"Y-You don't have what i-it takes, do you?"
Philip gritted his teeth at his provocation and lashed out, "You bastard!"
Logan's head whipped to the side as Philip kicked him across the face. He rolled across the wet ground until he fell on his back, coughing and laughing. He could not help taking a jab at Philip, a small victory in his harrowing despair.
"Do you think this is some kind of joke?!" Philip raged, stomping towards Logan. "Do you see any of us laughing?!"
At his words, Logan's eyes darted to the other three, taking in their gloomy expressions. Like their leader, they were hesitant, fearful of doing the unthinkable. The world might have changed, but the law was still the law.
Logan was now certain. They did not have the guts to kill him.
"M-Maybe?" Logan laughed in spite of himself. "You would have done it already if you wanted to."
Another kick to the side sent him sliding, adding another broken rib to the count. Groaning and wheezing, Logan supported himself on his elbows and knees, a bloody smile on his face.
"You're right…"
Philip surprisingly agreed, prompting Logan to look over. Rain streamed down his face and soaked his clothes, dripping along the blood that leaked from his numerous wounds.
"I can end you whenever I want…" Philip continued coldly, standing over Logan's kneeling figure. "But ending you too soon would be me showing you mercy. I want you to suffer before you die, Logan. I want you to regret ever thinking you could lord yourself over me!"
Another kick to the guts sent him crashing into another wall. Logan seethed with barely contained rage, wishing he could swap places with the bastard. His situation was too humiliating!
Unwillingness and unbridled rage burned within, the sensation almost physical. With a defiant roar, Logan shot to his feet, pushing through the pain. His limbs shook under the effort of his willpower, but Logan held onto everything he had and threw a punch at Philip.
"Y-You'd have a better chance fucking yourself!"
Philip snickered, making no effort to avoid the blow. Logan knew his punch would amount to nothing. He was barely standing on his feet. His punch had no power to it, but Logan did not care.
Logan's punch landed with the crackle of thunder, and for a brief moment, everything went quiet. The sneer on Philip's lip remained, coldly looking down on Logan's bloody face.
A round of laughs came from the other three morons, the humiliation amplifying the burning sensation in his chest. But then something strange happened, leaving Logan and the others bewildered.
The sneering look on Philip's face slowly disappeared, replaced with a droopy look. His eyes rolled back as he fell to his knees and collapsed.
"Philip!"
The others panicked and rushed forward. But Logan was no longer paying attention to any of them. He blankly stared at his hand, confused and baffled. When his fist met Philip's chest, he felt a rush of energy through his body, almost instantly clearing his clouded consciousness.
"You bastard! What did you do?!"
Jackson bellowed and lashed out, taking Logan by surprise. He snapped out of his dazed state and attempted to sidestep the incoming blow. Sadly for him, he had been out of it and was severely injured.
The blow, a poorly executed uppercut, struck him with a powerful thud. It lifted him a few inches off the ground before slamming onto the hard ground. Logan groaned and shook his head, his consciousness blurring.
"Jackson! We don't have time for this!" One of the others tending to the passed-out Philip called out. "Something is wrong with him. We need to get him out of here!"
The boy directed a heated glare at Logan, anger simmering just below the surface. Despite the agonising pain shooting through his entire body, Logan managed a taunting smirk at the others, enjoying his little victory.
Jackson cursed, glared at Logan with some uncertainty before ultimately rushing towards the others. The three quickly pulled Philip to his feet, supporting him with their shoulders.
However, before they left, Jackson turned to Logan, his teeth clenched. "Logan, you'd better watch your back. You should know who Philip is. If anything happens to him, you'll be done for."
A crackle of thunder ominously accompanied Jackson's warning.
Logan finally collapsed on his back, sprawled across the wet ground. Weakly staring into the dark skies and raindrops, Logan replayed what had happened in his mind. The others might not have noticed what truly happened, but Logan knew it had something to do with him.
He had somehow done something to Philip that drained him of his strength, leading to his passing out. The shocking aspect, however, had been that rush of energy that entered his body through his arm.
'But that bastard is right…' Logan thought grimly. 'Philip might be weak, but his people aren't. They'd likely demand an explanation.'
The last thing Logan needed right now was to end up going to jail. There was also a possibility that something was inherently wrong with Philip, but that was a stretch. Awakened individuals with powers had powerful bodies rarely held back by ailments.
Regularly beating those punks in school was one thing, and putting them in a hospital with an inexplicable condition was another. Knowing the likely future that awaited him, Logan made a decision.
'I have to leave…'
Logan spent a few more minutes getting his breathing stabilised before sitting up, groaning in the process. He touched a few spots on his face and body and winced. His face was swollen, and he had a few broken ribs that needed healing.
'I don't have time.'
After struggling a bit, Logan stood up and looked around. Grimacing every step of the way, he made his way towards the street. With a decision made, there was only one place to go before he left.
The orphanage…
Logan turned 18 a few weeks ago, and today was his awakening. Unfortunately for him, he awoke without powers and was doomed to a life of mediocrity.
Now, however, he wasn't entirely sure. Whatever transpired did not simply award a rush of energy. The clarity of mind he experienced through the contact was not the only thing he felt.
'My body…'