Chapter 7: Waking(7)
I walked back to the training area, with the three in tow. The others stopped training and watched us.
"Stay here."
I picked out the largest rocks.... no boulders I could find, lifted them over my head and slowly walked to them.
"Hold it above your heads like this, you are free to use your ability. If you can't hold it for atleast an hour, you will get crushed by this. No one will help you with this." I said completely calmly.
James followed me without a word. The rest did so as well. There were no complaints.
I did not show it, but I was surprised to see no resistance from the wrongdoers. I was sure James would try something at least. I walked toward Stark who couldn't meet my eyes for some reason.
Maybe I looked really threatening. But I had extreme control over my expressions and I could tell I had no expression on my face. There was no way I had an angry look on right now.
"Why are you looking away?" I asked.
"You are scary Stryke, very scary." Was the reply I received.
Unknowingly, I might have scarred the others with my one action of anger. That led to another question. Why did I react with that much anger? My emotions were always in control. Looking back at it, I got angry fearing for the three. I had never experienced this before, a sudden emotional outburst. I didn't know how to go forward from here.
I remained in thought for the rest of the training time, while throwing stones for Stark to dodge.
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We sat for dinner. Twenty one of us. We hadn't gotten any new orphans. Which was good. More happy children and more money for us to live off of.
"Okay kids." Mama called. "There is a statue unveiling tonight, so lets all go watch it okay?"
"YAY"
"LESSGOO"
"Will we get free food?"
"Ice cream?"
"Finally something fun!"
The kids exclaimed, excited for the sudden night outing. I smiled. The only times meals were this energetic was if there was a new Waking. Seeing the kids happy, made me happy.
"James, no funny business this time." I told him.
"Alright fine. But do not. DO NOT act like that again." James replied. "Remind me never to get on your bad side again."
That seemed like an exaggeration.
TRRIIINGGGG
TRRRRINNNGGGG
TRINNGGGGGGGGG
The door bell?
At this time?
Huh? No one came this late.
"Kids stay here and eat up. I'll go check the door and come okay?" Mama said while getting up.
James and I watched her walk into the kitchen, wash up and walk to the door wiping her hands on her apron.
We washed up and followed her after gulping down the food.
We stayed right out of the vision of the visitor and Mama while being in earshot.
"Kemp Fall, we need to follow the extraction processes now. " The visitor said. He was covered up with a long coat, wearing glasses that made him look like a reputable member fo society. His brown hair combed down.
"Fall? That's her last name?" James said. "That's it? She never told her full name before and I began to think that she was from some big family, but she is just Kemp Fall? Mannnn. I'm dissapointed."
The name was a shock to me as well. Never expected her to have a simple name like that. Why didn't she not reveal it before?
Also what extraction process? Why extraction? And where to?
Mama looked shocked now, "Why now? What happened? Shouldn't I be given a week to clean up everything?"
"Central has given up on every outer town. They are proceeding with Project Piercing Darkness. And this extraction is a last ditch effort to get our people out. Even we were notified of this today."
"What about the kids? We need to get them out as well."
"Don't worry Kemp. We will get them out as well. But you need to be quick."
Mama turned around and started rushing toward us.
"Mama watch out!" James yelled.
What? Why is he telling her to watch out? I looked past Mama and saw the man throw a blade at her.
Everything slowed down.
Mama turning back to face the man.
The man smirking in response.
James staring in shock.
The knife soaring toward Mama.
My body moved. Faster than I had ever moved before.
I ran past Mama, her eyes widening at my sudden arrival. I push the knife out of the way.
Everything returns to normal.
Everything remained the same, except for my position. The knife shot up straight into the ceiling.
"JAMES BARRIER!" I yelled.
Instantly, a green barrier appeared separating us and the man. Mama grabbed and pushed me behind her. I didn't need further shielding, I trusted James's barrier more than my own abilities. I moved to the her left side.
"It wasn't an extraction but an elimination. Well Jackal, I'm lucky I've got the kids aren't I?" Mama Kemp spoke.
"Sorry Kemp, no hard feelings, this isn't personal but business is business isn't it?"
Mama raised her hands, straining in effort. With her hands, every object in the vicinity floated into the air. She then twisted her wrists, which compressed and twisted the objects into sharp needles. She moved her hands a little and every single needle lined up in front of the barrier.
The visitor reached into his coat and pulled out a little bottle and opened it. He then reached into the bottle.
Mama's eyes widened as she thrust her hands forward. Mama was one of the Mats. Her ability was quite strong, Telekenesis. As long as she maintained eye contact with the target, she would not miss.
The barrier separating us shattered as the needled flew toward the man, Jackal. He pulled out a white pill and swallowed it.
SNAP
CRAAACKKK
SNAPPP
Following which white structures sprouted out of his arms, viciously tearing through his skin, blood and flesh spurting out along side it. The white structures formed a shield around him.
The needles bounced off his shield.
Were those bones? He was a Mod that could make and control bones?
I was frozen, in my entire life I had never been in a situation where I was clueless. I always thought I could perfectly respond to any situation. Me knocking the knife out of the way was purely on instict. Now, however, my feet were glued to the ground. My incredibly fast brain failing me looking at that gruesome situation.
"There are children watching Jackal, you can't be using your ability here."
"Ahhh Kemp I'm going to enjoy stabbing these bones thorugh your head, you must have realised why I was sent. I'm your natural counter."
The man rushed toward Mama and swung his arm. Mama stepped back, doding the strike.
He took another step forward, catching Mama in her movement using the shield to knock her prone.
More sickening noises and now a sharp bone spear jutted out of his hand, his plams completely split open. He rammed the spear at Mama.
A barrier appeared at an angle. The bone cracking it slightly but sliding across it, missing Mama.
I saw James with his hands up behind Mama.
James had moved before me. He reacted to the situation that left me stumped. In that instant, I widened my eyes, fully starting up my Physical state.
I punched the man from the side. I was fast but his eyes could still follow me.
CRAAACKKK
SNAPPP
Bones erupted from his shoulder, I moved my hand back to avoid being impaled. I fell on my ass, now in a completely awkward position.
Jackal jumped sideways to impale me with his shoulder. James's screen appreared under my feet and I kicked off it, sliding across the flooring barely dodging the elbow drop.
Mama raised her hand and brought it down fast. The knife stuck to the ceiling sped downward. Jackal raised his shield up. But the impact never came.
SLICE
The knife cut his left foot which was stretched out after his attempt at impaling me. I was a little confused at Mama's actions. She did not need to move her hands to use her abilities. Then it clicked. Jackal didn't know this. We had an advantage.
Mama raised her hands and twisted them again, more needles were created.
He looked the knife stabbing his foot and I used that moment to kick his shield to the side. Mama shot a couple needles at his now open body.
CRAAACKKK
SNAPPP
A spray of blood shot out. His ribs popped outward blocking the needles. He moved his shielded arm into his jacket and pulled out the pill bottle.
What a monster. He didn't even wince as his body broke apart.
"Don't let him take the pills!" Mama yelled.
I tried to distract him putting my body on the line, while throwing a kick toward the bottle, in hopes that he would drop them. But he swiveled around using his spear arm and thrust the open end of the bottle to him mouth.
The pills fell to the ground.
James had put up a barrier between his mouth and the bottle, having the pills bounces of the screen and onto the ground.
Oh what would I do without him.
Mama waved her hand, trying to move the pills out of his reach.
"ARGGHH" He growled, as he literally broke open. His bones snapping into place forming a dome around him.
Mama had managed to move around half the pills before the dome formed.
CRAAACKKK
SNAPPP
CRAAACKKK
Sickening noises kept coming from the dome. Then the dome exploded, bone fragments shooting out.
I put my hands up blocking my face.
"AHhhhhhh" I yelled as I got impaled by the incoming shrapnel. It hurt despite my immense pain tolerance. The back of my hands were now bleeding heavily. It would heal fast but the damage was done.
SWISHH
I saw the knife which had been in Jackals's leg fly toward me along with more fragments, I closed my eyes preparing for the impact. Hopefully it cut into my arms, rather than any major organ.
THUDD
The defensive screen appeared in front of me again blocking the knife and rest of the fragments. I look toward Mama and James in fear of the bones hitting them. James could only throw up one barrier at a time.
They were unharmed. The bone fragments just stopped in front of them. Mama's Telekenesis.
I then swung my head around. Jackal was raising his body. Now covered with bones, from head to toe. A full suit of bone armor covering every part of his body. The only part that was open were little eye holes in his helmet.
This fight just went from difficult to impossible.
Mama's Telekenesis would just be blocked easily.
James was fully on the defensive right now.
And me. Absolutely useless. My strength meant absolutely nothing in this situation, further proving my point about how pointless being a Physical was. Every move I could do, would result in me being stabbed.
" Full bone? Jack. You can't last long without having taken all the concentrated calcium pills." Mama said. "Boys, we need to stall, he will tire out soon and his bones will get brittle, so keep moving, run around and most importantly don't get hurt."
A little late for that. My hands were dripping with blood.
James turned around and sprinted to the stairs leading up. I moved into the main hall, behind Jackal, while maintaining an eye on him. I then pulled out the fragments embedded in my arm, my body healed faster as a Physical.
Mama moved her hands again, the flooring cracked and one of Jackal's legs slipped into the hole. She stepped to the side, toward her office.
"I'll last long enough to kill you and escape Kemp. This much is enough for me to destroy the whole place. The kids will follow you in death, so don't worry." Jackal said as he freed his leg.
He turned toward Mama and lifted his left hand. His arm stretched out in a line toward her. She rolled out of the way and the bone spear/hand stabbed into the wall.
I started thinking. If I wasn't good in a direct fight, I would make myself useful in other ways. What would stop a bone man. I knew he was on a timer now. I knew that he had no clue about Mama's no movement Telekenesis.
Think Stryke. Observe and think.
Something was off about his movement and I didn't know what.
Think Stryke think.
Jackal moved his other hand while staying in the same position and shot another bone spear to Mama, which she shifted slightly with her ability and moved again.
Now, she was in between the two bone spears. Jackal gave a little chuckle, "Couldn't say that it had been a pleasure Kemp." His side of his spears sharpened and closed toward Mama, like scissors.
Mama ducked under the two blades and dove to the right. She had gotten closer to the stairs.
Jackal slowly pulled the bones back and turned to face Mama.
Then it clicked.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
1Manager1
1Manager1 Ayoo, fights are hard as well. Hopefully it feels dynamic. I feel like I'm writing combat for a turn based RPG.
And is that a cliffhanger?
Also Ignore the slow first half of the chapter.
Anyway, having people use powers in creative ways is more fun than just the standard beams and lasers.
Any comments or reviews are appreciated.
Please point out mistakes or errors as well.
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