I pushed my legs out of the way as Gavin swung his arm at me. I threw several jabs, which he blocked easily, before he threw his own jab at me, which I barely blocked. I gritted my teeth; his attacks felt like sledgehammers. He moved his leg quickly, and I countered by bringing my knee up to block.
"Yes, good, keep your guard up!"
A left hook by him, duck by me. I landed a body blow in his rib, but it barely affected him as Gavin countered with a low kick, which hit my legs, causing me to stumble. I took only a fraction of a second to block a punch aimed at my chest. Because he was so tall, he had to bend awkwardly to attack, which reduced his power. Still, the strength of a super soldier is no joke, and I was sent back crashing to the ground, groaning.
Despite feeling dizzy, I managed to get to my feet and raise my arms again. My heart racing rapidly and sweet did little to cool down my hot body, I took a deep breath and charged forward. Gavin tried to counter my charge attempt with a straight punch, which I moved to the left. I kicked his shin, then had to aim high to punch his rib again, before jumping and striking his jaw with as much force as I could. I ignored the pain in my knuckles as I punched him a couple more times before jumping away.
I wheezed as I raised my guard, preparing a counterattack from him, only for Gavin to relax and crack his neck.
"Let's take a break, yeah?" As those words left his lips, my butt crashed to the floor, as I tried to regain as much air as possible.
Gavin pulled out a water plastic bottle from his pocket and tossed one to me. I grabbed it in the air before chugging it down, and after nearly emptying the bottle, I released a massive sigh.
"So, how did I do?" I say between heavy breaths.
"Far better than yesterday, you're pretty good."
"Okay, thanks, but how do I compare to NWO soldiers or Arc?"
Gavin frowns. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Ben. You are still below them in hand-to-hand. I heard from Jason that one of the requirements of becoming a part of Arc's team, before he left the military, was to be a black belt in Karate, Taekwondo or any martial art."
A frustrated growl escaped my lips.
"Oh, don't be a baby, your current skill level is about on par with a military recruit. Good, but not at the same level as us. Hey atleast, no one your age could knock you out even without powers!"
That made me feel a little better. I mean, without superpowers, I should be able to beat any ten-year-old in a fight and maybe someone a little older than me. Still, there is a huge gap between me and the rest of the people I'm fighting. Gavin sits next to me and ruffles my hair.
"Don't rush too much, growth takes time. Heck, I'm surprised you're this good after only a day of training. Granted, your healing factor and stamina recovery made sure you could train for longer periods, but the fact that you jump from a bum to at least a somewhat competent fighter is amazing. Maybe you have some talent in fighting!"
Okay, that made me feel a lot better. Gavin and I chatted, he gave me advice on what I need to work on and some moves I could add to my toolkit. Soon, the conversation drifts from fighting to a more personal talk.
"Are you excited for school?"
I paused at his words. I just realized summer break is about to end soon. Just this week and a couple of days, and I will be back in school. It felt strange knowing I have to return to somewhat of a normal life after I've been through. Another thing I realize because of school, my hero activities would now have less time, and I have no clue how to feel about that.
Unlike most ten-year-olds, I knew school was important, but I still hated it, though. I'm not sure what's going to happen once I arrive in Russia, but I have a feeling in my gut that it's going to get crazy. Then, a couple of days later, I would have to return to boring old school. Still, the idea of making new friends is exciting. After all, I'm no longer just an average kid anymore; I'm not going to freeze or stutter when I talk to someone.
"Uh, not too much."
Gavin snorts. "Figures."
He gets up to crack his neck and shoulders, which usually means that the break is now over and it's time to once again abuse his employee/godson. I wanted to take a break for a little longer, but I suppose I won't get any better just sitting on my butt all day.
RED
The Next Day…
JUSTICE
I grit my teeth as I narrowly dodge the crimson ball that was aimed at my head. It floated in the air before launching at me again, along with several other balls coming in my direction. I jumped, ducked, weaved and guarded, as they danced around me like bees circling their hive. I wasn't fighting Gavin today, "he said." I should be skilled enough for the time being. What matters is increasing my reaction time, judgment, and overall flexibility in a barrage of attacks. So, while I sweat like a fountain as my bruised body takes on rather the heavy red balls.
Meanwhile, Gavin sits in his chair, sipping on a cold soda he got from a cooler near him. He had the tiniest hint of a smile on his face; he was certainly enjoying this. The person next to him is the traitor, Emily. Like Gavin, she sat on her chair wearing her sunglasses as she sipped on her cool drink. Meanwhile, her arm is slightly raised from controlling the telekinetically controlled balls that were frantically trying to hit me. I was a little distracted by what's wearing.
No longer wearing her large baggy clothes, she wore something more girly. A pink no-sleeve shirt and short jeans. I was so distracted by her apparel that a ball hit me square in the nose, which made me see stars for a little bit.
"Ow! Emily, can you please chill with the balls?"
I say, backing up while clutching my nose. It wasn't broken or bleeding, though if the ball hit me anymore harder, it could certainly be the case. Gavin snorts, biting his lip to stop bursting with laughter, Emily's lips quiver, barely containing a smile.
"Oh, haha, hilarious-" I didn't get to finish my sentence, as I was forced to roll away, just as a ball nearly landed in my face.
I took a deep breath and continued to dodge. This went on for nearly ten minutes when my body refused to obey me, too strained in hurt, I lay on the floor breathing heavily. A water bottle floated next to me, which I quickly grabbed and opened before drinking. I was so thirsty, I didn't even care that my face splashed with water because of how aggressively I was chugging it.
I took a deep breath as I released my lips from the lid. Before I regained my bearings, I found myself floating in the air, without consciously flying. I turned to look at Emily, who got off her chair and walked up to me.
"I need to talk to you." She gestured to walk with her.
She made me stand straight up, and without another word, she started to walk. I turned, confused, to Gavin, who gave me a straight nod. I shrugged and turned to walk with Emily.
"What's up?" I asked.
She stops, turning to face me, her blue eyes filled with worry. "What's going on?"
"Huh?" I say, tilting my head.
"You're going out to do something dangerous, aren't you, probably something involving that guy you fought a few days ago."
My eyes widened in surprise. How had she known? During nights after training, Emily would check on me, worried after my bout with Arc. I made sure to give out vague details. I knew if she knew what was going on, Emily would want to come. I didn't want to involve her in this superhero thing, especially since she was living the normal life she had wanted.
I don't want to take that form from her, no doubt, as soon as she knows about NWO or their plan, she would most likely join or worse, go out on her own.
"I…have no clue…what…you're talking about?"
She gave me a deadpan expression, which caused me to look down and ruffle my hair.
"You're right, that guy is part of a dangerous group that I have to stop."
Emily takes a step towards me. "You know, I got your back right? Regardless of how dangerous it is."
"Listen, you don't have to force-"
"I'm not forcing anything!" Emily raised her tone, but she didn't look angry or frustrated; instead, she kept that worried look on her face.
"I'm not just doing it because I owe you for what you did for me, I want to do it because you're my friend."
My mouth twitched, and I felt my cheeks grow a little hot. I look away from her intense blue eyes.
"T-thanks, b-but I think I got it covered." I glanced at her, Emily frowned, but didn't push it.
Emily backed off, looking conflicted, but with one deep breath, she stared at me cooly before turning her back to me.
"I need to go, my dad and mom are going to the hospital to check the baby."
"O-oh, yeah, that's cool. Later." I say, feeling like getting punched in the gut.
I may be socially inept; however, even someone like me knows that Emily is mad at me. I couldn't blame her, after all, she wants to help a friend, but said friend is being stubborn. I don't want to make her mad. But, I got to refuse her help, this thing, this war, it's dangerous. She's someone who shouldn't be on the battlefield.
Emily floats ready to fly away, but first takes one final look at me and says:
"Remember, if you ever need me. I'm just a phone call away."
With that, she soared high in the sky, disappearing from view. I watched as she quickly disappeared from view. I cracked my neck, fingers and started to hop. I shadowboxed, moving forward to Gavin.
"Alright, let's spar," I say once I get close enough.
His eyes widened momentarily. "Are you sure? You barely rested."
"I'm fine, let's just do this."
He seemed unsure, though he stood up and rotated his shoulders before getting into a fighting stance. We both stared into each other's eyes seriously, waiting for each other to make the first move. I took a deep breath and started to run to him.
RED
Somewhere In The Forest Of Russia…
JUSTICE
Arc's breathing was laboured, feeling the burn in his arms as he threw his millionth jab. He was somewhere deep in the woods, training, about a kilometre away from his subordinates and generals, who were no doubt planning strategies and tactics for the arrival of 'The Crimson Angel'. They were ready to mobilize and attack the bases. While his two generals were handling that, Atlas was nowhere to be seen. Most likely, like him, training for the boy's arrival.
The memory of Red Justice came to mind. That brashness, that level of bravery, of pushing himself to save those people he had bombed. It made Arc click his tongue, not because he was irritated, he was instead annoyed because he was feeling nostalgic. That boy may be young, but he could tell he possessed the heart of a hero. Idealistic, incredibly naive, stupid, reckless, fearless. This irritation, yet admiration and respect.
Was this how his old instructors and teammates felt when dealing with his past self? He shakes his head, the past doesn't matter; the most important thing right now is getting the three cores of the SURVIVOR V4, with that, not even Red Justice could defeat him. But for now? Arc raises his fist and starts to punch and kick, visualizing fighting the hero.