Chapter 151: A Deadly Storm

Chapter 151: A Deadly Storm

Joe must now purge the brainwashing from within his own mind.

Joe stands on the beach, staring out at the ocean. Above him, the clouds begin to darken, shifting into an ominous gray. The waves grow violent, crashing harder against the shore.

“It’s starting to look bad,” Joe mutters.

He turns and heads toward his home, a simple two-story house for the average family. As he approaches, the wind picks up and rain begins to fall. He rushes inside.

“Hello! Anyone home?”

“We’re all in here,” his mother calls.

Joe steps into the living room. His mother, with long amber-colored hair, stands beside his father, who has short brown hair and a beard. His older brother, who has short amber hair and a bit of facial hair, is nearby, along with his little sister, whose brown hair reaches the middle of her back.

“The weather is starting to look bad outside,” Joe says.

“It is, isn’t it?” his mother replies.

“Ah, it’s just a little rain,” his father says dismissively.

A sudden gust of wind slams into the house. The lights flicker.

“Clearly, it’s more than that,” his brother says.

Moments later, the power goes out.

“Oh no!” his sister cries.

“It’s still no big deal,” his father insists.

A much stronger gust of wind crashes into the house.

“Are you sure about that!?” his brother shouts.

“This isn’t an ordinary storm!” Joe yells.

“What should we do!?” his mother asks.

Before anyone can move, the wind roars violently and rips the roof off the house. The windows shatter, and they watch as the pieces of the roof blow across the yard.

“This can’t be happening!!” his brother screams.

“Take cover somewhere!!” Joe shouts.

The wind surges again, completely wiping away the second floor, leaving everyone exposed to the elements on the first floor. Within seconds, everyone except Joe is lifted into the air.

“Help!!” his mother screams.

“Save me!!” his sister cries.

“No way!!” his brother yells.

“This can’t be!!” his father shouts.

“I need to use my magic to combat the storm!” Joe shouts.

He sprints out of the nearly destroyed house and back toward the beach. All around him, homes are torn apart, people lifted from the ground and swept into the storm.

“How do I stop this!?” Joe shouts. “Freeze the air and ocean, which would remove the tropical moisture that strengthens the storm? It’s worth a try.”

Before he can act, a fist made entirely of wind slams into him, knocking him off his feet.

“What was that!?” Joe gasps.

“Hmhmhm! Accept me!”

Joe looks up. Riding the violent winds above him is another Joe.

“You’re me!!?” Joe shouts in shock.

“I am the side of you that desires power,” the evil Joe says. “Throw all of this away and accept that you are an Enigmus.”

“No!” Joe shouts. “Give me my family back!”

“That won’t be necessary,” the evil Joe replies. “Accept me and be able to win a fight against anybody!”

Joe clutches his own head. “No! I won’t! I may be an Enigmus, but I won’t lose sight of who I am!!!”

Using the wind, Joe launches himself into the air toward his other self. He unleashes a furious barrage of weather-infused punches and kicks, hammering into the evil Joe. With a final roar, Joe slams both arms down onto his opponent’s back. The impact sends the evil Joe crashing into the ocean below.

***

Joe’s mind snaps back to reality. The vivid blue shading at the edges of his eyes fades away.

“Ah, so you are finally back with us?” Emily says.

Joe rubs his forehead. “Yeah…”

“So are you ready to go?” Kurt asks.

“I need to get payback on that bastard scientist,” Joe says. “I won’t lose to him again.”

“Okay then,” Kurt replies. “Let’s continue. Hopefully, we will also find my father without much trouble.”

With Joe freed from the brainwashing, all the heroes are back in action.

Chapter 151 END
To be Continued in Chapter 152: Keith vs Subject 7