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THE RELUCTANTS
Chapter 31 - No Hidden Talents

Chapter 31 - No Hidden Talents

“And now…” The Slug Games announcer boomed. “It’s time for the quarter-finals? Are you ready?”

Thousands of aliens roared with enthusiasm in the stands, wiggling their tentacles, punching the air with fists, or excitedly moving about whatever appendages they had. The diversity of living things in the arena put the Amazon Rainforest to shame.

“I can’t slugging hear you!” The announcer screeched, its voice cracking slightly. “Are you ready?!” The crowd roared again with deafening cheers, thunderous foot stomps reverberating through the arena like a heartbeat.

“Now that’s what I like to hear! Tonight's events conclude with a one-on-one fighting match between the underdog slug species known as the humans and the remarkable Researcher!”

Leland stood alongside Cadell and Staress in the centre of the arena, yawning. Directly ahead was a blond-haired man wearing a lab coat with a picture of a puppy on it. He smiled warmly, even giving a wave.

“Don’t be fooled,” Staress said. “The alien simply looks like what the viewer is most comfortable looking at. It’s different for each person.”

“O-oh?” Leland said. “W-what does it really look like then?”

“Do you really want to know?” Staress asked, a glint in her eye.

“B-both of you get back. I’ve got this.”

“Not this time Lee,” Staress said. “I’ll do it.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Cadell said.

Leland raised a sceptical eyebrow as he noticed the sharp change in demeanour from his two friends, who both wore grim expressions. “Aren’t you both supposed to lazily shift the responsibility?”

Staress smiled back weakly. “Not at all.”

“You don’t need to use reverse psychology, Stars. I want to do it, especially since you two have been doing all the work.”

Leland smiled, appreciating the concern on her face as she walked to seats near the arena floor alongside Cadell. Unlike the medicine interview, fighting against an alien in a tournament where Earth was at stake was surprisingly less daunting. Though he had every reason to be confident. It couldn’t be denied that he was heavily equipped.

“Three, two, one, fight!” The alien annoncer boomed.

“Invulnerability, super strength, regeneration, energy blasts,” Leland said.

The Researcher beamed at him for quite some time until, quite randomly, it sobbed.

“Er, w-what?” Leland said.

“Sorry,” the alien said, wiping away a tear. “I’ve been searching for the Code S omni ability for centuries. Oh my… sorry, sorry, sorry. Oh my. For such a repulsive slug species to possess an omni ability is highly unusual, but nevertheless my joy can’t be dampened. I can finally go home.”

The surrounding crowd muttered between themselves, probably just as confused as Leland was. “Y-you're looking for omni a-abilities?”

“Look at this!” The researcher cried, tears still flooding down its face.

Leland squinted at a hologram which seemed to display a long list of names written in an foreign, alien language. Hundreds of names were ticked off but one.

“I-I’m the last?” Leland guessed.

“Yes!” The Researcher squealed. “As part of my research, I have been looking for all 100 omni mutants in the universe. Now that I’ve met you…” The alien paused, wiping away more tears. “I can finally meet my beloved daughter again. The sweet cupcake is only four hundred. Gosh, it’s been so long! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Leland turned to Staress for answers, but she only gave him a blank, mildly depressed stare. “Y-you don’t need to kill me or kidnap me or a-anything like that, right?”

The Researcher chuckled. “No. Only measure your ability. All I care about is data. In fact, I intend to disqualify myself once I’ve fully measured your capabilities.”

Leland’s eyes lit up. “R-really?”

The Researcher nodded, and Leland let out a sigh of relief. Was luck finally on his side?

His eyes widened as an idea came to him. He stepped forward. “D-do you know h-how I could get rid of my stutter?”

“Yes,” The Researcher said.

“H-how?”

“I’m not telling you anything filthy slug species. Know your place.”

Leland’s smile faltered. “Eh?” The discrimination hit him out of nowhere.

“Answers are given to those who are worthy.” The Researcher put both hands in its pockets and a duplicate of Leland materialised in front of him. “Fight this bot and maybe I’ll tell you.”

Without hesitation, Leland bolted forwards and leaped in the air. He spun twice before unleashing a kick to the robot's head.

*THUNK*

The robot spiralled backwards and bounced twice on the sandy arena floor. Before it could get up, Leland teleported to its side and pummelled it with a barrage of punches and elbows.

“Die!” From point blank range, he shot three rapid fire energy blasts into the robot's torso.

Leland stood up. The robot remained still until, suddenly, it lashed out, headbutting him in the nose. As he staggered back, the robot assaulted him with a series of rhythmic kicks. Even with a concussion and blurry vision, he knew it was the martial arts of capoeria.

It was copying him.

He laughed sourly, spitting a wad of crimson and bopping into a fighting stance. Their kicks constantly connected with each other, each collision shattering Leland’s regenerating bones.

“Not impressed!” The Researcher yelled from afar. “Is that all you can do with an omni ability?””

Leland seized the bot by the neck and flew upwards. After spinning five times, he tossed the robot into the arena floor.

*CRASH!*

“Telekinesis!”

The robot unwillingly levitated with its arms and legs outstretched. It shook violently yet did not break. Leland accidentally landed on his ass, but still focused, using his mind to slam the robot onto the floor repeatedly.

Again. No effect.

The robot stood up, unmoving.

“It’s as I expected,” The Researcher said, flicking through multiple holographic pages. “These numbers are fascinating”.

Leland stumbled to his feet. “Did I…?”

“Not even close.”

“Wait!” Leland yelled. “Tell me!”

“Mind control? No chance. A slug like yourself could never control the will I have to see my daughter. To be quite frank, your powers are surprisingly weak for an omni.”

Weak? Even with all this?

Leland racked his brain, fists clenched, until an explanation drifted to the surface…Whatever was causing him to stutter was restricting his abilities. The invisible door in his mind that he had to force open was only giving him a sliver.

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Which begged the question… What was he truly capable of?

A shiver ran down Leland’s spine. “W-wait. One… l-last try.”

“I like that look in your eye, slug,” The Researcher said with a smirk. “One last try it is. The robot won’t even attack you this time.”

True to his word, the bot advanced forward but remained still, waiting for him to act.

Leland took a deep breath, fully aware his dream was at stake. There was no room for failure. He closed his eyes, tuning out the roaring crowd encompassing him, and unclenched both fists.

For at least one hour a day, Leland thought about the relationship between his stutter and superpowers. Most of the time he came up with no new ideas. In fact, most days, it felt like a pointless endeavour, like a dog trying to chase its tail. But today, all that overthinking was going to pay off. It had to.

The door in his mind was clearly a gateway to his powers and for him to use them, with willpower and mental strain, he could open that door slightly. However, that wasn’t enough anymore. Now he had to go further than he ever had before…

He had to enter the room… figuratively.

Holding open the door was already a challenge but what if he released a burst of energy?

Slowly, Leland raised an arm and gently pushed on the door in his mind, feeling the rough surface. “Remove all powers but super strength.” Immediately, a great deal of physical strain left his body as he observed the door silently. For this to work, he had to channel everything he had for a split second.

Ten, nine, eight, seven…

A ball of energy accumulated in his mind.

Six, five, four…

Leland grunted as blood leaked out of his ears and nose. The mental effort was hard to explain. A specific part of his brain seemed to be working overdrive, rendering other brain functions mute.

Three, two, one…

The door blasted open for only a second, but that was all Leland needed. A tsunami of power flooded his body like never before, and in that short moment, he understood the true nature of his Omni Ability. Through speech, he was capable of activating any skill a living organism in the universe was capable of. He possessed Omni Ability Code S— also known as The Source.

Just before the mental door slammed shut, Leland flicked a single finger at the robot’s chest.

*BOOM!*

While Leland’s detached finger spiralled through the air, the robot looked down at a small gaping hole in its body, crackling wiring now visible, before collapsing to the ground.

“Bravo, bravo!” The Researcher cheered, clapping several times. “Wonderful! Now that’s what I was expecting to see!”

Leland grinned, but it quickly turned into a frown when he realised his right hand was a bloody mangled mess. “Yaowwwwwwow! Heal, heal, heal, heal!” Then, like the scream never occurred, he managed to pull off a professional straight face. “N-now answer me. H-how do I speak f-fluently again?”

"Very well," The Researcher said, approaching him. It placed a hand on his shoulder, then whispered, "Ask your friend about that crown of hers. You'll discover not only the answer, but also a wealth of information beyond."

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After the quarter finals, Leland couldn’t find Staress anywhere which drove him nuts. The woman asked so much of him but the one time he needed her she was nowhere to be found?

The Researcher’s answer had left him incredibly confused so, instead, he decided not to think about it. Staress would explain everything. It was as simple as that. He spent the day and afternoon studying for his summer exams and the late evening preventing a few assaults in Dublin, Moscow and New York.

To his surprise, even with the stutter, he was much more confident now at talking to the criminals and victims. Maybe the language barrier was helping.

At the end of the day, just before deciding to go to sleep, Leland received a notification from what he believed to be Staress. It had to be her because the first text was…

Unknown caller: Little Leeeeee. How’s my new superhero doing?

Leland typed furiously on his phone.

Lee: I’ve been trying to find you everywhere but realised I didn’t have your contact information! We need to talk!

Staress: I know what you want to talk about and I promise we’ll talk about it… but not now.

Lee: This is urgent!

Staress: So is Earth preventing invasion by the Solarian Empire! The semi-finals starts in less than an hour.

Lee: Less than an hour?! Why didn’t you tell me?

Staress: Cadell was going to portal you away. You know how it is.

Lee: No, I don’t know how it is. Where are you? Let’s talk now.

Staress: Chill, Leland. After the semi-finals, we’ll meet at my house and I’ll answer any questions you have for me. Is that okay?

Lee: Fine. Do you have any intel on what we’re doing for the semi-finals?

Staress: Yes, I do :) It’s a talent show. I’ve decided we’re going to perform a song together.

Lee: Are you serious?!

Star.ess: Yes, yes. See ya later!

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With a bored expression, Leland watched his octopus-like alien opponents from backstage as they performed a heartfelt classical song with the piano, violin, and cello. Once they were done, he rubbed his hands together and turned to Staress. “I c-can’t wait to watch you p-perform!”

“Don’t be silly,” she replied. “You’ll be performing with us. This is a team event after all.”

“W-w-what?” Leland said. “B-b-but I can’t play any instruments or sing.”

“You have your special talents.”

“I have n-no idea w-what you’re talking about.”

Staress smiled wide. “Come on.. You know…”

“No, I d-don’t know,” Leland snapped.

Staress giggled. “Nah. You know, you know, you know.”

Leland stared at her blankly, then his eyes widened. “W-w-wait, you d-don’t mean…”

“Seeing as you’re a bit shy, we’ll summon you near the end. Cad will use a portal and—”

“W-w-w-wait,” Leland said, eyes bulging. “Let’s think about this. You don’t need me. You’re one of the most talented musicians in the world.”

“You’re talented too!” Staress said, shaking one of his shoulders with a hand. “This shouldn’t even be an obstacle for you. Have fun and smile with me on stage, okay?”

“I hate to say it, but she’s right,” Cadell said with a yawn. “Compared to what you’ve already faced, this should be nothing.”

Before Leland could respond, Staress and Cadell both walked onto the stage.

Staress grabbed the mic. “Are you ready for a show of a lifetime, Planet Zemon?”

The crowd roared with excitement.

“I can’t hear you!” Staress yelled. “I said, are you ready for a show of a motherfucking lifetime, Planet Zemon?”

The applause, cheers and screams intensified.

“This song is dedicated to a close friend of mine. When I first met him, he was your average teenager, fearful of the future and riddled with insecurities. He still overthinks and overcomplicates stuff, but I’m proud to say he’s turned into a competent strong man.”

Staress glanced at Leland and he frowned. Is she referring to me?

“Yes, I’m referring to you,” Staress said, reading him like a book.

The crowd silenced as Staress picked up the nearby electric guitar and began to play a catchy riff. She looped it somehow before switching to the bass guitar.

“Holy shit, she’s doing it,” Leland whispered excitedly to himself. He had seen many of Staress’ live performances online, but seeing it in person was a whole different experience. There was a special energy and spontaneity that had him grinning like an idiot.

She then played a similar catchy melody on the bass while a rhythmic beat and harmonica seemingly came out of nowhere, injecting a new flavour into the music. Leland wasn’t sure where the sound came from initially because he’d completely forgot of Cadell’s existence.

The retired vigilante masterfully beatboxed on the mic, creating deep bassy sounds as well as the snappy snare sounds using his mouth. Simultaneously, he played a catchy melody on the harmonica. Leland had never seen anything like it. Who knew the harmonica and beatboxing could be such a beautiful combination?

Staress picked up the saxophone next, mimicking Cadell’s harmonica melody, before playing a gorgeous and complex solo. She walked up and down the stage, passion and joy filling her eyes.

There were only two people on the stage yet it felt like there was a whole band. Staress seamlessly switched between instruments, adding a relaxing piano section, while Cadell hung back on the stage, somehow masking his presence despite the mind-blowing beats blasting from his mouth. He varied the beats every so often, frequently surprising Leland with sounds he didn’t know humans could make.

Eventually, Staress rapped a verse, and written lyrics could never do it justice. Her delivery was quick and agile, packing multiple syllables into each bar. She transitioned into a beautiful-sounding chorus before unexpectedly launching into a mesmerising guitar solo. As the music filled the air and her fingers flew across the strings, a strong urge rose within Leland…

He sank into a portal and, without thinking, expertly breakdanced in many different ways. Shortly afterward, he shot back up to showcase a variety of unique dance moves, his body synchronizing with Cadell’s beatboxing and enhancing Staress’ guitar solo.

“Let’s go Leeeee!” Staress cheered, smiling. Even Cadell’s eyebrows were raised.

Leland was in another world, completely unaware of the billions of eyes glued to his every move. He was no longer on the stage, but back in his bedroom, simply vibing to another song. Each dance move executed flawlessly was just another move he had practiced thousands of times because it was fun.

At the exact moment Leland completed a backflip landing, Staress strucktruck the concluding chord. “Thanks for listening!” she yelled.“Thank you, thank you.”

She dropped the mic and nudged Leland with an elbow. “Take a bow.”

“W-what?”

“Just do it!”

Leland bowed and the crowd cheered louder in response. He could just make out fragments of compliments among the loud applause.

“Never seen a slug like it!”

“Amazing dance, boy!”

“Do it again!”

Leland performed a back flip one last time and punched the air. He waved goodbye before following Cadell and Staress, but a small part of him didn’t want to leave the stage.

He smiled, his head raised high.

I’ll never forget this moment.