(A/N) I would like to dedicate this chapter to Ulrich38. I'm very happy that you are enjoying this story so much. I'm sure having a great time writing it!

Unleashing Valor

By: Tellemicus Sundance

A Hero Appears

"This is Alpha One. Alpha Two, do you copy?"

"I copy, Alpha One."

"What's your status?"

"Mission accomplished, Alpha One."

"I copy… Alpha Three, do you copy?"

"This is Alpha Three. Go ahead."

"What's your status?"

"Containing the mob from escaping, Alpha One."

"I copy… Alpha Four, do you copy?"

No answer.

"I say again. Alpha Four, do you copy?"

No answer.

"Alpha Four! DO—YOU—COPY!"

A growl came across the radio.

Shit. "Alphas Two and Three! Fire at will!"

Upon hearing that order, the man standing at the front of the mob with his machine gun at the ready instantly grinned. The panicked mob saw it and an instant realization ran through them. They were jam-packed in the hallway from their universal desire to escape.

Easy targets.

It couldn't have been a simpler thought.

As the man loaded his rifle's firing chamber, something happened. Because of his helmet, he couldn't see it. But he felt his rifle yanked from his grasp. As he was turning to face the person whom he hadn't noticed behind him, the clattering of the magazine and rifle on the tile floor on the far side of the room reached his ears.

He caught only a glimpse of the person who'd managed to sneak up on him before a fist buried itself in his face. It was a figure dressed entirely in black. The punch shattered the plastic goggles he wore and he felt himself falling backward from the force of the blow.

Standing quickly, the man yanked the helmet from his head and tossed it aside. He sized up this attacker in a few seconds and wasn't impressed. The person, very likely a boy, was dressed in a worn and torn black sleeveless shirt and pants. He wore a pair of bandanas over his face and hair, leaving only a small slit that his dark eyes glared angrily through. The only noticeable weapon he seemed to have would have to be the sword he wore strapped to his back.

Glaring at each other, the two dropped into fighting stances. The people in the crowded hall watched in fascination and fear. Those who weren't panicked beyond belief recognized the boy, though from where they couldn't remember.

Then, unexpectedly, the boy rose and crossed his arms. Keeping a close eye on his enemy, he said in deep voice that was clearly fake. "Take it off."

The man grinned. Then, in two swift movements, yanked his body armor from him and threw it to the side. As soon as he was free, he returned to his fighting stance. The boy viewed it with an unwavering and unnerving scrutiny.

Snorting and glancing away carelessly, he said, "Pathetic."

"WHA—!"

A fist in his gut cut off the thug's shout instantly. Looking down at the fist, he stared in disbelief at it. All strength failed him and he collapsed unto his knees, wheezing. He glanced up at the boy as he clutched his abdomen. With a half-hearted backhand, the boy sent the man skidding across the floor several feet away from him.

The people in the hall stared in shock at the boy's strength and speed. They hardly made a sound or a move. Glancing over at them, the boy merely stared for a moment. Movement at the back of the crowd caught his eye.

Trouble.

"What are you standing there for?" he yelled at them. "Run!"

Unsheathing his katana, he dashed forward into them. The people reacted almost instantly and ran for the doors. The little warrior only spared them a glance once he was through.

Now that they were safe, he could stop holding back.

They all somehow heard his voice over the noise of the crowd. Yumi and William had safely escaped the theater when the explosion smashed the wall. They were standing at a stairwell when they heard the scream.

They turned and glimpsed a small black blur racing down the hall toward a thug who'd emerged from the control room. Hearing the war cry, the thug lifted his rifle and aimed at its source. The boy didn't stop his charge, even as bullets began to race towards him.

Running along the side of the hall, the kid leapt up as the first bullets neared him. Using his momentum, he pushed himself across the wall. From Yumi's point of view it was hard to be certain if he was running along the wall or not. But as the bullets continued to fly at him, he launched himself off the wall to the other side and continued to run forward.

The thug meanwhile had noticed that he'd never be able to hit the kid at this rate. Using one arm to shower the kid with lead, he unclasped his knife in preparation of close combat. The knife was the wicked nine-inch bayonet used by the military.

As the boy closed the distance to mere meters, he suddenly dashed forward with his katana flashing. The sword cut deep into the hand guards around the barrel and knocked it to the side.

But the kid was still coming forward, swinging his fist towards the man's chest. Seeing it coming, he raised his free hand up and brought the knifepoint down towards the kid's shoulder. The punch connected—the knife buried itself into the kid—the man was thrown almost ten feet away—a deafening scream of pain tore through the hall, like it could shatter boulders to dust.

The thug rose painfully up into a sitting position and examined his body armor. Yumi and William, who'd been rooted on the spot since it started, watched in surprise as the man dug into his armor. Then he proceeded to empty what appeared to be the shattered remains of his chest plate.

If they'd been anything but shocked at the moment, Yumi and William would've been taking notes on how fluently the kid was cussing as he cradled his shoulder. The knife had buried the first four or five inches of its blade into the cavity formed by his collarbone. Blood was rushing out around the blade, soaking his shirt, and gushing down his chest and arm.

"That was the BIGGEST mistake you've made in the last seconds of your life!" the kid screamed.

Then the boy did something that must've been excruciating. He grasped the knife hilt and yanked it from his shoulder, an agonizing groan turned into a deafening scream of pain as the blade withdrew.

Tossing the knife aside, the boy faced criminal. Then, somehow ignoring the screaming pain of his shoulder, he raised his hands to his chest. He placed his thumb, index, and middle fingers together as he curled the others. Lowering his face, he closed his eyes and took deep, calming breaths. A strange sense of calmness, a stillness of his raging mind seemed to suddenly arise and radiate from the kid.

"What are you doing?" Yumi yelled at him as his opponent pulled out a pistol.

Time slowed to a crawl.

All anyone could ever see, even with the security cameras slowed down many times, was a metallic flash as the pistol aimed at him. The pistol, a military-issue, made to be durable, was cleaved in two like a hot knife through butter.

They were able to glimpse the katana in the little warrior's injured arm just nanoseconds before his dashed forward and planted a crushing blow to the man's chest. The man didn't scream; he didn't have time. He just crumpled on the floor in a bloody heap.

Breathing hard, the boy dropped heavily to his knees. He dropped his katana into a growing pool of his own blood. He dangled his arms on the ground as his head sagged. As Yumi found herself moving forward, she realized just how deep the stab in his shoulder was. Fresh blood still gushed from his veins, pooling in the cavity, and he didn't even bother trying to stop it, knowing how pointless it was.

"FREEZE!" called a voice from the other end of the hall. Men in black uniforms with the word SWAT on their chests were a welcome sight for Yumi and William. Their savior, however, didn't think so.

Glancing up at them, the boy grasped his katana and forced himself to his feet. Sheathing the sword, the boy dug briefly into his pockets as the SWAT drew steadily nearer, all the while screaming at him to stop moving.

The warrior glanced at Yumi for the briefest of seconds before he threw a white marble to the ground. In a flash of smoke and light, he vanished as quickly and silently as he arrived.

(A?N) I'm sorry to say that I will probably be unable to post anything for the next two weeks. I have to do something for theNational Guard during that time and I'm positive that I won't be able to do any updates. But rest assured that the day I get back, I'll post a new chapter.

But only if you guys hold up you bargain end!

Until next time in: New Lyoko