Chapter 1

Chapter 1

DRIP! DRIP!! DRIP!!!

The rain poured heavily. Armed men in suits stood behind a barricade of cars, all aiming at a single person dressed in an all-black suit. With floodlights pointed at him, his platinum blonde hair stood out under the light.

"Stand back! You are outnumbered!" a voice shouted from behind the barricade. He pranced towards them.

"Don't let him come near us! Where the hell are the espers?" another man asked fearfully, his lab coat covered in dirt and smoke, with broken glasses.

"Doctor Michael, your time ends here." He said

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Arsenal. If you kill me, you're starting a war against Paradise, and even you won't be able to handle that by yourself."

Arsenal stared at him, his light blue eyes sending fear into the people present.

Sound Manipulation…

Arsenal threw himself backward to evade an energy attack aimed at him from above. Three masked people dropped from a helicopter.

"The espers from Paradise are here, Doctor."

"You see, Arsenal, you are doomed. Paradise's espers are all grade one. You don't stand a chance," Doctor Michael said proudly.

"Hey, you're Arsenal, right? I've always wanted to fight you, you know," one of the espers spoke as he stepped in front of his group.

"His psionics is sound manipulation. Be careful," another said.

He laughed.

"Don't worry; he doesn't…"

Arsenal dashed towards him, grabbed his head, and slammed him into the ground before any of them could react.

Sound manipulation; Noise

Arsenal shot a Soundwave at the other two, sending them flying in opposite directions.

"Are these your so-called grade one espers? I am disappointed. If you don't have anything else, I'll be killing you now."

"Shoot, shoot at him."

Arsenal weaved through the bullets seamlessly, then slammed both of his hands together, sending a powerful shockwave at the barricade, exploding it. Arsenal took his time, staring down Doctor Michael.

"Guess the rumors were true; you are stronger than even most grade zero espers." The esper he slammed to the ground said, a wide smile across his face

"Are you still alive?" Arsenal asked a little bit suprised

"Don't get cocky, you piece of shit," he got to his feet. "My name is Tyrell, a grade one esper affiliated with Paradise."

"Why are you telling me your goddamn name?"

"Because it's the last name you'll remember."

Tyrell emitted an aura around his body.

"I am a master in augmenting technique; I don't need my psionics to kill you."

"You sure like to talk, don't you?"

Tyrell dashed at Arsenal, who dodged all of his attacks with ease. Arsenal landed a punch in Tyrell's midsection, forcing blood through his mouth and sending him flying backward.

"If you fight like this, you're going to get killed."

"Arsenal!" Tyrell screamed as he dashed at Arsenal.

Sound manipulation; Resonance

Arsenal caught Tyrell by his head.

SPALT!!!

Tyrell's headless body dropped to the ground.

Arsenal sighed and turned his attention back to the Doctor.

"I'm surprised that you haven't run, while he was supposedly keeping me busy."

"What do you want? Who paid you? I'll double, no, triple it; I'll give you anything."

Arsenal squatted beside the Doctor.

"What I want is your life. Not that it's of any worth. I just want to rid the world of vermin like you."

"Killing me won't make you a hero, you fool," Michael lashed at him. Michael scrambled his hands for the door, picking up a handgun.

BOOM!!!

"I'm really amazed that you all don't learn. My psionics, Sound manipulation, allows me to manipulate sound waves, and as a bonus, I am able to move at hypersonic speeds," he dropped the bullet he caught. "I'll give you a chance to begin a new life in the bosom of the Almighty."

Arsenal shot a concentrated sound wave from his index.

"Amen."

This wasn't the life I imagined for myself five years ago, a mercenary feared around the entire country. They say espers are blessed by misfortune; guess that's true.

"Get the kids now!" A man barges into his house, his wife follows alongside him.

"Dad, Mum, is everything okay?" Six-year-old Kyle asked his father, fear and stress showing on both their faces.

"Where is your sister, Kyle?"

"She's upstairs."

"Go and get her now."

"What is…?"

"Now, Kyle."

Kyle runs hurriedly upstairs.

"We can't let them get the blueprint for the Mind's Eye," Kyle's father said, his light blue eyes trying to pacify his wife's fears. She nods.

"To infinity…"

"And beyond." She cocks her shotgun.

"Dad, Eer…" Kyle stops in his tracks; his parents' lifeless bodies lie on the ground. A shadowy figure stands in the pool of blood.

"Wh…" Kyle struggles to utter his words. Rage builds up inside him, his six-year-old mind trying to understand what he's seeing. He sees nothing else, not his sister, not the murderer, only his parents' lifeless bodies. The rage finally bursts out as he lets out a loud cry, emitting a large amount of energy, enough to level the entire building.

+

KNOCK! KNOCK!!

"Come in."

Arsenal opens the door, his gaze quickly catches that of the person sitting on the opposite side of the table. Black hair long and unkempt, the scar across his left eye shows he has seen his fair share of battle. Opposite him sit two other people.

"You called for me."

"Yes, I heard you just came back from a mission?" Sinclair asked his voice deep and somewhat intimidating

"Yes, I need to rest." Arsenal replied

"Well, this will be brief."

"I am sure you remember her." Sinclair points at the lady sitting at his right side

"I remember her, not him."

"Long time no see, Arsenal," the girl said, smiling brightly at him, her emerald eyes staring deeply into Arsenal's, her blonde hair complementing her fair skin.

"Yeah," Arsenal answers her absentmindedly.

"What is the meaning of this, Sinclair?"

"I am assigning you to a group."

"What?"

"You heard me the first time."

"Why are you doing that?"

"He opens a drawer in front of him and pulls out a brown envelope and throws it at him."

"That contains information on the Mind's Eye. Your parents were on the verge of completing technology that can change the entire world for espers like us. Its current whereabouts are unknown. That's where you come in; investigate Paradise and find out what they know about the Mind's Eye."

Arsenal stares at the envelope, filled with determination and a thirst for revenge. He lets out a sly grin.

"Now for proper introductions,"

"Lana Raymond, 16 years of age, a Natural esper. Psionics: Cryokinesis."

Lana stretches out her hands.

"Nice to meet you again."

Arsenal ignores the gesture.

"And who do you think you are? Your attitude makes me sick," the other person in the room flares up, his ember-colored eyes lit up.

"I hate people who think they are better than everyone just because they are in a better position."

"Excuse me?"

"You are so full of yourself, and it's irritating."

"When you are as strong as I am, do as you like," Arsenal fires back at him.

"Why you…"

Kael grabs Arsenal by the shirt.

"I think that should be enough," Sinclair said, slamming his hands into the table. Kael releases Arsenal's shirt.

"That is Kael, a Natural esper, fifteen years old, Psionics: Electrokinesis."

"Really, fifteen years and sixteen years?" Arsenal remarks.

"You are also sixteen, Kyle."

"Tch."

"They are Natural espers; I'm sure they'll be helpful."

"Yes, in standing in my way," Arsenal walks towards the door.

"You alone can't take on the world, Kyle. Many have tried and failed."

"Well, they aren't me."

Kael sends a bolt of electricity at Arsenal, and Lana creates a thick layer of ice to protect him from the assault. Arsenal glances at Kael, then walks away.

"I can't do this, boss. I can't work with this guy; he's too annoying."

"And you are too rash, Kael," Lana responds.

"I thought you looked up to him?"

"Now, I only want to plant my fist in his goddamn face."

"Lana sighs.

"He is a good person, underneath. He just needs someone to bring that side of him out."

"Well, that's not gonna be me."