CHAPTER 20: Hidden Power
A knock on the tall, wooden doors of the capitol's meeting room signals the armored Granknight to step aside and turn the knob. Kurt and Bron are led out by Percy, who stays behind and says, "You guys go ahead. Fryste needs to speak with me for a moment." "Why is it always just you?" asks Kurt with his arms crossed. "Because I'm the leader. And trust me...she usually saves the scolding for me. You don't wanna see this, guys." The left out soldier keeps his arms crossed, but Bron shrugs and brings Kurt down the hall.
Granknight closes the doors again, and Percy walks back towards the governor at the window. "I assume this is about Komo, right?" "Indeed," replies Fryste's reflection in the glass, "Does she pose a threat?" The swordsman stares out at the city view, unsure of his answer. "She's definitely angry, and that fuels her strength and determination. If she were to come at me full strength, I know I'd have a difficult time putting her down. And yet..."
The governor glances at her old apprentice as he counters his own concerns. "...Komo seems to genuinely care for Gren, and unlike her father, uses her shield to defend people other than herself." "You don't think this could all be an act?" A long silence between the two persists as Percy observes the city. His brows lower. Eyes narrow, as if a terrible thought in his mind had upset him. Percy turned to his superior. "It's still very possible." "Then keep your eyes on her. Do not let her out of your sight again."
The governor begins to walk away, while Percy realizes what she said. "Again?" "Yes. Did you seriously believe that I would not be performing my own observations." The swordsman's body language shows a change in mood. Where he was previously open to discussion, now defensive and nervous. "Komo left your living quarters twice without your supervision. The first night, she made an enemy. Said enemy was spotted sabotaging the ferris wheel, the same night she left again." "Governor Fryste, they are teenagers. I can't expect them to stay cramped inside of my house for two months."
Silence follows Percy's defense statement. The governor just gives a bone chilling stare in reply, until finally saying, "See to it that this doesn't happen again, and that Victor does not become a threat as well..." Two knocks from Fryste instruct Granknight to open the doors from outside the meeting room. "...He may fall into the wrong hands. And I believe you know who I'm referring to." With her warning given, the governor leaves, and the armored giant awaits Percy's departure as well. "Hey Granknight," he says, trying to disguise his defeated tone. "Greetings, Percy! Nice to see you again!"
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Beside Gren's feet was an empty beer can on the trailer floor, perfectly in shape. Delle then looked towards Ellia, who was in the direct path of the can's potential roll. Putting the pieces together in her head, Delle glances back and forth at her friends, then proclaims, "I got it! Gren, kick that can over to Ellia." The ninja boy seems unsure and whines, "Aww, but I don't wanna get zapped again." "Just do it!" *groan* Reluctantly, Gren kicks the can and suffers a shock. ZAP! "OW!!"
The can rolls as predicted, towards Ellia's feet. Part two of Delle's fool proof plan begins. "Ellia, now you kick the can at my magic stick, hard." "You really think this is gonna work? If I'm gonna get shocked again, it better be for a good reason!" "Trust me. It's the only way we can get out of this." Unable to find a valid argument against her friend's words, the pixie bites her lip and sweeps her leg out. ZAP! A successful hit. The rolling can collides with the small stick and moves it slightly closer to Delle's reaching hand.
Desperately the witch girl reaches for her stick. ZAP! "AH!!" She tries again. ZAP! And again. ZAP! Tears begin to form in Delle's eyes as she says, "I can't! I still can't reach it!" Both Gren and Ellia join her shame, knowing their mentors would arrive soon. Meanwhile Komo still lays on the floor, deep in sleep. The sad witch looks up at her weapon with teary eyes, but that changes. Frustration takes over, leading her to reach again anyway. ZAP! Gren sees this and says, "Stop. It's no use," to no avail. ZAP! "Delle, stop hurting yourself!" yells Ellia in concern. ZAP! "I have to...make it!"
Suddenly a small, purple fireball spits out from her middle finger. The strange sensation of energy traveling directly through her body felt like a violation. Permission was never granted for this to occur, nor did she even know it was possible. It just happened. Delle stared at her left hand. The middle fingernail grew longer and sharper before her eyes and a single black vein became visible. For a second, she actually believed she was looking at a real witch's finger.
Inspiration strikes. Delle points her left, middle finger up at the stuncuffs, and like magic, fire is summoned. She holds it still, the strange feeling becoming more normal, until the cuffs melt apart. However, stray embers catch the rug on fire and begin traveling towards Ellia. "Hey! How'd you do that!?" asks the pixie. "No time!" Delle runs over to Gren with the stuncuff manual. Meanwhile the fire spreads closer to Ellia, who becomes increasingly more nervous. "Uh...Delle!" "Hold on!" With a simple turn of a key, the witch girl sets Gren free. No time to spare, his shuriken draws in water from the air and douses the fiery rug just before it reaches Ellia. "Phew..."
Gren sets the pixie free, who then releases the unconscious Komo. "Now what?" Ellia asks the witch. "Clean up." The teens run around the house, gathering items to hide the mess and make everything seem perfectly fine. Ellia flies over and drops a rug from another room over the blackened, laminate floor. Windows are opened by Delle to release the smoke. Lastly, Gren stands over the unconscious Komo. "Ok, you can do it, Gren," he tells himself. With immense effort the boy lifts his heavy friend up to knee level, red in the face. One step after the other he carries her towards the couch and manages to set her down.
HONK! "THEY'RE HERE!!" the teens scream. As a last chance to make things right, Komo is given a pair of shades and sat upright on the couch. "We're back," Kurt's voice says from behind the door. Upon entry, the mentors are greeted with all four apprentices sitting on the couch with deactivated stuncuffs in their laps. "Hi Kurt!" says Delle with a forced, awkward smile, "We did that stuncuff training, just as you asked!" Ellia chimes in, "Yep! All of us learned how to turn 'em on and shut 'em down!" "No problems at all!" adds the sweating Gren, still out of breath.
The looks on their mentors' faces show their doubt, and Percy steps forward with a video on his phone. On the screen, surveillance footage displays all four of them being zapped on the floor. "No problem? Really?" The teens share a nervous laugh, except for Komo, who falls off the couch face first. "AAHH!!"
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Night fell on the abandoned dealership known as the Black Nest. Victor put on his black shirt, skinny jeans, yellow jacket, leather boots, gold tinted visor, crystal chestplate, and lastly, his electric gauntlet. A glow immediately shone through the translucent crystals, powered by his Symbol. Lightning charged and danced between the twin points, like a raging storm in the mountaintops. Vik Voltage was born.
The large room, filled with people in black, ski masks, was greeted by the yellow light of their newest member. Pamda gave a friendly wave and nudged Dusty to do the same, but the cowboy refused. "Ah, there you are, my young apprentice," said Krow atop a hauler truck. The feathered crimelord held out his cane for Vik to take hold and helped him stand beside him. "It's time for your initiation."
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