AN:
youhateme: Don't worry. Almost nothing will make me drop this story. Yes, I've seen 7DS, and I noticed a lot of parallels with that show. This story is inspired by many action/adventure media, including that one.
Guest N.O.1: Happy to hear that! I've never gambled anything over $20 myself, but if I were to, this is how I would. A very safe option.
Lincoln thought the large marble water fountain in the center of this roundabout was fancy and gorgeous. And from what he could see just before daytime, there weren't any people around.
Walking towards the fountain, he saw someone familiar sitting on the edge. The pool of water in the fountain barely missed the back of his hoodie.
"Hey, Mikey," Lincoln said as he walked up to him.
"Oh." Mikey paused. He was about to take another bite of a sandwich he had in his hands. "Hey, Lincoln." He proceeded to take his bite.
Lincoln chuckled. "Glad you remembered me." He took a seat next to him. "What are you doing here?"
Mikey shrugged and answered after swallowing. "Same thing you are. Killing time until the mission."
Lincoln nodded. "Which is tomorrow. You ready?" he asked.
Mikey nodded, taking smaller bites of his sandwich so he could reply quicker. "I hope it's fun."
"Are you kidding? Of course it'll be!" Lincoln said with a bright smile. "You and me, sneaking into highly secured buildings one by one."
"And Shade," Mikey reminded.
"Her too. Still, it should be fun."
Lincoln sat quietly next to Mikey as he snacked on his sandwich. He was looking out to the empty streets, only containing the rare car here and there as the sky started to brighten.
"What have you been up to?" Lincoln asked Mikey.
Mikey hummed to himself. "Let's just say I've been trying out a lot of food… with Atlas's money."
Lincoln put on a mischievous smirk. "Just taste testing, right?"
Mikey stared back at him with a smirk of his own. "Yeah, you would know."
Lincoln chuckled.
"Besides, you should know as well as I do that we can handle a lot of food." Mikey tossed the last chunk of his sandwich into his mouth.
"I don't know…" Lincoln said, looking him up and down. "You do look a little bigger than the last time I saw you."
Mikey rolled his eyes with a smile. "Shut up!" He reached back and splashed some water Lincoln's way, hitting his entire upper body.
The boy paused, looking at Lincoln's unmoving soaked form. Water dripped from his white hair, and his clothes were probably wet. He wasn't sure if he had gone too far, and Lincoln was seconds away from snapping at him.
But to Mikey's surprise, a smile crept up Lincoln's face, and he splashed some water back.
Mikey blinked. He chuckled after realizing he was wet, relieved Lincoln wasn't mad at him, before fighting back with another wave of water.
The little water fight between the two boys lasted for a bit, during which the two laughed.
Lincoln was glad the hoodie he had on was waterproof, minimizing his wetness. Looking over to Mikey, he saw that his hoodie wasn't the same.
"Your clothes are waterproof?" Mikey asked him, noticing after a while. "That's cool." He didn't splash more water at Lincoln, choosing to end the game.
"Yeah. I know someone who makes clothes and I get my own materials for her to use. She's pretty cool. Sorry for wetting your clothes."
"Nah, it's fine. I started it." Mikey focused for a mere second, and his body glowed in his bright blue energy. Lincoln noticed that his wet clothes were quickly drying up.
"Wow, that's neat," Lincoln said. "I know we can protect ourselves from the hot and cold using energy but this is new."
"It's simple, I'm just using my energy to squeeze my clothes like a sponge all at once." A few seconds went by, and his clothes were all dried up.
"Oh, your hardened energy?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah."
"Where'd you learn to do that, anyway?"
Mikey smirked at him. "And tell you my private secrets. Sorry, stranger." For some reason, calling him a stranger caused a twinge in his chest.
Despite that, Lincoln chuckled. "Fine then. Keep your secrets."
The two sat silently for a moment before Lincoln asked a new question.
"So, uh… What are you doing after all this? You know, the mission."
Mikey stopped for a second, racking up his brain for an answer. Eventually, he turned to Lincoln and shrugged. "I don't know. Something fun, I hope."
He left it at that and tilted his head up. Lincoln did the same, and they sat peacefully. In the night sky, stars created a mighty canvas for them to admire. Lincoln's eyes focused on that line that went across. He always found himself staring at it from time to time.
He and Mikey sat there as minutes went by. The two of them were entranced by the beautiful sky turning orange, feeling content sitting on the water fountain.
It was nice like this, Lincoln thought. Sure, he enjoyed fighting a lot but relaxing like this was almost as enjoyable. He wished he went stargazing more often back on Earth. Seeing all the constellations he knew about growing up would have been fun. Maybe this world had its own constellations? Or perhaps even the same ones, if possible.
Thinking about Earth and looking at the night sky, he wondered where he truly was. Was Earth out there with the other stars? Was he across the universe? Or was this actually another dimension? After all, the people who landed on the moon couldn't suddenly use super abilities. On top of all that, he still had no clue how he got here, not to mention all the other earthlings. He had some guesses but nothing too sure.
Even after becoming so strong, he was still just a mere speck on this planet which was a speck itself in the ever-expanding universe. He was nothing in the grand scheme of everything that ever existed, just like everyone else. There was just an impossible amount of stuff out there waiting to get discovered. Thoughts like these once caused him to wish to become an astronaut. He still held that wish if he was being honest with himself.
"What are you boys up to?" A voice said from behind them, interrupting Lincoln's thoughts.
It was a deep, harsh voice. One Lincoln didn't recognize. It made his skin crawl on his back.
The two turned, and a very large man stood at the opposite end of the fountain. He was hairy, with locks of brown hair tied into a ponytail and a thick beard along with it. He wore a grey suit. On the left side of the suit was a badge, one of that of an officer.
Lincoln and Mikey circled the fountain until they faced the big man. Mikey was the first to speak.
"Can we help you?" he asked.
"Yes," the man started, crossing his arms. "What are two boys like you doing here so late?"
Lincoln said, "Sir, no offense, but it's none of your business."
Mikey scoffed. "Yeah. Are you a creep or something?"
"A creep?"
Lincoln could practically see the man's face turn red from anger.
"I'm the one who deals with the creeps!" He yelled.
Lincoln stared at the man closely. "Are you some sort of police officer?"
"Wha- What?!" The man growled. "The disrespect! But what else should I expect from a couple of brats!"
"Huh," Lincoln put his hands on his hips, "a lot of pride."
"Yeah, he's that Big Boss of Emergencies or whatever." Mikey finished his thoughts.
"Emergency Services!" The man corrected before he humphed. "Boys like you lack discipline."
"What?" Mikey smirked. "Are you going to teach us this 'discipline?'" Mikey asked, taking his hands out of his hoodie pockets.
"If I might have to. Don't think because you were some hot shots at the tournament that you're something special."
"On a scale from one to ten, how strong are you?"
Lincoln widened his eyes, looking at Mikey. Was he seriously intending to fight this guy?
The man grinned. "What a childish question."
Lincoln whispered, "He looks pretty tough."
Mikey stared back at Lincoln. "You don't have to worry about me. Do you think you were the only one hiding something at the tournament, Lincoln?"
Lincoln had his mouth agape for a moment before smiling and looking towards the Big Boss. "What's your name?"
"Dr. Edward Barker." The man replied with a smirk, looking into Mikey's eyes. "What's wrong kid? It looks like you want to go a round."
"Some random old man walks up to me. Yeah, excuse me for getting a little defensive."
"You don't want this fight boy."
Mikey chuckled to himself. "Regret is after the fact."
Lincoln stood somewhat in front of Mikey and placed a palm on his chest, pushing firmly but not moving him. The small push was more of a reminder than an action.
Mikey looked at him, and Lincoln could practically hear what he was thinking. "The mission, I know."
"Dr. Barker, we'll be on our way," Lincoln said without looking back at him. "Come on, Mikey."
Mikey got the message, and without a word, he turned and walked off, Lincoln following close behind.
"And stay out of trouble!" Dr. Barker yelled to them. "If I catch any nonsense, I'll deal with you myself, ya hear? I'll teach you discipline I know you can take!"
Mikey sighed. "That guy is ridiculous."
"He's pretty noisy, I'll give him that." Lincoln said. "Let's just head back to our hotels. We have our mission tomorrow."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll see you then?"
Lincoln turned to him and smiled. "Of course!"
Lincoln and Mikey then split off, heading to their respective hotels to turn in for the day.
During that walk back, Lincoln couldn't stop thinking about that man. He was awfully aggressive towards two kids who weren't bothering anyone. It couldn't be that he was onto them and Atlas, could it? No, Atlas should have been very calculated.
Maybe Dr. Barker felt threatened by both his and Mikey's immense strength. The two were the clear outliers at the tournament—completely out of the ordinary—and kids are known to cause trouble.
Well, whatever his reasons were, Lincoln didn't wish to cause any trouble. Especially before the mission tomorrow. Though he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to "go a round" with that guy. A friendly spar, maybe? He seemed confident even after seeing their strength.
Lincoln went straight to bed when he returned to his hotel room. He only took off his shoes and sighed in bliss as he lay down. Tomorrow was right there.
"Do not question me, Shade."
Atlas's office was quiet, save for his voice. He sat in his wheelchair, staring out to the city through his large glass window.
"For far too long people like you and I have been the ones licking their boots. All of that is about to change." Turning his wheelchair, he faced her.
She stood there, holding her smart tablet against her chest with tense shoulders. "But are you sure this is the answer?" she asked.
He rolled to her and placed a hand on her cheek, saying softly, "We have to do what must be done. We can't turn back now. You can't turn back now. Shade, you're just a girl who doesn't understand the adult world like I do. When you grow up you'll understand, I promise. This mission is to go on as planned. Am I clear?"
She stared back at him, her body feeling a bit uneasy.
"Yes sir," she managed to say.
"Good."
There was a knock on the door.
Shade walked over to open it, revealing Lincoln in his regular dark-blue hoodie and thin grey pants.
"Hey, Shade! Mikey and I are waiting in the boardroom," he said, pointing a thumb in that direction.
"Ah, Lincoln!" Atlas said from behind Shade. "We'll be with you in just a moment."
"Okay!" Lincoln peaked around Shade and waved to Atlas while saying that, then he walked off.
Shade stood by the door. She moved to the side to give Atlas and his wheelchair some room, but as he went forward, the man paused before he fully passed her, saying quietly, "You owe me everything. Never forget that."
The two of them made their way to the boardroom.
Lincoln sat next to Mikey, who was in the front seat closest to the screen.
It wasn't long until Shade and Atlas walked in.
"Alright boys," Atlas started with a smile as he entered the room, "today's the big day!"
He and Shade went up to the front. The girl used her smart tablet to bring up the map of Fortune.
Lincoln looked over to the windows for a moment. It was dark out, with only the city's lights brightening the area. Only a couple of hours ago did the day end. He did nothing but eat a quick breakfast and shower, including brushing his teeth and taking a shower.
"Now then." The man clapped his hands together. "Let's quickly go over the plan. I will be heading down to The Nightshow soon. I'll be able to confirm that every Big Boss is there and away from their respective office building. You guys will be in a team of three, led by Shade, and will get to the first building using our helicopter."
A helicopter seemed cool to Lincoln and especially to Mikey, who seemed very curious about the machine, not knowing what it was. Lincoln also noted it was a smart idea to make sure the Big Bosses weren't stationed at their offices. After his dance fight with Evan, the boy knew firsthand how tough he was, even if it was just a little game they were playing. Even Dr. Barker from yesterday looked tough and confident. Who knew what they were all capable of?
"I'm sending you two the routes we're going to take inside of the buildings," Shade said, working on her tablet.
The two boys looked at their smart bands, and a detailed blueprint of a building appeared on the screen. Like Shade said, a red line indicating a path was there as well, starting from the roof of the building and wiggling through many floors. With this 3D map, it would be child's play to traverse the buildings.
"Also. If you zoom out, you can see the route between buildings as well."
Pinching out, Lincoln noticed the red line leaving the building through a window into the city.
"Uh, how do you-" Mikey peeked over and saw how Lincoln used his fingers to control the device, and he followed suit, learning something new. "Never mind."
Atlas continued. "You will follow the route shown, and avoid or take down any security along the way. The route shown avoids the security cameras, but there are some that aren't avoidable. Thankfully, it won't be too much trouble to deal with them manually, just be sure to not make any noise when doing so."
"There's also an indicator for where we will be planting the EMP. Speaking of which…" Shade went below the table and picked up a fancy black briefcase. Opening it, she showed the two boys four grey circular objects inside, seated in slots. Nothing looked out of the ordinary except the singular button in the middle.
"They are relatively easy to use," Shade said, taking one out. "Press the button to arm it—" She did so, and everyone heard a click. "—hold down to disarm. In case you accidentally do so, of course."
She flipped it, showing them the backside, which was just a black pad. "Once armed, this side will stick to any surface." She went over to the boardroom wall to demonstrate. "So just hold it to the wall like this and turn it on. Understand?"
"Got it," Lincoln said while Mikey nodded.
Atlas continued for Shade. "Once you plant one in a building, head on to the next using the route in your smart bands. After all four are planted, get out of there and return here. If everything goes smoothly, this should be done without any trouble. You boys will be paid, and all is well." He looked at his watch and said, "Well, I should get going. The party's starting soon. Shade, take them to get suited up."
Shade nodded, turning to the door.
Right, Lincoln thought, this was for the atomosinc. He couldn't forget that.
Atlas turned to the boys. "We designed some stealth suits for the two of you. They're much better to help blend you in the dark." He rolled over to the door, the other three following him. "Good luck you three. We only have one shot at this, so make it count."
Lincoln ignored the pang in his chest. "We'll do our best!" he said with a smile.
Shade brought the two to the supply room, where three sets of folden black clothes sat on a table in the middle.
Shade took the leftmost set of stealth gear, then said, "You're both the same size, so take whichever, except for the shoes, Lincoln has the bigger pair. The bathroom is next door for you to change in." Then she went off around the room to take some things for herself.
Lincoln and Mikey both took a set and went to change quickly. Once wearing the full set, they stared at themselves in the washroom mirror.
They thought they looked kind of cool in the stealth spy-like clothing. The clothes were comfortable and easy to move in—slick and tight long-sleeved shirt and pants, with many pockets and sheaths to hold things. The set also came with black shoes, only to fit the color scheme. They didn't want light-colored sneakers where they were going.
Heading back to the supply room, they found Shade, who had already changed into her stealth gear set. Currently, she was holding a long black device of some kind.
"Alright, guys." She looked over to Mikey. "For you we have this taser." She tossed it to him, which he caught with no effort.
He looked at it for a moment to figure out how it worked. Finding a switch on the side, it turned it on, sparks of electricity forming on one end.
"That should be good for you, right? It's just like you're scythe from the tournament. Not only will it stun someone, but it injects chemicals like that of a sleep dart. Get any normal person with that, and they should be out for around twelve hours."
"Yeah, this is fine." Mikey said, twirling it around.
"What about you, Lincoln?" Shade asked him. "Anything non-lethal you prefer."
"Actually, I already have something." He pulled out two taser batons from behind him. They were half the size of Mikey's taser. "I grabbed these the last time we were in here. I usually dual wield two longswords so these are perfect replacements," he said.
Mikey nearly showed his surprise but kept it in. Looking towards Lincoln, he didn't know why he never thought the other boy used weapons. But it wasn't the biggest deal in the world. Even if Lincoln rolled through the tournament without his main weapons, that only meant he didn't solely rely on them. It showed skill without requirements. Mikey always felt he had the upper hand with his scythe if he were to go up against Lincoln, but now, he was unsure. He always believed that the fighter made the weapon and never the opposite, but that didn't mean having a weapon didn't give you a slight edge.
"Looks like we have everything we need then," Shade said. "One question though, how long can you two hold your breath?"
Lincoln smiled. "Didn't count, but I should be fine."
"Same here," Mikey added, shaking his thoughts.
"Good." Shade smirked at them. "Let's get going."
The three of them exiting the supply room met with two sparkling eyes.
"Woah!" Ray looked up at Lincoln and Mikey. "You guys look awesome!"
Lincoln smiled while Mikey looked indifferent.
"Thanks!" Lincoln said.
"Say, think you could play with me later?" Ray asked, confusing Lincoln a bit.
"Not now, Ray," Shade said. How she spoke reminded Lincoln of how an older sister would speak to their younger sibling. It was a bit of happy nostalgia for him.
Shade walked over to him and patted him on the head. "You should get going before Atlas gets worried."
"Yeah, okay." Ray said with a little frown, his voice sounding less excited. He turned to the two other boys and said, "We'll play later I guess."
He then walked off, disappearing when he turned in the hallway.
Shade smiled at him but soon dawned her professional look and said, "This way. Let's head to the roof."
Once they arrived on the roof, where a black awesome-looking helicopter was parked, they waited for Atlas to alert them.
"Here, connect to our communication service," Shade said as she tapped on her smartwatch on her wrist.
Both Mikey and Lincoln sensed a notification on their devices. Looking at their bands, they saw an option to join a com, which they did.
"Atlas, we're on standby," Shade said. Her voice was heard through Lincoln and Mikey's energy, much like a radio.
It was silent for a moment before they heard a response from the man.
"Good. No sign of any of them yet. I'll keep you posted."
With Atlas, he was currently rolling down a red carpet with many flashes on either side of him. If it weren't for the security provided by Dr. Barker, he would have been swarmed by the people of the city. Instead, they were blocked by a line of officers and stanchions, ensuring no one passed. Accompanying him on the carpet were some personal security guards. Ahead and behind on the carpet were some other rich influencers. All of them lived in the city attending the party, although they didn't come close to the Big Bosses.
He heard some shouts of anger in the crowd mentioning the issue of prices, but he also heard praise for his work in the tech industry. It wasn't anything new to the Big Boss, something he had easily gotten used to with time.
An entire street was blocked off for this occasion. Fancy tables were arranged with flowers in the middle. On the sides were drinks and food that anyone could help themselves to grab. Lights hung above, illuminating the entire street better than the lamp posts.
As he went down the carpet and into the party, he noticed some very familiar faces speaking at a table.
Tapping a button on his wheelchair, he spoke, "Alright, you're clear to move."
Back with the three, they all heard Atlas's confirmation.
"Got it," Shade replied before turning to Lincoln and Mikey, who were previously admiring the helicopter from outside, but they heard Atlas as well and quickly moved.
The chopper started as they both got in, and Shade gave the pilot a thumbs up. They were off.
"Alright, guys," Shade began, her voice speaking through the coms allowing Lincoln and Mikey to hear through the noisy winds from the chopper, "our first stop is at Standing Industries. We're entering through the roof using a ventilation system. Kean Standing never could stop smoking in his office."
The ride there was fast and uneventful. Lincoln took this time to enjoy the flight and looked down on the city. From all the way high above, the city looked amazing. The endless buildings and streets below lit up by the various shops, attractions, and businesses all came together for a great picture. If he was being honest with himself, he was never a city person. He'd rather stay in a small town or even a village. It made him feel more connected to his home if it was smaller. Although he couldn't lie and say such a large settlement didn't entrance him. But he felt that if he lived in the city, he wouldn't get that thrill of visiting one. At least not as big.
Staring down at it reminded him of the purpose of the mission. He might have been doing it for the atomosinc, but he couldn't forget he was doing this to make it easier for all of the city people. A great city like this shouldn't collapse because some higher-ups are greedy.
They quickly reached the first building, taller than the rest making it stand out. The pilot steadied the helicopter over Standing Industries, where Shade gave another thumbs up to him.
"Appreciated it, Frank!"
The pilot said nothing, only giving a thumb back.
"Let's do this!" Lincoln shouted, leaning over the side.
"I'll keep the Big Bosses occupied." Atlas said calmly. "I'm tuning out. Good luck."
Once more, Lincoln felt a pang in his chest, making him hesitate to jump.
"See y'all there!" Shade jumped out.
That snapped Lincoln out of it, and right after Mikey jumped off, so did he.
The loud sound of the chopper was soon replaced by the blowing air against Lincoln's face. As he fell fast like a missile, he neared the roof of the tall tower by the second. Right before he crashed through the ceiling, he used his energy to lift himself for a single second, enabling him to make a soft landing flat on his hands and feet.
Looking around the dark roof, Mikey and Shade were getting themselves up, and the girl quickly made her way over to the nearby vents. Looking up, he watched as the helicopter flew off, most likely back to Atlas's building.
It only took a few seconds for Shade to get the vents open. Then, the three of them crawled through.
Inside the dusty and cramped space, Shade quietly opened another vent door from below and peeked her head down to look around.
"It's clear," she whispered. "Let's get a move on."
They followed Shade when she exited the ventilation system. When Lincoln dropped down and stretched his legs a bit, he quickly realized that this was Kean Standing's office room by looking at pictures on the wall. H
Even though the lights were off, he could still see the pictures on the desk and recognized that man's face from when he and Mikey saw him. The pictures showed not only the Big Boss but also a little girl. He wondered if that was his daughter. Other than the pictures, the only notable thing about the office was that it was a bit messy. It was a normal-looking office room otherwise.
Shade opened the office door slowly and peeked out. Once she was sure it was clear, they made a move.
The hallways also had their lights turned off. It was probably a day off for all the workers. If Lincoln were to guess, the perpetrator was most likely The Nightshow.
Together, they went through the hallway, with Shade following the map on her smartwatch. Every ten seconds, she double-checked that they were on the correct path.
Other than some nice big plants in pots, there wasn't much in the dark hallways. Empty of people other than them. The lack of cover was bad, but the lack of people made up for it.
While walking through a hallway, suddenly, some light peered through an opening doorway.
A man in a suit stepped out, whistling and unaware of the three to his right.
Shade turned to the two and put a finger to her lips before slowly sneaking to the man. When she was close enough, she swiftly took out a small device and jabbed the man in the leg, nearly making him shout out before she jumped up and put her hand over his mouth. In one final motion, she jabbed the device on his neck and let go, the body dropping to the floor, unmoving.
Lincoln and Mikey stood a tad shocked for a moment. They didn't expect Shade to be so quick and fluent. However, Lincoln should have expected this from what he remembered at Club Volcano. The girl simply turned to them and smiled before ushering them to the other end of the hallway.
Together, the three snuck down the hallway. They would need to make a left to reach the stairs to get to the lower levels. The elevator was too risky.
As they approached the left, they all peeked around the corner and spotted another person further down the hallway. It was another regular worker, a woman in a dress suit. She was standing still and in the way of the stairs.
Lincoln noticed that Shade was ready to go in, but the door next to the worker opened, a dim light shining into the hallway for a moment.
Another woman walked out—a frail, dark woman. Three dangling golden earrings were hanging from each ear, rings of different colors were worn on each finger, dark lipstick showed off the wrinkles on her lips, and three bracelets clinked together on her right arm. Instead of a regular suit, she wore a teal green dress. They all recognized this person.
"That lady from the convenience store. The one with the hidden elevator," Mikey noted silently.
"Yeah. I didn't know she worked here," Lincoln said.
"She's not any regular worker," Shade said, furrowing her brows. "That's Tamesha—the first assistant to Kean Standing. We should wait for them to leave."
"And if they come to us?" Lincoln asked.
"Then we'll have a better jump on them."
They waited as Tamesha and the other worker had a little conversation. It only lasted a minute before the worker left the opposite way, and Tamesha stood alone. When the worker disappeared around the corner, the cranky lady went back through the door.
"Alright, quietly." Shade motioned her hand, and the two followed.
Slowly and carefully, they walked past the room Tamesha was currently in.
Shade was the first to sneak past, then Mikey, and finally Lincoln.
Just as Lincoln was about to pass the door, he was suddenly pulled by something, making him yelp. Before he could process what was happening, the door opened, and he got pulled through. Instantly, the door slammed shut behind him.
He landed on his front but quickly got back on his feet. The first thing he did was look around. The room was dark by the door. On both sides of the rooms stood tall bookshelves filled with colorful books, and at the back was a desk. The only light source for the room came from lit candles on the desk. There was also an old-looking computer, open books flipped to random pages, and Tamesha in the desk chair, looking unamused.
"Did she do that? How did she see me?" he thought.
"I use my peripheral vision 'cause I'm too lazy to move my eyes," she said as if answering his inner thoughts. Her tone was dull, void of emotion. As if she didn't want to deal with shenanigans for the next one thousand years. "Saw your…" she flicked her hand at him, "dumb white hair peeking out of the corner."
"Lincoln, what happened?" The boy heard Shade in his ears.
"So what are you doing sneaking around like a ghost?" Tamesha asked, her bracelets jingling as she propped an arm on her desk, resting her chin on her palm.
Lincoln looked at her for a moment, remembering the task at hand. Putting on a serious look, he spoke out, "Go on without me. Let me deal with her."
It was faint, but Tamesha narrowed her eyes at him.
There was a pause before Shade's reply came.
"Okay. Be careful."
"Ah," Tamesha clicked her tongue. "You have friends. Well, I'm sorry to say I can't let them run around as they please."
The woman went over to pick up a regular telephone at her front desk.
Lincoln widened his eyes and rushed forward. In response, Tamesha raised both of her arms quickly and pushed her hands in the air in Lincoln's direction.
He got thrown into the wall next to the door. The wall was tough enough to withstand his crash. Lincoln couldn't see it, but some invisible force pushed him back. It felt the same as when he was pulled into the room.
She was pushing him with some sort of psychic powers, Lincoln thought.
Tamesha again reached for the telephone, and Lincoln reacted the same way, sprinting towards her.
She used her ability on him, lifting both hands, and pushing him away. While the boy was mid-air, she swooped her hands to the right, and Lincoln was pushed into the bookshelves on her right, making some of the books fall out and land on the floor.
Lincoln didn't waste a second and leaped from the bookshelf to run straight for her. This time Tamesha didn't even have time to try and go for the telephone, having to use both her hands to push him away for the second time.
But this time was different. Lincoln pushed back against her ability and stood his ground. He wasn't progressing toward her, but he wasn't getting pushed farther away, either.
That was when he took notice of something very important; She was using both of her hands. If she had been able to use her ability with one hand and grab the telephone with the other, she would have done so already. She probably couldn't do such a thing with one hand, or it would come out as half the power, something she didn't want to take the chance on.
Lincoln's feet shuffled against the ground as he tried to push forward, and Tamesha put on a struggling look, her palms outstretched and firm.
To his surprise, Tamesha stopped her ability for a second, and Lincoln instantly started a sprint toward her. However, several books that fell to the floor floated to her quickly. He pulled out the taser batons and tried to jab her with one, but a floating book blocked the jab for what seemed like the perfect moment.
As he was off guard for a second, Tamesha pushed Lincoln back using her ability, and she started to float in the air, dozens of novels circling her.
He knew he had to taser her, but he had to do so without giving her the chance to call someone, most likely her Big Boss.
Steadying himself, Lincoln gave her an intense look, ready for a fight.
