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Chapter Four: в. я. ı. ∂. ġ. є. s. (cont.) |
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It was impossible. How could the boy sleep through all of this? Ditta thrust his leg aggressively before him, aiming to knock one of the invisible perpetrators away. With the space he had created, he could get over to Fore and shake him awake. Ditta fell to his knees next to the boy, having rushed over in his dress shoes and grabbing at the slender shoulders. "Fore! What the hell?! Wake the hell up!" He rapped against the boy's cheek with his palm, watching as they eyelids fluttered, but his body did not stir in the slightest.
Looking up from the heap they were in, Ditta contemplated. He couldn't see any of the individuals, so he couldn't squat and ponder for eons on end, but he couldn't act upon impulse to get them out of there. Instinctively, he brought up an arm to parry an obscenely transparent foot. As it slammed into his fortified block, he felt a wave of heat explode past his face. It made him close his eyes and rear back in shock.
The second kick caught him off guard. It hit him square in the chest, and before he could brace himself, he was sent tumbling backwards. From the sidewalk and into the street, he tossed and turned in the rather oblong ball of muscle. He quickly stopped himself by digging his heels into the ground, kicking up a few rocks from the street. His breath came to him a large and slow inhales. He wasn't tired, but he wasn't going to be able to fight off these things forever. Maybe there was some way he could get Fore away and fight the rest of these guys off. The rest of his crew was inside this building, but he could surely handle three offenders on his own. He had taken down much more formidable foes than a trio playing peek-a-boo, that's for sure.
With a sharp breath, his shoulders tensed and he clenched his fists tightly. He'd have to get past these guys to Fore and hopefully be able to escape without any further dilemma. He took a second to attempt once over - he shouted as loud as he could.
"God damn it, Fore! Wake the hell up!"
He could easily say that he had never been so irritated before. Not the fact that the boy wouldn't wake up - for it most likely wasn't his fault - but because this battle seemingly wasn't headed in the direction he wanted it to. With a swift takeoff, Ditta charged forth, and ducked underneath a limb he suspected was coming, pivoting on his own heel and extending his strong leg to knock someone from their feet. What he failed to perceive was the rebound and retaliation that would hit him dead in the face.
Knocked from his balance, he fell onto his hind and held his nose. A quick sniff and rough rub with his closed fist would distract him from the pain of the possibly-broken nose. He was getting upset, and when he spat on the ground beside him, gathering his bearings as he stood to his feet with his fists held on either side of him, it was more than evident.
"Okay, this is starting to piss me off." He announced, pressing against his temple with a finger. There had to be some kind of technological perk that Jobin put in there as a surprise. In his frenzy, he switched to an enhanced view, everything in his vision gaining a tint of a rather earthly pink. Everything retained its shading and dimensions, but only now looked salmon-hued. And, while this didn't appear to help much, it showed Fore's heat signatures when Ditta's eyes found the boy. This would have to do, because he had little time to react as he found a trail of light arching towards his torso from below.
He recalled when he blocked the kick with his forearm and the expulsion of energy that proceeded it. Making the connection with his remarkable mind, he surmised that the invisible figures had some form of heat signatures as well, no matter how well they tried to hide it. With that being said, he focused on the appendage, which he assumed a foot, and parried it with his left leg, using the angle and momentum of his body to drive a fist down into the ground. The asphalt beneath the figure cracked a bit, and a confident smirk reached his lips.
He'd be able to win this and get him and Fore away from these... things.
Whoever they were, and whoever they were working for, they would not succeed. Ditta grunted as he punted away the figure on the ground, most likely now writhing in pain as he scoped out the next one. He inspected Fore's figure for a moment, only to find that the boy was slightly shifting - but not upon his own accord. His body was being moved - in a fashion similar to dragging. "s**t!" Ditta growled and quickly sprinted forth to save his friend. Of course, he had been intercepted by one of these nuisances. With a roar, Ditta writhed under its hold, watching as the blazer he had placed over Fore's figure was no longer draped over the boy, and - instead, the boy was now floating in the air, face-up.
Around him, in the heat-sensing spectrum, Ditta could see swirls of energy stemming from Fore into the form of one of these creatures, but before he could observe anything further, he was knocked across the face. His cheekbone would scream in agony as he used the opening to slam his own head forth and knock the figure in the face. However, the figure did not reign back in recoil. In return, Ditta found even more pressure falling onto his body - another figure had clamped onto his legs.
"No!" Ditta howled, watching as the energy then began to rotate around Fore in a very rapid, cyclical pattern. The light grew brighter, and he winced both from the immense light and his attempt to throw the creatures from him. He managed to kick away the first one, sending it flying into a building, and then turned himself over so that he rest atop the remaining b*****d that was in his way from rescuing his friend. There was still time. Struggling to escape the grip of this unknown creature, he snatched his arms away and started towards Fore. However, the light grew brighter and the sounds of the winds rushing finally reached his ears - during this whole fight, the only sounds he heard were of his own inflictions. Now he was hearing the sounds that Fore's powers occasionally produced.
"Fore!" Ditta bellowed, leaping forth and slamming his fists into the ground in remedy of his inability to get close enough to physically save him. The earth quaked and the street cracked in multiple places, branching out in such a way that slates of the street and sidewalk alike started to cave in and jut out from the ground in odd angles. The dust settled, and while the fault he had created was close enough to disturb the abduction of his friend, there was no sign of him remaining.
Ditta's blazer now laid in a heap with a few stray pebbles on its sleeve.
Turning back to where he had left his obstacle, he did not hesitate to lift his heel and slam it at full force into the ground. The only thing he felt beneath him was the asphalt cracking, matching with the same, very sound. His fists pounded with the surge of fury. He seethed, his hair a bit messy from the scuffle. He wouldn't let this happen. They wouldn't get away. He couldn't let it happen. With a myriad of curses under his breath, he inspected the area, not hearing anything but the rare, stale winds which whispered that he was now alone.
He walked over to where his blazer lay, now alone - like he.
He stared at the brick wall for a moment. He would find Fore. He couldn't let another slip through his fingers like that. He looked down at his fist, and then up at the brick wall. An instant later, the thunderous crack of breaking brick resounded throughout the whole intersection and beyond, extracting Ditta's frustration temporarily. He would find Fore. He would find him and pummel whoever stole him into non-existence.
But, first, he had to contact the others. And, of course, he couldn't go rushing off into the unknown to lose just like he had before. So, scooping up his blazer, he made his way around the corner and around the second, and scaled the stairs in a sprint, entering the building.
___________________________________________________________________________
The silence was impossible.
This many people in this immense space - it was simply impossible. Yet, not a single voice was heard, nor did a single person stir. They all kept their gaze focused on the boy dangling by his neck and his two friends, clad in identical attire to one another.
"If you would be so kind as to join us up on the stage~" Cooed the man on stage. He held a wry smile, gentle yet laced with such animosity that it could demolish a boulder with ease. His gaze was a cold, sharp stare behind softened and warm eyes. The humans could easily be deceived, but they could not. Jobin would have loved to cause an uproar, to break out of this hold and set people aflame simply for their reactions, but he - for reasons more than one - could not. He knew that if they fell into any of this man's traps, they would be condemned.
One wrong step, and it would be quite a steep tumble.
Joey quivered with each step. He felt insulted by the looks the people gave him. And as his fingers warily clung to the fabric of Jobin's sweats, which didn't bring the leg from its petrified poise as they made their way forth, Joey thought that he would have possibly crawled into a hole and died. These people, who he didn't even know, looked upon them in abhorrence. They were disgusted, horrified, offended that they were in the midst of such behemoths. It wasn't like they had lied, Joey mulled in his defense. They didn't lie at all - in fact, no one had even asked them. Instead, they were pinpointed like a terrorist in a utopia.
The irony that sat within posed not a single objection to Joseph's thoughts.
He looked with wide, glassy eyes upon the stage. His bronze skin retained a glazed shimmer as he stepped up each step. The fabric did not quiver beneath his sneakers, as he had expected it to, but the curtains shifted slightly. Once Kenny, behind him, had set foot on the stage, the crowd slowly shifted back into its original shape. They had parted to keep their distance from the monsters that approached the stage, all the while Kenny trying to convince them of unfair and unjust force upon them, but now that they were on display, they were less of an immediate threat.
Especially with this man who stated that he could remedy the world's problems with apparent false hope.
If Jobin could forward his anger and irritation through any sort of medium, he would. The very least he could do on his own was keep his gaze stuck on this man. This man, in his suave and sophisticated suit and tie. This man that stood like he was indomitable, like he was on top of the world.
"Simply mere children," He announced to them all. They were certainly old enough to assume responsibility for their actions, being Juniors in High School. They could be considered young adults. However, when coupled with the fear of the crowd, they would be threats to the general public's safety - that was all they were concerned with. They didn't even bother to weigh in the possibility that they were more beneficial to the people than this man on stage.
Jobin's jaw was locked with the rest of his body, so when he tried to speak, it came out as a swallowed series of words. Joey, who could not make out any of it, took a look at the large machine to their left, which glowed with a bronze and gold light. It suddenly gained a more conscious and vigorous flame as they arrived on stage, and as he looked into it, it comforted him.
Kenny stood on Jobin's right, closer to the crowd. He faced the man, who twirled his wrist as if to allow them no further approach. The spacial distance was more than enough for each of them to maul the man, but they had to reign themselves as best they could. It appeared as though Kenny was designated to be doing the speaking for them - and he had no issue with that whatsoever.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Treating them with courtesy would most certainly lather them up. Unfortunately, as the three boys received the man's words, they looked even more disturbed. "I am Senator Stephen Callahan." He introduced himself, nodding once as if to verify the statement. They didn't care in the least, however. "I'm certain you have seen me on the television, speaking of the public's safety. Well, as you can imagine, you three, boys, are going to be an example." His charming and charismatic voice and demeanor altogether shifted.
"That is, if you don't mind~"
Kenny squinted and gritted his teeth, Jobin remained dangling, struggling to breathe normally, and Joe occasionally shifted his focus from the furnace to the fool before them. Something told the three of them that this Stephen Callahan had more up his sleeve.
A few minutes had passed, and the three of them stood on the stage, weary from their self-discipline. They could not bend their liberties. If they got in trouble here, they would not be able to escape it. Their school emblem was imprinted on their uniforms, so it was likely they were already in enough trouble, should anyone in the audience recognize the school. And, to be honest, Joey figured someone would. All the while they were up there, he dreaded that one voice that would call out, "Hey! They're from Oracle Preparatory in Gilded!" He just knew someone was thinking it or someone was going to cry it. It was eating away at the back of his mind, and he quickly grit his teeth, nervous.
The man turned to the audience. "I've prepared a presentation for you all. And, of course, it is to the delight and entertainment as well as the education of you all," His voice swept before him in a fashion as it had not before. Kenny inched closer to Jobin's stone-like figure in case he ended up falling from the edge of the stage. The people looked like they were ready to eat him alive. The man continued, tucking a thumb in the fold of his buttons, "Now, I've chanced out and found three together! I suspect they would like to keep their families safe, so we'll take their personal information into a private inquisition later," He hurriedly explained, leaving the people lingering for his next words, which did not disappoint, "But, for now, we will simply ask them why exactly it is they are here."
He looked directly to Kenny, as if he could read the boy's mind. "So, tell us, boys," He smirked, "What brings you here?"
Kenny's eyes didn't falter, and when his lips twitched, discerning what he wanted to say from what he needed to say, he took a step towards the podium closest to him and tapped at the microphone. Clearing his throat, his voice eased out like a scratchy and airy horn. "We are here, no different from the rest of you, to simply see what is happening. We are not any of these Supers," He lied, and Kenny, being the exceptional liar he was, rose his brows in affirmation, "And it's wrong that this man should pinpoint us as such individuals." He would have proceeded to point out a random stranger who possibly wasn't a super but would be better a distraction than anything else, but the crowd grew angst.
"Alright, alright, Kid. You're making them upset." The man waved his hand and the podium suddenly gained a repulsing force so that Kenny had to step back, lest his legs grow weak and he collapse. "See? They lie to you. First they sneak in and then they lie! Precisely the reason why we need to eradicate them from the face of the earth," The man's tact had completely turned. Now he was full-on aggression and relentlessly so. Kenny's face boiled with heat as he was ready to just knock this man from his spot.
"Who wants to see what the machine can do?!" He heralded, and the crowd suddenly grew angry with their encouragement. Hands flung upwards and objects soared through the air towards the stage. "Very well then. Watch very carefully," Shushing the crowd down with his permission, he casually approached the machine and pressed at a series of buttons. Kenny wanted to see what would happen, but Jobin objected with a grunt.
"Hehem!"
It didn't even take a split-second to register, and Kenny had reared his fist back, a blue glow emanating from his bare fist. It caused the people to shriek in horror and immediately for them to summon the authorities. With all of the pent up anger he held, Kenny threw his hand forth, an adequately sized disc soaring to sever the man into multiple pieces. However, Joey called out as soon as the energy left Kenny's hand it veered off to the left, smashing into the machine.
"What?!" Kenny demanded. Joey's gaze, fixed on the door which they had entered from, had slowly gained a finger pointing in the same direction, and Kenny accompanied the look. Jobin was loosened of the vice grip, coughing up saliva once he fell to his knees. Gasping for his raspy breath, he ignited his fists, but forced himself to tear his eyes from this man for a moment to look at the doorway.
High up on the fire escape-like balcony, they could see a familiar figure stand. Alone.
Something went wrong.
"Fore's gone!"
Seriously wrong.
"What!?" "What happened?" "'Fore's gone!'?" They exclaimed, quick to look at this Stephen Callahan fellow. Ditta leaped from the balcony, quickly approaching the stage with his massive arc. However, he had collided with, yet again, another invisible force. This time, it sent him rocketing into the audience.
The people fled from their seats and ran about in a frenzy.
Ditta stood to his feet after gathering himself from the sticks that were once chairs. Dusting off his jacket, he looked up, his vision still pink and a bit hazy from all the rest of the heat signatures inside the building. But, as the force descended upon him, he could see it and leaped to meet it halfway.
"Joe, Ken, take care of the machine!" Jobin suddenly instructed, focused on the senator.
With fire dancing about his gloves, he stepped forth and sent a fastball straight to the man. However, his icy, blue gaze showed no signs of fear. The fire slammed against a surface that rippled like a liquid. Jobin took a wary step backwards and inspected the man. He was human, he was certain of that, because he was a part of the government. They could not have allowed Supers in their ranks... would they?
"Right!" Came the delayed response. The large machine would prove to be quite the challenge, but Kenny could easily obliterate it once Joey had loosened it up a bit. They took turns smashing it. However, as Jobin stood off with Senator Callahan, his eyes widened.
"Don't destroy it!"
They both paused in their onslaught and looked over to Jobin, confused. "What? Why?" Kenny demanded.
"Because Fore's in there!" Jobin concluded. He had a hunch earlier, but that barrier was something akin to what Darin could create. "He is?!" Joey queried, astonished. Kenny looked to the machine as well, eyes widening as he ran up to the large window, only to find the tan-colored light swallowing everything inside. "We have to get him out!" They concluded and focused on breaking the glass.
Ditta was sent into the support of the stage, and splinters were sent flying like a splashback. The invisible force charged through the chairs like a freight train, but Ditta had already gotten to his feet and ran out to meet the figure. Jobin could not see it, but when Ditta swung his arm in an impressive knock-down, he could hear the impact of the figure on the tile floors. Jobin looked to the man from the corner of his eye, kicking up his flames in threat.
"It seems you boys are smarter than I expected."
Jobin charged forth with engulfed fists and slammed both into the barrier, only to find himself knocked back from its fortitude. He kept himself hovering a few inches over the surface of the stage with his flames, staring down the man as he confidently stood behind his shield.
There was the sound of fire, the breaking of wood, the breaking of slate, the breaking of glass, and the cries of many that bounced off the walls of this large space. It was as if hell on earth had finally arrived. Ironically enough, liberation arrived shortly afterward: "We got him!" Kenny called as Joey pulled out the unconscious figure, paler than his chestnut tone normally was. Pulling the boy over his shoulder, Joey looked over to Kenny, who looked over to Ditta.
"Ditta! We're out!" "Alright! Up!" Ditta quickly pointed upwards, signaling that was where they would make their exit.
Kenny crossed his arms before him and squared off with the area he was aiming for. Pulling back his arms, he thrust his waist forth and the small, concentrated beam that shot through the air knocked what could have been possibly the largest makeshift-ceiling window in the world. The pieces of the ceiling fell and smashed upon impact on the ground. The whole building would have shook and sunk, should it have been a ship. "Clear!" Kenny called, quick to start up his suit and zip out in his metallic form. Joey quickly leaped into the air, Fore draped over his shoulder, and sped out through the hole, into the sky. Ditta leaped from his spot on the ground and off a nearby structure, out of the hole and onto the surface to await his ride.
Jobin, still standing behind, rocketed from the stage and sped towards the hole. However, he turned around and watched the man, who remained with his smug grin. He still had something left to say.
"You, who call yourselves the Protectors - who protects you?"
Jobin squinted at these words. And with that, he turned to swoop Ditta from the dome-like roof and fly off after the others, back to their Head-Quarters - school.
 Montferer - Maestro · Mon Oct 31, 2011 @ 07:07pm · 0 Comments |
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