Val82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHliwngrzVb
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?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnuQ60jzoQ
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kPaY26ayO
He grins, "I don't know if I should be glad about that. What time is it?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgaMMx3e6Z
I look over at his desk and see a quartz clock ticking. "5:41 am. Do you always get up this early?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPnTFtTZ2i
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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaCFlBHrLg
"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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfwq1jX5x4
"You train in the mornings too? So morning, middle of the day weights, and then afternoon training?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WUsPAVJzY
"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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2p9E4vgMX1
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dgzEiSBnp
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. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGslAUbbQVK
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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX9YCetS0q
"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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3EaCituUR
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!" 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBjfcern5m
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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UkiTWwmPx
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-"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJAsTcLnHF
"Ash don't you have anything that's not from the 80's?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeChyRtMjQS
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZM0hFXO2M
"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'-" 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQvWip94MR
"What is Merle Haggard and Garth Brooks doing here?!"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0t1ykulEl
"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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkl0kCGhrI
"Whoa, we're halfway there, oh-oh livin' on a prayer-"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NzzKSYTWK
"That's a good one but it's overplayed by the parents. So skip."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGLdHjycFc
"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-"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTxSTRvz9X
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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidKRNvJLoF
He's suspended ten feet in the air by the time he makes it halfway up the course. Now he's making me nervous.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9mhm3BVfh
"Can someone please radio for help?" The song blasts out a few lines in a loud melody. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NaFG3xbDH
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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VVTNIowtN
"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-"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0WyijCUfR
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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboFl4lpBx2
"And I swear we were born to let you down. We scream but never make a sound."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGYezLWYiq
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. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuqJ3I2FCi
"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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOGc9Kyyl5
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?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFLzTllPkD
His eyes stare at me in unbelief as he sits back and rubs at his shoulder. "How did you do that?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg68GPcpSS2
"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?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqQQD0AbzW
He stares at my eyes and shakes his head. "Val. You're a receiver right?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaB2Kvn6lH
I nod. "Yeah. What are you trying to say?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBOTiE5HwX
"Receivers only get one ability. You set the school on fire and saved me. That means you have-"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHoAy1A9c9
"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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tkHv4dTay
"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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUapNs4T9B
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. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTiftQg3Zt
Ash's eyes are wide in surprise, "that's strange. Okay, now light something on fire."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5WxNsB0lM
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWHJmvbqol
"Try it anyways."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gejvIaMMa
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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZgcw3E84Z
"Well…" Ash trails off and shrugs. "We should go get mom and dad, they can explain what's happening. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDWCmi7xIw
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJN73jPe5B
"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.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolAFy7IcfN
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?82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaq8MMqUj8
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?82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcRejVx99D
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!"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyZldxsWKH
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWS94EWvyg
I nod and pick up a knife to show him. "I caught Ash before he could fall and I don't know what happened."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0sveMqMWz
"See," Ash says triumphantly, "I want's lying." Or was he? Is this all a scheme?82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqG8q2mYuiI
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2F4cJJ8ei
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSiRnxEOkA
"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?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLhwbjS9Ob
"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." 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1dx6qhPyw
I nod and sigh deeply. "Well… I feel better. Should we start training?" 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XoqPMYtAi
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Y3lufEnot
He shrugs, "you wanna go on a walk in the woods?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhuMOAc5pL
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."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxJ0YyMW2m
He pulls on his socks and his smile widens even more. "You know me so well."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5lirQx5dW
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