Kaushik POV:
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Mom – “What do I do, what do I do? I showed my most shameful place. I showed my most lustful expressions. And what’s more, I EVEN ENJOYED IT. I wanna die, I wanna die, I wanna die…”
Right now, mom is in the corner of the room, the bed-sheet draped over her head, constantly chanting the same thing. Well I guess that would be the normal reaction.
Dad – “Just leave her be. She needs a bit time alone.”
Roy – “So?”
Dad – “So what?”
Roy – “You gonna explain why you put on such a show yesterday?”
Dad – “Something good came out of it, no?”
Roy – “As in?”
Dad – “Were you able to sort out your feelings?”
Roy – “… Yeah.”
Dad – “I figured as much. What I did yesterday, think of it as a push. Listen son, emotions are fickle things. They can make a person, or they can utterly destroy a person. I suppose you know what you want to do now?”
Roy – “I know, rather I always knew. But, after getting this useless ability of mine and losing both of my breath and my nano-suit, I am not so sure I am up for the task.”
Dad – “Useless ability?”
Roy – “Both Mike and me got an ability. He can generate light and, I can create… I don’t know what it actually is, it looks like black smoke.”
Dad – “Did you find out what this black smoke can do?”
I brief dad on my findings about it.
Roy – “You see now? I can’t do anything worthy of mention with this, whereas Mike made a HF sword out of his ability. I can’t do a thing until I know what my ability actually is, even then I am sure it will be any good than it is now.”
I dejectedly lower my head. Dad simply smiles and puts a hand on my shoulders.
Dad – “Let me tell you a story.”
Roy – “Sure.”
Dad – “Once, there was a man, who, on his deathbed, told his son, that ONE man can make a difference. After his father has passed away, this man trained himself. This man had NO ability, NO gadget, NO fancy weapons, but helped his country from the shadows for many years. Can you guess who this man was?”
Roy – “You?”
Dad – “He was my father, your grandfather. He and some of his trusted friends are the one who started this whole agents-for-hire program.”
Roy – “And how this story helps me?”
Dad – “Always remember son. It’s not what you have, it’s how you use it.”
Megan Reed POV:
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Ah, I am tired. Today was very hectic. Lots of idiot people came looking for jobs and teaching them how the process works was very taxing for my nerve. Seriously, did you ever try teaching someone who can’t read? Try it and you will understand what I have been through.
Even their attitude was arrogant as hell. Seriously, this is why I hate men. All brawl and no brain. If I had some other way for a steady income, I would have gladly resigned this stupid job.
Sigh, I wonder what Kaushik is doing right now. True I hate men, but he seems like a nice guy. Over the last month, we met up many times, had lunch together. He took me to his home and also introduced me to his other companions. But never, he tried to touch me, or come on to me, a fact that I greatly appreciate. I really feel like I can trust this man.
I am sure my former colleagues will laugh their ass off, if they ever knew that I am interested in a man. But hey, I am no lesbian, I do have an interest in guys. It’s just that, till now, I never found anyone I like. Thinking about Kaushik unknowingly makes me smile. I do enjoy his company. Maybe I should pay him a visit right now?
BANG!!!
Gunshot! I hurriedly take cover and ready my pistol. It’s a post-apocalyptic world, so there is no proper police here. Though this place is safer than most places, murder is not an uncommon thing.
Joe – “Hiii! Monster!!! Stay away from me!!!”
Wait I know that voice. That’s the powder ganger Joe Cobb, who constantly harassed me every chance he got. Did he just say monster? As in mutated monsters? In the middle of a town?
I peek inside the alleyway, from where the voice came from. It’s mostly dark, there’s not enough light in the alley. I can see Joe Cobb, scurrying away from the darkness. Two guy laying on the ground, probably dead. But I don’t see the monster Joe Cobb mentioned anywhere.
Joe – “HELP!!! SOMEONE HEL…(BANG).. AHHHHHHH!!!MY LEG!!!”
A dark silhouette walked out from the darkness and shot Joe Cobb’s right leg.
Dark silhouette – “Mister Joe Cobb?”
Joe – “Wh-Who are you?”
Dark silhouette – “Are you Joe Cobb?”
Joe – “N-no. I am not.”
Dark silhouette – “Mister Cobb. I am gonna shoot you every time you speak a lie. Now, are you Joe Cobb?”
Joe – “Ye-yes, I-I am Joe Cobb.”
Dark silhouette – “Excellent. Are you a part of a gang named powder ganger?”
Joe – “Yes, yes I am.”
Dark silhouette – “What were you doing in this alley at this hour?”
Joe – “Wha-what do mean at this hour? W-we were just hanging around, until you decided to pop out of nowhere and attacked us.”
BANG!
Joe – “AHHHHHHH!!! Ok, ok, we were waiting for Megan, the receptionist chick who works at job center. We planned to kidnap her and rape her, please don’t shoot me…”
I muffle my surprised gasp with my free hand. That was a close call. Last time he tried to kidnap me, I got lucky. He was alone and I surprised him by drawing my hidden pistol. But this time he had two friends with him. If that person in dark silhouette hadn’t intervened, I would have become a fuck-toy for three right about now.
Dark silhouette – “Listen closely Mister Cobb. You better take your eyes off Megan, because that woman is mine.”
SAY WHAT!?
Who is this fuck he thinks he is? If Kaushik made that claim, I might have considered it a tiny bit (blush), but in no way I am becoming someone else’s woman.
Joe – “You think this is it? I will find you. The whole powder ganger will find you. Mark my words.”
The dark silhouette picked Joe up by his throat and held him in the air. Joe was flailing around, and the dark silhouette let out a small laugh.
Dark silhouette – “Don’t be so sure Mister Cobb. Because, after tonight, there will be no powder ganger. And relax, I am not gonna kill you, not right now at least.”
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Soon Joe’s body started to go limp. Apparently he lost consciousness. The dark silhouette dropped the body and starts walking towards the powder ganger base. I take only one moment to decide. With a swift motion, I take off my heels and put them in the bag. I tear open the side of my tight skirt, then I start running towards the hill overlooking the powder ganger base.
I reach the hill within ten minutes. Another five minutes to catch my breath. It’s been a long time since I used my parkour skills. Without training my skills has seriously rusted. Ok, now that I caught my breath, I watch the base.
The whole base is illuminated, check. I can see everywhere, check. Good. The way the dark silhouette threatened Joe, I can seriously hope there will be some action.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
WHAT IN THE HELL!!!????
A frontal assault? Does that guy have one or two screws loose in his head? Who just bursts through the front door? I thought he will go stealth, plant some traps or something. This point onward, I am gonna call him the fool.
Powder gangers are also dumbfounded. It’s understandable. Till now, there was no one who challenged them in their own den. The fool takes a punching stance which brakes the powder gangers out of their trance and they take aim. At least twenty guns points at him. Seriously, is he trying to throw a punch with a distance of at least 10 meter between him and the closest guy? Well there goes my hope for a good show.
Kaushik POV:
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Dad – “Explain your ability in detail to me.”
I explain to dad what I have found out about my ability, every single thing I could think of. Dad listens to them attentively, then goes to thinking with his eyes closed. After some half an hour later, he opens his eyes.
Dad – “Till now, you only tried your impact through your palm?”
Roy – “Yes.”
Dad – “Did you try it with your legs?”
Roy – “What good it’s gonna do?”
Dad – “Think about while you are running. What if you use the reaction of impact to propel yourself?”
Ah.
Roy – “I…I never thought about that.”
Dad is right. If I use impact to propel myself, theoretically I could become much faster.
Dad – “Also, what if you use impact on your elbow to throw an accelerated punch?”
Roy – “That… Could work.”
As much as it pains me to say this, he is right.
Dad – “You said you lost your breath for sonar, right? What if you send an impact pulse, a controlled and 360 degree version of it, instead of breath pulse?”
Roy – “STOP!!! DON’T GIVE ME ANYMORE IDEAS!!!”
Shame on me. It’s my ability and I couldn’t think of such obvious usage for them. What am I, five years old?
Dad – “Well I do have one more idea for you.”
Roy – “STILL ONE MORE!???”
Dad – “I won’t say it if you’re that opposed to it.”
Roy – “(Dejected) fine. Hammer the last nail in my coffin. What is it?”
Dad - "What if you use a strong 360 degree impact instead of a controlled one? Would be useful if you are surrounded by enemies."
PATAN (sound of falling to the floor).
I am dead.
Sigh, still a child. I am still such a child. There was so many applications right under my nose and I never even noticed. All I ever did was belittling myself when Mike showed off various applications for his own ability. I grew so fond of my sonar that I never even thought of a replacement for it.
I get up and hug dad tightly. He returns my hug with a bear crushing hug of his own.
Roy – “Thanks dad.”
Dad – “Mmhmmm.”
Thanks to dad, I think I am finally over my depression regarding my ability. Seems my ability is not that useless after all.
But there’s a little catch. Every use my dad thought of is a variation of impact itself. And I can only use impact after I absorbed energy. So if I run out of energy, basically all of my moves are sealed. Meaning those who use grappling techniques, poisons, or simply fast enough to dodge my impacts are a bad match for me.
Time to do a little bit of training. But who do I train against? All the bandits around the area has been cleaned out over the past month. An escort job won’t be a good enough training. Sparring is out of the option since I can’t go all out.
Looks like I have to ask around if there’s any local gangs. Hang on. Gangs?
Didn’t Meg mention something about a stalker who was some big shot among a group of convicts? Nihihhi, even I can tell that a sinister smile is spreading upon my face. No good, no good. Control yourself.
Megan Reed POV:
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Ok, hold on. May be I was wrong. This guy is fast, insanely fast on his feet. He is certainly not human, no human can move like that. I couldn’t even see when he got behind people and sliced open their necks.
He dodged every bullet fired at nearly point blank range and slit the shooters throat. He even dodged when someone shot at his back. It’s almost like he can see in all directions at the same time.
And those punches. I don’t understand how he is doing it. He takes a stance with his right elbow drawn back, then in the next second his right fist is planted squarely on someone’s face who was at least 10 meter away from him. Just how is he covering such distance in the blink of an eye?
And that one thing he did when that one son of a bitch got a lucky hit in. He got hit on the head and got dazed for a moment. Within that moment, at least 10 guy piled up on him in an attempt to bring him down. But he just clapped his hands and all of them flew backwards at the same time, as if they were bashed by an invisible wall.
I take a deep breath. The efficiency he showed while dispatching those people. I am certain he is no ordinary man. Just who, or more specifically, what is he? All of the residents here are either murderers, or bandits or some other scums, so I don’t feel any disgust that he is killing people. If anything, I might even personally thank him for ridding the society of these trashes.
He continued slaughtering, but left some of them alive. Wonder why he did that.