Val74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZeWq0ZQLQ
Ash sleeps until the sun rises and a sliver falls on his face. He wakes up and accidentally punches me in the face with his fists as he yawns. He jumps as he realizes I'm still here. "What the-?" He nods as he remembers what happened. "You actually stayed?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSVMdQCOzT
I try to hide my blush and shuffle a little away from him. "Uh, yeah, I didn't want to be alone with only my thoughts. Besides, I told you that I wasn't going to leave you. Never, you're stuck with me."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rGjqjk1sv
He grins, "I don't know if I should be glad about that. What time is it?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUvOQVOQLz
I look over at his desk and see a quartz clock ticking. "5:41 am. Do you always get up this early?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrsDdFuPt3
He sits up and throws the sheets away from his body. He stands and stretches, yawning as he goes along. I can't help but stare at him. His hair is ruffled up and his eyes are dilated so that his pupils are huge. He's gorgeous in his own sort of way.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyvqSVKdWc
"Come on, it's time for morning workouts." He rubs at the scar on his shoulder and rotates his shoulders. "You don't have to participate but you should come with me. We can play some music and have a grand time."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIx7dlY9aPU
"You train in the mornings too? So morning, middle of the day weights, and then afternoon training?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwmbazREpk
"First of all, I have to hold myself back in weights. I'm honestly stronger than all of them combined, but I needed to do something that went with my profession. So more work outs. That reminds me, it's not training, it's a workout. That's basically crossfit on steroids- no not steroids, on crack. I can't go too hard or I'll be sore whenever I go to school but now, I'm good. Come on, we can practice with your ability today. If you're up for it."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9TdAL9kZ6
I stand and elbow him, I've been wanting to see what I'm capable of since last night. I want to prove that I'm not just a sitting duck. "let's go Asahel. Let's go train."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIDEWYC58r
He smiles, "I hoped you would say that." He races down the stairs, his socked feet barely making a soft thud against the creaky old wood. I race down beside him and every footstep I take is like a clanging cymbal. 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SYm48WVNm
When we walk into the secret door and down the steps, Ash leads me into the room full of control panels and security camera footage. He taps absent mindedly on a laptop overlooking the training arena. Equipment and other obstacles begin popping out of the walls and spit out of the darkness. I see a ropes course complete with no harnesses and a fake rock wall. Then a few stations which I'm guessing must be more of a crossfit thing.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvw9J6VTqU
"When I say go, press enter. Play some music while you're at it, it's a good distraction." He points to a different computer which I'm guessing has the music. "Have fun with their music choices." He quickly strips off his socks and throws them at me. I almost incinerate them with my hands. He walks into the training arena and lays on the ground in pushup position.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXCCCzBeEK
I poise my finger over the enter button and wait for his signal. He looks up at the daunting challenge in front of him and sighs. "Alright. Now!" 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEDF1HOYCB
I slam my finger on the key as a large red stopwatch appears on the training room walls. Five minutes. Five minutes for him to complete this whole thing? No way.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkT7Q2RWYKn
He starts doing rapid pushups and I turn to the other computer, pressing the play button accidentally. A voice blares from speakers. "Stayin' alive, stayin' alive. Ah-" I press a random button. "You ain't nothin' but a hound-" Elvis? Another random button. "If you want to destroy my sweater-" I press another button frantically. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me-" This is getting annoying. "It's the final countdown-"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJlwmX5XcJ
"Ash don't you have anything that's not from the 80's?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITolyq2noF
He looks up at me from doing crunches. "No. They aren't all from the 80s. Mom and dad haven't ever gotten over their days of youth. Just play something good."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIy7zBYwzJ
"I don't know how to work this thing!" I start jabbing every button. "Ain't goin' down till the sun comes up, ain't go-" "You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'-" 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtsfZPd5Mq
"What is Merle Haggard and Garth Brooks doing here?!"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvjeQSETf3
"Keep going, you're in the country years!" He is now doing box sprints at a blinding speed. Next suicides, he's sweating but it looks like he's just took a jog through the neighborhood. That's angering.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfM6mlIlSi
"Whoa, we're halfway there, oh-oh livin' on a prayer-"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MLx1LmfQ9
"That's a good one but it's overplayed by the parents. So skip."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFEZTvRyo7
"I'm not trying to be a nuisance-" Right now it's Ash's theme song for me. "You can take the one thing I have left, beat me to the ground and take my breath-"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWmn3JJL4B
Ash motions for me to restart that song. "See, that's an early 2000s song. Don't generalize, all generalizations are wrong." Now he's climbing the rock wall, his red bare feet clinging to the fake rocks as he propels himself closer to the ropes course.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49nPGpA3Fr
He's suspended ten feet in the air by the time he makes it halfway up the course. Now he's making me nervous.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡck7Rj1mbzL
"Can someone please radio for help?" The song blasts out a few lines in a loud melody. 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbHFzLpjxu
He makes it to the ropes course and the timer hits two minutes. He steps out onto a thin rope tightrope and stares at me. Twenty feet in the air, no harness and a very hard floor below him. He bends down shakily and grabs the rope with his hands. He wobbles all over the place but he balances enough to keep him above the rope. Then, he swings himself down and hangs by his arms. He cockily winks at me as he starts moving.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBDirkI2on
"You can take the one thing I have left, I give it all away for so much less, even take the heart inside my chest-"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBIBs2CPdc
He begins to swing across the tightrope like he's done it a hundred times. He keeps going through the one tightrope and onto the next. He grimaces as if something hurts him. His fingers slip.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwoicX4ChB
"And I swear we were born to let you down. We scream but never make a sound."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cdKuE4cGt
I scream as he falls. He tries to grab onto something with telekinesis and flails his arms like one of those cartoon characters trying to fly. He screams and tries to maneuver so he'll fall on his knees, but it won't matter. I thrust my hand out more out of instinct. Suddenly, Ash is suspended inches above the ground. A throbbing pain pulls at my temples as I pull away my arm and he drops. The throb stops immediately. 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa4iLwknmy
"Don't wanna be the same. Cause we point the finger, act like everyone else is to blame! Blame-" I press the off button for the music.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAX4YghWkTd
Ash sits on the ground staring at me with unbelief. I hurry out of the control panel room and sit beside him. "Are you hurt? What happened?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0paKUPP7w
His eyes stare at me in unbelief as he sits back and rubs at his shoulder. "How did you do that?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHGm0sTlQg
"I don't know." I furrow my eyebrows. "I'm not sure, I just instinctually threw my hand out to catch you. It was like in the movies where the character tries to grab something out of reach before it falls. It felt weird. Why what's wrong?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqdYouflO9
He stares at my eyes and shakes his head. "Val. You're a receiver right?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyL9YWTSLJZ
I nod. "Yeah. What are you trying to say?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1HYoHqh2h
"Receivers only get one ability. You set the school on fire and saved me. That means you have-"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVHLU6far4
"Two abilities? That can't be right." I stare at my hands, "it was purely instinctual. It can't be right that I have two abilities. Maybe you caught yourself."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0QtYMmRx6
"There's only one way to find out." He marches off into a closet to our right, appearing with a few large knives. I don't like where this is going.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQP7xNvfeNh
Suddenly, he throws a knife into the air and sends it hurtling towards my face. I yelp in surprise and put my hands in front of my face to defend myself. I peer through my fingers and see the knife drop to the ground as if it hit a hard brick wall. Ash sends the last two knives sailing towards my head, I take away my hands and bat them down by moving my eyes. 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvldd67jmiL
Ash's eyes are wide in surprise, "that's strange. Okay, now light something on fire."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBMh5L3sCB
I look around but there's nothing to catch on fire except the ropes course and a few orange cones. I pick an orange cone up shakily with my own telekinesis and set it down in front of me. I feel sweat bead on my forehead at the immense concentration I had to use. My brain hurts. "I don't know if I can set it on fire, moving it zapped me."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytrG1fcgtZ
"Try it anyways."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZkLcrTwOb
I take a big breath and stare at the cone. I feel stupid for just staring at it. Catch on fire, I mentally urge it, do something. Come on! Do something! The cone still glares at me, laughing. Burn! Catch on fire you stupid cone! The cone's edges begin to move and then they melt together and collapse in on the other walls. A thin smoke rises from the dead cone as if a white flag of surrender.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifN5wSQAkt
"Well…" Ash trails off and shrugs. "We should go get mom and dad, they can explain what's happening. 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSWDzYSLel
I pick up the melted cone and toss it into the air and try but fail to catch it. "I guess. Because I know about as much about being a Socius as this cone. So… I'm not waking them up."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMl5xxxq4l
"Stay here then, see if you can do something. Practice, just don't strain yourself." He turns and I start failing at juggling his knives. I can throw them and make them hover in the air, but complex maneuvers hurt my brain.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnAps7iiHD
But what does this mean? Did this mean that they lied to me? The words of the Inimicus pop into my head. "Don't believe the Socius, they're lying." What if this proves her right? What if they're purposely tricking me into helping them destroy my own people? What if they've already brainwashed me?74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTwIw5GoQV
Another thought races across my mind as I bat it away a little slower than I should. What if the Inimicus aren't the bad guy? What if I'm the bad guy?74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAH5GfCdGH
Ash runs back down the steps with Kara and Heath right behind him. They don't look pleased to be up. Ash points to me. "It's not possible!"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzi4aIxh0PY
Heath rubs his face and then through his black hair. "Hello and good morning. So, Ash said that you can suddenly move things with your mind."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCR9lne2L5
I nod and pick up a knife to show him. "I caught Ash before he could fall and I don't know what happened."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvFFAmUdAA
"See," Ash says triumphantly, "I want's lying." Or was he? Is this all a scheme?74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9TZjBwBCm
Heath steps forward and takes the knife from my hand and stares at my face with a skeptical look. "Kara? You're the real Socius here. Go for it."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgYrqjOFlA
Kara shrugs and stretches out her arms. "Well… we might've been wrong or you might be an exception to the rule. In case you can't tell, there aren't many sources to get any info on our kind. The only way I know what I know is handed down generation to generation and written down in journals. So that means you're a flaw in the system and lucky you, or you're normal and I forgot something about the receiver's gifts."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKj5qYGMSUm
"Oh," I look down kind of disappointed. I thought there would be a better explanation. I don't know what I was hoping for. "Why doesn't this hurt like the other though?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPvmOPXlqA
"It's called an emergency ability. It pops up whenever there's a situation where it would come in handy. It won't hurt you." 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0QHrg1gWn
I nod and sigh deeply. "Well… I feel better. Should we start training?" 74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGGW6FCSxw
Kara flattens her hair and shakes her head. "I love your enthusiasm, but in case you haven't realized it, it's six in the morning. Go to sleep or something. You've had enough excitement for the day here. Asahel, don't ever do any cocky stunts like that again. You're lucky you didn't break your face."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0lKnaAlw1
He shrugs, "you wanna go on a walk in the woods?"74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVe1MWs2XIZ
I look down at his bare feet and shrug. "I'm up for it, as long as it doesn't involve bodily injury. I know you and everything has to be an adventure where death and injury is a distinct variable."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzF1vLG7Ee
He pulls on his socks and his smile widens even more. "You know me so well."74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESf0DCadXH
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