The New Kid
Chapter 13
Yuja: -.- Darn. Why'd I go and have to have Ivan and Sheba as part of the group at Felix's house. I had to rewrite the entire beginning thanks to those two.
Ivan: It's not our fault you forgot and changed the ending to the last chapter so much that it had nothing to do with the beginning of this chapter.
Yuja: -.- Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Oh well. Early thanks for all the reviews. The only AP exam I actually passed was a 3 on my Calculus AB subscore, which was just barely passing. On the bright side, those tests will have nothing to do with my final grade for each class. And I got a new laptop for graduation! Whee!
Sheba: Yuja doesn't own anything. And please note; Karst, Agatio, Saturos, and Menardi currently look like normal, everyday people without striped or blue faces.
Yuja: Behold the power of modern day cosmetics and latex!
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"If I'm not mistaken, then you still owe me a fight." Alex stepped closer to Isaac so that only a few yards separated them. "Isn't that right, New Kid?" Isaac could hear Agatio snickering behind him.
"A fight? B-but what about our deal?" It was a lame thing to say, but at least it was something. The thought to stall for time seemed like his best chance, but he couldn't think of how that could help him. Of course, he could always use his Psynergy to blow all three away and try to make a run for it, but the memory of that afternoon ceased that thought. As long as he still felt that pressure in his chest, there was no telling what might happen if he used any Psynergy, or if he would even be able to control it.
"Change of circumstances. Sorry, New Kid."
"So, the call was just a trick to get me back here then. I thought you had a reputation to hold?" Isaac grinned as well, not letting on that the title of "New Kid" was getting on his nerves, as he slowly edged away.
Alex's confident expression faltered slightly, but he quickly collected himself. "Reputations are only at risk if someone is around to talk. Now, I'm going to give you a choice. Either you can come with us quietly," he extended a hand, "or I'll have to make you."
Isaac stared at Alex. Now he saw what was happening, but why was Alex doing this? "And where do you plan on taking me?"
"There's someone that would like to meet with you; discuss certain…matters with you."
"Thought so. Sorry Alex. No can do." Isaac waved a hand before putting both in his pockets and started to walk between Karst and Agatio, who surprisingly did nothing.
"Isaac. This is an awesome opportunity. This man can help you become strong beyond belief." Isaac didn't respond. "No? Fine then. You leave me no choice…"
The ground vibrated and spikes of solid ice twice his width shot up, trapping Isaac between it and the three upperclassmen. Isaac whirled around to see Alex with his hand opened towards the ice, blue rings of energy flowing over him.
"A-Alex?"
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Sheba's eyes turned back to normal. "Isaac's in danger."
"Well we kinda figured that." Garet balled a hand into a fist in frustration.
"Come on," said Felix. "We have to find him. Talking about it is just wasting time."
Ivan's eyes started glowing again as well. "I'm sensing Isaac's energy…this way."
The group of six hurried in the indicated direction, Ivan and Sheba leading the way.
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Isaac was thrown against the wall of ice spikes by a blast of Mercury power and fell to the ground. Since when did Alex have Psynergy! "Alex…," gasped Isaac as he got to his feet, hugging his middle with one arm and moving away from the ice, "why are you doing this!"
"Like I said, you leave me no choice…" With a flick of the wrist, jagged ice shards appeared above Isaac and shot down. Isaac started to cover his head with his arms, but stopped when the familiar golden glow surrounded him. Vines erupted from the ground around him, forming a loosely woven shield right in front of him and blocking the ice.
Isaac looked up at the vines. "What tha…where did that come from?" he whispered to himself.
"So, you have figured out how to use your Venus powers. Impressive, considering how you did it on your own. But can your weeds protect you from everything?"
Almost as if on cue, Agatio stepped forward and let loose a wave of fire that burned a gaping hole in the shield. Karst then took her turn, unleashing another fire attack that seemed to take the shape of a dragon before striking Isaac and knocking him back to the ground.
The ground rumbled again beneath Isaac. He had barely raised himself on his elbows before a ring of water shot up around him.
Alex's eyes were shining pale blue and he had his hand outstretched towards Isaac. "Deluge."
At the command of Alex's cool voice, the water seemed to fall inward from the top and was quickly filling Isaac's prison and lifting him up.
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"Man! Where is he?" Garet was getting impatient. Isaac was in danger, but there was nothing any of them could do until they found him.
"I…I don't know…" Ivan's eyes returned to normal. "I can't get a lock on him. Sheba?"
Sheba shook her head. "I only know that he's close."
"But, how else are we going to find him? There must be hundreds of meeting places all around this school," said Jenna.
As if in response to her question, the ground vibrated for a few seconds before stopping as quickly as it had begun.
Felix paused. Something familiar tugged at the back of his mind. "Isaac?" He whispered the name to himself, the others being too distracted to hear.
Jenna looked around. "Someone's using Fire Psynergy!"
There was another vibration. Mia now looked around as well. "Is that…Water Psynergy I feel?"
Sheba turned to her. "Fire and Water Psynergy? Can you tell which way?"
Mia rotated slowly in place. "I think it's…this way." She took a step in the said direction. "Yes. It's definitely this way. A-And it's strong. Come on!" She broke into a run, Jenna agreeing and everyone else following on their heels. Soon, the group rounded a corner and Mia came to a dead halt.
Garet looked around her. "What the heck is this!"
At the other end of the long building, but blocked off by a chain-link fence, large spikes of ice formed a short wall in one place, and the smoldering ruins of a wall of what looked like vines was collapsing near a column of water. Three people stood between the building and the water column.
"Isn't that…Alex?" said Jenna quietly.
Mia nodded. "I recognize the other two. That's Karst and Agatio."
Felix focused on the column of water. There was a shadow inside, and he sensed that same familiar feeling again. Then it came to him. That familiar feeling seemed to have something to do with Venus Psynergy, which meant that the shadow was…
"Isaac!"
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Isaac couldn't breathe. The water had surrounded him so fast that he had barely managed to get a small gasp of air before he was submerged. The water was pressing in on him from all sides, and the cold liquid caused him to quickly lose what little breath he had. The only natural water source anywhere near Vale was the river, yet Isaac found himself drowning in his own watery grave.
Finally, Isaac stopped struggling and gazed upwards. It was darkness on the sides, but above him…Isaac could see daylight shimmering above. Was this for real, or was he just having the nightmare from the other night again...? He couldn't move, the feeling of the watery hands holding him in place.
As a cold numbness came over Isaac and he went limp, the golden glow faintly radiated around him and he thought he heard faint whispers at the back of his mind.
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"Isaac!"
"Argh! I can't get this lock opened!" Garet struggled with the lock on the gate set in the fence, but the chain and padlock weren't giving in. Figured that they had found the area from that side instead of the side without the fence.
"Out of my way!" Jenna pushed Garet aside. "I'll just melt it off!" Her hands began to glow red, but she only succeeded in turning the lock into a solid ball of metal. "What!"
"Forget the lock. Hurry up and climb over," Sheba said coolly. Jenna looked up to see that Felix was already going over the top. As the others started to scale the metallic barrier, the ground vibrated again. Giant thorns shot up around Alex and the two Mars Adepts, forcing them back.
"What?" Alex couldn't entirely focus his energy on his water attack as he dodged the thorns. Finally, the thorns stopped appearing, but the damage had already been done. Karst and Agatio managed to avoid the attack as though they had advanced experience. Alex, however, had a torn pant leg with a long cut underneath and slight tear in his denim jacket, but the distraction had also succeeded in causing the water column to collapse.
Isaac landed hard on his back, but managed to roll over as he coughed up the water he had breathed in. Alex stepped closer, but a stone spear shot up before him. Isaac was soaked, and he was shivering uncontrollably.
"Th-that's what you get for…m-messing…with me," said Isaac between gasps.
Alex gritted his teeth. "That was just a lucky shot." He stepped around the spike and started to advance towards Isaac, but was suddenly distracted again.
"Isaac!" Alex stopped as Mia ran to Isaac and helped him to a sitting position. Garet, Jenna, and Felix got in between the two parties. There was no sign of Ivan or Sheba.
"Why don't you just go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under, Alex?" said Garet.
"We don't exactly want the fact that we put someone in their place to appear on our records this close to college," said Felix. "Especially if that place is six feet underground."
Jenna grinned. "I don't know, Felix. The flower business might suit Alex. Can't you just see him pushing up daisies?"
Alex faltered, and Isaac looked up in time to notice another brief change of expressions. What was going on here? Did Alex actually look worried?
"Jenna? Garet? Felix? How did you…" Alex paused, returning to his former overly-confident self. "Not that it matters. I'll just have to take the rest of you down as well." He held out a hand and the blue energy circled him again.
"N-no…" murmured Isaac weakly between the girls.
"Cutting Edge!" Three crescent waves of blue energy shot from Alex's hand.
Without thinking, Isaac was scrambling to his feet and stumbling as he ran to his friends.
"Isaac! Wait!" shouted Mia, but he didn't stop.
No one else. No one else is going to be hurt. Isaac reached his friends and shoved them all aside and to the ground. No one else...because of me. He took all three hits before he even had a chance to move. The force of the blows sent him flying backwards to the ground where he finally tumbled to a stop on his back. Mia failed to hold back a short scream.
"Isaac!" yelled Jenna.
"What the-? Isaac!" Felix hurried to the unconscious Adept's side and shook him roughly. "Isaac! Wake up! C'mon, Isaac!" Garet looked back at them before turning to Alex, looking absolutely furious.
"You'll pay for that one!" He charged at Alex, who seemed stunned at his own attack, and pulled back his fist.
A sudden blast sent both Garet and Alex falling backwards when they had been no more that a yard apart.
"I think this has gone on long enough," said a male voice.
"I agree. If I really wanted to watch so much lame drama, I'd have stayed home and watched some soap operas," came a familiar feminine voice. The smoke and dust cleared to reveal the speakers.
Garet gasped. "Menardi!"
Minardi sneered down at the boy, but turned her attention to Alex. "I must say though, that was a spectacular performance from our newest addition. Though, I believe the orders were made clear that the boy was to be kept alive."
Alex glared up at the blond defiantly as Karst and Agatio snickered on the side. Alex ignored them. "Yeah? Well, you try taking him on sometime!"
"What? You know, I really don't like your attitude, you insolent little-"
"Knock it off you two," said the man. He was tall with pale skin and blue hair that covered one eye, seemed rather strong, and wore a long blue cape he kept closed around himself.
Menardi growled under her breath. "But Saturos, he was getting a smart mouth-"
"I'm not here to referee your many disputes, Menardi. Let's just get what we came for and go. Alex! Get to your feet before I use you for target practice!" Saturos headed for Isaac, but Felix stood and once again got in the way.
"You're not taking our Isaac anywhere!"
"Is that so?" In one swift movement, Saturos threw back his cloak on his left side and used his right hand to draw out a long, jagged red sword that he held out so that the tip was mere inches from Felix's face. "Would you like to reconsider that thought?"
"Felix!" Jenna got to her feet and started for her brother.
"Stay back Jenna!" Jenna obeyed. Felix stared at Saturos unflinchingly, as though he wasn't about to have his head cut off. "Isaac isn't going anywhere," he repeated calmly.
Saturos grinned. "I like you kid. There's only one other person I know of that doesn't flinch when I do something like this. Menardi doesn't count. She knows I can't hurt her. Now, step aside."
"No."
"Fine." As smoothly as he had drawn his sword, Saturos had hit Felix in the stomach with the hilt of the blade, knocked his feet out from underneath him with one foot, grabbed him by the shirt collar, and thrown him aside where he rolled to a stop.
"Felix!" Jenna ran to her brother.
Felix lay on his back, desperately trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. With Felix out of the way, Saturos sheathed his sword, kneeled, and lifted up Isaac to hang over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Let him go!" cried Garet, jumping to his feet and running at Saturos.
"Now why would I do that?" He held up a hand that started glowing red. "You should know, I have more skills than just using a sword." Garet stopped.
"Garet, please," begged Mia, glancing between Garet and Felix. Garet struggled with himself. There was nothing he could do against these people, yet he would never forgive himself if he just stepped aside and let them take Isaac.
The sound of vehicles could be heard approaching, and soon two old looking vans had come around the corner and stopped near Menardi and Alex.
Saturos grinned. "Looks like our rides are here." Saturos seemed to study the vans for a moment before saying, "Change of plans, Menardi. We're taking all of them."
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Garet stared at the floor of the van. Everything had happened so quickly, and all of them had been powerless. People in protective suits had jumped out of the vehicles and had all of them in the back of the vans before Felix even had enough air in him to move on his own. And they weren't your everyday form of transportation. There were no windows in the back, the interior looked new compared to the exterior, and a wall with one small window separated them from the front compartment. Thin benches were attached to the side walls, but they were cold, hard metal that would make anyone hurt if they sat there long enough, especially when going over a bumpy road.
Before the suits had closed the doors to their van, Garet had caught a glimpse of the vehicle Isaac was being placed in. Instead of gray metal, the interior of his van was white with purple bands running on each wall. Isaac's hands had not only been tied, but were also trapped in some holding device that would keep him from even moving a finger if he woke up. At least three or four guards had gotten in back with him. Were they really that afraid of him?
"Felix? Are you doing any better?" asked Jenna.
Felix tried to speak, but instead broke into a coughing fit, so he just nodded. There wasn't any point in complaining.
"Garet?" Garet looked up. Jenna tried to smile. "We'll figure something out. We'll get him back."
Garet nodded. "But why would they want Isaac so badly?"
"Did you see all those precautions they took with him? And that's just when he's unconscious," remarked Mia. "I'd hate to see what they would've done if he was awake."
"Probably would've knocked him out again," said Garet. Felix coughed some more.
"So, Alex is a Mercury Adept. That's something I didn't see coming," coughed Felix.
"Don't talk Felix, or you'll never catch your breath," said Jenna quietly. Felix was putting on a good act, but she could see that her brother's condition was somehow gradually getting worse.
"But, if they already have Adepts, why do these people want Isaac so badly?" asked Mia.
Garet leaned back. "Remember what Ivan and Sheba said? Adepts other than those of Jupiter aren't supposed to start developing Psynergy until their teens. Isaac started when he was seven. I guess that must mean something to these people."
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After what seemed like forever, the van turned around and started backing up. Once stopped, the doors were flung open and two people in suits got in.
"Let's go," said one, brandishing a strange gun-like weapon. Outside, more people were wearing either the full suits or guard uniforms, and most of them were armed. The teens obeyed and found they were in some warehouse-like area. Another van backed up beside them and the doors were opened.
"Let me go!" A ramp was put against the back of the van and two suits appeared, dragging a struggling Isaac by the arms, his hands still bound. "I swear, when I get out of here, I'll have the FBI and CIA and every other agency all over your sorry--!" One of the guards had struck Isaac with the butt of his weapon.
"That should take care of him for a while," said one of the suits as Isaac slumped to the floor.
"Isaac," whispered Mia under her breath.
"Be careful with him!" shouted a voice as two suits started lifting Isaac onto a stretcher. Turning, the teens saw an elderly bearded man hurrying forward. He wore small round spectacles and was dressed in a white lab coat. "I said be careful! No doubt he's even more dangerous unconscious than when he's awake with his hands free!"
"Then why did you order him unconscious?"
The old man grinned. "This boy has no need for his hands to use his powers when in danger. At least with him asleep, he's less likely to start an earthquake." The people around him looked at Isaac and edged away.
"Doctor Kraden! Do you still wish to scare my men with your nonsense stories? Come now. Why don't we just see to it that the boy reaches his new…holding quarters without any trouble?" Another man with a graying black beard appeared.
Kraden gave a slight bow of the head. "Iodem. Of course; that would be the best course of action at the time."
Iodem nodded and walked away. Kraden glared at the man's back and sighed when he was gone, his shoulders drooping until his eyes fell on Isaac again. "Well, you heard him! Get this young man to his room!"
With a quick "yes sir", Isaac was rolled away.
"Isaac!" cried Mia, stepping forward as if to follow and catching Kraden's attention in the process. Garet and Jenna grabbed her from behind by the shoulders.
"It's OK Mia," said Jenna quietly. "I'm sure he'll be fine. They need him in good shape." Mia felt tears welling up in her eyes as the stretcher disappeared.
"And who might you four be?" Kraden had walked over and now stood just in front of some guards, staring at the teens.
Garet glared down at the man, who was a good two heads shorter. "What's it to you?"
"Ah. Of course. His friends. How silly of me. So sorry that you got mixed up in this." Kraden hesitated, then spoke to the lead suit. "Take them to my meeting room." Without looking back, Kraden left.
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Isaac's head was spinning as he slowly gained consciousness. He felt sick to the stomach and hurt all over. Finally, he regained enough of his senses to try opening his eyes, but everything was white and cloudy.
"Good. You are waking up." The voice sounded far away, and at the back of Isaac's mind it seemed familiar.
Isaac tried opening his mouth to speak, but could only let out a weak moan.
"Save your breath, Isaac. You shall be needing your strength." The owner of the voice stood and moved away. Through the fog Isaac could see something blue-green moving away from him. The sound of a door opening could be heard and the object vanished, but low voices could be heard somewhere in the distance.
"Is he awake yet?"
"He is very weak right now. That tranquilizer is wearing off slower than usual."
"Will he be okay?" That voice. Was it…Alex?
There was a pause, and then, "Perhaps someday, if he is not destroyed first."
Silence. The door closed and Isaac was left to lie where he was. The word "destroyed" echoed in his head, but the word couldn't register in the mist as he slipped back into darkness.
Absolute darkness. Absolute…silence.
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Yuja: How was that one?
Isaac and Jenna: ………
Yuja: Um, guys?
Isaac: It's…different. I'll say that.
Jenna: Not what I was expecting when you started this story.
Yuja: Um, yeah. I wrote most of this chapter when I wasn't myusual self. The ending got even more serious because it was written right after I found out my grandma had cancer. But that was over real quick and she's all better now… and back to nagging me daily about eating right -.-;;
Jenna: What's wrong with you Isaac?
Isaac: Do you enjoy torturing me?
Yuja: Heh heh…no comment. So, what does everyone else think? If anyone doesn't know who the main bad guy is by now…well, there's noting I can do for you except say you should read the next chapter. I promise he'll be in it.
raitei -- People seemed to be really into the idea of pairings. Personally, I prefer Mia+Isaac and Jenna+Garet because that's what I've thought since I 1st started playing, but then TLA got me confused when Sheba was teasing Jenna about Isaac. oO Maybe she likes both. Oh well. For now, I'm not looking at having any real pairings, though there may be some traces here and there.
Kd7sov -- You had 3 AP tests too? I'm convinced that those things are made by angry little oldpeople that like to torture the younger generation. Hope this chapter explained a little more about Alex and his access to advanced technology.
Zaurak -- Yeah, I guess I did make Alex overly macho at the start. Glad to hear that the new Alex is better.
libby -- Don't feel bad about it. It got me to update quicker, so I should actually be grateful.
Daidairo -- There's that many with fluff? I usually stay away from the romance stories, unless there's action/adventure. Then I figure it's safe. :-P The Feizhi thing was part dramatic effect, part comic relief.
Meneil -- n.n;; Um, sorry. Isaac got hurt, and Alex was a jerk. But don't worry. I tend to like happy endings over angsty ones.
Spirit Seer -- Here's the newest chapter. They got there in time, but I don't think it really counts as saving him. But the story just wouldn't be complete if I never got around to the "bad" guys. I think this story kinda goes into the idea of "not everything is as it seems," and it might not be until the end that the real alliances are made clear. n-n
Souungo -- XP Note to self: put up protective barrier before giving spaced-update-warnings. Other than that, I'm glad you seem to like it so much.
Thanks again for all the reviews. Not sure when the next chapter will be out, but it looks like I might have most of it already done. I'll definitely try to get it out sometime this month.