Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A young Kyle walked along the sidewalk, lost in thought, his clothes torn and covered in dust. The scene of the murder of his parents played over and over in his head. Absentmindedly, he bumped into a man and fell to the ground. The man smiled at him and offered his hand.

"Come with me."

Kyle and the man sat opposite each other in a restaurant. Kyle devoured his food, and the man watched and smiled at him. Kyle paused.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled with his mouth full.

"It's okay," Sinclair said, still smiling.

"Why are you helping me?" Kyle asked 

"There's no harm in helping a helpless kid on the street." Sinclair responded 

"No, I know you. You've been monitoring me for a while now."

"Perceptive, I see. So why did you agree to join me?"

"I know you want something from me, and you wouldn't poison me. Besides, I was kind of hungry," Kyle said with a flushed face.

"Well, since you know this much, there's no need for small talk, is there? Yes, I know who you are, Kyle Rodriguez, the son of Richard and Fauna Rodriguez, researchers for Paradise. I know they were all murdered."

Kyle looked into Sinclair's eyes, holding eye contact for thirty seconds.

"Don't you want to know who killed your parents?"

"I want to get revenge for my parents and Eero's death." He responded 

"I can help you with that, Kyle. I can help you get revenge."

"What's in it for you?"

"I want you to join Reapers."

"What is that?"

"It's an underground esper organization that deals with odd jobs. I want your power, Kyle."

"My power?" He said suprised

Sinclair leaned back on the couch.

"Do you know what an esper is?"

"I've heard the word thrown around here and there." Kyle answered stuffing his face with food once more

"Espers are people able to manipulate and use psionic energy. They are the people in the shadows who keep the world in balance."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"The experience you witnessed during the murder of your parents caused your brain to forcefully evolve in an attempt to save you from impending danger. Your brain allows access to psionic energy, enabling you to do something like this."

Sinclair generated a fireball in his hands.

"Each psionic ability is unique to an individual, with only a few iterations. I can teach you how to harness and utilize your psionics, Kyle, and you can use that to get revenge on those people who took everything from you. What do you say?".

---

Arsenal opened his door, surprised to find Lana with a smile and Kael looking disgruntled, both dressed in tracksuits and trainers.

"It's five in the morning. What are you doing at my front door?" Arsenal asked.

"We heard that you always wake up by this time for training, so that's why we're here," Lana responded.

"Is that so? And why are you here?" He looked at Kael

"She forced me into this," Kael replied, looking away.

"Thanks, but I don't need your company." He said as he brushed past them 

"I told you it wasn't worth it," Kael turned back.

"We won't hold you back, promise," Lana said.

"Do as you please." He responded without stopping 

"How can you cope with this guy?"

"Well, if you grew up with a six-year-old for nine years, you're sure to understand at least a little about them."

"You guys grew up together?"

"At the nursery. He was adopted by Father and trained personally by him. He had so much promise, and as an awakened esper, he could rival a full esper in psionic energy. That's how strong he is."

"So, his parents weren't espers?"

"No, they weren't."

"And that his psionics are sound manipulation. I can't help but think there's a side to him that wants to be heard."

"We are here," Arsenal said.

The wind blew in as he opened a small gate leading outside the Reapers Mansion, a secluded area, tall trees of different shapes and sizes filled the place.

"Whoa, I didn't know a place like this existed outside the mansion," Kael said.

"I remember this place; it holds memories, huh, Kyle."

"It's Arsenal."

Arsenal walked away from them.

"Train over there. Don't interrupt me," he instructed.

"Yeah…," Lana said soothing an imaginary itch

Arsenal glanced at her over his shoulder.

"We want you to train us, Kyle."

"What?"

"It was Father's decision. He said that if we don't want to hold you back, we should be at least close in power to you, Kyle."

"It's Arsenal, goddamn that bastard."

Arsenal stomped his feet in rage.

"Why are you mad? Don't have time for weaklings like us?"

"Kael, do you have a problem with me?" Arsenal asked.

"Yes, I do. I want to prove to you that you aren't all high and mighty, you piece of trash."

"Fine, then if you can land…"

Arsenal barely dodged Kael's punch, his body coated in electricity. Kael took a stance, and Arsenal felt a cut across his face. Surprise was written all over Lana and Arsenal's faces.

"That counts as a hit, right?" Kael asked.

Arsenal smiled, looking at the blood on his face.

"Fine, I'll teach you while I beat you to a pulp."

"I'd like to see you try."

Kael dashed toward Arsenal faster than the first time. Both of them traded blows, with Arsenal's blows causing much more damage to Kael.

"Electrokinesis; Surge."

His electrical aura increased substantially.

"Surge allows me to increase my physical attributes to their limits. Even you won't be able to react to my speed, Arsenal."

"But in doing so, you consume more psionic energy. You can't maintain that form for long." Arsenal responded 

"Unlike you, I was born an esper, so I have psionic energy to spare."

He dashed once again at Arsenal, his speed increasing. Arsenal struggled to match his speed and leaped backward to put distance between both of them.

"That won't work."

Kael immediately caught up with him, landing a punch that sent him flying.

"Yes!"

Arsenal got up and dusted the dirt off his clothes.

"He is unharmed," Lana asked in shock.

"How?"

"Surprised, lesson one and probably the most useful is the proper distribution of your psionic energy over your entire body. A proper distribution grants you a thick defensive layer and boosts your physical attributes to an extent, Kael. And don't get your hopes up because you landed a hit."

Arsenal's aura increased.

"I'm going on the offensive now if you can manage that."

"Sound manipulation; Resonance."

Arsenal stomped on the floor, sending a massive shockwave through it, shattering the entire floor. He dashed at Kael, using the rocks as support, landed a punch on Kael, and then delivered multiple combinations of punches and kicks.

"Electrokinesis; Erupting Voltage."

Kael shot a powerful electric bolt at Arsenal, but he dodged the attack. Arsenal countered with a blast of sound waves at point-blank range, sending Kael crashing into a wall.

Arsenal walked toward Kael, who struggled to get back up.

"Don't use any more of your psionics; you might end up frying your brain."

"Damn it, I lost to you."

"You're not the only one." Arsenal said with a smirk

"Tch."

"So, what do you think?"

They all turned to the direction of a masculine voice coming from behind them.

"Huh," he puffed smoke from his mouth.

"By the look on your face, I can tell that you're satisfied with the results." Sinclair continued

Arsenal ignored his comments and walked back into the mansion.

"I feel like shit." Kael said 

"Did you really have to go all out, Kael?" Lana helped him up 

"I told you I wanted to see how I matched up to him, and the most annoying part was that he was holding back." His face flushed with rage and embarrassment 

"Don't push yourself too hard, Kael. I watched the entire thing, and you fought well against him." Sinclair commended 

"And for the first time, it looked like he had fun sparring in a long time since we both sparred," he took another long drag from his cigar.

"Continue like this for a month, and your improvement is going to be impressive. I'm going to attend an important meeting now."

"This is going to be a hell of a month." Lana said with a sigh