Remy forgot about his detailed plans of vengeance for at least three hours. With the brand new hovercar, the duo soared across arial highway strips, singing their hearts out as loud as they could. All kinds of music blasted out of the vehicle due to their eclectic musical tastes– hip hop, dance, pop, rock, jazz and even heavy metal.
Jay would stare at Remy with amazement several times, watching his cousin perfectly rap or sing the lyrics of almost every song. It was one of the many habits Remy had accumulated due to his Eternal Insomnia. He had spent countless late nights listening to his favourite songs, and subconsciously memorising the lyrics.
Owning a hovercar was like having a pocket-sized, private plane. Remy adored everything about the Staress V20. It surpassed the quality of his father’s hover truck by every metric. The classy interior was to be expected but what stood out the most was its uncharacteristic quiet nature. Most hovercars were obnoxiously loud but his baby was respectable and elegant.
As the glistening sun dipped below the horizon, Jay asked a question that he had probably meant to ask ages ago…
“Where are we going, Big Cuzzy?”
Remy smirked, both hands gripping the steering wheel. “Whisperwind.”
“The Sensory Flow Site in Japan?” Jay asked, surprise in his voice. “Isn’t there one in Texas?”
“There is but there’s a good chance we would both die if we went there straight away.”
“What, why?”
“It’s home to some of the most powerful psychic-based superheroes, and we’re plotting revenge on a corrupt superhero ranking system. Competent psychics will expose us. You’ll need to learn how to shove information down your subconscious. Don’t worry. I’ll teach you on the way.”
Jay let out a long deep breath and looked out of the window. “What superpowers are you looking to get?”
“I should be able to access the Super Vision pathway. Do you know how Flow Sites work?”
Jay frowned. “Maybe. Tell me if I’m wrong. Two factors– genetic and behavioural, determine compatibility for superpowers. The Flow Site analyses your genetic code and mental state to see if you can accept the mutation with minimal side effects. If someone is compatible then they must go through a series of challenges to prove their worthiness of the ability.”
“Bingo,” Remy said. “Super Vision was one of Wide Awake’s first superpowers. I should be able to get it too.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jay said. “Do you think I can get a superpower?”
Remy shrugged. “I doubt it but it’s certainly possible. Now let me teach you a special trick to hide memories to an extent so that no psychic can reach them. You’re a telepath so you’ll learn quickly…”
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Fourteen hours of flying later, Remy roughly shook his cousin by the shoulder with a large hand. “Big Cuzzy. Wake up. We’re there.”
Jay rubbed his eyes, groaning. “Shut up. Don’t you ever get tired you weirdo?”
“Yes, I just can’t sleep. Look ahead of you. What do you think?”
Jay didn’t respond but his eyes widened. From a bird’s eye view, Whisperwind could perfectly be defined as the scenic beauty of rural Japan. They overlooked rolling hills, terraced rice paddies and glistening lakes. Every building was adorned with meticulously placed vertical flower gardens.
Once Remy parked their vehicle, they travelled up one of the many steep hills in silence.
Complete silence during the day? For both cousins, such an idea was almost absurd to them in the cities they grew up in. They embraced the rushing winds buffeting them, and as Remy reached the top, he entered a Flow Site Pathway for the first time. Only visible to him, a display appeared before him in bold letters…
Congratulations! Access granted to the Super Vision pathway. (Genetic compatibility: 99.8%.)
Notes from Reluctant Man: Yo. You’ve entered one of the many Flow Sites I created and have been given the chance to obtain Super Vision. Only those who are focused, vigilant and mentally resilient are worthy of such an ability. Would you like to enter the pathway?
Yes. No.
Good luck. You look horrible, get some sleep. Oh, wait. Hahahahaha. Sorry.
The text faded away, replaced by a single task:
* Stage One: Fixed Staring for 20 minutes (0/1000)
At the peak of the hill, a huge dojo adorned with vines and beautiful flowers towered before them.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Did you enter a pathway?” Remy asked.
“No,” Jay answered, clearly disappointed by his tone of voice.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re not just here for superpowers.” He nodded forward. “Your close combat is sloppy. You need a teacher.”
“You mean sensei,” Jay said.
“What?”
“We’re in Japan. Sensei sounds cooler. More appropriate.”
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah, Big Cuzzy,” Jay replied seriously. “Adds to the atmosphere.”
Remy gave him a deadpan look. “Okay. We need a sensei.”
Before they could knock on the dojo door, an old man almost half the size of Remy opened it. He wore a straw wide-brimmed hat and a silver kimono, and his eyes were a bright, intense grey. “Welcome, new students,” he said, bowing deeply. “I do indeed like being called sensei. It has a certain ring to it, does it not?”
Jay elbowed Remy in the ribs. “I told you.”
Remy returned the bow and Jay copied him. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Sensei Hayato. You look younger in person.”
The old man lowered his straw hat, hiding even more of his face. “There’s no need for flattery, Remy-san.” I’m sure you accessed the Super Vision pathway with no problems.”
“Yes. Are you sure you don’t want to be paid for your tutelage?”
“Nonsense,” Hayato said. “I would not disrespect your sister like that. She was my favourite student.”
“What about me, sensei?” a woman’s voice yelled from inside the dojo, followed by a collection of laughs.
“Follow me,” Hayato continued, turning away. “I will happily be your Sensory Flow Site Guide.” He took a few more steps before halting. “But tell your friend to stop trying to read minds.”
Jay smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, ignoring Remy’s piercing glare. “My bad, Sensei.”
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“Ow! Yaow! Ow! Shit!”
Remy suppressed a laugh, noticing Jay was getting the beating of a lifetime by a purple-haired woman wielding a staff. It was supposed to be sparring but it looked like a violent assault case.
“Focus, student,” Hayato said.
“Yes, Sensei,” Remy replied. The two sat crosslegged opposite one another at one corner of the dojo.
“It usually takes months to master the Super Vision pathway but because of your unique circumstances, it should take a few weeks. Amelia said you’re comfortable at being completely alone with yourself, that you can do nothing for hours without any kind of stimulation.”
Remy looked down and smiled, simply happy that his sister had talked about him. “That’s true, but what’s so impressive about staring at walls?”
“In this Super Era, magnificent technology and enhanced genetics spearhead society yet the average person struggles to find joy in only their breathing. Those who are the most vigilant are the ones most comfortable in nothing. You’re already close to the concentration level required to prove yourself worthy of the Super Vision ability.”
“I see,” Remy replied, not quite fully understanding. “What’s fixed point staring?”
Hayato nodded and placed a candle in front of him. “Without blinking, stare at the candle for three minutes and then close your eyes and stare at the candle for another eighteen minutes. To pass the first stage, you must do this 1000 times.”
Remy raised an eyebrow. “How do I stare at a candle while closing my eyes?”
Hayato smiled. “Try it, and you will see what I mean.”
Remy shrugged. He stared at the candle without blinking and after mentally counting up to one hundred and eighty seconds, he closed his eyes. A faint outline of a blue flame appeared.
“Your photoreceptors are drained,” Hayato explained. “So the colours are inverted and an afterimage forms.”
Remy continued to focus on the blue flame until Jay’s high-pitched yelp knocked him out of focus. He laughed. “I’ll get the hang of this. Please can you teach my cousin the way of the staff, Sensei? I believe it will suit him.”
Hayato sprung to his feet and bowed. “Of course, Remy-san.”
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Sensei Hayato graciously let Remy and Jay live with him in his house adorned with blue flowers not too far from the dojo. With Hayato’s wife and twelve-year-old son, they sat around a low table and ate yakitori– skewered and grilled chicken. It was overwhelmingly delicious, so much so that the two cousins exchanged a knowing glance that said: damn!
Hayato smiled proudly, noticing their expressions. “Rina is the best cook in Japan and I do not exaggerate. Her Super Taste ability allows her to ensure the food is cooked to perfection.”
Rina shook her head, growing red in the face. “I disagree with that statement… but please, enjoy.”
“Do you have any superpowers, Sensei?” Jay asked.
Remy looked at him like he was nuts. “You don’t know Hayato’s history?”
“Nope.”
“May I explain to him, Sensei?”
Hayato nodded curtly, though his smile was no longer present.
“He’s a retired superhero and the only man alive who has mastered all Sensory Flow Site abilities.”
“That’s him?” Jay said, eyes bulging. “You mean…”
“Yes,” Remy said. “He has all six super senses to the highest levels. ”
Hayato’s son, Kota, spoke Japanese in a delicate, quiet voice. His mother translated, “He also possesses the Flora ability.”
“Wow,” Remy said. “I didn’t know that.”
“I obtained it after retirement,” Hayato replied. “Since I was a child, it was my dream to obtain the superpower. I always thought my home town lacked style and needed more flowers.”
“The town looks beautiful, Sensei,” Jay said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Remy nodded. As they continued eating, a burning question filled his mind. It was one that he had been too cautious to ask while talking with Hayato on the phone…
Did he know?
Did Sensei know about the corruption of the top-ranking superheroes and if so how much did he know? Amelia had only spoken positively of him in their many private live-stream recordings, but what if he had deceived her just like Endless had? Remy desperately wanted to believe that Hayato was an honourable man. He wanted another ally but taking such a huge risk could end their whole mission before it had even started.
Known as the Blood Hound– which sounded more like a supervillain’s name– Hayato was praised as one of Japan’s strongest A-class superheroes, peaking at a rank of #105. If the old man suspected their intentions and wanted them gone, he was more than capable of doing so.
But then again… Amelia had spoken so highly of him.
“Is something the matter, Remy-san?” Hayato asked calmly. “Your heart rate has gone up rather sharply?”
Remy swallowed hard. There was no turning back now. “Sensei… what kind of superhero were you?”
“I…” Hayato stood up abruptly and reached for his straw hat nearby. “...must leave. The town is under attack.”