Location: Kell Village
Time: 7 years after reincarnation, Midday
___
It was a warm summer day, birds flew through the air and the sun's rays beamed down on Kell Village.
Everyone in the village knew each other as it had a very small population. Everyone was happy with their current living situation, though it definitely could be improved.
The village was located near a river that wasn't to far from the village, perfect for collecting water and cooling down on hot days.
A considerable distance from the village was a large flat patch of field, perfect for training. It had a few trees nearby that had a few dents on their trunks, seemingly the result of people constantly being flung towards them.
Then–
An explosion appeared in the training ground, laughter and a loud groan could be heard coming from it.
Inside a small smoldering crater laid an ash-brown-haired 7 year old boy, audible groaning could be heard coming from him.
Standing near the creator was a blonde haired boy who was giggling at him.
"WHAT THE FUCK BRO!?" Omari shouted out while still being in the crater, he clutched his left arm while groaning in pain.
"You good?" Jackson asked, a sly smirk forming on his face.
"Does it look like I'm good?! You threw a fucking grenade at me!" Omari screamed, anger plastered all over his face.
"It's a part of my power, what else do you want me to use?"
Omari looked away, frustration littered in his tone. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"it's not my fault you've been slacking on your training."
Omari turned his head sharply at Jackson. "I've just hit a bump in my development. You have to give me time to cook!"
A smirk appeared on Jackson's face. "All I hear are excuses."
"Shut the fuck up!" Omari shouted.
"I see you guys are still training." A boy with white hair approached the two.
Jackson waved his arm at him. "How's it going Savien? Where's Damian?"
The white haired boy walked toward his two friends. A light breeze brushed through his long hair, causing it to sway lightly.
"The elders of the village asked to speak with him about something, so he'll be busy for a while."
He looked down at Omari who was still in the crater, currently lost in thought. "Did he lose another sparring match with you?"
Jackson bent over, touching his feet as he began doing some stretches. "Yeah, but there seems to be something else wrong with him. I think it has something to do with his motivation, he's only willing to do things if they have an immediate reward."
He raised his arms in the air. "That's not exactly a healthy attitude."
Savien placed a hand on his chin. "Well if that's the case then all we can do is wait until he gets a mentality switch and gains more motivation. We'll just have to help him improve his power."
"Well, his excuse was that he had hit a bump in the development of his power," Jackson said, stretching his arms to the side.
He continued. "Even if we wanted to help him in that aspect, we couldn't. He's the only one who understands how his power actually works."
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it. The way he talks is also strange, although, we are from different realities, so it's to be expected," Savien added, his hand no longer on his chin.
Omari finally snapped out of his deep thought and stood up, still inside the crater, and looked at both of his friends.
He then noticed Savien. "When did you get here?"
Jackson finished his stretches and turned to Omari. "Don't worry about that now, we still have to train some more." He began lowering his hips and raising his arms, getting into a fighting stance.
Omari jumped out of the crater and put his hands in front of himself, shaking them frantically.
"Time out! I need a break!" Omari pleaded.
But it was to late. Jackson lunged forward and punched him.
"No time for breaks, we still have to help you get past that little bump you've hit," Jackson said and he threw another punch at Omari.
Savien decided to sit down nearby and watch the two spar.
___
Some village children were playing tag together, chasing each other around with smiles on their faces and not a care in the world.
Small houses were littered throughout the village, some made from wood and others made partially from sketchy looking concrete.
A cool breeze blew through the village as leaves were gently taken away in the breeze. The wind moved against the black hair of a 7 year old boy as he walked towards an old looking building made from withered wood.
A young boy was lagging behind his friends, sweating pooled on his face as his breath staggered. It seemed like he had neglected drinking water because of how much fun he had been having.
He suddenly felt the pressure of someone standing right behind him. It felt like he was being judged at that very moment, the eyes of the person standing behind him seemingly pierced through his body, observing his soul.
"Are you okay? Do you need some water?" Damian asked, his tone carefully even. His lifeless eyes were fixed onto the boy, assessing him as if he were a threat.
Fear suddenly took control of the boy's body as he froze in place, he didn't know what to do.
" You should go drink some water, you look dehydrated." Damian said while pointing at the nearby well in the center of the village.
The boy slowly turned around and locked eyes with Damian. His aura was very intimidating for someone so young.
The boy began stumbling on his words for a bit before he spoke. "I-I'm fine, t-thank you."
"If you say so." Damian began walking toward the old looking building made from wood.
As he walked, one thought went through his mind, still in his normally flat tone.
"Why was I so awkward back there?"
After a small amount of distance had been created between the two, the boy let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. "He's so scary!"
Damian stood in front of an old wooden house that was situated near the center of the village.
"The Elders Hut" is what the locals called it.
He walked up to the door and knocked on it two times.
"Come in!" The voice of an older man said from inside.
He opened the door and walked inside the building.
"I wonder what they want from me?"
Inside the old house was a large table, there sat four old men who looked closer to death than anything else. Each of the four elderly men had a cup of tea in front of them, steam slowly rose from each cup.
"Please take a seat." One of the old men gestured at Damian to sit down on an open seat that was deliberately left for him.
He closed the door and began making his way toward the open seat, which was the closest to the door.
One of the elders placed their hands on the table and spoke. "Alright let's get down to business. We summoned you here because it's almost time for you and your friends to partake in the Kell Forest Trials."
"I already know this," Damian replied, his tone even.
"We know that, but it's tradition to inform you about the trial," The same elder replied.
He continued. "The trial involves you and your friends joining the hunting squad on an early morning hunt for food in the Kell Forest, which you will catch on your own. This is meant to help us see if you are developing well and aren't slacking on your training."
Another elder spoke up. "After the hunt, you will be allowed the option of either keeping your catch or giving it to the Hunting Squad to take back to the village. Regardless of your decision, the Hunting Squad will head back to the village and you will be left to fend for yourselves in the forest for two weeks. "
Damian raised an eyebrow. "So you're leaving children in a forest for two weeks?"
"We wouldn't do it if we thought you weren't ready for it," The elder replied.
"Have our parents agreed to this?" Damian asked, his tone still even.
"Yes, all your parents have been informed about the trails. Some of them even took part in the trials themselves when they were younger," One of the elders said, his thoughts drifting back to the day Damian's mother came back to the village with four giant boars in her hands.
"Oh, okay... can I leave now?" Damian asked.
All the elders stared at each other, astonished as Damian's lack of interest.
One of them scratched their heads, stumped. "You may leave." he gestured at the door.
Damian stood up from his chair and walked towardbthe door leading outside. His footsteps echoed through the room as he reached the door and opened it.
"We have high hopes for you guys!" One of the elders shouted with enthusiasm.
Damian didn't reply as he walked out and closed the door behind him with a gentle click.
After a short silence, one of the elders spoke up. "Doesn't he remind you of his father?"
"Yep, but... his father never acted like he does," One elder replied.
"Did you see the look in his eyes? They were soulless, devoid of any human emotion." Another elder spoke.
The final elder placed his hand on his chin, pondering. "He has the look of someone who's experienced more trauma than anyone should. It could also just be something he inherited from his father."
"Well whatever it is, it better help him pass the trials."
___
Jackson threw a right jab at Omari, which he deflected.
Omari used the opening to land a right hook on Jackson, causing him to stumble back slightly.
"It seems that you're finally getting your mojo back," Jackson said, wiping sweat off his forehead.
"As I said before, I hit a bump in the development of my power. That caused me to be in head more in order to find a way past it, that's why I've been losing sparring matches against you lately!" Omari said, sweat running down the side of his head.
He curled his hand into a fist and bumped it on his chest. "You've enjoyed your win streak for far too long now." He lunged forward, a punch charging up.
Omari aimed his punch at Jackson's head but Jackson narrowly dodged the attack as he swayed slightly left, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Omari followed up with an elbow towards Jackson's head which connected. Then he followed up with a left hook and a jab to his opponent's head and stomach.
Jackson slid back from the blows, pain surged through his entire body.
He looked at Omari with a giant grin, manifested a grenade, and threw it at him.
Omari easily dodged the grenade and launched himself forward, his arm pulled back, ready to strike.
The grenade detonated behind him as he closed the distance between him and Jackson.
Jackson burst forward as well, hoping to meet his opponent half way as he prepared a high kick meant to make contact with the chest.
"No No Square!" An invisible cube suddenly surrounded Omari, which blocked Jackson's high kick.
"What the—" Confusion plagued Jackson's mind as he tried to figure out how his kick was blocked.
While Jackson was distracted, Omari used the opening to land a gut punch on Jackson.
Jackson staggered backwards, his breathing deep and labored.
Omari saw this and smirked, he opened up his palm and the letter "E" manifested in it.
EEEEE
A beam of E's launched toward Jackson while he was disoriented.
The attack landed, it's force sending Jackson flying. He slid on his side and skidded on the ground, creating a small dust cloud.
"It seems like Omari is improving!" Savien said, he stood up from where he had been sitting.
"FUCK YEAH! I AM THE GOAT!!!" Omari screamed and pumped both his fists in the air.
Jackson laid on the floor, bruises covered most of his body. A smirk formed on his face. "I'm starting to enjoy this! "
He stood up and patted off the dust that had gathered on him, his smirk still on his face. "Don't get too cocky now, Omari."
"Just stay down lil bro, you don't want the smoke." Omari stated, a small teasing smirk appearing on his face.
They both stared each other down, analyzing. Waiting for their opponents next move.
"What's happening here?" A familiar emotionless voice cut through all the tension.
"Oh, it's Damian," Savien said.
Damian walked toward Savien and stood next to him.
Jackson and Omari acknowledged Damian's arrival with a nod before going back to their stare down.
"So who's currently winning?" Damian asked.
"Omari is. It seems like he's gotten more confident in himself, maybe he's got some new move that we don't know about?" Savien answered, his eyes fixed onto the two fighters.
He then looked at Damian. "So what where the elders talking to you about?"
"The Kell Forest Trials," Damian replied, his expression showed just how uninterested he was with what the elders said.
"Don't we already know about the trials?"
"That's what I said."
BOOM
An explosion erupted in the battlefield as Omari slid back a considerable distance with his arms crossed.
Savien pointed at the two fighters. "So do we have to inform them about it or…?"
"I'll tell them later. They seem to be having fun and I don't want to ruin it," Damian replied.
"Biden blast!" Omari screamed as a bright blue light appeared in his palm and shot out toward Jackson.
Jackson manifested a tank and used it as a shield to protect himself from the beam.
The beam penetrated the tank's armor but it didn't have enough power to go through it completely.
"Damn it, I thought I had you!" Omari exclaimed.
"You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to win this." Jackson replied.
The two continued to fight each other and exchanging blows, while Damian and Savien continued talking about the trials.