Arcadia Zero

Chapter Four: Readyman

Chapter Four: Readyman

They're doing it again. They won't go away. They won't leave me alone. Why? What did I do to deserve this? Why are they doing this to me? I was hunched over in the classroom, kneeling on the floor, gripping my hands over my head. The girls continued to pinch and kick me, making me jolt with every strike. "She's pathetic," one of the girls hissed. "She won't even try to fight back. Seriously, how low can you get?"

One of the other girls kicked me in the thigh, leaving a purple bruise behind. "Yeah, what a parasite. All she can do is suck off everyone else like a leech. I thought Espers were supposed to be powerful and scary, but you're just a weakling." Tears burned my cheeks. "Please...stop it...just leave me alone." The girl scoffed. "Yeah, right. Why should we?" She squeezed a clump of my brown hair in her fist and tugged back hard, sending shooting pain down my scalp. I screamed as they cackled. Why won't anyone help me?

I wanted to beat them so badly, they'd never dare to come near me again. I wanted their blood. I wanted to kill them. I couldn't control myself any longer. An icepick-like pain stabbed into my head as my green eyes flared up, now burning an intense red. I squeezed my fist, and one of the girls' arms got twisted back by an unseen force. A sickening crack filled the air as she let out an agonizing scream. The other girl was stunned. She staggered back, shaking all over. "You...you're a monster!"

I wasn't finished yet. I clenched my fists, causing every window in the classroom to shatter. Glass shards littered the floor. I gazed at the remaining bully, red eyes burning. She quivered in terror. But before I could finish her off, a horde of teachers and other school faculty stormed in, including my parents. "Chizuru!" my mother shouted. "Stop it right now!" The red faded from my eyes. I blinked, tears welling up. "But...but, Mother..."

She wasn't having it. She and my father escorted me out into the parking lot, where I was promptly and harshly scolded. I could only imagine what punishment they had in store for me. Would they lock me in the closet again, where the monsters waited to eat me? Meanwhile, my parents whispered to each other, muttering horrible things. "I told you we should have gotten rid of her a long time ago," my mother said. "That girl isn't even human. She's the destruction of humanity, like all those other Espers. What's going to happen when she gets older?"

Why? I thought. Why did I have to be born a monster? What good is this power anyway? A car pulled up. "Charlie's here," my father said. "He's worked with Espers for years. If anyone can get Chizuru under control, it's him." A man in an olive-green army jacket exited the car. He had long, tangled red hair and a matching beard, and thick-rimmed glasses covered his green eyes. He approached me and knelt down without fear. "Hi there, you must be Chizuru. My name is Charlie, I'm a friend of your father's. I'm here to help you."

He reached out for a handshake, but I stepped back. "Don't touch me!" I warned. "If you touch me...I might hurt you." Charlie smiled. "Nonsense, a little girl like you isn't going to hurt me." He gently patted my head. "I know your power may seem like a curse, but you are the future, Chizuru. With your ability, you can do many great things." I sniffled. "What good could I do? I can only hurt people with my power."

Charlie shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. You can't be afraid of your ability. You have to embrace it. I'll help you learn to control your power. I'm going to teach you how to use your power for good, to help people and protect the ones you love."

My eyes flashed open. What a weird dream, I thought. I didn't really remember what happened last night. Last thing I remember was dropping off Takumi Tanaka at the Broken Heroes Cafe, and we stuck around for a bit and drank alcohol. After nearly drowning in a bubble, a few stiff drinks were in order. A few dozen, that is. But I still hoped Takumi was okay. I winced at a sharp, stabbing pain in my head. My throat was parched. Typical hangover.