged for him and slammed him into the wall while reaching for my knife in the wall. The master of psion pushed me into the opposite wall with his powers, almost knocking the wind out of my lungs.
He let me go within seconds and I started throwing punches and kicks, some of which he couldn't block. Alex tried to push my face away to try to make me lose focus, but I struck him across the face with my fist and kicked him away from me. He regained his balance immediately, the familiar pink glow within his irises returning again. He was going to use his powers again. I didn't get time to move before I was thrown into the wall again, my movement restricted. "Just stop already," Alex told me calmly, "You're going to tire yourself out."
I refused though, and let my fingertips touch the wall behind me to release my lines. The spiraled, beautiful lines sped though the wall and wrapped themselves around his wrists, throwing him into a wall and releasing me from the grip of his powers. I darted towards him as he got up, yanking my knife from the wall and lunging for him. My knee connected with his stomach as he tried to get up, making him cough and groan in response. I let a triumphant smile grow on my face as I held the weapon in front of him. "Why should I? You're the one who gets tired easily after all!" I responded to his earlier statement, feeling as though I had won. What my rage desired would soon become more than just a dream.
Though, before I knew it, he slipped beneath me and forced me into the wall, plucking the knife from my hand. I growled, jumping to my feet and scratching him across the face with my nails. Alex didn't dare bring the knife towards me for some reason, and in fact he left himself open. Hah, how dumb. I kicked him in the groin and tried to twist his arm behind him, but he pulled himself free. In an instant, I was pushed into the wall and the arm the held the knife was wedged against my throat. Alex's knee held my leg and he used his free arm to balance himself. His powers kept my arms pinned to the wall.
"I said stop," he told me again, staying in a calm tone although he was panting, "You're letting old rage control you."
"You really think I'm going to let you get away with murdering my mom!? You're wrong! You're so wrong! I'm still going to kill yo-!"
"You can't kill me when I'm the one holding the blade. Your old rage made you blind in the fight. I know you're stronger than me Karma. You could have overpowered me. There were plenty of opportunities for you to kill me," Alex interrupted me. I glared at him.
"Well, you could've killed me but you didn't!" I shouted. He didn't look regretful.
"I'm pretty sure your uncle would rip my limbs off if I did," the tone of his voice told me there was something more, but I didn't question it. He's always been confusing.
"You're right Alex, I would," the sound of my Uncle's voice made the color drain from Alex's face, his eyes widening in response. Oh, he's surely dead now.
The both of us turned to see my Uncle Clouse standing in the hallway, his eyes staring daggers at the master of psion. I noticed that the arm pinned against my throat was beginning to tremble. He really is scared of Clouse, isn't he? Alex released me in an instant, throwing the knife aside and putting both his hands up. "She attacked me first, okay? J-Just count this as combat training!" he looked nervous and his voice shook as he stepped back. He wasn't wrong about me attacking him first. My uncle raised an eyebrow.
"She attacked you first? You, a man who's inches taller than her? Who's able to throw people into things just by thinking about it?" he asked, taking a few steps forward, "Alex, your excuses are invalid. You could have easily brushed her off. Why engage? Why hold a knife to her throat?"
Alex continued to step back, his hands visibly shaking. He looked as though he were staring right at some sort of horrific being, with him being this creature's next meal. I wanted to ignore it, but the fact that the master of psion was staring back at my uncle like a child stares at a monster, I had to step it. My morals wouldn't allow for me to stand back.
"Uncle, I did attack him first. I was in a blind rage and I took it out on him. He was only acting in self defense, I'm sorry," I apologized. My Uncle raised his eyebrow again, then looked back at Alex.
"Fine. Move along," he said. The master of psion nodded, then walked away. Though, as he walked, he froze up like someone touched him and let out a pained groan. He held his chest for a moment.
"Did I break one of your ribs?" I questioned.
"N-N-...Yes, y-yes you did. I'll be fine though," it was easy to tell he was lying, but I didn't speak. I only watched him walk away as my Uncle glared at him.
"If he's so troublesome, why not take his powers now?" I asked him. Uncle Clouse sighed.
"I can't, because I don't have the right materials," he informed me. I gave a curious look.
"What do you need then?"
He paused, then turned away. "You will see soon enough."
