Chapter 5
Julius POV
I've never been to prison before. I've never gotten detention or had my parents called for disrupting the class. So I'm not sure what being caged really feels like. But last night when I flew for the first time, it felt as if something was holding me back, like something was holding me captive and I had suddenly broken free. It was then that I realized that I was about 800 feet in the air, and then I realized I was 800 feet in the freaking air. Immediately I dropped out of the sky. I'm not going to lie, I screamed, but only a little bit. It took me half a second to remember the training my dad gave me on high pressure situations. First and foremost, keep a level head. I stopped screaming and began to charge. My powers are kind of like a laser in a sort of way. I usually charge my hands full of shock wave-like energy and then blast the nearest target. But this was completely different. Instead of just charging my hands, I was charging my entire body and manipulating the energy in order to defy gravity.
With this knowledge, I shakily floated to the ground and powered down. However, adrenalin was still running rampant through my blood stream. I charged my body and leaped off the ground into the starry night, relishing in the weightlessness of it all. After I had gotten used to twisting and turning and looping, I stopped and floated about 500 feet in the air. I basked in the soft graceful light of the full moon. I glanced down at my watch and realized that I had been gone for 3 hours. It was time to come down from Happy Land, the name I had give my palace of wonder and unbridled joy, and go back to a home with a mother who was scared for her husbands life as well as being filled with grief. I had to go home to a father whose life expectancy just dropped by like 15%. When I had finally gotten to my doorstep, I walked through the door and trudged to my room, ignoring my father's attempts to talk to me. I slammed the door to my room, plopped down on my bed, and fell asleep not even bothering to change out of my sweaty clothes.
"Julius...Juju," my mom shook me awake, "sweety it's time to get up. You've got to go to school." I mumbled an okay and rolled out of bed, and onto the floor in push-up position. I did fifty and went to the bathroom to shower and other hygienic things. After showering, I put on a pair of straight leg six pocket khaki cargo pants and a black muscle tee, and my white sneakers. I grabbed my book bag and my dad's Letterman and rushed out the house with a piece of toast in my hand. I got to the bus stop ten minutes early.
About five minutes later, the danger guy from yesterday comes running up and I remember that we're supposed to fighting today. I decided to the honorable thing and make my intentions clear, but first I had to know why he was running. He seemed to be the uptight punctual type.
"What?" he snapped.
"Where's the fire?" I asked amused
"Touché."
"What's up with you this morning?" I hope he doesn't get the impression that we're friends, but I resigned to be civil at least.
"I'm ready." I know he knew exactly what I was talking about.
"Yeah... about that," he cocked an eyebrow, "I... don't hold back, okay?" I wasn't really sure how he would take this.
"Why not?"
"My dad," I was still kind of down about my dad being re activated, but back to the matter at hand, "told me that in a sanctioned fight like the one we're going to have, it's always best to make your intentions clear. So I'm asking you not to hold back, because I won't."
"Your father is a smart man. I will fight with everything I have, so long as you actually pose a challenge."
"Absolutely." It suddenly occurred to me to ask why he was being rude, "Hey what was up with you yesterday?"
"I do not like clumsy people. If you're clumsy in battle, you will die."
"I guess that's one way to look at it."
"That is the only way to look at it," he snapped. This guy has a short fuse, noted.
"Battles aren't always so cut and dry. There are millions of factors that can contribute to victory or defeat," I countered.
"Even so, it would not do to suddenly lose your balance in a life or death situation, especially when innocents are involved."
That's kind of a funny image, "I concede." The bus pulled up and we got on. My mom being the psychic that she was was always telling me not to judge a book by its cover, so I can't really figure out why I didn't extend the hand of friendship before. So I resigned to see if he would like to hang out after the fight. Besides keep your friends close and enemies closer right? I got off the bus last again and rushed to catch up to him before homeroom. He was almost to his locker by the time I caught up thanks to students milling around the hall.
"Hey, wait up." he stopped and allowed me to catch up.
"You sure do move fast," I commented we approached our lockers. Oddly enough our lockers were only a few feet apart.
"Walking slowly has never been a habit of mine. Is there something you needed?"
"Yeah, um, regardless of what happens today in gym would you be opposed to continuing our conversation?"
"Why?"
"It's just... I made a snap judgment and you don't seem completely unfriendly and it's the second day of high school and it wouldn't hurt to actually have a friend and whole bunch of other reasons."
"Fine, when is your free period?" He asked.
"Right after lunch," I told him.
"Meet me back here after lunch and we'll go do some recon."
"Some what?"
"Reconnaissance?" I know I've heard that word before, but I can't remember where. He added, "We'll go exploring." Oh right.
"Oh, okay. Anything else?"
"Yeah. If you see me, ignore me and visa versa."
"Why?"
"Firstly, if you reveal who your allies are your enemy can exploit it as a weakness, and second, it's easier on me. I don't make friends easily by intention. You've got to earn my respect." That's fairly straight forward and honest. I can accept that. I nodded and walked away, heading off to Hero History. When I got there, Ms. Lyle, the history teacher, just told me not to come late without a pass anymore. She began her lecture.
"Good morning. Due to the new curriculum, we will be starting the year off with a very sensitive topic. The War. Raise your hand, how many of you know about The War?" About half the class including myself raised their hands, "Keep your hands up if you know the reasons behind The War." About a third the hands dropped, but mine was still raised. "Okay, keep your hands raised if you lost a family member, a friend, or even know someone who lost a family member or friend." Only seven hands were up now including mine."Okay put your hands down. I won't ask who, but my condolences." I tuned her out after that. I already know everything there is to know about The War.
Back in 1991, there was a man named John McCarthy better known to the public as Void Master. He was a big league hero, right up there with Iron Fist and the Sphinx. One day there was an unusually horrid battle between Sphinx and his arch nemesis Set. Void Master got arrived on the scene just in time to see Set kill Sphinx and several bystanders. Void Master flew into a furious frenzy at the death at what was later found out to be his child hood friend. He became the first Hero in history to break the no killing rule, by destroying Set's mind as well as his body. Void Master was what is now termed as a Telebeing, A person who can demonstrate multiple abilities with his or her mind. After that fight he disappeared for 3 years, before he returned as the new villain, Chaos.
Chaos became ruthless as he tried to take over the U.S. And eventually the world. He claimed that world needed a leader, and he was the only one strong enough to be that leader. He killed hundreds in his mad quest for power. Civilians and heroes alike fell by his hand. Villains either joined or died. Some heroes lost hope and switched sides. It all came to a head in 1996, when 16 of the worlds greatest heroes led by Iron Fist stormed Chaos' volcano island fortress in Tahaki, Hawaii. My mom's older brother, Chase Norman also known as the hero Sixth Sense was one of the 16. He gave his life holding off Chaos' forces while Iron Fist battled his old friend. Iron was mortally wounded but managed to beat Chaos. On August 8th,1997, Chaos became the first person ever to be inter-dimensionally imprisoned. His last words after his sentence were, "This is only the beginning." They sent him to a volcanic planet in Dimension 9. Every year we honor those who gave their lives on that fateful day.
The bell rang signaling everyone to go to their next class, which for me happened to be 4th period gym. Time to fight. Every gathered in the stands while Coach Speedy and Coach Lash took role. After they finished, we dressed out in work out clothes and did warm up conditioning. A mile run along with push-ups, sit ups,etc.
"Alright, Julius Grey and Viktor Rade suit up!" Coach Lash Yelled. We both got up and went to the locker room to change.
"So uh..." I started awkwardly, "good luck today."
"Don't need it," he responded. "But good luck to you as well." We shook hands and headed out to the newly converted arena.
"Alright listen up. I'm going to explain the rules. This is a Sky High sanctioned sparring match. The match ends when a person states clearly that they yield. No hitting below the belt, eye gouging, or foul play of any kind. Time will be fifteen minutes on the clock. Do you both understand the rules?" We nodded. "Good, now power up." I charged my body and took a defensive fighting stance. "Ready...Begin!"