Ethan went to walk right out the front door, as no one was manning it today beside Nathan, not that he counted, who kept breathing onto the potted plants lining the front windows to give them goofy faces and make them dance.
“What's your power Nathan?” Ethan asked, seriously curious.
“Oh, hey Ethan!” he waved. “I got a power called Breath of Life. It lets me make these plants into my happy little dancers.” He said, pride and joy visible on his face. The plants he had already breathed on danced and beckoned Nathan to join them. He started doing a little jig.
“That’s super cool dude. I can read now!”
“Oh man, good job! I’m still learning.” Ethan deflated a bit. He didn’t want to tell others about Bamboozle but being able to read didn’t compare to making plants have eyes and dance.
“Wanna see something cool?” Nathan nodded his head eagerly, ignoring his new friends. Ethan led his look-alike to the front door they were already standing by. Nathan wasn’t a stickler for the rules like some residents but he was also worried he would get in trouble for coming outside with Ethan, especially the non fenced front entrance. Ethan promised him it would be worth it, so torn between his feelings he went with Ethan hesitantly.
Ethan walked to the edge of the parking lot and released his motorcycle from his alien iPad he kept in his large cargo short pocket. The motorcycle was as big as most cars, its wheels closer to monster truck tires than regular motorcycle tires. Its odd bulbous shape made it look like a wrapped piece of candy, the wheels being the tassel end and the alcove with a backrest being the center. Four large pipes protruding from the back that shot small bursts of flame as the demon motorcycle rumbled. Ethan pulled his scanny gun from his waistband, holding it sideways like a gangster rap star and shooting it at his motorcycle.
[Abyssal Drifter v14] (Vehicle) (Rare)
Standard issue equipment for the Hellfire Sector’s heavy lancer cavalry, the Abyssal Drifter is the peak of mass produced two wheel vehicles for the Hellfire Sector, and continues seeing use thousands of years past the versions conception.
The v14 adds additional engine durability, a self charging mana powered barrier for the rider, and builds on the v13s omni-directional blueprint with autonomous re-orientation.
Ethan said nothing, letting Nathan take it all in. As his eternal rival, Nathan’s reaction was very important to him. Ethan would love his motorcycle regardless, but he wanted to see at least a hint of jealousy. And that’s exactly what he got.
“OH MAN! OH BROTHER! LOOK AT THAT THING!” Ethan allowed Nathan to reach out and touch it, but found himself gently grabbing Nathan’s wrist before he touched the pipes that shot flames.
“Careful dude, it's hot.” Ethan’s commitment to always follow his gut, and his increased dexterity allowed him to save his fellow gray haired rival from a burn.
“Oh, okay, sorry, thanks.” he said, pulling his hand back and putting it on the red leather seat in the center. “This is a really cool man.” He saw Nathan's eyes drift to the smaller seat behind the driver seat, only having a small backrest, compared to Ethan’s driver seat that looked like a whole gaming chair. “Do you know how to drive it?”
That kind of question would normally irritate Ethan, not liking admitting his shortcomings. But his gut feeling and his [Riding: Two Wheeled Vehicles] skill told him he, actually, could drive this motorcycle.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
‘Hell yeah dude, get in.” Ethan, expecting hesitation, but got a face full of Nathan’s butt when looking back over, the guy already pulling himself into the backseat. Ethan smiled the most genuine smile. Who was going to mix them up now that one could make plants dance and the other could read and drive motorcycles?
The knowledge of how to operate the vehicle flooded his mind, looking both ways for any cars in the parking lot he activated [Infernal Acceleration] with his motorcycle as the target, popping the oversized vehicle into a wheelie, and taking off at speeds neither Nathan or Ethan were prepared for. His skill told him he wouldn’t be able to turn out of the parking lot at such a sharp angle, and he would have to drive OVER a parked vehicle to make it work, still in a wheelie Ethan crushed a purple PT Cruiser with his back tire, letting the impact slow him down enough to angle the motorcycle for a turn. Nathan gave a holler of pure enjoyment from the back, likely not noticing the crushed vehicle in their wake.
“Joyride!” Ethan screamed, joining Nathan in his cacophony of excitement. The two tore through the abandoned city streets at speeds they couldn’t have imagined before the system integration, only slowing when they arrived at a large gathering of people around a blue and cyan hologram of an oval, probably a portal, or at least that’s what Ethan supposed it was. Definitely something new that came with the alien earthquake. That he was sure of.
[New Quest! Conquer Rift #192,375]
Enter and Conquer Rift #192,375 of Earth in The Milky Way Galaxy
Reward: Unknown
Ethan knew that this would also help him develop his ‘class’, though he wasn’t entirely sure what that meant- it did seem important to surviving this new world they were in. He slowly drove the motorcycle to the back of the gathered crowd, allowing Nathan to get down before retracting it into his alien iPad. Him and Nathan got a few glances, that turned into double takes, that turned into outright staring. These people viewed him as inferior already, his skill told him so.
“Hey Nathan do you wanna go into that glowy stuff? I got a quest from the head pop-ups to go there.” Nathan thought about it before nodding his head.
“Yeah it looks like we are supposed to.” Both of them, accepting that this was important and something they were told to do, approached the portal.
“Hey kid, where are you supposed to be? Don’t go in there!” A mean looking man in a construction outfit said while grabbing Ethan’s shoulder.
“I’m not a kid, don't touch me.” Ethan said, squeezing and pulling the man's firm grasp on his shoulder with all his might. A scream of pain echoed across the crowd as the man's wrist accidentally shattered under Ethan’s grasp. Nathan began panicking trying to help the man who was screaming several swear words. He used his Breath of Life on the man's wrist and hand, the bones began knitting themselves in place. Before the man could stand up and thank Nathan, two eyes somewhere between real eyeballs and googly eyes appeared on the man's hand.
“Thaaaaaaank youuuuu.” a small mouth that appeared on the man's hand said, but the man did not agree.
“What did you retards do to me?” He said in gasping horror as he stared at his hand, who stared at him back with a big goofy smile.
Ethan was kicking the man in the chest before he realized it. Breaking the man's wrist was a pure accident, but Ethan didn’t see him as a threat and he wasn’t going to let someone call him that word. A hole appeared where his rib cage once was.
“Uh oh.” Now other people around them were screaming and running away. Nathan, panicking even more, used his power again. The man’s body stitched itself back together, and after a few coughing fits the man shakily rose.
“Please..stop..” He now rightfully feared Ethan, and possibly Nathan as well. They were strong and had super powers and needed to be respected. Two giant eyes appeared on the man's chest, visible through the torn fabric.
“Thank youuuuuuu.” the now split open mouth on the man's stomach said. His wrist moved itself to see his chest.
“Heeeeeyyy friend!” the mans wrist said to the mans chest
“Heeeeeeeey buddy!” the chest said back.
“Come on Nathan let’s go inside.” No one tried to stop them, save the man who crawled towards them begging Nathan to undo whatever it was he did. Ethan guided Nathan towards the portal, not wanting to interact with the man anymore.
“Now who’s retarded?” Ethan said, looking back as he walked towards and entered the portal.