Later when it was nighttime, a few of Illisies' men were doing night guarding. Jarod slipped past them quietly. He soon made it to the area that Vince and Rick showed him on the paper. It was a small training ground that looked like it hadn't been used in a while.
"This must be it," Jarod said to himself quietly.
Jarod suddenly heard the sound of a gun pointed at him from behind. He turned around and saw Jase pointing a pistol at him.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Jarod whispered.
"Oh, sorry," Jase put his pistol away, "Didn't know it was you. Come on in before they see us."
Jarod and Jase quietly walked in and closed the door locking it before one of Illisies' men walked right past.
Jarod and Jase sighed in relief. "Okay, so why are we here?" Jarod asked.
"It's a training ground," Jase said, "We're here to train."
"Whoa, wait," Jarod said, "aren't they gonna hear us?"
"It's deep underground," Jase said, "They won't hear a thing."
Jarod and Jase walked down a spiral stairway until they reached a big door. Jase opened it and they went inside the room. There were all kinds of training equipment all around.
"Okay, what does training have to do with my powers?" Jarod asked.
Jase face palmed at the question, "You're the smartest kid on Earth, and you have to ask that question?"
"Hey, I don't know anything meta-humans," Jarod said, "Not yet."
"That's why we're here," Jase said, "To train you to use your powers."
Jase grabbed a high-tech rifle from the rack as he said, "Now, lesson 1. Dodging."
"Wait, what?" Jarod asked, "What do you mean, dodging?"
Jase pulled the trigger, and the rifle fired a massive red laser at Jarod. It hit him right in the stomach. Jarod grunted from the impact, but somehow it didn't really seem to hurt.
"What the-?" Jarod said feeling the wound.
"Well, you failed," Jase said, "You were supposed to dodge it. Try again."
Jase fired again. This time, when Jarod turned his head to the laser, everything around him began to slow down as bright blue electricity crackled around his body.
The laser was heading right for his chest again. Jarod stepped right out of the way, and then the laser hit the wall, making sparks go out.
Jase could see Jarod's electricity was crackling around him for a few seconds before it disappeared, "Huh, nice job, kid. Let's up the difficulty a little bit."
Jase then grabbed another high-tech rifle and fired both of them at Jarod. Jarod was able to dodge the first one that went for his chest, but the second one managed to hit him in the leg.
Jarod was thrown right off his feet. He fell on the floor on his back with a strong impact, but he didn't react. He was able to easily stand up again.
"That's weird," Jarod said, "I'm not feeling any pain when I fall."
"Okay," Jase said, "Enough playing around."
Jase then dropped the rifles and then he grabbed a large high-tech cannon. Jarod was afraid of this one. Jase charged the cannon as a bright purple light shined through the barrel.
Jase fired the cannon. The beam began to zigzag across the room towards Jarod. Jarod prepared for the blow to land. The beam then went straight for him. Jarod suddenly ducked his head backwards right before it managed to get him. But right as he got back up, the beam then went right back at him and hit him in the back.
Jarod grunted as he knocked onto the floor. But only a few seconds later, he stood up with the pain gone. Jase charged the cannon again, "Oh, come on. What's it gonna take?"
Jase fired the cannon and the beam zigzagged towards Jarod. But then right as it went for him, Jarod then jumped in the air doing a side flip, and then he began to move at super speed. He noticed that the beam was flying right underneath him.
Jarod then reached out for the beam and he managed to somehow grab it. Then as he landed on his feet, he then threw the beam right back at the cannon.
As the beam hit the cannon, the barrel was broken off. Jase jumped in surprise as he dropped the cannon, "Aw, come ON! I just fixed that!"
"Um, sorry," Jarod said, "But I wasn't really, you know, gonna fall for it again."
"Well, then," Jase said, "Either way, good job. And I got a question for you."
"What?" Jarod asked.
"You know what kind of tech this is?" Jase asked.
"They're sort of like my friend, Dan's technology back at home," Jarod answered, "At least that's what I think."
"Well," Jase said, "Don't know who Dan is, but the technology is designed specifically to fight speedsters. So far, there's only two we know of, and you're one of them."
"And the other?" Jarod asked.
"We just know he exists," Jase said, "Don't know who he is or how to find him. Now then, let's work on your hand-to-hand combat skills."
Jase then began to charge right at Jarod with his fists in the air. Jarod prepared himself. Jase then jumped up and gave Jarod a strong kick and knocked him over.
Jarod fell to the floor, but he landed right on his hands. He then neck-kipped back up onto his feet. Jase spoke, "Not bad. Now you try to hit me."
Jase held up his hand. Jarod was afraid because he remembered that he crushed the door handle in his shelter. So Jarod was able to throw that punch at Jase's hand.
Jase spoke, "Harder."
Jarod then punched a littler harder, and he was able to make Jase's hand go back a littler, but Jase wasn't quite satisfied, "Is that it? I thought you had more power than that. Again."
Jarod then took a deep breath, and then he suddenly swung his fist with all his might and at really high speed. Jase suddenly moved his head to the side as he caught Jarod's punch with both hands. He seemed to be surprised.
"Whoa, I would've broken my hand if you would've hit me," Jase said, but then he thought of something.
Jase then picked up a brick as he asked, "How strong are you?"
Jase tossed the brick to Jarod. Jarod was able to grab it without falling over. Jase thought, "Hmm."
Jarod then took another deep breath as he began to put pressure on the brick. In just one second, He suddenly crushed it into hundreds of pieces. Both him and Jase were shocked.
Jase then grabbed another brick, "Block it this time."
Jase then threw the brick at Jarod. Jarod blocked it with his arm. As soon as the brick landed, it smashed into hundreds of pieces again, and Jarod didn't even feel the impact.
Jase then walked over to Jarod, "Hmm, that's odd. Stand still."
Jarod did what he said. Jase then threw multiple punches to Jarod's stomach and face. But Jarod just stood there without moving or even feeling anything.
Jase then got tired and panted, "Well, you're tougher than you were five minutes ago."
Jarod looked at himself. He could feel that somehow his strength had increased intensely. He couldn't feel any pain. He was more than a speedster.
"Okay, so you handled the weapons," Jase said, "Now let's see how you fight a meta-human."
"Wait, what?" Jarod asked.
Jase walked over to a crate and pulled out an iron pole. The pole then began to seem to melt onto Jase's arm. It turned into a massive iron fist with spikes.
Jarod was shocked, "Oh, boy. Not good."
Jase prepared himself, "What do you think I do with my powers?"
"Umm, you take a piece of metal and turn into a weapon that only you can use?" Jarod asked.
"Not just metal," Jase answered as he grabbed another brick.
The brick then began to melt as well. It turned into a strong shield.
"Uh-oh," Jarod said.
Jase then yelled as he charged at Jarod. He then threw the fist forward and threw spikes fired out of it straight at Jarod. Jarod ducked his head backwards quickly. The first two missed while the third just cut a slight bit of his hair.
Jarod stood back up straight. Jase suddenly punched Jarod right in the face with the iron fist. Jarod was knocked right down to the floor again, but he didn't feel anything. He stood back up again.
"Really?" Jarod asked, "Is that all you got?"
"If you think you can do better, go ahead," Jase said.
Jarod then began to run straight at Jase with his speed. He charged right at him with his fist. Jase then raised the shield. But then Jarod jumped right over Jase and grabbed his shoulder while doing a front flip. As soon as he landed on his feet, he threw Jase straight to the wall.
Jase grunted as he stood up, "Hmph, well, that certainly hurt. Guess I'll need to try harder."
Jase then went to another weapons crate and grabbed a bunch of weapons. They all began to melt like the brick and the bar. They all melted onto him, but they still looked like the individual weapons.
"Huh?" Jarod asked.
Jase then charged at Jarod as the iron fist had five massive blades come out of it. He swung them at Jarod with all his might. Jarod jumped up in the air and did a backflip while dodging the blades. In fact, he jumped really high; Jase didn't see where he went.
"Wait, did you turn invisible?" Jase asked, "I don't think speedsters can do that."
"Um, I'm up here," Jarod's voice said.
Jase looked up and saw that Jarod was holding onto one of the support vents hanging from the ceiling.
"Well, that's new," Jase said, "Oh, and gotta."
Jase pointed to his right arm and Jarod looked at his. He saw that he had a small cut right on his upper arm, but he wasn't feeling it. Then suddenly, the cut began to fade and disappear.
"Whoa," Jarod said, "It's gone."
"Well, speedsters heal quick," Jase said, "Now get down here."
Jarod let go and landed on his feet. Jase spoke, "So what did you think of your first meta-battle?"
"I don't even think that was helping me understand what's going on with me," Jarod answered crossing his arms.
"You weren't supposed to understand," Jase said, "You were supposed to train."
Jarod then face palmed, "You think that's helping me? It's not."
"You want to study your powers?" Jase asked, "Do it on your own time. If you don't know how to use them right now, you're not gonna survive very long."
Jarod then suddenly swing his fist at the iron fist, and then after a few seconds, it completely broke into pieces. Jase went wide-eyed in shock, "Well, that's certainly new."
Jase sighed, "Look, Jarod, you're not gonna survive by being a nice guy."
"How would you know that?" Jarod asked, "Illisies doesn't hate me."
"That guy's a master criminal," Jase said, "He controls crime. Over half the world. He manipulated the president to do what he wanted. If that guy's acting nice, then be afraid. Very afraid. Cause he'll kill you without a second thought."
"I'm not afraid of anything," Jarod said.
"You should be," Jase said, "For your sake, and everyone else's."
Jarod stepped in front of Jase and spoke, "You do not get to decide who is what they are."
"Maybe not, but if you don't listen to my advice, then I'll stop you myself," Jase said.
"You can certainly try," Jarod said.
"I won't try," Jase said, "I will succeed."
"We'll see," Jarod said.
"For now," Jase said, "Do as Illisies says and try to stay alive. I'll check on you later."
Jarod quietly opened the door out of the room, and then he rushed to his shelter. As soon as he went inside, he sat down on his bed. He began to think about his powers.
"This is incredible," Jarod thought, "I always believed that superpowers were all just made up. But now it's really true."
Jarod then heard a knock on the door. It opened and Illisies stepped in, "So, how's our little genius doing tonight?" he asked.
"Just feeling a little tired," Jarod answered.
"I perfectly understand," Illisies said, "But don't get too much rest. There are a few projects that require your assistance in the morning."
"Yeah, got it," Jarod said.
"Oh, and one thing," Illisies said, "I have a secret work room for you if you feel you need to be alone for a bit while you work. If it feels useful, then use it as much as you feel you need. I'll check you in around lunch tomorrow. I'm going to the mainland. So Jase is in charge."
Illisies left the room and shut the door. Jarod sighed. But then an idea came into his mind, "Hmm, a secret work room, huh? Maybe that can allow me to form an escape. But I can't do it empty-handed. I need resources… and some help."
