A week has gone by and I'm still getting used to my body, what should have been a week of rest turned out to be a small blessing in disguise what with me learning all the intricacies of my new body, thankfully my friends have helped me along the way.
For example an average beetles shell can be very tough, so tough that it can withstand rediciously damage without even cracking, so in cases such as myself who've got comparable scales we are practically walking tanks and this applies to everything on my body.
While Former ESP benefits would stop here but because of my condition I'm not limited to just body enhancements, the Mantis secret weapon its reaction speed, comparable if not better than even a trained warrior, triggering it hasn't proven reliable and yet in a few brief moments the world felt...sluggish, my body which should be equally slow was infact unhindered I could gracefully dodge projectives.
My friends have been helping me as well, even serah.... even if i nearly died from her method...
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Flashback
*Puff*
A tennis ball is spit out, aimed at me I swing my bladed claw intending to cut it.
*Bonk*
My aim woefully too fast it hits my chest and lazily rolls back into the machine.
For an hour I'd been practicing alone in the training hall, a simple reason really, I couldn't catch anything without screwing up majorly, a slow throw? cut it in half or miss entirely, not that I wanted to cut everything but I had to start somewhere...
My problem wasn't my body persay but rather my reaction speeds, it's as if I were using a huge bat, I could use all my force and knock things into orbit but if i just wanted to lightly tap something that was so far way out of my power.
*Puff* the Tennis machine churns again.
"Hey Max!" A familiar voice calls out, appearing among the dummies Serah pops out.
*Boink* Paying no heed I walk away going to meet the approaching Serah.
"Didn't realize you were here what are you doing here?"
"Oh well I've been having trouble stopping from destroying whatever i try to catch so I'm training myself" A coy smile spreads on Serah's face, something tells me I won't like what she's thinking.
A sudden twist of her leg and a slight curling of her body, the bewilderment short lived as she springing forth like a piston *crack* as the concrete floor unable to stand the pressure cries from the pressure.
Only a few steps from me and she closes the gap in seconds her charge bringing her within arms an arms length as if even the very air fear her she unleashes a flurry of punches that screamed of danger all of which were aimed at my body.
As if death had come for me a cold wind blew my core, the flurry of punches coming closing a distance of a few meters and yet... they're slowing down? no not just the punches but everything?
The blur that was Serah only a few seconds ago now almost slowly inching statue, every single part of her body in rhythm, working together to the best of her ability just to deliver power blows.
With little time to even comprehend the spectacle before me I go to block them with my arms.
*PAT PAT PAT PAT*
Her lightning fast punches connecting with my arms the shockwave shaking my arms violently as she pulls back, shit she really wasn't holding her power back....
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"Good job! your a first for blocking my Serah Sandvich" she says as she blows away her fist as if it were a smoking gun.
"Sh-shit Serah you could have warned me" I said between heaved breaths.
"Eh, but that's half the fun of training! you need to go outside your comfort zone a little"
A stutter breath is all i can respond with, I can't retort such crazy logic not even my numb arms could protest in fear of another round.
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Flashback over
Asides from that nightmare Zack and Henry have been pretty supportive helping me find methods of getting around doors abeit difficultly among other things.
Through the week I've had a few visits from a person called Doctor Reivex, a rather normal looking guy although I believe he's not actually a doctor... although when I do question him he always redirects it to another question.
He had been a little demanding when he first saw me "walk here, let me measure this" and while I didn't want to he did help me learn more about my body.
For example Mantis don't actually sleep, their bodies goes into a type of suspended animation, resulting in a semi conscious state, additionally being of the insect family they are susceptible to coldness resulting in sluggishness something which I've yet to feel in these somewhat humid tunnels.
While at first I was worried about my life expectancy being only 5 years among other health complications Prof Reivex explained to me in which the common theory of improved performance could also be applied to my own body.
That being said there was no actual information as with anything new but for now I'm more than happy with what I've learnt.
With the day finally starting I followed the group towards the Academy, Firelance had told me I would receive my card from my teacher "an initiation into Academy" as he put it...
Finally reaching the Academy entrance marked with an uncermously bland sign "Academy entrance" before they opened automatically revealing an...American high school?
With American styled lockers lining along the walls along with classrooms the normal school setting seems out of place....
"Strange isn't it" Zack said "because its a sense of familiarity that's forgotten when we first get here..."
The empty hallways vacant of life we made our way to our classroom, my curiousness peaked I inspected everything that passed by and yet nothing was out of place in this very out of place place, the drab interior of the underground base replaced with a refreshing change of life felt strangely comforting.
A few twists and turns the corridors seemed to have stretching onwards for miles before we finally reach our destination, a rather large brown door marked "Classroom W8-T3-F2"
*Knock knock* Henry knocking on the door before entering.
"....ow class we've got a new student, he's a little...different so be sure to treat him kindly" a familiar male voice called from within.
Following Henries lead we enter the room.
"Aarrgh" "Oh god!" "Waah" and the screeching of chairs on hardwood only the awkward silence soon was all that remained.
Is this really going to be a common occurrence....?
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Author's Note:
Finally got around to writing again, not had much chance as of lately