7.3 - The Most Infamous Abnormal

Ener-G cackled as the plasma roared in his palms.

He shot his arms in two directions and fired both plasma beams—one at an angle towards Madi and Marcus, and the other at Sami.

A vile smile curved on Ener-G's face. "So, this is what being a villain feels like!? This is the power we can have—That ALL Abnormals can have over Normals! Now, I will make you see the power of the Science Division! The true power of—"

I pushed myself off the ground and launched a double trajectory from both my hands—blowing off the glove in my left hand.

I soared through the air at the fastest possible speed I could muster. I grabbed Ener-G's left arm pointing at Madi and Marcus.

"W-What the—" Ener-G gasped, "How did you—?! What are yo—?!"

I wrapped my right leg around his neck and kicked at his arm pointed at Sami.

The beam meant for her ended at the ground just before it shot out, and it dragged to the right before incinerating three box cars. The trio of explosions caused a column of fire and smoke to stretch into the air.

Ener-G and I stumbled forward.

I forced his left arm to point down, and its plasma beam destroyed the base of the crane holding Madi and Marcus, who screamed as they fell with the rest of it.

I couldn't see where they landed behind a row of two boxcars.

The metal on Ener-G's armor heated up at the spots where I held on to him, but I didn't wince or pull away from the melting gauntlets. Instead, I tightened my grip and remembered—

His power...is plasma-based...

Plasma is made of...

Ions...

Neutral particles...electrons...positive and negative ions...

Always in motion...

Always present...

Moving around in a chaotic movement...

To create...

Ener-G's left gauntlet suddenly illuminated in a blinding glow of violet light, as I forced every particle—every electron and ion—to congregate around my hands as I squeezed.

In one motion, I kicked at Ener-G's elbow just as an explosion of supercharged plasma exploded where my hands held his forearm—destroying it.

"AAAAGHH?!!? AAAAAAGGGHH!!!" Ener-G screamed at the top of his lungs as the sudden burst of power sent him flying.

I fell onto the gravel.

Purple streaks of lightning shot out in all directions from where Ener-G and I separated. I stared forward as he crashed into the ground nearby.

I felt myself get back on my feet, and I again pushed off the ground with a double trajectory—appearing next to Ener-G in seconds.

"GAAAAHHH! AAAH! AAAAAGGHHH!!"

He writhed and bellowed in excruciating pain, as he looked at his now obliterated, melted forearm, then to me. He tried using his right arm to crawl away. His once arrogant, show-off attitude was now reduced to terror and desperation.

"G-G-G-GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME—AAH?!?"

I grabbed his right leg, dragged him towards me—crushing the armor protecting his shin—and got on top of his chest.

He tried to shield his helmet with his right hand, but I slapped his arm away, enhanced by a curving trajectory, and heard the crack of his wrist breaking.

"AAAGGH!!! S-Stop...!" he pleaded. "S-S-STOP! I-I surrender! I—"

I punched at his helmet once.

Then again.

Then again.

And again.

And again, and again.

With every punch, another piece of his shiny white and gold helmet broke off.

With every punch, I remembered everything he did to hurt me—injuring and insulting me, hurting my friends, threatening the Normals, mocking my power...my power.

With every punch, I allowed my dormant rage to flow.

Once more.

Twice more.

The left side of his head was now completely exposed, and I saw his face—now washed with a mixture of dirt, swollen bruises, and blood. His once-fine-kept hair fared no better; demeaned with his own blood in its strands.

But I didn't care.

This insect was nothing to me.

Yes, the voice in my head agreed. That's what "it" was. And what does that mean to you?

He was but an ant to my boot.

An astute observation, Vector. And what do you think of "its" soul then?

A life that never deserved to exist.

Very good. Very good! Then "its" life was unworthy from the start! Unworthy of preservation!

And so I wanted to extinguish it—

RIGHT NOW!

"P-Please, J-Ja...cen," Ener-G begged, his right cheek swollen from my punches. Tears ran down his exposed eye and mixed with the dirt and blood. "I-I s-surrender, p-please...S-Stop. P-Ple—"

I grabbed his throat—still covered in armor—with my left hand, and I leaned my right knee on his cauterized elbow where his forearm had been.

His gaze rose to the sky as he felt even more pain. "AAAAAAGGHH!!!"

I felt a wide smile on my face. His suffering pleased me.

Finally, I raised my right hand, casting a shadow over his face thanks to the train yard lights.

The voice returned. Offer him to me, Vector. Do it now!

I stared down at its feeble, pathetic face.

The insect tried to move its right arm, but it couldn't. I broke it, and it made me happy.

All it could do was shake its head, pleading for my mercy.

I lowered my head to make sure I was above its own head.

The smile never faded from my face.

"Ah," I began. "So, this is what it feels like to be a villain." I brought my right hand next to its exposed head. "You think I am a monster? Well then, perhaps you are right."

I moved my right hand closer to its face, eager to see the inside of its annoying, white-haired cranium.

"...Ah...Aaah...!" the insect whimpered. "A-AAAHH!! H-Help! S-Somebody, p-please—!"

I was just a few millimeters from tearing its face when something sparked at the corner of my eye.

I reacted in time and raised my right hand to see a blob of cyan light, and I was knocked off my prey. But I rolled twice on the gravel, recovered instantly, and stood firm.

Who dared to disturb my kill? It was—

Her.

...Elaina.

"E-...El-...Ela...?" I managed, recognizing her.

She didn't say a word; only stared at me with a frightened, pale expression on her face. The Magician waved her hands and cast another Spell.

Two cyan mists enhanced with small tails of fire danced toward me.

I never took my eyes off her as I waved both my arms in response, feeling the heat around me, and dissipated the mist separating us.

How could she? I thought. How could she attack me?! Elaina?! ATTACK...ME?!

I grabbed at the ground with my hands and sprinted to her quickly using all four limbs to drag and push myself forward. I kicked off the gravel and soared at her with my right arm stretched out, aimed at her terrified face.

But instead of dodging or casting another Spell, Elaina reached at her left side for something—her Spellbook!

Just as I was about to touch her tear-stricken face, she sidestepped out of the way and raised the Spellbook in her hands.

My eyes followed it.

Its outer cover was just as spotless as the day I found it. In fact, I now noticed its cover somehow had new rune-like symbols on it as—

Elaina brought down her arms, shut her eyes, and wacked me in the face with the Spellbook.

Everything went black.