Clyde grinned. “You're one heck of an actor, Jet, but you are not going to fool me so easily. When asked what was wrong, you opened your mouth then closed it again. You hesitated…something you never do with me when your problems are because of her.”
Now Jet was beginning to understand. Clyde was playing with him. The very second he asked Jet if it was her, he had it all planned. Should Jet answer him with no, Clyde would’ve asked more questions on what it had been, but should Jet say it was her, he’d know that Jet was hiding something.
Jet grinned, to Clyde’s displeasure. While it had all been a successful attempt at psyching him out and finding how deep a secret Jet had borne in his mind, Jet had already planned on his friend doing something like this.
Unfortunately for his friend, Jet had a retort saved, just in case Clyde tried to psyche him out. “So tell me,” Jet began with a smirk, "why are you so late in getting to school?”
Jet watched in amusement as Clyde forcefully widened his eyes. “I’m late?” he asked in an overly-forced, horrified tone.
Jet laughed. “Clyde, unlike me, you’re a horrible actor…”
Clyde only stared in wonder. H-he’s laughing?
Jet stopped laughing as he caught his friend’s stare and looked back seriously. “Besides, you’re not the type of person who doesn’t know the time. You don't get perfect attendance for nothing.”
Clyde cringed as Jet continued, “So tell me… why do I get the feeling you weren’t waiting here just to meet me?” After receiving a hesitating grin from his friend, Jet spoke again. “What aren’t you telling me, Clyde?”
Clyde looked away awkwardly from his friend’s suspicious gaze. “You’re so weird at times. What makes you say I know something you don’t?” He smiled mischievously. “Even if I do, you have your secrets, and I have mine. It seems fair.”
An impressive comeback. He quickly read Jet’s counter and then countered that counter by saying, “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Though Jet doubted greatly that his involvement in Clyde’s secret would be more costly than the involvement he would put Clyde into, and that counter, although brilliantly thought up, had a fault.
Jet folded his arms and gave a light glare. “And you actually think I don’t know what the secret involves,” he said, almost offended, Clyde’s figure becoming tense as he spoke his next words. “The fact that you’re not rushing for school tells me that the secret itself has to do with school.”
Clyde opened his mouth to speak, but Jet interrupted. “And before you say you still won’t tell, keep in mind I don’t need you to.” Jet turned his back to his friend. “I’ll go myself and see with my own eyes.”
It was then Jet heard the horrified cry of his friend, “No, Jet, wait!” Clyde caught Jet’s shoulder and spun him around. “You can’t go over there right now.” What was with those eyes? They seemed so desperate—so scared.
An awkward silence fell upon the two. Clyde watched in concern as his friend’s gaze fell to the ground.
There was only one person capable of causing that much dread to Clyde’s eyes. His friend was once strong and confident, as well, but there was one person that had besmirched his name.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Clyde’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’ll never forget what he did to you.” Clyde’s gaze softened as he recalled the humiliating and painful defeat he experienced. “What…happened to you because of me…”
“Stop right there!” Clyde yelled, causing Jet to give a little jolt in surprise. “That wasn’t your fault. That was my battle to fight. I wanted so badly for things to return the way they were—for you to return the way you once were, and yet I failed to win by their terms.”
“Regardless…” Jet’s gaze rose back to Clyde as he shot a determined gaze. “As of today, I will make up for that incident.”
Clyde stood there speechless—half because of the amazing difference he saw in Jet’s attitude and the other half because of the tone in his voice. A part of him, a small, tiny part, thought Jet was going to face Electro alone. But that was absurd! Even Jet had his limits.
However, to Clyde’s great bewilderment, Jet had turned his back to him once more. Clyde had only been able to grab the back of his shirt and pull gently before Jet had walked away. “Wait!” he beckoned. “You aren’t seriously planning—"
Jet did not fight off Clyde’s pull. He bent his head back down and breathed a reply. “I must do this, Clyde. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but this is something I feel I have to do.”
"Why!" Clyde screamed in frustration. “Just what is it you’re trying to prove? I told you back then that I had your back, and I meant it!”
Jet pulled himself away from Clyde’s grip, pivoting back as he faced Clyde once more. His friend’s gaze pleaded with him not to go through with it—horrified at the thought of Jet turning and running from his attending side. “You can’t keep fighting my trials. They’re mine to bear…not yours.”
Clyde performed an involuntary reach for his friend as he saw Jet begin to run. Jet soon stopped, his back still facing his only friend. “Should I fall, though, I’ll depend on you to pick me back up.”
When Jet had approached the school, he gazed at the sight before him in disapproval. The mechanical gates that were usually kept closed during school hours were malfunctioning by an unknown neon blue surge; knowing Electro’s power, Jet believed this was the bully’s doing.
Electro had blonde hair with dyed-brown streaks in front and grassy green eyes. He was a bit chubby, but most of it was muscle. He had a black shirt that he tore, causing it to look sleeveless and showing his big muscles as a warning, and black jeans that he ripped until they reached to his knees.
By now, there were only three people left in line. Based on the bright-orange and ruby-red markings on their faces, Jet gathered they were twelve years of age. (See “The World of Nebulan.”) He narrowed his eyes in disgust. The nerve of that guy! It was bad enough that he bullied classmates, but to fight children who had no Gift themselves, that was lower than low!
After seeing a boy try to run past, Electro jumped in front of him and kneed his stomach. A prideful smirk rose on his lips as the kid wheezed for air, his arms curled across his stomach in response. “Nice try, shrimp. Either fork up the cash or give me your lunch. You ain't going nowhere till you do either two.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” Jet’s voice growled from Electro’s left. Electro turned toward the sound, having to confirm those angered words came from him. His eyes fixated on Jet's gaze. The difference he saw was extraordinary. The Jet he knew before today always looked down when present, but now Jet was looking straight at him, glaring in an intense passion.
Electro gave a slight breath of laughter before letting out a chuckle of amusement. “Well, if it isn’t our infamous geek-mute. I gotta say, that look of yours is something else.” He grinned as Jet glowered from the title given. “I’m glad you came. Aren’t you glad I left the gate open for ya?”
Jet’s gaze flared in anger. There was that name again: geek-mute. A name especially invented for his quirk. Electro decided one day that it wasn’t enough for him to be ostracized like a geek would, that he was a geek with a deficiency and his title reminded him of this truth every time a person used it.
Rather than buckle under this oppression, he used his annoyance in the word as a tool to stoke the fires of his hatred. Both that, and Electro’s arrogance helped Jet easily speak his mind. “Still think you’re king of the world, don’t you?” he spat out. Electro smiled egotistically in response. “But it’s only a matter of time until someone knocks you off your throne!”
Electro gave a raise of his brow. “Oh? And just who’s gonna try to?” he asked.
Jet stared into the flickering eyes of the bully. His eyes closed, then opened as a smile rose on his lips. “Tell you what. Why don’t we make a little deal?”
Electro raised a brow out of interest.
“Who ever
gets KO’d first loses the bet.”
Electro grinned in delight. “I never knew you were masochistic,” he teased. “So it’s a Power Battle then. What are the outcomes after battle?”
“If I win, you drop this 'line of work' once and for all!”
“And if I win?” Electro asked in great interest.
Jet gave Electro a roll of his eyes. “Then you get to knock me out. Isn’t that enough?” he asked rhetorically.
Electro smiled, realizing that this battle was truly the most suicidal thing Jet could think of. Not that he cared! Bustin’ Jet’s face in sounded like enough. “Alright then.”
The two stood face to face, the other three pre-teens watching in horror at the turn of events. Jet gave a smug smile, earning a furious stare. I’ve got to keep provoking him… “Well, morons first.”
Electro’s eyes widened in fury, “What did you say?” he asked incredulously and ferociously.
Jet just looked back, despite the danger he was in. “You heard me. You strike first. Don’t worry, I doubt you can hit me.”
That did it. As planned, Electro charged angrily toward him with his ultimate attack—and loudest attack. Almost instantly, Electro struck his stomach.
Electro just barely heard the last words of Jet through the screeching bolts surging from his fist. “I win.”
The bolt sent the boy flying a good thirty yards back. It was his greatest attack, no doubt, using his bolt of electricity to launch Jet into a great velocity and his brute strength to knock out and disable Jet the conscious mind to land in a safe position
*******
Chapter 2
Broken Promises
Stay away from that thing! Clyde gritted his teeth as the students' sneers came back to him. He doesn’t have a Gift. Lord Adonai must hate him! He’ll hate you, too, if you continue to be friends with him!
Clyde hated everyone attending Jet’s class. How could you? How could any of you be so cruel! He was enraged at the fact that the close friends Jet had in his life could just turn away from him.
They were scum in his eyes. If God were to hate anyone, it would be you! The group had left, and it only had been the two of them. Clyde could remember clearly the teenager weeping from all the hurtful words spoken.
I’m not hated! I’m not bad! I…just…can’t be! I-It’s not fair.
That image of his friend weeping on his knees never left his mind. It was engraved into him, scarred against his very being. He followed Jet quietly, watching from the sidelines as he charged for Electro. Why would he do something so stupid? Why provoke such a beast as Electro?
Electro didn’t take too kindly to those who underestimated him, and yet Jet was talking down to him as if begging for the strongest attack. But why? It didn’t make sense. His eyes widened. Unless…
Jet was not a fan of spiteful violence, never was. Clyde doubted seriously that he had intended to fight Electro by means of physical strength. No. Jet had something up his sleeve. The question left was, what was that something?
Well, if Jet were to want Electro’s ultimate attack, what benefits would it bring about? To describe it briefly, it was bright, hurt like crap, and was obnoxiously loud—so loud that it probably was heard through the whole town.
The whole school! Clyde’s eyes widened as he found his answer. That stupid moron. It was a silent cry for help. Jet was going to use Electro’s attack as an SOS alert. He had no intention whatsoever of evading the bully’s blow. He was actually going to sacrifice his well being for the kids in line.
By now, Clyde heard the screeching volts of Electro’s attack. He quickly looked toward the fight and dashed out in front of the incoming Jet. He winced at their impact; it had felt as if a bowling ball came crashing at his stomach. He wheezed for a moment as his back fell toward the ground. You…moron….
Despite the pain in his stomach, Clyde was glad he intervened with the nasty fall Jet was to receive. He gently moved Jet to the side and rose to his feet to speculate the damage Electro had inflicted.
After seeing no fatal injuries and only an unconscious Jet, Clyde whirled around to Electro. “What is your problem! He has been given no Gift, and you still attack him! And to use that move…” He called it his Slug Striker, a move that sends his opponents flying at break-neck speeds if struck. After Electro did that trick on Clyde himself, the teachers had prohibited him from using it ever again.
Electro just smirked in victory. “Aw, what's the matter, dragon-boy? This bringing back memories?”
Clyde glowered in fury. “I don’t care if you are a bully. No Nebulanian should be this cruel!!”
Electro just scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “Please…He’s the animal,” he hissed. “But I guess you still can’t see that.”
“I don’t need to be told that from the likes of you!” Clyde snarled in disgust. “Jet hasn’t hurt anyone, and yet you…” Clyde shook his head profusely, glaring at the unaffected Electro. “Jet’s stronger than you could ever hope to be!”
Electro gave another one of his aggressive grins. He felt no guilt, only amusement in hearing Clyde’s angry ramble. He stifled a laugh from Clyde’s declaration of Jet being stronger. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Clyde. As you can see clearly, I’m standing and he’s the one on the ground.” Electro smirked pride fully. “He was spouting the same kinda' nonsense right after I hit him. Saying he won just before passin’ out…” Electro cackled at the thought. “You two must be so pathetic that you need to lie to yourself to get by another day.”
His laughter soon came to an abrupt stop, though, as he felt a cold, hard hand on his shoulder. Electro’s eyes went wide as he turned to see a woman with long, chestnut-brown hair, glaring, lime-green eyes, and white markings.
“He may not have won the Power Battle,” he heard Clyde say as Electro stared at the woman in fear. “But things turned out exactly as he planned.”
The woman’s voice was high pitched and very strict. She wore a white nurse's outfit, glaring at him in disapproval. “Electro Shox!”
“C-Chiyu?” he gasped in surprise.
The nurse narrowed her eyes. “Not very bright, are you?” she snapped. “Using your loudest move…” Chiyu grabbed hold of Electro’s earlobe, earning a pained yelp in response. “I should have known you were the cause behind the children's absences.” She started to yank his ear. “And you will address me as Mrs. Fujo! Is that clear?”
The nurse’s gaze met the children. The tear-filled eyes of the three almost broke her heart. She stepped aside from the door, dragging the bully by his earlobe. “Children.” The leftover children ran inside in response to the nurse’s gesture, the bully flailing and yelping pitifully beside her.
Just before she dragged Electro to the door, a voice called to the slightly agitated nurse. “Mrs. Fujo!” Clyde’s voice called from behind her.
She stopped in response to the voice. “Yes, Clyde?” she answered while turning to face the pleading eyes he bore.
“What about Jet? He needs your help, too,” Clyde stated, gesturing with his eyes to the unconscious boy on the ground.
This confirmed it—the fact that Jet was willing to take a huge, devastating blow from the bully just to assure the children’s safety proved that he was no monster. Clyde could only hope that the nurse could see that as well.
Chiyu’s eyes followed Clyde’s own to see the struck-down student. She gasped as her eyes grew wide in surprise and concern. “Oh, my! What happened to him?" Realization soon dawned on her expression. “Electro,” she growled as she turned to see him looking away stubbornly. Her eyes widened in horror. Her white markings flashed slowly as she closed her eyes and performed what Nebulanians call Sacred Speech.
Principal, am I within range?
A woman’s voice answered. Fujo? Did you find out what made that noise?
Yes, it was Electro, as we expected. More importantly, a student got hurt by the attack. What is even worse is that this student has no Gift to defend the attack. I
need to take him to my infirmary as soon as possible, but I have Electro to deal with.
Got ya. And I suppose you need someone to take care of the bully?
Yes.
Just a sec. Help’s on the way.
Chiyu’s markings dimmed to their usual color, and in a matter of minutes during their conversation, Clyde had successfully brought a stretcher to the nurse.
Just as soon as Clyde came back, a mysterious man in a black jacket and jeans took Electro from her hands, bowing his head toward Chiyu before escorting the struggling Electro to the Principal's office with an otherworldly ease.
Clyde followed Fujo’s every step from the moment she picked Jet up and placed him on a stretcher, wheeling him away. He spoke quietly, still feeling an unexplained chill from the encounter with the man in the black jacket. “So…who was that guy…who came for Electro? I’ve never seen his face before.”
By now, they were walking in the cleared hallways that led toward the infirmary. “That’s because he’s not from our northern Sphere. He’s actually from the western Sphere, Falia.” she explained. “Creepy, isn’t he?”
Clyde blinked at that. So it wasn’t just him. She was unnerved by his presence, too.
She continued to speak as they made their way down the hall. “All the Falians have this weird vibe to them—like they’re not Nebulanian, like they’re something… other. I guess that’s why Falia’s now named the Land of Beasts.” She fought a shiver. “But they’re the best Nebulanians to have as an ally in a fight. So I suppose they were necessary in escorting the princess here safely,” she explained, the boy stopping in his tracks.
Clyde spoke after noticing Chiyu turn to face him in concern. “She…you mean to say the princess has returned?” he asked, receiving a nod from Chiyu in response.
“Yes, which is partially the reason we didn’t realize the conflict going on outside.” Chiyu explained apologetically.
She gave a few glances to the boy before speaking up. “You should be heading to class now.” After seeing his quick change from awe to concern, she gave a soft, reassuring smile. “I’ll take good care of your friend. I promise.”
Setting Sun Vol. I [Teaser] Page 3