unOrdinary | Inspired Archive

Chapter 5

-"Hey John, wanna meet over at Woaba Boba for a drink? Last day of my suspension, so I think it's well timed." He answered a minute later. That was fast.

-"Yeah, sure, I'll meet you there! I'm about done here. I'm sure you're ecstatic to go back to school, since it'll be filled with gossip about you."

-"Oh yeah, 'ecstatic'. See ya there!" I leave the apartment, locking the door behind me. I enjoy his company, always have. Now I guess I enjoy it more.

I get to Woaba Boba, and enter, sitting at a booth, ordering 2 mangoes. I'll just wait here for him. He said he'd be here in 5-10 minutes.

??? POV

-"Target 93 has entered the building... alone."

-"Copy, Blizzard. Notify us when she leaves, then we can put the plan into action."

-"Where is the boy?"

-"Running errands. This is the time to spring the trap. Teams are being prepped."

-"Copy."

John POV

I take the bus to the closest stop to Woaba Boba, and get off, carrying the few groceries I had picked up. I enter the building and find Sera, who seemed to already have ordered.

-"Ordered without me?"

-"Oh calm down, I got you one too." She hands me a mango.

-"And what if I don't want a mango?"

-"Then you're a liar. You always get mango."

-"Fair point. Lets go back to my apartment. We can drink on the way back."

-"Ok, sounds like a plan." I call over a waitress and ask to pay. She acknowledges, and leaves to return with the bill.

-"You go on and wait outside for me, I'll pay."

-"I mean, I was going to pay, but if you insist..." Sera leaves, taking her drink with her. She starts to pick up some of the groceries, but I prevent her from picking it up, causing a pair of rolling eyes to be a response from her.

Blizzard(?) POV

Looks like the girl is leaving.

-"Target 93 is leaving. Commence the operation. Over and out."

-"Copy that, Blizzard."

This should be easy enough. She just left the building, but she's not going anywhere? Is she waiting for someone? Who could she be possibly waiting fo— no. A boy leaves the building as well. They exchange laughs and head on their way. That can't be him. They said he was— I shake my anger away. This will prove to be a complication. This is what happens when they don't give a description on their targets. Getting info on a need-to-know basis is bullsh*t. I'd say his appearance is pretty important.

John POV

-"Are you sure you don't need any help, John?"

-"Sera, I told you, I've got it."

-"Okayy, if you say so." We start to walk back to my apartment when I notice someone following us. She'd been following us for a while, but I dismissed it as coincidence. Now, we had just passed a bus stop, and there were no major buildings anymore. My suspicions only increased when she called out to us.

-"Excuse me! Sorry to bother you, but it seems I've left my phone at home, would you mind telling me what the time is?" Sera didn't seem too bothered by it, aside from the fact it was an inconvenience. Sera starts to bring out her phone, and the lady begins to ramble on.

Suddenly, something weird happens. A flash of light hits us, and she drops her phone.

-"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry it's cracked!"

-"It's fine, and it's 2:30 by the way." Sera was a little ticked, I could tell, but I think by now she could also tell something was off. The lady went off rambling about a project or whatever. Sera was courteous enough to pay attention, but I was focused on trying to find the source of that weird light. The lady ran off, and Sera and I started walking back towards my apartment.

-"They was weird, huh, John?"

-"Yeah..." It's then I notice that Sera seems weaker. Her aura isn't as flamboyant as it usually is. Additionally, my passive's range has been diminished. Does it have to do with the light?

"Hey, Sera, do you feel wea—." I'm cut off by a loud engine revving. I turn around, seeing it coming towards us at 40 mph. I start to cash out too Sera, but she's distracted. A headache? Without time to warn her, I activate my ability, calling on Sera's. I freeze time, and I feel instant pain. Her ability feels very weak. Weaker than it should be, even if she hasn't used it in a while. I panic, and try to think fast. I try to amplify it the same way I do with every ability, enlarging my aura as large as it can go. I can't hold the freeze for much longer, and I use her ability to tackle her away from the van. I let myself take the brunt of the collision against the ground, time unfreezes, the van comes to an abrupt stop, trapping us in an alleyway, and the recoil damage from over amplifying her ability hits me hard. My entire body is exploding with pain, and I spit out blood. I collapse to the ground.

-"John?!" She cries out. People come pouring out of the van, and immediately I sense something wrong. She does as well. She shifts her attention from me to those in front of her.

-"Hey, are you two alright?"

-"Let us help you!"

-"Here, let me help!" All these requests to help are ploys. Sera responds.

-"No thank you. Next time drive more carefully."

-"Sorry! Let us repay you, let us take you two to a hospital, just to make sure you're alright!" A lady grabs Sera's arm, to which Sera promptly removes.

-"Please leave us, wet don't need your help."

-"We just want to make sure you're okay." Suddenly I sense something appearing behind Sera. She doesn't notice it. My ability is weakened. What is this? The power belongs to a person, who appears behind Sera and pulls out a syringe. Sh*t. I get up, activate Isen's ability, and catch the persons arm. Sera notices, and her eyes widen. I pinpoint a spot, and punch it, prompting a gasp of pain. I feel the recoil damage from using an ability. I then activate Blyke's ability, and blast a shot right through this person's chest. I immediately regret it, and feel more pain surging throughout my body. He or she collapses against the wall, but before I can do anything, the person disappears as quickly as they appeared.

I turn to Sera, who had turned to me and was focused on my fight. Suddenly, someone comes up from behind her and pulls out a knife. Too weak to do anything more, all I can do is watch the knife plunge into her side. She gasps, as turns towards the group. She pulls out the knife, holding it in a reverse grip, while gritting her teeth. She quickly dispatches of the low-mid tier group, and helps me up, still clutching her wound and knife. Why didn't she rewind it? Can she not? We're both so weak right now. Why?

Sera activates her ability, and we run back to my apartment, leaving the attackers behind. We enter my apartment, and Sera is visibly winded. She is gasping for air, groaning at her wound. This wound is bad, if she's in pain. Still in pain from recoil, I spit out more blood.

-"Sh*t. What was that?" I ask, and Sera looks at me weakly.

-"I don't know." Sera takes several quick deep gasps of air, and groans. She tries to make her way to the couch. She starts to pull out her phone, and I get up in pain to try to help her.

She suddenly drops the knife, followed by the thump of her phone hitting the ground.

Sera then collapses to the floor.

"Peace is a Phoenix, Rises from its own Ashes."
-Suraj Nagendra