Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
At the martial arts school
Master Zhang Wei stood behind Diana and blindfolded her.
"Remind me why are we doing this again?" Diana inquired.
"You still have to master your senses, one of them being hearing. Therefore to master hearing, you need to practice this exercise until you have fully mastered it."
He attempted to hit her on the left side of her face from behind while holding the stick. She cocked her head to the right when she felt the onslaught coming. He then repeated the process but in the opposite direction.
She cocked her head once more to the right as the stick passed. He then moved around her and attempted to strike her in the chest after deciding his next attack. She dropped herself into a limbo dance position as soon as she recognized the source of the attack. Since Diana was doing this exercise efficiently, he turned things up a notch to challenge her. Therefore, he performed a sweep kick to knock her off her heels.
Diana questioned why she couldn't hear the swinging stick's waft. Fortunately, thanks to her excellent hearing, she listened to his leg swivel through the mattress. She leaped over his leg once she sensed the attack.
He then increased his stick swings' pace once she touched down. She dodged the blows with precise skill and lightning speed. From Zhang Wei's point of view, it appeared as though her body was moving on its own. He was happy with her development and knew her training would be over if she kept doing this skillfully. Well, in terms of her hearing abilities.
Suddenly, she lost concentration as a plague of memories clouded her judgment. Mr. Maynard's words kept playing like a tape in her mind.
"Your song was unsuccessful and received many bad reviews on YouTube, Spotify, and Tunecore. This is the fourteenth unsuccessful song that you have released. At this rate, If this trend continues, we might be forced to pull the plug and release you."
She was outraged as she thought about those remarks. She was upset and wondered why life kept throwing curveballs at her. All she wished for in life was to follow her passion for music as a career. It seems as though life wanted to prevent her from unleashing all of her potential.
Soaking up her frustrations was not the solution, as she would drop her guard and be hit in the face from the side by the stick. The force of that attack caused her to fall to the mattress, where she remained immobile and looked up at the ceiling.
Standing beside her, Zang Wei clapped his hands to get her attention. Instead, she continued to stare at the ceiling and said nothing. He massaged his face with his hands as he moaned in irritation, "You have dropped your guard once more," he said with disappointment.
He sat down and crossed his legs, "Tell me, what is the problem this time? You had the cat in the bag."
For a brief moment, she directed her gaze at him. He extended his arm at her. She grabbed him, and in turn, he pulled her back from the mattress, and she sat upright.
"Why is life so unfair?" She inquired.
"Life is not fair to everyone, dear. Not even the animals are spared from its barbarity," he answered.
She lowered her head and glanced at the mattress. She traced her palm across the mat with her right forefinger while he observed.
"Tell me, what is the matter?"
A tear-stained her left cheek while she placed her hands on her face to expunge it. She didn't want to expose her vulnerability to him since it would make her seem weak. However, she couldn't hold the anguish that was burning inside her and vented out.
"Mr. Maynard, my boss told me my fourteenth song was a flop," she chuckled, even though this was serious.
"He said that if this trend continued, I might be released. If so, how will I put food on the table? Maybe my dad was right; I was just being too ambitious. I should have just pursued law instead."
He raised his finger and spoke, "No! You weren't being too ambitious. Never doubt your dreams. You have them for a reason!"
She looked at him in shock. It was astonishing to see someone at her corner, supporting her.
"Diana, you must understand that you will face setbacks."
"But haven't I faced enough setbacks, Master?"
"When it comes to following your dreams. You will always have setbacks. They will pile up like a stack of paper. Most importantly, you shouldn't give up on your dreams, even when there's nothing left to hope for. Here is my advice. Go back to that studio and record the fifteenth song."
She rubbed her hand on her forehead again, "what if I fail again? What if I get fired?"
"If that were to happen, let it. You will learn from your mistakes and improve yourself as an artist. Then once you've done that, get up and try again."
"Thank you," she smiled.
The two enveloped one another with an embrace.
**************
New York, Queens
It was a bright, sizzling afternoon at Queens High. The sun stood above the sky with a smile and exuded an aura of light from her body. It spread its rays to the furthest corners of the borough while the sky stood out in a bright, navy blue color. The clouds moved diligently to the west while the gentle zypher greeted the students with a tender touch on their skins.
Meanwhile, Harrison and his friends stepped out of the school building and pottered toward the gate with many of their peers, "Man, that physics test was brutal," said Joseph, his eyes bulging.
"Mr. Kendall was right; physics is a nightmare in the twelfth grade. I mean, dude, I'm barely hanging on," Harrison said with exasperation.
"Ya'll need to chill out. The test wasn't as bad as you made it out to be," said Mikey.
"Easy for you to say, homie. It felt like I was staring Chucky in the eyes. The horror that awaited me, dawg. That is beyond my greatest nightmares," Joseph said.
"Dude, you're exaggerating; that movie is cheesy. I was laughing my ass off the entire time I watched it." scoffed Harrison as he playfully, and gently punched Joseph on the right shoulder.
"My G, you don't know what you're talking about. The doll creeped me out. It felt like my insides were tied to a note!" Joseph exclaimed.
"Right, how can I forget? Joseph is a chicken," scoffer Mickey.
Mickey bent his arms to mimic the wings of a bird. After that, he flapped them and clucked.
"Cluck, chuck, cluck! Joseph is a chicken!"
"Yeah, a chicken, cluck, cluck, cluck!" Harrison said as he also bent his arms and flapped them. He walked around Joseph with his back slightly bent, his knees buckled and clucked.
"Seriously, are you going to bring the chicken thing up again? You guys are idiots. Have you seen a chicken with a mouth and clothes, huh?!" He exclaimed as he raked his face.
"Well, in all fairness, it does have a mouth. So you are a chicken," replied Harrison as Mickey. The two high-fived him each other and imploded with laughter.
"It has a beak, not a mouth," he answered with a sigh.
"It's still the same thing to me," answered Harrison.
"Anyways, do you know a movie Scarier than Child's Play?" Joseph asked, trying to change the topic.
"Well, there's the exorcist, The Conjuring. You should try those out," replied Harrison.
"Eh yo Harry, ain't that your girl?" Mikey asked as they looked across the fence and saw Mya standing alone. She leaned against the green, steel paling and put on a set of earpods. She put on a hoodie and looked down with her hands in her pocket.
"She's not my girl, man," he replied, turning to face him instantly and rolling his eyes.
"Well, if you don't go there and talk to her, she never will be," said Mikey as he gently slapped him on the back, pushing him to take his shot.
For a moment, he was hesitant; he looked down and swallowed a lump.
"What's wrong, Harry? I hope that you don't have second thoughts. Otherwise, you'll be a chicken, "Joseph challenged and clucked afterward.
Harrison looked at her from afar and closed his eyes. He tried to find the courage to approach her, but his nerves paralyzed him. He took a deep breath and looked at Joseph, who winked at him. He then trudged forward and walked out of the school gate. He took the pavement that was on his left and pottered towards her.
"Hi, " he softly began.
When Mya's eyes landed on him, she removed her earpods and placed them in the casing. With a smile, she greeted him, "Hey, Harrison."
He smiled back, allured by her dazzling white teeth and beautiful eyes. She stood before him, enveloped with an angelic aura. Her aura was so strong that he froze instantly. He directed his gaze to her hair, which cascaded diligently below her shoulder regions.
"Are you ok?" She asked with her eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright," he answered and scratched his hair.
"Um...uh, if it's ok with you. I'd like to know more about you?" Harrison replied and intertwined his fingers as his eyes dilated. With each beat, the thud increased dramatically as he could hear his heartbeat from within. It's almost as if his life was about to come to a tragic end based on his body's reaction to Mya's terrifying presence.
"Oh, what would you like to know?"
"Just...just about everything," he stuttered.
She smiled, and just as she was about to answer him, a black limousine arrived and parked in front of the pavement. The passenger door opened, and when it did, a bulky man in a black tuxedo climbed out and crossed his arms.
"I gotta go, Harrison, but tell you what, we'll continue this tomorrow. Do you know where we can meet?"
"Um, uh, the tennis courts," he answered.
"I don't know where the tennis courts are. But you know what? I'll ask around," she answered.
"Cool, I'll see you at break time," he smiled.
"See ya," She waved at him and pottered towards the vehicle's back door. The bodyguard walked toward the backseat and opened the door for her. She got in and closed the door after her. When the vehicle left, his friends approached him from behind.
"So, how did it go?" Joseph asked.
"Well, I wouldn't say that there's progress. However, we are going to meet up tomorrow at break."
"Damn, son, now that's how we roll," answered Joseph.
***********
Back at Codex
Caldor's Former Laboratory
A few Task Force members watched Caldor's former research facility closely. There were anywhere between ten to twenty troopers there. The Council designated them to manage the lab. They donned armor made of steel, Codexian steel, that is. Black paint was then used to cover the armor, and red stripes were added and placed at the upper sleeves.
The fact that the troopers were so enormous was partly due to their armor, which gave them a bulky physique. Although such was the case, the armor was also light, and they could move around without being hindered by its weight.
The first unit stood further away from the lab and maintained a still gaze toward the horizon. They held their canons close by while keeping an eye out for any unusual activity. The other unit was positioned in front of the cave formerly serving as Caldor's residence.
A portal appeared from a distance. A mysterious man in black and silver exoskeleton armor emerged from it. From his pauldrons hung a cape draped in black. An emblem was carved in the center of the latter's platinum breastplate. The logo was chiseled as a diamond with two S letters inside. The S letter on the right was placed only a hair above the S letter on the left. The captain of the two units stepped forward and confronted this mysterious figure.
"Hold it!" He demanded. He aimed the plasma cannon at the approaching figure.
"This area is corned off! I suggest that you leave now!"
The man removed the gauntlet from his hands and raised a fist toward the captain. The troopers waited for their captain's order while keeping their index fingers close to the trigger.
The figure suddenly started shooting four quarts at the captain. Then, the jagged minerals sliced through his neck. When the crystals pierced him, a spray of blood spilled from his wound.
In retaliation, the troopers pointed their cannons toward him. The figure, though, put a forceful foot down. Then, a wall of crystals sprang from the ground to block the approaching beams. However, the strength of the crystals ultimately resisted the pressure of hundreds of plasma beams striking against it.
The figure then skillfully somersaulted and flipped over the crystal wall. He discharged more than forty quarts of crystals from his knuckles as he flipped over the wall of crystals and pointed his fist at the firing troopers. Their necks were punctured by the crystals, which exited from the rear.
Then, the figure landed on the ground. One of the few troopers attempted to shoot him with the canon when his boots touched the ground. Instead, he grabbed the soldier's wrist and struck him in the face. When the trooper's face made contact with the screen of his helmet and the latter's fist. The helmet broke.
Another trooper emerged from the side and started firing at him. The figure rolled on the ground just below the passing beams. He rolled up in front of the trooper; then he leaped up. As soon as he was close enough to him, he punched him in the chest.
He turned around to face his back as more troopers approached him, one after the other. They aimed their canons at him, and quickly, the figure stamped his right foot on the ground. A lengthy line of crystals sprouted out from the ground and dwarfed the height of a typical house in size. The crystals moved in the direction of the troopers from the ground. The line of crystals penetrated the troopers from between their legs to the tip of their skulls once the minerals were in close proximity to them.
He then entered the cave after utterly decimating the Task Force. Since the metal doors that had separated the house from the cave were removed decades ago, he could quickly enter the house. Oddly enough, the mysterious man easily navigated his way down the Laboratory. He found the lab in a disturbing state when he got there. The room was dark, and the furniture was coated in dust and cobwebs.
When he took a few more steps inside the lab, the lights automatically switched on, unveiling the massacre that the Task Force had left a few years ago. Much to the figure's surprise, the A. I, who once guarded these grounds, awoke from its lengthy slumber.
B-22 scanned him with a red ray while he took off his helmet. Once it had examined him, it concluded its analysis, "The first of born of Caldor-Ex. Welcome back, Seth."
"It's nice to see you too, B-22," replied Seth with a chuckle.
Now Seth had black spikey hair and emerald eyes. He also had a goatee which he would stroke when boredom got the better of him, "I need help. Please be kind enough to educate me about my sibling's whereabouts."
Across the room, there stood a large flat screen. On the screen, the A. I displayed their coordinates on Earth's global index.
"What planet is that, I wonder?"
The A. I answered, "That would be Earth, sir."
"Earth, hey? How interesting. I guess we'll have our little get-together sooner than I expected."